All dog owners wish for one thing, which is that their dog live with their families forever, which, however, is not very possible because the average life expectancy for a dog is 12.5 years. While you cannot make your dog live forever, you can do many things to ensure that it lives a long and healthy life, so by the end, you know that you have done everything in your power to make it live a healthy one.
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Prioritize Regular Vet Checkups
Visits to the vet are significant because you need to keep track of your dog’s condition if you want it to live a long and happy life. Make sure that you visit the vet at least once a year and, in the case of older dogs, at least once every six months. You need to keep track of what they eat, how they behave, and their drinking and toileting, and note any significant changes and inform them about them to the vet. If the vet diagnoses a health condition, you can learn about how to manage it and give your dog the required medication. Regular visits are also important because the sooner a disease is picked up, the better, and the easier the treatment. You should also pick one good vet clinic and stick to it because pets can get uneasy when going to different clinics and are uncomfortable with new vets.
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Maintain Weight
An overweight dog can even become a victim of diabetes or heart disease, so you should ensure that your dog maintains a healthy weight, and obviously, this is different for every dog, as some dogs are naturally active while others are more relaxed and cannot engage in too much physical activity. You should find an activity that your dog likes to do. Every day walks are a must. Other than that, you can take your dog for hiking, running, or even take them for swims.
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Keep Your Dog Mentally Active
You need to keep your dog engaged in activities that stimulate their brain and make it work faster, such as puzzles and tricking games because while physical activity is important, mental activity is also significant. You can train them and teach them about how to respond to something you say or to fetch you something when you signal. You can also invest in interactive toys that will boost mental stimulation. You just need to make sure that over time, their cognitive abilities do not age and decline, and that their brain stays active and does not make them confused later. You can also teach them a scent game where they sniff things and detect them later, which helps improve their memory.
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Don’t Skip Grooming
Another important thing that you can do is to keep your dog clean and groomed. There are a lot of ways in which you can groom your dog. You can do it yourself or look for services, such as pet grooming in Encinitas offers pet grooming services, among many other things. You can start by cleaning their ears, as ears can accumulate a lot of wax and infections, which is not healthy for your dog. You can buy a cleaner that your vet has approved and gently apply it in their ears using a gauze or cotton ball to remove all dirt. You should also take strict care of their oral hygiene, as this is the entry point for bacteria, which can cause diseases in your dog’s body. You should introduce toothpaste to your dog, and then eventually a suitable toothbrush to remove all types of dirt from its mouth.
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Show Them Love and Reduce Stress
You should take them on different routes for walks so that their minds are engaged and they can encounter new smells, which keeps them away from stress. You should let your dog get enough rest because sleeping is important for a dog’s body to repair damage and to recover. You should find a cozy spot for them to sleep in and let them sleep there uninterrupted, so their sleep is complete, and their immune system is strong. You can even let your dog sleep next to you, as snuggling with their owners makes the dogs feel happy and makes them live longer by decreasing stress and improving heart health and reducing anxiety-related issues because the dog feels safe and secure. In fact, 43% of dogs sleep with their owners.
Conclusion
It is a very difficult thing to do, but you should also learn how to say goodbye to your dog. Sometimes, no matter what you do, and despite the visits to the vet and taking care of their health, they are just not meant to live for long. You should talk to your vet to find out when the best time is to let go because caring for your dog means not being in pain for too long.
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