5 things you can do to keep your dog healthy and long-lived



Anyone who owns a dog wants their dog to live a healthy and long life.

Therefore, Jacqueline Boyd, who teaches dog health and welfare at Nottingham Trent University in the United Kingdom, explained 'Points that owners should pay attention to in order to keep dogs healthy and long-lived'.

Five ways to help your dog live a longer, healthier life
https://theconversation.com/five-ways-to-help-your-dog-live-a-longer-healthier-life-166306

◆ 1: Be careful around the waist of the dog
Maintaining a healthy weight has a significant impact on the longevity of a variety of animals, including humans and dogs. In particular, it is said that 20% of dogs suffer from osteoarthritis, which causes pain and swelling in joints such as the legs, so weight management is an important point in preventing such diseases.


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According to Boyd, a body condition score index can be used to determine how much weight a dog is healthy. In addition, since it is essential to understand how much dog food the dog is eating in order to maintain an appropriate weight, weigh the food properly instead of the amount of eyes and feed the appropriate amount according to the age and amount of exercise. There is a need, Boyd said.

◆ 2: Take a walk enough
Moderate exercise is said to not only help dogs weight control, but also have many benefits such as preventing aging and relieving stress. In fact, a 2017 study that interviewed 38 dog owners in 12 households found that walking improved the well-being of both dogs and people.



◆ 3: Teaching new tricks and play
According to a 2017

study on training for older dogs, even older dogs, who tend to be weak and have poor activity and quality of life, can learn new tricks through training to help them become physically and mentally young. It can be maintained. In particular, 'nose work, ' which is training using the sense of smell, is said to be suitable for old dogs because it is fun and rewarding for dogs and does not put a burden on the body.

[Docdog] Nosework first experience-YouTube


In addition, for dogs with severely restricted exercise, therapy such as swimming in the pool is also effective.

◆ 4: Deepen the bond
Just as dog lovers often describe dogs as 'members of the family,' dogs also have a clear attachment to those who take care of them. Therefore, a stable relationship between the owner and the dog can create a happy and beneficial partnership for both the owner and the dog. Being aware of subtle changes in dog behavior and behavior is also important for early detection of potential risks such as signs of illness.

For example, in a 2019 study focusing on the effects of human-dog contact, dogs are less aggressive in cases where the owner and the dog are compatible, the frequency of fearful behavior is low, and it is also subjective to humans. It is known that it has the merit of having a high sense of well-being and less stress. According to Boyd, the best way to develop a bond with a dog is to play with it and share a fun and positive experience.



◆ 5: Don't skip seeing a veterinarian
Advances in veterinary medicine, such as effective vaccine development and parasite control, have led to the development of both dog and human diseases, such as toxocariasis, which infects humans with parasites from dog excrement, and rabies, a highly lethal zoonotic disease. We succeeded in reducing it significantly. In addition, having a veterinarian's health checkup on a regular basis can treat painful dog health problems such as tooth decay and osteoarthritis at an early stage, and has a good relationship with the veterinarian. You can also feel free to consult about your dog's health problems and treatments that suit your dog.

In this regard, Boyd said at the end, 'After all, a dog's lifespan is highly dependent on both living environment and heredity. Heredity cannot be changed, but there are many things that can be done to improve a dog's living environment. Therefore, the accumulation of such efforts should support the healthy life of the dog. '

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