These habits will make your dog live longer

Feb 26,2024
12Min

How old is the oldest dog in the world? It is particularly worth mentioning that dog age and human age are different. 1 year of dog age ≈ 7 years of human age. The previous Guinness World Record for the world's oldest dog was held by an Australian Shepherd named Bluee, who lived to be 29 years old. According to the "dog age" calculation, it is already 203 years old.

In fact, with careful care, your dog can stay with you longer. Let’s take a look at the secret of other people’s dogs’ longevity!

(1) Try to ensure that the dog is in a happy mood

First of all, if you want your dog to live longer, you must first give it a carefree, safe and healthy living environment. A good mood is very important for human health. Similarly, a good mood is also very important for dog health. If the dog is depressed all day long and has a low spirit, this will not only affect the dog's physical health, but also affect the dog's life span.

Especially elderly dogs will be very afraid of loneliness and will be more dependent on their owners, so try to comfort them at home. A life needs more tolerance and care from you in its later years. Don’t despise it because it is old. After all, it gives you the best time. The owner should spend more time with your old friend and carefully observe every change in it.

(2) Try to ensure the dog’s health

Sometimes dog illness is unavoidable, and sometimes it is completely avoidable. Listed below are some key points that can minimize dog illness:

1. Ensure dog’s dental health

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Eat more dry food that can help eliminate tartar, avoid eating hard bones, etc. A dog should brush its teeth with special toothbrushes 1 to 2 times a week throughout its life, feed it high-quality dog ​​food, and give it special toys to grind its teeth and remove tartar.

2. Provide healthy diet for dogs

It is necessary to feed pet dogs scientifically. The daily diet should be regular. To put it simply, you should feed your pet dog regularly and quantitatively every day, and you should choose healthy food to feed it, such as dog food, etc. Of course, you can also occasionally prepare some food by yourself and make some nutritious dog food to feed your pet. dog.

However, it is worth noting that snacks and fruits such as human leftovers, chocolate, and grapes must not be given to pet dogs. Feeding human food may lead to malnutrition or some kind of food poisoning. Increased salt content will increase the burden on the heart and kidneys. For this reason, before feeding a pet dog, it is best as a parent to understand what the pet dog can and cannot eat, and then feed it scientifically.

Feed your dog every dayFeeding 80% full will not only benefit the dog's body, but also maintain the dog's enthusiasm for dog food and avoid being picky eaters.

3. Provide good accommodation

A warm little nest can provide shelter from wind and rain, and you can rest quietly at night. As dogs age, their sleep time gradually increases. Not only does the body need maintenance, but the brain also needs recuperation, so adequate sleep is a key factor in a dog's longevity.

Especially the physical functions of elderly dogs begin to decline, and they need a stable, regular, and slow-paced life. Unless the original living habits are extremely unscientific, do not change their work and rest schedule easily. When an elderly dog ​​sleeps, do not disturb or frighten it, and let it rest fully.

4. Scientific daily maintenance

Comb your pet dog every day, especially long-haired dogs. Combing the hair every day can not only clean the dirt and dust on the body, but also promote the blood circulation of the dog's skin, keep the hair clean and shiny, and clean the dog's ears in time. Say, brush its teeth and trim its nails.

For elderly dogs, it is recommended that parents check their bodies for lumps and swollen lymph nodes during the grooming process, especially in disease-prone areas such as armpits and thighs. Grooming is also a great opportunity to bond.

5. Proper exercise

"Life lies in movement", dogs are born to understand the true meaning of this sentence. Take regular outdoor walks every day to breathe fresh air. Take your dog to run on the grass and bask in the sun on weekends. Through exercise, you can strengthen your body’s blood circulation, enhance your physical fitness, strong muscles, and agile pace. These are the standards for a dog’s health. Exercise will also promote gastrointestinal motility in dogs and prevent constipation. This is very healthy for pet dogs, and of course it also makes dogs live longer invisibly.

Special attention should be paid to the fact that elderly dogs should no longer do strenuous exercises like climbing dogs, running, swimming, etc. Daily walks can meet their exercise needs. Don't force it to continue moving. Give it the opportunity to decide whether to continue the activity or stop and rest.

6. Pay attention to bone and joint health

Puppies should be given calcium supplements when they are young to help their bones grow healthily. If calcium supplementation is insufficient in puppies, they may develop rib valgus and deformation of the wrist and elbow joints of the forelimbs. Small dogs are prone to "O" shaped legs, and large and medium-sized dogs may suffer severe deformation of the forelimbs. If not detected in time and treated improperly, it may cause permanent paw splay or lameness.

In addition, 2 to 3 months of age is an important period for the formation of intervertebral discs in puppies. If calcium is lacking at this time, some breeds that are susceptible to intervertebral disc disease (such as Pekingese, Shih Tzu, Pug, Poodle, etc.) Attacks can occur, causing lifelong pain.

Especially after dogs enter old age, they should receive appropriate and continuous calcium supplements through calcium supplement drugs specially designed for pets. An elderly dog's joints are stiff and aging. If you find that it is walking with a limp, you should go to the hospital for examination. Excessive obesity will overburden the dog's bones, and it is necessary to lose weight. You can choose dog-specific food for weight loss and increase the amount of exercise appropriately.

7. Pay attention to the social interaction of dogs

Dogs are also emotional animals. They can be happy or sad. In addition to walking every day, I often take my dog ​​out to visit and meet new friends. Or taking your dog to play outside when the weather is nice will help your dog feel happy. Bring your dog into society from an early age, with strangers and other dogs. Communication between dogs can cultivate good psychological quality and establish the foundation for longevity.

8. Pay attention to vision health

According to statistics, more than 40 dog breeds are prone to cataracts, glaucoma and other eye diseases. In the late stage of cataract, the eyeball will be covered with a white film, and in the late stage of glaucoma, the pupil cannot shrink under strong light, which is very painful. Eye disease brings inconvenience and even danger to its life. If you find that your dog's vision has declined, he keeps bumping into things while walking, or a white film appears on his eyeballs, please seek medical attention in time.

9. Pay attention to reproductive system health

In particular, I would like to remind parents that some parents do not allow their dogs to go to the toilet at home, and only take their dogs out to use the toilet once a day. Letting their dogs hold in their urine for a long time will cause diseases such as stones. For those who insist on not letting their dogs go to the toilet in the house, If necessary, you should go out 2 to 3 times a day. If you find it difficult or painful to urinate, seek medical attention immediately.

10. Pay attention to safety when going out

Keep your dog on a leash when you go out. Countless dogs have been involved in car accidents, stolen, or lost because of not leashing them when you go out. In order to ensure the dog's own safety and avoid scaring neighbors who are afraid of dogs, dogs should be kept on a leash when going out for the rest of their lives. . The senses and reactions of elderly dogs are relatively slow, and it is very dangerous to let them move around at will.

11. Regular physical examinations, vaccinations and weighings are very necessary

Bath your dog regularly and take your dog to the hospital for physical examinations to keep your body clean and healthy. Conduct regular comprehensive physical examinations and pay close attention to its liver, kidney function and other indicators.

Get vaccinated on time, every year about half a month earlier than the previous year. Although older dogs are less susceptible to viral infectious diseases, they must not be taken lightly.

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