Having a dog is a lifelong commitment, as they depend on their pet owners throughout their lives. For the duration of your dog’s lifespan, they will remain at the mercy of our special care.
We want our dogs to live as long as possible, and luckily there are a lot of simple yet effective things we can do to help extend a dog’s lifespan. Here are some firsthand tips from well-known Australian pet behaviourist, Laura Vissaritis.
Key takeaways:
- Make sure your dogs are warm inside their shelters overnight. Look out for shivering, curling into a ball or other signs of unsettled behaviours. These are early signs your dog is struggling.
- Keep them at a healthy weight. No matter how tempting it is, do not spoil your dogs with too much food. There are guides available, including the diagrams from the American Veterinary Medical Association.
- Feed your dogs with good food. When shopping, look at the back of the food packaging and seek the first ingredient to be a specific animal protein. Animal-meal, ‘meat’ and by-products are not ideal, and you might want to cut foods high in grains and carbohydrates, as these can cause a myriad of ailments that may reduce your dog’s lifespan.
- Keep an exercise routine for your dog’s body and mind. Allow your dogs to solve problems on their own, explore and think productively. Physical exercise is also essential, but this must be at the level of your pet’s capability. A kelpie may need to run for hours each day, whereas an older golden retriever may be happy playing with some toys to get the muscles moving.
- Focus on your relationship with your dogs. Learn to understand your pet’s language, respond to their needs, and be their advocate. There are proven links to happiness and longevity for humans, and it’s easy to think that it’s no different for all animals too.
- Be mindful of where your young kitten or puppy was bred. Many unethical breeders produce litters without considering the health of the pet; leaving the new owner with endless vet bills and even emotional and financial heartache.
- Get regular veterinary check-ups and invest in dog insurance. Preventative medicine is so much better than curative medicine, and there are lots of ways you can prevent disease in dogs – simply by keeping a ‘medical eye’ on them.
Extend your dog’s lifespan with dog insurance
If there was a way dogs could live to a hundred, anyone would surely sign up to it. Fortunately, organisations are working on this, and dog insurance plans are also there to offer a wide range of coverage to help you financially – and even mentally during times of distress.
But until a dog’s lifespan becomes guaranteed, dogs only have their owners to keep them well. For owners, it is a privilege to give their dogs the best and longest life possible. A few simple changes can mean the world to them, and can keep them with us longer, like what we’ve always wanted.
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Post by Yvette Balita in collaboration with Knose Pet Insurance
Yvette Balita is a fur parent to Shinx, a 6-year old Jack Russel, along with multiple cats, and even chickens! Growing up with all kinds of farm animals in her neighbourhood, she takes pride in coming up with unique pet names. The animals around her also give her a grounded perspective on the natural cycle of pet life and pets’ needs. Drawing from her journey and experience as a pet owner, Yvette contributes insights for those seeking to care and protect their pets.
