Canines are loyal companions, and love their families unconditionally. Dogs are brave and will protect their loved ones at the price of their own life. When you are sick, or just tired, your dog will stay by your side and comfort you. Human and animal health are closely linked. The way you live affects your dog, and only you can determine your pet's lifestyle. Your dog's love and devotion should be repaid with healthy choices every day.
A healthy diet
When your evening diet is packed with snacks, such as pizza, tacos, hamburgers French fries, potato chips, and similar foods, chances are you are sharing some of this with your dog. It's unhealthy for both you and your dog. Obesity causes disease in dogs just as it does in humans. There are several foods that are especially dangerous for dogs including onions, garlic, raisins, chocolate, food products containing xylitol, avocados, alcohol (including beer), caffeine, grapes, dairy products, macadamia nuts, meat fat, and medicines for humans. If you believe your dog may have eaten something poisonous call the veterinarian or take your dog to the nearest emergency veterinary clinic if necessary. Talk to your vet about healthy diet choices for your specific breed of dog, and don't forget to brush teeth.
Couch Potato Blues
You need exercise and so does your dog. Instead of sitting on the couch watching television and eating popcorn, take your dog for a walk. Exercise will increase your dog's lung capacity, keep weight in balance, reduce the risk of arthritis, build muscle mass, and improve overall strength. Walking is part of a healthy lifestyle for both humans and dogs. Running, walking, playing games with a ball or Frisbee, and swimming are all good ways to share exercise with your best friend.
Don't Let Your Dog Smoke
If you, your family or friends are smoking in your home, so is your dog. Second-hand smoke is bad for dogs. They can develop allergies and chronic respiratory disease. Although lung cancer is uncommon in dogs, there are documented cases of mouth cancer caused from pets licking smoke particles from their fur. Require smokers to take their cigarettes outside and away from areas where your dog spends time.
When dogs are overweight and lack needed exercise, their lifespan is shortened. Spend time walking and playing with your dog, and choose healthy foods for yourself and your best friend. Both dogs and their humans benefit from a healthy lifestyle.
Share13 October 2017
My son is a bit nervous. I thought a pet would be a good solution for him but I knew that we needed to find a pet with the right temperament so that it didn't stress him out anymore. Originally I didn't know much about how to assess animal temperaments so I spent some time looking at different ways of assessing animal 'personalities' and talking to some animal experts about the most calm options for pets. This blog has some of the information that I have picked up over my search as well as pictures of our beautiful new pet cat!
