3 essential tips to keep your furry friend healthy

Dogs are kind, empathetic and indeed the human's best friend. Whenever you're feeling down, they will always listen and give you unconditional love. So, keeping your dog healthy is essential for continuing the happiness and love between you and your dog. Read on to figure out how to help your dog live a healthy life!

1. Maintain a healthy diet

The health status of your dog depends on the amount and types of food that you feed. Dogs are natural omnivores, so they have the ability to digest veggies and meat in order to absorb protein, mineral, fats and vitamins. Therefore, they required a balanced, nutrient-rich diet to stay healthy and avoid health diseases such as obesity and diabetes. In general, dogs need about 20-40 calories per pound of body weight on a daily basis. Other factors such as breed, age, body type or even pregnancy will influence the intake of calories they need. (Here's the calculator to know the calories requirement for your dog.) It is also important to note that some foods can be poisonous to your dog, so choosing the safe and nutritious food is necessary.

2. Exercise your pet

Exercising regularly should be a part of your dog's daily routine as it can help your dog to maintain physical health and mental well-being. Lack of exercises can lead to a series of chronic diseases such as heart disease and arthritis, while also dedicated to the mental illness such as depression. Therefore, we need to keep an eye frequently on their physical changes and provide more high-quality exercises for our furry friend. Generally, dogs required a minimum of 30 minutes to two hours of exercise each day depends on their age, health condition and breed. Here are some quality exercise ideas that fits your pet.

Popular physical activities such as:

• Daily walking: Daily walking is one of the light-intensity and the safest exercise that you can engage with your dogs. You can also explore the nearby park and grassland for a fresh outdoor experience.

• Fetch: An effective way to train your dog to be more energetic by using the ball, toys, or frisbee. It provides mental stimulation and strengthens the relationship between you and your dog.

• Agility course: Agility training is a fast-paced sport involves an array of obstacles which suits for high-energy dogs. It is a fun way to develop your dog's flexibility and problem-solving skills.

  
  

(credit: The Kennel Club . "How to get started in Dog Agility | Dog Tips and Tricks." YouTube, 2 March 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vkxggodZzqc)

3. Stay up to date on vaccines

Vaccinations are a cornerstone of canine health that strengthen your dog's immune system by injecting a small amount of the virus or bacteria in their body. After vaccinated, their adaptive immune system will be activated for fighting disease-causing germs so as to prevent thousands of life-threatening diseases, such as rabies, hepatitis, and canine distemper. In general, dogs need to be vaccinated every three years with the core vaccines and once a year with non-core vaccines. To help you stay on top of dog vaccinations, check out all the important information below.

Core vaccines required for all dogs include:

• Rabies vaccine: A deadly virus that attacks a dog's central nervous system which helps to prevent infectious disease from wild animals.

• DAP Vaccine : A combination vaccine that attacks a dog's gastrointestinal and respiratory systems, helping your dog to prevent contagious viruses, such as Distemper, Adenovirus and Parvovirus.

Non-core vaccines (Optional):

Non-core vaccines are not necessary for all dogs, it depends on their age, breed, lifestyle and location they lived.

• Leptospirosis

• Canine influzenza

• Crotalux atrox

• Lyme

• Bordetella

Keep in touch

Thanks for looking! These are the suggestions can help to stay a physically and mentally healthy lifestyle for your lovely doggy. Be sure to keep them a healthy meal and regular exercise, as well as scheduled vaccinations as they truly deserve our love, care and respect. If you have any inquires, please let me know in the comment section below and I am happy to help you.