9 Tips to Help Your Dog Live Longer

How To Help Your Dog Live Longer  by Mackenzie Grove

Updated 05-06-2022

People who have ever had a pet --cat or dog, wishes one thing desperately- that is, that the pet will have a long and healthy lifespan.

Most pet dogs never live as long as their owners would like.  As people, we are reminded all too often, the disparity between our own life span and the shortness of our beloved dog.

Our team has gone through a deep analysis to find out how we can help our dog live longer.  We wanted to find out the best and most successful formula for canine longevity.

What we have found out is summarized in this article.

Keep reading.

Food and Food Habits: 
Help Your Dog Live Longer by Assuring a Quality Diet

To make sure your pet dog doesn't get sick with any digestive malfunctions, maintaining a healthy diet is a must-to-do task.

Pets that are fed high-quality meals always have bright eyes, healthy skin, and shiny hair coat.

A healthy and nutritious diet also ensures the development of immune system, intestinal health, and mental growth, all necessary to help your dog live longer.

Make Assure a Healthy Food Intake

Food intake is important for dog health - not too much and not too little.  Additionally, dangerous germs can get directly into your dog's body by eating spoiled food or by licking a bowl that has not been cleaned and sanitized.

So make sure whatever food you are providing to your dog is healthy and being served in a clean bowl.

You can use  a cooking spray on your dog's food bowl to prevent the dog food from adhering to the bowl.  That way, clean up is much easier.

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Keep Your Dog Places Clean

Keep the places where your dog lives, eats, plays, and sleeps clean always.

Pick up the dog waste because there are several diseases that can be transmitted from dog to human via the fecal/oral route. Clean up is so much easier and faster with a pooper scooper. 

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Physical Care and Exercises:  Keep Your Dog Busy with Regular Exercise

Obviously, diet alone is not going to extend your dog's lifetime.

Apart from the diet, you have to make sure that there is sound bone and muscle development, and the digestion system, along with all of the other body systems are functioning properly.

The only way to make sure that the body is healthy is to keep it busy doing regular exercises. Go for an evening walk every day, and keep it busy with physical activities for almost an hour a day. Also, group exercises are another good option.

Socialization with other dogs not only improves its health but also improves behavior and enhances the quality of your dog's life.  

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Prohibit Unsupervised Roaming of Your Pet

You may think that allowing your pet to roam unsupervised is a favor you give your dog.  A roaming dog, so the thinking goes,  improves their physical and mental growth and assures your dog gets some fresh air outside.

But, by doing that you are just creating a safety risk for your dog.

Pets roaming outside are always in danger of automobile accidents, exposure to contagious diseases, getting affected by poisonous plants and more. For your dog to live longer, he needs to be safe and protected from an untimely death.

So stop allowing your pet to roam blindly.

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Help Your Dog Live Longer by Keeping  Away the Fleas

Fleas are another risk to your pet's health. To keep the fleas away, don't think of using any toxic chemicals or medicine.

The simplest and safest way to keep the fleas away is to add a little bit of your dishwashing liquid into the water while bathing your pet dog. A flea shampoo can also be used instead of a dishwashing liquid, if you prefer.

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Don't Neglect Dental Care of the Dog

One of the most important health factor that most of dog owners, including me, often forget is care of the teeth. Dental health is no less important than other health care like food, exercises, and safety.

Due to lack of oral hygiene, the dog can suffer from periodontal disease, gingivitis, plaque, etc.

Also, mouth infections are directly connected to heart diseases. So brush your dog's teeth and clean its mouth regularly with a dog toothpaste for your dog.

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Mental Health and Medication

Dogs are not really all that different than people when it comes to mental health.

No matter how much you give to your dog, an upset mind can always make it gloomy and unhappy and eventually lead to an unhealthy physical body.

So to extend your dog's life, keep it busy with work and exercises it enjoys. Training, socialization, walk-outs, games and many other enrichment activities are suggested as mental practices of pet dogs.

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Follow the Vet's Orders

Whatever tips other pet experts or me have provided to you, remember that your dog's veterinarian is always the ultimate expert and his/her advice should be followed.

The tips I have provided here are general formulas but every dog is unique and has their own set of needs, just like people.   Keep your veterinarian's prescription and advice on the top of any tip sheet.

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