Dogs live a short time compared to us and make us unhappy when they leave. Hélène Gateau, veterinarian and tails.com ambassador shares the right things to do to help your pet live longer. Read the guide!
Feeding your dog the right way with the right foods
“Food is the mainstay of your animal’s good health”, insists Hélène Gateau. Indeed, overweight, very common in dogs, is a real scourge because it leads to premature aging and disease. Moreover, a study by datalabs of tails.com shows that a dog at the ideal weight can gain up to 34 months of life expectancy. Below are the dietary rules to follow to fight against:
First, you have to adapt the number of meals per day and the quantities according to your animal. In fact, for adult dogs, the veterinarian recommends 2 meals a day. And 3 small meals for puppies because it gives them the necessary energy and thus allows them to avoid hypoglycaemia.
Prefer industrial croquettes to homemade food
Now, each animal profile has its own nutritional needs. For example, a 50 kg dog who is 5 years old will expend more energy than a 9 kg dog who is 11 years old. The former will therefore need more nutrients.
To make your own food at home, you would then have to calculate with your veterinarian the exact intakes required for your good health. However, the kibbles that are generally found in stores allow you to have a good base.
Put the bowl in the cupboard and take out the vending toys
As with humans, dogs’ instinct for satiety comes with eating. Feeding them from a bowl encourages them to eat quickly. To remedy this, Hélène Gateau then advises replacing it with vending toys. They are in fact toys to be filled with kibbles which stimulate the animals intellectually since they must actually stir them to eat the food inside.
Medically monitor your dog regularly
We often take our dog to the vet. However, less and less with age, unless he has health problems.
““It’s a very bad habit because animals have a habit of hiding their pain. So you don’t realize that he is in pain and yet it can be serious”, warns the veterinarian. This then recommends making at least three preventive appointments per year for seniors and one for adults. This makes it possible to “diagnose a possible disease before it is too late”.
Live your dog in an adequate environment
Even though we cherish them, our dogs may not feel their best and may also develop illnesses. Hence the importance of the environment that surrounds them.
In addition, in cats, stress can thus cause urinary problems. A good environment for them should allow them to scratch and climb. As for dogs, they need to exert themselves physically, and smell odors and chew. Also, they must be stimulated regularly, otherwise they may feel anxious.
The tails.com veterinarian recommends “taking into account the physiological needs of your animal”.
