Dog Health Blog

Is your dog living in a safe environment?

Silly question isn’t it but not quite as silly as you might think at first.

We all like to provide our pets with a safe environment and giving them a safe and comfortable place to sleep is an important part of that environment.

While we might have provided our dog with a safe kennel initially, we all know how dogs like to bite and chew things and their kennel is not immune to their teeth.

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While the kennel might have been safe when new a dog can chew parts of it that could expose wood, nails and/or wire that could cause it harm.

Their chewing could create sharp surfaces that can do permanent damage to their eyes or any other parts of their body.

It is always a good idea to have a regular check of your dogs’ kennel or cage to ensure there hasn’t been any damage that could harm it.

Also - when your dog is left alone in your yard or house you need to be sure that no harm can come to it if you are away for any period of time when you cannot monitor what it gets up to.

Owning a dog is a lot like having a child and they need constant care or they can do damage to themselves.

If you treat your pet like a child and assume that they can’t care too well for themselves then you are more likely to ensure that they will be safe at all times whether you are able to monitor them or not.

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Many people believe that the lifespan of the dog should be considerably more than what we expect.

And this is due to the foods that we feed our pets.
The pet foods that we buy from the supermarkets have a high percentage of moisture, which leaves very little room for nutrition in the remaining contents.

Some of the ingredients such as sodium are added to the dog food to make it more palatable while adding no nutritional value. In fact excessive sodium can be detrimental to the well being of your dog.

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The most popular dog foods often use byproducts with added chemical preservatives and artificial colors.  All of which can be potentially harmful to your dog. These byproducts have very little nutritional value and are certainly not helping in the overall health of our animals.

Carbohydrate levels are often far too high in most of the brand dog foods and this is why there is an excessive number of overweight dogs and dogs that suffer from diabetes.

Obesity and the associated problems that are present from being overweight is one of the main reasons for the shortened life span. Most dog food manufacturers will also use a high percentage of grains to add bulk to the food while doing nothing for the dog’s health.

If you live in a warm climate, don’t leave the dog food out all day in the heat.

While dogs have a short intestinal tract, and are unlikely to have problems with food poisoning they can still suffer from contaminated food. Even dog biscuits should be stored in a cool place and not subject to heat.

If we ensure that our dogs get the optimum nutrition, we can expect their lifespan to be considerably more than current levels.

It is not unusual for well cared for and well fed dogs that have had optimum nutrition to live past 20 years.

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Dog Quote: A dog is like an eternal Peter Pan, a child who never grows old and who therefore is always available to love and be loved.
….Aaron Katcher

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Many people are unaware that some of the foods that we eat on regular basis can be deadly to your dog.

1. A piece of chocolate can cause seizures, coma and death.Even a small piece of chocolate is dangerous.
2. Anything containing caffeine can have a similar effect and be as dangerous as chocolate, and that includes coffee grounds, tea, and tea bags.
3. Grapes and raisins can cause kidney failure and even a single serving of raisins can kill your dog.
4. Excessive salt intake can also cause kidney problems.
5. Onions can cause anemia by destroying red blood cells while tomatoes can cause tremors and heart arrhythmias.
6. Tomato plants are particularly toxic to dogs.
7. Avocados are also highly toxic and can cause breathing difficulty and fluid accumulation around the abdomen chest and heart.
8. When giving your dog bones ensure that they are raw as cooked bones can splinter and damage their internal organs.
9. Excessive fat can cause pancreatitis, so it is not wise to feed your dog a diet of fatty foods.Fried foods also fall into this category and are not good to retain maximum health in your dog.
10. Certain nuts, such as Macadamia nuts and walnuts can cause weakness and muscle tremors.Peanut butter however is generally okay provided you use the salt and sugar free peanut butter as sugar can encourage cancer growth.
11. The core and pits of fruits such as apples, cherries and peaches contain cyanide, which is poisonous to dogs and can kill them within 24-hours without warning.

If in doubt, always refrain from feeding your dog foods that we are eating assuming that they will be okay.
What is safe for humans can kill your dog within hours.

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To stay fit and healthy and happy and strong, a dog needs good exercise and good food just as humans do.
They’re an important part of our families, and they rely on us understanding their needs, as they cannot talk to us.

Fortunately, dogs are a bit more resilient than humans but they still do need regular exercise and good food.

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One of the benefits of owning a dog is the fact that in many cases, knowing that they need exercise is a good reason for us to get out and exercise as well. So you could say that owning a dog actually keeps humans healthier. Certainly a well-trained dog keeps us a lot happier.

There are many benefits that can be gained from owning a dog but you only get as much out of them as you put into them.

Good training, good shelter, good food, fresh water, regular exercise and a happy home are all that a dog needs to be content.

Just as the wrong foods can be very detrimental to the health of humans, the same goes for the health of dogs. We have already discussed some of the nutritional requirements in an earlier post and in another post we will be looking at some items that can be quite dangerous to dogs such as chocolate.

Until then, feed your dog premium pet food and fresh meat and make sure you get out and take them for a walk or run.

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