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Support These 6 Areas of Health to Help Your Dog Live Their Best Life

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“How can I support my dog’s health, so they have a long, healthy, and happy life?” 

This is one of the biggest questions pet owners ask themselves, but rarely do they find the answer they are looking for. Often the response to the above question is to feed them a balanced diet and make sure they are getting in necessary exercise.

That’s all fine and dandy, but for this article, we want to go a little more in-depth to help pet owners go above and beyond for their furry friends. Today, we are exploring the six most common health issues dogs face over their lives and what you can do to help your dog live his or her best life!

We’ll explore why these areas are crucial to health, how giving them extra support can really help our dogs out, and, of course, we’ll show you several easy ways to care for each.

Skin & Coat problems

We often get caught up on the appearance of our dogs’ skin and coats without realizing that a poor appearance can mean there is anunderlying health issue For example, if your dog’s coat is brittle or dull, it could be a sign of multiple nutrient deficiencies. If their skin is dry and flaky, it can cause them to scratch too much and cause hot spots.

The skin is the largest organ and is the first line of defense against numerous diseases, pathogens, and allergies. However, this layer of protection is also susceptible to serious health issues for dogs

When you support your dog’s skin & coat, you’re taking the first step to ensure your dog is comfortable, healthy, and on par to live his or her best life. For example take advantage of supplements, vitamins, and shampoos on the market. 

Ie. Omega fatty acids, dog-formulated shampoos, probiotics, biotin, vitamin D & E, and hemp extracts

Mobility Issues

Supporting this next pillar of health is important for all dogs, but especially for medium and large dog breeds who are susceptible to genetic mobility issues such as hip dysplasia.

When you support your dog’s mobility, you’re taking a major step to ensure they live longer and enjoy their last years around the sun. There is nothing worse than watching your dog struggle to get up in the morning because of inflammation and pain.

Poor mobility isn’t only mentally tough on your dog, it also makes them more susceptible to weight gain, certain cancers, and excruciating pain.

A big thing is to not wait to support your dog’s mobility until after they begin to show symptoms. Start taking steps when they are young and you can help prevent injuries, keep hip & joints healthy, and reduce risk to genetic mobility diseases.

Popular methods for supporting mobility include omega fatty acids, hemp extracts, glucosamine, MSM, exercising, and maintaining a healthy weight.

Cognition

Cognition is a big health concern in all dogs, we pet owners often forget we can support. We give it a lot of attention in humans because it’s easier to see the cognitive decline through speech and memory issues, and a slew of other symptoms.

That being said, your pet’s cognitive decline is something that shouldn’t be ignored. Some research indicates older dogs are extremely prone to cognitive decline with one study showing it affects 28% of dogs ages 11-12 and 68% of dogs over 15.

While there may be some proof in the phrase “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks” it doesn’t have to be an all defining phrase. A little help truly does  go a long way just by taking a few preventative steps.

For example, training your dog as early as possible supports overall brain function. Simply teaching them new commands builds memory and response. . Now you’re not just helping your dog, but also your sanity and patience.

A dog whose cognition is declining is often more anxious, less active, less trusting of people, prone to having accidents in the house, and can become easily disoriented. If they have already begun exhibiting symptoms shouldn’t be treated as a lost cause. By keeping your dog’s anxiety levels low, you can reduce their stress response and erratic behavior, which is why CBD is becoming so common in pet households.

Popular methods for supporting cognition and mental health include omega fatty acids, antioxidants, hemp extracts, CoQ10, and vitamin A, Bs, D, C, & E.

Immunity

Immunity. Immunity. Immunity. Every day we hear about how we need to boost the immune system both for people and pets. It can seem as redundant, but there is a major reason why we constantly hear about supporting immunity.

Many people may not be aware that Inflammation and immunity go hand in hand. Inflammation is at the core of an endless list of diseases that affect all parts of the body, including your dog’s skin, coat, brain, heart, digestion, and their defense against cancer and DNA damage.

The thing is inflammation is good until it isn’t. Inflammation is how the immune system protects the body against bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens. It also appears to directly help muscle repair, regeneration, and growth.

However, inflammation is such a powerful weapon that it can backfire and hurt the body when it’s poorly regulated. How does inflammation become poorly regulated? Well, the immune system becomes overburdened, which can happen when it’s constantly fighting pathogens, a chronic disease, and other proinflammatory agents.

When you support the immune system, you ensure the inflammatory process works as it should, where it protects health against a myriad of issues.

Popular methods for supporting immunity include hemp extracts, omega fatty acids, exercise, nutritional diet, and vitamins A, Bs, C, D, & E.

Heart Health

Like cognition, we don’t pay attention to heart health in dogs as we do with humans. The big reason for that is heart disease is the bigger killer for us, where cancer is the biggest killer in senior dogs.

However, 1 in 10 dogs will suffer from heart disease, and the most common ones that affect them are not the same as they are for us.

The most common heart diseases in dogs are congenital heart disease, valve & endocardial heart diseases, myocardial disease, arrhythmias, and congestive heart disease.

While heart disease affects 10% of dogs; a little support can go along way when it comes to keeping your dog’s heart healthy.

Popular methods for supporting the heart include exercise, healthy weight, omega fatty acids, hemp extracts, CoQ10, and vitamin Bs & D.

Digestion

A lot of dogs struggle with digestive problems both big and small. The digestive system is a really important system for your dog’s overall health; it absorbs nutrients, provides energy to the cells, expels waste, and maintains fluid balance.

Supporting your dog’s digestive system definitely benefits their long-term health, but it also benefits you in the short term. Gas, impacted anal glands, loose stool, and vomit are things every dog owners should be prepared to deal with, but you can go far in making these a rare occurrence by supporting their GI Tract.

Popular methods for supporting digestion include fiber, probiotics, prebiotics, hemp extracts, and vitamins Bs

Conclusion

Skin & coat, mobility, cognition, immunity, heart, and digestion are the 6 main health issues that your dog will face over the course of their lives.

While it can seem daunting, giving each the support it needs, in truth, there are a lot of great ways. Obviously, exercising and a nutritional diet are the first two things you should do. After that, you can look into supplementation.

As stated above, things like essential omega fats, probiotics, hemp extracts, and vitamins like E & D can support multiple areas of a dog’s health. These are all things that you can find in a great multivitamin.

A multivitamin can be an affordable and simple way to make sure your dog isn’t missing out on essential minerals that might be missing from their food. They can give an athletic dog the extra minerals they need or help out the couch potato whose exercising is lacking.

The last thing you can do is to stay up-to-date on the latest breakthroughs in animal science and health. Which you can easily do right here at Innovet Pet.


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