I recently lost my 10 years old dog, Deer head Chihuahua, Oggie. He was doing fine and showed no sign of illness, until I discovered that something was off with his jaw. I rushed him to my regular vet and was referred to orthopedic doctor for a broken jaw. X-ray showed significant bone loss everywhere and blood work reveled advanced stage of kidney disease which was the cause of bone loss. I could not believe that my dog did not show any clinical signs of any illness and that would alert me to take him to vet. This experience taught me that as pets age, we need to do annual check ups and a senior panel or other type of blood work your vet may suggest.
I was going to write a page and my friend Viktoria, from BEST LIFE 4 PETS wrote a similar article and I am sharing it, so I do not have to reinvent wheel.
By Viktoria from BEST LIFE 4 PETS
In this modern era, thankfully our pets are living longer than ever. While we still must accept we will most likely outlive our fur babies advancements in technology, veterinary care, and better awareness around pet nutrition means a higher quality of life for our pets as well.
While life spans vary, pets age at different rates, and environmental factors are a part of the equation- we understand that typically cats live longer than dogs, and smaller breeds live longer than larger breeds.
In fact, we recently started reading a book called “The Forever Dog” (highly recommend) that dives into how to keep your dogs living longer specifically through nutrition and exercise. One of our goals as your pet health partner is to stay up to date and learn more ways to help our pets as science changes. Here’s a few ways you can start to help your pet live longer:
The BEST way to ensure your pet has a long, healthy life is by regularly scheduling their vet exams. They will best be able to stay on top of diseases and intervene with any issues before they become severe. Here are some other important tips!
Routine lab work, electrocardiograms, blood pressure monitoring, and x-rays can help detect early conditions like thyroid, kidney, heart, and liver disease.
Vitamins and immune boosting supplements for both dogs and cats can also help increase energy and strengthen the body.
A healthy diet and moderate exercise are great ways to keep your pet healthy, too!
