September is Senior Wellness month and to celebrate Spring Naturals wants pet parents to know what to do as their dog ages. Below are tips including, what nutrition senior dogs need, as well as what to look for and how to be proactive as your pup grows.
Whole Dog Journal included Spring Naturals on their Top New Dry Dog Foods for 2013 list.Implementing some these tips now can help your dog live a long and healthy life!
And we are also doing a giveaway. Comment here and / or on our Facebook page about your senior doggie, include a photo of your pooch on Facebook and say why they would love to receive some yummy Spring Naturals dog food. You have until Wed., September 25, 2013 (deadline). Thanks.
Whether you got a puppy or adopted an older dog you want them to live long and healthy lives. To help your pet age gracefully take a look at the tips below for what to do as your dog ages. And even if your pup isn’t at that senior stage quite yet, many of theses tips are beneficial to add to your pet’s routine now and to keep in mind for the future.
· Maintain a Healthy Weight – Good nutrition is important at every age, and even more important as your dog’s metabolism and activity levels slow down. And extra pounds means more stress on your pet’s body, such as their joints and internal organs. Top veterinarian and senior pet health expert, Dr. Ernie Ward, has commented that, “Proper nutrition can help keep dogs playful and fight signs of aging.” As they slow down pets need fewer calories but they still need a diet that is has protein, good fats and is especially high in fiber. Fortunately, Spring Naturals dinners and treats have all of those healthy benefits because their recipes include whole fruits and vegetables, with five percent fiber, as well as real meat as the first ingredient.
· Focus on Antioxidants – Antioxidants can increase the effectiveness of dog’s immune system. Antioxidants like fish oil with Omega-3 fatty acids and L-carnitine are beneficial in helping prevent senile dementia in dogs, while vitamin E and beta-carotene help eliminate free radical particles that can cause damage to body tissue. And you’ll find all of those in Spring Naturals’ Senior Dinners, which have the same whole fruits and vegetables in every recipe and provide lots of antioxidants from blueberries, cranberries, carrots, and apricots. The senior recipe also includes chicken for it’s lean protein, salmon oil for its high amount of Omega-3 fatty acids, L-carnitine and beta-carotene to battle free radicals, vitamin B12 supplement for energy, and vitamin E for extra joint health.
· Keep it Clean – It’s not just your dog’s coat that needs to be looked after. It’s important to also make sure areas such as their teeth, eyes and ears are regularly cleaned, doing so can prevent major health issues and also save you high vet bills in the end.
Teeth: Not brushing your dog’s teeth can lead to gingivitis and many other periodontal diseases, which can actually lead to other issues, such has heart disease and diabetes. Regular teeth cleanings can prevent more severe problems in the future as well as help keeping doggie breath at bay. Every week take a look at your pooch’s teeth, making sure the gums are pink and not white, red or swelling. Also, check if there is any tarter on their teeth, if there is you might want to consider getting their teeth cleaned at the vet to avoid future issues.
Eyes: While antioxidants can help prevent vision loss in pets, regular cleanings can also help Fido’s sight. Every few days, using a damp cotton ball or cloth, clean your dog’s eyes by starting at the inside corner of your dog’s eye and wiping outward to remove any dirt that developed around the eyelid. If you do see signs like eye discharge, constant tearing, crust along the eyelids, and unequal pupil sizes take your dog to the vet to get everything checked.
Ears: Checking your dog’s ear consistently will help you dog maintain good hearing. The inside of your dog’s ear should look pink and not white or red. To clean the ear, take a cotton ball with hydrogen peroxide and gently swipe it over the inner-ear skin, make sure you never insert anything in your dog’s ear canal. You don’t need to clean your dog’s ears too frequently, but it is important to check them. See a vet if you witness ear discharge, redness, swelling, brown or black ear wax, or dark wax that resembles coffee grounds. If you do see anything like that, get them to a vet, don’t try to clean it yourself.
· Regular Vet Visits – Taking your dog to the vet is a practice your family should implement regularly, getting an annual checkup or “wellness” visit at least once a year. Each time you go, make sure they do thorough exam where they listen to your dog’s heart and lungs and examine their coat, teeth, eyes, ears, and internal organs. And as they age make sure to talk to your vet about getting checkups more frequently. It’s been recommended that healthy senior dogs should see the vet around every six months. Vets can also advise if your dog could be susceptible to other issues that have to do with breed or location factors, and give you tips on ways to prevent them.
So as your pooch gets older, be sure to keep all these things in mind to help your dog live long and healthy lives, because you already know – life with a dog is always better!
To learn more about Spring Naturals’ fresh, new approach to pet nutrition, visit them atwww.SpringNaturals.com or any of their social media sites, including Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest.
Ingredients: (Grain free) Turkey, turkey broth, vegetable broth, sunflower oil, carrots, peas, dicalcium phosphate, flaxseed oil, calcium carbonate, salt, guar gum, spinach, potassium chloride, carrageenan, lecithin, choline chloride, sodium acid pyrophosphate, salmon oil, dandelion greens, apricots, blueberries, cranberries, chicory root extract, zinc proteinate, iron proteinate, copper proteinate, manganese proteinate, sodium selenite, calcium iodate, vitamin E supplement, thiamine mononitrate, niacin supplement, calcium pantothenate, biotin, vitamin A supplement, riboflavin supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid.
Blog Hop time…thanks to Life with Dogs, Two Little Cavaliers and Confessions of the Plume… grab the blog hop link
