During the fall months keep your dog healthy
There is so much to love about fall months with your dog, whether you enjoy weekend hikes to admire the colors or snuggling up on a cozy sofa together — or both! Here are my tips to make the most of this season and keep your dog healthy.
1. Stay active
Don’t let fall’s cooler temperature turn you and your buddy into couch potatoes. This is a great time to ensure your dog is getting plenty of regular exercise — just check with your vet regarding what kinds of activities are appropriate for your dog’s age and health. Whether it’s a brisk jog, a game of Frisbee at the park, or an easy stroll with an older pet, be sure to keep your dog active. Not only will this help ward off obesity — an all-too-common issue plaguing our pets — but it’s great bonding time for both of you.
2. Keep your dog protected
Before heading out for some outdoor fun during the fall months, be sure your dog is up to date on vaccinations. Some infectious diseases, such as leptospirosis, which causes liver and kidney damage and can be transmitted from wild animals to your dog via a contaminated puddle, are even more prevalent in the fall in some areas. And don’t skip your flea, tick, and heartworm protection – these parasites are still active in the fall and are more than an annoyance. Fleas can cause severe skin conditions and anemia, and ticks transmit very serious infectious diseases. Talk to your vet about the most appropriate and effective preventives to keep your dog healthy and protected.
3. Avoid outdoor hazards
As you enjoy the great outdoors, keep an eye on what your dog is sampling. While acorns might be a good source of winter nutrition for squirrels, they do not make a great snack for dogs, as they can cause GI upset. If your pooch finds them tempting to crunch on, do your best to discourage this.
4. Incorporate fall foods into your dog’s diet
When we find ourselves craving cozy comfort foods, we might wonder if any fall favorites are healthy for Fido as well. Absolutely! While some “people foods” are not safe for pets — for instance, be sure to avoid grapes, raisins, chocolate, and onions for your canine companions — many of the fall foods we often incorporate into our own diets are nutritious for pets as well. Some seasonally apt, nutritious ingredients you can look for in pet foods include lentils, pumpkins, turkey and green beans.
5. Avoid over-treating
When guests are in and out of our homes, tempting treats of every description surround us, and we ourselves tend to overindulge. It’s best to show restraint as far as our canine family members are concerned. Discourage guests from “treating” your dog, which can lead to serious issues, including pancreatitis and GI upset due to over-rich foods her tummy is not unaccustomed to. If you want your dog to share in the kinds of foods the rest of the family is enjoying, look for them in high-quality, complete, and balanced pet foods.
Then you are more than ready to enjoy the fall months with your 4 legged friend, and to discover the best dog friendly spots around your area check out Dogalize maps.
Source: dogster.com