Being a dog owner, I know how important it is to keep your best friend in optimal health. We want them to enjoy the best possible life and practically speaking, it is expensive to take care of a sick pet. There are some things we can to as pet owners to help our pets have long, healthy lives. Diet and exercise play important roles in this.
Diet
After trying several kinds of dog food on the market, I did some research into what exactly was in dog food and how each ingredient affected my dogs. Little did I know that the typical ingredient lists on most dog food brands contain cornmeal, animal byproducts, and even wheat, which are not good choices for my dogs’ digestive systems. Besides all this, most of these foods contain harmful preservatives that can lead to kidney damage and cancer. Cornmeal has also been linked to serious skin allergies in dogs. I was looking for ingredients that were missing as well: probiotics and antioxidants. Antioxidants are found in fruits and vegetables and strengthen the immune system. Probiotics are healthy bacteria that help with digestion.
Not only does Life’s Abundance contain no cornmeal, byproducts, artificial ingredients, wheat products, processed animal remains, or harmful preservatives, it has a 6 week long shelf life to assure its freshness. We have seen health problems, such as hip dysplasia, improver remarkably on this dog food. Sadly, we have seen problems such as cysts on dogs when their diet was changed.
Life’s Abundance was specially designed by a holisitic veterinarian, Dr. Jane Bick, who had a huge concern for the health of her dog patients. Life’s Abundance is available through independent distributors like me. You can check it out by clicking on the Life’s Abundance link on this page. It is ordered directly and shipped to your door! I will be happy to answer any questions you might have about the food or shipping.
Leaning in the direction of holistic care, I have come across a good book written by a veterinarian about natural health. The book is called Dr. Pictcairn’s Complete Secrets To The Natural Health Of Dogs & Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn, DVM, PHD, and Susan Hubble Pitcairn. His book contains all natural remedies for common ailments such as diarrhea and flea control, among other things. It has become my first go to book when I have a question about the health of one of my dogs. And of course, having a good relationship with a good veterinarian is important as well.
Links to more of my favorite books on dog care are listed on the sidebar. Enjoy!
Exercise
As important as diet, exercise is critical to maintaining a healthy body weight, muscle tone, and developing a bond between you and your dog. Golden Retrievers need at least an hour and a half of exercise a day.
Exercise can be as simple as throwing a favorite toy for your friend to retrieve or going on a walk together.
When walking, make sure that you have an appropriate collar and lead for the weight of your dog. I recommend choke collars for young dogs that like to pull on the leash; these collars do not choke or hurt your puppy if you use them correctly. It is a training collar that helps your puppy to recognize he needs to listen to you and not pull on the lead.
Goldens also LOVE to swim. Trust me, these guys will look for water even if it’s only a big mud puddle! By the way, wading pools are great for your golden in the summer; dogs really enjoy a cool- off during the dog-days of summer.
Good toys are an ever present part of a Golden’s life. We have found the perfect toys for avid chewers and dogs that tear up the soft, stuffed animal toys five minutes after you get them home from the pet store: Coleman sporting toys are tough toys made especially for retrievers and dogs that play hard with their toys. We really like Kongs which are made in the USA. These can be filled with something tasty like cheese or peanut butter to occupy your pooch for hours. You can find these great toys at stores like Sports Authority and Academy Sports and Outdoors.
Last but not least – stir in lots of affection. Goldens thrive on spending time with their people.