October is Pet Wellness Month: 7 Tips to Keep your Dog Fit & Healthy

Written by Australian Dog Lover 12:25:00 - 0 Comments

Owning a dog is a rewarding experience, but it comes with great responsibility. Just like humans, our dogs can suffer from health problems, but unlike humans they can’t control their diet and exercise regime.

Pet Wellness Month is a great opportunity for pet owners to cross-check that they are taking the necessary steps to ensure that their dogs are fit and healthy and with tips from animal loving experts, this transition will be easy!

Australia is about to make it illegal to not walk your dog and to mark Pet Wellness Month in October pet sitting community TrustedHousesitters and Pet Psychiatrist Dr Jacqui Ley have put together their best advice on how to keep your dog in tip top shape.

Giving your dog well-balanced and nutritious food, tailoring the exercise to your pup’s age and fitness levels and gifting your pooch mentally stimulating toys are just some of the tips TrustedHousesitters and Dr Ley have gathered to help dog owners improve their furry friends’ wellbeing. 

7 Tips to Keep Your Dog Fit and Healthy

1. Physical exercise that stretches muscles and allows the dog to explore and play is necessary but how you do this for your dog is important. Sedate walks on lead, runs at an off-leash park, beach runs, swimming or training are all suitable - as is playing at home. Do what your dog enjoys and follow local by-laws so everyone has a good time.

2. Provide healthy food that meets your dog’s nutritional needs. In prepared, store-bought foods, look for complete and balanced ingredients and clear instructions on the packaging as this means it is suitable for meeting the needs of the type of animal.

3. If you wish to cook food from home, discuss the needs of your pet with your veterinarian or a veterinary nutritionist. A recipe from the internet may not provide all the nutrients for you dog at their life stage or if they have health concerns.

4. Water must always be provided to pets. It’s never a nice feeling to be thirsty and it is our responsibility to provide enough, clean water for our pets.

5. Make sure to clean your pets’ bowls regularly. No-one likes a dirty plate, it’s not healthy and it can lead to diseases.

6. Toys and activities that encourage normal foraging behaviour provides more than one health benefit for our pets. Dogs, as a species, are active when they look for food and they stay mentally active when they work out how to get their food. Food dispensing toys help meet their normal behaviour and it is always more fun to find your own food!

7. Not all toys need to have food hidden in them. Some can just be for chasing, wrestling, fetching and chewing - and this brings us to chewing items such as bones. These are great to help entertain dogs but are also essential to help manage your dog’s dental health. A plaque filled, infected mouth is bad for your dog’s health and nasty to be around. 

8. Provide a clear resting place for your dog. This is their space and when they use it, it means they are resting, and they may not want to be disturbed. Respect their need to rest and leave them alone. Make sure to remind children and visitors to leave the dog alone too.

About TrustedHousesitters

TrustedHousesitters is the pet care solution keeping pets happy at home and helping people to travel.

How does it work? Made up of both owners and sitters, members pay just once a year to connect and exchange home and pet care for the chance to stay with pets in unique places. As neither member charges money, it’s a unique special exchange that helps owners travel with peace of mind while pet-loving sitters get to experience life somewhere new.

With members in over 130 countries and more five-star Trustpilot reviews that any of house and pet sitting platform, TrustedHousesitters is officially the world’s largest and most trusted community of its kind.

MEDIA RELEASE, 7th October 2019

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