I’m sure if you ask any dog parent what their number one wish would be for their beloved canine, it would be for them to live longer. I know it’s mine, without a doubt. No matter how old your dog is, this is real for everyone! We all want our dogs to live the longest, healthiest, happiest lives possible.
And while sometimes there are things we can’t control, there are others we can. Knowing more is doing more, and that’s what this blog is about: how to help a dog live longer.
These are all things you can start today to help give your dog the best quality of life for many years to come. Some are simple, some require a little effort, but all are worth it!
How to Help a Dog Live Longer
From diet to exercise to stress relief, keeping your pup healthy doesn’t have to be complicated. Here are some of the things the Adored Beast Team does to help our dogs live as long as possible. Some are things you probably already do, while others might be a “lightbulb moment” for you. Do some, do all – they’re all going to make a difference.
1. Make the Menu Matter
What you feed your dog really matters. Food fuels the body. It’s often called nature’s medicine (an apple a day, right?), and it plays a big role in your animal’s overall health.
We’ve always been strong advocates of a fresh, whole-food diet. Usually, this means raw, but it can also mean gently-cooked. A diet featuring a variety of proteins, in rotation, in the right balance with fruits and vegetables, as well as other healthy additions, provides vital amino acids and other nutrients and supports all the vital organs.
If you’re thinking about moving to raw, here are some great raw feeding resources:
That said, a fully fresh food diet (raw or gently-cooked) isn’t for everyone (or every dog), and that’s ok! There are plenty of ways to boost the nutrition of kibble!
- Add different fruits and vegetables – even if your food contains fruits and vegetables, add others for variety. Feed with the seasons, as in what’s in season in a particular month. Look for organic when you can. And go fine with these, rather than large chunks – the smaller the pieces, the easier they are to digest.
- Eggs are great! Eggs are whole food nutrition that easily add variety. Once or twice a week, crack a raw egg on top of your pet’s food, and don’t forget to peel off the inner layer of the shell (the membrane) and feed that too!
- Bone broth is a superfood that’s really easy – and inexpensive – to make. It’s full of vitamins and minerals like iron, vitamins A and K, fatty acids, selenium, zinc, and manganese. Here’s how we make it.
- Probiotic foods like goat milk, kefir, or fermented vegetables all give the gut that added boost!
2. Watch the Weight
Did you know that even a few extra pounds can shorten your dog’s lifespan and reduce their quality of life? Just like in people, obesity in dogs can lead to serious health issues, including arthritis, diabetes, heart disease, and even cancer. So, it makes sense that another important part of how to help a dog live longer is to keep an eye on their weight.
There are several ways to help your pup lose weight if they’re carrying a few extra pounds. Just remember that this can’t be a quick fix, take it slow:
- Evaluate and measure – don’t just cut their calories dramatically. Look at how much they’re eating. Do you free-feed? That can make it hard to track intake, so consider slowly switching to more structured meals.
- Think about how many calories are in the treats you feed. Maybe you can make the move to a lower-calorie treat, or swap some out for vegetables or fruit they love.
- Exercise mindfully. We’ll talk about the overall importance of exercise in the next point, but if you’re looking to help your pup lose some weight, you might need to approach it differently. Walking can be a miracle for weight loss, so if they’re not walking much now, very gradually up that. Even 1-2 short walks a day, getting them moving, can help a great deal. Listen to your dog! If it seems like it’s too much, dial it back. It’s a marathon, not a sprint.
3. Get Out and Exericse
Exercise is vital for overall health and wellness, so it’s probably no surprise that it’s on this list. But sometimes we take its importance for granted. The physical benefits are a no-brainer: walking can help support so many parts of the body, from heart health (hello cardio) to brain health to digestive health… the list goes on and on. It’s valuable for weight management and is a vital part of protecting the joints and muscles. But there are lots of other reasons to exercise that go beyond that.
One of the biggest benefits of exercise, even just simple walking, is the mental impact. Exploring new sights, smells, and sounds provides essential mental enrichment, preventing boredom and destructive behaviours. Seriously – every time your dog stops to smell, it’s like they’re reading a letter from the other dogs that have stopped there. That’s huge for mental stimulation. Exercise can give your dog confidence and ease anxiety, which reduces stress. Try to switch up your routine – either the type of exercise, or even just your walking route, to give them variety and the best experience you can! And put that phone away and be present.
- For more on exercise benefits, including how much to walk at different life stages and for different breeds, check out this post.
- For some ideas for mental stimulation, check out our list of brain games!
4. Simplify Supplements
We say simple, and they can be, but there’s actually nothing simple about the impact on overall health. The thing is, supplements can get so complicated. Everyone and their mother has suggestions for what your dog needs to be healthy. And there’s probably a lot of truth and value in each and every suggestion. That said, your dog doesn’t need 25 different supplements every day.
So, simplify them:
- Find foundational items – the two that are always on our counter or in the fridge are probiotics and omega-3s.
- Pick a few that specifically target your dog’s needs – their age, their current health, their activity level, for example.
- Rotate. We rotate different probiotics all the time. We try to expose our pups to a variety of different beneficial bacteria. And we take breaks after each jar.
- Work with the seasons. Some times of the year may require different supplements. For example, we give Liver Tonic twice a year – in the spring and the fall, to help clean things up. We give turkey tail mushrooms in the winter for a little love for the immune system.
- Don’t overdo it. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself. Listen to your dog and your gut. Work with your holistic vet. Find a rhythm that works for you both.
5. Clear Out the Toxins
This year, make a point of really cleaning out your dog’s environment as much as possible. We sometimes forget about all the toxins we live with, both inside and outside. Our animals aren’t immune to these. And they build up in the body (both theirs and ours), which can make staying healthy difficult. The organs have to work harder, the gut gets clobbered, and these offenders can work their way into the cells – those vital building blocks of the body – wreaking havoc! Thankfully, easy changes can make a world of difference when it comes to how to help a dog live longer.
- Limit the use of flea and tick meds as much as possible. We understand that in some areas this can’t be helped, but speak to your holistic vet about the safest way to use them. Opt for natural options when you can. And support the body with things like Liver Tonic and probiotics after you use them.
- Do not use chemical herbicides. This is a flat-out no. Weed-killers are so harmful to health, and our dogs are susceptible to the risks. And avoid any places that use it, or that you suspect might use it (look for a lack of weeds – that’s always a bad sign).
- Use pet-friendly cleaners – they’re hiding dangers in their cleaning power. We have lots of recipes in this post.
- Clean the air inside your home with an air purifier and pet-friendly plants. Change your furnace filters regularly. Open the windows and let fresh air in when the weather permits. Ditch the room sprays, fabric refreshers, and scented candles.
6. Scrub a Dub Dub
This one we forget about sooooo often. We keep the house clean, but sometimes we forget about our dogs’ stuff. Bacteria can quickly build up on the things our dogs use every day, and if we’re not paying attention, we may go days (or longer) without a proper clean. In fact, some of our dogs’ prized possessions are the dirtiest things in our homes!! Yuck.
Read these 3 blogs and get washing:
- How Often Should You Wash Dog Beds (& How to Do it)
- The Importance of Cleaning Dog Toys (& How to Do it)
- How Often Should You Wash Dog Bowls?
7. Love
It sounds so simple, doesn’t it? And I am confident that we all do this every day. We show our adored beasts how much we love them in a variety of ways – each one unique to them. What you may not know is that there’s scientific proof that this love is good for your dog’s health! It’s all about that oxytocin…
Oxytocin is also known as the love drug, the feel-good hormone, the hug hormone, the cuddle chemical, and the morale molecule. It’s been described as the “most amazing molecule in the world.” It’s a neuropeptide that inhibits the stress-inducing activity of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis and is increasingly becoming recognized for its role in bonding, socialization, and stress relief. It helps decrease cortisol, blood pressure, inflammation and pain. It’s used to treat anxiety, post-traumatic stress, depression, debilitating shyness, social anxiety and mood disorders.
So, want to know how to help a dog live longer 25 times a day? Increase the production of oxytocin. How? LOVE YOUR DOG! Play together, go for a walk, talk to them, snuggle. Spend time gazing into each other’s eyes (I’m being real here, seriously). Spending time connecting, on a genuine level, boosts the levels of oxytocin in both your bodies, which is absolutely magical for overall health. I can’t tell you how many times a day I talk to my girls, lying on the floor, with gentle pets, looking deep into their eyes, telling them how much I love them…
Final Thoughts
I want my dogs to live forever – or at least as long as I live. Sure, I know I’m living in dreamworld with a wish like that, but hey, science is evolving every day. But seriously, the desire for my babies to live as long as they can, and be as healthy as they can be motivates me every day. Knowing how to help a dog live longer is just the beginning – now that you have the tools, get to loving and living.
