Would you like to have your beloved dog around longer than the typical lifespan of 10 to 15 years? How about 20 or 25 years?! Dogs were not meant to have such a short lifespan, and here are some steps you can take to optimize your dog’s health.

1. Stay away from commercial pet foods. These foods contain ingredients that can harm your pet. Feed a home-prepared or raw food species-appropriate diet. Some of the benefits of better nutrition are no doggy odor, clean teeth, clean breath, and little to no fleas and ticks.

2. Avoid toxins such as topical flea preparations. There is a reason they say on the package to wash your hands after handling a pet that has had these products applied. Instead, use safer products such as borax sprinkled on your carpet, beneficial nematodes, or just a simple flea comb.

3. Do not overvaccinate. Many vets are just now coming to the conclusion (a conclusion savvy dog owners have long known) that pets are being overvaccinated. This is extremely harmful and can cause many illnesses including seizures and allergic reactions. Consider talking with your vet about less-frequent vaccinations or having a vaccine titer drawn instead. This will measure the antibody level a dog is carrying against a certain virus.

That’s it! Follows these simple steps and your pet will have a great chance at living a longer healthier life.

To learn more about the harmful ingredients in pet food, Click Here!