3 Ways You Could Be Unintentionally Damaging Your Dog's Health
You love your dog. How could you not? Every time they look at you with those glistening brown eyes with tongue lolling and tail wagging in perpetual joy your heart never fails to melt. And because you love your pet and take your responsibility as their guardian seriously, you do your best to ensure that they’re happy and healthy… But what if, despite your best efforts, your habits and behaviors were actually causing your beloved fur baby damage to their health? It’s not a possibility that any loving pet owner really wants to consider. But part of being a guardian is introspection and asking yourself hard and honest questions about the standard of care with which you’re providing them. Sometimes, even the most loving and devoted dog parent can find themselves endangering their pet’s health without even realizing.
Here are some of the ways in which you could be unintentionally damaging your dog’s health without realizing (and what you can do to rectify matters)...
Leaving it too late to socialize them
It’s perfectly understandable that human owners might perceive introducing their pet to other dogs and unfamiliar humans stressful both for themselves and their furry dependents. But while socialization may be a little scary for them at first, leaving it too late can cause them a lot more anxiety, stress and upset in the long run. If you leave it too late, they will be more likely to be fearful of other dogs, other people and unfamiliar circumstances in general.
If you’re feeling nervous about the idea of socializing your dog, here are some tips that will hopefully make it easier.
Cutting costs on their dog food
I get it, I really do. Managing your household finances is tricky. In an uncertain economic climate where the cost of living always seems on the rise, yet pay always stays the same, making ends meet can be a struggle. But when we opt for the cheaper canned dog foods that proliferate on the supermarket shelves, we risk causing serious damage to our pets.
You are what you eat, and that’s as true for our furry friends as it is for us. And just as we wouldn’t gorge on fast food every single day, we must avoid feeding our pets the equivalent. There are a lot of scary ingredients in many low-cost canned pet foods including;
- Meat from dead, diseased and dying animals
- Traces of Pentobarbital- A sedative used to euthanize animals.
- BHA / BHT- Preservatives found to cause kidney and liver problems in both humans and animals.
- Ethoxyquin- Another preservative that’s so damaging to the liver that it’s illegal in human food… But perfectly legal in animal foods.
That’s why it’s so important to do your research on dog food brands before buying. Check out these Freshpet Dog Food Reviews for an example of what you should be looking for. A few minutes of homework can make a big difference to your pet!
Letting them eat human food
When they nudge you with their snouts and look up at you with those big brown eyes while you’re eating, the thought of denying them seems almost impossible. But, while there are some human foods which are safe and healthy for dogs, the same things that are bad for us are worse for them. Therefore, no matter how much they beg or plead, never feed your dog fatty, salty or sugary processed foods. A moment’s gratification for them can cause them major health problems in the long run.
Steer clear of these 3 bad habits and you’ll not only enjoy a healthier pet, the bond between you will be stronger than ever.
