You love Lolita just as much as any human member of your family, so it makes sense that you should be concerned about her long term health. Because she can't come up to you and tell you when she feels sick or what's wrong, it's important to take preventative action to try to avoid long term illness in the first place. Many breeds are more susceptible to certain things, so you should talk to your vet about potential future problems specific to Lolita and how to address them early. But there are many other things you can do for any breed of dog that will help keep them healthy and happy as they age.
The first thing you should do to protect her is to get her spayed. Spaying and neutering in puppyhood reduces the risk of illnesses like breast cancer, uterine infections and uterine cancer for female dogs and testicular cancer and prostate problems for male dogs. There is just no reason to not do it, as it makes Lolita's life much easier to not have to go into heat and experience the discomfort associated with that. The pet world is already facing a huge problem with overpopulation. Spaying also protects Lolita from Cancer, it seems like a no-brainer.
Another thing that will help keep Lolita healthy is regular exercise. Just like humans, dogs need to move around in order to stay healthy; an extremely sedentary lifestyle is bad for Lolita, just as it is for you. You don't need to have her running marathons every day, but she should be taken for regular walks and allowed to run around frequently. Play keep away, fetch, and hide and seek with her. Not only is it good bonding time, it also improves bone, joint, heart and lung health-all extremely important things, especially for an aging dog.
Other Things You Can Do to Improve Lolita's Health
Regular checkups are another biggie for Lolita's long term health, even if she is in tip-top shape. It's all about prevention, so get her checked every year for potential problems. Depending on age and breed, your veterinarian probably has a list of things Lolita should be checked for at any point, using blood, stool or urine samples combined with a physical examination. Protect her from heartworm with preventative medicines, and if Lyme disease is an issue in your area, you should also get her vaccinated for that. Always keep her up to date on all of her vaccinations and other shots.
Finally, one of the more controversial ways to help keep Lolita healthy and happy is raw feeding. Raw feeding proponents argue that the commercial dog food diet of today's dogs is not nutritionally sound or appropriate for dogs. Instead, they advocate a diet more like what dogs in the wild would eat, and have eaten for thousands of years-a diet consisting of raw meat, bones, fruits and vegetables. Studies show that dogs who follow the raw feeding diet have improved dental health and shinier coats, and better long term health benefits exist. Dogs on the raw diet are diagnosed less frequently with cancer, diabetes and joint problems, as those who eat commercial-grade dog food. If the raw diet is too expensive to consider, there are many dry foods that are healthier than supermarket brands.
In the end, Lolita is a lot like you when it comes to health. She needs to eat well, exercise, and get check-ups with her doctor, just like you would. If you want to help her avoid long term illness and live a long life, take the preventative steps to keep her healthy today.
Ivan's Puppies has been breeding and training puppies for over 30 years. Our hard work has been paying off, as now we are proud to be breeding Bulldog litters with excellent quality, with little to no health problems and good temperaments. For English Bulldog Puppies, visit our website at http://www.BulldogsNewYork.com.
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