{"id":8921,"date":"2016-09-21T09:39:00","date_gmt":"2016-09-21T16:39:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/company.justfoodfordogs.com\/?p=8921"},"modified":"2026-09-23T12:20:02","modified_gmt":"2026-09-23T19:20:02","slug":"how-to-keep-your-dog-healthy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/how-to-keep-your-dog-healthy","title":{"rendered":"How to Keep Your Dog Healthy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

What do veterinarians recommend most when they are asked how to keep my dog healthy? Most veterinarians agree that proper diet, regular exercise, routine checkups, and proper grooming\u2014not to mention lots of love\u2014will go a long way toward keeping your furry family member in tip-top shape. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

1. Don\u2019t \u201cweigh-t\u201d until it\u2019s too late<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you see that wagging tail or lip licking, it\u2019s pretty easy to overfeed your four-legged friend. I mean, what\u2019s the harm? Well, plenty, actually. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As with overweight humans, there is a long list of potential problems that an overweight dog might face, including arthritis and joint disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, decreased stamina, increased cancer risk, and depression. Maintaining a healthy weight<\/a> is essential to a long and healthy life. In fact, a lifetime study<\/a> of Labrador Retrievers found that even being moderately overweight could reduce canine life expectancy by nearly two years<\/strong>. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

2. Exercise regularly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"How<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

One great way to ensure that both you and your pup maintain a healthy body weight and have fun is to exercise together. Whether it\u2019s a daily walk, playing fetch or Frisbee, or going for a run, exercise promotes both physical and mental health and is a great way to bond with your buddy. So the next time your best friend starts giving you the eye after dinner or brings you the leash, get up and get going. Neither of you will be sorry.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

3. Visit the vet <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

An important part of keeping your dog healthy is taking your dog to the veterinarian at least once a year. How to keep a puppy healthy or an older senior? Make sure to visit your vet twice a year when they are young or when they are old. A routine head-to-tail examination can uncover hidden health issues if they exist. Early diagnosis can improve the chances of successful treatment and is likely to be less expensive than waiting until an illness is more advanced.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

4. Preventative care<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Vaccinations, flea prevention, and routine deworming are typically a part of your dog\u2019s annual physical exam. Regular vaccinations can keep your dog from getting serious and sometimes deadly diseases such as rabies, distemper, hepatitis, parvovirus, parainfluenza, and Lyme disease. Your vet will let you know if your dog is up to date on vaccinations.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

5. Brush your dog\u2019s teeth<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Doggy dental hygiene is more important than you might think. Things like periodontal disease, mouth infections, and plaque and tartar buildup can lead to more than just bad breath. Bad canine dental health can also lead to serious problems, including heart, kidney, and liver disease. Regular brushing is recommended, and dog-friendly toothpaste in flavors like poultry and peanut butter makes things easier. There are plenty of resources<\/a> out there to get you and your dog started on better oral hygiene\u2014no matter what his or her age.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

6. Prioritize nutrition<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"how<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

What you feed your dog, more than any other pet parenting decision will have the single greatest effect on your pup\u2019s long-term health, happiness, and longevity. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Proper nutrition is essential for muscle tone, immunity, disease prevention, healthy digestion, and skin and coat health. Unfortunately, most traditional dog foods fall short when it comes to proper nutrition. Dry kibble and canned food\u2014even those advertised and priced as premium\u2014can be ultra processed and may include preservatives and feed-grade ingredients.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So how can you keep your dog healthy through his diet? Studies have shown<\/a> that feeding dogs fresh whole-food meals using human-grade ingredients support their immune system and other markers of health when compared with kibble. Fortunately, there are now some great whole-food feeding alternatives for dogs.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The best answer to how to keep dog-healthy diets going over the long haul is to feed your pooch prepared whole-food daily meals<\/a> that are nutritionally balanced for long-term feeding. You won\u2019t be sorry. These tips don\u2019t just work for our furry companions<\/span> but also help us look at our own health choices. It may actually be our pets\u2019 greatest gift<\/a> to us!<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

This content is for informational use only and does not replace professional nutrition and\/or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is not a substitute for and should not be relied upon for specific nutrition and\/or medical recommendations. Please talk with your veterinarian about any questions or concerns.<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

What do veterinarians recommend most when they are asked how to keep my dog healthy? Most veterinarians agree that proper diet, regular exercise, routine checkups, and proper grooming\u2014not to mention lots of love\u2014will go a long way toward keeping your furry family member in tip-top shape.  1. Don\u2019t \u201cweigh-t\u201d until it\u2019s too late Once you […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":36,"featured_media":17642,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"wprm-recipe-roundup-name":"","wprm-recipe-roundup-description":"","_jffd_show_updated":"1","footnotes":"","_ppma_block_editor_authors":""},"categories":[80],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[294],"class_list":["post-8921","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-wellbeing"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Keep Your Dog Healthy [In 6 Steps] | JustFoodforDogs Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Check out our guide containing 6 tips for keeping your dog healthy, and find out what vets recommend in order to keep your dog healthy. 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Dr. Chavez is a veterinarian and business executive with a progressive career founded upon a solid commitment to pet advocacy, integrity, education, and sound veterinary principles. Dr. Chavez graduated in 2006 from the Royal Veterinary College, University of London, and started his career with Banfield, the world\u2019s largest veterinary practice, where he became Chief of Staff. In 2009, he joined the faculty of the Animal and Veterinary Science department at\u00a0California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. There, he was Director of the Animal Health Science veterinary technician program from 2010 \u2013 2013, and remains an adjunct faculty and researcher, and professor of veterinary clinical nutrition. Additionally, he served as a member of the Multidisciplinary Committee and the Registered Veterinary Technician Committee for the California State Veterinary Medical Board. In 2012, Dr. Chavez completed a Master\u2019s degree in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of California at Irvine. As Director of Canine Clinical Nutrition, he brings not only a deep technical expertise in researching and working exclusively with freshly prepared whole food diets at Cal Poly Pomona, but a true love for dogs that all of us here share. His own Golden Retriever, Rey, was a successful case study for our food. Rey\u2019s kidney disease was successfully managed with our Renal Moderate Protein vet-directed diet, which made Dr. Chavez\u2019s involvement even that much more personal to him. A graduate of the Royal Veterinary College in London, UK, Dr. Chavez is a licensed practicing veterinarian who has focused on clinical nutrition since graduating vet school. Dr. Chavez notes, \u201cIt all starts with nutrition. You are what you eat, and practically any health issue can be addressed through a higher-quality diet. We are in a unique time for veterinary medicine where people are seeking whole food diets using real USDA ingredients over commercial kibble or cans that use feed grade ingredients. I\u2019m excited of the possibilities we have in further increasing the health of our dogs with this trend. Our goal is to raise awareness of these diets and help bring a simple, fast and affordable solution to as many pet parents and their dogs as possible.","user_url":"","linkedin":"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/in\/dr-oscar-chavez-realtor","instagram":"","x":"","facebook":"","description":"Dr. Oscar Chavez, BVetMed MRCVS MBA, is a veterinarian and business executive who previously served as Chief Medical Officer at JustFoodForDogs, leading its Canine Nutrition Team. A graduate of the Royal Veterinary College at the University of London, he has focused on clinical nutrition since vet school \u2014 researching and working exclusively with freshly prepared whole-food diets during his years at Cal Poly Pomona. His commitment to nutrition is personal as well as professional: his own Golden Retriever, Rey, had kidney disease successfully managed on a vet-directed renal diet. Dr. Chavez's career is founded on a deep commitment to pet advocacy, integrity, education, and sound veterinary principles."}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8921","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/36"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8921"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8921\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":17643,"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8921\/revisions\/17643"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8921"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8921"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8921"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/justfoodfordogs.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=8921"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}