New Year’s Resolutions for Your Dog!

by Dr. Susan Hore, DVM December 29, 2016

With New Year’s Day just around the corner, people often are thinking about New Year’s Resolutions. Here are my 3 top suggestions for resolutions if you are concerned about your dog’s health:

Feed your dog the best nutrition you can. Nutrition is at the base of health. The body needs nutrients to function ideally and to heal. Extra money or time spent ensuring that your dog is getting quality food and ingredients is often money saved on veterinary bills down the road. Research is flourishing on the importance of the microbiome to health, so not only is it important to ensure that your dog has the proper nutrients, but also that his gut microbiome is nourished so that it can perform its many functions related to health.

Inform yourself on vaccination issues. Know what diseases pose a true risk to your dog, know how effective individual vaccines are and know the possible side effects of vaccines. Make vaccination decisions based on what is best for your individual dog. Vaccines can prevent life threatening diseases but they can also be overused. When given more frequently than needed, they not only fail to improve immunity, they increase the risk for harm.

Think about harmful substances that your dog may be exposed to and try to limit or avoid them. This can include: substances used in the home such as cleaning agents and aerosols; chemicals used on the lawn or garden; or even products used on your dog (i.e. flea or tick products). If the product label indicates that it can be toxic or if it talks about how to limit your exposure to the product, you may want to discuss the possibility of safer alternatives with your vet.

Wishing you and your dog many days of health and happiness in 2017!