Longevity Fundamentals for Dogs
To help your dog live a longer and healthier life, there are a few core principles to focus on, and within these, there is a common theme—prevention. That means we’re being proactive instead of reactive, and in doing so, we’re prioritizing the things that will give the best results in terms of longevity and quality of life, like:
- Balanced Diet
- Regular Exercise
- Dental Care
- Consistent Veterinary Checkups
- Weight Maintenance
Following these fundamentals will help your pup stay healthier, for longer, and enjoy life into their golden years. Keep reading for actionable tips on each of these topics.
Focus on a Healthy, Balanced Diet
A nutritious, balanced diet is one of the best things you can do for your dog’s health and lifespan, especially when it comes to helping older dogs ward off disease and other health issues. Here are some tips for choosing a high-quality dog food:
- First and foremost, find a food that’s recognized by the American Association of Feed Control Officials (AAFCO), an organization that establishes feeding guidelines based on scientific studies for the required level of carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals for different life stages. Not all dog foods comply with AAFCO guidelines so it’s important to find one that does.
- Next, look at the top three ingredients listed on the nutrition label. These make up a majority of the food, so ideally they should be whole food ingredients like single proteins or vegetables. If you’re able to recognize and can pronounce all ingredients in a dog food, that’s a good indicator of its quality.
- Avoid foods with fillers, sugars and byproducts. These ingredients dilute the nutrition of a food and can lead to digestive issues, allergies and weight gain. Instead, choose minimally processed or less processed options.
- Be aware of marketing words like “chicken dinner,” “beef flavor,” etc. This might give the impression of a whole protein ingredient, when in reality it’s not. Similarly, if you see the phrase “with” on the label, for instance “with pork,” the food is only required to contain three percent of that ingredient, so this can be misleading as well.
- Beneficial vitamins and minerals are important, too—like omega-3s or superfoods with antioxidants like blueberries and turmeric.
- Consider the hype around grain-free diets—while specific diets have their place for various reasons, recent and ongoing studies have shown links between some grain-free diets and heart disease in dogs. We recommend speaking with your veterinarian if you are curious about a particular diet, or ingredient, for your pup.
What it boils down to is that quality matters when choosing a dog food. For us humans, it’s becoming much more common knowledge that ultra-processed foods aren’t good for our health and longevity—and the same goes for our dogs, too. When you think about it, kibble is the equivalent of ultra-processed food for dogs. Many contain fillers and meat “meals,” and are cooked at super high temperatures that significantly reduce their nutritional value and can make ingredients less bioavailable, especially proteins and heat-sensitive vitamins like A, D and E.
This is where fresh food brands really have the upper hand in dog nutrition. We love The Farmer’s Dog, which has differentiated itself in the market by using real, fresh, human-grade ingredients in a gentle cooking process that retains vital nutrients and avoids the downfalls of ultra processing. All of their recipes are developed by board-certified veterinary nutritionists, made to human-grade safety standards in USDA- and FDA-inspected facilities and meet or exceed AAFCO and WSAVA (World Small Animal Veterinary Association) standards. If you’re not familiar with the brand, here are some of the things we appreciate the most:
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Comprehensive Assessment: A breezy online questionnaire gathers your dog’s breed, age, activity level and more to personalize their feeding guidelines.
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Personalized Portioning: Calorie recommendations are formulated using an algorithm developed by board-certified nutritionists to ensure your pup gets exactly what they need. It’s delivered to you in a pre-portioned pack complete with your pup’s name.
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Mission-Driven: You can feel good about a company that is borderline obsessive when it comes to your dog’s health and nutrition. So much so that they’ve invested $10 million in veterinary research to explore other ways they can help dogs live longer and healthier.
Get Regular Exercise & Mental Stimulation
Staying active benefits your pup in a multitude of ways. It combats obesity and supports weight maintenance, helps maintain healthy joints, strong muscles and coordination, and helps keep the heart and lungs healthy.
Beyond physical benefits, getting out for a walk gives your pup essential mental stimulation too, with new sights, sounds and smells. Mental stimulation in particular plays a significant role in warding off boredom, depression and cognitive decline or dementia in dogs. In addition to walks, you can provide mental stimulation through interactive toys and puzzles, scent work or brain games like “find the treat.”
Aim for 30 minutes or more of daily exercise and 15 to 30 minutes of mental stimulation per day. If your pup isn’t up to this level just yet, start out slow and work your way up. Consistency is key here!
Ensure Proper Dental Care
Teeth and gums are pathways for bacteria and disease to enter a dog’s body through the bloodstream and cause issues beyond periodontal disease, like inflammation of the heart, a weakened immune system or irreversible damage to the kidneys and liver.
According to veterinary professionals, a dog’s quality of life, which includes living without dental discomfort or disease, may increase their lifespan by two to five years with regular dental care, cleaning and maintenance.
This makes proper dental care paramount for a pup’s health and longevity. Fortunately, it’s relatively easy with a little dedication on your part. Daily brushing is the best place to start, and when paired with regular professional dental cleanings, can be an effective protocol to help stay ahead of dental disease and the other health issues that are spurred by it.
Keep Up with Veterinary Checkups
Annual vet visits are an important part in prevention and ensuring your pup stays healthier, longer. For those of us with senior pups, it’s recommended to schedule a checkup every six months.
During these visits, your vet will perform a nose-to-tail physical exam, routine blood work and other tests to ensure everything is functioning as it should be as your pet ages.
Staying consistent with vet appointments will help identify any abnormalities before they become a significant problem, which is important considering that many diseases, including certain cancers, are highly treatable if caught early enough. Early detection gives you and your veterinary team time to start medications or preventative measures sooner rather than later, which can prolong your pup’s life and health.
Maintain a Healthy Weight
Perhaps one of the most important factors in longevity is keeping your dog at a healthy weight. Overweight and obesity affects more than 50 percent of all dogs in the U.S., according to the Association for Pet Obesity and Prevention, and shortens their lifespan by more than two years. Not to mention, it wreaks havoc on their health while they’re still here, making them more prone to illnesses like diabetes, joint issues, heart and lung disease and cancer.
But the good news is overweight and obesity is preventable—and reversible. And companies like The Farmer’s Dog are taking the guesswork out of portioning, making it easy to get your dog to a healthy weight range—and keep them there. Your dog’s food comes in pre-portioned packs with customized feeding instructions that are personalized to your pup’s needs and goals. It’s hard to figure out exactly what and how much to feed your dog, especially if they need to lose a little weight, so we really appreciate an option that’s formulated by experts and doesn’t require doing any math to get the portion right for your pup.
Other Considerations
Some other factors that influence longevity include supplements, stress reduction and ensuring a safe environment. Here’s what you need to know:
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Supplements: Consult your veterinarian about which supplements may be appropriate for your dog’s needs. Supplements are a good preventative measure for a number of different health conditions, and are a simple way to help keep your pup healthier, longer.
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Stress Reduction: Just like with us humans, stress and anxiety can weaken the immune system. So it’s important to find ways to minimize these behaviors. Your vet is a great resource, as they can make suggestions based on your pet’s specific needs.
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Safe Environment: A safe environment functions in several ways, including an emotional feeling of safety that impacts dogs much like stress and anxiety do, as well as a physical safe environment that protects them from hazards and potential dangers—for instance, getting into toxic foods or chemicals around the house. Check with your vet for a list of food to avoid giving dogs, and other ways to keep them safe at home.
So while not everything to do with our dog’s health is preventable or within our control, it’s reassuring to know that we can do so much to help improve their lifespan and quality of life. Because when it comes to more time for adventures and couch cuddles, we’re all ears—and we know you are, too.
