Diet and Exercise Affect Your Dog’s Health

Holistic Veterinary Healing is a Gaithersburg holistic vet clinic that specializes in natural healing for all animals.

Diet and Exercise Affect Your Dog’s Health

Studies show that the average person could improve their overall health by eating foods that are more nutritious and increasing daily exercise by just 30 minutes a day. The same is true for dogs. Many of the problems that veterinarians see could be counteracted with proper diet and exercise. Just like extra weight can cause problems in humans, it can also cause problems in dogs. If your dog suffers from arthritis, incontinence, or heavy panting, it could be a weight problem.

Your Dog’s Food Affects Its Health

If you purchase popular commercial food products, you may not realize that all of the additives in the food could be detrimental to your dog’s health. Some of the food brands have heavy metals within the ingredients, which affects your pet’s chemical balance and can cause a variety of health problems. Weight gain is a common side effect of commercial dog food because of the additives, but so are skin problems and digestive problems. Working closely with our vet clinic, you can help your dog undergo food therapy to determine if the food he or she eats is detrimental to its health.

Exercise Is Important

Your dog should spend time each day running or walking briskly. Physical exercise helps the lymphatic system work and flushes toxins out of the body. Veterinarians will tell you that active dogs are healthy dogs. Making sure your dog gets adequate exercise will help the muscles, tissues, and bones as your dog ages. Work closely with us to custom-design a holistic approach to your dog’s health to avoid future use of medications or costly vet bills.