Susan Mikels takes extra care to ensure her 12-year-old Siberian Huskey is in prime dog health.

“He’s a big dog, and he’s also my best friend,” Mikels told the Pocono Record of her dog who suffers from severe joint problems and painful arthritis.

“Every once in awhile he’ll have a little burst of energy lasting only for a minute or so, reminding me of his younger puppy days,” she told the news provider.

The Pocono Record reported that Mikels’ pooch has other dog health issues too, including vision problems and trouble walking.

“I see him struggling to get out of his bed, but then again, so do I,” she told the news source.

According to the news provider there are numerous things pet owners can do to keep their pets in optimum dog or cat health, such as maintaining a healthy diet and exercise regime and ensuring elderly pets sustain their body weight.

“Studies show that being overweight puts more stress on the heart and increases organ inflammation,” Dr. Jeremy Wentz of Barton Heights Veterinary Hospital told the news source.

Dr. Martha Franklin of Mountain View Animal Hospital in Scotrun told the news provider that owners ought to feed their older pets healthy pet food and try to limit the amount of table scraps.

“Each species has specific dietary needs that are provided within pet food,” she told the news source.

Franklin told the Poconoo Record that pet health insurance may also be a good idea and help with finances when a pet eventually needs medical attention.

“When shopping for (pet) insurance, ask a lot of questions,” Franklin told the news provider. “Insurance can also help with the expense of having important diagnostics done that might be skipped if paid out of pocket.

Wentz told the news provider that he agrees that pet care insurance is a good idea.

“Vet care is more expensive now because we are catching up to human medicine with diagnostic tools that we use,” he told the news source.

Franklin told the news provider aside from a healthy diet and getting insurance for pets, it is also important to exercise your pet.

“Swimming and frequent walks are ideal to maintain weight and healthy muscle tone,” Franklin told Poconorecord.com.

The post Owners Have Pet Health Options For Older Pets first appeared on Puppy Blog.

The best advice for keeping your dog healthy, educate yourself on the individual needs and health issue for your dog and listen to your vet. Getting your dog used to car rides is a good way to reduce stress on vet days. This will help your vet accurately monitor your dog’s health.

Dog health care options are going to depend on your dogs breed. It is important to know the breed or mix of your dog. There are specific characteristic and health issues for different breeds. Use a vet that provides quality dog health care. The more your vet knows your dog, and its breed the better care your dog will receive. You will also want to ensure that your dog is eating the right food for its size and breed. Your dog needs specific combinations of vitamins, minerals and proteins.

You and your vet should keep an eye out for any changes in your dog’s behavior. Being able to identify symptoms and warning signs of illness goes a long way in dog health care. Behavior changes can be symptoms or a warning sign that there is a problem. Knowing what is characteristic for your dog’s breed can help.

Keep your dog happy is just as important as keep it healthy. It can even affect their health. A healthy well cared for dog is usually a happy dog. Dogs love to go for walks. It is important to have the right style of leash. A dog in car is usually a happy dog. A dog should not be loose in a moving car. This is just asking for an accident. However a dog should never be put into the trunk of the car. It is not safe. Use a traveling cage instead. It is not a good idea to leave a dog in car alone for any length of time.

Summer time it gets too hot, even with a window left open a bit. Winter is simply to cold, even if windows are all closed. If you do travel with your dog you may want to get a dog in car sign for the window. Car rides with your dog can be a lot of fun. Just keep in mind that you want your dog to enjoy car rids so you can get them to the vet nice and easy.

The post The Best Way to Keep Your Dog Healthy And Happy first appeared on Puppy Blog.