Wholesome Dog Food, Exercise & 3 Other Dog Health Tips
As dog parents, we want to do all we can to prolong the life of our furry friends. Of course, our goals shouldn’t just be about prolonging their life, but also maximizing their enjoyment of life. Fortunately, there are a few easy ways to help improve the health and the quality of your dog’s life and our wholesome dog food can be an integral part of your dog’s healthy lifestyle.
1. Wholesome Dog Food
When we talk about “wholesome dog food,” what does this really mean? Wholesome dog food will satisfy your dog’s nutritional needs, but there are many dog foods on the market that technically can provide your dog with the protein, carbohydrates, fats, vitamins and minerals they need to survive. However, many of these foods are far from fitting into a “wholesome” category.
Too often, dog foods are packed with cheap fillers and the worst possible cuts of meat, including meat trimmings from diseased animals. While these foods might provide the right balance of nutrition, the ingredients are terrible, and they don’t truly nourish your sweet dog. After all, humans could exist on hot dogs, potato chips and cookies, but it wouldn’t truly nourish us or help us live better, healthier lives.
At Wag Tantrum, we focus on the “whole” in wholesome. Our fresh dog food is wholesome because we only use the finest organic ingredients, and we never include cheap fillers such as corn, wheat or soy. Each ingredient in Wag Tantrum was selected carefully for its nutritional impact and we carefully source our veggies, fruits, grains and USDA-certified organic beef and chicken.
Additionally, each small batch of our 100% organic dog food includes pharmaceutical-grade vitamins and minerals, and we worked with veterinarians and pet food experts to ensure that these pharma-grade nutrients provide dogs with the highest nutritional value.
Switching to a fresh dog food diet can make a huge impact on your dog’s health. Our wholesome dog food contains no chemicals or preservatives and no fillers. Often our customers find that when they switch to our limited-ingredient beef dog food or chicken dog food, their dog’s health improves dramatically. For dogs with allergies or digestive issues, our human-grade dog food can be a perfect choice.
Our fresh dog food also is a perfect option for picky eaters. Many dogs turn their snout up at kibble or canned dog food, but they love human food. With Wag Tantrum, they can enjoy “human” food without the spices, salt and ingredients that can be harmful to dogs. If you have a picky eater, our wholesome dog food can be an ideal option.
2. Provide Some Exercise
Dog obesity is a huge problem in the United States, and overweight dogs are at higher risk for all sorts of health conditions. This includes heart problems, kidney problems, joint issues, diabetes and certain types of cancers. Exercise, combined with a healthy diet of wholesome dog food, can go a long way toward improving your dog’s health.
Providing your dog with exercise doesn’t just benefit your furry companion, either it also provides you with a great source of exercise, and most of us could use a bit more activity each day. But how much exercise does your dog actually need?
This depends somewhat on their breed, as some dogs were bred to be more active, such as working dogs and hunters. Typically, most pet experts will tell you that an hour each day of exercise is a good amount, but some dogs need more, and some can get by with a little less.
Heading out for a morning walk and an evening walk can be great options to consider. Two 20-minute walks per day will be good for your dog and good for you. For some breeds, such as dogs prone to breathing issues, you might reduce this slightly and ensure that the walk is not too strenuous for your pup.
Of course, two 20-minute walks only add up to 40 minutes of total exercise, and some dogs need another 20-30 minutes per day. A third walk is an option, of course, but not every dog parent has a schedule that allows for a mid-day walk and in our home base of Houston, it’s often too hot to take your pooch on a midday walk. Plus, it can be fun for you and your dog to consider a few other activities, such as a game of tug or fetch.
Just tossing a toy and having them dash after it inside your home provides them with a good source of exercise, and it can be very engaging. In just 10 minutes, they will get their heart pumping and they’ll be having a good time. Additionally, this short burst of activity gets you off the couch or away from your computer for a few minutes.
Hide and seek is another game that you can play indoors, even in a home with limited space. While this won’t provide as much physical exercise, it will provide mental exercise, and this also is important for dogs. Using agility equipment, such as a tunnel and maybe a couple of jumps also can provide your dog with good physical and mental exercise and inexpensive agility kits can be purchased online or you could even make your own.
Exercise can help improve your dog’s health, but also their mental well-being. If you have a dog that scratches at furniture or barks incessantly or has a great deal of separation anxiety, exercise can calm them and you may notice problem behaviors, which sometimes are simply caused by boredom and too much pent-up energy, will abate.
3. Keep Them Hydrated
While some dogs seem to spend plenty of time lapping up water from their water dish, other dogs rarely seem interested in a sip of water. However, staying hydrated is crucial for dogs, and dehydrated dogs can suffer from a number of serious medical issues.
If your dog seems reluctant to drink, there are a few ways to increase their water intake. We recommend mixing our wholesome dog food with a bit of water. Dogs love our food, and this can provide you with an opportunity to nourish and hydrate your dog. We also recommend that you provide water in several different areas of your home so that your dog never has far to walk to hydrate.
Another option might be to add a bit of organic bone broth or homemade stock or broth to their water. Sometimes just adding a touch of flavor will encourage your dog to drink. Additionally, perhaps your dog simply dislikes the water from your tap. Experiment with bottled water or filtered water and see if your furry friend prefers a different type of water.
4. Limit Treats
Dogs do love their treats, but these extra calories can pack on the pounds if you aren’t careful. Of course, many dog treats contain fillers and unwholesome ingredients, such as corn or soy and chemicals or preservatives, which is another reason dog parents need to be careful with treats.
We recommend opting for low-calorie treats and inspecting the ingredients of the treats just as you would when selecting a wholesome dog food. You also could provide your dog with a bit of fresh fruit or veggies instead of a processed treat. Your dog might enjoy a blueberry or a tiny bit of carrot and these can be more nutritional, lower-calorie options than processed treats.
5. Take Care Of Their Dental Health
Dogs, just like humans, need proper dental care. When a dog’s dental health declines, this can cause their overall health to decline. With humans and dogs, poor dental health has been linked to many serious medical issues, especially heart disease. Purchase a dog toothbrush and some dog toothpaste and make it a habit to brush your dog’s teeth several times each week. It only takes a few minutes, but it can make a huge difference to your dog.
A healthy diet, with plenty of water and our wholesome dog food, also can help improve dental health, but brushing is the best way to improve health, and this includes scheduling some professional teeth cleanings from time to time. You also can add a bit of oral health rinse (specially formulated for dogs) to their drinking water, which can help reduce mouth bacteria and reduce plaque build-up.
Get Started With Wag Tantrum
At Wag Tantrum, we love dogs, and we are committed to providing them with high-quality 100% organic wholesome dog food and we make it easy, delivering our fresh frozen dog food right to your front door!
Talk to your veterinarian about making the switch to our fresh, wholesome dog food, and when you are ready to get started, you can click on the Order Now tab on our homepage. We offer three delicious flavor options – beef, beef-quinoa and chicken, and we even offer 50% off on your first order, so take a step today toward a healthier life for your furry companion.
