- Oral decay is a leading cause of canine demise… It is not a direct killer, it causes the canine’s system to begin to malfunction and that eventually leads to death… Oral care is the most under monitored and exercised health condition. If you were human, there are leading causes in a hierarchy… heart disease, cancer etc… IN canids, there is also a hierarchy and it is not the same as for humans… e.g. more animals die from injury because of predation or accident/injury. I am using “dog” to be a member of the canid family… wild and domestic.
- Dog health is not the same thing as human health… A couple of reasons… a. same remedies/therapies not available to both; b. exposure to pathogens are different; c. what constitutes health in a human species is different than a canid species…
- Canines need three basic things. Physical, Social or Environmental and Emotional or Psychological… In other words, we assess the health of an animal-based on pre-established criteria on their physical robustness, their environmental quality, and their emotional/psychological condition. The third is often confused… A quality of emotional health is the absence of a canine fear or constant guard for predation.
- Different subspecies, (we generally call those breeds) have different growth patterns, rates and standards… So no thumb rule for age or longevity is more than a broad guess…
- Nutrition (as in humans) is a key to continuing well being of a canine.
- Stimulation is also a requirement for good emotional health
- Exercise is extremely important.
- Like an automobile, canids need routine vet care… but unlike an auto, they can’t always tell you when something is wrong…
Related Articles
