An active lifestyle, a healthy diet, and regular veterinary controls
are important at any stage of a dog's life. An unbalanced diet due to excess of macronutrients could cause, for example, overweigh or obesity, whereas a deficiency in micronutrients, resulting in low iron intake, can be associated with more serious health condition such as diabetes or anaemia. Based on scientific research, there is a consensus on the vital role that an active lifestyle and good nutrition play in maintaining health and well-being. An annual visit to the veterinarywill certainly contribute to getting your dog immunized against infectious diseases as well as monitoring risk factor for illness. A well-informed pet owner who cares about preventive health willmaximize dog's quality of life,protecting more effectively the pet from developing a disease or experiencing an injury. Being aware of the most frequent disorders that could affect dogs' health as well as providing them with a balanced diet and exercise contributes to keeping a dog healthy longer. Moreover, this becomes vital for senior dogs, who experience inexorable body changes associated to the normal aging process, increasing their likelihood of having health problems.
Like any living being, a dog's body is a perfect
machine where each element performs a specific function and is part of a system. Together, systems are
harmonic and intimately interconnected, making everything work as a whole.
Most of health problems affect the normal functions of the respiratory, nervous,
circulatory, digestive, urinary, musculoskeletal, and hormonal systems, as well
as sense organs.
Even though regular visits to the vet are important and highly recommended for a more accurate diagnose, the following chart can be helpful for identifying problems that are most common or that could appear due to age in dogs. In following posts, we will explore each one of these in more detail. See more at
