6 Home Remedies to Strengthen Your Dog’s Immune System

Guest post!

As fur parents to our lovely dogs, we hate seeing them feel ill. We always want to see them playing and running around and having the energy to enjoy their lives.

But the only way they can do that is when they are healthy. So in today’s article, I will share with you some home remedies to boost your puppy’s immune system so that she can stay healthy and happy and keep being the lovable pet you always want them to be. Please keep on reading below.

Home remedies that will help boost your dog’s immune system

1. Keep Your Dog Active

Exercise is essential, not only for us humans but as well as for our furry friends. Excessive body fat will only lead to the secretion of hormones that can increase inflammation; as a result, your dog’s probability of developing an illness will increase too.

Working out will help burn fat and, at the same time, prevent your dog from getting obese, which is a significant factor that paves the way for several other diseases.

So make sure you always take your dog for regular walks and encourage her to play. If he is still young and able, try to engage him in dog sports, such as agility, which is an excellent way to keep your dog fit by strengthening her muscles and providing mental stimulation.

2. Choose the proper diet

Of course, a nutritious diet could serve as a good foundation for a healthy body and an active and robust immune system.

Unfortunately, many commercial foods already contain artificial preservatives, fillers, and grains – take note these don’t contribute to your dog’s good health.

Though dogs have a more robust tolerance for bad foods since they belong to scavenger species, this doesn’t mean we can feed them whatever is available and expect that they will always be okay.

I strongly discourage every fur parent from giving their dogs table scraps or foods that people eat. According to Everything For Our Pets, I suggest you spend just a few minutes making a nice, healthy, balanced meal for your dog.

Her diet should be composed of natural ingredients and rich in essential nutrients. Could you ensure you are not feeding her anything containing fillers like wheat, gluten, and corn?

I suggest you choose healthy foods for dogs with high fiber and protein but lower carbohydrate and fat content.

Though you can squeeze in “people foods” to her diet, like foods with antioxidant properties like broccoli, apples, beans, berries, and herbs like parsley or turmeric, this will make good additions to your dog’s meals.

3. Add a dietary supplement to her diet

Using a supplement to boost your dog’s immune system and contribute to overall health concerns is important. Most veterinarians recommend sticking with the tried and tested basics, such as:

• Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Like the ones you can find in high-quality fish oil supplements, this is important since they reduce the body’s inflammatory response. In addition to improving your dog’s immune system, these essential omega three oil can improve their skin and coat health.
• Curcumin. This is an active ingredient that can be found in turmeric. It contains possible cancer-fighting properties and has anti-inflammatory properties too.
• Vitamin E.  It plays an essential part not only in the immune health of your dog but as well as her cardiac health. Moreover, it improves skin, eyes, and muscle health. Vitamin E shows no shortage of benefits.
• Vitamin C. Our fur baby naturally produces this, so supplementation is often unnecessary. However, your dog might be caught with a specific medical condition, like glaucoma, kennel cough, and other infections, that can benefit from Vitamin C added to her meal.

4. Promote a healthy gut

According to scientists, at least 70% of the immune system can be found in the gut, so it only makes sense to maintain a healthy digestive tract.

So regularly monitor your dog’s appetite as well as her bowel movements. Ensure that her intestines are free from parasites by doing proper prevention, routine fecal check-ups, and deworming if necessary.

Adding probiotics to your dog’s diet is also a fantastic way to maintain her intestinal health and is more likely the most significant supplement of all her immune health.

This is because probiotics are packed with a wallop of “helper” bacteria that can kill dangerous pathogens in the intestine, plus they help promote good digestion and overall health.

Plan and unsweetened yogurt is an excellent source of probiotics for dogs. Giving your furry companions some yogurt is healthy so they can reap the countless gastrointestinal health benefits; make sure there are no sugar additives in it. If your pet is lactose intolerant, feed her live, active cultures – they are just as healthy.

5. Minimize your dog’s stress

Stress and anxiety are among the most significant factors that reduce your dog’s ability to keep the disease at bay. Minimizing the number of stress hormones in your dog’s body by promoting relaxation can significantly improve her overall health.

So make sure you always look out for signs of stress and anxiety. Every dog has different stress triggers. For instance, if your pet has separation anxiety, try to ensure they will not be left alone in your home for too long.

Or probably the noises and visitors stress them out. In this case, allow them to stay in an area just for them; you can play them soothing music too.

There are many ways to reduce your dog’s stress; it can be as easy as giving her plenty of exercise and a regular schedule. Those dogs with higher anxiety levels may benefit from natural supplements to reduce stress.

If you see your pet in distress, giving her medication can also be a good idea, but get professional advice before you use any chemical medicine. Otherwise, you might make your dog drug-dependent, which is very dangerous.

6. Get rid of the factor that contributes to a weakened immune system

Unfortunately, our dogs are constantly exposed to many environmental toxins; these are commonly found in cigarette smoke, car exhaust fumes, pesticides, and even in those home preventive treatments against parasites.

Get rid of these factors by avoiding the use of these products. You can look for natural or organic alternatives to help improve your dog’s immune system, such as homemade pesticides for your garden or essential oil-based preventatives for ticks and fleas.

Also, could you ensure that your dog maintains optimum hygiene and cleanliness? You can do this by keeping your environment clean and reducing the bacteria surrounding your dog. Wash your dog’s bedding and utensils regularly, and make sure your dog is also getting a bath at regular intervals and has access to clean and fresh drinking water.

Final Thought

Sometimes, all it takes are small lifestyle changes to make the difference between a healthy and a sick pet. Keeping a good diet, regularly working out, and reducing stress are some of the easy ways to ensure your dog’s immune system is at its best.

I hope these six home remedies I’ve mentioned above will help you have a happier and healthier pet.

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