THE MOST POWERFUL MEDICINE

Although these articles about the best pet food focus on nutrition, that is only part of the health story. Exercise is a vital to pet health. It helps prevent obesity, diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, and every single measure of health.

Science proves that exercise is powerful medicine. Consider this. Humans are prescribed cholesterol lowering statin drugs to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars. The assumption is that this is the way to prevent heart disease. But in spite of all the cholesterol hype, exercise does more to prevent heart disease than all the statin and other drugs combined.

The take away from this applies to dogs and cats as well: exercise does more to encourage health than any medicine possibly could.

Animals are built to engage in rigorous activity on a daily basis (hunting for prey, evading predators, playing, etc.). Humans must provide similar activity for them as much as possible. Permit them time out of doors, allow them to interact with other animals, and play with them regularly. It is the kind and right thing to do.

This may be a challenge with urban living. It requires effort just like our own exercise does, but there are ways. Read books and explore the internet for creative ways to keep your pet active. The reward for doing so (and feeding properly) is health; the ultimate reward.

Video: Dog and Deer Playing

The antics these unlikely playmates go through demonstrate that animals are intelligent, fun loving creatures that need to stay physically engaged in life. You might even get a little tummy exercise laughing at this remarkable video.

pawprints

Thought for the day: "Ignorance is preferable to error, and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing than he who believes what is wrong." – Thomas Jefferson

Word for the day: nutraceuticals - noun: special nutrients that aid in the prevention and treatment of sickness and disease.

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