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As devoted pet parents, we all aspire for our dogs to lead long, vibrant lives. It’s just as important to focus on how healthy, happy, and active our dogs are, not just how long they’ll be with us. Let’s explore just how we can help to keep our best friends healthier and happier, for longer.
What is Dog Lifespan?
Lifespan refers to the total number of years a dog lives. Breed has relevance for lifespan. For example, a Labrador Retriever’s lifespan may be about 12 years, while smaller breeds such as a Chihuahua, have been known to live up to 15 years or longer.
What is Healthspan?
Healthspan refers to the portion of their lives during which they remain healthy and free from significant illnesses or disease. A longer healthspan means that our dogs enjoy more quality time with fewer health issues as they grow older. The length of healthspan depends on regular veterinary care, a balanced diet, proper exercise, and proactive preventive care measures. These habits will help support their overall well-being throughout their lives.
Why Healthspan Matters
Imagine if your dog lives to be 15 years old but spends the last 5 years struggling with heart disease, canine cognitive decline, or other age-related issues. While their lifespan is long, their healthspan is not optimized. This means those final years could be fraught with discomfort and a compromised quality of life.
Alternatively, if your dog enjoys 14 of those years with minimal health problems, their healthspan almost equals their lifespan. Maximizing healthspan is a goal to ensure our pets are not only living healthier, longer but also staying healthy and happy.
Practical Steps to Improve Your Dog’s Healthspan
There are several practical steps to take to help enhance your dog’s healthspan. The earlier the better, but all are applicable at any stage of a dog’s lifespan.
- Regular Exercise: Keeping your dog physically active helps maintain muscle strength, cardiovascular health, and mental stimulation.
- Balanced Diet: A nutritious diet tailored to your dog’s age, size, and health needs is crucial for overall well-being.
- Routine Veterinary Visits: Regular check-ups can catch potential health issues early and keep your dog on the right track.
- Mental Stimulation: Engage your dog with toys, puzzles, and new experiences to keep their mind sharp.
How Leap Years Supports Healthspan
Leap Years’ unique two-part cellular health system is clinically proven to support canine brain health and address the effects of aging at the cellular level. Here’s how:
As dogs age, their NAD+ levels gradually decrease, affecting their cells’ ability to function, repair, and regenerate effectively. This decline can result in various diseases and impairments in both physical and mental functions because NAD+ is involved in so many basic functions.
Leap Years is the only dual-action dog supplement designed to address aging at its core. This happens at the cellular level to help enhance NAD+ levels and eliminate damaged cells in aging dogs, helping to support brain function, heart health, and encourage activity.
Conclusion
Understanding the difference between healthspan and lifespan can challenge us to consider how we approach our dogs’ care. By focusing on healthspan, we can help to best ensure that our furry friends are enjoying their lives to the fullest.
Leap Years — More life in your dog, more dog in your life.
