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What early habits prevent future health problems for my puppy?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Miniature Poodle | Male | neutered | 5 months and 13 days old | 15 lbs

What can I do now to prevent any health problems later in my puppy’s life? You hear things about raw diets, see vitamins for sale and so on. I don’t want to go overboard, but what are some good preventive measures and healthy habits I can establish early?

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1 Answer

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Answered By Makenzie Kurth, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 29th, 2018

Jack is PRECIOUS!! Choosing a reputable, quality food is a great step. They will have all the vitamins and minerals he needs. But in both people and dogs, one of the biggest factors in longevity is keeping a slim body condition. Keeping Jack slim and fit throughout his life will improve the quality and quantity of life. Routine dental care. Whether you brush several times weekly or have a dental cleaning with your vet every 6-12 months, dental disease is associated with other diseases and shorter life in both people and animals. Routine veterinary care. We don’t just recommend vaccines and senior bloodowork to empty your pocket. An ounce of prevention and early detection of organ dysfunction and other diseases can extend quality and quantity of life significantly. For example, if a senior blood screen shows mild liver or kidney elevations, I can often keep things at that stage with diet changes and supplements. If we wait till the Pet is sick, prognosis is not as good and treatment more costly. As your pet ages and developes any medical conditions, we can help recommend supplements and vitamins at that point. Hope this helps and best of luck to you and Jack.

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