The English Bulldog Puppy Blog

An English bulldog has the whole world on its feet. Sadly, its world is exposed to disease causing microorganisms that must be kept at a minimum for good health. Let’s face reality that no matter how much we love our pets, they are naturally endowed to engage in seriously dirty things such as licking an object that fell on bacteria laden floor. It certainly is helpful to explore ideas on how to keep our dog’s immunity as strong as possible.

A canine’s immune system is a largely composed of antibodies, white blood cells, and other substances that resist and eliminate infections and reject foreign proteins. The other organs such as the thymus gland and bone marrow are production sites of white blood cells. Others, which include the liver, spleen, lymph nodes, trap microorganisms and potentially harmful substances while providing a place for immune cells to collect, interact with each other and with foreign substances, and produce that disease fighting response that keeps your dog healthy.

The immune system of your dog can be complicated. There are four various types of immune system problems including hypersensitivity (allergy), neoplasia (cancer, rapid cell growth), autoimmunity (body attacks itself) and immunodeficiency (infection fighting problems). There is a possibility that your bulldog can develop immune problems no matter how you try to shield it from organisms, partly because of inherited disorder. The immune system weakens due to aging or living conditions, which are less optimal when there is lack of exercise, poor nutritional intake, or inadequate intake of fresh water.

Here are tips to improve your bulldogs (dogs in general):

1. Improve the diet – Buy only AAFCO certified foods. These products do not contain artificial ingredients. Certification guarantees the required nutrients that your dog needs. Check for the label that says, “nutritionally complete for all stages.” Avoid labels, which are AAFCO certified, but only say, “formulated to meet AAFCO standards” which means a substandard nutrition unlike the standard and nutritionally complete label.
2. Physical exercise is a must for pets. Dogs in the wild hunt for food thus staying physically fit. In contrast, modern and domesticated dogs stay inactive most of the time. Inactivity makes them physically weak. Incorporate regular exercise in your dog’s daily routine to strengthen its limbs and keep it happy as well.
3. Supplement. Give your dog its dose of natural dietary supplements with all the essential nutrients, minerals, vitamins, and other nutrients good for your dog’s body. These supplements function to improve the immunity of your dog. It then cleanse its body, strengthen its inner organs, maintain normal levels of blood pressure and blood sugar, and support long life and vitality.

Consider these two important things upon choosing a dietary supplement for your dog, which are quality of ingredients and FDA approval.

Ingredients
The quality of a dietary supplement is directly proportional to the quality of its ingredients. Always choose a product, which contains the best possible natural ingredients. Some of the names you should look for include Huang Qi, mistletoe, Indian ginseng, Echinacea purpurea, milk thistle, and cat’s claw. These are very powerful herbs, which can boost your dog’s immune system considerably if consumed regularly. Also, look for minerals like zinc and selenium and essential vitamins like A, B, C, and E.

FDA approval
The seal of approval marks a distinction to separate the genuine products form the fake ones. Always choose a product that meets the standards set by the Dietary Supplement Health Education Act or DSHEA.

Keeping Your Dog’s Defenses Strong

Pay extra attention to your dog especially when it’s nearing old age. Your dog’s needs increasingly important to follow steps to maintain their disease fighting capabilities strong with the following steps:

No plastic
Plastic leaves harmful chemical residue behind. Use only glass, stainless steel, or porcelain containers for your dog’s food and water.

Nutrition
Some studies suggest that nutrition or under nutrition as the most common cause of immunity ineffectiveness. Recent studies confirm that a deficiency in only one vitamin or mineral can in fact make a big difference in your dog’s ability to stay healthy.

Plumpy and Happy
Research shows that overweight dogs are susceptible to diseases and infections than those who are not.

Exercise
Research shows that active pets are less prone to sickness than ones who lead sedentary lives.

Stress
Stress inhibits white blood cell formation and function and causes an important disease-fighting gland (thymus) to shrink.

It is more important to take steps to keep your dog’s immune system working at its best. It is vital to health and wellness especially for older English bulldogs and other breed of dogs that could be struggling with chronic diseases. Follow these tips and take extra good care of your dog.

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