Most Crucial Mistakes that Shortens a Pet's Lifespan

In this video, we will discuss the 12 crucial mistakes that could actually be shortening the lifespan of your pet.

Overfeeding, Ingredients and Raw Meat
Regardless of whether you feed your pet wet or dry food, it’s important to be selective of ingredients. A good food should never contain GMOs, flavoring agents, or corn.
In addition, you should be sure to avoid overfeeding your pets because it can cause obesity and serious health issues. Always monitor the calories in your chosen pet food.
According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, over 50% of dogs and cats are obese or overweight.
Not Spaying or Neutering Your Pet
Vets recommend doing so because your pet will live a longer, healthier life. The process can prevent unwanted pregnancies, the issues that are associated with female pets in heat, and stop males from scent marking with their urine. It also lowers the risk of breast cancer, uterine infections and prostate problems. And no, spaying or neutering will not make your pet overweight!
Exposing your pet to second-hand smoke
Second-hand smoke can be extremely harmful to pets, causing all sorts of problems, such as respiratory issues or an increased cancer risk.
Giving Your Pet Table Scraps
Giving your pet scraps from your plate can harm their digestive system, as it isn’t hardwired to digest most of the foods that humans eat. As a result of too much table food, your pet may get diarrhea, constipation, or other stomach issues.
Giving Your Pet Access to Windows or Doors
Your pet should be kept away from open windows and doors. First of all, you risk your pet running away and getting lost.
Secondly, if you live in an apartment or high-rise building, their natural instincts may kick in when they see a bird and they may unknowingly chase their prey.
Bathing Your Pet Incorrectly
Cats rarely need to be washed. The surface of their tongue has tiny spines, called papillae, which act as a natural brush that removes extra fur, oils, and debris. This is why they sometimes cough up hairballs.
While they may lick themselves, they can’t wash on their own. Dogs should be bathed once every three months minimum, but it’s okay to bathe them more often. Your dog’s head should be washed last to avoid water from getting in their ears and causing ear infections. Make sure the water doesn’t get into their ears, especially if your dog has floppy ears. These breeds are at higher risk of ear infection.
Hamsters shouldn’t be bathed in water at all as water can damage their skin and fur.
Not adjusting their collar
Like humans, dogs grow and put on weight. It’s important to change the collar size from time to time. The main rule is that your dog should be comfortable. If their collar is too tight, it can hurt your pet. If it is too loose, the dog can simply pull it out and run away. For medium and large dog breeds, two fingers should fit between your dog’s neck and the collar. In case of cats and smaller dogs, one finger should fit.
Not Allowing Your Pet Time to Exercise
Dogs of all ages, sizes, and breeds need time outside. This time allows them to burn off energy, get exercise, and to tap into their instinct to explore.It can also damage their internal organs, bones and joints.
Not Giving Your Pet Adequate Attention
A pet who doesn’t get enough attention can become lonely, timid and aggressive, with their mental health ultimately taking a hit. This can lead to a decreased immune function.
Dental Hygiene and Grooming
Like humans, cats and dogs need regular dental care. Their teeth are often home to hundreds of bacteria and need to be brushed just like yours do.
Grooming is also important. short-fur breeds require minimal care, and long-hair breeds should be brushed more regularly. Grooming helps maintain a healthy coat and prevents matting or skin diseases. And nearly all four-legged pets need to have their nails clipped. Regular nail trims helps reinforce healthy posture and foot structure, and reduces the risk of infection.
Rarely Visiting a Vet
An occasional checkup makes it easy to catch potential problems and illnesses before they cause too much damage. You also want to make sure that your pet gets all their vaccinations
Housing Pets in Enclosures That Are Too Small
A pet that is kept in a home that is too small for them will be prone to stress. Too much stress can make your pet ill, depressed, and even cause it to pass away prematurely. In addition, it can cause boredom behaviors like chewing on cage bars, which can be dangerous.
Spoiled Food
Once your leftover tuna casserole has gone bad, you might be tempted to feed it to your dog – after all, dogs eat everything, right? Well yes - but they shouldn’t! As we mentioned, your dog shouldn’t eat table scraps; but spoiled table scraps are even worse.
It can result in illnesses like food poisoning and problems with their pancreas. Moreover, your pet can ingest toxic mold, which can cause vomiting, diarrhea, seizures, and death.

[lilliesu]

Who feeds their pets spoiled food? I think if there are people feeding their pets spoiled food, they should not have pets at all.

[JC-gybh]

Just love them and take care of them !!! They are little angels in disguise!!

[michaelaboggess]

Anyone that houses there pet in cages to small for them shouldn’t have a pet ! It’s cruel !

[procreations]

I’m not disagreeing about table scraps, but eating human food over kibble or wet food is actually proven to be healthier! ( if you are giving them the right things ofc) my Maltese shih tzu mix loves rice, beef, salmon, and broth from the table. But we put it in his food bowl so he doesn’t develop the habit to bark at us for food. Overall, as long as it is safe, home cooked meals are healthier for your dog them store bought foods.

[randomgirl]

I have huskies, I do not wash my dogs more than 1 time a year, they do not stink, have flea/mite issues, and their fur is always impeccable because I groom them.

[MixManMike]

Used to feed our dog tables scraps all the time and she lived until 17.

[rosemarydolliver]

My Standard Poodle was around 2 when we adopted him. He came to us eating only raw meat and bones. Vet said he’d be dead by 8 y/o if kept on this diet. I researched and kept him on this diet until he passed away at 14.5 years old, outliving his average breed.

[Cayota_Foxpaw]

READ THIS BEFORE WATCHING.
The makers of this video are so wrong with the fact that dogs and cats don't gain weight when you get them nutured.
They acually do gain weight if you give the same amount of food after you nutured them as you gave them before you nutured them.
Because when you get your pet nutured some hormones like with male dogs and cats for example the testosterone is gone so they need a less amount of food. Otherwise they get to much energy from there food than they need and there body's are going to turn the energy that is to much into fat.
ALWAYS CONTACT A VET about health information about animals especially about medical cases.
It is unfortunate that people sometimes give the wrong information on the internet.
I'm actually disappointed that the people that made this video made this medical claim.
ONLY VETS are allowed to make these medical claims NOT the makes of this video.

[Andreas-ghis]

You forgot two of the most important points: getting the proper vaccinations (often even required, legally), and regular deworming, if appropriate.

[dramatic._.feline]

My family has always let our cat to eat whenever she wants and give her raw meat and she has lived for 20 years

[choppersworld]

I should wash my cats 1-2 times a year... ok I’ve never ever washed a cat. you can wash my cats and I’ll stand by and watch you scream in pain when the claws come out.

[yvonnesullivan]

How about washing their bowls once a day

[nadzjanz]

Jaw-dropping facts based on minimal research (food), or common sense (don't let them jump out of windows)

[sos_pepi]

A friend of mine had a dog, she fed the dog ONLY with things from her plate. The dog lived for 20 years in perfect health.

[jLyn]

My mom had always fed her dogs and cats table scraps and people always talk about how her animals outlive all other animals. Our cat lives to 22 years old. She had a chihuahua that was 18!

[blackwolf]

This is the video I've been looking for! I really love to know new things and how to better take care of my pets. :] Thank you so much, I want them all to have a prolonged lifespan. :] They are the best animals with the biggest hearts. :]

[thebearcouncil]

Please let your pet go trough puberty before spaying or neutering them as too early spaying/neutering can lead to health issues later in life.
Castratrion is not simple, while it can prevent some diseases it can also promote others, it's not a one way street so do research and learn the pros and cons before making such a big decision.

[Sanangaa]

Attention is the most important thing for our pets! They make some things, good or bad, only to give them our attention.

[voiceofreason]

When I was a child ( born in the 1950s) people didn't spay or neuter their pets. Yes, I'm sure there were many unwanted pregnancies, but dogs lived to their mid teens at least. My own UNneutered dog from that era lived to be just over 17 years old, a full 4 or 5 years LONGER than the averages of today, where EVERYONE is getting neutered or spayed. I put it down to the fact they need those hormones to help KEEP them healthy. It's all about NOT letting them
roam and breed if they are kept intact. The only real reason to neuter them is if they become vicious or wander. Other than that, my current dog will not be neutered. I've known of several vets that kept their male dogs intact, too. Since they were neither show nor breeding stock don't you wonder WHY they made that decision ? WHAT do they know that they're NOT telling their clients ?
The way I see it, and from the research I've done, the benefits of not neutering outweigh the 'benefits' of neutering in several ways.
One of the biggest 'benefits' of neutering every dog or cat ? Very healthy bank accounts - FOR the vets.

[brayanstickmoscosorodrigue]

That was very helpful because I didn't know that doing certain things could harm my family.