Attention to Animal Health and Wellness Promotes Quality of Life and Longevity
Whether you rely on the support of a service dog or your life is enriched by a very important pet, we can all agree that having as much time as possible with our beloved dogs is our ultimate goal!
NSD Yoshee, who just celebrated her 16th birthday, is National Service Dog’s oldest living NSD.
Yoshee is a 5th generation Golden Retriever from NSD foundation dog, NSD Melody who also lived to 15. As part of NSD’s breeding program, we are grateful to Yoshee for contributing 21 puppies to NSD’s programs. (2010’s “W” litter, 2011’s “H” litter and 2013’s “Hollywood” litter)Through solid animal health and wellness practices, we can support our dogs in living their best lives, for however long that may be.
Good health begins with routine vet care and preventative medications throughout our dog’s lives. All NSD dogs have regular health check-ins and scans to ensure they don’t have any health issues that would affect their working career. If the dog in training is being considered for our breeding program, they will undergo genetic testing, an echocardiogram clearance and Pennhip test. Otherwise, male dogs will be neutered after they have fully matured and female dogs will be spayed after their first heat cycle. As you can see in the infographic, that means a lot of vet visits in the first 2 years just for routine care.
Routine health care is only part of the wellness equation. Quality of life, regular exercise, nutrition and weight management complete the wellness equation. We believe our dogs:
– have a right to a nutritious diet which meets their individual needs and promotes a healthy weight
– have the right to be comfortable and safe within their environment whether at work or at home
– have the right to good quality health care and timely access to veterinary treatment if they become unwell.
– have the right to exhibit normal behaviours and enjoy friendly, positive interactions with people and other dogs on a regular basis, whether it is a playdate with their favourite doggie friend(s) in a safe space or a relaxing daily walk with their favourite human.
– have the right to exhibit normal behaviours and enjoy friendly, positive interactions with people and other dogs on a regular basis, whether it is a playdate with their favourite doggie friend(s) in a safe space or a relaxing daily walk with their favourite human.
– have the right to experience overall mental wellbeing; including daily enrichment, sufficient rest and recreation and positive experiences in nutrition, physical health, environment and behavioural interactions.
As part of NSD’s commitment to our dogs, the organization retains ownership of all working Service and Facility Dogs and works in partnership with our clients over the course of the dog’s working life to support the continued wellness and well-being of each dog. With attention to overall health and wellness strategies our client/dog teams can assist each other in living their best lives.
