A veterinarian with almost one million followers on TikTok has identified three common mistakes made by pet owners that could be shortening their animals' lives. Amir Anwary regularly shares advice on keeping pets happy and healthy, and recently highlighted factors he says can decrease lifespan more than genetics.
Chronic stress and under-stimulation
The first issue, according to Amir, is chronic stress and under-stimulation. He explained that dogs left alone all day without sufficient mental stimulation or exercise become bored and anxious. This leads to elevated cortisol levels, which can cause immunosuppression, behavioural problems, and gut issues. All of these factors reduce both the quantity and quality of a pet's life.
Poor quality nutrition
Secondly, Amir pointed to poor nutrition. He emphasised that owners do not need to buy the most expensive food, but should choose a diet with good quality protein, limited carbohydrates, and a healthy omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. An imbalance—too much omega-6 and too little omega-3—can promote inflammation. Consistently feeding a poor diet may result in chronic inflammation, metabolic diseases, and poor muscle maintenance.
Ignoring pain
The third mistake is ignoring pain, particularly from arthritis. Amir noted that many owners fail to treat arthritis pain in dogs, leading to muscle loss, depression, reduced mobility, and faster physical decline. He urged owners to help their pets manage arthritis pain to improve their wellbeing.
In a previous video, Amir also discussed reducing pet anxiety. He advised against creating excessive excitement when leaving or returning home, as this heightens emotions and worsens separation anxiety. Instead, he recommended staying calm and ignoring the dog for about ten minutes before departure and after return. He also stressed the importance of gradual training for dogs with separation anxiety, starting with short absences of five minutes and slowly increasing the duration.
