Boost Your Pet’s ‘Health Span’
- 20 hours ago
- 6 min read
Increase Longevity with Exercise, Diet, and a Healthful Environment
Some pet lovers may find this surprising, but lifestyle medicine is not just for humans.
A growing body of research shows that dogs and cats, just like homo sapiens, thrive when their daily lives include healthful foods and activities along with preventive care. And while pets are never with their humans long enough, people are looking less these days at increasing their pet’s lifespan and leaning more toward boosting their pet’s “health span”— the years of life lived in good health and vitality—to ensure the best life for their beloved fur babies.
Pets come with genetics that may influence their lives, but lifestyle and environmental factors, largely controlled by humans, are equally important.
In 2025, the Journal of Veterinary Science published a scientific review on aging in companion animals, finding that lifestyle factors such as physical activity, nutrition, obesity prevention, gut health, environmental conditions, and stress management play major roles in canine and feline aging outcomes.
The study’s findings coincide with an increasing demand for veterinarians who practice integrative or lifestyle medicine, using practical, science-backed approaches. The American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA) states that Integrative Veterinary Medicine (IVM) looks at the “whole patient—body, mind, and spirit”—including the pet’s relationship with humans and the environment.
Exercise Body and Mind
Research consistently links physical activity with healthier aging in companion animals. A 2022 nationwide research study, published by GeroScience, looked at more than 11,500 companion dogs enrolled through the Dog Aging Project to better understand factors that impact health span and lifespan. The study concluded that “physical activity was the only lifestyle factor that was robustly associated with reduced risk of cognitive dysfunction” in dogs.
Dogs and cats have instinctive behaviors shaped by their evolution. When these primal needs are met, their caregivers support them and build a more mindful relationship. Dogs flourish when they can explore, connect socially, and be active in purposeful ways, as did their ancestors in cooperative, roaming packs. Cats instinctively want to hunt, enjoy vertical spaces with a view, and prefer to choose when they engage.
Dogs may benefit from agility exercises, scent games, swimming, and other exercises adapted to breed. Cats love to climb, stalk, play with toys, or join their humans in interactive games. Activity boosts a pet’s mood immediately, further contributing to that all-important health span.
The study concluded that “physical activity was the only lifestyle factor that was robustly associated with reduced risk of cognitive dysfunction” in dogs.
In play and exercise, think about incorporating your pet’s natural talents—like sniffing, listening, hunting, or pouncing—into daily activities.
Cats will exercise inside when given vertical territory such as cat trees, tall scratching posts, or wall shelves to encourage jumping and climbing. They benefit from interactive play and will use their stalk-and-chase skills to pounce on laser pointer dots (give them a real toy to pounce on at the end of the game to prevent frustration), wand toys with dangling feathers, or a ball of yarn. Some cats will even play fetch with lightweight toys.
“Toys should be hidden so the cat can discover the toy in the course of the day,” says Suzanne Denk, animal enrichment specialist at Animal Friends, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. “Toys should be rotated so they stay new and interesting.”
Dogs enjoy a game of hide-and-seek in the house. Combine teaching “stay” with their hunting drive, memory skills, and social needs. Put them in a sit-stay, go to another room to hide, call the dog to come, and watch their delight when they find their target. It’s a reunion that will bring out the tail wags every time.
When venturing outside, dogs are usually fine with a fitted collar, but cats can wiggle out. “It’s very important to use a harness, not just a collar, and to let your cat get accustomed to short periods of time wearing the harness indoors before going outside,” says Shelby Neely, VMD, at Banfield Pet Hospital.
“It’s very important to use a harness, not just a collar, and to let your cat get accustomed to short periods of time wearing the harness indoors before going outside,”
A pet’s brain also needs exercise. The 2025 Journal of Veterinary Science review states, “Environmental enrichment, including cognitive stimulation, social interaction, and stress reduction, supports cognitive function and overall well-being in aging pets.” Fortunately, there are many ways to engage pets in mentally stimulating activities that keep them sharp.
Feed for Life
Pet obesity is increasingly common. The American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) warns that excess weight contributes to arthritis, diabetes, cardiovascular strain, reduced mobility, and shortened lifespan in pets. A 2025 assessment of dietary strategies relating to aging in dogs and cats stated: “The expression of an animal’s maximum health potential can be achieved by nutrition tailored to its needs.”
Most pet foods come with a “feeding chart” that indicates how much an animal should eat based on age and/or weight. But every pet has unique nutrient needs for long-term health outcomes, which is why it’s essential that a veterinarian considers any health conditions and provides an individualized, breed-specific, evidence-guided nutritional assessment for canine and feline patients.
AAHA weight management guidelines stress that obesity prevention should be a priority for companion animals, which involves measuring food portions and limiting treats. Quality food is also important. Pet owners can make more educated choices in food and treat purchases by reading about ingredients used in commercial pet foods at Clean Label Project and by better understanding ingredient labels.
Pet owners can make more educated choices in food and treat purchases by reading about ingredients used in commercial pet foods at Clean Label Project.
Take Away Toxins
A clean, toxin-free environment around your pet is also important. A simple mistake in choosing cleaners could result in extreme irritation or even a dangerous health hazard. For example, synthetic fragrances and other ingredients in carpet cleaning powder, liquid cleaning solutions, or laundry products may be too harsh for pet respiratory systems or skin and could cause vomiting or other illnesses.
According to Michelson Found Pets, essential oils are especially dangerous: “Many oils are basically poisonous or toxic, because their reactions mess up a pet’s natural body chemistry. Human bodies can process a lot of weird stuff, but animals are often much more limited in what is safe for them.” This can be true, even if the oils are diffused in the air or mixed into mop water.
Pesticides on lawns are another danger. A product may be advertised as safe for people and pets, but pets are more sensitive to toxins than previously realized. The chemicals may not do obvious harm in the short-term, but long-term accumulation has been shown to cause cancer and myriad health issues. It’s worth researching, and for the benefit of pets, people, and pollinators, it’s advised to go organic.
Integrative Veterinary Care
Pet parents can control many lifestyle factors, but finding the root of their pet’s illness is what integrative veterinarians are trained to do. The American Veterinary Medical Association says that IVM is “a comprehensive approach to animal health care that combines conventional veterinary practices with complementary and alternative therapies, such as acupuncture and chiropractic care.” Other modalities may include herbal medicine, kinesiology, or laser therapy.
“With conventional medicine, we tend to treat the symptoms versus treating the root cause of disease, which is why a majority of the time, the symptoms return when the drug is finished. However, when you use a holistic approach to your pet's health, we are looking for the root cause of disease,” says veterinarian Katie Woodley in Fort Collins, Colorado, who blogs at TheNaturalPetDoctor.com. “With a holistic approach, we look at the nutrition, gut health, and how all the systems are connected and resolve the imbalance.”
Holistic veterinarians in the US must have the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree prior to pursuing optional holistic training. It’s a choice that can require a great deal of time and effort, which is one reason IVM clinics are difficult to find. Supply is definitely behind demand for IVM, and pet parents may need to travel an hour or more for an appointment.
To find a practitioner, AHVMA has a search-by-state feature that also lists the modalities of each veterinarian. Woodley and many IVM practitioners also offer telehealth when possible.
In lieu of finding an IVM clinic, some DVM clinics follow a similar approach, without the extra modalities such as herbal medicine. The AHVMA states that the holistic approach is “gentle, minimally invasive, and incorporates patient emotions and well-being. Holistic thinking is centered on love, empathy, and respect.” Certainly, many veterinarians use a holistic approach while administering conventional medical techniques.
Conclusion
Our pets are often unaware of the choices we make for them. By supporting their well-being and quality of life, we will be part of furthering a world where more mindful relationships with other living beings is the norm. We can elevate pet care to conscious stewardship, guided by empathy and rooted in respect and the awareness that a pet’s health span depends on us.
*Julie Peterson writes science-based articles about holistic health, environmental issues, and sustainable living.
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