Live Well
The official Blog of Wellness Natural Pet Food

March is Pet Poison Prevention Month. There are many foods, chemicals, and other materials around your house that are safe for you but not for your pets. Print this one-page at-a-glance guide and hang it on your fridge for a year-round reminder of the foods and substances to keep away from your pets. Foods & Beverages Alcohol Chocolate Coffee / Caffeine Citrus leaves, peel, seeds, and stems Coconut and coconut oil Grapes and raisins Avocados Macadamia nuts Milk and dairy Nuts Onions, garlic, and chives Undercooked or raw meat Raw eggs Bones from meat Snack foods The sweetener Xylitol found in candy, gum, baked goods and tooth paste Yeast dough Common Plants Aloe Vera Baby’s Breath Ivy Hostas Sago Palm Tomato plants Poinsettia Lilies Gladiolas Carnations Begonias Tulips Daffodils Mums Ivy Wisteria Lantana Yew Azaleas Hydrangeas Boxwoods Elephant ears Angel trumpets Castor bean There are over 1,000 plants poisonous to pets. These are some of the most common. A best practice is to assume all plants are poisonous and to research the effects on pets before putting them indoors or growing them outdoors. Other Indoor & Outdoor Poisons Human medications Overdose of pet medications Insecticides Rodenticides Fertilizers Weed killers Cocoa mulch Compost piles Antifreeze Pool cleaning chemicals such as chlorine Self-cleaning oven odors Lead paint chips Linoleum Indoors cleaning chemicals Bleach Detergent What to Do if Your Pet is Poisoned If your pet is poisoned, you need to be able

When pet owners travel, they cannot always take their four-legged family members and when such occasions arise, pet owners need to be able to have a reliable caretaker available for their pets if they do not want to board their pets. Many pet owners rely on neighbors to watch their pets while they are away for extended periods; however, a neighbor, friend, or family member usually don’t have the time to spend taking proper care of your pet, which is why you should consider hiring a professional pet sitter. Professional pet sitters are more than animal lovers; they are knowledgeable, accessible pet care providers who are also certified by the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters (NAPPS) or Pet Sitters International (PSI). Professional pet sitters: Administer medications to pets Understand how to recognize when a cat, dog, or other type of pet is ill or has a parasite Are familiar with ailments common to certain breeds Have experience walking pets on leashes and know what kind of leash and harness is appropriate for different sizes of dogs Knowledgeable in pet first aid Often are trained to respond if there is an accident or unexpected loss. Professional pet sitters also conduct themselves as professionals; for them, pet sitting is a business, which means whatever schedule you and the pet sitter arrange for your pet’s care, they adhere to. Truly dedicated professional pet sitters will also send you photos of your pet while you

This year, you may be working towards some health and fitness goals. But what about Sparky? You may not know, but our dogs and cats are now larger than ever before. What we may consider cute and cuddly is fast becoming an alarming statistic. 54% of dogs and 59% of cats are classified as overweight or obese, making diabetes more common. A few simple changes can help your pet be in their best health so they can share many more years of wags or meows with you. Here are my top tips: This is the best way of having a complete nose-to-tail health check to get the expert’s opinion of what your dog or cat’s current health is and if they need any area of particular focus to help them be the best they can be. A good idea is to tie this in with your pet’s annual vaccinations. The same goes for Sparky. Make 2018 the year to feed your pet better. You will see the difference in their well being and in many cases what may seem like it costs more in the beginning will save you more in the long run with vet bills. Natural whole food nutrition is the way to go. Fresh, real ingredients that avoids all the “nasties”. Look for fresh meat as the first ingredient with named protein meals like turkey meal or chicken meal but avoid any with by-product meals. Let me explain the difference

From the day you bring your puppy home to the day you celebrate their first birthday, your new puppy’s growth and development is nothing short of impressive. Starting as a tiny bundle of fluff that can barely open his eyes and growing into a whirlwind of puppy energy that never seems to sit still, a puppy in their first year achieves what it takes humans over 15 years to accomplish! Needless to say, the first couple years of your pup’s life are pretty important! Knowing what to expect as your puppy develops will prepare you for the challenges ahead, and ensure your pup grows into a well-adjusted adult dog. Just like humans, remember, each puppy is an individual. No two puppies will grow exactly the same, even if they were from the same litter. Hence, don’t fret if your pup doesn’t hit milestones by a set date. One important consideration—when it comes to puppies, size really does matter!  Large and giant breed puppies develop and mature much slower than smaller breeds. Small and medium size breed dogs reach adulthood at one year. Large breed dogs take 18 months (24 months for giant breeds) before they reach maturity. Born with their eyes and ears closed, here is what to expect with newborn dogs: Can touch and taste at birth but not much else, very dependent on mother At around 5 days old they start a slow crawl By day 10-14 their

A well-trained puppy with great social skills in guaranteed to have a great social life because good manners opens doors ensuring he will be welcome everywhere. It’s important to start young. Dog trainers say that the puppy stage between five weeks and twenty weeks is critical because that’s when the dog sets its attitudes towards how it reacts towards other dogs and people. Positive interactions and experiences at this impressionable age means you are giving your dog great social skills that it will be able to carry forward into adulthood. A good book on raising puppies will offer lots of excellent tips but it’s also a great idea to enroll him in a puppy class with a professional trainer. Not only will your pooch learning the basics but it’s a great opportunity to make friends with other dogs in his class. When it comes to training, puppy basics actually apply to the person on the other end of the leash too. So, it’s important to be consistent and re-enforce what you have learned in class in your home environment. This means that one member of the household must be the designated in-house trainer. Re-enforcement and encouragement should be in the form of verbal praise such as phrases like “good job!”  and “well done” and further reinforced with a yummy training treat. Remember treats have calories and should be a portion of your dog’s daily diet. So be sure to manage

In 2017, the top diagnosis made by US Veterinarians for dogs was dental disease, a problem so widespread it now affects 4 out of 5 dogs over three. Contributing to this epidemic is the lack of daily dental care for dogs, the increase of small breeds and older dogs that are more predisposed to dental issues and the assumption that visible signs of dental disease, like bad breath, are normal. Dog owners used to believe that occasionally giving a dog a bone to chew was all the dental care dogs needed. Today, we know so much more about the importance of oral care for dogs and understand that a dental health program that includes both professional veterinary care as well as at-home daily dental care is crucial to a healthy mouth and a happy dog. There are a lot of factors to consider when deciding upon oral care for your dog. Here’s the latest scientific evidence and everything you ever wanted to know about your dog’s teeth, including those questions which you may have been too afraid to ask before: Tooth decay is not common in dogs: Dogs do not typically develop cavities from tooth decay like people because of the shape of their teeth, the pH of their saliva, the type of bacteria in their mouth and the types of food they consume. Periodontal disease is very common – 4 out of 5 dogs! Dogs are very susceptible to

A new puppy! Get ready for a rollercoaster ride of fun as your exuberant pup turns your home and yard into an exciting adventure playground seeking out fun stuff to explore — and chew. Just like small children and crawling babies, puppies are driven by curiosity. Before you bring your new friend home, it’s a good idea to scan your house and garden from their view point by getting down on your hands and knees. Everything looks very different from a puppy’s ground-level perspective. This will highlight hidden dangers within a small dog’s reach such as gaps behind furniture and appliances where an exploring puppy can easily get stuck and hurt. Consider a laundry basket and trash cans with lids so that the respective contents don’t get chewed, as this can be very dangerous. Now you have a real excuse to put your shoes away and not leave them lying around, especially ones with laces. Remove items of jewelry along with hair accessories, medication and creams and any other small objects from nightstands, as they are all potential hazards. Never empty pockets of coins and leave them lying around anywhere because the metals can be toxic if ingested. Instead load up a decorative piggy bank with small change and, when its full, spend the cash on a fun new doggie accessory or toy. Make sure no shopping bags are left lying around especially plastic ones. And, on the subjecting of

This is something cat parents more easily recognize in cats. Just picture your cat on the veterinarian’s exam table or remember the day you brought home a second pet or moved to a new house. This can easily be overlooked. This is the day-to-day stress that a cat may experience from any number of causes. Behavior may change so gradually that cat parents miss things such as change in activity level, appetite, grooming habits or litter box usage. Short-term stress is something the body is equipped to handle but long-term, chronic stress can play a major role in the onset of behavior problems and even disease. Here’s a list of 10 tips to guide you on ways to help a stressed cat when they encounter triggers. Don’t skip annual veterinary wellness visits. Catching a potential medical problem in the early stages increases the odds of successful treatment and maintenance. Also, keep up at-home health routines such as good nutrition, parasite control, dental care, grooming and nail care. Stress is one of the most common reasons cats don’t see the veterinarian as often as dogs do. You can reduce that stress in a few easy ways. First, get your cat comfortable with the carrier. Leave the carrier out and periodically toss treats near it. This helps take the fear out of the carrier’s presence. When going to the veterinary clinic, bring an extra towel which can be used to cover the carrier

With the majority of the United States currently locked in the throes of Winter, we know all too well how us humans tend to lose our mojo when it comes to getting out and about in this less than desirable weather. However, our dogs, for the most part, are generally unfazed by the elements (extreme weather on either side not withstanding) and are always up for a good time. So let’s do them a solid, get creative and go have some winter fun with our pups! Unless you have a family full of endlessly imaginative kids to occupy your pup’s time with entertaining days of dress up, fort building and long deep heart-to-hearts, I can assure you —your dog is bored. Let’s spice up your dog’s winter with some fun, creative ways to spend time together and beat the winter blues. If you have time to make a road trip this Winter, we have picked out some unique and wonderfully dog-obsessed destinations: Just outside of Winter Park, in Granby, CO, the Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center is home to their very own dog-friendly cross country, snow shoe and hiking trails. If you want to explore more, the National Forest is close by where you and your pup can explore for hours on countless dog-friendly trails. Not only do these beautiful cabins come equipped with a dog door and fenced in yard, but the entire 7 acres of Barkwell’s is fenced

By Stephanie Du Preez, Great Dog Rescue The start of a new year can mean a fresh slate and a chance to improve the relationship you have with your dog. One great way to do this is by signing your dog up for professional training. If you’ve ever sought professional training for your dog in the past, you may have experienced conflicting perspectives between trainers. It can be overwhelming. Most importantly, know that not all training methods work for all dogs, so it’s important to find a training program that both you and your dog are comfortable with. What works for your friend and their dog might not be the right program for your situation. With that being said, there are some things that every pet parent should research when choosing a dog trainer. Follow these tips to prioritize your dog’s safety and set you up for the best chance of success with dog training: It’s often best to find a trainer who uses positive reinforcement and emphasizes communication between you and your dog, nurturing ways in which you and your dog can read one another better. Since dog training is an unregulated industry, when searching for a trainer, it is important to keep in mind that you are your dog’s advocate. If anything makes you uncomfortable, speak up, say no, or step out. It’s okay to walk out of a class for any reason, if an instructor is asking

Most cats are beloved furry members of the family but even though they are adored, they can also leave the human members of the family frustrated and confused by behaviors that don’t seem to make sense. What we label as misbehavior or random behavior is just miscommunication between the cat and human. All behaviors make sense to the cat! Let’s cover a few common cat behaviors that can easily be explained. If your cat likes to hide, it isn’t because he doesn’t like you. If you’ve been trying to get your cat to be more sociable by dragging him out from under the bed, it’s only going to backfire. But, why do cats hide? Being able to have hiding places provides security and allows the cat to feel invisible. If the hiding place gives the cat the opportunity to have his back up against something it also provides extra safety because he’ll feel that no one can sneak up on him from behind. If you set up comfy hiding places such as cave-type beds or boxes turned on their sides, you’ll give your cat a chance to remain hidden while still being in the room with you. As he feels more comfortable and has the choice of whether to engage or not, you may find him spending more time out in the open. You’re probably familiar with the image of a dog rolling over on her back for a good

All you need do to do is look at a U.S. weather map or step outside to learn that nearly the entire country is experiencing uncommonly cold, freezing temperatures. It’s icy in Austin, snowy in Nashville and stormy up and down much of the East Coast. As you scramble to add layers of clothing this season, don’t forget about your pets. It’s a common misconception that because they have fur, dogs will stay warm in winter weather, but that’s not the case. As the mercury drops, frostbite in pets is a real risk. Frostbite is a condition that damages body tissue, is extremely painful and in severe cases can require amputation. It’s also a precursor to hypothermia which can be fatal. You may be thinking that your dog stays inside most of the time anyway. Yet, pups still need exercise and bathroom breaks. Here’s what you need to know when it comes to protecting your pooch from the cold. As you can guess, any weather event entitled a “bomb-cyclone” is a good reason to reduce your dog’s outdoor activities. But even weather less severe can put your dog at risk. It turns out that frostbite can take hold of your dog in less than 30 minutes. Of course, certain breeds are at greater risk than others. Huskies, Samoyeds, and other winter breeds are bred for cold weather so they can withstand colder temps than many short-haired dogs. These dogs are most susceptible to frostbite: Small dogs Puppies Short-haired dogs