A friendly reminder to consider your pets during cold weather!
Be prepared & plan ahead. Leave your pets' coats a little longer and consider getting pet coats for your short-haired pets.
If you bathe your pets during cold weather, make sure they are completely dry before taking them outside.
When letting your pets out for a bathroom break- stay with them! If it is too cold for you to stand outside, it is probably too cold for your pets.
If you do have an outdoor pet, remember that staying warm requires extra calories! Feed them accordingly. Check on their water frequently to ensure it doesn't freeze.
Wipe your pet's paws after being in the ice and snow. Ice balls can cause frostbite!
More cold weather safety tips: https://bit.ly/keepyourpetswarm
1 in 4 dogs will develop cancer in their lifetime. 50% of dogs over the age of 10 will develop cancer. Those are some staggering statistics! The best thing you can do for your pet is to keep them healthy and recognize the warning signs of cancer:
❗️ Unusual or fast-growing lumps or bumps
❗️ Unresolved vomiting or diarrhea
❗️ Unexplained or unresolved pain or limping
❗️ Unexplained bleeding or discharge from the nose or in urine or stool
❗️ Difficulty performing basic functions like eating, drinking, swallowing, breathing, urinating, or defecating.
❗️ Foul mouth odor
❗️ Swollen lymph nodes
❗️ Sores that do not resolve or heal
❗️ Weight loss or loss of appetite
❗️ Lethargic with no interest in usual activities
Although all of these symptoms can be linked with a variety of other conditions, they can all be linked to various cancerous conditions in your pet and should be examined.
Whether you're planning on adopting an older pet or you already have an elderly cat or dog, your senior pet deserves to be pampered and spoiled!
💓 Here are 6⃣ ways you can shower your senior pet with love 💓
1. ✅ Upgrade their bed: If your pet has had the same bed for months or even years, it's likely that the padding has compressed which provides little to no support on your pet's achy joints. Treat your pet to a firm, orthopedic bed that gives your pet plenty of cushion and support.
2. ✅ Encourage physical activity: Your pet is now at "retirement" age, so rest and relaxation are entirely natural! However, too little activity can cause senior pets to develop heart issues. Without regular, low-impact exercise, their muscles atrophy which, in turn, makes daily activities more difficult.
3. ✅ Mental enrichment: Your pet's brain is a muscle! Keep their mind sharp with enrichment activities like food puzzles, nose work training, or other daily training sessions.
4. ✅ Diet: As your pet ages, their nutritional needs change as well. Oftentimes, they require fewer calories. However, please remember that each pet will have individualized needs specific to their health. Speak to your veterinarian to determine the best dietary needs for your pet.
5. ✅ Home navigation: As your pet ages, going up and down stairs can be more challenging. Your senior pet may also struggle with tall furniture, slick floors, low food & water dishes, or litter boxes with tall sides. You can remedy these issues by placing runners on slick floors, raising your pet's food/water dishes, placing your pet's necessities all in one area, investing in a litter box with shorter sides, or installing ramps for easier access in and out o your home or favorite piece of furniture.
6. ✅ Bi-Annual Wellness Exams: Pets age much faster than humans and their health can change rapidly. With regular exams, you'll be able to closely monitor early signs of organ dysfunction, arthritis pain, dental
How often do you think you *should* bathe your dog vs. how often are you *actually* bathing your dog?
The answer to this question is not as straightforward as you'd think!
Here are some things to consider:
1. 🧼 Coat Type: Believe it or not, hairless dog breeds are quite care-intensive and may require weekly baths! On the other side, long-coated breeds may need bathing weekly to every 4-6 weeks depending on how well their coat is cared for in between bathing. Be careful not to over bathe, however. Overbathing can strip natural oils from the skin.
2. 🧼 Health: If your pup suffers from certain health conditions, your groomer or veterinarian may recommend medicated shampoo for your dog. For healthy pets, a grooming regimen is still important to maintain healthy skin and a healthy coat! Thorough coat brushing and combing and conditioning are integral to your dog's health, as well!
3. 🧼 Lifestyle: If your pup has an active lifestyle playing in oceans, lakes, hunting in muddy waters, etc, more baths may be required--regardless of breed.
Sheltering your new puppy from the world may do more harm than good! 🐶 As tempting as it is to want to cuddle your new fluff non-stop and carry them everywhere, dogs who aren't properly socialized as puppies can end up being fearful and reluctant to be around new people, navigate various environments, or play with other dogs.
💡 Socialization Tips to Remember💡 :
- Introduce your puppy to as many different people as possible
- Once your puppy is fully vaccinated and protected, take them to the pet store and to friend's houses if possible for puppy playdates.
- Expose your pup to a variety of noises (appliances, noisy children, cars, etc)
- Walk your puppy on a variety of textures and ground coverings and other terrains
How do you regularly socialize your dog with other people, animals, noises, and environments?
Bad breath (halitosis) in dogs is NOT normal!
Halitosis is caused as plaque accumulates and gingivitis progresses to periodontitis, the bacterial flora in the mouth change from good bacteria to destructive bacteria. Bad bacteria cause decay. Decay creates sulfur compounds! And the sulfur compounds? ...Well, they're the culprit behind halitosis!
Obviously, bad breath is undesirable. Poor dental health for your pet is also undesirable. Keep your pet's teeth healthy and reduce periodontal disease with:
- Dental treats
- Dental chews
- Prescription diets
- Water additives
- Doggy toothpaste
- Oral wipes
- Food additives
- Oral gels or sealants
- 🩺 Regular wellness checkups 🩺
An estimated 1 in 300 adult dogs and 1 in 230 cats in the US have diabetes 😩.
Pets with diabetes cannot produce or utilize insulin properly, preventing the conversion of food to energy.
Sadly, diabetes cannot be cured, but with proper treatment and monitoring your pet can live a long, happy life 👏.
✴️✴️ Help spread awareness by sharing this post with the #petdiabetesmonth hashtag ✴️✴️
