The key to keeping your pet at a healthy weight is to know the nutritional and activity needs of your pet. Many of the most common brands of dog and cat food are high in calories, and aren’t even really that healthy. Instead of giving your pet high calorie treats, give them baby carrots, asparagus, or broccoli. They will love them and keep them healthy! Obesity can cause many serious health problems for your pet including, osteoarthritis, diabetes, pancreatitis, anterior cruciate ligament injuries and heart and respiratory diseases. Obesity is one of the fastest-growing health problems for pets.

Many health complications associated with pet obesity become chronic, and must be treated for the remainder of your pet’s life. There are a number of factors which can contribute to pet obesity such as, food type, food availability, activity level, breed, age, stress, and medications. The best way to ensure your pet stays healthy is to schedule regular annual checkups with your Vet, and to pay attention to changes in your pet like weight gain. A healthy pet will live a long, happy life!

Ayurveda teaches us that food can be used as medicine to heal our pets by using the right ingredients, proportions, freshness and seasonality, and promoting balance with foods. Some of the most common herbs and spices used for pets include turmeric, cumin and coriander powders for balancing digestion.

Ayurveda is the oldest healing system in the world. It focuses on holistic health rather than just physical health. Holistic means also containing the mental and spiritual well-being of a person or animal. Ayurvedic treatments can help pets with chronic diseases such as diabetes and cancer by looking into the lifestyle and habits of your pet. Ayurveda is perfect for stress management because it relaxes the mind and calms the nerves by combining massages, aroma therapy, and meditation. Its goal is to promote healing and maintain the quality, harmony and longevity of life.

Ayurveda relies on naturally based medicines for healing, treatment, education and research. Ayurveda is so widely popular because of its simple techniques and reliable solutions to improve mental, physical and spiritual health. Talk with your vet to see how Ayurveda can provide your pet with long-term, effective healing results.

The first reason people opt not to microchip their pet is because they think it will be too expensive. An average microchip costs between $25 and $45. You never have to replace one either. That is a one-time cost for the peace of mind of knowing if your pet gets lost it will be returned to you. Another reason people choose not to microchip their pet is because they think the microchip will be painful for their pet. Most animals don’t feel microchips when they are inserted under their skin. If anything it will be a minor sting that lasts a matter of seconds. Once it is in they don’t even know it is there.

Pet owners who have collars with tags on their pets feel that is good enough. What happens if your pet’s collar slips off or the tags fall off? Would it really hurt to have extra identification on your pet? Micro chipping your pet is that added insurance that even in the event that your lost pet loses its’ tags it can still be returned to you. Like Cesar Millan said, “You’ll never regret micro chipping your pet, but if your pet gets lost, you’ll always regret you didn’t.”

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People who have pets also have decreased cholesterol levels, increased psychological wellbeing, and increased survival after a major illness. Children who have pets tend to be more self-reliant, sociable, and less selfish than children without pets. Animals are being used more frequently to promote health and healing.

Therapy dogs assist people who are in wheelchairs, the blind and individuals with other sensory or physical impairments who have trouble getting around. Some therapy monkeys have even been trained to feed and wash their human companion. For those who suffer from mental and emotional trauma, therapy animals can help suppress some of the pain. Therapy animals have proved recently to be a huge help to soldiers suffering from PTSD. Individuals with bipolar disorder, depression and anxiety benefit greatly as well. Some of the negative emotions that are found in people suffering from autism are soothed with exposure to horses.

Therapy animals are often taken into nursing homes to socialize with the patients. For these people who experience fear and isolation, therapy animals can help bring love and gentle companionship in the final days of their lives. Because of the remarkable, selfless efforts of animals to heal and comfort humans; we as pet owners need to make sure our furry friends receive sufficient shelter, love and nourishment as a thank you for all they do for us.

Obesity in dogs and cats is a growing problem. It can lead to abundant health problems for your pet like diabetes and arthritis. Make walks with your dog enjoyable and spend a few minutes every day interacting with your cat during play sessions. Interactions like this with your cat can help reduce stress which leads to problems with their bladder and behavior.

Nutrition plays a vital role in your pet’s overall health. Not all pet foods are created equal unfortunately. Your veterinarian can teach you about pet nutrition and help you select a quality food for your pet. Keeping their teeth cleaned is also imperative. This means taking them into the vet for professional cleanings as well as committing to home dental care. Your vet can help you design a plan for keeping your pet’s teeth healthy.

Lastly, regular de-worming and fecal exams are critical in preventing problems caused by internal parasites. Many parasites that pets carry can also make humans sick. Fleas and ticks can also cause illness in your pet so talk to your vet about what products are safe and effective for use on your pet.

Massage therapy can help improve your pet’s skin, coat, gums and teeth. Pet owners have even mentioned that massage therapy has helped their pet’s ability to focus which greatly improved their behavior, training and performance. Massage therapy is used to help animals with behavior or temperament problems. It assists with gaining the animal’s trust through the act of being touched. It helps calm down a nervous or hyper pet, helping a shy or submissive pet feel more secure and relaxing an aggressive or dominant pet.

It is not advised to try and massage your pet if they are exhibiting signs of illness or injury. The massage can end up being more harmful than beneficial for them. Never massage an animal that has low blood pressure, fever, has been poisoned, has severe trauma, is in shock, or has heat stroke. It is best to consult with your vet first.

A vet usually uses friction massage for pets. They use the balls of their fingers and move them in a circular pattern. This technique can be used when your pet is anxious in any situation. Massage therapy has helped many pets with many difference conditions. Massage is typically known as a means of pampering oneself and most people think it is not essential, but massage therapy has become a vital component in treating many types of injuries and medical conditions. Massage therapy can be very healing for your pet.

Keep all wires from your holiday lights away from where your pet could chew on them which can burn their mouth and electrocute them. Take careful precaution what you choose to use as decorations on your tree. Don’t use anything that will be tempting to get at for your pet like candy, especially chocolate. There are toxins in chocolate that are very dangerous for your pet. Symptoms of chocolate ingestion can range from a mild stomach upset to seizure to death. We tend to want to share our holiday foods with our pets but we need to use caution. Rich, fatty foods can cause pancreatitis in pets that often results in hospitalization and can be fatal.

Be careful also with toys you give as gifts to your pet. Avoid toys that are small or have small parts that can be chewed off causing intestinal obstruction. Stick with toys that are basically indestructible like Kongs filled with healthy treats. Ribbons, especially for cats, can get stuck in the intestines often leading to surgery. For cats, choose a ball that is big enough not to be swallowed or a stuffed catnip toy. You can include your pets in the holiday fun while keeping them safe at the same time.

1. Please carefully monitor   your pet for signs of lethargy, lack of appetite, vomiting and diarrhea. Seek your veterinarian immediately.
2. Since spread of disease is due to getting in contact with affected animal and their feces, avoiding crowded dog places, group interaction, dog parks is recommended. Minimize your pet’s contact with other animals.
3. If you feel your dog is exposed to such situation and your pet is not ill, contact your vet to discuss the options of vaccination booster is recommended.
4. For all those people who have healthy household pets, just avoiding contact with other pets is advised.
5. Since holiday season is here, people boarding their animals should ask these boarding facilities about any sick animals with similar signs.

I hope every animal is safe, and please feel free to contact me for any advice.