This is a joyful time of year — holiday parties, family gatherings and visits with friends cover the calendar. For many pet owners, spending the holidays away from their pets in inconceivable. With a bit of planning you can ensure that everyone—including the furry members of the family—has a safe and enjoyable trip. Here are a few helpful tips to make sure your holiday is a merry one!
Tag: Exercise
Low-Stress and Pet-Friendly Holiday Planning
Wouldn’t it be nice if we could guarantee a holiday season that is completely stress-free? Unfortunately, this is not likely to happen for most. No matter how much we plan, shop and prepare, we still can’t guarantee that the kids won’t discover the hiding place for the gifts or that all the packages shipped will arrive on time.
Although we may not be able to plan and prepare our way out of a certain amount of holiday stress and turmoil, there still is a lot we can do to make this season as comfortable and stress free for our pets as possible.
Continue reading Low-Stress and Pet-Friendly Holiday Planning
Cold Weather Activities for Pets
Does this cold winter weather of you and your pet feeling a little antsy? If you’re used to spending time outdoors, then chances are you’re both probably starting to feel a little restless by now.
Making an effort for both you and your pet to stay indoors this winter is great for the mind and body. Your pet will enjoy and appreciate the chance to play and be able to stay active and healthy at the same time. Here are a few ideas to get you started.
Fall Weight Management Tips for Your Pet
It is officially Fall! This means shorter days, changing leaves, a crisp breeze, football, holidays and food. And with food comes the seasonal weight gain. We seem to find more and more excuses to stay inside our homes as the temperature drops. Add this to the holiday celebrations with the natural tendency to crave comfort food for the colder months, and you have the perfect combination for seasonal weight gain.
Overweight pets face many of the same health issues and concerns as people, including: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, bone and joint problems, various forms of cancers, and a shortened life expectancy, just to name a few. Fortunately, with a few simple modifications, you and your pet can avoid the seasonal weight gain.
Environmental Enrichment for Birds
Although owning a pet bird may seem like an easy and fun endeavor, there are many challenges associated with maintaining happy and healthy birds. Some pet birds are caged most of their lives and get rather lonely without the stimulating contact between people or with their instincts. Adding this sort of stimulation to your birds life can improve his or her overall happiness, and being in a cage all the time won’t seem so bad. Significant aspects of natural behavior are denied to varying degrees for birds kept as companion animals. Examples of these include flocking, social interaction with other birds, foraging on a variety of foods, and flight. Birds are social, loud and messy. When kept in captivity they deserve the owners’ tolerance to exhibit these normal behaviors.
Treating Arthritis In Dogs
Most of the symptoms seen in dogs with arthritis result from pain. As a result, treatment for arthritis in dogs is geared toward reducing pain and maintaining muscle mass and joint mobility. This is best accomplished by using a combination of treatments rather than relying on only one medication or treatment option.
Walking Your Dog In The Summer
Summer is a terrific time to be a dog owner. It lets you run, swim, and play with your dog in nicer weather than any other time of the year. However, summer also brings unique risks to your dog’s health that you should keep in mind throughout the season.
