Live Well
The official Blog of Wellness Natural Pet Food

In the past 20 years, small breed dogs have grown in popularity to now represent the majority of dogs in the US.  While potentially chosen for their cute appearance or perfect size to match our ever-urbanizing lifestyle, many pet parents may not realize that when it comes to how we feed these little guys, it is important to select tailored nutrition that promotes their optimal wellbeing. With a higher energy need per pound than that of the larger breeds like a Great Dane or Labrador, these little fellas are known for also living the longest of all the dog breeds. From a nutritional perspective, their size can also make them more predisposed to common health issues such as dental disease and obesity, both of which are a direct result of what we feed them. Making sure you select nutrition that is tailored to their unique needs is one of the best ways to ensure that every small breed dog not only looks and feels their very best, but that they can enjoy a lifetime of wellbeing together with their pet parent. Look For A Small Breed Specific Range Of Premium Natural Ingredients These customized diets are designed to perfectly match their unique small needs.  At Wellness, every small breed recipe is scientifically crafted with a smaller sized kibble to suit their small mouths. The tailored recipe is also packed with higher meat protein and fats to deliver not only a

The holidays are a wonderful time to show those who you love best how much you care by giving them a little something extra…by treating them with gifts they normally wouldn’t give themselves. Since your pets can never give themselves something extra, the holidays are a great time to load up their stockings with bonus toys and treats that show them how much you love and value their unconditional love and companionship. Here are a few holiday stocking stuffer ideas for your cat or dog! While some pet parents may be wary to give their pets treats all year as they do add calories to an animal’s diet, the holidays are the perfect time to relax and to spoil your pet (and to stocking-stuffer up on treats to share with your pet throughout the coming year!). Treating your pet in moderation is always a good idea! Pet parents can feel good that their pets are enjoying something nutritious. It’s key to find treats that are tasty and made with healthy ingredients; and if they provide a major benefit to your pet (such as a delicious daily dental chew) then that’s an added bonus. These are some of the most delightful seasonal treats to fill your pet’s stocking with: WHIMZEES® Daily Dental Chews for dogs in seasonal shapes. These festive treats are shaped like holiday trees and snowmen, which make them super fun for your dog’s stocking. Meanwhile, they help clean

Winter months mean colder weather and sometimes freezing and icy sidewalks. Of course, unless your dog is toilet trained, you still have to take your dog out to use nature’s facilities. Taking your dog out during winter can potentially expose them to frostbite. Thus, it’s important to know how to recognize signs of frostbite in dogs and to know the ways to prevent frostbite in dogs. Frostbite occurs when the skin and the tissue under that skin freezes. It’s important for frostbite to be treated immediately. Frostbite can cause stinging, numbness, burning, pain, throbbing, and other neurological discomforts as the affected area gets rewarmed and as blood starts to recirculate. Dogs get frostbite when they’re exposed to the cold for a prolonged period of time. Of course, depending on the circumstances, frostbite can start in as little as 30 seconds of exposure to extreme cold, so never assume that your dog doesn’t have frostbite just because you were only outside for a minute or so. Dogs are at risk of frostbite when temperatures drop below 32 degrees Fahrenheit. Freezing temperatures can cause the ground, water on the ground, dew, etc. to freeze and become icy. Dog’s paws are generally where they’re the most vulnerable; though, their noses and other body parts exposed to the cold are susceptible. Thus, it doesn’t take long for frostbite to occur. You may only be out for a minute or so with your dog. It

If you’ve ever been to an animal shelter, then you know why you should adopt a shelter pet. The pets in shelters are all alone except for one another and their dedicated caretakers. Like any of us, all they want is to be picked in life. They want a warm place to belong, and they want someone to love them who won’t abandon them. If you’ve ever heard stories about shelter pets, then you know that they are grateful, protective, loving, and sometimes…famous. In a recently-compiled list of the 10 best cats on social media, nearly all of them were rescues. Of course…potential celebrity isn’t a reason shelter pets are the best…the real reasons they’re the best are as follows. Imagine you’ve been abandoned or if you never knew what love is…you’d spent your whole life alone. This is the case for some of these shelter pets. Now, imagine that someone finally picks you. You are finally given a soft place to sleep and a warm bed and a space to feel safe in…and hugs! You’ve never had hugs before. They’re nice. How to express gratitude to this wonderful savior who adopted you? Shelter pets are notoriously grateful, and they express it with loyalty, obedience, and snuggles. Unlike a brand-new baby puppy or kitten from someone’s litter that you have to train, shelter pets often know how to use a litter box or indicate their need to go outside and

If you missed National Black Cat Day on October 27, you may have missed black cat lovers extolling the virtues of the most common type of cat, the sleek, elegant black cat. While all cats are savvy, quirky, and intuitive, these are exceptional. They are highly-evolved and are the subject of much history, mystery, and intrigue. All of these factors combined are why black cats are the best. Their darker coat makes it easier for them to hide and to blend in with their surroundings thus helping them evade capture and predators more efficiently. Another facet of their evolution is that they are more resistant to diseases than other cats. In fact, the majority of cats are black or have black genes and thus reap those benefits. Another outcome of the black fur gene beyond melanism (black or darkening fur) and improved immunity is yellowed eyes. They typically have beautiful amber or gold-hued eyes that give them an ethereal and imperious aura. In ancient Egypt, they were associated with protection. The Egyptian goddess Bastet was a woman with the face of a cat and was charged with protecting women, crops, and the home. They were presumed to have the same responsibility in offering protection and oversight and were thus regarded like royalty. In similar fashion, many cultures consider them to be good omens (a Greek myth purportedly initiated association with bad luck or evil). Examples of how they have been

More of us are working from home than ever before. As of January 2021, over half of American workers were “always” or “sometimes” working from home. While the convenience of working remotely may have seemed enjoyable at first—if you’re working from home with a dog, you probably noticed some challenges cropping up. If you’re on work calls for a chunk of the day or you need quiet in order to concentrate at work, dog barking throughout the day has likely become an annoyance in your household. They always seem to bark at the most inopportune times—like when you’re speaking on a group video call, or when something important comes up during a chat that you need to hear. And while you may have an understanding dog owner on the call with you, these loud dog barking interruptions can be annoying and stressful to deal with. While we can’t guarantee that these tips on how to get a dog to stop barking while you’re working from home will work every time—we are dealing with animals, here!—it’s worth a shot to apply these tactics. Try these dog behavior tips in order for your dog to behave better and end dog barking while on work calls. 1. Get them moving. If it’s possible, take your pooch on a morning walk before the workday begins. Tiring them out will help them be more likely to sleep during the day (yay!) and the mental and

A demonstration of the company’s firm commitment to best-in-class food safety and quality, this is WellPet’s third manufacturing facility to achieve high marks from the rigorous audit by the British Retail Consortium’s Global Standard for Food Safety WellPet, LLC, the largest North America-based independent branded premium natural pet food company, today announced that its Mishawaka, Indiana-based manufacturing facility has earned the high honor of a grade “AA” certification by the British Retail Consortium’s (BRC) Global Standard for Food Safety. This world-renowned certification is evidence of the company’s dedication to Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance, remarkable leadership from WellPet’s food safety and quality group, and continued, strategic investments in quality and safety. WellPet’s Minnesota-based Farm Fresh Kitchens manufacturing facility and its WHIMZEES® manufacturing facility in the Netherlands also earned high ratings in previous BRC audits. A demonstration of the company’s firm commitment to best-in-class food safety and quality, this is WellPet’s third manufacturing facility to achieve high marks from the rigorous audit by the British Retail Consortium’s Global Standard for Food Safety. WellPet prides itself on its carefully crafted, high-quality natural pet food and treat innovations from the Wellness®, WHIMZEES®, Old Mother Hubbard®, Holistic Select®, Eagle Pack®, and Sojos® brands, which serve as the foundation of pet wellbeing and a long, happy life shared between pets and pet parents. As the BRC’s globally recognized standards set the bar for extraordinary manufacturing practices, this accreditation further certifies that WellPet’s products are safe,

It should come as no surprise that pets, like people, feel pain; however, unlike people, pets can’t articulate what hurts and where. They can’t say, “Wow, my paws are really hurting after that walk in the snow; I think I have frostbite!” or “My stomach has stabbing pain all of a sudden!” Instead, they tell us through gestures. Pets express pain for multiple maladies including: External pains, which could include cuts, burns, scrapes, bruises, aches, fleas, ticks, bites, etc. Internal pains, which could stem from virus, infection, poisoning, upset stomach, disease, toothache / gum disease, joint pain, arthritis, etc. Take the time to learn how to recognize pain in your pets, so you can get the proper help for them. Eating habits are one way you can recognize pet pain. Pets that are in pain will: Choose not to eat Drink more or less Show less interest in food Regurgitation Excessive or diminished thirst and dietary habits are associated with a number of pain-causing issues. Some could be more obvious; changes in dietary habits with dry food in combination with other signs of pain (like drooling) could indicate oral health issues. Pets tell us they’re in pain with mood changes. When pets suddenly act depressed, fussy, moody, snippy, grumpy, or agitated, they are telling us they’re in pain. Pets might also become more aggressive or combative. You will recognize pain in your pets through mood changes when the attitude or behavior

Ask anyone who has ever been a pet parent, and they will tell you that their pet was more than “just a pet;” their pet was a member of the family, and their loss was as heartbreaking an experience as any. People mourn their pets for years after they are gone, and while death is an inevitable part of life, we have several pet memorial ideas to commemorate your pet so that you always feel close to them. September 13 is National Pet Memorial Day. If you have a pet or have lost a pet, these are truly meaningful ways to honor your precious pet family members. While it may seem obvious to some to have a proper burial for a beloved pet, how to do it isn’t always clear. What’s too much? What is enough? What you should always do when having a service for your pet is to do what feels right for you. You may want to invite friends to be by your side, or you might want to have family share memories of your pet. A ritual like a memorial service gives you closure. You will always love and miss your pet, but by having a memorial service, you acknowledge the sad truth of their passing and give yourself permission to grieve their loss. Another way to commemorate your pet is to have a piece of custom jewelry made. Tasteful charm bracelets and necklaces with your pet’s

September is Pet Sitter Education Month; it was created by the Pet Sitter’s International (PSI) group to educate pet sitters and caretakers about providing safe and exceptional services to pets and to pet parents. Pet education month is a time when pet sitters and caretakers learn about new resources, take pet sitting courses, learn about how to care for pets during a pandemic and with ever-evolving COVID guidelines, update their knowledge with pet first-aid and CRPR, medication administration, and more. Each pet a caretaker cares for is different as is each family. As professional pet sitters and caretakers learn about how best to care for your pet in new and highly-relevant ways, it’s important for you to know how to find the right pet sitter for your pets and to ensure they have everything they need when they are hired to care for your pet. It’s needless to say that your pet is very important to you, so it’s probably reasonable to assume that you wouldn’t let just anyone care for your pet; just like you wouldn’t let just anyone perform your heart surgery. No doubt, you’ve heard the horror stories of pet parents getting a friend or a neighbor or the teenager down the street to come feed, walk, and care for their pets while they’re away only to return home to a house destroyed or to a hungry pet or an overloaded litter box or worse. Thus, you want

There are few things more fun than being a first time dog owner (or first time dog parent, as we like to say). Of course, there are also few things more intimidating—how do you make sure the needs of a pet that doesn’t speak your language are being met? If you’re a first time dog owner, you’re likely excited and a bit nervous. You want to do what’s best for your dog; you want your dog to be well-fed; you want them to walk on a leash and play with you in the park like those beautiful movie dogs (that level of happiness and joy is attainable and not relegated to limelight fiction), but as you look at your precious new dog without a clue what to do other than to pet it and say nice things, you realize you might be out of your depth. It’s okay. No first time dog owner dives in and aces all of the many challenges of doggy parenthood, but with this first time dog owner guide, you’ll certainly have a leg-up toward nailing being a first time dog owner. Since it was mentioned already, feeding schedules are important parts of having a dog. While some new pet parents believe it’s okay to just dump food in the bowl and keep the thing full, it’s not recommended. (It’s okay if you’ve been doing this; pencils have erasers for a reason.) Medium-sized dogs (i.e., not toy or

You’ve likely been there; you’ve been told your pet’s life-saving health care will cost hundreds if not thousands of dollars. In that moment, you’ll be wishing there was some kind of alternative. With multiple accessible health insurance options, there are alternatives, but just because insurance options are there, does that mean pet insurance is worth it? What are the costs? What are the benefits? First, it’s important to understand what pet insurance is. Pet insurance is the same as people insurance. The patient pays a monthly premium as well as a deductible to cover routine and unexcepted healthcare costs. Coverage and costs are contingent on the company, the breed of pet, and the age and health of the pet. Other variables may factor in. Provided, though, that should you choose to get pet insurance that you make payments in a timely fashion and maintain your part of the bargain with your provider, when and if you are in dire straits with your pet, your insurance will cover the financial burden that is often a painful moment of division for some pet parents in which they must choose financial ruin or their pet (a decision no one should have to make). Because no pet parent should be in the predicament of making an often untenable financial sacrifice or saying goodbye to their pet—their family—pet insurance is an option. Of course, the monthly costs of pet insurance are an important consideration. As noted, the