Live Well
The official Blog of Wellness Natural Pet Food

As your dog ages, its nutritional needs may change. Senior dog food is one of the best options for ensuring that your older dog is being provided with a diet that fits its current needs. From weight management to joint health, senior dog food is formulated to help pet parents contribute to their dog’s overall well-being. However, when choosing a new diet for your senior dog, it can be hard to know where to begin. That’s why we are here to help with your guide to choosing the best dog food for senior dogs. We’ll look at the best dry dog food for senior dogs and the best wet dog food for senior dogs. But first, let’s talk about the special nutritional needs of our older pups. Just like us humans, as your dog ages, its body will begin to change. With each passing year, you will likely see common and recognizable signs of aging. You might first notice that your dog tires more easily. It might not have the same energy it once did and may even begin to show signs of stiffness in the mornings. Perhaps its adorable muzzle is beginning to sport a few more grey hairs than when it was young. While we often notice these visible signs of aging first, many pet parents don’t realize that before these visible signs appear, changes have started to occur on the inside of your dog. Older dogs may

What’s not to love about senior dogs? Loyal and loving, our older dogs are not just devoted companions, but they have truly become part of your family and a much-loved family member at that. So, when it comes to ensuring the health and wellbeing of your older dog, providing them age-specific nutrition, attentive care, and regular vet visits are all important elements to keeping your dog young at heart and allowing them to fulfill a lifetime of wellbeing. Did you know that most dogs become seniors around age 7 years? While each dog will start to move into the senior phase of their life at slightly different times, the age of seven is a time that sees many dogs hit their senior stride. Large and giant breed dogs can move into this phase a little earlier, while smaller breeds will shift to the senior category a bit later in life. Breed Size Senior From Toy Breed 9 years Small Breed 7 years Medium Breed 7 years Large Breed 6 years Giant Breed 5 years As your dog ages, just like us, their body starts to change, and they may show some common and recognizable signs of aging. You may have noticed for instance that your senior dog is not as energetic as they used to be during walks or play time, they may start to show some stiffness in the morning or even have a few more grey hairs appearing

Teeth are one of the first things we notice when talking to others and meeting new people. They allow us to show affections through a smile, and more importantly, break down solid foods for nourishment. What does this have to do with dogs? Well, did you know that 80% of dogs are affected by various dental diseases and that senior dogs, over 12 years of age, are more likely to have a dental problem than any other age group?  While we care deeply for our pets with snuggles, food, and play, most owners overlook dental health as a priority for wellbeing. The majority of dog owners don’t take their dogs for regular dental checkups and that number drops when it comes to daily dental routines in the home. Learn about the importance of proper dog dental care and what to look for to ensure healthy and happy gums and teeth. Taking care of our pets’ wellbeing needs is top priority, but an often overlooked aspects of pet health and wellbeing stems from dental care. While dental issues can cause pain and infections within the mouth, dental issues can also cause eating issues and weight loss that can lead to larger health problems, such as infections, within the rest of the body. Dental issues can go so far as to cause permanent jaw pain and even heart disease if left untreated. That’s why it’s vital to incorporate a dental routine in

5 Common Cat Sleeping Positions and What They MeanWhat could be cuter than a sleeping cat? Moments earlier, the cat may have been running around, knocking things over or walking across your laptop keyboard as you tried to work. While snoozing though, that same cat looks angelic. Cats always seem to find a comfortable spot to sleep, even if their position looks very uncomfortable. You’ve likely seen your cat in various positions when sleeping. Have you ever wondered what your cat’s different sleeping positions might mean? It’s important to note that when trying to interpret sleeping positions or any feline body language, you should consider the cat’s typical personality and the current environment. Some cats have favorite positions and others choose based on their immediate circumstances. Let’s take a closer look at five common sleeping positions. Curled up Cat Ball This is one of the most common sleeping positions, where the cat curls into a ball and wraps the tail closely to the body. One benefit of this position is that it helps the cat conserve heat. You may notice your indoor cat sleeping in this position more in colder months. Being curled up is also a protective posture. This position provides ultimate protection to the vulnerable vital organs and also allows the cat to be small and hopefully unnoticed. In an outdoor environment, a sleeping cat is at risk of attack by larger predators so it’s beneficial to be

When it comes to love, affection, and loyalty, let’s be honest…dogs are the real MVP, and since Valentine’s Day is the holiday devoted to showing the ones you love most with tokens of your affection, we thought we’d share some of the best gifts to get your dog for Valentine’s Day. The saying goes that the way to a person’s heart is through their stomach, which makes sense, right? Feeding a person delicious food and treats is akin to feeding them with love. The same is true for your dog. Your dog loves treats just as much as you do, so why not get your dog Valentine’s Day treats? Of course, not just any old dog treat will do. They need to be special. The best Valentine’s Day treats for dogs are hands-down Old Mother Hubbard Bits of Love. These dog treats are adorably-shaped like little hearts and come in the iconic and dog-approved P-Nuttier flavor. Your dog’s Valentine’s Day treats will taste like peanut butter and molasses. Yum! They’ll also be healthy as they’re made with natural ingredients like real oats, eggs, carrots, and apples. Delicious and guilt-free…your dog’s Valentine’s Day treat doesn’t get any more delicious than that. Happy eater, happy treater! You can make the gift of Bits of Love dog treats even better by gifting your dog with a puzzle toy like the Brick Puzzle Game Dog Toy. Puzzle toys stimulate your dog’s cognitive functioning, which

Training is a huge part of your dog’s development, and it should come with some form of reinforcement. Animal organizations worldwide say that positive reinforcement, or the addition of something good or enticing to increase good behavior, is a great way to teach commands and reinforce desirable behavior. Can you guess what the most popular form of positive reinforcement is? Treats! Since most dogs are food motivated, treats are an easy way to influence your dog to complete commands and perform good behavior. However, pet parents can make some mistakes that can reduce their effectiveness, turning them into an undesirable or not-so-good form of reinforcement that could hinder your dog’s learning abilities. So, I know you must be asking, what are some mistakes I may be making when it comes to rewarding my dog with treats? Read on to find out. Treats should be an exciting reward that your pups are getting for completing a task they’re trying to learn. Therefore, you should be using nice, high-quality treats to deliver this reward. Those sad, bland little biscuit treats aren’t going to cut it! Your pup is guaranteed to get bored of their bland taste, leading to them failing to provide the reinforcement needed. However, natural treats made from vegetables and meat or ingredients such as cheese, fresh liver, bacon, etc., work perfectly as high-quality treats for training. Wellness Soft Puppy Bites, or Wellness WellBites, with flavors such as Chicken & Venison, can

With his iconic dinner bell experiment, Pavlov and his dogs taught us that dogs respond well to positive reinforcement. Positive reinforcement teaches dogs to continue and to repeat behaviors that are rewarded; it teaches them that those behaviors are good. Positive reinforcement is the method experts encourage when training your dog. We wanted to share how to reward your dog for good behavior, so you can more easily train them. Before we delve into what to reward your dog with, it’s worth noting that when, how, and where you reward your dog is essential. For example, say your dog obeyed your command to sit and stay during a walk where other dogs were present. You want to reward your dog right away. Give them a treat (the reward) as soon as the good behavior transpires, so they make a clear association between the behavior and the reward. If you waited to get home from your walk, your dog wouldn’t know if you were rewarding him for a successful walk or just because. The moment to reward that good dog behavior would be lost. Likewise, you want to reward your dog in the area where the event occurred, such as at the spot where your dog sat and stayed. The reward teaches your dog that “you did well right here in this spot / moment.” Note, though, just as you can shape good behaviors with rewards, you can shape bad behaviors.

Do you love reading articles about your favorite dog breeds online? They can be chock-full of fun facts about their personalities, behaviors, physical traits, and yes—their health. This includes susceptibility to dog dental disease. While you might be perusing the internet to learn more about a dog breed before taking them home as a pet or, you want to learn about your dog’s breed and how you can care for them, having an understanding of their health needs and possible issues is important as a responsible pet owner. Every dog breed needs its owner to help care for its teeth, but some dog breeds are more prone to dog dental disease than others. In fact, smaller dog breeds in particular are at a higher risk of canine periodontal disease. Here, we’ll share the dog breeds that tend to need more TLC when it comes to their dental health. Keep these types of dogs in mind when it comes to minding your dog’s teeth or when buying or adopting a dog. It’s said that the smaller the dog, the higher their risk of periodontal disease. Those little dogs might be more likely to have stinky breath, too, due to the dental disease. Chihuahuas in particular have small mouths and 42 teeth that are fighting for space in there. These gentle sprinters are more likely than some other dogs to have problems with their teeth due to the shape of their mouths. When a dog’s

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

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