Live Well
The official Blog of Wellness Natural Pet Food

2020 has been one for the books. As a collective, we’ve faced difficult moments every step of the way, but some pets have gone above and beyond to help save lives. Check out these incredible pet stories featuring 20 moments where our pets became heroes. Dogs in Finland have been trained to “sniff out” the Corona virus at airports. The data suggests the dogs can detect the virus “up to five days earlier” than the nasal swab test. When it comes to 2020, dogs are literally saving our lives. Read the full story here. On her 100th birthday, Marjorie Rigby adopted an 11-year-old terrier named Paddy. Marjorie has loved dogs all her life and feels Paddy was divine timing. They keep each other active and smiling every day. Read the full story here. 85-year-old Ron Williams suffered a scary fall getting out of the shower one morning. With his life alert in the other room and cell phone out of reach, Ron laid helpless on the floor for 16 hours. When he realized his cat, Fluffy, was in the bathroom with him, he made a joke to the cat about getting his phone, a reoccurring joke between the two. Moments later, Ron felt the phone near his hand, all thanks to Fluffy. Read the full story here. This past summer, Gwendola Johnson’s dog saved her life. The 88-year-old fell and was unable to get up. Gwendola saw a sanitation worker, Kirk

Expressing your love goes far beyond saying “I love you.” As it turns out, there are limitless ways to show and to share love with your pet. These are 21 wonderful ways to tell your pet that you love them in 2021. After a tumultuous year with our pets by our side the whole way, repaying them with gestures of love is only fitting. The way we speak to our pets is a major love language. Talking to your pets in warm, soft, sweet, or affectionate tones sends a clear message to your pet: I care about you. I love you. You are valuable to me. Pets like to groom and to kiss as we like to believe. Pets also know that our kisses—as in when we pucker-up—are a show of love and affection, so don’t be shy about getting on the floor and kissing your pet on their sweet little face. Just be ready for a potentially slobbery return of your affections. Pet feelings get hurt just as ours do when those we love are distracted (enamored?) by their phones. When you’re spending quality time with your pet, put the phone down. Be completely involved. Pets love spending time with their parents. Spend extra time with your pet by taking them for extra walks. It’s good for both of you; it gets your endorphins up, and time spent together is a love language understood by all. Another way to spend

If 2020 taught us anything, it was how precious every moment we spend together is and how valuable our health is. So it logically follows that as we make New Year’s resolutions that reflect our past experiences that we do them together with the ones we love most, the ones who’ve never abandoned us, the ones with us through thick and thin: our pets. That’s why we suggest these healthy New Year’s resolution ideas for your pets—they’re fun and easily doable resolutions you and your pets can make together. Food is fuel, which means what you and your pets eat makes a huge difference in your energy, weight and immune system function, to name a few things. During the holidays, almost everyone’s diet slips a little. As you get ready to hit reset, why not consider an entirely new diet that you’ve never tried before? Look for a healthy new diet that you and your pet can try out together. Raw diets: Raw diets are largely plant-based for humans and animal protein-based for pets. For both humans and pets, raw diets are considered to improve certain medical conditions and to have a positive impact on weight. High-protein, low-carb diet: High-protein diets like keto are reportedly excellent for active people and pets as once you enter a state of ketosis, you have more energy. As with raw diets, high-protein diets show favorable results in terms of overall health and medical wellness and with

Exercise is essential for you and your dog’s mental, physical and emotional wellbeing. While there’s nothing like being outside in the sunshine walking or running, enjoying the fresh air and the sights, there are times where it’s too cold to go outside. Taking your dog outside when it’s too cold can damage their paw pads and their nose (never mind that it’s just unpleasant); however, you want both of you to stay active and in shape. These are eight ways to exercise with your dog when it’s too cold to go outside. Games of fetch can easily be played indoors (just don’t throw your dog’s toy too high). Use your living room or a long hallway—wherever there’s uncluttered space—and roll or toss your dog’s toy. Get your workout, too, by racing him to get the toy first. You’ll both be panting (and you’ll be laughing) within minutes. This exercise is almost like a doggy boot camp. If you have stairs in your house, walk up and down the stairs with your dog. This quad work will be fun as you watch your dog bound up and down. Make it extra challenging by racing your dog (or at least trying to keep up as dogs can be pretty zippy when it comes to climbing stairs). Swap your kettle bell for your dog’s favorite toy during your squat sets. Go to a large living space where you normally might do a DIY workout.

You’re excited to celebrate your first Christmas with your new puppy and are probably already imagining all of the adorable photos you can take of the dog with the tree. But wait, how are you going to keep that tree upright and untouched by your puppy for the duration of the season? And um, what about the concept that a tree is something your dog does her your business on outside and now it’s in the living room—a no-no zone? There are few factors to consider when you have a puppy and are decorating for the holidays with a Christmas Tree. Here are six ways to puppy-proof your Christmas tree. Sure, we love that fresh Christmas tree smell as much as the next person but this could minimize some potential problems, like pine needles on the floor that your pup might want to eat, drinking the water, or even bugs or loose critters in the house that came in on the tree. (Hey, the Rockefeller Christmas Tree housed a baby owl—it could happen!) The novelty of water in this new “bowl” seems appealing to your pup, but it can be dangerous for dogs to drink free Christmas tree water. That stagnant water may be harboring bacteria or, if it was fertilized and that poison is stuck in the sap, it can wind up in the water and make your dog sick. Putting dog gates around the tree can help keep your pup

We love baking cookies for the holidays and one of our favorite cutout cookies are gingerbread men. They’re pretty easy to make and fun to decorate. For this Christmas cookie recipe for dogs, we’re revising the classic gingerbread men recipe and using it for inspiration to make dog cutout cookies. Ginger is an anti-inflammatory ingredient that’s generally safe for your dog to eat and it might even help with digestive issues, circulation and arthritis. Mixing a small amount into a Christmas dog recipe is a great way to sneak it in without your dog noticing the strong flavor. For this recipe, you’ll need a mixer, a rolling pin and cookie cutters in the shape of dogs for this dog treat recipe. (Sure, you can make some gingerbread ‘men’ too while you’re at it if you want to give you pup the opportunity to eat them up!) You might even want to set aside a few baked dog Christmas cookies to gift a pet lover in your life. Make these gingerbread dog cutout cookies plain or decorate them with fun Wellness Old Mother Hubbard Winter Fun shapes. 2 1/2 Cups of flour (white or whole wheat) 2 Tablespoons of white flour for the cutting board 1 Tablespoon ground ginger 2 Tablespoons of molasses 1/2 Cup of applesauce, unsweetened 1 Egg 6-8 Wellness Old Mother Hubbard Winter Fun Treats, finely chopped Optional: whole treats & peanut butter for decorating  (make sure the peanut

Canine intelligence is a very popular topic. We all want to know if that lovable goofball on the couch is smart too. Fortunately, the smartest dog breeds come in all shapes and sizes. So, it’s easy to find a savvy furry family member to welcome into your home. According to the American Kennel Club (AKC) most dogs are smart but in different ways. They elaborate saying, “working breeds learn how to perform jobs quickly because of their instincts and natural abilities, while other breeds are motivated based on their strong desire to please. But intelligence alone doesn’t automatically make a good pet. To bring out your dog’s natural smarts, you have to study the breed, put in the necessary time to train, and understand his natural traits, like whether he’s a quick study or slow and steady.” World renowned, canine psychologist Stanley Coren, author of the book The Intelligence of Dogs further outlines the different types of intelligence, as follows: Adaptive intelligence – how dogs figure stuff out. Working intelligence – following orders. Instinctive intelligence – a dog’s innate talents. Spatial intelligence – the ability to generate, retain, retrieve, and transform well-structured visual images. Kinesthetic intelligence – the ability to process information physically through hand and body movements, control, and expression. Based a survey amongst 199 dog obedience judges, Coren breaks down canine breed intelligence into six tiers ranking the dogs on how quickly they are able to learn a command. The top tier

“My dog has brown eyebrows, a mostly black with a white chest, big paws that are black and brown, droopy ears, he licks and he chews on everything. What breed is my dog?” Every month, thousands of people turn to the Internet asking, “what breed is my dog?” looking to learn more about the dog they adopted, posting cryptic descriptions like the one above in the hope of learning more about their four-legged family member. Mutts account for more than half the dog population in America. And with 195 dog breeds recognized by the American Kennel Club, the amount of cross-breeding through generations has populated American homes with dogs of all colors, sizes, looks and adorable personalities. If you have a unique, adorable adopted dog, here are 10 key questions to help figure out your dog’s breed make up: Are there any small physical characteristics that are big clues to a dog’s breed? The answer is a resounding “yes”. •    A ridge running down the middle of a dog’s back with the hair running in the opposite direction to the rest of the coat is a clue that that there is Rhodesian Ridgeback in the dog’s genetic make-up. Many mutts have this feature in their coats. •    A blue spotted tongue. This a common trait in the Chow Chow, a sturdily built dog with a double coat that originally hails from Northern China. However, there are several other breeds with

You brush your dog daily, take them out for walks, and feed them once or twice a day, but there’s an important part of your dog’s health you could be neglecting. We’re talking about his or her teeth. It might not seem like a big deal but caring for a dog’s teeth is an essential component of their overall health and wellbeing. Think about it. You carefully consider what you feed your dog to make sure they’re getting the nutrients they need but what about the body parts they use to chew that wholesome food? A dog’s teeth are a vital part of their health. If you’re uncertain about how to care for your dog’s teeth, or if it’s been a while since you last brushed them, here’s a guide on how to take care of your puppy’s teeth. This is a good starting point so you’re aware of any black tartar or film that’s building up on their gums, as well as the color of their teeth and yes, noting doggy breath! Poor dental hygiene and plaque in particular can lead to gum inflammation, rotten teeth, jaw health problems, as well as heart, kidney and liver disease. Make sure you have pet toothpaste and a dog toothbrush when you want to start brushing their teeth. Your dog might pull away because they don’t know what you’re doing or they’re afraid. Let your dog taste the toothpaste first and use a

There are some things only puppy parents—and dog parents—understand. Until you’re in this world, you have no idea what it’s like. Here are some sure signs that a puppy has taken over your world. Or doggy nose stains. Or some other kind of dog fluids. Being a dog parent is a messy endeavor but one we wouldn’t trade for the world. Even though they make everything around them dirtier, puppies look cute doing it! Once you get a dog, you find dog fur all over the place and chances are, it’s in your food. Sure, you pick it out when you find it and probably grumble about the dog but chances are, quite a few pieces of fur have probably snuck into your diet. Dog fur is now the secret ingredient to every dish. Any dog parent knows that those days of sleeping in on a day off from work are from a past life—unless you trade off with a partner! Your puppy will act as your new alarm clock, letting you know they want to go out, be fed, and yes, get attention just as the sun is rising. Whether you’re house training your puppy or your dog tends to throw up every once in a while from eating something they shouldn’t, every pet parent makes sure they have a spray cleaner and paper towels on hand at all times. You also know your dog is going to have

When you’re planning out your Thanksgiving menu and writing down your shopping list with your favorite four-legged family member at your feet, you might be wondering, “Can dogs eat turkey?” Should you pick up special foods or treats for your pup this holiday or can you just give them a nice plate of Thanksgiving turkey to enjoy? They’ll be hovering around the kitchen all day inhaling all of the delicious smells and giving you those eyes that say, ‘Don’t forget about me!’ Sure, some of your dog’s food has turkey listed as an ingredient so it seems like it should be safe. But should you give your dog a few slices of the Thanksgiving turkey? The short answer is, it depends. It’s generally safe and healthy for dogs to eat plain, skinless turkey breast and it’s a good source of protein and phosphorus and riboflavin. That’s why you’ll find it as an ingredient in many dog foods and dog treats! If your Thanksgiving turkey isn’t seasoned at all or filled with stuffing or topped with fat, it might be safe to carve off a slice or two of a skinless portion. The problem with giving your dog a slice or two of the Thanksgiving turkey is that it’s probably seasoned from the inside out with delicious ingredients that add flavor – like garlic and onions—but that can be harmful to dogs. The holiday turkey may also be covered with a

In recent years, raw diets for cats have become increasingly popular due to multiple evidence-based claims that cats tend to thrive on raw diets. If you are curious about raw diets and are looking to transition your cat to a raw diet, this article will explain when it is safe to transition your cat to a raw food diet, what nutrients your cat needs from the diet plan you select, and how to transition your cat to a new way of eating. Raw diets are comprised of natural, protein-driven ingredients, the kind that cats would naturally have consumed in the wild. Of course, it’s not as straight forward as a chunk of raw meat, which is considered dangerous and unhealthy. Rather, it’s both protein and other vital nutrients including: Amino acids (taurine and arginine) Fatty acids Vitamins Minerals Water It’s noted that carbohydrates, though digestible, are not necessary for a cat’s diet, which is why they can be safely eliminated in a healthy raw diet. Raw pet food diets have multiple benefits one of which is digestion. Because cats have short digestive tracts that are more acidic, a raw diet works well for them as they can easily digest whatever they consume. Additional proven benefits of a raw diet are: Less frequent bowel movements with less odor Fewer urinary tract infections and other problems due to increased hydration Lower obesity due to higher activity levels Glossier hair / fur Healthier