Live Well
The official Blog of Wellness Natural Pet Food

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

Recycling is an invaluable part of global environmental sustainability particularly given our consumeristic society. Special days like National Recycling Day (also known as America Recycles Day) on November 15 help raise awareness about the value of recycling as well as how people can participate, which is why we at Wellness Pet Food want to share information about our partnership with TerraCycle® as well as how you can get involved and help make the world a better place for pets and their people. TerraCycle is an acclaimed and highly awarded global recycling and upcycling company. Currently located in 20 countries, TerraCycle collects and repurposes packages and products into new affordable products. The company’s belief is that everything can be recycled and collects multiple products ranging from Wellness Pet Food bags to Keurig cups to Hasbro toys. At Wellness, we’re passionate about sustainability and became the first pet food company based in the United States to partner with TerraCycle. The way the program works is as follows: Pet food owners register to the Recycle Your Wellness Packaging Program online at no charge. Pet food owners ship their Wellness Pet Food packaging to TerraCycle free of charge. Note that only certain types of packages are currently accepted, which will be addressed in detail in the section on how you can participate. Pet food owners earn rewards in the form of TerraCycle points. Each pound of waste earns 100 points, which can be redeemed for gifts or

Getting a new puppy is so exciting! Puppies are warm and cuddly and furry. They are so charming. Of course, they are also so helpless, which means you are in charge of ensuring their nutritional needs are met. Puppies develop rapidly, so giving them the proper nutrition, especially in their first weeks, months, and year requires careful attention. If your puppy was birthed at home, then he will nurse from his mother for the first 6 to 8 weeks. It’s recommended puppies don’t start eating any other food until their caloric needs are no longer being met by their mother; this is typically at around 6 weeks. Many puppies are weaned by 6 weeks, but some still nurse until 8 weeks. In some cases, your puppy’s birth mother might not be able to nurse for the first 4 to 6 weeks. If so, you will need to supplement with milk you purchase from your vet and with a dropper or a bottle for puppies. Regardless, once your puppy is weaned, it will be time to start with solid foods. After he has been weaned, your puppy will need to be fed a high-quality diet of pet food made especially for puppies. These foods contain more calories, protein, and calcium, essential for your puppy’s growth and development. Ask your veterinarian for to recommend the right plan for your pet and for specific breed-size recommendations regarding the feeding schedule. Puppies that are

When it comes to our pups, we want to make them happy just like they do for us, but sometimes health or other restrictions get in the way. When these situations occur, it usually means a change in food. No matter the reason for this change, here are a few ways to make the shift easier on you and dog. Although kittens often start on wet food, puppies typically start with a high-quality dry food kibble. However, sometimes our pups don’t love the dry options we are providing them. As our dogs age, they may also need the transition to a softer food option. No matter the reason, if you’re looking to switch up meal time offerings, trying wet dog food can be a great choice. There are some considerations with wet dog food. Wet food is a great way to keep your dog hydrated due to the moisture content. This can help aid your dog’s digestion and overall health. Most dogs also prefer wet food to dry because of the texture and the flavorful taste. You do want to ensure you choose a high-quality, natural wet dog food option to avoid unnecessary fillers or excess calories in your dog’s meals. To help keep your pup’s teeth clean while feeding wet food, work in a natural daily dog dental chewy like WHIMZEES. When transitioning your dog to wet food, introduce the food slowly. Just like humans, sometimes new foods can

Pets are wonderful additions to any family. They sense our moods, they protect us, they love us unconditionally, they help put us at ease at the end of a long day, and so much more. This is especially true of senior pets. Thinking about adopting? November is National Senior Pet Month, and these are the best 10 things that you get when you grow your family by adopting a senior pet. First, know that the age range for a senior pet is wide, starting at age seven, so many senior pets are actually quite young considering cats and dogs typically live to ages ten to fifteen or more. This leaves years for meaningful companionship and making happy memories together. When it comes to pets, the word senior pertains more to maturity than to advanced age. Puppies and kittens have so much energy. They bounce, jump, and play with abandon—sometimes too much abandon. While senior dogs can still be high energy, they are more reserved and are more likely to walk with you on your evening stroll versus trying to walk you. Senior pets will greet you at the door after work, but they will not tackle you at the door after work. For anyone who is tired at the end of the day, this is one of the best things about adopting a senior pet. They’re just more laid back, which can also help reduce stress for humans. If you’ve

When your sweet little pup comes up to lick your face and show how much he loves you, do you find yourself wrinkling your nose? You’re not alone! Any puppy parent — or visitor — who’s gotten a doggy kiss or had their dog panting in their face knows just how bad dog breath can be. When a dog breathes in your face, you can’t tell them to brush their teeth and go lie down. A sleepy puppy is adorable to witness but your nose might beg to differ when their foul breath wafts across the room. While your favorite human might get a little too close with their morning breath before they’ve brushed, at least you’ll know you’ll get some relief once they’ve cleaned up. But your dog didn’t learn that twice-a-day brushing habit so his bad dog breath can offend 24/7. Have a pup that chews on smelly shoes? Licks himself all day? Eats everything on the ground when you’re on a walk? Sticks their nose up to other dog’s behinds? Now think about how that combination of foul-smelling factors combines into bad dog breath. Ick! If you had a coworker with halitosis, you’d like the time you spent getting close to them. With a dog that breaths stinky breath, you just can’t do that. We’re willing to bet that all they want to do is get close to you. P U! Your puppy probably comes over to

At Wellness, we look forward to our Annual Global Day of Service, a day where each employee volunteers their time to give back to the community. In 2020, we made sure this day was no different. Wellness is a proud sponsor of Best Friends Animal Society’s Strut Your Mutt Day. Best Friends Animal Society is teaming up with local rescue groups, shelters and animal welfare organizations for a virtual community walk and fundraiser that benefits homeless dogs and cats across the country. Join us on Saturday, October 24th to virtually Strut Your Mutt via Best Friends Social Media channels. You can also join along for fun, engaging opportunities to connect and raise funds throughout the season and build a virtual no-kill community. Check out the virtual events leading up to October 24th such as Cat/Kitten Yoga on October 10th and Piggy Paradise on October 20th. There’s never been a better time to help pets waiting for that lifesaving second chance. Wellness is also proud to support the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Wellness selected the NAACP during a charitable drive in June and will continue to support the NAACP during our Global Day of Service – virtually. JustMove is a virtual 5k app that allows race participants to run or walk at their own pace. The best part is you and your four-legged best friend can participate in your neighborhood, over a hike, or along the

Every dog and cat is a little different, so optimal feeding amounts may vary by age, size, activity level, breed and environment. Please make sure to find out which Wellness Pet Food your new family member is being fed, as well as the amount and frequency [times/day] before checking out of the Best Friends site. Please always use feeding guidelines as an initial recommendation and adjust as needed. Always feed at room temperature, try to never leave wet food out for longer than 30-45 minutes. Also, always provide access to clean, fresh water. To maintain freshness please refrigerate any unused wet food [3-4 days max.] in an air-tight container and store dry products at room temperature inside the original bag or inside an air-tight container that has limited exposure to direct sunlight. Feeding Guidelines can be found on every dry product on either the back label or bottom of the bag [depending on bag size] and on every can label for wet products. Combination feeding [feeding dry and wet food together] varies by species and product type. Please refer to product packaging or refer to each Wellness product page, specifically the tab entitled ‘Feeding Guidelines.’ The best way to transition onto a new food is to gradually introduce the food by mixing it with the old diet. This is particularly important when the new food is much tastier than the old, as is the case with Wellness. Mixing the food

Whether this is your first cat family member, or you have a long legacy of felines, cat owners know that hairballs are a common issue. While some cats may not struggle with hairballs, others, typically long-haired felines, fight an ongoing fur-filled battle. If this is the case for your cat, the good news is that hairballs are a solvable problem! Read on to learn about the ins and outs of dealing with hairballs in cats. Cat owners know that their furry companions like to stay clean which means they constantly lick their fur to keep it fresh and healthy. However, this behavior can cause cats to ingest some of their own fur. The buildup of hair can result in hairballs that form in a cat’s digestive tract. While hairballs aren’t inherently dangerous, they can cause some health problems. Most cats will throw up the hairballs while others may pass them in their stool. We may not be able to completely stop hairballs from occurring, but there are a few things we can do to help our pets. Whether or not your cat is currently experiencing hairballs, there are a few things you can do to help prevent them from happening: Grooming: While our cats are the grooming pros, you can help decrease the amount of ingested hair by brushing your cat’s fur. Brushing your cat’s fur 1-2 times a week can help eliminate the buildup of excess hair that could

They may have specific tastes, they may have health restrictions, or they may simply want more food than what we are giving them, but when it comes to being a cat parent, we have to ensure we are doing what’s right for our furry friends and not give in to their every want and need. While every cat is different, there are some general guidelines when it comes to feeding our feline friends. Typically, owners should look at what their cat weighs to determine how many calories their cat should eat per day. These numbers also connect to your cat’s age, activity level, and health. Check out the guide below for some helpful tips. If you’re not sure how to proceed, talk to your vet to help you make the right choice. Kittens: Cats are considered “kittens” between the ages of 0 to 12 months. During this time, these little babes need calories to grow! It’s suggested that kittens eat 60-65 kcal/pound, and they will typically eat wet food with a high fat content to help them put on weight and support optimal development. Be cautious not to overfeed your kitten. Watch their weight and adjust their food intake based on their growth. Some cats may grow more quickly than others which means you’ll have to increase their caloric intake more often. If you feel you’re over/underfeeding your furry friend or just not sure the right amount, check in with your vet regarding

Cat parents love their fur babies, but they know how temperamental they can be. Cats like to have things their way, and they will absolutely let you know when they are unhappy. This can be especially true when it comes to food. They know what they like, and they don’t like a change in routine when it comes to feeding. So, how can we switch our cat’s food without disrupting the entire home? Check out the guide below to help make your cat’s diet transition a breeze. Changing cat food can be tricky, but it doesn’t have to be a huge disruption. The goal is to ease your pet into the change, especially if they are picky, older in age or have known health issues. The trouble with transitioning from wet cat food to dry cat food is because of a few things. Cats like the consistency of wet food, along with the generally higher fat content. It tastes better in the same way we might crave a juicy cheeseburger or a fried option. Here are a few ways to make the transition as seamless as possible while keeping your pet happy and safe: The Transition First, choose a dry food formula that is similar to the wet food formula they are currently enjoying. Some formulas will come in a dry option, but if they don’t, then pick one that has the same protein profile to it. Start by adding