Live Well
The official Blog of Wellness Natural Pet Food

Dental disease is the number one health issue affecting dogs, making it something that all pet parents should be actively thinking about and supporting with daily at home dental care.  But what actually is dental disease and what is the difference between dog plaque vs tartar? Plaque:Plaque is a soft substance that consists of food, saliva and bacteria mixed together. It coats your dog’s teeth like a film, and will build up quickly unless it is removed. Plaque can be scraped away with a simple toothbrush, dental chew or some chemicals can kill the bacteria in plaque. Tartar (calculus):Tartar is plaque that has hardened. This process can take as little as 48 hours. Tartar is much more difficult to remove and can be seen as a yellow or brown staining on teeth, especially on their molars and premolar teeth (the hard to reach ones at their back of their mouth!). The first sign of dental disease is the gradual build-up of plaque, a bacterial film that sticks to the surface of your dog’s teeth. When this plaque continues to build up it will become a harder substance, tartar, which can accumulate to the surface (that you can see of your dog’s teeth), and it can extend under the gum line where you cannot see. Once attached, it will attract white blood cells, which can then appear as inflammation or a red and swollen appearance to the gum line. It is this

Every year people commit to healthier diets, but what about healthier pet diets? Animals need healthy eating habits for longevity and wellness just as much as humans do. Of course, the habits and diet plans for pets vary from human diets. Even minor disruption or change to your pet’s healthy eating plan can have some very unhealthy consequences. So, use these 10 reminders for your pet’s healthy diet to make sure that your pet is on track to have both a happy and healthy life. One of the first things to check to ensure you pet’s eating healthily is to check the ingredients in their pet food(s) and treats. The primary ingredient in your cat or dog’s food should be a meat. It should be listed first. The more natural ingredients in your pet’s food, the better the food is for them. Portion control plays a huge role in your pet’s overall health. Overeating or undereating can damage your pet’s physical and mental stamina as well as lead to diseases and other health problems is mismanaged in the long run. While underfeeding is rarely a problem, over-feeding is very common. Pet food bags sometimes have recommended portions for serving, but even if yours doesn’t, you can go by weight. Pet MD recommends the following for cats and for dogs: Cats 5lbs and under should eat 1/4 to 1/3 cups of food per day. 10lbs and just over or under should eat 3/8

Dog dental extraction or tooth removal is one of the most common veterinary surgeries. There are several reasons dogs may need to have a tooth extracted by a veterinary surgeon. Thankfully, regardless of circumstances that require dental extractions, dogs typically feel better and can eat normally after the procedure. Follow-up care and good oral hygiene can help prevent your dog from needing another extraction. Pet parents may not realize that their dog’s oral health impacts their overall wellness and comfort. This is why when your dog has tooth and gum issues, it is important to get them resolved immediately. The most common dog dental problem is periodontal disease, or severe gum disease. Gum disease mostly occurs in older dogs and in dogs with poor oral health. Other reasons for dog dental extractions include: Tooth Fracture Tooth Abscess Impacted or crowded teeth Gingivostomatitis – a severe inflammatory condition Malocclusion Most dog dental problems start within the gums; however, there are some outward signs that your dog has a dental health problem. These are: Pawing at or rubbing the face Drooling Not eating or drinking Facial swelling Dropping food Difficulty chewing Bad Breath Any of these signs merit a trip to the vet for evaluation. During your consultation, your vet will likely take an x-ray of your dog’s mouth and jaws to assess the issue and to know where the injured tooth is. Your dog’s extraction will be scheduled with a dental

Pet parents all agree that if given a chance, our beloved dogs will eat anything and everything they come across, making it inevitable that there are bound to be bouts of diarrhea or even an episode of vomiting to deal with at some point in their life. You may be wondering, “But why is my dog vomiting?” While occasional vomiting may not be a cause for concern, frequent or severe vomiting can be a sign of a much more serious condition and require immediate veterinary attention. Understanding why your dog may be vomiting, what other signs you should look out for and what you can do to help is key to supporting your dog’s health. You probably have a good idea, but vomiting is an active, forceful ejection of the stomach and upper intestinal contents that may occur several hours after your dog has eaten. Dogs evolved anatomically to be able to vomit on cue to empty their stomachs of any unwanted food items which they may have eaten as a dietary indiscretion. It’s a common condition that many dogs experience. As the food has undergone partial digestion, its contents can appear as a combination of yellow bile, liquid or foam and food chunks as well as have a sour smell to it. As you seek to determine what upset your dog it is also important to understand the difference between regurgitation and vomiting. These two things may seem identical,

Dogs are known to eat anything and everything if given the chance. For them, if it looks or smells even remotely edible, chances are it’s half swallowed before you can yell, “drop it!” It turns out that an upset stomach is one of the top unexpected reasons why dogs need to visit the veterinarian. While no pet parent wants to see their dog suffering from diarrhea, vomiting, constipation or any other type of digestive issue, knowing the signs and symptoms of upset stomach in dogs is key to identifying what is bothering your dog and how to help them. Digestive (gastrointestinal) upsets are conditions that impair the ability of the stomach and intestines to digest and absorb all the great nutrients included in your dog’s food. With healthy digestion, your dog can not only optimize their nutrient absorption to keep them in great condition, but the digestive system also helps support their immune health, promote healthy skin and coat and boost their vitality, making it key to fueling a lifetime of wellbeing. Vomiting Diarrhea Constipation Lethargy Weight loss. If you think your dog is in distress or if their condition is not improving, we recommend you speak with your local veterinarian. Your veterinarian can perform an exam, diagnostics and recommend treatments specific to your dog to get them back to health. With so many potential causes, diagnosing digestive problems in dogs can often be a difficult challenge even for your

If you follow any wellbeing or health news, you may be familiar with words like “probiotics” or “kombucha.” You might even recognize hard-to-pronounce bacterial names like “bifidobacterial” or “lactobacillus” as being a key feature in your yogurt. Gut-health related messages and benefits are everywhere, both in popular media and in science. For our pets, gut health is a top priority when it comes to promoting their health and wellbeing; however, understanding the real function and importance of the bacteria that populate our dog’s and cat’s digestive system is no easy task. Here we provide a back-to-basics introduction on the gut microbiome, and why it is important to consider these microorganisms when it comes to choosing the right food for your pet’s health. The gut microbiome is made up of trillions of microorganisms and their genetic material that live inside a dog or cat’s intestinal tract. Comprising mainly of bacteria, the microbiome is involved in functions critical to a pet’s health and wellbeing, which includes digesting the food your pet eats and helping absorbing and synthesizing nutrients. The benefits of these gut bugs are further involved in many other important processes that extend beyond your pet’s gut. This includes: Metabolism Body weight Immune regulation Some brain functions and mood There are many factors that influence the type and the amount of bacteria a pet hosts and, although most pets have similarities, each and every pet will have a unique bacterial footprint.

Dogs are like humans. They eat, digest their food, and then several hours later, they get hungry again; however, unlike humans, dogs do not get to choose when they are fed, but it’s safe to reason that most dogs would happily eat whenever you fed them, which is why creating a feeding schedule for your dog is essential. Feeding schedules help you maintain your dog’s digestive health, weight, and overall energy. Whether you have a puppy or an older dog, it is easy to create the habit of a new feeding schedule. How Often to Feed Your Dog Dogs need to be fed twice a day (puppies that are under five months should have three feedings). Your dog should have a meal in the morning to break the evening fast and one in the evening shortly before bed. Feedings are anywhere from eight to twelve hours apart, which means if you feed your dog at 7 AM while you brew your coffee, you should feed your dog at 7 PM. Choose the time of day you feed your dog based on lifestyle habits. For example, do not feed your dog right before you exercise as this can lead to abdominal pain and bloating. Additionally, do not feed your dog as soon as you return home as your dog will begin to associate you with food and could develop anxiety as a result. Feed Your Dog in the Same Location When

A smile tells the world that we are happy, so needless to say, when we see our dogs with their wide, open mouths and lolling tongues, we think, “Oh, my dog is smiling at me; they must be happy!” But, while our dogs do smile, signs that they’re happy and smiling come just as much from their body language as their faces. So, when your dog is also wiggly and pliable with ears that are relaxed and pointed forward, then your dog really is grinning back at you. It’s a great feeling to see your dog smile, which is why you’ll want to make these five reasons dogs smile daily habits. Teaching your puppy new habits and tricks is useful for having them understand how to focus—yes, puppies can learn that—as well as improving their overall behavior. While you can work on a few training routines at once—like getting them house trained and sitting—don’t expect them to learn how to roll over, jump up, fetch, drop it and speak in the same week. Just like it’s challenging for children (okay, and adults) to learn a lot in a short about of time, puppies have their limits, too! Remember to reward a puppy or dog with a small treat and lots of praise and affection when you’re training them. Another reason your dog should smile is because you are keeping them active. One of the most quoted lines from Legally Blonde is that

Diarrhea in dogs is rather common and fortunately, most cases improve within a couple days. You may be wondering what you can feed your dog with an upset stomach to aid in their recovery, or dog indigestion treatment. In cases of an acute digestive upset (gastroenteritis) your dog may be showing signs of mild diarrhea (without blood or mucus) whilst still being happy and behaving normally. If this is what your dog is experiencing, you can try to settle your dog’s upset stomach at home; however, if they not improve quickly, you should speak with your veterinarian to ensure there is nothing more serious going on. Your veterinarian can also advise on the best treatments for your dog as well as any additional nutrition they may need to get back to their happy and healthy self. If your dog is in otherwise good health and neither very old nor very young, then fasting them for 24 hours to rest the digestive system can help speed their recovery. After your dog has fasted for 12-24 hours, has not shown further signs of vomiting, and can keep down liquids, the next step is to introduce a bland diet. The bland diet is a homecooked diet that is used to help speed up recovery in the very short term after a digestive upset. Mix 75% plain boiled rice with 25% white chicken meat (no skin or bones) or extra-lean hamburger meat. This easy-to-digest, nutritious

Digestion impacts your pet’s day-to-day life immensely. As pet parents, feeding your pet a food that is not just yummy, but also nutritious, is key to their wellbeing. If high digestibility is included in that, you’ve got a winning combo. It’s important to feed them the right recipes so they can benefit from healthy skin, a lustrous coat, sustained energy levels and more. After all, their wellbeing starts from within. Digestibility refers to the process of digestion where large, complex food molecules of many nutrients are broken down into their simplest forms so that nutrient absorption and their use by the body can take place. When it comes specifically to pet food, the digestibility of a recipe is referring to the percentage of the food or nutrients that are completely digested, used, or absorbed by the dog or cat. Beginning in the mouth, the process of digestion begins with pet chewing their food and its mixture with saliva. Digestion then continues throughout the gastrointestinal system with the mixing, and movement of food before ending with the excretion of waste products and undigested food particles in the feces. The digestibility of a recipe will not only impact the size and quality of your pet’s stools, but it can also impact your pet’s tendency to clear a room with their flatulence as well as more importantly support their overall health and long-term wellbeing. When it comes to comparing the digestibility of one recipe

There’s nothing pets love more than a good belly rub, and now, they’ll have happy bellies for a new reason. Wellness® Natural Pet Food, maker of food and treats for dogs and cats, presents Wellness CORE® Digestive Health, a line of recipes that are crafted with digestive enzymes, prebiotic fibers and probiotics to promote wellbeing from the inside out. A healthy pet starts with a happy belly because gut health goes beyond just the digestive system. Digestive health is responsible for seventy percent of the immune system, impacts overall wellbeing and supports protection from toxins and allergens. Wellness CORE Digestive Health products are highly digestible, support a healthy microbiome and immunity, promote lustrous coat and healthy skin and encourage vitality for optimal energy, helping pets achieve whole-body health. This addition to the Wellness CORE family was scientifically crafted by a team of nutritional experts to support digestive health and fuel pets’ best lives. The new CORE Digestive Health product line comes in response to the growing number of pet parents who are looking to naturally support their pets’ digestive health through their daily meals and nutrition sources. Research conducted by Wellness[1] revealed that 78 percent of pet parents rank easier digestion or better digestion as extremely or very important when weighing health benefits provided in food for dogs or cats. Available in both dry and wet recipes, Wellness CORE Digestive Health provides a product for every pet belly: Wellness CORE Digestive Health

Do you know how important your pet’s digestive health is to their overall well-being? A healthy gut prevents disease, improves digestion, aids in better nutrient absorption and boosts the immune system. So, in other words, digestive health is extremely important and that’s where probiotic pet food comes into play. What are probiotics? Probiotics are the good bacteria that live in our pets’ intestines and without the right balance of that good bacteria, your pet can experience major health issues. Let’s talk about the benefits of probiotics for your pet and how you can help to maintain that balance. So, what are the actual benefits of giving your pet food with a healthy amount of probiotics, or even adding probiotic supplements to their food? Overall, a diet that is rich in probiotics will help your pet to achieve digestive balance and promote a healthy gut. If your pet doesn’t already have a diet with added probiotics and they start to suffer from diarrhea, a probiotic supplement can help to treat the diarrhea. Once you start feeding your pet a probiotic-rich diet, such as Wellness TruFood, they will be less likely to suffer from digestive problems such as diarrhea. Does your pet suffer from Irritable Bowel Syndrome or any condition similar to it? Probiotics can help to soothe most gastrointestinal ailments that your pet may be suffering from. Because the digestive system is so closely connected to a pet’s immune system and overall