Live Well
The official Blog of Wellness Natural Pet Food

A cat’s body contains trillions of live bacteria, most of which reside in the gut. These gut bacteria are part of their “microbiome,” and each cat’s bacteria population is unique to the individual and subject to change based their diet, health status and lifestyle choices. During times of stress and infection, the microbiome balance can increase in the number of bad bacteria, knocking their system out of balance and potentially causing digestive upsets such as decreased appetite, vomiting, diarrhea or stool changes. Conversely, good bacteria when at optimal levels, have been shown to help keep the digestive system healthy, minimize the proliferation of bad bacteria and work to return the microbiome to a healthy balance. Probiotics for cats are a way to add good bacteria to their bodies. When given to a cat either through their food or as a supplement, probiotics work to help populate and balance the microbiome of the gut to produce positive health effects in both the digestive system and for the overall health of the cat. 70% of a cat’s immune system resides in their digestive tract, keeping it balanced with an array of good bacteria is a great way to ensure that your feline stays healthy. Cat probiotics come in a variety of forms including supplement powders, pills and even coated on the outside of kibble.  When looking for the best probiotics for your cat, it is important to seek an option that not only

Do you shy away from wet dog food because you think dry is a healthier choice? It’s just not true! Here’s why you should consider making the switch to a wet dog food diet. Lots of pet parents believe that dry food is a healthier option then wet food – but that’s not true. In fact, wet dog food is just as healthy. That’s why I feed my puppers both dry and wet dog food (wet in the morning, dry in the evening). Let’s talk about healthy wet dog food and its benefits for you and your pooch. There are many distinct benefits of feeding your pup a healthy wet dog food. Here are just a few of them: Wet dog food typically contains more meat protein than dry dog food – plus, they’re made with fewer carbohydrates. This is especially important for puppies, who need protein to help grow up strong. On top of all that, wet dog food contains no synthetic preservatives and no artificial flavorings and colorings. It’s no wonder that dogs find wet food more palatable than dry food. If your dog continually turns his nose up at dry food, give him a bowl of wet food, as it’s all about pleasing his taste buds. Are you shying away from wet dog food because you’re concerned about your dog’s dental health? Fear not – veterinarians say that that feeding your dog wet dog food won’t harm

If you’re the proud owner of a puppy – congrats! – you’ve probably wondered when it’s safe for puppies to experience certain milestones, like when puppies can have treats, when can puppies go on their first walk and when they should play with other dogs.  Maybe you already gave your puppy a treat or two before you looked up the answer to the question of, ‘When can I give my puppy a treat.’ Your puppy is growing quickly and ensuring they have a healthy diet to meet their nutritional needs is very important during these early stages. In general, the age when puppies can have treats is after two months old. You should always check with your veterinarian about your puppy’s diet, including the types of dog food they should be getting, serving sizes, frequency, and when it’s safe to introduce treats for puppies. That age is a good time to give your puppy a treat because their teeth should be strong enough to chomp down easily on a soft treat, such as Wellness Soft Puppy Bites, and their digestive system should be ready to handle a puppy treat in addition to their regular dog food. As a new puppy owner, you’re probably trying to train your young dog to learn commands and house train them; and having a veterinarian-approved puppy treat can help you do that. Puppies need rewards and positive reinforcement while learning skills and the right treats

If you’re returning to work this fall and that means you’ll be leaving home, your dog might experience some separation anxiety after spending so many quality hours together at home during the quarantine. One option to consider if you’ll be away from home for many hours or, if your dog needs a lot of attention is a dog daycare facility. There can be many benefits of dropping your dog off at a dog daycare, including socialization with other dogs, interacting with humans, regular walks and attention, and even some new toys to play with! Before you start searching for a “dog daycare near me” online, keep these best practices in mind when it comes to using a dog daycare that will suit your needs and discover what you need to know about dog daycare facilities during the pandemic. Just as you might ask friends, family and neighbors to recommend a local physician or contractor, ask around to see if you know anyone who uses a dog daycare near you and is happy with their services. Review local online forums and discussion boards to do some research and then check out reviews on a few websites to get an idea of options in the “dog daycare near me” category. Once you have a few dog daycare businesses to check out, pop in during the day and ask a manager or representative for a tour. You should see staff that loves interacting with dogs

To help your cat live a lifetime of wellbeing, understanding what constitutes high quality dry cat food can make a big difference. Paying close attention to what goes into your cat’s bowl will not only keep them looking their best, but feeling their best, too. High quality nutrition could be considered a form of preventative medicine, potentially saving you future expenses from having to treat serious medical conditions. With so many brands and products available today, what are the key factors to look for when choosing the best quality dry cat food? Here are the top 5 things you should consider when selecting an appropriate diet for your cat: Cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they need to consume a meat protein diet and have a higher total protein requirement than other mammals, including dogs. Cats get certain key nutrients from meat—including taurine, arachidonic acid, vitamin A and vitamin B12—that they simply can’t get from plant-based foods. Without a steady supply of these nutrients, cats can suffer from liver and heart problems, not to mention skin irritation and hearing loss. Whilst all brands are complete and balanced to ensure nutritional adequacy for cats, some brands still use inferior plant-based proteins in their recipes. Selecting a high protein, meat-rich brand like Wellness Complete Health and Wellness CORE can ensure that not only will the recipe have a meaty taste your cat will crave, but it will provide sufficient amounts of meat protein to

Just like physical games like fetch and tug of war, playing brain games with your dog is an essential part of raising a healthy and happy puppy! Brain games are a form of mental stimulation that are a great outlet for pent-up energy, can help teach your dog self-control, and reduce or eliminate many behavioral issues. Not to mention they are entertaining for you as well and can strengthen the bond between you and your pooch. No matter if your dog is big, small, old, young high shedding or hypoallergenic they all love brain games! In this article, we cover five of the best brain games to teach your dog—but don’t be surprised when they turn out to be cleverer than you at these activities! Hide and seek is a great game for a rainy day and is one the whole family can play! Start by hiding somewhere in the house, where your dog can’t see you. Then, call your dog. When they find you, make sure to give them verbal praise and a nice treat! If you have other family members, have them hide elsewhere in the house, and call your dog to them. Repeat for as long as your dog is maintaining interest. This is a great game to help work on your dog’s recall. Treasure hunt is a great game to play either in your home or yard. You will set up by hiding “treasures” around the

What do you do if your cat is tipping the scales? Choosing the right food for overweight cats is the first step – here’s what you need to know. My cat’s not fat – she’s just really fluffy! Sorry to burst your bubble, but your cat needs to lose weight. A few extra pounds can turn your cat from a lean feline machine into a fat cat. Even though pictures of chonky kitties are flooding the Internet with their amusing poses, there’s nothing funny about an overweight cat. Would it surprise you to learn that if your cat has an extra three pounds of weight, it would equal about 50 pounds on an average person. And if you’re determined to trim some unhealthy pounds from your kitty’s frame, you’ll need to know what’s the best food for overweight cats. Obesity is the most common preventable disease in cats. About 30 to 35 percent of cats in North American are obese, and 50 percent of cats aged 5 to 11 years old are overweight. When is a cat considered overweight? It’s when a cat is 10 to 20 percent heavier than their optimal weight. You should feed your cat to maintain their optimal body weight. Studies have shown that obesity or being moderately overweight shortens life expectancy. Not only does obesity shorten a cat’s life, it can also make them more likely to develop disease. Obese or overweight cats have an

You love to cuddle with them. They never want to leave your side. There are so many reasons the world loves puppies – and none of them are wrong! – but here are 10 reasons why puppies are the best. After a long day of work or just life in general, watching your puppy run and skid across the floor can put a smile on your face. Puppies are great little stress relievers and watching them experience the world around them is fun for everyone. Whether that’s from playing with them, giving them their dinner, or giving your puppy a treat ‘just because,’ having a puppy snuggle up against you to thank you is one of the sweetest acts our dogs bestow on us. Nothing says, ‘I love you,’ like a puppy licking your face. And since puppy breath can occasionally use some freshening up, we suggest Wellness WHIMZEES puppy chews as a daily breath freshening treat they’ll gobble up. Your puppy probably needs to get a lot of energy out through walks, playtime and chasing them around the house. All of that moving on your part adds up to extra steps and exercise you might not have gotten otherwise. It may have been a few years since you played with toys as an adult but once you break out a ball, chew toy, plush animal or another puppy toy, you’ll have so much fun with them that you’ll feel like a kid again. Shopping

Are you a pet owner that thinks, “My cat doesn’t eat dry food?” Think again! If you’d like to incorporate more dry food into your cat’s nutritional plan, here are six easy ways to create some fun during meals by taking advantage of the stability of dry food and your cat’s natural instinct as a hunter. Time to play! This is a very basic and easy way to create a puzzle feeder. If you’re unfamiliar with this term, a puzzle feeder is simply a food-dispensing toy. The cat manipulates the toy and she’s rewarded with food. Puzzle feeders are becoming more popular for many reasons. Whether it’s to help a cat eat slowly, combat boredom, or just for fun, puzzle feeders are a natural fit for an animal who is born to hunt. Chances are, you already have some water bottles at home, so here’s a way to re-purpose them for your cat’s enjoyment. Take a small, empty water bottle that is completely dry and carefully cut some holes in it. The holes should be larger than the size of a piece of dry food. To help your cat understand the concept, make the holes big and create many of them. After the holes are cut, put some pieces of dry food in the bottle and put the cap back on. Put the bottle on the floor and lay it on its side. When your cat walks by, she may detect

There are many reasons a cat or kitten could be severely under-nourished and need a high calorie cat food to help gain weight and boost general feline health and wellbeing. Fortunately, there’s a great selection of both wet and dry recipes, all readily available off the shelf, that can be a nutritious fix. A high calorie cat food offers cats a well-balanced diet that features protein – meat, fish or poultry — as first ingredient and contains no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives. Because cats often have preferences when it comes to taste and textures, under such special circumstances, it’s a good idea to cater to a feline’s favorites, particularly, if the cat needs encouragement to eat or is a fussy eater. Dry food recipes show the calorie content of a cup of food in Kcals. For example, a recipe that has 497 kcal/cup ME (metabolizable energy) means that one cup = 8 oz of that food = 497 calories. Cans and pouches show the kcal content in terms of the weight of the food, for example 96 kcal/3oz can or 177 kcal/5.5oz can. When a cat or kitten that has just been rescued and is severely malnourished. For a frail or elderly feline. For a sick cat that has lost weight as a result and now needs to regain weight. Post-surgery to boost a quicker recovery. For very picky eaters who are not getting enough proper nourishment. For a

While brushing your dog’s teeth is one of the most effective things that pet owners can do to maintain their pet’s oral health at home, we know how hard it is to try to brush your dog’s teeth, never mind daily. With 80% of adult dogs suffering from some form of dental disease, it is important to look for alternate options like treats for bad dog breath. Dental treats and chews, if properly designed, have the potential, alongside regular dental cleanings, to keep plaque and tartar buildup to a minimum and help you and your dog stay ahead of dental disease.   A dental chew is a supplementary treat for bad dog breath that is designed to help improve the health of your dog’s teeth, gums and overall dental hygiene. As a completely digestible treat, dental chews work by mechanically scraping their teeth as they chew like the action of a toothbrush. Best of all, unlike the difficulties of brushing, chewing is something dogs love to do. It is a species-specific natural behavior for them, it is done for fun, to alleviate boredom, and to relieve anxiety, with the added benefit of helping clean their teeth! Whilst the gold standard for at home care is always brushing your dog’s teeth, VOHC accepted dental chews are scientifically proven to help reduce plaque, reduce tartar, freshen breath and help gum health. Walk into any pet specialty store and you will see the wide variety

Talk to any cat parent and they will often testify as to their cat’s finicky eating habits, especially their likes and dislikes. Paying attention to your cat’s bowl not only gives you insight into how they are feeling overall, but it also enables you to monitor their wellbeing. Should a cat stop eating for any reason, it can quickly become a serious health issue. A refusal to eat is a concern for all pet parents, but for cats, this situation is especially dangerous. When an animal does not eat enough nutrition to obtain all the calories they need, their body instead relies on utilizing its fat reserves as fuel. Should a cat stop eating for a period, rapid weight loss will commence. During this process, their body activates the liver to converts the stored fat into energy and relies on sufficient supplies of protein to help them achieve this. With a cat who has stopped eating, their body’s protein supplies are quickly exhausted resulting in their liver becoming overwhelmed by all the fat. This results in a dangerous condition known as hepatic lipidosis, which can lead to liver failure. There are a variety of reasons that impact how, when, and what a cat eats. A complete loss of appetite, however, can often indicate a potential underlying illness. If you notice your cat’s eating behaviors change, you should consult with your local veterinarian right away to determine the cause of the