Canine Study Points to Benefits of Dogs in Stress and Social Interaction
A recent study points to something any pet parent could have told you: cuddling with dogs reduces stress and makes people feel more sociable. In recent years dogs have been recruited for many jobs. They’ve been dispatched at airports to soothe harried travelers, introduced into courtrooms to ease the anxiety of victims, witnesses, and children, and brought to university campuses during finals to lower students’ cortisol levels. Dogs as Babe Magnets Besides reducing stress, human beings find people with dogs to be more trustworthy....
Tips for Spotting Canine Influenza and How to Treat it
As we head into flu season, it’s important to remember that dogs can get the flu just like people. Sound crazy? It shouldn’t. Animals are susceptible to seasonal illnesses as well. In fact, pets can sometimes catch our ailments, just like with COVID. So, how do you spot a cold in dogs? Simple: the same way you spot it in humans. They can present with the sniffles, a cough, lethargy, reduced appetite, eye discharge, and/or a fever. Taken individually, these symptoms could point to any number of things. As a whole, however,...
Sonic Drive-In Now Offering Cool Merch Available at its Online Wag Shop, Including Halloween Costumes for Dogs
Sonic Drive-In is known for its throwback image of 1950’s-style service, complete with carhops delivering your food straight to your car. Despite their nostalgic theme, now they’ve opened an online store known as the Wag Shop where fans of the restaurant chain can purchase merch for their pups. The new Wag Shop line focuses on the bonding pet owners forge on drives with their pets where Fluffy gets to come along for the ride, head hanging out the window as the miles tick by. Photo: The Sonic Wag Shop Go for a ride?! Predominantly...
Give a Shelter Animal a Break By Checking Them Out for an Afternoon, Overnight, or the Weekend
Did you know that with many rescues and shelters you can check a pet out for a day, night, or even a weekend? If you’ve ever thought about fostering but recognize that you can’t make the commitment, yet you’d still like to give an animal a break, this could be the answer. So, consider being a temporary foster. Animal shelters are overfilled and frequently don’t have enough staff or volunteers to take dogs out for walks and other activities that are good for the animals. They count on community members to come in and...
Donate Doggy Sweaters and Booties to Your Favorite Shelter During Chilly Fall and Winter Months
It’s that time of year when animal rescues and shelters all across the country are asking for donations of pet sweaters and doggy booties to help pups in need. If you’re unfamiliar with the call to action, most larger rescue facilities and even some smaller groups put out a call for members of the community to donate cool weather wear. These items are then distributed to families and individuals experiencing economic hardship. Sweaters are particularly important to smaller dogs and those with thin coats lacking an insulating layer...
Fashionable Togs for Fashionable Dogs from Collaborators Wild One and Designer Isaac Mizrahi
American designer Isaac Mizrahi got his start in New York in the late 1980s. He is well known for the unique style of his fashion lines and as a judge on Project Runway Allstars, a competition reality show for up-and-coming designers trying to make it in the fashion industry. Wild One, on the other hand, is the maker of popular pet accessories sold in outlets such as PetCo, PetSmart, Target, and oodles of other stores. Much like Reese’s popular ad campaign back in the day marveling at the uniquely delightful combination of peanut butter...
Ask Dr. Aziza: Signs You May Need To Help Your Dog Lose Weight
Have you ever found yourself wondering “is my dog overweight”? You’re not alone! In fact, obesity is one of the most common diseases veterinarians see in their patients. To help ensure your pup lives a happy, healthy, and long life, we’ve asked our Freshpet vet, Dr. Aziza, to share the top signs that your dog may need to lose weight. Sign #1: Feeding instructions aren’t consistently followed Some pet parents may leave food out all day, allowing their dog to graze at will. Alternatively, they may give a certain...
Did You Know Rabies Vaccines are Available for Humans?
Rabies, distemper, parvovirus, heartworm disease, and leptospirosis. All of these conditions are preventable with vaccines and the proper preventatives. While most are not health risks for humans, rabies most definitely is. People can get rabies if they have contact with the saliva or neural tissue of infected animals, such as through a bite or scratch. Left untreated, rabies has a 99 percent mortality rate with fewer than 20 documented cases of survival. The time between exposure and the appearance of symptoms can be days, weeks, months, and...
Need Assistance Around the House? Put Your Dog to Work!
Always losing your keys? Tired of picking up after your pets? Maybe you wish your newspaper got left on the front porch rather than always ending up at the end of the driveway. Put Fido to work helping around the house! It’s not as outlandish as you think. How many times have you seen a funny video where some guy sitting in a barcalounger tells his dog to fetch him a beer, and the dog accommodates him by trotting to the fridge, pulling open the door with a towel tied to the handle, and then delivering it to his pleased human? Working...
Increase Your Dog’s Exercise with This One Simple Hack
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