Hays County P.A.S.S. 101: Your Questions Answered
As a part of the virtual resource center, the Hays County Pet Resources Guide (available in English and Spanish), provides a list of community resources, medical assistance, behavior resources, rehoming support and more. Hays County community members can also use the Pet Help Contact form for assistance from a P.A.S.S. case manager. In the first 2 months, the dedicated Hays County program has helped almost 150 families! Missed the live Q&A? You can watch here!Lucy Fernandez, P.A.S.S. Program Manager, recently answered your questions about...
7 Mental Enrichment Activities to Help Your Dog Recover from Surgery
If your dog has just had surgery, long walks and play dates at the park will be off the table for a while. These mental enrichment activities will support her recovery by helping to prevent boredom, stress, or reinjury. When your dog returns home after surgery, the time will soon come when her grogginess wears off and her energy sparks back in. This can be a challenge if she feels she’s ready to go for walks, play fetch, and bounce off the furniture the way she did before. But what your dog really needs is rest, which means you’re...
Study: Can short-term foster care increase a dog’s chances of adoption exponentially?
Is short-term foster care beneficial for shelter pets? While previous research has focused on dogs’ wellbeing during sleepovers and field trips outside the shelter, the recent findings, part of the Arizona State University/Virginia Tech Maddie’s® Nationwide Fostering Study, provide insight into the effect these outings have on dogs’ adoption rates. Here are five important takeaways from this research: Pups who are taken on a field trip for just a few hours are five times more likely to be adopted! If...
Why Low Level Laser Therapy Leads the Pack for Agility Dogs
Agility dogs have great athletic talent. But with that – alongside intense training and competition – comes a much greater propensity for musculoskeletal injury and degenerative joint disease. DOG MED LASER – THE LLLT PACK LEADER You don’t have to be a trainer, veterinarian, agility expert or athlete to understand that agility dogs push their bodies to the limit. Low Laser Light Therapy (LLLT) — applied before and after each training session and competition — counteracts this stress and keeps agility dogs...
Maddie’s Weekly Roundup: Kitten care, DEI survey and more!
Happy Monday! Below is a brief roundup of resources added over the past week. Learn the latest in kitten care with this new self-paced courseIt’s only a matter of time before kitten season starts (if it hasn’t already). With that in mind, Maddie’s® University has launched a new self-paced course, “Taking the Fear out of Bottle Feeding and Basic Kitten Care.” You’ll learn about the latest guidelines for kitten feeding and other kitten care, such as healthy neonatal kittens… Learn More On...
4 Most Common Infectious Diseases in Dogs
Parvo, distemper, rabies, and kennel cough are the four most common infectious diseases in dogs. An integrative approach to treatment and prevention offers an effective way to protect your dog We no longer live in an isolated world. Travel is easier than ever before, and interacting with different cultures has created a smaller world. Our dogs are experiencing this as well, and often accompany us on our travels. While it’s exciting to share our adventures with our dogs, it can increase their exposure to infectious diseases. So...
Unlocking Cat Dreams: Exploring the Science of Feline Sleep Behaviors
Submission Guidelines Thank you for your interest in writing for Animal Wellness. As the #1 natural health magazine for pets in North America, we take pride in providing our readers with the information they need to make wise health care choices for their animal companions. Our publication embraces the entire holistic spectrum, from physical health issues to the emotional and spiritual well being of our animals. We welcome unsolicited articles and story outlines as long as they focus on holistic healing, whether physical, emotional or...
Breaking Barriers: Insights into the Competitive Pet Placement Project
[embedded content] Over the last several months, HASS collaborated with a selection of HASS pilot shelters to identify any lingering shelter operation barriers to positive adoption outcomes as part of a formal Competitive Pet Placement (CPP) project. CPP is an initiative supported by PetSmart Charities that aims to make sure animal shelters are not making it harder for people to adopt and foster than it should be—and to make it easier for pets to get into homes. Watch Kate McHugh-Westfall, HASS Embedded Data and Implementation...
Breaking: Plant-Based Diets for Dogs Are Healthy!
“Properly formulated plant-based diets for dogs are healthy, studies show, because “dogs have nutrient requirements, not ingredient requirements,” and a revolutionary commercial diet is making it easy for pet parents to choose plant-based. For a long time, the idea that dogs should eat a primitive diet mimicking that of their carnivorous wolf ancestors has dominated canine nutrition. But the truth is that modern dogs aren’t wolves—they’re dogs and omnivores. What’s more, recent studies demonstrate...
7 Ways You’re Contributing to Your Dog’s Behavioral Issues
Are you unintentionally making your dog’s behavioral challenges worse? From inconsistent rules to involuntary reinforcement of bad habits, this article looks at the seven everyday actions that hinder a dog’s positive behavioral progress. Understanding the ways you might inadvertently contribute to your dog’s behavioral issues is essential for raising a well-adjusted canine companion. By embracing a consistent training practice, prioritizing socialization and mental stimulation, recognizing the influence of health and...
