America’s obesity epidemic is apparently not just affecting humans.  Over half of U.S. dogs and cats are now overweight or obese, reports a recent study conducted by the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention.  One-fifth of dogs and cats are obese – weighing 30% more than a healthy weight.  Overweight pets suffer from a multitude of health issues including diabetes, kidney failure, and cancer.  Unfortunately, pet owners and food manufacturers may be partially responsible.  Although pet owners might have good intentions, overweight animals are usually owned by people who overfeed their pets or don’t exercise them frequently enough.

As for pet food manufacturers, they are not required to list calories on their food labels unless the product advertises a low-calorie content; there is now a proposal to change this though.  Also, feeding directions are listed for the pet’s “most demanding” life stage, meaning the directions may lead to overfeeding by 10% or more.  For years, I have recommended that owners feed their pets slightly less than what’s recommended on the back of the bag.

The good news is that many vets consider animal obesity to be the most preventable pet health crisis facing the U.S. The Association for Pet Obesity Prevention recommends calculating calories for your pet.  The website www.petobesityprevention.com lists the calories for many food brands.

I did some research and found a mathematical equation for calculating how many calories your dog should get in a day.  The first thing you will need to know is the RER or Resting Energy Requirement (basically the daily caloric intake) for your dog to maintain his current weight.  To figure out how many calories your dog should consume daily to maintain his weight, use a simple mathematical equation to determine RER: (30 x body weight of the dog in kilograms) + 70= RER.  Kilograms are pounds divided by 2.2.  Let’s use a 40lb. dog for example: 30 x (40/2.2) + 70= 615.4 calories a day.  For cats it’s a little easier.  The average cat needs 20-30 calories per pound of body weight.  If your cat is pregnant, feed 25% more.  If your cat is overweight, feed 10% less.  Try your best to feed a grain-free, high protein, low-carbohydrate food to both dogs and cats.

Always make sure that your pet gets enough exercise every day. For dogs, this means at least 20 minutes of brisk walking and for cats, 5 to 15 minutes of short periods of an activity like chasing a toy.

Now I think I need to evaluate my own caloric intake.  Time to practice what I preach!

A child’s first pet can be a wonderful experience if you choose properly.  A pet can provide unconditional love while teaching a child about responsibility.  However, if you have kids under 6 years old in the house, there are some important things to consider.

THINK ABOUT THE SIZE AND TEMPERAMENT OF THE PET

A hamster might seem like a good pet but they can sometimes nip or get harmed if mishandled.  Young children tend to “love” a pet too much and might squeeze or drop them and hamsters and gerbils have been known to get lost in the house.

If you are looking for a cuddly, small pet, you might want to consider a guinea pig or a rabbit while your children are young.  These animals are a good choice because they can better tolerate little hands that may not be quite as gentle as they should be.  They can be placed on a child’s lap to be petted and bonded with.  No grooming is required since these animals groom themselves.  Vet visits are not necessary either, if the health of the animal is good.  Maintaining good health can be accomplished by offering a complete diet and exercise.  Also, think about their cage size – both pets should have approximately a 2’x 3’ enclosure.

Rabbits and guinea pigs should be taken out of their cages each day and played with.  They can roam around the house or be taken out into the yard (make sure they are not going where chemical fertilizer has been sprayed).  A harness can be put on your rabbit or guinea pig to ensure that it does not get away.  You can also use an exercise pen or a hutch to allow your pet to enjoy being outside for short periods of time.

Fish are very easy pets for young children.  They never leave their habitat and there are many different types your child can choose from.  Fish can be an inexpensive pet and can teach your child about responsibility.  Children can feed their fish and will need to learn how to keep their fish happy and healthy.  One thing to remember with fish is how delicate they are.  Fish can sometimes end up being a child’s first experience with death.  Although it’s never an easy topic to discuss and can be traumatic for a child, it can be an easy way to help a child understand one of life’s toughest lessons.  One or two fish can live in a bowl, but you would have to change the water weekly.  You may want to consider an aquarium with a filter.  This option can be more expensive initially, but would allow more choices in the selection of fish and also lessen the amount of time maintaining the tank.

If you have a more exotic pet in mind, you may want to consider a bearded dragon or leopard gecko.  They make great family pets; they are very docile, making them easy to handle.  A child can put them on their shirtsleeves and they do not bite. The biggest drawback may be that they eat live crickets.  They also require heat lamps that can be very hot, especially for little fingers.

Dogs and cats can be a child’s best friend or a big headache if not chosen properly. You have to do your research before choosing the right one for your family situation.  It’s very easy to get caught up in how adorable a particular breed may be.  A lot of the smaller breed dogs may not be well-suited to small children.  Adopting rescued dogs and cats is ideal, but do some homework on the dog or cat you are interested in.  Ask whoever is running the rescue if the particular dog or cat has been around children.

CONSIDER YOUR FAMILY’S LIFESTYLE

All pets require time for upkeep and most require time spent to entertain them. For example, a family that spends much of the summer up north would not do well with a cat because they need daily attention and don’t travel well.  A dog would be able to travel with you, but if you choose to hire a pet sitter or board your dog instead, this can cost you $15-30 a day.  A neighbor or friend can always watch your rabbit, guinea pig or reptile and a fish can go 2-3 days without food if necessary.

When you find the ideal pet for your child, it can be a wonderful experience. Furthermore, the Society for Companion Animal Studies (SCAS) has research showing the many benefits of having a pet, claiming interaction with pets can positively influence children’s physical and emotional development and even their scholastic achievement.

Okay, so you’ve heard it come up before, and you know it’s got to be healthy, but what the heck is it?

A raw food diet is basically meat, fruits, vegetables, and bones in their raw form.  With raw food, essentially, what you see is what you get.  There are no fillers, no hidden ingredients, and definitely no unnatural preservatives.  A raw diet is a direct evolution of what cats and dogs ate before they became our pets.  Dogs, and especially cats, are carnivorous animals; their digestive systems were not set up to eat little pellets of cooked meats and vegetables.  In the wild, they would hunt for their food, which would consist primarily of meat, organs, and bones.  The only grains that would typically be consumed were the stomach contents of the animal being eaten.  Household cats still practice the art of the hunt.  If given the opportunity, most would catch and eat an unsuspecting field mouse or bird.

Now, there are some people that swear by a raw food diet and its benefits are numerous.  Raw foods enhance the immune system and promote vibrant health through readily available amino acids, animal-based essential fatty acids (EFA’s), and naturally occurring food-based vitamins and minerals.

Supporting the immune system, raw food diets have helped animals combat many common ailments such as flea infestations, hot spots, continual shedding, poor dental and gum health, allergies, gastro-intestinal problems, immune disorders, and degenerative diseases.

What you may not realize is that obtaining vitamins and minerals through food is ideal.  Foods that are supplemented with a list of vitamins and minerals a mile long can be great, but when you see them listed, you never really know the source.  That’s a concern because a lot of foods, even for humans, have a proud stamp with claims of being made in the USA.  I always question where the ingredients originate though.  That’s the great thing about raw food; you always know what you’re getting.

If there is a negative side to feeding a raw diet, I would have to say it’s the cost.  Keep two things in mind though: you get what you pay for and the decrease in vet bills when you have a healthier pet.  Some may think it’s inconvenient to feed raw, but it really isn’t.  The foods typically come in a nugget or a patty.  All you have to do is defrost what you are serving the next day in the refrigerator. I suggest offering raw food as a treat one at a time or as a supplement to the current diet at the beginning.  Although our pets are better suited to eating raw, it may come as a shock to the system to start cold turkey (no pun intended).  Start by supplementing with a digestive enzyme to strengthen the stomach with good bacteria so that the food will be more easily digested.

Most pets typically love raw food, and it’s great enticement for finicky eaters.  You don’t even have to feed raw exclusively for your loved one to experience the benefits.  A lot of people feed a half-raw and half-kibble diet.  If you are going to do this, I would suggest that you feed the two foods separately. Raw food can be digested at a much faster pace than kibble, and if they are mixed, they can cause loose stools.

Diet is the foundation of health and you want to keep your furry family members as healthy as possible. Maybe it’s time to try something new.  I guarantee you’ll be pleasantly surprised by the results.

Bone Appétit!

Okay so you finally have the most adorable puppy in the world.  You can’t help yourself from talking like a baby as you pet its fluffy little head.  Let me take a little time to help prevent your baby talk from becoming yelling and swearing.  Let’s get started!

Always remember two words when it comes to training your pooch – association and consistency.  Dogs will always associate everything they do with a reaction from you.  If you’re not consistent with those reactions, then the dog can become confused as to what is right and what is wrong.  Making sure everyone in the household is on board with training the dog properly is a huge key to success.  When you find the dog doing something undesirable, you have to catch it in the act in order to properly get the dog to understand that what it did was wrong. Startling the dog with a stern “NO” or rattling a can containing coins or pebbles will usually do the trick.  Never punish your puppy after the fact.  He will have no idea why you are correcting him because the offense he committed was too long ago.

Housebreaking is going to be the biggest hurdle to get over.  The best thing to do is to get a crate for the times you leave the house and at night.  Make sure the crate is the proper size for your breed.  Most crates come with a divider panel allowing you to adjust the amount of space your dog gets as he grows.  Never give your new puppy more room than it needs to lay.  Dogs (myself included) never like to lie where they’ve done number one or number two.  If you give them too much room they will do their business at one end and sleep at the other.  While you are home, you should never give your pup full run of the house.  Keeping the dog confined to one room, or better yet always having the dog around you will lessen the likelihood of finding “surprises” later.  It’s going to take some time to learn the dog’s habits.  You really won’t know if the sniffing around is just to check things out or because nature has called.  Taking the dog out every 20-30 minutes the first couple days is a good idea.  Always have a small soft treat for a reward with you.  When the deed is done, show your excitement and follow that with the treat.  Now remember, accidents will happen.  Even if puppy is in the act, pick him up and take him outside and use an association command.  I like “potty outside” followed by another treat.  Soon enough he’ll get the idea.

Biting and chewing of things in the house can be an issue in the early stages.  Keep plenty of edible bones and chew toys around.  Chewing is very natural behavior for a puppy, so it is important to direct him to chew on items which you provide for him.  Bones or toys that are round in shape present more of a challenge since it’s harder to get to the back teeth were the most destruction occurs. Another issue is when the dog bites you or a child.  This is normal play in puppies as they interact with family members human or canine.  Puppies must be taught to be gentle when their mouths and teeth come in contact with people.  I’m not a fan of playing tug-of-war.  Whatever you’re holding may be interpreted as an extension of you which in turn promotes biting of hands.  If your puppy bites down on your hand a little too hard, let out a “yelp” very loudly, then turn and walk away.  Your dog will learn that if he bites a human too hard he will lose his playmate.

Barking is a normal response for all dogs to some extent.  Strangers, other dogs, the doorbell, or in my dogs case the wind can all be a trigger to a barking response.  If your puppy barks for attention, give him a stern “NO BARK,” make him sit, and praise him for sitting.  Sounds easier said than done, I know, but remember to be consistent.  If he continues to bark, isolate him in a room where he is left alone so he will learn that barking will get him excluded from family activities.

Hygiene is something that a lot of people overlook.  If you start your puppy early with toe trimming, teeth brushing, ear cleaning, and general grooming, you’ll have an easier time of it as the dog grows older.  At about 8-10 weeks, start to gradually get the dog used to having these procedures done.  Follow the task with a favorite treat or a game of fetch and soon your dog will look forward to its mani-pedi.

Keep in mind that every dog isn’t perfect.  With positive praise and consistency from the start, it won’t be long until your mischievous canine will be the joy of the family.