Happy Thanksgiving (How to keep your pets fit over the holidays)

Obesity rates have risen dramatically over the last few years, mostly contributed by over eating, poor diet and lack of exercise. Obese pets are usually accompanied by obese owners if owners exercised there dogs more it would improve there health as well.

I'm not saying they're bad owners they probably love there pets very much, but they are killing them with to much love.

I've heard people use excuses like it's to cold, to wet and a host of other excuses for not walking there dog if you're wrapped up well there's no excuse apart from laziness and if that's the case they would probably be better off with a cat or a gold fish as a pet.

I know times are hard financially but feeding cheap crappy food is not the way to go, all those colourings, E numbers and every other number number of the alphabet and all the other chemicals included plus most of the time it's not proper meat included it's all the crap scraped up off the slaughter house floor feathers saw dust, hooves and anything else that's lying around.

In the long run cheap food accompanied by lack of exercise works out more expensive because you end up with more frequent vet visits which don't work out cheap, cheap food will end up going straight through your dog were as better quality food stays in the system longer enabling the dogs to draw out the nutritional value from it so you end up feeding less and will also lead to firmer stools making it easier to clean up after them.

Ben Franklin said that “Experience is the best teacher, but a fool will learn from no other”.   Although dear old Ben was not known for his svelte body, he was quite a brilliant man.  With that said, we would like to share our second, reader inspired infographic with tips for keeping your dog fit and slim.   (You can see the first instalment here).

This infograph is loaded with great tips that have worked for others and that can be helpful to anyone who is trying to keep their dog fit.  Take advantage of this collective ‘experience’ to make it easier to keep your dog fit and slim.  Please share with your friends, family & readers.

Infographic kindly provided by SlimDoggy.

Getting  out for a good walk or a run on the park with your dog before the festivities begin can be a big help if they're tired there likely to be less of a pest and better behaved overall. A tired doggy is a happy doggy.

Despite the fact that it is easy to stay indoors and be lazy when the weather turns cold, it is more important than ever to keep your dog exercising through the fall and winter months.

Overweight pets are susceptible to the same types of life-shortening, chronic illnesses that humans can suffer from, such as heart disease, kidney disease, cancer, arthritis and diabetes. And given the fact that the Association for Pet Obesity estimates that more than half of all U.S. pets are overweight or obese, it is your duty as a pet owner to ensure that you furry friends gets the proper amount of exercise and activity that is necessary for their body in the colder months.

Here are just a few ways in which you and your dog can stay healthy and keep fit indoors this fall and winter season:

Teach Them Advanced Tricks.

As they say, you can never teach a dog too many tricks―and they are right! Not only are basic dog training commands a good way to stimulate your dogs mind and build up their basic skills and knowledge, but they also are a great bonding activity for you and your furry friend.

    Spinning: A good example of a dog tricks which will really get your dog moving is spinning. This fairly simple trick will teach your dog to spin in one direction, or can even have them switching between spinning left and right. Be sure to start your dog off small and work their way up to spinning all the way around once they get the hang of it.

   

 Backing Up: Not only is backing up a fun trick for dogs, but it can also come in handy in your day-to-day activities. If you have a dog who tends to jump at people when they walk through the door, or crowd you whenever you are in the kitchen or laundry room, backing up will help you to claim back your space. All you need is a few dog treats and a little bit of patience to get your dog to back up a few steps when they hear the signal.

 Play Tug-Of-War: Many pet owners are unsure about playing tug-of-war with their dogs because they feel as though the game may bring out aggressive behaviour in their pets. However, this game is actually a great form of physical and mental exercise for your dog.

Find An Indoor Pet Centre: If you have a large dog and do not have enough space to get some quality exercise in your home, try enrolling your dog at an indoor pet centre. Many of these centres are available across the United States and offer classes such as agility courses, canine play dates, pet yoga classes, and even dog-friendly meet and greets for both pet and owner.

Play Hide and Seek: One favourite indoor activity for both pet and owner is good ol’ fashion hide and seek. This game can be played several different ways and can involve multiple people and toys to keep your pets attention. When playing with toys, hide your pets favourite things in various spots around your home when they are not paying attention. Once everything is carefully hidden away in different spots, ask your dog to go and find each of them. They can become fooled for quite awhile, while also getting plenty of exercise racing and running throughout the house.

You can also play this game with yourself and a friend. Try hiding in different rooms or spots in your house and call your dog once you are completely hidden out of site. Once they have found you, reward them with a piece of dog food or their favourite treat, and tell them to go and find your friend. This will not only help to get in a good workout for your dog, but it is also a great bonding activity for the both of you.

Information taken from PetAG

(Click image to enlarge)

[ SOURCE: Carrington's Veterinary Assisting Program ]

Related posts.

History of Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving pet safety.

Happy Thanksgiving stay safe and keep healthy.

Wordless Wednesday.

Happy Thanksgiving (Pet Safety)

Last year I concentrated on the history of Thanksgiving so this year I thought I would concentrate on the pets.

Normally I would get envious of all my American friends celebrating Thanksgiving and eating all that turkey because we don't celebrate it in the UK, but not this year and here's why because this year we're off to the Lake District on holiday from the 21st December - 4th January 2014 so Cody and Coco have to go in the Cattery for 2 weeks which Mum and Dad aren't happy with but can't be helped so they've brought Christmas forward this year so we can all celebrate as a family together Christmas tree up early, presents under the tree early for the cats I bet I wont get to open up mine early but the main advantage is I get 2 Christmases one with Cody and Coco and one on Christmas day when were away which means two lots of turkey I'm going to be one spoiled Doggy but I won't complain.

I will have to try and not make the same mistake as last year, when Dad said do I fancy a night time walk before bed so I can relieve myself I never knew it was a secret code for do I fancy going the pub while he has a quick pint, I don't know how to take it being used for an excuse so he can go the pub but extra turkey on my plate at Christmas might compensate for it, I slipped up one night though Dad was watching TV so Mum walked me everything was going fine though until we walked past the pub and I dragged Mum in I thought it was just part of the routine.

Now for the important stuff.

Infographic provided by Doggie Health Insurance.

As in all cases prevention is better than cure, keep leftover food out of reach and in tightly secured containers and keep garbage containers secure so pets can't get into them and chew on tin foil, baking string and anything else that might be bad for them.        

• Cooked bones can splinter and cause tears or obstruction in a pet's digestive tract.
• Baking strings, if ingested, can create trouble if ingested by your pet.
• Onions in holiday stuffing can lead to canine anaemia if consumed by your dog.
• Grapes and raisin toxins can cause kidney failure in pets.
• Ingesting chocolate can kill your pet.
• Caffeine and alcohol are also toxic for pets.
• Keep all goodies out of reach!  
• Rich, fatty foods (turkey skins, gravy, etc,) can contribute to pancreatitis. This inflammation of the digestive gland is painful and can be serious--requiring emergency veterinary assistance.     

Before you sit down to feast,  take away temptation-from both guests and pets. If you feed pets before the guests arrive you reduce the temptation for begging and stealing and they will more than likely sleep with having a full tummy. You can also use a pet gate or play pen to house the pet nearby, but provide a safety barrier.

One of the easiest ways to avoid trouble is to make sure your guests know the pet rules and discourage them from feeding pets scraps from the table.  The best approach is to make sure any animal is occupied with a chew or playmates in another room. Once the table is cleared, make sure pets cannot get to scraps or bones.

Make sure all house guests know the house rules regarding your pets, they might not have pets of there own and don't realise the dangers, most guests like to make a fuss of our pets so to make things easier place bowls of dog and cat treats around the house so they can treat them safely at the same warning them of the dangers of feeding human  food high in sodium such as peanuts and fatty foods (like poultry skin or fat) can cause the inflammation of the pancreas. Pancreatitis is potentially life-threatening condition.)

Infographic provided by PetCare

There's no reason why dogs and cats can't enjoy the holiday season as long as we use common sense and everyone obeys the rules and remember to serve up smaller portions of there normal food to compensate for the extra treats they might receive.

• If you’re going to be adding unusual foods to your pet’s diet on Thanksgiving, do so in moderation.
• Stay away from turkey skins, as these aren't good for pets!
• Feed your pet less of their usual food on days when they’ll be getting extra goodies. Overeating is uncomfortable for humans, but can be very serious in dogs. Gastric torsion, or twisting of the stomach, can occur when a dog overindulges. Pancreatitis can occur when they have foods that are too rich, like the turkey skins mentioned above. These conditions can be expensive for you, and uncomfortable or even deadly for them.
• Mix table scraps in with reduced portions of the food they’re used to. This can help ease digestion.
• Share Thanksgiving foods at the pet’s meal time, and in their food bowl, instead of handing them tiny bits throughout the day. This should help stave off unwanted behaviours like constant begging. It will also help you keep track of how much your pet is actually eating. A little here and a little there can add up to a lot -- just ask any Weight Watcher!

THANKSGIVING FOODS THAT ARE NOT SAFE TO SHARE WITH YOUR CAT OR DOG

Avoid these ingredients, always:

• Raw poultry
• Turkey skin
• Butter and oils
• Bones, especially cooked bones, which are likely to splinter
• Alcohol: beer, wine, or anything else
• Nuts, especially walnuts or macadamia nuts
• Sweets like cookies, pie, and cake
• Onions, or anything with onion in it, even if the onions are cooked or macerated
• Garlic
• Some mushrooms (so to be safe, avoid all mushrooms)
• Some herbs like sage and nutmeg

THANKSGIVING FOODS THAT ARE SAFE TO SHARE WITH YOUR PET

These foods can be safely shared with your beloved cat or dog on Thanksgiving. Remember to moderate for your pet, even if it’s hard to do for yourself.

• Turkey, boneless
• Whole raw eggs
• Sweet potato or yams, as long as there’s no onions or cream involved
• Canned pureed pumpkin
• Raw apple (but not the seeds)
• Raw veggies like carrots
• Steamed veggies like green beans or broccoli
• Any rice, brown, white, or wild

THANKSGIVING FOODS FOR CATS: A REMINDER

Cats are obligate carnivores. This means they thrive on a diet primarily of meat. Meat can safely be shared with your cat on Thanksgiving. Other foods should be given in only very small amounts. Some cats just love sweet potatoes, but it's up to you to restrict their carb intake.

Remember, cats are much smaller than most dogs so your cat really shouldn't get more than a tablespoon of Thanksgiving fixings. An excess of veggies or carbs could give them an upset stomach.

And last but not least don't forget there exercise so they can burn off the excess calories and keep them fit and healthy.

Keep fit post to follow on Thursday.

Have a great Thanksgiving.

Animal odd couples part 2.

This post is a continuation of Animal odd couples and should of been scheduled for Thursday but than I remembered it was Thanksgiving Day in America and I've already got a post scheduled for than.

Animal odd couples part 1 Here.

Grumpy Cat Sunday.

Animal odd couples.

I watched a programme on BBC1  last night about how animals form relationships with other species, it was amazing some of the bonds formed it made me cry in a nice way it was so cute part 2 is on next Thursday so will put up another post then.

These videos will make you feel warm inside.

I couldn't find anymore video previews but found some stills.

Orangutan (Hanuman) and dog (Roscoe) in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Hanuman used to take Roscoe for a walk.

Capybara (Cheesecake) and her puppies in Rocky Ridge Refuge, Arkansas, USA.

Camilla the Giraffe and Charles the Kudu at Glen Afric, Broedestroom, South Africa.

Polar Bear and the Huskies.

Watching the program made me realise how remarkable animals are the way they accept each other and form inter species relationships yet humans can't even get along with there own species It's enough to make you ashamed to be human.

Part 2 next Thursday.

Poop Patrol #Scoop That Poop.

To be perfectly honest we shouldn't even be having this conversation or blog hop, as a nation of dog lovers it should be second nature to scoop the poop after all when you buy a dog you should be prepared. I don't know about a nation of dog lovers it's a pity we're not a nation of intelectuals who understand what keeping a dog consists of.

Unfortunately this time of year things get worse, with the leaves falling off the trees covering the poop people think out of site out of mind would they be so lenient if there children fell face down in the poop or putting it in there mouths and ended up going blind because of there laziness. Toxocara AKA Toxocariasis caused by round worm and the chances are people who don't pick up after there pets don't worm them either.

Dad thinks the heading Poop Patrol is very fitting because every time we go out for a walk he says it's like looking for land mines lurking in the under growth just waiting to be stood on.

Signs are no good if they're not enforced, and that's where the problems lie people know there's know one to enforce the fines. 

And before we know it we will be seeing more signs like that above, which only serves to punish law abiding responsible dog owners.

Infographic courtesy of Pet Butler.

Click here to find out more about The Big Scoop!  

Even the Dogs Trust is raising awareness.

Paws for the Philippines and all those affected by Typhoon Haiyan.

Infographic kindly provided by BlogPaws.

Our thoughts are with all those affected by Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines, I'm sure by now we've all seen the destruction caused by Typoon Haiyan in the Philippines the images we've seen have been heartbreaking, and getting aid out to the remote areas is proving to be an uphill struggle but the rescuers are doing a sterling job and relief aid will get through. Anything's possible when we all join forces and put our minds to it.

We're all praying for the victims and survivors.

Wordless Wednesday.

Me with my Grandma aka treat provider, she spoils me but I don't mind.

Samson Dogue de Bordeaux, still looking for his forever home.

This gorgeous lad is still looking for his forever home. Poor lad has been let down twice through no fault of his own. Let's make it our mission to find him a place to call his homexxxx

Guys we currently have 6 dogs waiting to come in that need dog free homes. This is a fantastic way to see if the Dogue de Bordeaux is the dog for you. We also need foster mums and dads with friendly dogs too who wouldn't mind sharing the love for a little while. Please share this poster and let's get these dogs into loving homes asapxxxx

Dogue de Bordeaux welfare facebook page.

Renembrance Sunday.

There's no Grumpy cat today, we're remaining silent out of respect for our Armed Forces who gave there lives to give us the freedom we take for granted today. And God bless our serving troops especially those serving in Afghanistan may you all return home safely. 

Wordless Wednesday.

Sleeping cats and dogs.

I like the ones of Sheba with the cats, it goes to show Dogs and Cats can get on well.

Diesel and Poppy, 2 gorgeous Dogue de Bordeaux's up for adoption.

This is the Blog Hop that features shelter animals. Find a cat, dog, rabbit, etc. at your local animal shelter or rescue and feature them on this Blog Hop! Come join the fun and help a furry friend find a forever home! And while you’re at it, don’t forget to visit the other blogs and share their doggies, cats, rabbits, and all the other animals that need forever homes on your social media sites. Please spread the word!

Ps Just a quick update on Diesel. Well guys Diesel one of the dogs that was living in a shed before going into foster has so far been neutered had a Hernia fixed and was microchipped and today he had 2 cherry eye's operated on all of this treatment combined came to £599.16 Paragon Vets in Dalston have been so good with him and we thank them for the amazing care given. We are asking all our supporters to help with this bill by simply donating £1 to the link below let's together make a difference to this amazing breedxxx

http://www.ddbwelfare.org.uk/

Sunday humour with Grumpy cat.