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Separation anxiety. Such a tough thing and it affects both cats and dogs. While we hear about it more often with dogs; cats display separation anxiety but in different, more subtle ways. For example, they may not be eating as much as normal, sleeping more than normal, hiding more. When you return, they may be glued to your side and snuggle more than usual.
With dogs, it’s usually more obvious that they’re anxious. They may pace, whine, bark, howl, tear things up, urinate or defecate in the house when they were once perfectly housetrained, they may shake or hide, pant when not hot or yawn even though they aren’t tired. With life starting to return to “normal” and working in the office seems like it’s making a return, our pets will see this as an unwelcome change to their new routines. Our pets are more used to us being home for days on end, vs pre-pandemic when they may have been alone for 8+ hours a day. Remember from a pets point of view, a year is a very long time. Some suggestions for easing your pet into your new routine. Start slowly. Before jumping into a new routine where you and/or the whole family is gone for hours a day, start by leaving for 1-2 hours per day. Then gradually start to increase the time from, 2-3 hours, then 3-4 hours and so on. This will give your pet the chance to adapt to the new schedule and get used to being alone again. If your pet is still struggling, we recommend trying some CBD to calm their anxiety. Consider getting Adpatil for your dog and/or Feliway for your cat to ease anxiety. You can have both in your home if you have both cats and dogs. Cats cannot smell the dog pheromones and dogs cannot smell the cat pheromones. Also, try leaving safe chew toys with your pet. Interactive food puzzles, calming music or the TV on. Practice crate training again for your dog. Consider hiring a professional dog walker to come in midday to take your dog out for a walk and tire him out so he sleeps most of the time you’re gone. We also recommend these tips if you’re planning on a vacation. If your pet gets stressed just by seeing your suitcase, long before your trip, just bring out your suitcase for a few hours and put it away. Then take it out again for maybe a day, put some clothes in it and put it away again. By doing this, your pet won’t automatically associate the suitcase with you leaving. Also, reward your pet with a treat if they see the suitcase or if they hop in it. Again, associating it with good things will help your pet alleviate their anxieties. Given the past year we’ve all had, I’m positive we’ve all felt a sense of anxiety at one point or another. And knowing how we feel about anxiety, we should do all we can to help alleviate our pet’s anxieties. As hard as it is for us humans, it’s even more difficult for pets since they have even less control over their own lives. I hope these tips help you and your furry family members navigate this crazy life. https://www.cesarsway.com/dealing-with-dog-separation-anxiety/
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Easter is on Sunday (4/4/2021), so hard to believe! But with Easter comes it’s own share of pet safety concerns. From chocolate bunnies, to Easter basket grass, to family members not keeping doors closed, to Easter lilies, there are a few things to keep in mind this weekend.
Chocolate bunnies, plastic Easter eggs, candy, etc: Chocolate should not be ingested by any pet as it is toxic and requires an immediate vet visit. Do not offer your pet any Easter candy, no human candy is safe for pets as they contain fake colors, sugars and other chemicals that are dangerous to pets if ingested. Easter Dinner: While a few bites of lean ham/meat (no fat) or plain green beans/veggies are ok, everything else should not be given to your pet. Onions, garlic, grapes are all toxic to pets, fatty foods can lead to gastrointestinal issues and pancreatitis. Avoid salty foods as well. Easter Basket Grass: Jenn has personal experience with this one. Her childhood cat decided to eat the plastic Easter grass in her basket. This landed him at the emergency vet overnight while they worked to get him to pass it. Paper grass is a safer option, but even so, if your pet eats too much, it could cause a blockage and a visit to the emergency vet. So be mindful of your child’s Easter basket, and make sure it’s kept out of the reach of pets. Family/friends gathering: If you’re having family and friends over for Easter this year, be sure to remind your guests to keep doors and gates closed so your pet does not escape. If your pet is feeling nervous about seeing a bunch of people after a year of really only seeing you and your immediate family (and possibly your dog walker), put your pet in a quiet room or in their crate for the duration of the gathering. Give them a safe bone or chew toy to keep them busy. Also play relaxing music or put on doggy/kitty TV for them. Easter lilies: NO! These are not to be brought into your home if you have pets, no exceptions! All parts of the plant are toxic and absolutely deadly to cats. If you like the look of lilies, get a fake plant. The life of your pet is not worth a pretty flower. Alcohol: NO! While it may seem cute to see your pup drink some beer or wine from your glass, it is not ok. Alcohol is very toxic to pets and just a little bit can lead to kidney failure. While all these things need to be considered during Easter, we want you to enjoy the holiday with your family/friends and your pets as well. Happy Easter to those who celebrate and make it a safe one for you, your family and your pets.  No bones about it, dogs love to chew. But why do they chew? Can I give my dog anything to chew on? Why does he chew himself? What can I give my dog to chew on that is safe? I’m here to answer all of these questions.
So why does your dog chew? The simple answer is it’s instinctual. Dogs chew for a variety of reasons, sometimes to relieve stress, sometimes because something on their body itches or hurts, sometimes because they are bored and it’s just plain fun for them. The act of chewing releases endorphins, they get that happy feeling when they are chewing on something. Chewing is also good for oral health, maintaining strong jaws and good for mental stimulation. Destructive chewing is something that’s best avoided, however. If your dog is chewing on inappropriate things, it’s time to do some investigating and also some training. If you don’t teach your dog what is appropriate to chew on and what is not, they will find anything to satisfy that craving --and you may not like the result. Train early on what is appropriate to chew on; toys, bones, etc. If you find the chewing is due to separation anxiety, it’s time to find ways to relieve that anxiousness. Crate training is one of the best ways to keep separation anxiety at bay. Contrary to what some believe, crate training is not punishment. Think of it more as your dog's safe space; their room. This is where they can go when they need to be at peace, when they need some quiet and alone time. If your dog is anxious when left home alone, putting them in their crate with a safe chew toy is one of the best things you can do. Pheromone diffusers or sprays can help alleviate anxiety. Adaptil is a great brand. If your dog is chewing on themselves, this is also destructive chewing. This can be due to a number of things. First thing to do, is make a vet appointment to rule out any pain or skin itchiness issues. If your dog comes home with a clean bill of health, it’s time to look deeper. Are they anxious? See the suggestions above or seek the advice of a behaviorist. Are they bored? They probably need more mental stimulation like play time, daily walks (find a professional dog walker in your area here), food puzzles, chew toys/bones, trick training (the list of tricks is endless depending on how talented your pup is). In terms of chew bones, there is one I recommend and that is a raw bone. These come in a variety of different types, marrow bones, knuckle bones and femurs. I recommend getting beef or lamb as they are large animals and it’s less likely your dog will swallow the bone, potentially causing a choking hazard. NEVER leave your dog unattended with a bone, while the risk is less with larger bones, it is never zero. And NEVER EVER feed cooked bones to your dog! If they accidentally ingest a cooked bone, go to the vet immediately!! Click here for more in depth info on raw bones. Do not feed rawhide either, that is made mostly of toxic chemicals in a factory. For chew toys, there are a plethora of items on the market. I love the ones that you can put food in or smear peanut butter (xylitol and sugar free of course) in the center, like a Kong. Just be sure to get toys that are size appropriate for your dog. A toy that is too small can cause a choking hazard and a toy that is too large will be frustrating for your dog. Avoid toys where your dog can chew off smaller pieces and potentially swallow them, this also is a choking or intestinal blockage hazard. Because I am an advocate for pet wellness, I have to state the obvious. Below is copy and pasted from the
 If you follow my pet sitting business (Jenn’s Pet TLC, LLC) on Facebook, you may have seen the post on the article from USA Today about the potential dangers of the ever popular Seresto flea collars for dogs and cats. Sadly, these collars have been linked to nearly 1,700 pet deaths, according to the article. While the EPA has issued no warning, it is our duty as pet parents to be our pets best advocate. It’s important to remember when using a flea collar, like Seresto, your pet is being exposed to small doses of pesticides, 24/7, for as long as the pet wears the collar.
Cats are especially sensitive to flea preventatives with many causing seizures and even death. For cats, we recommend using Cheristin. Our cats tolerate it very well as opposed to Advantage or other strong chemical brands. For dogs, it’s best to talk with your vet as different brands are better for different sizes and ages of dogs. Equally as important is not to solely go on the cost of the flea/pest preventative for your pet. A cheaper flea preventative could make your pet very sick as the ingredients won’t be as high in quality. According to MedVet.com “Common signs of toxicity from flea products containing organophosphates are diarrhea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, small pupils, muscle tremor, weakness or falling over, and drooling. Organophosphate toxicity can be rapidly fatal, depending on the ingredients and dose the pet is exposed to.” The more natural route is diatomaceous earth (food grade only!!). There are many pet safe DE products on the market, but how it works is the DE acts like tiny shards of glass with razor sharp edges, when the fleas come in contact with it, it creates tiny scrapes on their body that cause them to dry out and die. Unless the product specifically says so, only spread out your home, not on your pet. Vacuum up the DE after a few days. For more tips, click here. To sum up, flea and tick preventatives should not be taken lightly. These are pesticides that we are putting on our pets and we need to ensure the product is safe and will not make them sick.  As they say, “no hoof, no horse”. What that means is when a horse’s hoof hurts, the horse cannot perform or move as they should, and they are in pain. But keeping your horse’s hooves healthy is usually as simple as regular farriery work and good footing (though some horses seem to have less than ideal hooves that require more careful maintenance). My horse sees his farrier every 7 weeks. He is barefoot with great hooves, so he can go a little longer between trimmings. If your horse is shod, they may need new shoes/pads every 4-6 weeks (though I have heard some go as long as 8 weeks). My advice, talk with your farrier. They know your horse best and will help you determine the best schedule. And remember, not all farriers are the same. A good farrier will have a good education under their belt and have gone through an apprenticeship for a few years. Don’t be afraid to ask them about their background. Even a well educated farrier may not be right for your horse however. I tired one guy that would smack my horse for the slightest shift. He trimmed Harley exactly once; I was not going to have him smacking my horse around like that.
Spring can be the worst time of year for keeping healthy hooves. If you live in an area that gets a lot of rain, the mud that results can be a breeding ground for bacteria. That bacteria can enter into a tiny hole or crack in the hoof or coronet band to create the dreaded abscess. I can hear you groaning from here. Every horse owner will have to deal with an abscess at some point in time. Some are worse than others (apparently my horse had one once, but never knowed signs of lameness, my farrier found the divet). Thrush is another headache for horse owners to deal with. Less painful than an abscess, it still needs to be treated. Thrush occurs from bacteria getting into the frog. This usually happens when the hoof is constantly in moisture without anytime to dry out. Best way to avoid an abscess or thrush, is to try and keep your horse on dry footing as much as possible during the wet months; either with mats, gravel, shavings or some combo of all three. Daily hoof cleaning and application of treatments like Thrush Buster (my personal favorite but that stuff will stain anything purple) can help keep hooves healthy before bacteria seeps in. Treating abscesses and thrush is best done under supervision of both your vet and farrier. Need some extra help keeping your horses hooves healthy? You may want to consider a supplement like Farrier’s Formula or a biotin supplement. Adding some canola or vegetable oil to their feed is another budget friendly option. Keeping your horse on a regular exercise program can also help them maintain healthy hooves. Exercise helps to promote good circulation and proper hoof growth. Your horses' hooves are a vital part of keeping them healthy. Make sure to inspect/clean them daily, treat as necessary and maintain regular farrier visits. Resources: Thrush Buster: https://bit.ly/2OUUSjO https://horseandrider.com/health/hoof-care-help https://www.lifedatalabs.com/farriers-formula Valentine's day is just around the corner! Don’t have a significant other? That's okay; you have your pet!! While you may not be able to celebrate in the traditional fashion, who cares as long as you’re having fun with your furry friend?
Have a significant other but want to include your pet? Keep reading as well. One fun thing you can do is make your pet a special meal (just be sure not to make it too rich or with too many fatty foods or it could cause stomach upset) or add something special to their regular food like small amounts of cheese, whipped cream, nut butter (check to make sure that it is free from Xylitol) or raw beef. For dessert you can make them some homemade Pupcakes made with peanut butter and bananas. (Click here for the recipe) Then snuggle up on the couch under the blankets with your dog or cat, with your favorite warm beverage, and turn on your favorite RomCom to enjoy the best night ever. A few safety things to consider though (after all, this wouldn’t be a wellness blog without the safety considerations). Be sure to keep all chocolates out of the reach of your pets. While milk chocolate is not as deadly as dark chocolate, it can still cause stomach upset, diarrhea and nasty gas. If you suspect your pet has eaten chocolate, call your vet immediately. You may be wondering what it is about dark chocolate that makes it so dangerous; it's the caffeine and theobromine which are both toxic to dogs. Click the link here to learn more about chocolate toxicity in dogs. If you purchase flowers or receive flowers as a gift, make sure they do not have lilies in the bouquet. Lilies are very toxic to dogs and deadly for cats. Click here for more information on why lilies are toxic. Also, if you choose to imbibe during Valentines Day, do not offer your pet any alcohol --this is also very toxic to your pet! One final thing: If you do have a significant other who does not live with you and you are inviting them over for Valentines Day, be sure your pet is comfortable having them around. Your cat may hide when they come over. Let them hide and feel safe in their spot until they are ready to meet your guest. If your dog is nervous, be sure to properly introduce your guest to your dog, let your dog smell them and approach at their pace. Never force an animal to interact with any guest in your home. February is pet dental health month. Just like the health of your teeth and mouth is important to your overall health and wellbeing, same goes for your pet. The best way to help your pet maintain a healthy mouth is to brush their teeth. Now you don’t need to brush twice a day like we humans do, but a few times a week is recommended to prevent dental disease. But before you go at your dog or cat with a pet safe toothbrush loaded with pet safe toothpaste, you first need to get them used to it. Start by rubbing your pets gums with your finger, reward them for accepting it. Next, introduce the brush to your pet, by letting them smell it, chew it if they like, rub on it, reward them for accepting it. Then start to touch their teeth with the brush (don’t move it across their teeth yet), reward them for accepting it. Slowly start to move the brush back and forth across a few teeth until you’ve worked your way up to all the teeth, reward each step as they accept it. Let them smell and taste some of the pet safe toothpaste, reward them for accepting it. Finally, put some pet safe toothpaste on the pet safe toothbrush and start brushing, reward them for accepting it. All of these steps will take days to weeks to implement. It all depends on the pet and their tolerance for the brush and the paste. Cats may take longer than a dog. Never force your pet to accept any of these steps. This is meant to be enjoyable or at least train them enough to accept it.
If you tried and your pet absolutely will not accept the toothbrush/toothpaste combo (looking at you Chester and Lilly!) you can try hard chews such as those that are fully edible and made from ingredients such as milk, cheese, human grade tapioca or potatoes (or compressed vegetables), NO RAWHIDES!! They’re not as healthy as you think! Another good choice is a recreational bone made from big beef or bison bones. These bones should still have some meat and soft tissue attached to it and I hear you “ew gross that sounds awful”. It may be to us, but to your dog, all that leftover meat and soft tissue is floss for their teeth. Sadly for cats, there aren’t a lot of good options on the market for dental chews. Greenies are popular, but they’re honestly not a great option, just look at the first few ingredients: Chicken meal, wheat, brown rice, corn gluten meal, poultry fat. These are not ingredients for good dental health. It would be like your dentist telling you to eat potato chips to keep your teeth clean. Please, please, please do not buy “dental diet”, “prescription/veterinary/special” food either. It’s exactly the same as the Greenies. You can try adding a dental additive to their water, just make sure they also have another option of fresh clear water. Cats are notorious for not drinking enough water and you don’t want to give them an excuse to drink less. Another option I like is Plaque Off powder or a similar seaweed product. It’s a simple additive to their food and it helps to keep their teeth clean and no bad ingredients: Ascophyllum Nodosum (seaweed) and (some contain) Brewer's Yeast, that’s it. So in summary, DO NOT: feed any rawhide. I’ll link a video down below explaining the truth about how rawhides are made (disclaimer: if you have a weak stomach, don’t watch). Avoid Greenies for dogs and cats, they’re made from ingredients that don’t actually help with dental health. Avoid the “dental diets” as they are just as bad as the greenies. Stay away from pigs ears, nylabones, plastic bones, or anything they can chew and break off and possibly swallow. DO: teeth brushing with pet safe toothpaste and toothbrushes, seaweed powder, recreational bones with meat and soft tissue still attached. Helpful Links: PetMd Tips for Brushing Teeth Healthy Pet Detal Treet I must admit it took me some time to decide on what my first actual pet wellness blog post should be, then I read an article in an older issue of Pet Sitter's World, about household hazards for indoor pets and a light bulb went off in my head. Currently, we’re still in the throes of the pandemic lockdowns here in California and we’re being told that chemicals like lysol and clorox are the best at killing the nasty COVID virus. While that is true, there is also a real danger when using those products around our pets. See what most don’t realize is the surface needs to be wet for 30 seconds to 2 minutes to kill the virus. Honestly, that is an eternity when it comes to keeping pets off of a surface! Seriously, sit there for 2 minutes and do nothing. The chemical in products like lysol and pine sol, or other products with -sol at the end are made from phenol which is very toxic to dogs and cats, cats being especially sensitive to it. At Jenn’s Pet TLC, we are using alcohol wipes to disinfect because they are much less toxic and the surface dries much quicker than a lysol or clorox wipe. And please, please DO NOT do what that new lysol commercial is doing and spray the dog bed, cat bed or any surface your pet sleeps on with the disinfectant spray, I have half a mind to write to them to tell them how dangerous that is! The article from PSW recommends using Simple Green, which I agree is a very good product and it’s safe for the environment as well. For disinfecting we recommend alcohol wipes, vinegar based products or hydrogen peroxide based products. Be careful even with products labeled “natural” they can still contain ingredients dangerous to pets. “Natural” is a non-regulated term and really anyone can use it on their products. If you suspect your pet has gotten into something toxic take them to the vet immediately. You can also call the ASPCA poison control hotline 888-426-4435, but be aware that a fee applies.
Other household hazards can include plants like poinsettias and lilies which are the biggest dangers. There are others, but your best bet is to only keep pet friendly plants like wheatgrass, honeysuckle, catnip and some ferns like the Boston fern in your home. Click here for a link from Better Homes and Gardens on 15 Pet Friendly plants. In addition to plants, some foods and medications are dangerous. Avoid feeding grapes and raisins as they can cause kidney failure. Xylitol is a must to keep away as this is very deadly. Don’t feed garlic or onions or any seasoned meats/food to your pet. Other things like macadamia nuts, dairy (fed as a treat or pill masker is ok), yeast dough, chocolate, coffee, alcohol and chives. Aspirin and Tylenol must be kept from dogs and cats, but with cats it's especially deadly. Be careful when using essential oils as some pets are more sensitive than others. ALWAYS use a brand that you know is a good quality like DoTerra, YoungLiving or Arbonne and ALWAYS allow your pet to exit the room where the oils are being used. Unless given the ok by a vet, do not put essential oils on your pet. Our pets are like perpetual toddlers, if they can get into trouble they will and it just takes a little effort to make sure your home is safe for your indoor pet. Remember, they are there 24/7; even you are not home that much (even in a pandemic). If you’d like to read the full article in PSW it is linked here. Any questions or comments, please drop one below. Well I guess I should start somewhere and the best place to start is the beginning.
Hello, my name is Jenn Hodge, CPPS (that's Certified Professional Pet Sitter), and I have a passion for pets. Since 2009, I've had my own professional pet sitting and dog walking business. Over the years, I've noticed that many clients have questions and concerns about their pets' overall health and wellness. When I started looking into the pet food industry as a whole, I discovered lots of confusion, misinformation --and few easy answers for the average pet parent. Not only that, but the overall health of our pets has been deteriorating over the years with various chronic conditions like obesity, diabetes, joint pain, etc. It breaks my heart to see these pets hurting and sick and their pet parents without any good answers. While I'm not a vet, I am working on my Pet Nutrition Certification and you're here to witness my journey as I study pet nutrition and overall pet wellness. Together we'll discover how to help your pet live their best life possible with proper nutrition, a cat or dog friendly home environment, great tips and more! I will always encourage you to have a conversation with your vet before trying anything new, but I also encourage you to find a holistic vet or a vet that practices both natural and traditional medicine. Just as with human doctors, one vet cannot know all the answers nor do they all have one collective opinion. So welcome to my journey to help pet parents (that's you!) discover how to help their pets live their best lives. This is going to be fun!! |
AuthorMy name is Jenn Hodge, CHPHC, CPPS. I've been a professional pet sitter since 2009 and I have a passion for helping your pets live their best life! I have 3 adorable and sassy cats, 1 horse. My husband, Ryan Hodge also works in my pet business. Archives
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