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  • Homeward Pet | Beyond Food and Shelter: The Essential Role of Enrichment in Your Cat’s Health and Happiness

    Homeward Pet | Beyond Food and Shelter: The Essential Role of Enrichment in Your Cat’s Health and Happiness


    Beyond Food and Shelter: The Essential Role of Enrichment in Your Cat’s Health and Happiness

    a Guest Post by Cat Topia

    For cats, the right environment and mental engagement are crucial to staying healthy and happy. Just like humans, cats need more than food, water, and shelter—they need mental and physical enrichment to truly thrive. Without proper enrichment, cats can experience boredom, which may lead to serious health issues. Let’s explore ways owners can add extra enrichment into their lives, such as through a catio.

    Why Enrichment Matters for Cats

    Enrichment for cats is more than entertainment; it’s essential to their well-being. In the wild, cats are natural hunters, driven to explore, hunt, and interact with their environment. Indoor cats, however, don’t have the same outlets to exercise these instincts, leading to potential boredom, stress, and even health issues.

    Think of it like this: if you could never access the outdoors—no sun on your face, no sounds of nature, and no fresh scents of changing seasons—you’d likely feel restless, even anxious. Similarly, without engagement, your cat can become mentally and physically stifled. Providing enrichment, then, allows them the chance to engage in natural behaviors, reducing the negative effects of a restricted lifestyle and promoting both mental and physical health.

    Behavioral Issues from Lack of Enrichment

    Without sufficient enrichment, cats can develop a range of behavioral issues, including:

    • Destructive Behavior: Cats may scratch furniture, knock objects over, or chew on things they shouldn’t. Often, these behaviors result from a need to release pent-up energy or relieve stress.
    • Aggression: Frustrated or anxious cats may become more aggressive toward other pets or people, sometimes reacting unpredictably to what they perceive as threats.
    • Excessive Vocalization: Bored cats may meow excessively to get attention, often as a way to express their dissatisfaction.
    • Lethargy or Obesity: Without enough stimulation, cats may become lazy and inactive, which can lead to weight gain and related health issues like diabetes and arthritis.
    • Depression and Anxiety: Like people, cats can experience depression or anxiety if they’re not given enough mental stimulation. They may withdraw, avoid interaction, or develop behaviors like over-grooming.

    Providing regular, engaging activities helps prevent these issues, making for a happier and healthier pet.

    Types of Enrichment for Cats

    1. Physical Enrichment: Encourage exercise through toys that mimic hunting (like feather wands) and create spaces for climbing and exploration with cat trees or shelves. Regular exercise helps maintain a healthy weight and relieves stress.
    2. Mental Stimulation: Toys that challenge a cat’s mind, such as puzzle feeders or treat-dispensing toys, can be fantastic tools. Rotating toys and introducing new ones also help maintain interest.
    3. Sensory Enrichment: Cats benefit from diverse sensory experiences. Interactive toys that make noise or have different textures can add variety. A simple window perch or bird feeder outside a window can provide hours of entertainment, as cats love watching wildlife.
    4. Social Interaction: While cats are often thought of as solitary, many enjoy interaction with humans or other pets. Setting aside time to play, groom, and cuddle with your cat can satisfy their need for companionship.
    5. Environmental Enrichment: Adding scratching posts, cardboard boxes, and hiding spots around the home can create an environment that caters to a cat’s natural instincts. Rearranging these occasionally can give your cat a sense of novelty in their surroundings.

    The Catio: A Perfect Solution for Enrichment

    A catio (an enclosed, outdoor cat patio) is one of the most effective ways to provide both physical and sensory enrichment. For indoor cats, a catio offers a safe way to experience the outdoors, complete with fresh air, sunlight, and a variety of sights and smells. Here’s how a catio contributes to enrichment:

    • Exercise and Exploration: With safe outdoor access, cats can move more freely and get additional exercise by jumping up ramps, running through enclosed tunnels, chasing fallen leaves blowing in the wind, and exploring their environment—all within the safety of their space.
    • Natural Stimuli: A catio provides sights like birds and squirrels, scents from plants and soil, and sounds of the outdoors—all of which engage a cat’s senses and keep their minds active.
    • Reduced Anxiety: Access to a catio can alleviate stress by giving cats a safe space to retreat to when they feel the need to recharge.

    Ways Owners Can Add Enrichment at Home

    If a catio isn’t feasible, there are still plenty of ways to enrich your cat’s life:

    • Create a “window world”: Set up a bird feeder outside a window and create a comfy perch inside so your cat can watch.
    • Rotate Toys: Switch out toys regularly to keep things fresh and engaging for your cat.
    • Engage in Interactive Play Daily: Spend a few minutes each day playing with your cat to mimic hunting behaviors.
    • Use Puzzle Feeders: Make mealtime more engaging by using puzzle feeders to give them a satisfying challenge during meals.
    • Consider a Companion: If your cat is social, introducing another cat (with proper introductions) can provide both physical and social enrichment.

    Why Enrichment is Crucial For a Happier Healthier Life

    By providing adequate enrichment, cat owners can help prevent a range of behavioral and health issues, giving their cats a happier and more balanced life. From a simple scratching post to a full catio, there are enrichment solutions for every space and budget. Remember, a well-enriched cat is a happy cat, and with some creativity, you can create a stimulating environment that keeps your feline friend active, engaged, and content.



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  • The Loss of my Dog, Regrets, and the Peak-End Rule

    The Loss of my Dog, Regrets, and the Peak-End Rule


    Clara, a tan dog lying on a bed with a colorful quilt. She has her mouth open in a relaxed and happy expression. There is a black ball in front of her between her feet.
    Our happy times were many and long, but usually not dramatic

    I first learned of the “peak-end rule” when I read Daniel Kahneman’s book, Thinking, Fast and Slow. I thought it was interesting and could relate. Years later, when Clara died, the reality of it hit me.

    This post reflects my state of mind immediately after I lost Clara. My perspective has widened over time and the pain has softened. I am not sinking into fixations or deep regrets. I gave her a good life. The concepts I discuss in this post are part of what helped me through my initial grief. I hope they will help others, as well.


    Bucket lists. A favorite last meal. A peaceful, painless death, surrounded by loved ones.

    It is natural to want the best for our beloved pets at the ends of their lives, as we have throughout them.

    Yet, after losing Clara, I noticed something in myself. I had a focus, almost an obsession with her last hours, her last day, her last week. Even her last couple of years. And I have seen this focus in many others.

    It has a name: the peak-end rule.

    Definitions: The Peak-End Rule and Duration Neglect

    The peak-end rule is a cognitive bias that causes us, when looking back on an experience, to focus on two things: the most intense part of it and the end.

    I’m not saying that these things aren’t important. But the peak-end rule can—and has been shown experimentally to—cause us to de-emphasize, even ignore long periods of pleasure and happiness. The same with long periods of moderate pain, when flanked by more extreme pain.

    Here’s a scientific definition:

    The peak-end rule . . . asserts that, when people retrospectively evaluate an experience (e.g., the previous workday), they rely more heavily on the episode with peak intensity and on the final (end) episode than on other episodes in the experience — Alaybek et al., 2022.

    A related effect is called duration neglect.

    . . . we define [duration neglect] as little or no independent effect of duration on retrospective evaluations of affective episodes. — Fredrickson & Kahneman, 1993.

    This is the flip side of the peak-end rule. We devalue duration in comparison with the peak and end of an experience, even if the peak and end are very brief compared to the total experience.

    Research has shown evidence for duration neglect when we recall both pleasant experiences (e.g. vacations) and unpleasant ones (medical procedures).

    Here’s an article with a good discussion of both the peak-end rule and duration neglect.

    The peak-end rule has been shown to apply to retrospectively assessing the happiness of a life (Kahneman, 2012, p. 387). So here I am, after Clara’s death, noticing the peak-end rule while thinking over her life.

    So Many Regrets (And Some Blessings)

    I have all these regrets relating to “the end.” They were very intense in the days after Clara died. In retrospect, this happened to varying degrees with my other dogs as well.

    Clara’s Potato Chip

    I wish I had given Clara a few more potato chips on her last night on earth. I gave her one, but she wanted more. What I would have given her had I known! And I kept thinking of it on the day she died. Why just ONE damn potato chip? Luckily, Ruth was more generous, and gave her three or four cheese crackers. I asked Ruth that day, after Clara was gone, how many she gave her the night before. I wept in gratitude about those crackers.

    But Clara had great food her whole life. Good nutrition to the best of my ability, but also wonderful treats, wonderful variety, very high-value foods. Homemade dog treats. People food. A grilled lean pork chop for her lessons. Fast food chicken sandwiches for training on the road and whipped cream pup cups. And since we moved here in 2018, after we eat, Ruth gives the dogs tastes of our suppers or other fun food that’s safe for them. She does this every day.

    Clara has had food that other dogs might only dream of, over the duration of her whole life. And I’m fixated on that one potato chip.

    Zani’s Ice Cream

    The hind end and tail of Zani, a black dog, are sticking straight up out of the top of a hollow tree stump. She is investigating something in the stump.
    A fun outing very close to the end of Zani’s life

    Out of all my dogs, I had the most warning that Zani was reaching the end of her life. She had a probable diagnosis of lymphoma, but she was still feeling good for a few weeks. We had time for a mini-bucket list. But you know what I focused on after she passed? My timing at her euthanasia. I was too late when I offered her some ice cream.

    It was a blessing that I could be there at all; it was the height of COVID, September 2020. It was also a blessing that she wasn’t scared at the vet. She walked in with the tech in her jaunty way, eager to find people to visit.

    But when the moment came, we were in a rush. I wasn’t fast enough with the vanilla ice cream I had brought in a thermos. Zani looked at it, then the sedation kicked in and she fell asleep. I still think about that ice cream. Is it about me and my fantasy of her perfect passing? Mostly. I still hope that she got enough of a whiff of the ice cream to have a happy feeling on the way out.

    But I have some sweet memories from Zani’s last days. There was the fun mini-trip I took with her four days before she died, many yummy meals, and the special chews that Debbie Jacobs sent us in the nick of time. Zani got to chew one on her last day, about an hour before her appointment. I am so grateful for that.

    Clara’s Training

    Clara, a tan dog with a black muzzle (now gone gray) and black ears, sits on top of a Klimb platform. She looks very happy.
    A rare training session in Clara’s last month, September 2024

    This one is not about the last moments, but the last years. I have a huge regret that I did not continue my training fun with Clara after Lewis came. He exhausted me. I wasn’t even able to do much of my own work for a long time. Luckily, Clara still had her walks. I had been walking her and my partner’s dog daily since April 2021 (then Lewis, starting in 2022). I am so grateful for that, and proud that I walked them so consistently. But Lewis dominated my time. Clara’s training games (and the trick title work) ceased abruptly. I feel guilty.

    This is a reasonable regret, more than a bias. We stopped doing something she loved. But feeling extra bad about it is an example of both the peak-end rule and duration neglect. Clara has gotten more of my time and attention than any other dog. We lived for each other. That never stopped. She has been on outings and gone places the others never have. For seven years, she had two fun lessons a week with a great trainer. We usually went to a shopping mall (ice cream!) or a beautiful park for a long walk.

    She got my best training self for ten years. And high value treats and much, much play. But because I stopped training with her for two years (with a few exceptions), and because it was during our last years together, I feel this guilt. If there had been a hiatus of a similar period, but in the middle of our lives together, I would have regrets, but the loss likely would not loom so large.

    I stopped walking the dogs for two weeks last summer after I sprained my ankle. I hated it for them. But since it wasn’t at the end for Clara, it doesn’t horrify me to think about. She got three more months of walks after that. And it’s a blessing to me that her last one was extra sweet because it was drizzling rain. That was her favorite kind of walk.

    A happy walk after a rain in May 2024

    Clara’s Last Hours

    Hemangiosarcoma just snuck up, so I don’t know that I could have done anything better. But I feel awful, of course, that her last hours on this earth were painful, and she was in a foreign place. No idyllic euthanasia at home after a perfect bucket week or month. But it helps immensely that I was with her at the very end, that I was the last thing she saw before she sank into peace. And it WAS peaceful. So much better than Cricket, who fought, and Summer, for whom I wasn’t present.

    Perhaps Clara was in as much pain, if I can compare, after her spay when she was a teenager. They let her come home the same day, because of her extreme fear. She was hurting. But I haven’t thought of that in years. It was not at the “end.”

    Do I seem callous for comparing these things? I am not undervaluing any of her pain. Just noting that her last morning “feels” like the worst to me. But I don’t know how it felt to her. And she is gone now, leaving me to think about her life.

    The GoPro

    Clara, a tan dog with a black but graying muzzle and black on her ears, "smiles" at the camera on a walk. She is wearing a black harness and standing in a driveway.
    My last, slightly goofy photo of Clara on a walk, a week before she died

    Another regret, and this one didn’t even affect her, only me. But it feels somehow like it affected her. I bought a GoPro, largely to get some candid shots of Clara and record the dogs on their walks. Clara reacted poorly to having a phone camera pointed at her for her whole life; I was hoping she would not do so with the GoPro. I got it about four days before she died. I didn’t know what was coming. I didn’t set it up in time.

    I almost deleted this example, since it feels in really bad taste to have the privilege to buy such a camera and then whine about not getting to use it. But I include it because it’s another example of bias. Because of my ankle sprain in June, I stopped using my phone to make videos of Clara’s walks. I needed to watch my footing better. I have many videos of Clara on walks. And while there are probably other three-month gaps in that set of videos, it specifically hurts that I don’t have any for her last three months.

    The Experiencing Self vs. the Remembering Self

    Kahneman talks about the “experiencing self” and the “remembering self” and their vastly different perceptions of situations and events. The remembering self is the one that values peaks and ends. The experiencing self. . . experiences. It’s the one living in the moment.

    I’m thinking about my living dogs now. Lewis and my partner’s Chihuahua mix, Choo Choo. Many people who have just lost a dog will say to others, “Hug your babies today, give them treats.” Some will say to act as if every day is your pet’s last day because you never know if it might be.

    I ran that last one through my mind in the present and my experiencing self said NO WAY. Give Lewis a whole bunch of potato chips? EVERY NIGHT, because it might be his last night? No. The “treat them as if every day were their last” idea doesn’t cut it in many ways. Health. Nutrition. The dangers of too much fat and salt and the harm that can come from unbridled treat food. The risks of exhaustion or injury if you focus on play or intense activities. What an interesting idea, to try to make every day a peak. Because that’s what the idea boils down to. But it was an instant No when I thought about it. Out of the question.

    I spell this out because it was interesting to have my experiencing and remembering selves come smack up against each other. I was regretting Clara’s one potato chip at the same time I was refusing to do something that might prevent that regret with Lewis.

    Application of the Peak-End Rule to How We Perceive Our Dogs’ Lives

    I’m surprised that there is not a lot of written discussion about this. Grief over losing a pet is becoming more recognized and affirmed by society, and resources for this type of loss are burgeoning. The peak-end rule can aid understanding of why some things can hurt so badly.

    There is one significant exception to the silence on this topic related to pets’ lives. Veterinarian Mary Gardner, in Treatment and Care of the Geriatric Veterinary Patient, focuses on the peak-end rule in the context of euthanasia. After discussion of the rule, in a section titled “Endings Matter,” she advises vets on the ways they can help not only the pet but the pet’s guardians by making the euthanasia experience as calm and peaceful as possible. The book has thoughtful instructions on how to speak to the guardian about the process, the order of events, and more. She ends the section with these words:

    Although our pets are a part of our stories (an important chapter), their own lives are a story. And in stories, endings matter most. So make the most out of the end and make it good — Gardner and McVety, 2017, p. 338.

    Why Knowing about the Peak-End Rule and Duration Neglect Bias Can Be Helpful

    I’ve related a lot of sad moments and regrets in this post. But the point behind them, and my impetus for sharing, is that knowing about the peak-end rule helped me put those things in perspective.

    I understand more than ever why bucket lists can be such a good thing. Not only for the dog, but for the person. Having memories of the extra-special times near the end of our dogs’ lives can be sweet. The ones I described for Zani above were not dramatic. Many people do much more unusual things. But ours were enough out of the ordinary that the memories shine for me.

    Clara, a tan dog with a black muzzle, ears, and tail, is wearing a pink harness. She is splashing in the muddy Arkansas river.
    On one memorable “peak” walk in the summer of 2016, my friend and I let our dogs get in the Arkansas River because we were afraid a dog was overheating (she wasn’t, it turns out). There are lots of reasons not to get in the Arkansas River, but Clara was thrilled.

    I now have a weapon against my regrets and sad memories. I’ve delineated some of my regrets above. (That is not a complete list.) I have kept the painful images and memories of Clara’s last hours private. But I’ve learned that we can honor duration, even if that doesn’t come naturally. We can remind ourselves of the thousand fun walks or trips our dogs had even if they missed one their last day.

    Rather than focusing on the dramatic “peaks,” which stand out in our memory, and rather than trying to make peaks every day, we can be present and constant with our dogs and mindful of their happiness. Our experiencing selves can do that, and we can remind our remembering selves of it.

    I would never ever dismiss or devalue the events near the ends of our loved ones’ lives, good or bad. But it has helped me immensely to consider the rest of Clara’s life. It was long, it was calm, it was safe, it was happy. I made it that way, and I can feel peace in that.

    Copyright 2024 Eileen Anderson

    Related Posts

    References and Resources

    Alaybek, B., Dalal, R. S., Fyffe, S., Aitken, J. A., Zhou, Y., Qu, X., Roman, A., & Baines, J. I. (2022). All’s well that ends (and peaks) well? A meta-analysis of the peak-end rule and duration neglect. Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes170, 104149.

    Diener, E., Wirtz, D., & Oishi, S. (2001). End effects of rated life quality: The James Dean effect. Psychological science12(2), 124-128.

    Fredrickson, B. L., & Kahneman, D. (1993). Duration neglect in retrospective evaluations of affective episodesJournal of personality and social psychology65(1), 45.

    Gardner, M., & McVety, D. (Eds.). (2017). Treatment and care of the geriatric veterinary patient. John Wiley & Sons.

    Kahneman, D. (2011). Thinking, fast and slow. Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

    Müller, U. W., Witteman, C. L., Spijker, J., & Alpers, G. W. (2019). All’s bad that ends bad: there is a peak-end memory bias in anxiety. Frontiers in psychology10, 1272.

    Zenko, Z., Ekkekakis, P., & Ariely, D. (2016). Can you have your vigorous exercise and enjoy it too? Ramping intensity down increases postexercise, remembered, and forecasted pleasure. Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology38(2), 149-159.



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  • Protecting Your Dog’s Health And The Best Way To Deal With Worms


    For those of us who have the joy of owning a puppy or dog, there is nothing more special and beautiful than seeing our little buddies coming at us with those fluffy happy faces like they were yelling “I love you” when they see us. For this reason, we as pet owners try to do our best to simply give them the very best experience they can possibly have while they live their lives by our side.

     

    This is why we make sure to be informed about how to keep our dog or puppy in the best health condition they can be. We all want our best friend to be happy and live as long as possible. And there are ways we can make sure our canine friends are always in great shape and feeling good.

     

     

    Puppyhood

    Before we start talking about how to boost our dog’s immune system we must first understand what it is and how it works.

     

    The immune system of a dog, just like our own human immune system, is what protects them from outside intruders such as viruses, toxins, bacterias, and other threats. The immune system is armed with a set of specialized cells, proteins, and organs that work together as a team to protect their bodies from getting sick or keeping disease at bay and helping in their recovery.

     

    When a puppy is born, they receive a very important gift from their mother, their first milk. This first milk is produced by their mother’s mammary glands immediately following the birth of their newborn puppies, and it is called colostrum.

     

    Colostrum contains antibodies and a high concentration of proteins that will protect the newborn baby against disease. These proteins will still be produced in the mother’s milk, but never as concentrated as it is present in colostrum. The nutrients provided by colostrum will also have some laxative effects that will allow puppies to pass their first stool and dispose of wastes that were produced in large quantities during birth.

     

    Many people think colostrum replacement products will actually do the same job as their mother’s first milk, but this is not true. Colostrum replacement products actually come from cows and do not contain the same components, although it does have some proteins that are common in all mammals.

     

    When a puppy lose their mom for whatever reason and fails to receive colostrum from her, it is very difficult to raise them as they lack the resistance that they were going to be granted with their first milk; so they will get sick very easily and are at a high risk of dying when they’re still babies.

     

    When a female dog gives birth, they’ll produce colostrum for several days, but it is most crucial for the newborn pups to get their mother’s milk within the first twelve hours after delivery. Drinking colostrum after this period of time does not have the same benefits, as their digestive systems will no longer soak up the antibodies anymore.

     

    Puppies should nurse until they are at least four weeks old, but they shouldn’t leave their mother and littermates until they are at least eight weeks old. It is recommended to vaccinate your puppy between six to sixteen weeks of age.

     

    Dogs that are younger than one year of age are generally considered puppies. But this varies from breed to breed. Some dog breeds mature earlier than others. You should determine when to stop feeding your dog with puppy food. Usually, small breeds can switch to regular dog food between nine to twelve months, and large breeds can take up to twenty-four months.

     

     

    Boosting your dog’s immune system

    When your dog has a strong and healthy immune system, it will be like having a protective force field around them; this might sound silly but it is like it is. The immune system is the first line of defense your canine partner has to fight against viruses, bacteria, parasites and other sort of pathogens that can hurt them and make them sick.

     

    Even when your dog gets sick, the immune system will be the one working to restore your dog’s body back to health.When your dog’s immune system weakens, your dog’s body will be defenseless against chronic disease, toxins, illness and deterioration.

     

    This is why it is so important to keep your dog’s immune system at its best in order to allow their body to be fully able to fight environmental pathogens and diseases. There are ways to boost immune system in dogs, like the following:

     

    Keep your dog hydrated:

     

    Just like us humans, dogs need water to keep the immune system strong. Fresh and clean water is fundamental for a healthy canine body to function properly. Keeping your buddy hydrated not only helps their body to dispose of those harmful toxins that are already in there, but it also has several benefits like regulating body temperature, process oxygen, help with blood flow and allow proper digestion of food and assimilation of nutrients.

     

    So yes, drinking water is very good for your doggy; and they should be drinking at least twelve ounces of water for every ten pounds of weight. So you should know how much your dog weighs, in order to provide at least the minimum amount of water they need to keep them healthy. If your dog weighs fifty pounds, they should be drinking at least sixty ounces of water per day. You must be aware that this amount might increase if you have a very active dog, so don’t be afraid to give them as much water as they require.

     

    Feed you dog properly:

     

    A balanced diet is fundamental for a healthy immune system. Even when dogs are considered omnivorous like us humans, they need a higher proportional intake of protein, so if you plan to feed your dog a vegan diet you must be extremely careful, protein is the most important step in the dog’s food pyramid. Other requirements for dog’s food are fat, carbs, vitamins and minerals.

     

    Antioxidants and other nutrients play a big role in keeping your dog healthy. Some very good sources of antioxidants are: Apples, plums, cabbage, broccoli and beans. Some dog foods contain antioxidants but not in important quantities to make a difference in your dog’s health. You can also provide your dog all the antioxidants, vitamins and minerals they need in the form of tablets. But you must be cautious, you don’t want to give your dog too much of these supplements as they might turn harmful in high quantities, consult your vet when you plan to give your dog any special supplement.

     

    Keep in mind that your dog’s weight will also affect their general health condition, and make their immune system struggle. So check if they’re overweight, they might need to get on a diet, or need some exercise.

     

    Keep your dog active:

     

    Sedentarism is terrible for both humans and pets. Overweight dogs are at risk of suffering from a variety of conditions, from diabetes to heart disease. It is important to feed your dog properly and keep them active enough to burn all those extra calories.

     

    There is a reason why people walk their dogs or pay someone to walk them. Dogs require physical activity to stay healthy. Other ways to help them burn those extra calories is by playing with them, they will enjoy this activity very much because they will be spending time with you. There is nothing better than having a healthy and happy dog.

     

     

    Deworming your dog

    One of the things you will have to deal with as a dog owner is the problem of parasites; dogs are ideal hosts for these. Dogs are always playing around dirt, trash, excrement, etc. sticking their noses and licking whatever they find on the street. It is only logical that they will get in trouble with parasites.

     

    It is very probable that your dog will get worms at one time or another. Diarrhea and vomiting are signs that something is not ok, and you might want to take your canine friend on a trip to the vet in order to make sure your dog is indeed dealing with worms.

     

    A fresh stool sample will provide your vet what they need to find out if your dog has worms or not. As tapeworms, hookworms, roundworms and whipworms will live in your dog’s intestines.

     

    The sooner you treat your dog and deal with their worm problems, the sooner your dog will go back to normal and feel healthy again. Your vet will indicate what medicine will be better for your pet, these drugs usually will be effective against a wide range of parasites.

     

    Don’t be surprised if you start to see worms in your dog’s poops after the deworming process has started, this is quite normal. These sorts of medications can come in the form of tablets, and you will need to make sure your dog swallows it all. For puppies, these tablets can be difficult to swallow so there are liquid options available for them.

     

    You might want to prevent worms instead of treating your dog against them. Dogs who already suffered worms in the past might get infected once again as the worming medicine will kill the big worms but some eggs might still be left around your dog’s intestines. Your vet will decide how long you should keep giving your dog this medication until they are finally free from these parasites.

     

    Regular treatment is the best defence against worms and other parasites. Regular worming throughout your dog’s life will help keep your dog healthy and happy. Make sure your vet checks your dog for all kinds of worms at least once a year. Get a prescription from your vet for the drug to prevent heartworms. Keep your dog flea-free. And keep your dog clean. They are not aware of the invisible dangers in the world, but you are. So do what you can to keep them healthy and feeling good.

     

     

    What is the best way to deworm your dog?

    The best way to deal with worms and build immunity on your dog is by giving them a blend of natural ingredients with all the supplements they need to remain healthy and happy. This is why we recommend Vibralife as a tasty way to give your dog a happy and vibrant life.

     

    The all-natural ingredients baked into a pellet for topdressing your dog’s feed. It’s a tasty way to give your dog what they need. Helping to gently remove parasites, establish a thick and shiny hair coat, and heal the gut lining and stomach. It has also helped female dogs overcome reproductive problems, including infertility, insufficient milk supply, and inconsistent cycles.

    The Reed Sedge Peat and Diatomaceous Earth in Vibralife work as a team to bind and prevent parasites that are common in young puppies. Psyllium Husk works to heal and protect the stomach and gut lining, while the oils help improve digestion and skin and hair quality. Yeast and Kelp help the immune and reproductive systems. Unlike most commercial dewormers that are hard on lactating females, Vibralife supports healthy lactating.

     

     

    Natural ways to prevent worms

    So you are looking for natural ways to prevent those annoying worms from getting into your fluffy friend’s life. Prevention is always the best defense. Although they are not as effective as medicine prescribed by your veterinarian of trust, or Vibralife Health Supplement Multivitamin and Natural Dewormer; these alternatives can help prevent parasites from getting into your fluffy friend:

     

    Chamomile is a herb that comes from daisy-like plants of the family Asteraceae. Chamomile has been used in traditional medicine across the globe for thousands of years. It can help with bloating and inflammation caused by internal parasites, and sometimes get rid of whipworms and roundworms.

     

    Apple cider vinegar is another well known traditional natural medicine. It is basically apple juice with added yeast that turns the juice’s sugar into alcohol through fermentation. Then, non harmful bacteria turn the alcohol into acetic acid. There are several benefits that come from drinking apple cider vinegar, among those is to increase the alkaline levels in your dog’s intestines making it inhospitable for parasites and worms.

     

    Coconut oil can also help eliminate worms from your canine friend’s body, it has antibacterial and antiviral properties that may help clear a pinworm infection. It also has other health benefits like fighting fungus, boosting metabolism, preventing skin infections and more.

     

    These are just a few examples of natural alternatives to prevent worms and other parasites to get into your little buddy. Keep in mind that medication and a strong immune system will always be the most efficient way to deal with this sort of problem.

     

     

    Dog Owners

    There are several things you must remember as a responsible dog owner in order to keep your dog healthy and happy. A balanced diet, avoiding overweight and providing vitamins and nutrients is top of the list along with exercise and everyday activity. Remember that your vet will always know what is best for your dog, so don’t miss annual check outs.

     

    Worms and other parasites are a serious matter to be always aware of, the process of deworming can get really unpleasant, both for you and your dog. The best defense is prevention, there is medicine your dog should take recurrently to avoid worms, there are also amazing blends that will provide everything your dog needs to fight, get rid and prevent these parasites. And there are also natural alternatives that can do a lot of good to your dog.

     

    The most important thing is to try to keep yourself informed about your dog’s health. It’s not easy to be a dog owner, but having a happy pet who loves you unconditionally is truly worth it.

     

     



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