Help Your Pet Maintain a Healthy Weight

Posted on August 22, 2015 by Wes Hepker

Courtesy of Bill Hails/Flickr

Some studies show that more than 50% of cats and dogs in America are overweight or obese. That doesn’t bode well for Fido and Fluffy because excess weight causes a host of health conditions including:

joint pain
heart disease
diabetes, especially in overweight dogs
decreased liver function

Unfortunately, many people don’t even recognize that their pet is too large. To check if your pet could stand to loose a few pounds:

Place your hands on your pet’s side applying only slight pressure. You should be able to feel the ribs. If you can’t feel the ribs at all, your pet is likely too heavy.
Stand above your pet and look at the body shape. You should see a clear “waist” behind the ribs. If that area is wider than the ribs or hips, your pet is overweight.

If you’re concerned about your pet’s weight visit your veterinarian. She can assess your dog or cat’s condition and advise you on steps you to take if your pet is too heavy. Be sure to discuss any symptoms your pet may be exhibiting due to his weight, how often you feed, what kind of food you give your pet, and how much exercise your pet gets.

Your veterinarian will suggest a regimen to get your pet back in shape. It’s likely to be pretty simple: more exercise, less food (especially treats and scraps from the table), and possibly some medication to address a disease or illness.

Ask your veterinarian if a nutritional supplement would be helpful, too. Nutritional supplements provide important vitamins, minerals, and other active agents that support overall health especially under certain conditions such as illness or during dietary adjustments.

Animal Necessity, the maker of the popular Ocu-Glo products, makes a series of nutritional supplements including Weight Guard Vet. These small capsules are packed with active ingredients — including extracts of green tea, white kidney beans, and cinnamon — that are specially formulated to keep pets at their ideal weight. Weight Guard Vet helps:

support healthy weight control in dogs and cats
promote normal blood sugar levels
protect against oxidative stress caused by free radicals that can do damage to the body

On that note, think I’ll take my dog for a walk!
Wes

Explore products available now at VetRxDirect:

Does Your Senior Pet Need a Supplement?

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Wes Hepker

Courtesy of jenny downing/Flickr

“Ahhh, my aching knees!” “My poor back!” “I can’t remember where I left my bone!” If your aging dog or cat could talk, he’d sound like a lot of older folks who suffer from age-related aches, pains, and dementia.

Of course, getting older is a fact of life for people and pets. While no one has found the fountain of youth, there are ways to make your pet more comfortable as she ages.

Adjust activity levels – Aging dogs and cats still need exercise, but for dogs especially, lengthy walks and rambunctious play at the dog park is often more than senior dogs can handle. Consider taking a few shorter walks and throwing the ball for your dog in the backyard instead.

Visit your vet more regularly – Many veterinarians like to see older dogs and cats every six months instead of annually. This helps them keep on top of current health issues and spot new problems early on.

Focus on feeding – Appetites and nutritional needs change as pets age. Some pets need less food, others may need more, and many just need a different formula. Talk to your veterinarian about switching to a high quality geriatric dog or cat food. Also ask about how much you should feed your pet and how often.

Give your dog a boost – Getting into the car, jumping up on the couch, and going down the stairs are hard for pets with arthritis and aging joints. If your pet has trouble getting around your house, look in to ramps, stairs, and other devices to make favorite places more accessible.

Add a supplement – Nutritional supplements can help ease age-related problems including aching joints, deteriorating eyesight, and cognitive problems. Ask your veterinarian if your pet could benefit from a supplement.

The makers of the popular Ocu-Glo products for improved eyesight offer a full line of all-natural nutritional supplements. Among many others, we stock Healthy Aging Vet, specially formulated for geriatric dogs and cats.

Healthy Aging Vet enhances brain function, may relieve inflammation due to exercise, supports eye health, and helps maintain a normal emotional balance in older cats and dogs. The natural active ingredients in Healthy Aging Vet are bilberry, Korean Ginseng, and Gingko Biloba.

What makes this line of nutritional supplements so popular is that they’re made in the U.S.A. with all natural, pharmaceutical grade ingredients so you can have confidence giving them to your pet. The small capsules are easy to dose, too – just pop them in a pill pocket or peanut butter and down the hatch they go.

To your senior pet’s health!

Wes