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Keeping our Pets Healthy and Happy

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Powered by Mom Talks About Keeping our Pets Healthy and Happy

What are you doing to keep your pets healthy?

Recently I had the privilege to be a part of a Google Hangout with pet loving influencers and an expert in the field of how to keep our pets happy and healthy, Purina veterinarian, Dr. Kurt Venator. I appreciated that Purina hosted this Google Hangout with Dr. Kurt Venator so we could learn even more on how we as pet owners can help our pets stay fit and healthy during the summer and all year long.

Say hello to Luna, she's a Blue Heeler and she's one of our two dogs. Our girl is going blind so we are even more diligent about her nutrition and exercise routine. Read on to find out why. Luna close up

We all know it's important that our pets get exercise and that they have a balance diet. However, sometimes many of us are not consistent with the exercise or diet or we don't realize just how important a role both play in the lives of our pets. Not only does a consistent exercise routine benefit our pets but it also benefits us. While we all have good intentions we're all not following through as:

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP), an estimated 58 percent of cats and 54 percent of dogs in the United States are overweight or obese.

Eeek! That is way too many obese pets in the United States and we all need to do our part to change this. We want our pets to be healthy and we want them to be around for as long as possible. As I mentioned, now that our Luna is going blind we wanted to make sure that we were doing all that we could do keep her as healthy as possible and of course happy. She's adjusted amazingly well to losing her sight but we wondered if we were doing all that we could to keep her healthy and happy, especially with loss of sight.

Here's what I learned from Dr. Kurt:

  • Owners should consult with their vet before creating a customized fitness routine
  • Implementing a new fitness routine should be a gradual process
  • Incorporate activities that are enjoyable for your pet
  • Promote mental health - It's not ally physical, we also need to think of ways to keep our pets mentally sharp. I admit this is one I didn't specifically think about but realized that my family and I were doing things that are good for our pets mental health. In Luna's case we have squeaky toys for her. Toys that make noise so that when we throw them for her she can hear them land. She LOVES to play catch. We call for her and clap our hands so she knows where we are to return her toy for another toss. I'm so happy we were already doing this but we're looking into other things as well to keep our pets sharp For example, for cat owners (we have a cat too, Ollie) giving toys like balls, feathers or boxes, anything they can investigate and get physically active and mentally is a win.

pets

  • Keep your pets safe and don't overdo it. This one is particularly important in the summer with the heat. Luna will keep playing catch if we let her until she drops. We stop her as soon as she starts to pant and bring her inside to drink some water. We do lots of short fetch and catch sessions instead of a long one.
  • Nutrition and diet is important. Keeping them healthy is a combination of exercise, mental fitness and nutrition. It's important to talk to your vet about the nutritional needs of your pet for their age, breed and more. Our chihuahua LZ has different nutritional needs than Luna, they're different breeds obviously but different ages and activity levels too.

I learned that Purina has a dedicated team of more than 500 scientists, including veterinarians and nutritionists paving the way for innovative nutritional discovers that better the lives of pets and thus their people. When our pets are happy we are happy and I have to say I've become impressed with Purina between learning from Dr. Kurt along with their Life is Better with Pets summit last year. They put a lot of resources into what helps make our pets healthier, extends their lives and so much more. To find out more about Purina and all they go check out their site HERE.

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It was an informative hangout that will benefit us and our beloved pets, thanks Purina. Now it's time to go outside and play fetch with Luna and LZ 🙂

Feel free to comment below and tell us about your pet/s and how you keep they healthy and happy.

By on August 5th, 2016

About Powered by Mom

I’m Michelle aka Powered by Mom. I’m married with one daughter, my hubby was my high school sweetheart, our two dogs Nyx and Cleo and our cat Oliver. As you can see we’re a family of animal lovers. We love to travel when we can, try different food and activities all over the world and enjoy being together. My passions are writing, travelling, creating new recipes, encouraging people to adopt not shop and just to enjoy life while we can.

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20 thoughts on “Keeping our Pets Healthy and Happy”

  1. I have been thinking mine is a bit overweight; we haven't been walking as much because of some pain I've been having pain in my back & foot. He started having seizures in February. I started trying to walk him a bit again recently. Hoping to keep him healthy and minimize the seizures.

    Reply
  2. I am so glad there is a pets section to your blog! We have a 7 year old Yorkie who has a large growth on his side and we were told he would be gone soon about a year ago. We began a healthy eating regimen for him and vitamins and salves for his sores, and he is almost back to normal! I'm so glad we have had him for longer than expected!

    Reply
  3. I do believe that having an animal really does help you to get more motivated and walking . I only have a cats right now but playing with them and having them chase me around the house,thats a work out.

    Reply
  4. I have a 10 week old Great Pyrenese. I walk him early morning and late evening. He hated the leash at first, but it's growing on him. I left it on him all day for 3 days straight and then he was fine

    Reply
  5. my 3 gals get lots of exercise, i run with the 2 younger girls b/c the oldest cant run anymore. i watch their weight, so my girls have never been overweight. if i see they have gained any weight, even an ounce, we exercise more and diet. they get a well balanced diet, with lots of veggies, no grain, and supplements.

    Reply
  6. Keeping our beloved family members in good health is such an important thing for us. Our little darling (kitty) had her first teeth cleaning which we really took a long time to decide to go through, but she was healthy enough and worried for tooth or gum future problems. She was fanatastic!!!!! And she was so sweet to us, not getting mad for having her have the whole procedure (which needed anaesthesia too).

    Reply
  7. We have a little pomchi, he is so much less active than our american eskimo. he loves food though. i have to watch my fiancé because he will give him everything and it just not sit well with his stomach plus he gained some weight. he is going to swim lessons though because he had a dislocated knee. he doesn't hate it, but he doesn't love it yet either

    Reply
  8. I walked with my doggy, Ringo, in our nice-sized backyard almost on a daily basis. He always look forward to that walk. And I truly believe that pets can make lives healthier for their owners.

    Reply
  9. My cat loves to run around even in the heat.His breed is Maine Coone,Tuxedo cat and he is supposed to have weighed in at 25 pounds when he was 5.He barely weighs 11 pounds.He is very healthy,strong,vocal,and plays a lot.He was born 17/12/2001.

    Reply
  10. I rarely took my pets to consult on clinic but i played with them everyday and took them a walk with me and kids. We've fun a lot together =)

    Reply
  11. My dog and I go for walks on the farm. He get the run of the place. We also play with his toys and wrestle around on the bed.

    Reply
  12. I have to walk my little dog Milo twice a day and throw the ball for him or he gets chubby even though he eats very little.

    Reply
  13. I take my dog Maxine out twice a day to a park, where she could run and play doggie games. I feed her food that doesn't have certain additives. she is 9 now, and is beautiful.

    Reply

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