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National Holistic Pet Day: What “Holistic” Really Means for Your Pet
The word “holistic” can sometimes raise eyebrows. It’s often misunderstood—dismissed as “woo woo” or less legitimate than traditional medicine. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. National Holistic Pet Day is all about changing that perception and shedding light on what holistic care really means: supporting your pet’s well-being in its entirety. What Is Holistic Pet Care? Holistic pet care is a comprehensive, whole-body approach to health. While traditional veterinary care tends to focus on treating symptoms, holistic care looks at the root causes—taking into account your pet’s environment, diet, lifestyle, and emotional health. It’s about treating the whole pet: body, mind, and spirit. Holistic practices often incorporate: When…
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Good hydration is the foundation of wellness
We hear about hydration all the time. Those Gatorade commercials have been seared into my brain – a montage of athletes pushing themselves to the brink, sweating up a storm, and taking a big swig from a bottle as if it literally gives them life. Seems dramatic but as it turns out, that’s not far from the truth. Hydration is critically important to survival for us and our animal friends. Humans should drink about half of our body weight in ounces of water, whereas dogs need approximately 1 ounce of water per pound of body weight daily, and cats require about 3.5-4.5 ounces per 5 pounds of body weight. Think…
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Dog Allergies and Sensitivities: Understanding the Root
The following is a guest post by Rita Hogan, a renowned herbalist and author of a new book, “The Herbal Dog.” She will be having a Q & A at The Big Bad Woof on Sunday 6/15. Tickets are free. If your dog is constantly scratching, licking, developing ear infections, or reacting to more and more foods, you’re not alone. Many dogs today struggle with what dog owners call ”allergies.” But the truth is, most of these cases aren’t true allergies. A true allergy causes an immediate and severe immune response, like anaphylaxis. That reaction requires urgent veterinary attention, and an epinephrine shot to stabilize your dog’s body. Anaphylaxis…
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Enhance Your Dog’s Home Prepared Diet
Below is a guest blog post by renowned pet nutritionist and Annamaet founder, Rob Downey. Tickets to his upcoming seminar at The Big Bad Woof can be acquired here. Preparing homemade or raw meals for your dog allows you to tailor their diet to specific preferences and needs. However, ensuring these diets provide all essential nutrients is crucial for your pet’s health. Studies have shown that approximately 60% of home-prepared diets are deficient in at least one nutrient, which can lead to health issues over time. Why Supplementing is Essential Even with careful selection of ingredients, homemade and raw diets may lack certain essential vitamins and minerals: Deficiencies in these…
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Pet Theft – Awareness and Prevention
Last Chance for Animals (LCA) created National Pet Theft Awareness Day in 1988. It’s observed annually on February 14th, Valentine’s Day, which sees a considerable uptick in pet thefts. The goal is to raise awareness for the issues of pet theft and to educate the public about how to keep their companion animals safe from thieves. Some precautions are: Since many pet thefts go unreported, it’s impossible to know exactly how many animals are taken, but an estimated two million pets are stolen in the United States each year. That number is astounding and heartbreaking. “We have seen a dramatic increase in this type of crime. In fact, the FBI…
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What’s in a Name: Birch sugar or Xylitol
Wood sugar, birch sugar, birch bark extract are other names for xylitol. Xylitol used to be listed by its name, but lately there’s been a change in what’s listed in an ingredient panel. Xylitol is found in a variety of “sugar-free” snacks and condiments as well as oral care products, over the counter medicines and supplements. This matters because xylitol is toxic to dogs. Cats and ferrets can suffer adverse effects, too, but dogs are particularly susceptible because they have more sweet receptors in their tastebuds, so they’re more likely to consume something sweet. “[Xylitol] is rapidly absorbed, causing insulin to be released from the pancreas and blood glucose levels…
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Bird Flu and You
Bird Flu and Raw Feeding: What You Need to Know If you’re a raw feeder, you’ve probably heard about the recent bird flu concerns. But what does this have to do with your pets? Quite a lot, actually. H5N1, the bird flu strain that’s been circulating for years, has been affecting wild birds and spreading to poultry, dairy cows, and even cats—and yes, humans too. Cats, both domestic and wild, are particularly vulnerable to the bird flu, and it can have serious consequences. According to AP News: “Though cases of infection are rare, cats seem especially susceptible to the bird flu virus, or Type A H5N1. Even before the cattle…
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Food as Medicine for Pets with Diabetes
Dan Teich of District Vet hits the nail on the head when it comes to the pet-parent relationship. “As pet parents/guardians/servants…our main duty is the comfort and happiness of those in our charge. Feeding a nutritious diet, along with providing shelter, exercise and environmental enrichment, are essential, as is a physical examination by a veterinarian.” That’s exactly right. Because plenty of behaviors are also symptoms of underlying issues, and if they go undetected for long enough then they become problems. He goes on to state “A two-pound weight loss, if achieved over a period of a few months, most likely will be missed by the pet parent but will be…
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November is Pet Cancer Awareness Month
First let’s start with a quick lesson: November is recognized as Pet Cancer Awareness Month, with November 7th being specifically Canine Lymphoma Awareness Day. Lymphoma, also known as lymphosarcoma (LSA), is a type of cancer that affects white blood cells called lymphocytes. These cells are important for the immune system, but when they become cancerous, they grow uncontrollably. Canine lymphoma can show up in different ways, but it often causes the enlargement of one or more lymph nodes. It can also affect other organs such as the liver, spleen, bone marrow, skin, or digestive system. Common symptoms include swollen lymph nodes, lethargy, loss of appetite, and weight loss. Some cases…
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Melatonin or CBD?
The Big Bad Woof has an extensive apothecary section with products that address a variety of symptoms and issues that pets experience. A common question we hear is what’s the difference between melatonin and CBD? They’re both good for calming pets down, right? So which should you use? Though they overlap in important ways, CBD and melatonin are very different from one another and ultimately serve different purposes in the animal kingdom. For our pets purposes the most important difference is the intended duration of use; CBD is better used long term for more chronic conditions like anxiety, pain or cancer, and melatonin is for shorter term, acute conditions like…
