lovemypetz

[lovemypetz]

Need A Pawtner to Help with Your New Year’s Resolution?

Christmas walk ? | #ItsAboutKaia . . . . #happyseason #dog #dogs #dogsofinstagram #adoptdontshop #rescuedogsofinstagram #dog_features #instadog #petsofinstagram #dogs_unity #walkthedog #walkingthedog #christmaswalk #potd #thehappynow #thesimplethings #thatsdarling #theweekoninstagram #vsco #vscocam

A post shared by Alexandra Zhovtenko (@alexa.zh) on Dec 28, 2018 at 9:28am PST

It won’t surprise you to hear that “Getting more exercise” is among the most popular New Year’s resolutions. It also won’t surprise you to hear that 80% of New Year’s resolutions fail by the second week of February.

But don’t be discouraged! People who exercise with their dog buck that trend. And while your pup may not be allowed in the gym, she may be the perfect outdoor walking or jogging partner. Just be sure she’s ready for the workout—especially if you live in a place where it’s cold this time of year.

Check with the vet. Just how you should consult your doctor before you jump into a new exercise routine, consult your vet about your dog. Ask for advice—based on your dog’s age, breed, or health—to keep your dog safe. Even if she’s cleared, keep an eye on her during walks and runs for signs of exhaustion, like heavy panting, trouble breathing, serious lagging behind or disorientation.

Ease into it. Again, just like us, dogs shouldn’t go from couch potato to distance runner right away. Start at a slower pace on shorter routes and stay close enough to home that you can cut out easily if you need to. Always have water on hand, even on short strolls.

Be mindful of the weather. Each dog is different, based on breed, background, and, frankly, their preference. Just know they can’t retain heat the way we do. A coat may help, but be sure it fits well, and still watch your dog for cues that indicate she’s too cold. Plus, snow and ice can be hard on dogs’ paws. Be sure to clean them well after each excursion to remove all salt from between their pads.

As your resolution becomes routine, make sure your dog is getting enough healthy calories to make up for what she’s burning. If you’re not sure about amounts, consult your vet.

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Not-so-still Life with Cats

  Anyone decorating this weekend? ? . #catsvschristmastrees #holidays #christmas #christmaswithcats #ColeAndMarmalade #PromotePawsitivity #catsofinstagram #thedodo #love #weeklyfluff #mykidhaspaws #dailykitten #huffingtonpost #9gag #meow #lovemycat #catmindblown

A post shared by Cole and Marmalade (@coleandmarmalade) on Nov 18, 2018 at 7:03am PST

Living with a cat has so many benefits. Of course we enjoy the company of these always-adorable, sometimes-cuddly, often-independent creatures. And of course, living with a cat has its challenges, too, challenges that require cat owners to have a certain type of strength.

The extent of cats’ curiosity, spontaneity, dominance, and skittishness can keep us pretty busy. It also takes some serious devotion and patience to live with a family member who is bent on terrorizing rolls of toilet paper, swatting objects off shelves, dueling with dogs, and, this time of year, eviscerating Christmas trees.

There’s also research that shows self-identified cat people tend to be pretty open, which researchers tie to intellectual curiosity and artistic creativity. And if you’ve had to outsmart a cat at Christmas-time, you know what we’re talking about.

But no matter how ornery our cats are, they still purr themselves back into our hearts when they’re done. And like the good pet parents we are, we’re there to love and treat them.

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What Do Vegans Feed Their Pets?

Embracing a plant-based lifestyle may start with what’s on your plate, but whether you’re vegan for health, humane, or environmental reasons, for lots of people it’s not just a diet, but a way of life. Being vegan can affect nearly every purchasing decision, so it’s only natural to think about how it affects pets’ diets. 

So, what do vegans and vegetarians feed their cats and dogs? Due to the distinct differences in their physiology, we have to look at dogs and cats separately. Dogs are omnivores. Thanks in part to living with us for thousands of years (and enjoying food that “falls” off our plates), dogs’ digestive systems have evolved to support a more starch-rich diet. Dogs have a dietary requirement for specific nutrients. Those nutrients can come from meat or they can come from plant-based sources. So, many people who choose not to eat meat choose to feed their dog vegan dog food, like Halo’s Garden of Vegan.

What about vegan cat food? Unlike dogs, cats are obligate carnivores, meaning there are nutrients cats need that they cannot get from a vegetarian diet. So, from a health standpoint, real, whole meat cat food delivers the nutrients they need. But what about pet parents who are concerned about the treatment of our life-giving animals and the environmental impact of pet food? In the U.S., dogs’ and cats’ diets are responsible for “25-30% of animal production in terms of the use of land, water, fossil fuel, phosphate, and biocides,” according to a 2017 study.

That’s why Halo commits to ethical and sustainable agricultural practices. Our promise of OrigiNative® sourcing means we work with farmers who treat animals with respect and help maintain a regenerative ecosystem by using original animal husbandry and farming practices and rearing animals in their native environments. To ensure the OrigiNative® philosophy is followed, Halo’s meat proteins are GAP (Global Animal Partnership®) certified humane, and our fish is MSC (Marine Stewardship Council®) certified sustainably caught. Plus, all of the fruits and vegetables Halo uses are non-GMO.

Vegans, vegetarians, and other animal lovers and advocates who want pet food they can feel good about can find great choices with Halo. Through our mission to change the way companion animals are fed and farm animals are raised…for the better, we offer canned vegan dog food, dry vegan dog food, and vegan dog treats, as well as dog food and cat food made with third-party certified humane and sustainable proteins.

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The (Therapeutic) Power of Dogs

So happy my mom was home this morning to take me away from those cats! Too bad cats…you can’t go. #morningwalk #walkingthedog #dogwalking #dogsofinstagram #dogs #nocatsallowed

A post shared by Adventures of Bristol & Pops (@bpadventuresatx) on Dec 14, 2018 at 7:50am PST

The mere act of owning a pet means we have at least one someone in our life we have to think about and take care of besides ourself. That alone requires at least a little effort on our part, and supports our mental and physical health—like petting, walking, feeding our dog. But researchers across the country have found many more reasons why living with a dog may be quite good for us.

• Kids with family history of allergies and asthma who, from birth, grow up with a dog, are less likely to develop eczema and asthma.

• Kids who grow up caring for dogs have higher levels of empathy and self esteem. And kids who practice reading to a dog improved their reading skills 12% compared to kids who didn’t read to a dog (and showed no improvement).

• Teens in households with dogs are more physically active than those who aren’t.

• People who walk their dog regularly have one third the risk of getting diabetes.

• People who walk with a dog walk faster than with a human buddy or alone. They walk farther too, and they’re more likely to stick to their fitness plans.

• The physical activity we do with our dogs also helps keep stress levels down. Plus, just petting a dog can lower our stress. Dogs help reduce agitation and anxiety in people with dementia.

• The act of petting a dog reduces blood pressure. Of people who experienced heart attacks, those who owned dogs had a better one-year survival rate.

• People recovering from surgery who regularly petted dogs needed 50% less pain medication.

• Elderly dog owners need 20% less medical care than those who don’t own dogs.

So for all they do for us, the least we can do is feed them with unconditional love, and toss in an occasional treat to make sure they always know who’s a good dog.

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Waiting for the Welcome Waggin’ This Holiday?

Ever wonder if your dog misses you when you’re gone? Or, gulp, if they’ll forget you if you’re gone long enough? As millions of college students return home on winter break and adult children return to their parents’ homes for holiday celebrations, they’re bound to find out.

Researchers have started to uncover more about whether dogs miss us when we’re gone and if they miss us more when we’re gone longer. Turns out dogs greet their owners with greater intensity after 2 hours alone, versus 30 minutes alone. But no different when they’re alone for 2 hours versus 4. And what about days or more? Still no evidence—at least not from the lab.

But if you’re going back home for the holidays or you have someone returning to yours, just wait for the happy tails, the tippy-taps, and the zoomies. Want to up the intensity of your next greeting? Make sure you’ve got some treats close by, too.

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No Halo Products Affected By Vitamin D Pet Food Recalls

As pet parents, we too find pet food recalls to be scary, so we want to assure you that Halo is not affected by the recent recall in which several pet foods have been found to have unsafe levels of vitamin D. According to fda.gov, “The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is investigating the presence of elevated, potentially toxic levels of vitamin D in several dry pet foods.”

In pet food, vitamin D needs to be added as a supplement. Vitamin D is an important part of your pet’s diet, but it can be dangerous if the level of vitamin D is too high.

The pet foods that are affected by these recent recalls are from two specific manufacturing facilities. Halo does not use either of them. Plus, Halo routinely tests the nutritional content of our cat food and dog food, and to date we have not found any nutritional values—including vitamin D—to be different from what is printed on our label.

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The Coolest Cat Video You Haven’t Seen Yet

It’s not news that, unlike dogs who are drawn to us for nearly all their social and functional needs, cats are pretty independent creatures. Now though, scientists at Georgia Tech know one reason why.

Maybe our dogs don’t love it when we groom them, but the truth is they need it. Cats, however, figured this out on their own. At least, they evolved to. Using cameras that capture 500 frames per second, scientists were able to see cats’ tongues more clearly and watch them in action.

The high-speed cameras revealed that the tiny keratin spikes that cover the surface of cats’ tongues are u-shaped, hollow, and tilt back toward the throat. Their unique shape lets them carry saliva to whatever spot your cat is cleaning.

Understanding more about our cats is always helpful, but this knowledge can help engineers design ways to better transport and apply fluids, like cleaners or medicine.

But even though cats don’t need us to brush and bathe them, they’re still happy to let us serve them their favorite cat food.

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[lovemypetz]

Need Help Sleeping at Night? Consult Your Dog.

As the temperatures drop, now you’ve got more reasons to make it a 1-, 2-, or 3-dog night. The Journal of the National Society of Anthrozoology just reported that women say their sleep is less disturbed and they have greater feelings of security and comfort when a dog sleeps in their bed.

While 55 percent of the 1,000 women in the study have dogs, 31% share their bed with at least one cat and 57% share it with a human partner. According to the cat moms, cats are just as disruptive to their sleep as human partners.

The dog moms also reported going to bed earlier and waking up earlier than the women who have cats but no dogs.

Not that we needed it, but now that we have even more evidence that dogs give us as much or more as we give them, be sure to feed them with unconditional love.

  At the end of the day we return to those we ?? love the most. And with that I bid you goodnight and the weekend farewell. . Tomorrow is a new day and a fresh start. Together we can and WILL change the world. . See you tomorrow. . #incredibullstella #goodnight #sleeptight #goodday #sleepy #love #gratitude #tired #onedogatatime #rescuelife #windingdown #monday #bringit #doitagain

A post shared by ?? Stella The Pit Bull ?? (@incredibullstella) on Oct 28, 2018 at 9:40pm PDT

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Celebrate #GivingTuesday with the Humane Society of the United States and Halo®

Today, November 27th, is #GivingTuesday and your gift to the Animal Rescue Team of the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) can go even further. For every $1 you give, Halo is donating one bowl of food to a rescued animal courtesy of Freekibble.com and GreaterGood.org. Plus, your gift directly supports the work of the Animal Rescue Team. Every dollar raised will help save animals from puppy mills, animal fighting operations, natural disasters and other situations where they’re suffering from extreme cruelty and neglect.

Donate to help animals!

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Thrive Market Partners with HALO SpokesPets to Help Animals in Need

Halo Pets & Thrive Market are teaming up this holiday season to help our fellow furry friends in need! With this promotion they are offering first time customers 20% off their order of their favorite Halo Pets products.

In addition to the 20% off you’ll get from Thrive Market when you use Manny the Frenchie or Lil BUB‘s link, for every purchase, they will also donate $20 to #HaloFeeditForward initiative. What does this mean? That $20 AND 20 bowls of food to animals in need!

  When you choose Halo pet food, made from real WHOLE meat, poultry, or fish, and NO “meat meal” of ANY kind, your pet won’t be the only one with a radiant coat, clear eyes and renewed energy. Halo feeds it forward, donating over 1.5 million bowls annually. Thank you for helping #HaloFeeditForward.

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Adopting a Cat for the Holidays?

Photo credit: @scottytehcaat in Instagram

With about 6.5 million companion animals entering the shelter system each year, half of them cats, adopting a cat may be just about the best holiday gift there is. Plus, we’re all for sleeping in on Black Friday and taking your time visiting your local shelter. But before you go, make sure you’re ready.

Own the litter box. Surprising the kids with a new cat may be half the fun, just know that you’re probably going to be the one responsible for the less-glorious parts of pet ownership. Plan for that in advance, and if older children want to take on these responsibilities you can teach them when they’re ready.

Time it right. A new pet can bring even more joy to the holidays, but if your family will be doing extra traveling, visiting, or entertaining, plan your adoption accordingly. Maybe see if your shelter will hold your adopted cat until the holidays are over. A rescue cat may take a few weeks to get used to your family, let alone a house full of guests.

Plan ahead. Even if the visit to the shelter is a surprise, make sure you’ve got the important stuff at home so you’re ready for your new family member. Cats don’t need a lot, but a litter box, kitty litter, bowls for food and water, and a nutritious, delicious cat food that’s going to help transform them from a rescue to a relative are essentials to get started.

Learn more about Halo cat food

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Malaria-Sniffing Dog May Help Wipe Out Disease

We know all dogs have a powerful sense of smell. Whether we’ve brought a fresh loaf of bread into the house or carried a rotten bag of food out of it, their nose knows. And, of course, when we return home after sitting in a coffee shop or playing with someone else’s dog (gasp!), they sniff us down and let us know they know.

But some dogs take their sniffing to an entirely different level. Many have been trained to smell cancer, Parkinson’s disease, and even detect when people with diabetes go into hypoglycemia. And now, a Springer Spaniel named Freya who was trained by a charity called Medical Detection Dogs, is in the spotlight for her ability to detect malaria—in 10 seconds—by sniffing a sock worn for one night by a child who has the disease.

Scientists are calling Freya’s 70% accuracy record remarkable as they work to find ways to fight this disease that is spread by mosquitoes and has killed hundreds of thousands of people. There is hope that dogs may be able to help sniff out other infectious diseases, too, and right now dogs are inspiring scientists at MIT who are trying to create an e-nose to replicate their remarkable skill.

So while your pupper may not be sniffing out sickness, it’s important to remember how powerful and gratifying dogs’ sense of smell is to them, and to satisfy it with food and treats that deliver the scents they love like real, WHOLE chicken and chicken liver, wild salmon, sweet potatoes or pumpkin.

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Keep Your Dog In Shape this Winter

While scientific studies show that pets who are even slightly overweight have decreased vitality and are at risk for complications that shorten their lifespans, still 56% of cats and 60% of dogs in the U.S. qualify as overweight or obese.

So while we love to give dogs the food, treats, and even scraps they love, it’s important to make sure we’re helping keep them maintain a weight that lets them live their best lives. With winter approaching, the couch and the comfort food may be calling you both, but it’s important to stay on top of diet and exercise.

Daily walks are doubly good. You both burn calories and get to spend quality time together doing something they love. Be sure to have cold-weather gear close at hand—right next to the leash and doggie bags—to make it even easier to get out there and get moving.

Make time for play time. Remember how much you loved indoor recess as a kid? Special games and activities got pulled out just to keep us from climbing the walls? Do the same for your dog. Keep a few toys—like a house-friendly ball, treat ball, or tug toy—tucked away for those days when it’s too harsh to brave the elements.

Ingredients tell an important story. Read the label of your dog’s food and treats to make sure it’s loaded with real, WHOLE meat, vegetables, and other quality ingredients that you might find in your own kitchen.

Measure your love. Check with your vet to make sure you know how many calories your dog should get each day and then measure the exact amount into the bowl.

Make treats a treat. Biscuits and cookies are a wonderful way to please your pup, but know that they should be made with healthy ingredients and calculated into your dog’s calorie intake.

Filling up without filling out. Diets aren’t fun, but with healthy weight dog food, you can help your dog reduce his or her calorie intake and still feel satisfied.

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Keep Your Cat Healthy over the Holidays

While scientific studies show that pets who are even slightly overweight have decreased vitality and are at risk for complications that shorten their lifespans, still 56% of cats and 60% of dogs in the U.S. qualify as overweight or obese.

So while we love to give cats the food and treats they love, it’s important to make sure we’re helping keep them maintain a weight that lets them live their best lives—especially during the holidays when our schedules and habits tend to shift for a few weeks.

Keep up the exercise. You don’t need a treadmill to keep your cat active. A little bit of time each day with a favorite ribbon, string or a laser pointer will keep your cat moving.

Ingredients tell an important story. Read the label of your cat’s food and treats to make sure it’s loaded with real, WHOLE meat, vegetables, and other quality ingredients you’d find in your own kitchen.

Measure your love. Check with your vet to make sure you know how many calories your cat should get each day and then measure the exact amount into the bowl.

Choose healthy treats. With clever names and playful shapes, it’s easy to lighten up our diligence with treats, but don’t slip. Read the ingredients label and make sure it’s made with real food that’s good for your cat.

Filling up without filling out. Diets aren’t fun, but with healthy weight cat food, you can help your cat reduce his or her calorie intake and still feel satisfied.

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WHOLE Meat or “Meat Meal” in Pet Food?

As a pet parent, we all want to feed our furry family members with good, wholesome food. That’s easy to do isn’t it? I mean, almost all of the major premium “natural” brands tout meat as their first ingredient. We do. However, if you look closely at these other premium “natural” brands, you’ll notice the second, and many times third, fourth and fifth ingredients are various types of “meat meal,” like “chicken meal,” and “fish meal”. At Halo we use real WHOLE meat, poultry, or fish, and NO “meat meal” of any kind.

Other companies compare dry, rendered “meat meal” to WHOLE meat, arguing that “meat meal” is higher in protein and therefore better. Well, they have one thing right. “Meat meal” is higher in protein. It’s 65% protein and 10% water, while WHOLE meat is 18% protein and 70% water. The problem is, they’re using this fact to tell a false story.

What is “meat meal” in pet food? We can debunk it by answering one question: What is “meat meal”? Don’t be fooled by notions of hearty stews or tasty trimmings that are gently cooked and dried. “Meat meal” starts as a slurry of parts. It is then rendered, which is a high-heat process that creates product as fast as it can to reduce costs. Then it’s pressed, ground, and again baked to remove excess moisture. In the process, proteins and fats are often damaged, and that affects both digestibility and nutritional value. So, while these companies and their packaging may shout how much protein is in their food, their ingredients quietly tell another story.

With “meat meal,” you get what you pay for Economics is the whole reason companies use “meat meal”—it’s cheap protein that runs fast through the manufacturing equipment. As the economics of pet food become more and more difficult, the pressure is to get more yield out of less material. More and more bone (and who knows what else) is making its way into “meat meal”. The WHOLE meat Halo uses is sourced from the same food a consumer would purchase, which makes it much more expensive than “meat meal”.

Economics is driving another trend in premium “natural” pet foods. “Chicken by-product meal” is beginning to show up in their ingredients with the statement that it is a source of glucosamine and chondroitin. Another true statement used to mislead pet parents. Yes, “chicken by-product meal” is a source of glucosamine and chondroitin, but that is not why it’s used. It’s an even cheaper form of “meal” that provides protein. While “meat meals” are no replacement for WHOLE meat, “by-product meals” are the bottom of the barrel. “By-product meal” contains heads, entrails, feet and feathers, (there’s a lot of protein in those feathers). It contains glucosamine and chondroitin by accident.

Quality protein, quality process, quality pet food Kibble made with “meat meals” can be made more quickly than kibble with high percentages of WHOLE meat (because WHOLE meat has more moisture)—another reason companies use “meat meals”. Their equipment can run faster so they have more capacity, which makes it cheaper to manufacture.

At Halo, our kibble manufacture almost never exceeds 210 degrees F. It is not a high-temperature or high-pressure rendering process. Heating kibble too high would cause the starches in it to burn and make it unpalatable. It has to be cooked and dried lower and slower. Like our ingredients, our process at Halo is more expensive, it takes longer, and it’s worth it to have a great-tasting food made with WHOLE meat that is super digestible.

We stand behind the cost of our cat food and dog food because we stand behind the quality of it. Talk to anyone who has switched to Halo and they will tell you about the transformation their pet has gone through, becoming noticeably healthier after the change. That’s why we’re proud to be the Most Loved Natural Pet Food. Pet parents can see the difference.

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Fall is for Leaf Jumpers

Raking leaves is such a kid-chore. For parents, it’s an easy way to get them out of the house, keep them active, and complete a task. For kids, it’s a dream job. It beats emptying the dishwasher and comes with a big bonus at the end. Leaf jumping. Mom and Dad may not endorse it, but for kids, that freedom to fall, dive, or bury themselves inside a giant leaf pile is a rare treat.

Our other children are getting in on the fun, too. With human assistance to build the leaf pile, dogs are having the time of their lives. With their captivating scent, satisfying crackle, and mysterious depths, big leaf piles can give dogs a few minutes—or days—of enrichment and fun.

In fact, just like little kids, with all that fun, it might be hard to get them back in the house. Try tickling their noses with another scent they’ll love. After a good jaunt through the leaves in the lawn, bring out some fragrant, delicious treats that will get their attention and bring them running in your direction.

. “Stella’s home! I can’t wait for my girl to run directly into my arms like she always do—oh, right… that.” #replaced #overstellous #dognamedstella Follow @dognamedstella

A post shared by Stella • Queen of the Sploot (@dognamedstella) on Oct 24, 2018 at 5:46pm PDT

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Halo’s Garden of Vegan® Named Best Dog Food

Dogs aren’t the only ones going garbanzo over Halo®Garden of Vegan®. With more than 1 million votes cast by readers in the largest survey of vegan products in the world, Garden of Vegan® won the prestigious 2018 VegNews Veggie Award for “Best Dog Food,” leaping ahead of the competition.

Dog moms and dads love Halo® Garden of Vegan® for dogs with protein sensitivities, if they want to include their dog in their vegan lifestyle, or if they want to combat climate change by reducing their carbon pawprint.

“We are honored to have Halo Garden of Vegan Dog Food recognized by VegNews and its highly food-conscious community,” said Myron Lyskanycz, CEO for Halo. “Vegan is our fastest growing category of pet food and this award is a testament to pet parents who feed their dogs a vegan diet for its high quality whole-food ingredients and because their dogs thrive on this delicious complete and balanced food. It’s also a great alternative for the many dogs with meat, dairy, corn, or wheat sensitivities.”

Made with plant-based protein from whole grains, green peas and chickpeas, and non-GMO fruits and vegetables, our vegan dog food is complete and balanced, and made without any of the leading allergens, including meat, dairy, corn, or wheat. Garden of Vegan® is also made without fillers like rice.

We at Halo are thrilled to receive the most prestigious honor in the vegan industry, and delighted to be able to announce it on World Vegan Day.

Past Veggie Award winners in other categories include: Ben & Jerry’s, Naked Juice, Sabra, Stella McCartney, Ellen DeGeneres, Farm Sanctuary, Daiya, Vegenaise and LaraBar.

Learn more about Halo® Garden of Vegan® dog food and delicious vegan dog treats.

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