You understand that exercise is good for you helping you to maintain a healthy weight, keep your muscles and joints flexible and helping you live longer and feel better. For all the same reasons, your pets need to get exercise too. Not only can exercise extend your pets lives; it may also expend some of their nervous energy and make them a little less likely to chew on the furniture.

Without you to lead the way, you’re pet is not going to run laps or do 50 sit-ups. So as a pet owner, part of your responsibility is to ensure your pets get safe, enjoyable exercise on a regular basis. All pets need some physical activity to help them live a happy, healthy life.

Different pets require different amounts of exercise, so it may be best to have a chat with your vet before determining the correct level for your pets exercise.

Dogs

Dogs can be great fun to exercise as they can get you out and about yourself. After your vet gives your dog a clean bill of health, start your pet on suitable exercise for beginners.

Just like people who aren’t used to exercise, dogs should start off slow. Moderately paced walking and swimming are a good way to start - then let your pet build their cardiovascular and muscle strength without putting undue stress on their joints. A daily 10-15-minute walking or swimming session is a good start and you can build to an hour a day if your pet seems up to it. If, after a few months your pet can handle long, fast walks without fatigue, he could graduate to jogging with you.

Make sure that you watch out for the following:

• Keep a close eye on your dog. Watch for any unusual signs of fatigue or trouble breathing. If your pet wants to stop, let them. Dogs that overdo it can suffer strained tendons or ligaments or other orthopedic problems.
• Safety first. Keep your dog on a lead when you run. Even the best-trained dogs can run into the path of a car. And if you have to run when it’s dark out, put reflectors on your dog’s collar as well as on your clothes.
• Try to run on dirt paths or grass as much as possible. Gravel, concrete, asphalt, cinders and road salt can irritate your pets paws.
• Be careful when it’s freezing cold or hot and steamy out. Either keep your run short or play a little indoor fetch instead.
• The more active your dog is, the more water he will require. Make sure your pet has enough fresh water before and after your run. If you’re going for a long run, take some water along for both you and him.

Cat

Cats are a little bit different than dogs, they’re designed for short, frequent periods of intense activity, rather than longer, slower-paced exercise sessions.

There are wide selection of toys you can buy to get your cat active, including “kitty trees” that will let your pet climb to the ceiling and mechanical animals that can be chased around the room. There are a few main ways you can entice your pet into activity:

• Things that can be hit. Anything light that moves easily across the floor can give your cat a chance to practice hitting and chasing. Balled up paper works well. Just make sure that she’s not batting anything she could chew up or swallow.
• Things that can be chased. The end of a moving string should bring out the predator in even the most sedentary cat. Again, just make sure you pet doesn’t swallow the string.
• Things that can be climbed into. Empty boxes and paper bags are perfect for this. Remember plastic bags could cause suffocation.
• Things that can be scratched. Scratching stretches and tones the muscles in your cat’s shoulders and back. A scratching post–or even a piece of cardboard or carpet–can keep your pet active without your furniture taking the brunt. Don’t use your hand or fingers as “bait” or as the object of teasing. This teaches your pet that it is all right to scratch and bite your hands.

Some cats can even be trained to walk outside on a leash!

As the holiday season begins, we offer a reminder of the potential hazards that often face your pet during this time. When you start to decorate and cook, be careful! The holiday season is generally a time of family togetherness in which even our pets participate. One’s thoughts generally are far from thoughts of injury; however, one must be aware of some important seasonal hazards in order to insure a happy holiday season.

RIBBONS & TINSEL

These are of special interest to playful cats and kittens who see these materials as toys (or prey) to be chased, pounced upon, chewed or swallowed. While chasing and pouncing pose no health threats, chewing and swallowing do, as these strings or “linear foreign bodies” can catch in the GI tract, leading to bunching of intestine as the body tries in vain to move the string or ribbon through. This is a life-threatening condition requiring surgery for correction. Supervise animals who play with string closely.

ELECTRIC LIGHT CORDS

These are also tempting to cats who like to play with string as well as to puppies who are teething and interested in chewing. If a pet bites through an electrical cord, it could result in a severe burn to the tongue which causes the pet’s lung to fill with fluid, causing respiratory distress. This is also an emergency requiring immediate veterinary attention.

CHOCOLATE

Many people do not realize that chocolate can be a poison. Unsweetened baking chocolate carries a much higher dose of the toxin “theobromine” than does milk chocolate, but even normal milk chocolate can be dangerous; a small dog sharing candy can wind up in big trouble. Clinical signs of chocolate poisoning include hyperexcitability, nervousness, vomiting, and diarrhea and death.

POINSETTIA

Consuming this festive-looking plant can be irritating to the mouth and stomach of the dog or cat that chews on or eats it. Contrary to popular belief, poinsettia is not specifically toxic.

MISTLETOE

The fact that there are several types of mistletoe makes it difficult to predict the clinical signs of poisoning. Some mistletoes produce only stomach upset while others may lead to liver failure or seizuring. Consider mistletoe to be a hazardous substance and keep it inaccessible to pets and children.

COOKING

Keep pets out of the kitchen during the hustle and bustle of the season. The last thing you want is for someone you love to get underfoot and get burned from spillage.

DIETARY INDISCRETION

We all like to include our pets in holiday meals along with the rest of the family, but try to keep in mind that sudden rich diet changes are likely to upset a pet’s stomach. Vomiting and diarrhea are not uncommon. If leftovers are of an especially fatty nature, the pancreas may become inflamed and overloaded. This condition is serious and may require hospitalization.

From time to time we have customers ask us about nutritional support for their pet’s liver. Basically, the liver performs numerous important functions for your pet’s body, including the filtering of toxins from the bloodstream. Because the liver works to rid the body of so many different substances, it is susceptible to damage from many different sources.

Liver disease can be caused by:

• Viral and bacterial infections
• Poisonous substances your pet has eaten
• Altered blood flow to the liver due to heart disease or other congenital abnormality
• Your dog or cat’s breed - certain breeds in both can have difficulty excreting copper

Check your furry friend for the following signs of liver disease:

• Loss in appetite
• Sudden weight loss
• Lack of energy or depression
• Jaundice (yellowing of the gums, whites of the eyes or skin)

Other possible signs of liver disorders include dark-colored urine, pale gums or a build up of fluid in the abdomen that could be mistaken for sudden weight gain. Your veterinarian can administer other tests to diagnose liver disease, so for an accurate diagnosis and treatment options, always consult your veterinarian.

For maximum support of your pet’s liver, we recommend our Liver Support product, which has been shown to support liver metabolism and promote the detoxification of not only the liver but of the whole body. The typical pet dosage is one capsule per day for each 15 pounds of weight. Get a 90-capsule bottle for only $14.95 with a Poly-MVA for Pets purchase - click here to read more or to order!

For many of us, coming home from a long day at work means that we’ll be met at the door by an adoring and eager friend - our pet! All that love is such an ego boost. Pets are good for more than your self-esteem. Besides being great buddies, pets can also improve your health in these five ways:

• Prevent allergies: Many new studies show that children who grow up in a household with furry animals or on a farm, have less risk for allergies, and asthma and a stronger immune system.
• Friend magnets: Pets are natural conversation starters so your pet can help you meet people if you have social anxiety or chronic shyness.
• Benefit the aged: For the elderly, caring for a pet can offer exercise and companionship. Studies have also shown that for Alzheimer’s patients, those who have a pet have fewer anxious outbursts.
• Good for the mind and soul: Those who have pets are less likely to suffer from depression, are better equipped to handle stressful situations, and they also have lower blood pressure.
• Good for your heart: Pet owners who suffer from a heart attack will live longer than those who are petless. Studies have also shown that men who own pets have lower cholesterol.