• Make sure your dog is getting the proper exercise. We hear all the time about a healthy diet and regular exercise helping our health – it helps your dog’s too.
• Dogs explore the world with their mouths. Please encourage them to chew on their toys instead of available electrical cords or other dangerous household items.
• Your dog is your pet, not the bacteria or parasites that prey on them. Please keep your dog clean by brushing their coat and teeth and keeping their areas clean.
• Don’t over-bathe your dog. Dogs only need baths when their coat becomes soiled. So even if your dog lives indoors, you should only bathe them every few weeks. Also, remember that a dog’s skin is much more sensitive than a person’s. Human shampoos remove essential oils from their skin. Instead, use a shampoo that is formulated for dogs.
• Avoid giving your dog chew toys that can be swallowed. There have been cases of intestinal problems from many of the chew products that claim to be digestible.
• Never leave your dog unattended, parked car. Dogs can be stolen from unattended vehicles, and we hear stories on the news every summer about dogs that have been left in parked cars in the Phoenix heat and they dehydrate or die.
• A dog should always have access to shade and clean water. We strongly recommend against keeping a dog outside in the Phoenix summer.
• Pay attention to the plants you put in your yard or bring into your house. Many can be harmful to your dog. See our list of common yet harmful plants below.
• Keep your dog’s ears clean. A healthy ear will be pinkish-grey in color and will not have any odor. Check them regularly for ear mites and ear infections. If their ears don’t look or smell right, consult your veterinarian.
• If you have a large dog, talk to your vet and read up on gastric torsion, commonly known as “bloat.” Never let your dog run and play immediately after eating. Also, keep them from drinking water for 30 minutes after they eat. Instead, a dog should rest and let his food digest immediately after he eats.
• Never overfeed your dog. A puppy can eat three times a day, but an adult dog should only eat twice daily. Read the label on your dog food for your dog’s recommended serving size. Overfeeding can lead to obesity, hurting your dog’s quality of life and ultimately shortening his lifespan.
• Control fleas and ticks on your dog. Many quality products are sold in pet stores, or talk to your vet about your options for dealing with this problem.
• Secure the lids of your indoor and outdoor trash cans, or make sure the cans are behind closed doors. We throw away many things that can tempt your dog but could seriously harm them.
• We feel better when we have just taken a nice shower and are clean. Dogs are very similar. Regular grooming, including brushing their hair and clipping their nails, is needed for every dog. Learn the grooming needs of your breed.
• Walking your dog during a Phoenix summer can be a challenge. The hot asphalt can burn their feet, and the hot temperatures can cause dehydration.

Nutrition Tips For Your Dog

We receive many requests from our clients to recommend safe, healthy food and treats for their dogs. Food is the most important factor for your dog’s good health. Unfortunately, we don’t recommend any dog foods for sale in retail stores.

Any food that is for sale in a retail location is going to contain chemical preservatives. The food needs to be shipped and stored in a warehouse, and then it will sit on a store shelf for a prolonged period. Because of this, the manufacturer needs to include the preservatives.

By law, meat by-products in dog food do not include hair, horns, teeth, hooves, feathers, or manure. Instead, they include organs, including the lungs, spleen, intestines, brains, kidneys, and liver, and in the case of chicken, by-products will include the head (including the beaks) and feet.

Dog food companies can also use wheat and soy to increase the protein percentage listed on the packaging, but these fillers are not digestible for a dog. The fillers just become more waste in your yard.

The only commercial dog food we feel comfortable recommending is life’s The Abundance of dog food. It is not available in stores, but you can purchase it online at www.LifesAbundanceDogFood.co. Life’s Dr. Jane Bicks developed Abundance, a nationally renowned product formulator and holistic veterinarian.

Human-grade chicken meal is the primary ingredient in Life’s Abundance. It also contains egg, one of the more digestible forms of protein, and it is full of vitamins A, B, E, and K, biotin, and amino acids. It also has a fish meal, which is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which are wonderful for your dog’s skin and coat.

Life’s Abundance contains no steroids, no hormones, no by-products, no artificial colorings, no corn, no wheat, no soy, and no chemical preservatives. Your dog’s food will be delivered fresh and is guaranteed to be at most six months old. They use only fresh, natural, wholesome ingredients.

Life’s Abundance is the only food we’re aware of that uses probiotics (friendly bacteria) for a healthy digestive tract. It also contains lactobacillus acidophilus to help maintain a balance of friendly bacteria in your dog’s intestines.

Take their pet food challenge and compare Life’s Abundance to your dog’s food.