Author: World Arabia

Key points:

• Unless your cat is suffering from a severe medical condition such as inflammatory bowel disease, there is no need to feed it grain-free foods;
• Generally, cats are not allergic to products that contain grains and can easily digest carbohydrates contained in them;
• Grains are rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids essential for your cat’s nutrition;

Nowadays, it is so easy to get lost and confused while choosing food for your cat from tons of available options. The pet food market overwhelms customers with a wide selection of trendy foods: vegan, vegetarian, raw, sustainable, organic, freeze-dried, gluten-free, grain-free, and many other options. Some pet owners strive to feed their cats human-grade food, as they often want their cat food of choice to be as pure as possible. Therefore, grain-free food for cats is sometimes considered to be the best option. But what does the term “grain-free” mean, and is it actually bad to feed your cat grains? Let’s figure this out!

Key points

• Generally, as cats age, they become less active, start spending more time at home, and experience changes in their metabolism.
• As a result, you need to revise the diet of your aging cat;
• Vets recommended feeding elderly cats with easily digestible food made of high-quality ingredients;
• If your old cat refuses to eat, the animal might be in pain or suffer from a severe disease.

Once a cat reaches the age of eleven, it is considered to be a senior. As the cat gets on in years, its dietary needs change. Some reasons for this are purely practical; for instance, a toothless senior cat can’t do much with dry food. In addition, there are physiological changes in the cat’s metabolism, resulting in the pet’s need for certain nutrients shifts. Elderly cats can also develop new dietary preferences. So there are a few things to consider if you want to help your elderly cat live its best life.

Key points

• Many dogs experience sudden bursts of energy called zoomies. 
• While zoomies can seem fun and harmless at first, you need to take steps to help your dog be calmer and more composed if they occur too frequently.
• Since a lack of exercise often causes zoomies, taking your dog on long walks is the best way to help it get rid of excess energy. 

We all adore it when our doggies jump around us, all excited and happy. But what if they get overly excited and start acting abnormally by chewing on furniture, breaking things in your home, or loudly and aggressively barking at everybody? When things get out of control, it’s essential to know how to calm down your dog quickly and effectively. TIn this article, we will give you some tips on dealing with an overexcited puppy or dog. 

Key points

• Dogs can become underweight for various reasons, including excessive exercise, parasite infestations, various health issues, and poor-quality food. 
• It’s essential to bring your underweight dog to a vet for a thorough examination and health assessment. The professional will develop a diet and exercise plan that will help your dog fatten up. 
• When trying to help your dog gain weight, it’s crucial to increase the number of meals the pet eats every day, choose nutrient-dense, high-quality pet food, provide the pet with plenty of exercise for building muscle, and make it comfortable in your home both physically and psychologically.

Being too thin is not a common issue for dogs, and it’s rather hard to find good information about canine malnutrition. If you have ever wondered if your dog looks too skinny, how many calories your pet needs to eat, and how you can help the pet gain weight, this article is for you!

Key points

• Blueberries are a low-calorie product that has a lot of health benefits. These berries are rich in minerals and vitamins, and they have potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
• Be careful with how many blueberries you feed your dog, as they contain sugar which can cause cavities. Their small size may also cause dogs to choke.
• You can feed your dog raw, dried, frozen, or mashed blueberries. You can combine them with other fruit and vegetables, add them to your pet’s meal, or simply feed them as a snack.
• Giving commercially prepared blueberry yogurts, pancakes, muffins, or anything with artificial blueberry flavoring to your pet, may cause indigestion and nausea.

It’s important to carefully examine the benefits and potential dangers of every product you give to your dog. Blueberries are known to be good antioxidants, plus they have a strong anti-inflammatory effect in humans. Interestingly, these berries have the same impact on dogs, making them one of the top products to add to your pet’s diet. The scale of health benefits that blueberries can have on your dog is precisely the reason why so many dog food manufacturers add them to their dog food formulas.

Key points

• Vets widely use phenobarbital to treat dogs suffering from seizures and epilepsy.
• Generally, pets that suffer from epilepsy need life-long therapy with phenobarbital. 
• While the drug is usually well-tolerated, it can cause adverse side effects, including vomiting, lethargy, agitation, anxiety, frequent urination, and even kidney damage.

Key points

• It can be challenging to determine when your pet needs to start eating a senior dog diet. It’s different for all breeds, but according to most vets, dogs are considered seniors when they’ve reached half of their life expectancy.
• Including a lot of fiber in your dog’s diet will help prevent constipation and maintain healthy glucose levels in the bloodstream.
• Adding fructooligosaccharides (FOS), vitamin E, beta-carotene, and Omega-6 fatty acids such as gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) can help boost your elderly pet’s immune system, keep its skin and coat healthy, and prevent indigestion.
• For dogs with liver or kidney problems, it’s better to follow a low protein diet.
• Dogs’ metabolism tends to slow down with age; therefore, elderly pets need 20% fewer calories to maintain the same weight as younger dogs. If your senior dog has lost weight, check with your vet to eliminate the possibility of underlying health issues, such as liver and kidney disease, diabetes, dental problems, and cancer.

Key points

• Since dogs are extremely sensitive to noise, light, and smell, fireworks can easily terrify them.
• You can get your dog ready for a fireworks display by sound training the pet and doing a session of pre-fireworks exercise, as well as scheduling the pet’s meals in advance.

New Year’s Eve and Independence Day present a real challenge for many dog owners. While the sky, lit up by beautiful fireworks, might seem breathtaking to humans, but most dogs will be terrified. It goes without saying that you should not take your dog to fireworks displays. However, even at home, our four-legged friends can get frightened by the noise. But don’t worry, with a bit of planning, you can prevent your pet from getting scared and anxious during celebrations.

Key points

• Scientists and vets don’t know precisely why grapes and raisins are toxic to dogs, but if your dog ingests grapes or raisins, it’s essential to seek help right away.
• Many symptoms may indicate grape poisoning in dogs, including nausea, vomiting, indigestion, lethargy, decreased urination or complete lack of urination, lack of appetite, and diarrhea.
• The main goal of the treatment is to prevent the absorption of the toxins, which means inducing vomiting and administering activated charcoal up to 6 hours after ingestion.
• If your dog ate raisins, it’s essential to call a vet and get instructions for further actions. You may be able to treat the pet at home, but the dog may need to be hospitalized in many cases. 
• No set amount of grapes is safe for your dog. Some pets can tolerate small amounts just fine, and others may get poisoned after ingesting just a few grapes.

Many pet owners love to eat granola, bagels, and cereals and sometimes share a little of their meal with their pets. Giving your dog a piece of your bagel may seem harmless, but it can pose more danger than you can imagine. This is because a lot of human food contains raisins and dried currants. But few pet owners know that grapes, currants, and raisins are some of the most toxic things a dog can eat. If your dog ingests even a tiny amount of these foods, it can cause many health problems, including kidney failure.

Key points

• There are two types of cinnamon, namely Cassia cinnamon and Ceylon cinnamon. Generally, Ceylon cinnamon is considered to be safer for dogs;
• Cinnamon is a very concentrated source of antioxidants that can lower blood sugar and improve your dog’s heart health. Moreover, it might help your pet deal with joint pain and muscle soreness;
• Although nutmeg is often seen as a supplementary spice to cinnamon, you should never give it to your dog. Nutmegs can cause life-threatening intoxication in dogs.

Cinnamon has many benefits in a human diet. It is a powerful antioxidant with an abundance of anti-inflammatory properties, and the spice can even help lower blood sugar levels. Moreover, cinnamon improves insulin sensitivity in those who have diabetes. It can also aid patients with neurodegenerative diseases and much more! Cinnamon is also delicious, which is why it is a common staple food in pantries worldwide. But is it actually safe for your dog to consume cinnamon?

The short answer is yes. However, the type and amount of cinnamon you can feed your dog play an important role.