Tigertail Foods is a wholistic pet food and treat company. We use only human-grade
ingredients that come
from trusted sources.
Your pet's health is our first
concern and everything we make is motivated by
the principle
that healthy food helps make healthy pets.
Health Matters
January 17, 2011
The new year is well under way. We've cleared out the wrapping paper and taken down the lights - the holidays have been stowed away for another year. One thing we noticed about this last year is that people are taking the "less is more" attitude about life, mostly in a positive fashion. In that vein, Ann took stock of her own life and what was important to her - as always, the pets ranked in the top 5. Her animals, like we hope your animals do for you, bring her a sense of calm and serenity. For years she has joked about her riding sessions as "therapy hour." So it was no surprise that when making calls on what needed to be improved she decided to take her cues from the dogs, the cats and the horse.
Additionally, Ann is asking you to send her your thoughts for future column topics, as well as suggestions for what we can do to improve these features and make them more helpful and useful for you. Don't be shy - please send us your feedback!
*Standard disclaimer: while we will offer our opinions about how to best achieve optimum health for our animals, we do NOT profess to know what is better for your pet than you or your vet do! Always consult with your vet, then consult with another vet and get a second opinion (because we also believe in having options!).
New Year Resolutions from My Pets
Time to make our New Year's resolutions! Every year I vow to lose weight and get more exercise and take better care of my skin and eat more vegetables and …. And then life continues and the resolutions are forgotten, usually by February. This year I'm going to let my pets make the resolutions.
The dogs say I need more exercise. I think they need more exercise. We vow to take more walks together and at their speed, not mine. While they sniff and explore I'm going to enjoy the scenery and try to live in the moment, not worry about what I'll make for dinner or the phone call I forgot to make.
The dogs say they need to have their ears cleaned more regularly. I promise to clean them at least once a week or more often if Bree needs it. I will use the time and contact to love on Bree, look into her beautiful old face and check on her eyesight. I will use this time with GiGi to help her realize that ear cleaning is not a death sentence and try to teach her that good dogs get a treat after their ears are cleaned.
GiGi says that she needs socialization. I promise to get her out to social events where she will learn to meet and greet other dogs and new human beings. I promise I will always be at the other end of the leash, ready to reassure her that I won't let anything terrible happen to her.
Both dogs resolve to get more car rides. I promise to get them out at least once a week for a spin around the neighborhood, not just to the vets. Although they love the vet's office, I want them to look forward to each outing as if it were always going to end at the bakery with fresh bread for me and a special treat for them. When the weather is better, I will take them to the beach where they can play in the surf and chase seagulls and I can look at the majesty of the Pacific Ocean and be reminded that I am a small part of the overall scheme. If Bree doesn’t feel like chasing gulls, she can either remember a time when she chased them or trot after them in her John Wayne swagger.
My dogs resolve to play more. Although we have bakery dogs here every day, Bree is too old to run and bump with the other dogs and GiGi doesn't understand games. To help them reach their goals, I promise to teach them gentle games such as fetch and gentle tug o'war.
My dogs resolve to always greet me when I get home. I promise to spend a few minutes after I drop my purse and parcels to greet them in turn. I always say, “Hi” to them, but this year I'm going to drop to my knees and give them both a real hug, maybe an ear ruffle and take that moment to let them know I’m as glad to be home with them as they are.
GiGi has made the promise to work on her self-confidence. I promise to work with her on obedience in hopes that it will raise her confidence knowing that she is pleasing me by being such a good dog.
Mara, my horse, looked at me on New Year's Day as if I were crazy asking her for a resolution. She admitted, rather begrudgingly (because that’s how she is), that she looks forward to my company. She is very intelligent and thrives on stimulation and exercise. She promised to keep me “sunny-side up” on her back if I promised to find a way to get out for a ride one more day a week. We will continue to work on her training and enjoy more trail rides. She gets nervous when going out alone, so we will work on short outings alone, slowly increasing the distance she feels safe going alone. Maybe she will learn to trust me more to protect her from the dreaded saber-toothed giraffes (aka: green utility boxes making humming noises) that beset her about a month ago when we were returning to the stables alone.
The cats resolve to continue being lords of the universe and masters of all they survey. They promise to use my lap as their personal napping spot whenever I sit down and to keep my bed warm in spots of their own choosing. In turn I promise them to supply them with plenty of snooze time and pet them soothingly whenever they wish.
Happy New Year! Many of you have read the prayer “Please let me be the person my dog thinks I am.” My wish to everyone is that they achieve that level of goodness in this New Year.
Dear Readers:
I have been writing this column for a while now and while I hear from many people about their pet's specific problems, I would like to know what you would like to read about. If you have any suggestions about health topics, I will be happy to research and write about them. If I have touched on a topic that you would like to know more about, please let me know. Thank you for your feedback.
Sincerely,
Ann Thomas
Ann@Tigertailfoods.com
