Monthly Archives: Juli 2023

Are you noticing signs of unease or anxiety in your dog? It can truly be heart-wrenching to watch your beloved pet struggle with anxiety. However, it’s important to remember that you’re not alone in this scenario, and there are plenty of strategies for managing your dog’s stress. 

10 Ways to Help a Dog Who Suffers From Anxiety

From understanding their triggers to considering professional training, the practical tips and techniques in this guide will help you ease your dog’s anxiety and improve their wellbeing. 

1. Understand Your Dog’s Triggers

Each dog is different and has unique triggers that can cause anxiety. For instance, maybe it’s loud noises from fireworks, a certain type of person, unfamiliar locations, or being home alone. Be sure to familiarize yourself with these triggers to minimize unnecessary stress for your pet.

2. Provide Plenty Of Exercise

Engaging your pup in regular exercise helps release pent-up energy and reduces stress levels. Long walks, strenuous games, or even a quick run around the park can greatly contribute to their mental wellbeing. Make sure your pet gets an ample amount of exercise each day.

3. Try Aromatherapy

Consider trying aromatherapy to assist in managing your dog’s anxiety. Just as certain scents can relax humans, they can also have a calming effect on dogs. Using pet-safe, calming essential oils in a diffuser can produce a soothing ambiance that helps alleviate stress.

4. Use CBD Products

When other methods don’t seem effective, you might consider trying CBD products. They have shown promise in reducing symptoms of anxiety in pets. Be sure to consult with your vet and refer to a reputable dog CBD product guide before you start using CBD in your dog’s diet. 

5. Invest in Anxiety Wraps or Vests

Anxiety wraps or vests could be an effective tool for managing anxiety. These special pieces of clothing apply gentle pressure on a dog’s body, similar to a comforting hug. Many dogs find this pressure soothing, and it can significantly reduce their anxiety levels during stressful situations.

6. Consider Professional Training

Sometimes, the best course of action for an anxious dog is professional training. Handlers who specialize in canine behavior can work closely with your pet, teaching them ways to cope. They can provide tailored solutions that manage symptoms and address underlying causes of anxiety.

7. Offer A Safe Space

Designating a safe, comforting space at home for your dog can provide them with a haven when they’re feeling anxious. This could be a special bed, crate, or a specific room. Fill it with their favorite toys and blankets. It’s important that this place offers solitude whenever they need it.

8. Implement Calming Music Therapy

Just as certain melodies can relax humans, soothing tunes can have a similar impact on dogs and other pets. Playing calming music can create a peaceful environment and decrease anxiety, especially during stressful moments like thunderstorms or when alone at home.

9. Keep Your Home Environment Consistent

Abrupt changes can be stressful for dogs and other pets, stimulating fear and uncertainty. If you maintain predictable routines, keep their surroundings relatively unchanging, and avoid abrupt adjustments, you’ll contribute significantly to reducing your pet’s anxiety levels.

10. Seek Veterinary Help

Don’t hesitate to seek veterinary help when managing your dog’s anxiety. Veterinarians are professionals with extensive knowledge of pet health. They can provide a proper diagnosis and offer varied treatment plans that could include medication or therapeutic interventions.

In Conclusion… 

Now that we’ve covered a range of tips and techniques to manage your dog’s anxiety, it’s time for you to take a compassionate step forward for their health. Remember, with a little patience and understanding, you can make a world of difference in the life of your furry friend. 

Even if your dog is not showing symptoms of pancreatitis, it is a good idea to educate yourself and know what to look for in the event your pooch suffers an attack because time is of the essence!

Many dog owners will not notice the signs right away or confuse the symptoms with something less serious. Pancreatitis in dogs can become life-threatening when not dealt with quickly.

As per the American Animal Hospital Association, pancreatitis is a painful inflammation of the pancreas that can make pets extremely ill. The pancreas is an abdominal organ located just below the stomach that produces digestive enzymes to break down dietary fats, proteins, and carbohydrates…. pancreatitis can lead to dehydration, organ damage, diabetes, insufficient enzyme production, and, in severe cases, death.¹

There are two forms of pancreatitis: acute and chronic:

An acute attack is an actual episode that may be a one-off situation that doesn’t become a long-term issue. Chronic pancreatitis cases are an ongoing issue that needs to be monitored and treated to avoid or at least minimizes, recurrences of acute pancreatitis attacks.

Dogs of any breed, sex or age can get pancreatitis but there are many factors that can trigger your pup to have an attack.

Here are a few of the bigger causes of pancreatitis in dogs:

• Dogs with a high-fat diet. This can come from their meals, too many table scraps, or scavengers who eat anything they come across!
• Obesity – often related back to poor diet
• Certain medications or toxins that can damage the pancreas
• Genetics – certain breeds like Cocker Spaniels, Dachshunds, miniature Schnauzers, Poodles and Yorkies have a higher risk of developing pancreatitis and having it become a chronic condition
• Diabetes mellitus

Your dog’s diet plays an important role in allowing the pancreas to work as it should. When choosing a suitable diet for your dog there are many things to consider:

• Is their daily diet made up of lean, choice-cut proteins?
• How many grams of fat per calories makes up their pet food?
• What kind of fats are included? The healthy, unsaturated fats (the „omegas“), or is it the unhealthy, saturated ones?
• Is the protein, fat, and carbohydrate content balanced to ensure the pancreas is working optimally?

Think of the damage we can do to our bodies by eating processed, fatty foods, such as fast food, all the time. The same goes for our pets!

Now, let’s talk about the signs of pancreatitis in dogs, so if symptoms do arise, you are prepared:

• Any signs of abdominal pain – hunched back, appearing bloated, uncomfortable, or going into the „downward dog“ yoga position
• Vomiting repeatedly throughout the day and ongoing
• Diarrhea
• Loss of appetite
• Dehydration
• Fever
• Moaning or whining when you touch their underside/belly area

So, what’s next? In a suspected case of pancreatitis, you must get your pet to the vet’s office as quickly as possible so they can diagnose pancreatitis in your dog. Pancreatitis is very difficult to identify but if it is suspected and clinical signs are present, moving quickly to an ultra-low-fat diet can turn things around to curtail too much pain and damage.

A raw diet may no longer work for your dog because their stomachs are now very sensitive and may not be able to handle/fight off the bacteria a raw diet will bring.

Other treatments your vet may recommend include fluid therapy with intravenous fluids for rehydration and to support the healing properties of your pup’s body.

There is no cure for pancreatitis, and so the focus will be on preventing recurring attacks. Listen to your vet’s guidelines, as they may recommend you feed smaller, more frequent meals going forward.

Based on available evidence, it is prudent to feed low-fat diets (less than 30 grams per 1000 kcal) in order to assess an individual dog’s response²

Tom&Sawyer has specifically designed a low-fat line of recipes that fit the low-fat criteria associated with pancreatitis. Our diets are highly bioavailable, high in moisture, and include inflammation-fighting Omega-3 fatty acids. Visit our menu page and select the „Low Fat“ filter to see our low-fat recipes for dogs.

A suggested use of our low-fat diet line during illness and to help issues of fat intolerance is as follows*:

1. Introduce our Tummy Tamer (chicken and rice only) in small servings throughout the day during those first few days once they can start eating again. Add in our slow-cooked chicken bone broth to always keep hydration levels up and to replace lost moisture and nutrients.
2. Slowly transition to one of our 3 ultra-low-fat recipes: Kangaroo, Rosemary Venison, or Fisherman’s Best Friend, which contain only 20g of fat per 1000 calories (under 10% fat on a dry matter basis), which is ideal for acute attacks. Continue to feed one or a combination of these recipes for 2 to 3 weeks and check in with your veterinarian.
3. Once the acute attack is under control, you can consider adding any of our low-fat meals to you pup’s meal plan, which contains a maximum of 25 g of fat per 1000 calories (still within the low-fat guidelines) plus loads of healthy ingredients like tummy calming fresh ginger and turmeric!

If you need help determining the best meal plan for your pet, connect with us to meet with our qualified animal nutritionist, Hannah, [BSc.H., MSc. Animal Nutrition].

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*Always contact to your vet if you notice these symptoms and to discuss your choice of low-fat meal plan. Proper medicine and an educated diet plan can keep your dog living their fullest life, even after an attack. If you have any questions about our low-fat recipes or would like to talk to a nutrition team member more about our low-fat product line, please give us a call at 647.247.3212 ext. 1 or send us an email at consult@tomandsawyer.com.

Article by: Nikita Parsons & Hannah Godfrey, Animal Nutritionist BSc H | MSc Animal Nutrition 

References:

¹https://www.aaha.org/your-pet/pet-owner-education/ask-aaha/Pancreatitis-in-Pets/

2 https://todaysveterinarypractice.com/acvn-nutrition-notesto-feed-not-feedcontroversies-nutritional-management-pancreatitis/

If your dog is anything like ours, you’ve probably seen the pleading puppy eyes, the drool, or the excited happy dance your dog does when a delicious-smelling meal is served to their people. 

It can be so tempting to give your pup a taste of what’s on your plate – a piece of your steak here, some pizza crust there, maybe some bacon, or even a lick of your ice cream.

But, just because your dog loves what you’re eating, it doesn’t mean you should give it to them. And while you might feel like the meanest dog mom or dad of all time for saying no, indulging our dogs with human treats — especially fatty treats — can have serious consequences for their health and well-being.

What foods are too fatty for dogs?

Anything greasy, oily, buttery or with visible fat or gristle are perfect indicators that a table scrap is too high in fat for your pup. Chicken and turkey skin, bacon, fatty cuts of meat — like pork belly, ribs, and turkey thighs, ham, and lamb, for example — should be avoided. 

However, if you’re munching on a piece of broccoli, a carrot, or a handful of blueberries, that’s completely fine to share with your dog.

In this blog post, then, we’ll discuss the top 5 reasons why your high-in-fat human foods shouldn’t be a treat for your dog — even if your pup thinks otherwise.

1. Pancreatitis. One of the most severe — and scary! — conditions caused by fatty foods in dogs is pancreatitis. The pancreas plays a crucial role in digestion and producing insulin, so when a dog consumes a high-fat meal, it triggers an inflammatory response in the pancreas, which can result in pancreatitis. This painful condition can lead to vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and even life-threatening complications. Read our blog post on Pancreatitis in Dogs to learn what to avoid, and how to detect pancreatitis in your pup.

2. Weight gain and obesity. Just like humans, dogs can suffer from the negative effects of excess weight and obesity. High-fat foods are calorie-dense and can quickly lead to weight gain, which puts unnecessary strain on joints and vital organs. Obesity in dogs increases the risk of various health issues, such as diabetes, heart disease and arthritis, ultimately affecting their quality of life. Read our blog post for our 10 Tips for Safe Weight Loss for Dogs here. 

3. Tummy troubles. Dogs have sensitive digestive systems, and introducing rich, fatty foods can cause gastrointestinal issues. Feeding your dog fatty treats may cause diarrhea, vomiting, gas, and discomfort, that can in turn lead to nutrient imbalances and dehydration. If your pup is experiencing tummy issues, you can try giving them a bland diet until it resolves. We recommend a chicken, rice a pumpkin recipe — learn more about it here. 

4. Nutritional imbalances. While fatty foods may be tasty, they can lack all the essential nutrients that dogs need to thrive. When you substitute regular meals with fatty treats, your dog misses out on vital vitamins, minerals, and macronutrients necessary for their overall health. Over time, this can lead to nutrient deficiencies, compromised immune function, and a weakened body condition. 

5. Choking hazards. Dogs that are really excited for table scraps tend to scarf down their fatty treats in a matter of seconds, sometimes without chewing! Fast and excited eating can lead to wheezing or choking, and is especially dangerous if you’re giving your pup a cooked bone or rib from your dinner to gnaw on.

There is GREAT news if your pup loves human food! 

While a lot of “human food” — aka the food on your plate — may not be good for your dog, there is something to be said for fresh, healthy, cooked food. 

That’s why we created Tom&Sawyer. We believe that your dog deserves to be fed just like your human family, but with the perfect canine twist of dog-appropriate proteins, fresh fruits and veggies, and all the nutrients your pup needs to enjoy a complete and balanced meal. See our menu here.

Our animal nutritionists have even created a line of low-fat meals (Fisherman’s Best Friend, Kangaroo, Rosemary Venison, Coconut Chicken and Beef & Broccoli) suitable for dogs with pancreatitis, and dogs who need to lose a bit of weight. 

Our meals not only look like human food, but to a dog, they taste and smell like human food, too — only better. You can purchase our food as a special treat that you give them on occasion, or you can use it as a topper or a full diet. 

Build the perfect meal plan for your pup here. 

So, while it may be tempting to share the yummy food from your plate with your pup, it’s even more important to prioritize their health and well-being. With Tom&Sawyer’s fresh cooked dog food, it’s even easier than making a meal for yourself.