As the weather continues to warm up, pet parents everywhere are overjoyed at the chance to bring their furbabies outside more often for fun and exercise, but they’re also gearing up for flea season. Fleas tend to thrive in warmer weather, which makes them a problem almost year-round here in Florida. But did you know that your dog’s first defense against fleas can start with their diet?

Preventing flea infestations is not only important for your dog’s comfort, but it can also help protect your dog from infections and diseases carried by the parasites, as well as keeping you and your family safe from flea bites and allergic reactions. Here are a few things to know about how your dog’s diet affects their susceptibility to fleas:

• Fleas are more likely to latch on to dogs with nutritionally deficient diets. A healthy, balanced diet includes a variety of important vitamins and nutrients that keep your dog’s immune system strong. These nutrients help keep your dog’s skin healthy and supple, protecting them from the elements and parasites like fleas. Without a healthy diet, your dog’s first line of defense is easily broken, making them a choice target for hungry fleas.

• A natural diet offers more of the nutrients that help keep skin healthy. Natural, unprocessed meats like chicken are full of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are just some of the nutrients your dog needs for healthy skin. In fact, dogs need much more fat in their diets than humans do, which is why a real-food diet can be so beneficial to their health.

• You can add supplements to your dog’s food to help keep them safe from fleas. Here at Pawsitively Pure, we really love Mercola supplements to give our dogs the best nutrition they can possibly get. Try adding an immune booster to their daily meals to help them stay guarded against fleas and other pests. Supplements that add Omega-3s, as well as seaweed and kelp supplements, are great for healthy skin.

Want to learn more about supplements you can add to your dog’s diet? Here’s a list of some of our favorite Mercola products. Before you change your dog’s diet or add any supplements to their meals, we recommend you have a conversation with your veterinarian. To learn more or to order natural food and treats your dog will love, browse through our website!

Have you found yourself begging your dog to swallow their pills? Have they outsmarted you and picked their meds right out of a glob of peanut butter or cheese? Veteran dog owners know that medication time is not always the easiest of tasks. However, the experts at CompoundingRX USA have smart and easy tricks to try the next time your furry friend needs to take their meds:

Congratulations on bringing a new dog into your home! There’s nothing quite as exciting and heartwarming as welcoming a four-legged friend into your family. You’ve probably been thinking about this occasion for weeks, preparing your home with treats, toys, and food to keep your pup happy and healthy. But before you bring your dog home, you need to consider some important medical issues, including spaying or neutering.

There’s a good chance that if you’re adopting your dog from the local shelter, they will take care of the necessary vaccinations and spaying or neutering for you before you bring your dog home. But if they don’t or you get your puppy from another source, it’s important you make these arrangements yourself. Here’s why it’s so important for your dog to be spayed or neutered:

• Fixing brings health benefits for both male and female dogs. For males, the risk of testicular and prostate cancers are both greatly reduced. For females, spaying prevents uterine infections and breast tumors. For both, not having to worry about these types of complications is a great first step in living a longer, healthier life.

• Spaying or neutering helps remove wanton mating behaviors. Even though they’re domesticated, your dogs still have some wild animal left in them. When they get to mating age, their desire to find a mate can make them behave a little recklessly. Neutering helps remove the males’ desire to run away, while neutering can help stop your female dog from howling to attract a partner.

• Spaying and neutering is ultimately more cost effective for you! The one-time cost of having your dog spayed or neutered is much less than the cost of taking care of a litter of puppies. If you decide to allow your dog to breed, you’ll need to have good medical care during their pregnancy, vaccinations, and may even need to enlist the help of a veterinarian for a c-section. By having your dog spayed or neutered before you bring them home, you’re making a financially sound decision.

By having your dog spayed or neutered before you bring them home, you’re making a responsible decision for your pet’s health and for yourself. Spaying and neutering is one step in giving your dog the long, active, healthy lifestyle they deserve to live. It’s best to have your dog neutered between the ages of six and nine months, but your veterinarian will be able to guide you int he right direction.To learn more, get in touch with your veterinarian or your local animal shelter!

According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, 56% of all dogs in America were considered obese in 2017. This is an increase from 2016, when 54% of dogs were considered obese. While many people may think it’s cute to see a “chunky” dog with a few extra pounds, obesity can present serious health problems for our furry friends, and shouldn’t be treated as a laughing matter.

While our dogs have unique appetites and flavor palettes like we do, it’s important to remember that their nutritional guidance comes primarily from us. Here are just a few notable things from this scientific study and how we can use this info to help improve our dogs’ lives overall.

• 54% of pet owners give in when their animals beg. A majority of pet owners noted that they gave their dogs or cats food whenever they begged for it. At first glance, it may seem cruel to deny our animals food when they’re hungry, but if you keep your animal on a consistent feeding schedule, you won’t have to worry about whether or not they’ve gotten enough nutrients for the day. If they beg when you know they’ve gotten their allotted meals, they may just want a little extra love and attention. Satisfy them with a treat for a trick.

• 22% of animal owners noted they overfeed their pets because it makes them happier. Sure, tasty food is a wonderful treat for any dog or cat. Since most people use food and treats as training rewards, it can be difficult to wean your pet off of the extra snacks. Just keep in mind that helping your dog maintain a healthy weight will keep them happier in the long run and give them extra years of running, playing, and doing all the things they love most.

• 4 in 5 pet owners estimate the amount of food their animals receive at mealtime. When you have a pet, it seems like the easy solution to just eyeball how much kibble they get at mealtime. However, lack of careful meal tracking can easily lead to chronic overfeeding and weight gain. Using prepackaged human grade pet foods for your dogs makes the measuring and tracking process easy as it’s already done for you.

If you’re anything like us, you want your dog to stay around as long as possible. Give them the opportunity for a healthy, active life by taking an active role in monitoring their mealtimes. Feeding them natural, responsibly sourced, human-grade foods with wholesome proteins can make a huge difference in their quality of life, as well. To learn more, get in touch with Pawsitively Pure dog food. Purchase tasty, natural food for your dog here.

They say that it takes a matter of seconds to form a first impression of someone. In mere moments, our brains analyze a person’s body language and demeanor to form a comprehensive impression of the person we’re meeting. Whether this impression is completely correct or not, it’s a huge indicator of how the rest of the relationship with this new person may play out. But dogs display emotion a little differently - and getting better at understanding them on first meeting can pave the way for a smoother relationship.

A recent study by the University of Lincoln demonstrated that both children and adults have a tendency to misjudge dogs’ demeanors based on their body language. Misinterpreting a dog’s body language can lead to stress for both you and the dog, so getting a handle on what dogs’ body language means is an important step in dog ownership. Here are a few tips on understanding your dog’s body language:

• Watch the way your dog’s ears are pointed. When they’re pointed up and perky, your dog is in a great mood. If your dog tilts their ears forward, they’re alert, maybe trying to pick up a noise. If they’re laid back flat, your dog is displaying signs of fear and submission. If your dog has floppy ears, it may be a little more difficult to tell which way their ears are tilted, but pay attention to the positions of their ears when they’re in different situations and you’ll be able to recognize the patterns.

• What teeth can tell you: When your dog shows its teeth, it’s probably not smiling. Nose curling and showing the teeth and gums is a sign of aggression and can indicate that your dog is ready to snap. You may have seen some videos of people telling their dogs to “smile,” but don’t accept this as the norm! Showing teeth is not a good sign.

• The tail tells a tale. Your dog’s tale is also a huge indicator of his mood. When your dog is relaxed, his tail will be relaxed. An alert or aggressive dog will have a tail that stands up and maybe even bristles, while a fearful, submissive dog will tuck its tail between its legs. Of course, a lot of wiggling and wagging is a good sign, but you’ll notice even an excited dog’s tail won’t stand up like an aggressive one’s.

When you learn to read your dogs’ body language, you’ll find that your dog is a very expressive creature who lets you know exactly what he wants! Especially if you have children, it’s a great idea to read a few books and do research on dogs’ body language before you welcome a new dog into your home. Having a clear understanding of what your dog is telling you will help avoid accidents and lead to a happy, healthy relationship. To learn more about Pawsitively Pure, click here.