Did you know that October is National Pet Wellness Month? After the excitement of the summer, the fall is the perfect time to slow down and give your pet an overall health and wellness checkup. Here at Pawsitively Pure, we like to treat Pet Wellness month as a new beginning for our pets’ health goals and find new ways to improve quality of life for Jackson and Finley as they grow older together.

This year, we want to take it back to the basics and make sure our pups are living their best lives when it comes to their everyday needs. Here are the 3 ways we’re celebrating National Pet Wellness Month:

• Make sure your pups are following healthy, balanced diets.  The number one thing you can do to keep your pup happy is to ensure the food they eat is fresh and free from unnecessary fillers and sugars. The best way to do this is with whole, human-grade foods. Your dog wasn’t designed to live on kibble; make the switch to natural food and you’ll see increased energy levels and much more alertness in your pup.

• Give your dog an enriching environment. No matter how often you try to give your dog outdoor playtime, they’re still spending most of their lives inside the house. Make sure your dog isn’t bored and provide him with a variety of toys and puzzles. Also, as often as possible, take your dog on different routes for your daily walk. Any training sessions are also great opportunities for both enrichment and bonding.

• Give your dog an at-home wellness checkup. Your dog can’t tell you when he’s experiencing a health issue; instead, you have to rely on your own observations to discern that your pup is under the weather. Usually, by the time symptoms get serious, the issue has been present for a while. This is why it’s so important to regularly give your pet a simple at-home examination from tip to tail. Here’s a great guide from Healthy Pets by Mercola.

Give your pup a little extra love for National Pet Wellness month! If you’re not sure where to start, your pet’s diet is the biggest factor in their overall health and wellness. Review your food and treat choices and determine what areas might need a little extra healthy nutrition. When you’re ready to switch your dog to natural, human-grade food, click here to shop Pawsitively Pure’s products.

Treats are an important part of every dog’s diet! Not only do they give you a way to reward good behavior and train further good habits, they allow you to beef up your pet’s nutrition as long as you make healthy choices. From training treats to larger chewables and bones, treats can keep your dog busy, strengthen their gums and teeth, and reinforce positive behavior at home and on the go.

Most veterinarians recommend keeping treats under 10% of your dog’s daily diet, and you should make sure that your pup gets the bulk of his nutrition from his food before filling up on cookies. But besides that, how do you know what treats are the right ones for your pet? Here are a few tips:

• Include real vegetables, like carrots, green beans, or broccoli, for a healthy crunch and pure nutrition. On a hot day, many dogs love chewing on a handful of frozen veggies to cool down. Before you go to the fridge, though, make sure the fruits or vegetables you choose are not toxic to dogs. Onions, grapes, avocado, and chocolate are at the top of the do-not-feed list.

• Opt for all-natural ingredients if you don’t rely on veggies for snacking. Many popular dog treats, like Milk Bones, are packed with sugar and other fillers designed to get your dog hooked. Even if you use treats sparingly, this amount of sugar can lead to serious tooth decay and bloated bellies. Remember: Dog treats aren’t required to meet the same health standards as complete nutrition systems, so go with a treat brand you can trust. (Hint: Pawsitively Pure’s limited-ingredient treats include nothing but the best!)

• Be careful when giving your dog bones to chew on. If you want to give your dog a real bone to gnaw on, make sure it’s a raw, meaty bone like a turkey neck. Cooked bones become brittle and can splinter easily, causing a choking hazard. Some bones, like antlers, may be too hard for your dog’s teeth and can cause cracking. Pay attention to your dog’s reaction to their treats and always supervise snacking.

Choosing the right treats for your dog should be fun and exciting. When you have a handful of flavors to choose from, you can pick out the one that makes your pup’s tail wag the hardest. Even picky eaters love Pawsitively Pure cookies. To learn more or to shop for your favorites, click here.

If you’re a dog owner, you’ve probably experienced your fair share of halitosis coming from your furry friend. Yes, we love our pups, bad breath and all; but whether you realized it or not, bad breath doesn’t have to be the default for dogs. While your pup may never have minty-fresh breath, severe halitosis and odor from the gums and teeth may be a sign of a health issue that can develop into something bigger if left unchecked.

One of the many reasons why we feed our dogs with human-grade dog food is because it’s been proven to support better oral health. Here’s how:

• No added sugars. Just like processed human foods, processed kibble tends to include a lot of sugar-based fillers to make it more appealing and preserve it for longer. All that extra sugar leads to buildup and tooth decay - yes, just like it does to humans! Reducing the amount of sugars in your dog’s diet can be a huge helper in staving off plaque and freshening their breath.

• It includes tooth-protecting enzymes and nutrients. The nutrients found in fatty acids, COq10, and folic acid, have been shown to strengthen gum tissue and help stave off periodontitis. Our bone broth and dog food are chock full of healthy ingredients including these nutrients, leaving your pup with a more comfortable mouth.

• It makes it easier to add in supplements. If you have a picky dog, you’ve probably gone through the struggle of trying to add supplements to their kibble, only to have them pick around it. Flavorful bone broth is a great way to disguise additional supplements in your pup’s food and can blend completely so they can’t pick around it. They may even learn to love their supplements in time!

While oral health isn’t always at the forefront of a dog owner’s mind, it’s an important part of your dog’s overall wellness. Keeping the teeth and gums strong can help dogs lead active lifestyles and keep their body safe from other infections. To learn more or to browse through our human-grade dog products, click here. Want to know where else you can find Pawsitively Pure? Check out our blog here!

It looks like fall is officially here! Everywhere, we’re seeing people and businesses trade in their beach towels and sunscreen for pumpkin spice lattes and scarves. Well - maybe not scarves here in Florida, but it’s undeniable that the air is starting to get a little more crisp, and the days are getting shorter. As October approaches, we’re getting ready for the holiday season to begins.

You may not have realized that a holiday staple for many is also a great source of nutrition for your dog! Pumpkin is one of the main ingredients in our peanut butter and pumpkin dog treats, and it’s not just the tasty flavor that pups love. Here are just a few ways your dog can benefit from a little pumpkin:

• It’s great for upset tummies. If your dog has ever had an upset stomach, your veterinarian may have recommended you to feed them some pumpkin puree from the can. Pumpkin is a particularly effective ingredient for dogs who have sensitive stomachs, making it a great addition for any dog who is transitioning from kibble to a raw diet.

• It’s full of fiber. Pumpkin is a miracle food for dogs, as it treats both diarrhea or upset and constipation. Pumpkin is full of fiber - nearly three grams per cup of puree. Substituting part of your dog’s diet with pumpkin is a great way to help them lose weight while still providing them with all the nutrients they need to live healthy lives.

• It’s an important source of beta-carotene. You may have heard of the benefits of beta carotene in your own diet; provided by foods like carrots, sweet potato, and spinach, it supports healthy vision and works as an antioxidant. The great news is that it does the same for your pup! Supporting healthy vision is so important for active dogs who like to spend time outside.

Introducing a small amount of pumpkin to your dog’s daily diet is a tasty way to help them get all the nutrients they need to live healthy lives. It’s a good addition whether they’re eating kibble or living on a natural food diet! Order some of our peanut butter and pumpkin treats and see the difference for yourself. Visit our website to learn more.

Here's a review from Rocket's humans: 

"Picked up another couple bags of Rocket's super-cool, super-clean, super-pure food yesterday from our friends at Pawsitively Pure. As you can see, he LOVES the food! He's also quite stylish in his bandana. ;-)We've certainly noticed a difference in his coat and skin since he began eating the Turkey and Vegetables Human Grade Food. The scabs are gone, he smells much better and he's happier. That makes us happy!

Even though the fine folks that make Pawsitively Pure are right around the corner from us they can ship frozen food right to your door. Easy-Peasy! Go check 'em out and tell them RocketMan sent you. And, Yes, he really is that cute! :-) - Mommy, Daddy & Rocket <3"

We're so happy that Rocket has been experiencing better health and happier days since he made the switch to Pawsitively Pure! Ready to start your Pawsitively Pure journey? Browse our shop and get started!