We all love to indulge around the holidays, especially when it comes to food. Unfortunately, tossing your pet table scraps as a “treat” can cause unnecessary upset to their digestive system. Read our recommendations before including fido or fluffy at the dinner table this year. Your pet’s tummy will thank you!

You and your pet both know the rule: No table food! On occasion, however, your vet may actually recommend human fare for your furry friend. What’s the deal?

Vegetables are an excellent source of antioxidants—dietary substances that can repair and prevent damage to the body’s cells—for both humans and animals. While antioxidants in tablet form only contain a handful of different antioxidants, vegetables can contain hundreds, many of which work together for an even more powerful effect.

The gastrointestinal system is very important in overall health. It is not only necessary for the nourishment of the body, but is also critical for keeping the body hydrated, presenting antigens to the rest of the body, maintaining balance in intestinal bacteria and elimination of the unusable substances ingested.

Obesity is an accumulation of excessive energy stored by adipose (fatty) tissue sufficient enough to contribute to disease. It is the most common form of malnutrition in our companion animals and it is growing in frequency due to an increasingly sedentary lifestyle coupled with highly-palatable, energy-dense food sources.

Obesity can significantly increase the risk of various diseases and can negatively impact both the quality of life as well as the life span of our pets.

Conditions associated with obesity include:

Taking your dog or cat to their vet appointment can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you don’t know what to expect. Here are some helpful questions we suggest you ask at your next appointment:

While there is far more research performed for the benefit of humans than for pets, we know that much of the initial research into human disease and pharmaceuticals is performed using animals; therefore, we learn about them as a side effect.

In the veterinary field, many of the therapeutics we use to treat disease come from human medicine, at least initially. The treatment of cancer is no exception, and in fact, some cancer treatments derived from human medicine have worked well for animals. Others, however, have not.

Does your pup love peanut butter? If you answered yes, you are just one of many dog owners who use the popular nutty spread as a tasty treat, chew toy stuffing or a clever medication disguise for your furry friend.

The good news? Most peanut and other nut butters are perfectly safe for your dog (in moderation, of course).