3 Steps to Keep Your Pet Healthy and Happy #GetHealthyHappy

The past few months, we've brought you information from the 'Healthier Pets. Happier Lives' campaign, created to help pet parents understand the importance of preventative care to help make pets healthier and happier for the long run.

For me, it's important to keep an eye on Rocco's health and do whatever I can so that he'll be a part of my life for a long, long time. Keeping your pet healthy and happy all boils down to these three key areas:

Vet Checkups

Not visiting a vet for a year, is like you avoiding your doctor for five years. A yearly checkup gives your vet the opportunity to get to know your pets, making it easier to detect changes in their health and behavior. These visits also can help your vet spot problems before they become too serious.

Read more about why regular vet visits matter.

Proper Nutrition

With so many choices available, choosing the right food for your pet can be overwhelming. With the help of your vet, you can learn about your pet's health needs, and then your vet can help recommend the best food for your pet.

To help pet parents provide their pets with high quality nutrition, Hill's is offering a $10 off promotion on select Hill's Science Diet products. Download your rebate for both dogs and cats.

Read about 5 things you can do to help ensure your pet is getting proper, balanced nutrition to keep them healthy and happy.

Little Extras

Toys, play and training help keep your pet mentally stimulated, which goes hand in hand with physical activity to keep your pet healthy and happy.

While training or using treat dispensing interactive toys, pet parents can reinforce good behavior with healthy, tasty treats. Hill's has several treats that feature balanced nutrition that can help make training time extra fun!

Read more about little extras you can do for your pet!

Rocco has a blast playing with his pal Nicky!

I can't imagine life without dogs, and with the right care, we can help keep our pets with us as long as possible. To learn more about the Healthier Pets, Happier Lives program visit Healthier Pets, Happier Lives for Dogs or Healthier Pets, Happier Lives for Cats.



This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Science Diet® Healthier Pets. Happier Lives.™, but To Dog With Love only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article. 

• 
  

Little Extras = Happy Pets Giveaway #GetHealthyHappy

Regular vet visits and good nutrition is a great first step -- and a strong foundation --  to keeping your pet healthy. But it's those little extras that can make all the difference in enriching the life of your pet and making them an extra special member of your family for a long, long time.

We've put together a list of five LITTLE ways to make a BIG impact in your pet's life so you can enjoy the bond you have for year's to come.

Then read all the way down for some special offers from the folks at Hill's Science Diet AND a very special Little Extras Giveaway!

1. Play with your pets to enrich their lives both mentally AND physically

Play is a great way to encourage your pets to get up and get moving, but it also provides much-needed mental stimulation and the perfect way to interact WITH your pets.

I love to play interactive games with Rocco like find it games or box games. Dog and cats also enjoy a good game with a flirt pole or any type of toy at the end of a string or a pole that they can chase.

The key is to mix it up to keep things interesting! Rotate the toys you play with to keep things fresh and stimulating for your pets.

Rocco has fun hiding in a box!

2. Provide positive reinforcement to good behavior

Rocco loves to be told how smart he is, but I think he loves it even more if that can be reinforced with a tasty treat!

We like to keep a variety of healthy treats on hand to use in short, frequent training sessions and to reward good behaviors.

Hill's offers a variety of tasty treats to help keep training time fun!

3. Give your pet a special place to call their own

Pet beds come in all sorts of styles and fabrics to complement your home's decor, and they also provide a comfy resting spot and a safe haven for your pet.

For cats, consider one that offers seclusion or fits into a favorite resting place. A cat tower can provide the high vantage point your feline enjoys.

For dogs, make sure to choose a durable bed - especially if your dog is a chewer - and one that can easily be washed.  Rocco has his beds and special places all over the house, and he loves to cozy up in his crate too!

This bed does double duty as an end table!

4. Start a grooming routine soon as you get your pet

I started brushing and combing Rocco when he was a little pup, and also got him using to having his feet touched and his toenails clipped. If you plan to use a blow dryer on your dog, first make sure it's not too hot, and you'll want to get your pup accustomed to the sound and feel of it.

Using treats and praise when you groom can help your pet associate the time with a pleasurable experience.

Rocco gets groomed as a young pup

5. Accessorize for style and safety

A collar and a good leash are essential and there also are lots of styles to choose from. You can even personalize a collar or a tag to help identify your dog in case he ever gets lost.

If you have questions or need advice about any little extra that you’d like to give your pet, a perfect opportunity is at your pet’s annual checkup with your veterinarian. Don’t forget about the chance to win $100 towards your next vet checkup from Hill’s Science Diet!

Hill's is also offering a $10 off promotion on select Hill's Science Diet products for both dogs and cats.

Win a Little Extras prize pack from Hill's for your cat or dog

To celebrate these little extras, Hill’s is providing a special giveaway for our readers. Two readers will win a dog OR cat "Little Extras Bundle". Here is what's included in the prize packages:

For dogs:

• Stainless steel dog bowl
• A bag of Hill's Science Diet Dental Chews
• A bag of Hill's Science Diet dog treats
• Healthier Pets, Happier Lives tote bag

For cats:

• Stainless steel cat bowl

• Laser pointer toy
• Eight micro cans of Hill's Science Diet Grain Free entrees
• Healthier Pets, Happier Lives tote bag

Enter via the giveaway widget below. Get started by simply adding your name and email address to the widget, and then press the blue arrows to reveal the various entry options.

Good luck!

Entry-Form

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Science Diet® Healthier Pets. Happier Lives.™, but To Dog With Love only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article. 

5 Steps to a Healthy Pet (Hint: It Starts at Mealtime!) #GetHealthyHappy

Rocco agrees… mealtime keeps him healthy and very happy!

What you feed your pet may be one of the most important choices you make to keep your pet healthy, but it also can be overwhelming.  With so many foods to choose from, how do you know where to start?

Just like with people, pets need balanced nutrition and those needs can change over the lifetime of your pet. Do you have a puppy, a senior pet? Is your pet active or overweight? All these things can make a difference in choosing food with the right balance for your dog or cat.

Here are five things you can do help ensure your pet is getting the proper, balanced nutrition to keep them healthy and happy.

1. Talk to your vet.  If you stick to the routine of regular visits to your vet you're already taking a step in the right direction.  Your vet can help guide you to the best food for your pet's specific needs. 
2. Consider specially formulated foods.  Your vet can also help you choose foods to manage specific health conditions your dog or cat may have.
3. Choose foods for your pet's lifestyle and lifestage.  Puppies have different nutritional requirements than adult dogs, who have different requirements than senior dogs. Dogs who are extremely active or participating in sports may have unique requirements as well. Ask your vet for recommendations.
4. Make sure your pet is eating a balanced diet. Nutrient excesses and deficiencies can lead to health problems… another great reason to choose a food that is specifically formulated for your pet's needs.
5. Transition your pet's food gradually. It takes about seven days to transition your pet to a new diet. This approach help to keep your pet from getting a tummy upset or digestive issues. Hill's has some helpful guidelines for transitioning your dogs or cat's diet. 

Active young dogs like Rocco need the right balance of nutrition to stay healthy and happy

Win $100 toward your next vet check up and a rebate, too!

Your vet can be your best resource for helping sort out your pet's health and nutrition needs, and Hills' wants to help by giving you the chance to win $100 toward your next vet check up. Visit Hill's Science Diet to learn more!

Hill's Science Diet also has several foods within their product portfolio to help manage your pet's special situation or condition whether it's weight loss, oral care, joint health or a grain free diet. To help you provide your pet with high quality nutrition, Hill's is offering a $10 off promotion on select Hill's Science Diet products. Download your rebate on the Hill's Science Diet website.

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Science Diet® Healthier Pets. Happier Lives.™, but To Dog With Love only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.

 

Why Regular Vet Visits Matter for Healthy Pets #GetHealthyHappy

I can't imagine missing an annual checkup, for either me or my dog.  It's just something we've always done and something I automatically schedule each year.

Yet, according to a recent petMD poll, nearly 2 in 10 pet owners hadn't visited their vet for a routine checkup in the past year.

Dr. Ashley Gallagher, vet at the Friendship Hospital for Animals in Washington, D.C., says that's a big deal… because missing even one yearly exam for your pet is roughly equivalent to you going five years between checkups!

And that means lots of missed opportunities to spot potential problems at their onset, which can help prevent them from getting worse. And while you might be tempted to save some money now by skipping an appointment, regular vet visits can potentially help you save money in the long run.

We enjoy good dog walks and hikes! So it's important that Rocco and I
both stay mobile and healthy! 

That's why we visited our vet right away, when I noticed Rocco had acquired a strange skip in his step. And since we had kept on schedule with our yearly visits, our vet was already familiar with Rocco's normal behavior.

We were able to rule out the need for any surgery thankfully, but we did seek some laser therapy and swim therapy to help keep Rocco in tip top shape for the agility season. 

Rocco enjoys swim therapy to help improve his range of motion

Preventative care and healthy pets

Did you know that emergency and illness vet visits can be $50 - $200 more expensive than a routine visit? The American Pet Products Association’s National Pet Owner Survey for 2013-14 found that dog owners reported routine visits average $231, emergency visits $314 and illness visits $364.

Preventative health care may not only help save money, but it can help keep your pets heather for the long haul. Vets can give you advice on proper nutrition to keep your pet at a healthy weight, advice to maintain good dental health and more. 

Enter to win $100 toward a vet checkup!

To help you enjoy the benefits of annual checkups, Hill’s Science Diet is giving away $100 toward a vet checkup, every day for 90 days! Simply go to http://blogp.ws/1w2TSJJ  and fill out the short form with your information and you will be entered for a chance to win.

NOTE: Once you click on the link, above, click on: "This way for healthy, happy dogs" OR "This way for healthy, happy cats". Then, click on the yellow box that says: "Enter to win $100 toward your next vet visit." That will take you to the entry form for the $100 giveaway. 

Why regular vet visits matter #GetHealthyHappy & #win $100 toward your next vet checkup from @HillsPet ! #giveaway http://t.co/8ZzeroYIIH
— Diane Silver (@ToDogWithLove) August 25, 2014

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Science Diet® Healthier Pets. Happier Lives.™, but To Dog With Love only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.