Every dog is different, and as such, every dog is going to need a different amount of exercise to wear her out both physically and mentally. While some pups are content with a standard walk or jog through the neighborhood, high-energy dogs, working breeds, and other adventurous dogs often need something a little more intense to really give them the workout they need. That’s why we’re excited to offer hikes in the Greenbelt to give your dog a great workout and a fun afternoon of adventuring.
Austin’s Greenbelt is a beautiful place to hike for both people and dogs, and is one of the safer spots to take your dog outdoors, especially in the hot summer months. When the temperatures in Austin reach their peak in July and August, making sure your dog has access to shade and water is incredibly important, and thankfully, the Greenbelt has both of these in abundance! The Greenbelt has several different great pools, streams, and falls for dogs to splash around and cool off in, and the dense tree coverage keeps the trails thickly shaded and cooled off, creating a safe environment for your dog to enjoy the outdoors.
If you’re interested in booking a hike for your dog, or just learning more about the different services available from Walk! ATX, give us a call today at (512) 655-9557 or contact us through the website. We’d love to tell you more about the many different walking and hiking options we have available.
While most dog owners are careful to make sure that their dogs receive regular vaccinations, attend their yearly vet check-ups, and receive regular heart worm and flea preventative, far too many pet owners fail to think about their dog’s oral health. In fact, dogs’ oral health is so often neglected that it’s estimated that as many as 80% of dogs have serious dental problems by the age of 3!
Fortunately, there are things you can do to take an active role in protecting your dog’s oral health. A few of these include:
- Brushing your dog’s teeth: While it may seem silly, there are brands of tooth paste made specifically for dogs that contain enzymes that help fight plaque. You can also make your own tooth paste for your dog by making a paste of baking soda and water.
- Give your dog dental treats: Many different dog treat manufacturers market treats that are specifically meant to improve your dog’s oral health. Be careful, however, when purchasing treats, as many brands contain ingredients that could be harmful to your dog.
- Consider specialty dog food: There are certain brands of dog food that actually can improve a dog’s oral health and prevent undesirable conditions from arising.
Here at Walk! ATX, we care about your whole pet, including his or her dental health. That’s why we offer tooth brushing service twice or three times a week for those looking for a little extra help with their pet’s oral health. Call us today at (512) 655-9557 to learn more about this important service.
Generally one teeth brushing/cleaning session is $10
Add 2 or 3 sessions per week to keep your pup’s smile pearly white and healthy!
Nutrition is important, and while most people are good about thinking about what they feed themselves and their families on a daily basis, many pet owners fail to investigate what’s in the food they’re feeding their pets. The truth is that all dog foods are not the same, and some are actually much better for your dog than others. When looking for a good food to feed your dogs, there are several different categories of food you might consider:
- Limited Ingredient Recipes – Limited ingredient dog food recipes try to cut out a lot of the fillers that, unfortunately, make their way into most commercial dog foods, and are especially good for dogs that might have food allergies. While not true for all brands, most limited ingredient diets try to include foods that dogs would naturally eat in the wild, hopefully eliminating the risk of adverse reactions.
- Grain-Free – In order to add calories and fill out their recipes, a lot of big name companies turn to inexpensive grains like wheat, or corn products. Unfortunately, this often thins out the amount of protein, fat, essential vitamins, and enzymes in the food, which are so very important to your dog’s overall health. Additionally, grains are a common source of food allergies / intolerance, making grain-free options safer choices for many pets.
- Raw – Raw diets have grown considerably in popularity in recent years, and are now available at most pet stores and even some popular grocery store chains. Raw diets attempt to feed dogs the same foods they would consume in the wild, mostly consisting of raw meats and vegetables.
- Organic – Just like organic diets for humans, organic dog foods include only the highest-quality organic ingredients, keeping your pet from ingesting potentially harmful pesticides and other additives.
What to look for when choosing a new dog food: Look at the ingedients! The US has basically no standards for what is allowed in pet foods. You can get anything from rendered road kill to a bag of corn puffs. Flip the bag over and check it out… You want a tasty-sounding meat for the first ingredient. Our dogs’ food says boneless salmon, salmon meal, whitefish meal… then a bunch of vegetables. yum! Stay away from chicken by-product meal, meat & bone meal, or any other vague, broad terms. If the bag says corn meal, corn gluten meal, etc. you can just throw the one out and move on. The three most commonly used fillers are corn, wheat, and soy. All three of these have no nutritional value to your pet, and can cause gunky ears, chewing at feet and tail, hot spots, and a number of other reactions over the years.
Some pet foods to stay away from: Purina, Iams, Pedigree, Eukanuba, Beneful… The list goes on, but checking the label for the things listed above is a fail safe way to tell a good pet food from garbage.
Here are just some of the foods we recommend: Orijen/Acana, Fromm, Blue Buffalo… And anything from this list: More great pet foods.
At Walk! ATX, we care about your whole pet, and as such, we are happy to provide nutritional information and suggestions to people looking to feed their dogs food that will help them flourish! Learn more about dog food nutrition and foods we recommend by contacting us today.