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A quick look back at 2024

Goals for 2025?

Kidding aside, what Goals could you make for 2025?

You have 360 days to make those goals happen, so start small and commit to doing something every day to make that happen.

Let’s look at some possibilities for 2025

• If you are looking to improve your health this year, don’t forget about your pets. Better pet health starts with better nutrition. For expert guidance, check out our (2-minute read) blog post and video:

Click the play button below to watch the video for more insights.

• We suggest getting more exercise for you and your pet in 2025. Start with a scheduled daily walk or playtime. To keep on track, download our FREE printable “Weekly Pet Care Planner” below.

  Find Weekly Pet Planner here »

• Start 2025 off with a wellness exam for you and your pet. This gives you a baseline to track the health improvements for the year. Before going to the veterinarian, consider getting a pet insurance policy so your budget doesn’t take a big unplanned hit. Many companies include wellness checks and preventative care. Most have a 180-day waiting period after a pre-existing condition has been taken care of, so don’t wait until after the fact to get your policy.

The two pet insurance companies I recommend are linked below:

• Learn basic pet first-aid and prepare a kit for your pet so you are prepared just in case. For a list of kit items and basic first-aid techniques, check out my blog post for more details:

• Consider training your pet in 2025 to fix issues with barking, leash pulling, destructive behaviors, overexcitement, aggression towards people or other pets, soiling accidents, biting or nipping, ignoring commands, or jumping on people. One option might be in-person courses available in your area. K9 Training Institute has a free online workshop with courses available for each issue. Click the button to learn more:

  Learn More »

  Hopefully, this helps with Goal ideas for 2025. May you and your pets have a tail-waggin’ New Year!

Pet Humor

Another warning regarding cats drifting buses. This has got to stop!

News for Pet Owners and Animal Lovers:

• Bird Flu scare with pet food: Recent cases of bird flu in pet foods are currently not confirmed. The contaminated foods tested so far were from open batches, meaning the contamination could have gotten there from somewhere else. Unopened batch testing shows no sign of the disease so far.

• Recalls: December 2, 2024: Blue Ridge Beef is recalling 9,600 lbs. of their 2 lb log Puppy Mix Lot #08/06/N25 & 08/16/N25 UPC 854298001696 due to a contamination of Salmonella. Retailers in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia sold the Puppy Mix in question, according to the notice. Blue Ridge distributes to 33 states so expect this to expand.

• Sugar-Free Peanut Alert: Some new sugar-free peanut butters are using Xylitol instead of sugar. Xylitol can be toxic for dogs. Check the labels.

• Flying With Your Pet: If you decide to fly with your pet, you will need to fill out specific forms. Whether your pet is a service animal or not, and whether it is traveling in the cabin or cargo, you should call your airline before purchasing your ticket to find out which paperwork is required. You should also talk with your veterinarian about how your pet will do on the plane. Your veterinarian can prescribe drugs to help with stress, but some pets are not well suited for flying.

Life Hacks and Trivia

• When dogs get hot, where do they sweat from? - Their paws

• How long (on average) do cats sleep during the day? - 17 hours

• How many human years are in one cat year? - 7

• Want to lose weight? You may naturally fluctuate 5-6 pounds throughout the day. With this knowledge, track trends rather than daily results to monitor your progress.

Pet Pro Tips:

Get a wellness veterinary checkup at the beginning of the year to establish a baseline, then again at the end of the year to track your pet’s progress. Also, if your pet insurance plan has a deductible and there are issues, you have a longer period to get things taken care of and more expenses paid for.

Attend professional pet first aid courses, regularly update your first aid kit, and keep emergency veterinary contact information easily accessible. Practice emergency techniques to build confidence and muscle memory.

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