The love that we humans get from our animals every day is so healing and so powerful, it softens even the most hardened among us.  Our pets help us through our darkest days and they inspire us to be better humans.

What can we possibly do to repay this incredible gift?  Our job is to do whatever we can to support their health and happiness. To us at Fish & Bone, that translates to  ‘love them from the inside’… nurture their physical and emotional well-being so that they can live their best lives.

Digestive Support

We now know that a healthy gut with diverse flora (a variety of good bacteria) is the heart of our immune system, which keeps us feeling good, and keeps us healthy in face of infection, stress or disease. A healthy gut needs lots and lots of good bacteria and enzymes (which break down protein, fats and carbs into absorbable nutrients).  Start with the best natural diet you can reasonably afford. Visit one of our stores, and we’ll walk you through our aisles and describe all of your options. But let’s say you already have a great base diet. A terrific addition to any processed pet food, and to any change in formulas/rotation, is a good probiotic supplement.  When given along with food over time, the benefits multiply.   Pumpkin is a fantastic addition.  Pumpkin is packed with antioxidants and vitamins, and it has the unique binding properties that help both diarrhea and constipation.  It’s very flavorful, so most animals love it. Keep pumpkin in the pantry in dehydrated form, and just use as much as you need.  Or buy pumpkin in the can, moist and ready to rock the bowl.  Bone broth is dense with nutrients and collagen, which helps protect and heal the lining of the colon and intestines (and all mucous membranes in the body), and dogs and cats love it.  Buy it frozen or shelf-stable, and give it as a treat, or as a topper to re-hydrate a dry or freeze-dried meal. Goat milk is another fantastic digestion-booster as it is rich in enzymes, and tastes like ice cream to your pets.  Get goat milk either frozen or dehydrated and use it as often as you like for a happy healthy gut.

Raw Bones and Brushing

Raw meaty bones have the combination of acidic pH, live enzymes, sinew that acts as floss, and scraping that naturally happens when dogs chew…these factors act together to help remove plaque, inhibit bad bacteria from forming and stimulating the gum line where inflammation often occurs.  Marrow bones contain a lot of fat, so we like to scoop out most of it before giving the bone to our dog as a treat.  Cats enjoy chewing too!  Sinewy chicken wings, necks or backs are perfectly sized for their mouths (dogs can eat them too).

Brushing is the best way to really clean teeth. It doesn’t have to every night, just choose a routine and stick to it.  No matter the age of your pet, start now.  Not sure how to do it?  Watch this short video of Colleen brushing Birch’s teeth with Wag & Bright Filet Mignon Toothpaste.  For Birch, Colleen uses a full-sized Wag & Bright toothbrush – and for their more nervous dog Maple, she uses a finger brush.

Simple starter kits designed for cats, puppies, small to medium dogs or large breeds are a good value and a great way to jump in.

Enlist your dog to help in between brushings!  If that sounds a little optimistic, what we’re talking about is offering them a dental toy spread with a peanut butter flavor or poultry flavor  toothpaste.  Starting young is always easier, but any amount, at any age, will have benefits.  Add a plaque-inhibiting dental powder to the bowl, good for both cats and dogs, and try bacteria-reducing water additives, also available for cats and dogs.

Healthy Skin and Coat

EFAs, or ‘essential fatty acids’ are essential because the body can’t make them.  So they have to part of the diet. The easiest way to support the skin starts with a healthy base diet topped with a high quality oil.  Fish oil is the traditional way to go.  Fish oil is high in long chain omega 3 fatty acids, which go right to the skin cells as well as supporting other organs, like the heart, the eyes and brain. Vegan options exist too.  We prefer Austin & Kat’s Marine Algae Oil, made from sustainably sourced marine algae blended with natural, non-GMO plant-based oils for full benefits.  For optimum benefit for the whole body, try a balance of omega 3, 6 and 9 like Austin & Kat’s Everything Oil made with sustainable wild-caught fish and organic hemp and flaxseed oils.

And for It just doesn’t get much easier…a few squirts on the bowl and your pet will love the taste. Cats love it too.

Pain-free Joints

Cats and dogs can begin to experience joint pain even in their adolescent years. Keeping their weight down is important in order to take stress off their joints. And it will help them live longer. But add a really good joint support supplement, and you will do wonders to ease pain and increase range of mobility.  We love this joint support with green-lipped mussels and curcumin for dogs and cats as a daily topper. Alternate it with Austin & Kat’s more potent version with boswellia and medicinal Reishi mushrooms.  You can also give chrondroitin and glucosamine in the form of joint support treats made with natural seaweed for the best kind of reward…one that will make them feel like a puppy again.

Ease Anxiety

Anxiety is increasingly common in pets.  Is it due to pervasive presence of chemicals in our homes, or climate change, over-breeding, genetically modified foods?  No one knows. Typical triggers are storms, travel, fireworks, traffic noise, separation, vet visits, changes in their environment like a new pet in the house, or a move to a new home.  Anxiety should not be ignored – if unaddressed it often gets more acute, and causes real suffering.

Thankfully, there are potent natural solutions that work.  CBD and hemp products are our most effective, and our most popular anxiety solutions.  We carry only science-backed and rigorously tested CBD remedies made by three companies we’ve found to be excellent in terms of their commitment to purity and effectiveness:  Austin & Kat, ElleVet and Super Snouts Hemp Company.

For less acute anxiety, we recommend products like Open Farm Calming and Ark Naturals Happy Traveler.   Plant-based ingredients like valerian, chamomile, St. Jon’s Wort act synergistically to relieve stress.  Plan ahead, and administer to your pets well in advance.

If that sounds like a lot, remember that Chihuahua-sized changes can bring Great Dane scale results.  Start where you are most inspired, and build new routines gradually.  You’ll see a response from your animal right away from the extra attention.  Once you start seeing results, you’ll be hooked.