CAN OMEGA 3 SUPPLEMENTS IMPROVE DOG HEALTH?

It pains me to say it but my dogs are getting on in years. Icy and Phoebe are 12 and 13 years old.  I can't believe they're senior pets, where did the time go?!  As they've aged, I have seen some changes in my dogs vitality and skin coat so I've been researching the benefits of supplements for pets.

There have been so many advances in pet health over the years, enabling pets to live longer healthier lives.  If you read my earlier post about Giving Pets The Gift Of Good Health, you know that pet supplements are something I've become very interested in for Icy and Phoebe.  

Icy has always been able to hike for miles at a time!  I want  her to be able to keep doing that for years to come.

I want my dogs to be as healthy and active as possible so we can continue sharing adventures together for many years to come!  I feed them high quality dog food, give them medications to protect them from Ticks, Fleas, and Heartworm disease, and I make sure they get lots of exercise.  At this stage of their lives I feel they could benefit from additional supplements, including Omega 3 fatty acids. 

This post is sponsored by Salveo Petcare® . I am being compensated to help share information about Salveo's Pet Supplement products, but as always we only share information we feel is relevant to our readers.

DOG HEALTH BENEFITS OF OMEGA 3 SUPPLEMENTS

Omega 3 fatty acids are essential to dog health and are an important part of a dog's diet. 

Dogs are physiologically unable to make their own Omega 3 fatty acids. This is why dogs have a dietary need for the Omega 3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic (EPA), alpha linoleic acid (ALA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).  

Omega 3 essential fatty acids can be found in high quality pet foods, but usually in small amounts.  It can be beneficial to your pet's health to add Omega 3 fatty acids to their diet.   

Omega 3 fatty acids are beneficial for pets: 

🐶 Promotes Healthy Skin and Coat. Poor skin condition can cause itching, irritation, and skin allergies, which could lead to bacterial infections

😺 Can improve Immune Function

🐶 Can improve Heart and Brain function

😺 Can improve Joint function

🐶 Can reduce inflammation in the body. Many common pet diseases cause inflammation. Omega 3 fatty acids can help lessen the development of inflammation in a pet's body

😺 Can improve Allergies. Omega 3 fatty acids have the ability to reduce inflammation  

🐶 According to PETMD, Omega 3 fatty acids can help with kidney function, lymphoma, heart disease, cognitive function, arthritis, and other conditions

Fish oils, such as salmon and other fish oils are great sources of Omega 3's 

Salveo Petcare's fish oil supplements are a great way to add Omega 3 fatty acids to your dog or cat's diet.  I recently discovered Salveo Petcare's OMEGA 3 WILD FISH OIL and WILD SALMON OIL WITH OMEGA 3.  I've started adding Salveo's fish oil supplements to Icy and Phoebe's diet. 

I love that Salveo Petcare fish oil supplements for pets are:

🐟 Human grade
🐟 Free of GMO's (Genetically Modified Organisms)
🐟 Have no artificial preservatives
🐟 Made in the USA and FDA approved
🐟 The salmon and other fish oils in their supplements are wild caught for purity

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Omega 3 Supplements Can Improve Dog Health

Facts and Ingredients label on Salveo Petcare's Omega 3 with Wild Fish Oil Supplements

Facts and Ingredients label on Salveo Petcare's Wild Salmon Oil with Omega 3's

In an article written by Dr. Karen Becker, DVM,  she explains that Omega 3s, play a huge role in your pet’s health and can also provide the following benefits:

💗 Can slow the development and spread of certain pet cancers

💗 Slow the growth of common yeast infections in dogs and cats

💗 Aid in the proper development of the retina and visual cortex

💗 Help prevent certain heart problems in your pet

💗 Help maintain healthy blood pressure and decrease triglyceride and blood cholesterol levels and help regulate blood-clotting.

I can give Icy and Phoebe their Salveo Petcare fish oil supplements directly or pierce the gel capsules and add it to their food, which is so easy.   They love the taste of these supplements, I guess because they are fish oil and my dogs LOVE all things fish!

Icy and Phoebe love the taste of their Salveo Petcare Fish Oil Supplements!

You can find Salveo Petcare supplements at online retailers such as Amazon

VISIT SALVEO PETCARE ON FACEBOOK!!

NOTE: I am not a Veterinarian or Vet Tech, nor do I play one online! As always, be sure to check with your Veterinarian before adding any supplements to your pet's diet.  

Do you give your pet supplements or fish oils?  Tell us about it in the comments!

Dressing My Dogs Like Twins

I get a kick out of dressing Icy and Phoebe in matching bandanas.  I haven't put them in matching outfits yet, but maybe for Halloween I'll get matching dog costumes!

Icy and Phoebe in matching Natural Balance bandanas we got at the BlogPaws conference last year.

Icy and Phoebe in their matching cheeta print bandanas.  These are my favorite!

If you ask me Who Wore It Better I'll never be able to answer, I'm way too bias!  My dogs are both beautiful to me.  💖


Do you dress your pets up in matching collars, bandanas, or clothing?  Tell us about it in the comments.

DOG FRIENDLY VACATION IN WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA

West Palm Beach, Florida is a great place to vacation with or without pets.   West Palm Beach is on Florida's East coast, about 73 miles North of Miami and 170 miles South of Orlando.  It's a quick drive to upscale Palm Beach, just on the other side of the intracoastal across the Flagler Memorial Bridge.

Phoebe overlooking the beauty of dog friendly West Palm Beach from the Palm Beach Lake Trail, across the Flagler Bridge & intercoastal waterway.

Last month we took a road trip with our dogs from Long Island, New York down to West Palm Beach.  After weeks of continuous frigid temperatures and more snow than I care to shovel, I had to get away from Old Man Winter!  I'm so glad I had that break because upon our return to New York, we got hit with 4 Nor'easter storms in a row.  Mother Nature has clearly lost her mind.

Dog Friendly West Palm Beach

I was delighted to see how dog friendly West Palm Beach is!  I was so happy with our choice of hotel, the Hyatt Place hotel in downtown West Palm Beach.  The location was perfect, especially for walking and socializing with the dogs.  There were three areas, all walking distance to our hotel, that made this the ideal location for a pet friendly vacation.

The intercoastal walkway

Just one block East of the hotel is the beautiful paved walkway that runs along the intercoastal waterway.  This long walkway is perfect any time of day or evening.  The path is wide and the views of the water are beautiful.  There are some grassy patches too if your dog needs a potty break. 

The Beautiful dog friendly walkway along the intercoastal waterway in downtown West palm Beach

Take a stroll down the long pier that stretches out onto the water for an even better view of the surrounding area.

The long pier off the downtown West Palm Beach walkway offers lovely views day or evening

You can also walk your dog across the Flagler Memorial Bridge.  The bridge itself is so lovely and views of the water and downtown West Palm Beach are beautiful, especially at night.

The Flagler Bridge beautifully lit up at  night.

The Palm Beach Trail

Once you cross over the Flagler Bridge you'll be in glamorous Palm Beach.  Just over the bridge on the left you will come across a parking lot and the start of the Palm Beach Trail.  The trail runs for several miles along the intercoastal from the bridge, along most of Palm Beach island.  Along the way you'll pass the famous Flagler Museum.  There are some gorgeous homes along one side of the trail and on the other side you get a great view of downtown West Palm Beach across the water.

We loved walking the dogs along the Palm Beach Trail, enjoying the water views and peaking into the yards of the upscale homes along the trail.

We really enjoyed the sites along this pet friendly walking trail!  Thankfully, there were a few areas with shade where we could stop for a water break with the dogs.  As we passed some of the private piers we saw a few big lizards sunning themselves.  Icy was completely enthralled with the lizards and wanted to get up close & personal with them.  Of course, we didn't let her get too close!

Check out this wild looking tree we spotted at the edge of someone's yard along the Palm Beach Trail!  How'd you like to have this tree growing in your yard??

Rosemary Square (aka City Place)

East of our hotel, along the water, is all natural beauty but West of the hotel is where the action is! About a 7 minute walk West of the hotel is Rosemary Square, formerly City Place, an upscale shopping and dining area.  It's not just an outdoor mall, it's an entertainment area, where they have music and other events taking place.  

The center of beautiful City Place, where there's daytime shopping and nighttime action!

There are plenty of shops and restaurants in City Place. 

Rosemary Square is a large area, encompassing several blocks.  We spent most of our time in the main "square" you see pictured above.  There are some great restaurants and shops in Rosemary Square, or you can just grab a coffee and people watch!

One of our favorite breakfast places was the Village Gourmet Cheese Shop in the center of  City Place.

We loved Rosemary Square and spent many days and most of our evenings there.

A word of caution:  Clematis Street, near Rosemary Square, is kind of the "restaurant row" of downtown West Palm Beach.  However, there are a lot of homeless people who hang out there, especially during the daytime.  They have been known to come right up to outdoor diners asking for money and even grabbing food off their plates. The city is doing their best to rectify this issue.

I was accosted by a homeless man as we walked down Clematis one morning looking for a coffee shop.  He kept insisting that I take a small plastic bag of food from him and feed the contents to my dogs.  I don't know why he felt compelled to do that but he followed me for a few minutes trying to get me to take the bag.  Of course, wasn't my husband 50 feet ahead of me, oblivious to it.  LOL!!

Short Drive To Dog Friendly Beaches

Another great thing about West Palm Beach is that it's only a 15 to 20 minute drive to the BEST dog friendly beaches, Juno Beach and Jupiter Beaches!  

Check out my blog post on The Best Dog Friendly Beaches In Florida to find out more about the two best Florida beaches that allow dogs.

Would you consider West Palm Beach for your next dog friendly vacation?  Tell us in the comments!

Honored To Be A BlogPaws Pet Blogging & Social Media Awards Finalist!

The BlogPaws Nose To Nose Pet Blogging & Social Media Awards Finalists have been announced and we are bowled over to be among them!!  I was in shock the moment I learned that Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them was named a BlogPaws awards Finalist, in the category of Best Video - Sponsored Post.

I am beyond thrilled! I feel so honored to be named a Finalist in the prestigious BlogPaws Pet Blogging and Social Media Awards.

The BlogPaws Nose To Nose Awards recognize the expertise, creativity, performance and achievements of pet Bloggers and Influencers who write about pets online.

We were nominated for the video we created for our sponsored TRUE CHEWS blog post, My Life Is a Journey Made Better With Dogs.

My mind can't help returning to 4 years ago when I was a brand new Blogger attending my first BlogPaws Conference in Las Vegas.  I remember sitting in the audience of one of many blogging workshops thinking "There is No Way anyone will ever pay me to write about their products!"  But I continued to attend the educational sessions, listen and learn.

When I returned home I joined the BlogPaws network and continued learning everything I could about blogging and social media.  About a year later I got my first sponsored post.  Fast forward to 2018 and I've got many sponsored posts under my belt AND now I'm a Nose To Nose Awards Finalist!!

I only dared to hope that one day I might be awarded the recognition and honor of being named a BlogPaws Nose To Nose Award Finalist.  After 4 years of blogging, that day has come!

Phoebe is already wondering what to wear on the Red Carpet this year!

Congratulations to all the Nose To Nose Awards Finalists! Want to know who else has been named a Nose To Nose Finalist?  Check out the full list of  52 BlogPaws Nose To Nose Award Finalists, in 13 Categories .  Sorry this post isn't exactly "Wordless", I'm too excited to be wordless!

THANK YOU TO BLOGPAWS & TO ALL OF YOU WHO VISIT US HERE ON THE BLOG!!

THE BEST DOG FRIENDLY BEACHES IN SOUTH FLORIDA

I'm always in search of dog friendly places, whether it be dog friendly hotels, dog friendly parks, dog friendly beaches, dog friendly restaurants, or other public places that allow dogs.  Recently we visited my family in South Florida, so of course one of the first things I wanted to do was take Icy and Phoebe to a fabulous Florida beach!

Icy was excited to be at the beach in Juno Beach, Florida!

Juno Beach is Dog Friendly

I had heard about dog friendly Juno Beach in Florida.  There are lots of articles and photos online showing dogs having a blast on Juno Beach.  On our visit to Florida we stayed in West Palm Beach, about 25 minutes South of Juno Beach, so we planned a day at the beach in Juno with the dogs.

Icy and Phoebe looking out over the beautiful ocean on Juno Beach, Florida

Dog friendly Juno Beach is beautiful, unspoiled, and far less crowded than West Palm Beach. Access to dog friendly Juno beach can be found on Ocean Blvd. (A1A) and Marcinski Road.

Icy was so relaxed on the beach in Juno Beach, Florida

We parked in one of the ample parking lots at the intersection of Ocean Drive and Marcinski Road. Parking is Free, and there are rest rooms in the parking lot, which is a huge convenience!  There are even water faucets at the beach entry area where you can wash your feet and rinse your dog off after a day of frolicking in the sand! 

In this 12 second video, Icy and Phoebe are having fun running and playing on Juno Beach!

One thing to watch out for is that although Juno Beach is indeed a dog friendly beach area, not every beach in Juno Beach allows dogs.   Actually only about 2.5 miles of the beach allows dogs.  As you walk along Ocean Blvd, at each of the various beach access points there are steps down to the beach.  At some of those access points you will see "No Dogs Allowed" signs. At most dog friendly access points you'll find dog waste stations with poop bags.

Phoebe enjoying the view on Juno Beach, Florida

The beaches closest to the Juno Beach Park pier pictured above and the Juno Beach lifeguard station do not allow dogs!  It's not easy to figure that out when you are already on the beach and want to take a stroll along the shore.  We found out in a not so pleasant way that these beach areas were not dog friendly. 

We were walking along Juno beach when a very nasty elderly man rushed over to us.  "No dogs are allowed past the lifeguard station!!" he shouted at us.  We apologized saying that we weren't aware of that. As we turned to leave the man was muttering under his breath about always having to "do the lifeguard's job".   

Not a very pleasant encounter but we would not allow this ornery man to ruin our day at the beach!  Driving along the road we hadn't noticed that other beach access points had No Dogs Allowed signs, we thought all beaches in the Juno Beach area were dog friendly. Not so!  You have to look for signs up by the stairs indicating whether or not dogs are allowed on any particular beach.  Summer 2021 UPDATE! The town has since added signs on  the sand, closer to the shore, saying "No Dogs Allowed Past This Point". I'm sure the angry old man was pleased LOL!

Jupiter Beach is Dog Friendly

Just a couple of miles North of Juno Beach is the town of Jupiter.   All the beaches in Jupiter are dog friendly.  Both areas have gorgeous beaches with lovely clear Florida ocean.  Jupiter is a lovely beach town, and there is plenty of free street parking along A1A, the main road along the beach. 

Although we loved our day at Juno Beach, next time I think we'll travel just a little further North and check out one of the many dog friendly Jupiter beaches.  There are some dog friendly restaurants in both Juno and Jupiter. Almost any restaurant with outdoor seating allows dogs. We have visited several. One of our favorite places to eat is the Hurricane Cafe. It's a favorite with locals, and it's the perfect spot for both before and after the beach! They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. The food and service are terrific. 

Phoebe cuddling with my sister on the beach

If you decide to visit either of these dog friendly beaches in Florida, please be sure to practice great dog owner etiquette!  Always keep a close eye on your dog to ensure that if they poop, you immediately clean up after them.  Also ensure they aren't jumping on people, being aggressive towards other dogs, or otherwise not minding their manners.  Great dog owner responsibility is what helps keep fabulous dog friendly beaches like Juno Beach and Jupiter beach dog friendly! 

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Have you been to any great dog friendly beaches?  Leave us a comment and tell us about your favorite dog friendly beach!

Looking for a dog friendly hotel?  Some hotels are truly pet friendly,  but some are merely pet tolerant.  Here's how can you tell the difference: 

A Tale Of Two Dog Friendly Hotels.

A Solid Emergency Recall Helps Keep Dogs Safe! 

Great Places To Travel With Dogs

THERAPY DOG SHARES PET CARE TIPS WITH THE BROWNIES

Icy and I were thrilled to be invited to a Brownie (pre-Girl Scout) meeting at a local Elementary School!  They wanted us to talk with the girls, who were around 8 years old, about Animal Care and Pet Therapy to help them get their Animal Care Badges.  Isn't that great!?  I love that the Girl Scouts and Brownies are placing a focus on animal care.  They also wanted the girls to have some fun interaction with Icy and a few other therapy dogs.

Therapy Dog Icy Shares Pet Care Tips With A Brownie Troop

I don't have kids myself, other than the 4 legged kind of course, so it was really interesting for me to be at one of their meetings.  I was a Brownie as a kid too, but I don't remember much about it.  I remember my little brown outfit, and I recall sitting in a big circle, making a pillow large enough to sit on.  I remember that it was a fun project and that my pillow was red!  

Icy shows off her Therapy Dog vest from the Bideawee animal shelter

When the meeting started, the girls all got up and said the Pledge of Allegiance.  I can't even remember the last time I said the Pledge of Allegiance, I'm surprised I remembered the words to it!

Pet Care Tips To Share With Kids

After that the girls recited their Girl Scout Promise and then the Girl Scout Law.  These are good pledges, I like that they have a section about being considerate and caring, as well as respectful.  Those words were a great segue into talking about how Therapy Dogs can be caring and considerate by helping people.  

Being respectful was a good segue into talking about how to approach a strange dog; the importance of politely asking the dog's owner if it's ok to pet their dog, and being respectful if they say No. If they ask you not to pet their dog, there's probably a very good reason. The dog may be fearful, aggressive, shy, or not feeling well.

When we talked about the importance of always asking before you pet a strange dog, I mentioned that they should also have an adult with them when they approach any stranger, even one with a cute puppy or dog!  Kids should always have an adult present when they approach a dog, or any stranger for that matter. We shared that when kids are loud or make squealing sounds it can frighten a dog.  

One of my favorite parts about visiting children is the questions they ask.  This group of 8 year olds was so engaging!  They had tons of comments and questions.  I love that they were SO interested in Icy and our visit, and in learning more about pet care and therapy dogs.  Here are some of the questions that were on these adorable Brownies' minds:

🐶 How old is Icy? (I get this one a lot)

🐶 How furry does she get - the girl who asked this wanted to know exactly how furry Icy could get, LOL!

🐶 What if you find a dog and you can't find the owner, (no collar and tags), what happens to the dog? 

🐶 What if someone finds my dog but doesn't try to find us, what happens then?  I got this question from a few of the girls, they seemed very concerned about their pet getting lost and not being returned. 

🐶 What if someone finds your dog and wants to keep it?

🐶 The girls made lots of comments about how they have found a neighbors dog and returned the pet.  And comments about their own dogs escaping the yard or running out the door and being found by a neighbor.

🐶 When I asked them what are some of the ways we can keep our dogs safe, they had great answers!  They talked about a collar with tags and keeping the yard locked.  When I mentioned microchipping your pet, many of the girls didn't know what that was and had some questions about it.  I explained what a microchip was how it works. I related it a bit like using a TV remote, and that analogy seemed to help. I talked about how small it was and compared a dog getting one to a child getting vaccinated. It's quick and pretty painless!

🐶 They wanted to know exactly where a microchip would be on a dog, and of course they wanted to know where Icy's chip was on her. I showed them that Icy's chip is between her shoulder blades, which is the usual location. 

🐶 They asked who and how people who find a dog would know to look for a microchip.  I explained that most Veterinarians and animal shelters have a scanner.  I told them that animal shelters will ALWAYS scan for a microchip if pets that come into the shelter don't have updated tags. We also talked about keeping dogs safe when you take them out for the day or when traveling. 

🐶 I asked them how they could tell if a dog isn't friendly?  Some of the answers surprised me.  Some said the dog will Bark.  Some said an unfriendly dog will jump on you. Some said a dog that seems like he can't stay still is unfriendly.  This turned into a rather lively conversation!  

I explained some body language signals such as a dog's tail being between his legs means he is frightened, and a frightened dog can act in an unfriendly way just because he's scared.  We talked about growling, stiff body language, and baring teeth being a possible indication of an unfriendly dog.  I told them that a very "Wiggly Jiggly" body and tail wag usually means "I'm Friendly"! 

They had so many great questions and comments, I really loved their enthusiasm and engagement!

At the end of the meeting, several of the girls proudly showed off the beautiful Animal Care badges they earned by meeting Icy.  The patch had a lovely embroidery of a Golden Retriever Service Dog on it. It was so cute I would have loved one for myself, LOL!  What a fun visit!

Very well done, Brownies!!  Congratulations on earning your Animal Care badges!  

Sorry Icy, I know YOU did all the work but those Girl Scout cookies up on the counter are for MOMMY!

Just before leaving, the troop leader gave me two boxes of Girl Scout Cookies!  I was so thrilled and touched by her kind gesture.  We always get a hearty Thank You after visits, but we've never gotten a gift of delicious cookies before.  Thin Mints and Trefoils, YUMMY!! I'd better grab some before the husband eats them all!

A big Thank You to this wonderful troop of Brownies and to Bideawee Animal Shelter, who made our Therapy Dog visit possible!

Bideawee, which means "Stay Awhile in Scottish, is one of the oldest animal shelters in America!

What's your favorite Girl Scout cookie? Mine are Samoas and Thin Mints.  Tell us yours in the comments!!