If your dog or cat struggles with gastrointestinal (GI) health, probiotics may be just what the vet ordered.

Probiotics are live microorganisms that can be introduced into the body to help with digestion and offer protection from harmful bacteria. Just as live cultures in yogurt can help keep a human gut healthy, probiotics can also help maintain the natural balance of organisms (known as microflora) in a pet’s digestive tract.

We all love sitting on the couch with something to snack on after a long day, but how many of us are guilty of sharing with our furry friends? Of course it's too easy to want to slip something over to your doe-eyed dog, but how can we be sure that what we’re sharing is safe? This is a list of foods that are not only safe for you and your dog to share, but they can also be good for your pup!

Dogs may be man’s best friend, but that doesn’t mean we’re not occasionally embarrassed or downright disgusted by some of their habits. From rear-sniffing to rolling in anything with a repulsive smell, nothing seems to be quite as offensive to dog lovers as coprophagia—that is, eating poop.

In veterinary medicine, we have the ability to treat a myriad of conditions—from sensitive stomachs to skin issues and everything in between—with the help of balanced, therapeutic diets. But what happens when what we feed actually causes health problems for our pets? An alarming trend is causing veterinary professionals to take a closer look at the link between popular pet diets and heart disease.

Did you know? According to the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention, more than half of the pets in the United States are overweight or obese.

Overweight pets are at risk for a variety of health problems, including skin infections, high blood pressure, heart disease, immune suppression, diabetes, orthopedic and arthritic disorders, and even some forms of cancer, as well as increased surgical and anesthetic risk.

Most personal New Year’s resolutions are centered on health and relationships. You may promise yourself that you'll work out regularly, eat healthier or call your family more often. But what if you broadened your resolutions to include your pets? What would that look like? Could you find resolutions that would truly benefit both you AND your pets?

These resolutions are integrative in nature as they address various aspects of the pet’s well-being, such as diet, exercise and social and emotional needs.

In recent years, grain free pet foods have become extremely popular. This trend was most likely developed in more of a consumer response to human nutrition trends, rather than responding to the nutritional needs of our pets in general.

When it comes to choosing the best food for your pet, the most important aspect is providing a complete and balanced nutritional diet, based on the specific needs of the pet.