Recently, I was speaking with a friend about how many people often overlook pets in their estate planning. A friend of ours had just passed away and I wondered what would happen to her pets. Most likely, I figured, her daughter would take them. But that’s not always the case.

Is your dog overweight? If so, check out this video to see what can be done to help. If your dog doesn’t lose the weight, studies show he’ll die an average of 2 years earlier than a dog at normal weight, and will suffer health problems that may include diabetes, heart, joint and breathing problems, and more. Plus you’ll be spending unnecessary time and money at the vet’s office. Do both you and your dog a favor, help him lose the weight starting today.

I think we have all finally learned that inhaling second-hand smoke is just as bad as smoking.

The State of Colorado and Connecticut Departments of Public Health conducted studies and found that second hand smoke is greatly associated with nasal sinus cancer and linked to lung cancer in dogs. The incidence of nasal cavity tumors in dogs that were exposed to second-hand smoke was higher than dogs that lived in households with non-smoking members.

Are you thinking of making changes in your life in 2014? What about your dog? The New Year is a great time to re-evaluate what you’re doing with and for your dog so you can hopefully avoid or delay common ailments or health and behavior concerns that may affect him. If you’re looking for ideas, here are a few.

Prior to 2005, I didn’t know there was such a thing as canine massage! But after a vivid dream, I researched it, and changed careers. As ridiculous as it may sound to some people, aqua therapy, massage, aromatherapy, acupressure, and other modalities are viable, proven, non-invasive, holistic options for maintaining health and treating a wide range of conditions both in humans and animals.

I don’t usually go to dog parks because I don’t think my dog Beau enjoys them. But it was a nice day and thought we should go out and do a little socializing. So off we went.

With the holidays here, many people think of bringing that cute puppy home as a Christmas gift. The kids have been begging for a puppy, so what better gift can you give them? Before you do this, stop and think, and continue reading!

Did you know that hydrotherapy, or water exercise was first used with horses and racing greyhounds? These animals were constantly exposed to the jarring effects of gravity and hard surfaces, putting extra stress on their bones and joints often causing injury. Because of its effectiveness, hydrotherapy in a warm water pool (with a temperature between 88 and 92 degrees) has become popular in most dog and cat rehabilitation centers.

What do you think is the best gift you can give your pet? Could it be your love? Or your time? Those are definitely important, but I think the best gift we can give our beloved pet companions is the gift of health.

You may or may not know this, but we spent a year researching what type of sanitation system we wanted to use in our aqua therapy center. We instinctively knew chlorine was very bad, and never considered it. We briefly considered bromine, a chlorine substitute, but again, it has many of the same harmful effects as chlorine. Then we looked at salt, but felt it would be too drying to both our skin and to the dog’s skin.

We are the only Orlando dog boarding and Orlando doggie day care center that has an indoor heated pool for dogs. See it for yourself by scheduling a tour!

Rocky's Retreat | 2826 Shader Rd. Orlando FL 32808 | info@rockysretreat.com | (407) 295-3888