It’s a new year and many people are making resolutions that involve weight loss in themselves. I’m sure most of us have put on a few pounds over the holidays and the New Year is great time to get serious and get in shape. The same is true with our dogs. How do you know if your dog is overweight?

On my recent annual vet visit, I discovered that my 8 year old dog Yankee’s thyroid is on the low side of normal, despite the fact that he doesn’t exhibit any of the typical symptoms.

Not of great concern, but because he doesn’t present known causes, I couldn’t understand why he might this might be happening until I learned about the potential problems with dog collars.

I’ve noticed over the last six months or so that my dog Yankee has developed some anxieties. At Rocky’s, if I put him in the office with his pal Beau, he starts scratching at the door wanting to come out and be with me. He’s never done that before. He’s also started to develop some storm related anxiety, a very new development.

Recently we seem to be getting a lot of questions about dog food and how to choose or improve diet. People want to make sure they are doing the best they can for their dogs. I admire that. We’re the first to admit that we’re not experts, but we do know things you shouldn’t be…

Does your dog have any behavioral issues such as anxieties, noise phobias, obsessive behaviors, or aggression?Is your dog older, or does he carry emotional baggage from earlier in his life?Does he have physical issues such as skin problems, arthritis, allergies, or other conditions?If so, these conditions and more can be helped using Essential Oils.As a certified animal…

We’re currently working with two dogs, Georgia and Edison, who are both severely overweight and are advancing in their years. If something isn’t done to take the weight off, they’ll soon begin to experience problems associated with the extra weight. Already, prior to beginning our program, one of them was having trouble breathing after walking only a very short distance.

Does your dog become agitated when you prepare to leave for the day? When you come home at night, does your dog seemed stressed out? Is he exhibiting symptoms like excessive barking, salivating, urinating in the house, barking, destroying items, and more while you’re away? If so, your dog may have separation anxiety.

Many people set New Year’s resolutions for themselves because they want to make changes in their lives, but they often forget about their dog. The New Year can be a great time to change things up especially for dogs who may have become bored with their routine. Of all the dog related resolutions we’ve heard…

We had a very nice older couple come to Rocky’s Retreat the other day who just adopted a six year old springer spaniel just diagnosed with spondylosis. They were concerned about their ability to care for the dog as the disease progressed. They wanted to know if hydrotherapy could help and what else they could do for the dog.

People often ask us what they can do with their dog’s diet to help the dog lose weight. Even when their dogs are on a low calorie diet, they often say their dogs aren’t losing weight or have only lost a little. So we’ve been telling them about the green bean diet. It’s a diet many people have never heard of. Very simply, this diet reduces the amount of kibble by up to 50% and substitutes green beans, which are low in calories and higher in fiber.

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