Here we are again, and in fact, I had a plan for this blog which got turned on his head after my day yesterday. Let me tell you about it, you're going to love hearing about this!
Yesterday a conference happened. And these are meant to be dull, boring things that people go to, often because they are made to by an employee, and you might as well, because there's a free lunch and if you're lucky, a night away with your colleagues who you now only rarely see since everyone decided remote working was cheaper and easier.
But no, not this one. no Sir! This one was different. This one was full of people who were there for one thing - a collective goal if you will. And the goal was a way of life for your mutt that is not so, how can I put it.... artificial.
What do I mean by this? Well, I mean that instead of tablets, potions and steroids for your dog, the room was filled with experts talking about the natural ways to keep our dogs healthy, happy, flee, tick, worm free and enriched.
And it wasn't just happy clappy ideas with no basis. This was actual science backed, clever stuff. And you may or may not know, this is absolutely up my street in terms of how I care for dogs as part of my business - The Dog Psychologist
So, let's cover what's new in the world of canine research, care, behaviour and diet.
Turns out, the gut is becoming more and more important for every single factor of your dog's life. Thank goodness, because I preach about it regularly to clients. Given the research coming through, how could it not be, it had to be. It impacts behaviour, skin health, brain health, cognition and digestion as examples. It just cannot be underrated.
We learnt about puppies and how best to feed them to ensure successful healthy, long, lives - yep - this starts during pregnancy and continues into the lives of our dogs. And yep, diet featured heavily - the less processed the better. There were stands selling colostrum, bone broths, and probiotics.
We learnt about herbs and their strong benefits in warding off fleas, ticks and worms, helping heal skin conditions, and we learnt more about the issues facing brachycephalic breeds which are all those gorgeous breeds with the squished noses. These poor devils are facing greater and greater challenges, mostly as a result of poor breeding. Luckily the Kennel Club is enforcing particular grades of 'flat facedness' to help limit the issues they face, but hearing about the surgeries they have to endure and the health issues they are facing gave me a stark reminder of the responsibilities we have.
I also met one of the sponsors of the event who, despite it being down in the Midlands, was from around the corner from me in Merseyside - Mersey Raw. They started with the goal of helping their dog get a more natural feeding routine, and from there have grown fantastically. From chatting to them, the other exhibitors and speakers, I sensed the common goal - to provide a better standard of care, using research, knowledge and the collective good.
Total. Bliss. :) Do join me next year, it's an annual event! Link here if you want to have a nosey.
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