Latest news with #petwellbeing
Daily Mail
30-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
The 'genius' vet-approved item that's solving a serious common problem for dogs: 'These are a game changer'
A convenient product is having a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of pets across Australia, and pet owners are thrilled. Bell & Bone's Dental Toppers is a simple spray applied to your pet's meals as a vet-approved solution to prevent dental disease, by supporting gut health. Approximately 80 per cent of dogs and cats over the age of three exhibit some level of dental disease, according to the Australian Veterinary Association. More than simply unpleasant breath, this can have serious repercussions on the animal's health and even life expectancy. But Australian brand Bell & Bone has dedicated years to researching the cause of this common health concern for pets and working on a solution. Oral health and gut health are closely intertwined, in pets and in people. A well-balanced microbiome is essential to maintaining good digestive and oral health. If this is disrupted, harmful bacteria can thrive in their digestive system and mouth. A healthy gut microbiome helps to keep harmful bacteria in check, preventing plaque and tartar buildup and reducing inflammation at the source. Created in consultation with industry experts and vets, Dental Toppers is a powerhouse formulation of oral actives, pre, pro and post-biotics, and superfoods, delivered in one simple step: just four sprays a day on top of your dog or cat's meal. There are three flavours for dogs: Beef, Lamb and Salmon, and two formulated for cats: Tuna and Chicken. The spray costs $39.95 for a 30-day supply - which works out to just $1.33 per day. The natural ingredients formulation combines Norwegian Kelp to reduce dental issues and support gut health, probiotics to balance gut flora and reduce plaque, and antioxidant-rich plant extracts to combat inflammation. Sodium alginate, derived from seaweed, helps the product stick to teeth and gums while also feeding beneficial gut bacteria. An added win for pet owners? Improved gut health leads to fresher breath, and often an improvement in bowel movement odour too. 'Over the past five years, I've been on a mission to change how we approach pet dental care,' Bell & Bone Founder Arianne Sackville says. 'It all started when I learned that dental disease shortens a pet's life by up to 30 per cent, and that nearly 80 per cent of pets suffer from it by age three. I was shocked… So I developed our best-selling Dog Dental Sticks and Cat Dental Bites. 'However, with 80 per cent of dogs and 70 per cent of cats still facing dental disease, I became obsessed with uncovering WHY. I was determined to change these alarming statistics for good! I knew we needed to go deeper. 'That's when I began working with leading vets and experts to uncover the real cause of dental disease in pets. 'What we found was eye-opening: the gut plays a critical role in oral health. A healthy gut microbiome helps prevent the overgrowth of harmful bacteria, which is the starting point for plaque, tartar, and inflammation. 'So, I dedicated myself to creating a product that not only cleans teeth but prevents disease at the source— the gut. After years of research, testing, and collaboration, the Bell & Bone Dental Topper was born.' The product is impressing pet owners, with rave reviews already posted on the brand's website: 'Started using these and already spotting a difference with my boy's breath - truly a game changing product not having to change from his everyday food,' one customer wrote. Even pet owners with fussy eaters have confirmed the flavours are a hit. 'I was curious to see how he would go since he can be picky with anything new but this topper just went straight on top of his food that he loves with a few sprays and he was straight into it,' one customer said. 'After using it for a month we noticed a big difference in not just his teeth and gums but also his poops didn't smell as bad... and no more stinky breath! 'I dedicated myself to creating a product that not only cleans teeth but prevents disease at the source— the gut,' says Arianne. After years of research, testing, and collaboration, the Bell & Bone Dental Topper was born' 'I am so happy we finally found something that Oscar will eat and that actually works for him thank you so much Bell and Bone.' 'These are a game changer. Started using these and already spotted a difference with my boy's breath - truly a game changing product not having to change from his everyday food,' another shared. When it comes to food toppers, Millie the beagle has a nose that doesn't lie - she's turned her nose up at three different brands so far!' another owner wrote. 'Then we discovered Belle and Bone at the Million Paws Walk in Melbourne. I was a bit hesitant to try them, given Millie's track record, but I'm so glad I did. 'Millie loves it - no hesitation at all! The salmon and beef topper are a big hit. Safe to say we've finally found a winner. Millie gives this a paws up.'
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
Dog owners who moan about a hard day at the office could be making their pets depressed
Dog owners who get home and start moaning about a hard day at work could be making their pets depressed, a study has found. It revealed that dogs showed more signs of stress-related behaviour when they are exposed to owners' workplace woes. US scientists who carried out the research insisted dog owners should avoid bringing home their problems in order to 'protect the well-being of man's best friend'. Work-related stress affects an estimated 700,000 people a year in the UK, with an estimated 16 million working days lost each year as a result. The study, by a team of psychologists from Radford University in Virginia, set out to establish if family dogs are also affected. They recruited 85 adults who had a dog and asked them to monitor their pets' behaviour on days when they came home stressed, as compared to days off or less-stressful shifts. Owners were told to look for signs that their dogs were unhappy, which include excessive whimpering and poor appetite. The results, published in the journal Scientific Reports, showed that dogs displayed clear signs of stress on the days when owners moaned about problems at work. They also found that just thinking about stressful issues could drag down dogs' moods. The researchers said: 'Dogs are highly sensitive animals who can 'catch' the emotions and feelings of humans. 'They experience increases in stress when their owner does. 'Given most people view their pets as family, protecting them against stress may encourage them to resist engaging in ruminative thoughts about work.' Previous studies found that dogs are highly sensitive to changes in their owner's feelings, becoming distressed, for example, when they hear them crying. The researchers added that a dog's advanced sense of smell may mean they can detect a rise in levels of cortisol – a hormone released by the adrenal glands when the body is stressed.
Fast Company
12-05-2025
- Health
- Fast Company
Study finds pets help 78% of owners take breaks—now Calm and Mars are turning that bond into wellness tools
If you've ever felt like your pet knows exactly when to pull you away from the stress of your computer screen, you aren't alone. A landmark study surveying over 30,000 pet owners in 20 different countries found that 78% of dog or cat owners report that their pets remind them to take breaks during work or tasks, with 50% of the participants saying this happens daily. The study, which was conducted by YouGov on behalf of Mars, is the largest international survey of its kind in the world. The findings resonated deeply with David Reilly, Global VP at Mars Petcare. 'If my dog's at daycare, I don't take a break at lunch time,' he says. 'But if my dogs's not at daycare, somehow miraculously, I find the space to create up an hour to take my dog on a walk.' Knowing that his relationship with his own pet had such an impact on his mental health, David was excited by the data. 'I think 46% of people globally report their mental well-being is their number-one health priority and 56% of the population of the world has a pet. So if we can help unlock this idea that the pet could be your well-being superhero . . . then there's a real opportunity there,' he says. To do this, Mars Petcare team needed to seek further expertise. 'We have a deep knowledge of pets and we actually have a deep knowledge of the bond between people and pets. But we aren't experts in human mental health,' says Reilly. The solution was to collaborate with consumer mental health company Calm. Together, Mars and Calm collaborated on a collection of content meant to help pet lovers think about their bond with their pets as ways to improve their own well-being. Its launch marks the first pet-inspired collection featured on Calm. The content on Calm will include: A series of sleep stories inspired by the emotional connection between people and their pets. A series of guided meditations meant to help listeners reflect on the ways pets support their mental wellness. A series of breathing exercises. On Mars's pet advice platform Kinship, Mars and Calm are launching the interactive quiz My Pet Guru, which helps pet owners learn which of six 'wellbeing superpowers' their pet has based on questions about their personalities and behaviors. 'Together, we're helping more people—and their pets—experience the proven benefits of the human-animal bond through real stories, science-backed tools, and supportive content,' says Greg Justice, chief content officer at Calm. 'Once the insights are rich . . . it doesn't need to be overly clinical' says Reilly. The researchers, pet experts, and content creators, 'worked together to find the sweet spot of ensuring that the content was true to what we'd heard, but also really accessible and also engaging for pet owners or other people who love pets.' Mars and Calm are also seeking touching stories from pet owners to inform the wave of pet stories from Calm. 'What I'm looking forward to, honestly, is hearing the stories that people share. Pets genuinely make a really incredible impact on people's lives,' says Reilly.
