Thanks so much for being here! I hope this finds you healthy, curious and seeing the world through the eyes of your furry best friends --- full of wonder, adventure and fun, and full of happy rolls in the grass and sunshine!
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A Pawsitive Pathfinder is someone whose heart is called to make the lives of our beloved companion animals the healthiest, happiest, and longest it can be… Someone who helps their furry friends live their best lives, while living their own.

What's In Your Pet’s Bowl? Part II

A Quick Guide to Getting Those Essential Vitamins and Minerals That Keep Your Furry Friends Healthy and Vibrant

Proper nutrition is vital for the health, happiness, and longevity of your pet.

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As discussed in the previous issue, just like us, our furry friends need a whole bunch of vitamins and minerals to stay healthy and vibrant—to keep their tails wagging and their purrs loud. Last time we talked about what happens in the body when your beloved companion is deficient in any of these vital nutrients.
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Now let’s talk about their benefits, and how they keep everything running right inside, and what some options are to help you make informed decisions about your pet's diet.

Providing a balanced and complete species-appropriate diet, and consulting with a veterinarian when necessary, is crucial to ensure your beloved companion receives the nutritional support they need.

A happy furry kid makes a happy You,
so let’s again break down the menu:

Remember, vitamins are essential organic compounds that play critical roles in the bodily functions of your furry kid. Dogs and cats cannot synthesize them on their own and must get the vitamins their bodies need to stay healthy through their diet.

The Big 5:

• The A-team: Vitamin A is a biggie—it keeps their eyes sparkly and their coat glossy. And don’t forget about immune function, keeping your furry friend able to fight off the baddies when they come knockin’ on their body’s defenses door.
  • Here are some fresh food choices to provide this important vitamin:
    • Carrots
    • Spinach
    • Liver
• The B-complex: B Vitamins like B-12 and niacin are superheroes for skin health, brain power, and turning all those yummy bites into usable energy. This entire team of vitamins also helps in metabolism regulation and energy production from food, keeping your furry friend energetic and sharp.
  • B-vitamin whole food prospects:
    • Eggs
    • Leafy greens
    • Fish
• The C-suite: Vitamin C is a powerhouse antioxidant, helping to clean up pesky free-radicals. It also helps with wound healing and supports the immune system in fending off unwanted invaders.
  • This bedrock vitamin can be found in:
    • Sweet potatoes
    • Cantaloupe
    • Kale
• Big Daddy D: While your pet can’t soak up Vitamin D from the sun lounging in the sunny spots in the house, it is essential for keeping their bones tough and teeth strong.
  • Whole food options with significant levels of Big Daddy D:
    • Beef
    • Liver
    • Eggs
• Easy E: Vitamin E rounds out the big 5 for an antioxidant boost to fend off those aforementioned sneaky free radicals. This fat-soluble vitamin supports heart health and protects cells from damage.
  • Fresh foods that include good levels of this vital vitamin include:
    • Broccoli
    • Leafy greens
    • Liver

When it comes to minerals, it’s important to know they are inorganic elements that are crucial for countless physiological processes happening in your pet’s body every day.

The Big 7:

• Crucial Calcium: Vital for building strong bones and teeth in your fluffy friends. Calcium also plays a starring role in muscle function, and nerve messaging between the brain and other body systems.
  • When it comes to a calcium, look to include:
    • Kelp
    • Broccoli
    • Green beans
• Partner Phosphorus: Works in conjunction with many other vitamins and minerals to help your pet's body balance and use them efficiently, like when working with calcium for bone and tooth development.
  • As an important partner to what calcium does, phosphorus is found in these fresh foods:
    • Meat
    • Eggs
    • Fish
• Pivotal Potassium: Vital for proper muscle function, and essential for metabolizing carbohydrates and synthesizing protein. It’s also an electrolyte that helps regulate your furry friend's heartbeat, muscles, and nerves.
  • There are several whole food options pet parents might look to for keeping a good balance of this mineral in your pet’s diet:
    • Cantaloupe
    • Sweet potatoes
    • Apples
• Master Magnesium: Aids in the absorption of other vitamins and minerals throughout the body, and is important for a volume of processes including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA.
  • Your furry friend can get this master mineral from:
    • Kelp
    • Fresh fruit
    • Whole grains
• Indispensable Iron: Necessary for the production of hemoglobin, which carries oxygen in the blood from the lungs to the other parts of the body, giving your pet a pep in their step.
  • Guardians can be add these whole food options to help your pet get enough:
    • Eggs
    • Organ meats
    • Green Beans
• Zippy Zinc: Boosts the immune system, and supports skin health and wound healing, as well as taste and smell function.
  • To ensure good levels of this zing-infused mineral, you can add:
    • Eggs
    • Lamb
    • Sweet potatoes
• Cardinal Copper: Aids in the formation of red blood cells and the development of the nervous system.
  • This mineral is found a-plenty in:
    • Dark leafy greens
    • Seeds and nuts
    • Seafood

So, you can see there are many options for making sure your furry friend regularly gets the wide range of vitamins and minerals they need in their diet!
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Because vitamins and minerals all work together in a playful but organized dance throughout your pet’s body, it’s important to be sure what’s in their bowl is providing a species-appropriate, balanced meal as often as resources allow. Deficiencies can lead to all kinds of health issues, but with so many whole food options available to ensure support across the nutritional board, you as their guardian really do have control over what’s in their bowl.

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As an aside, supplementing can also be a beneficial choice, especially for aging pets, those with specific health conditions, or when feeding a homemade diet—depending on the nutritional profile. It's essential, however, to consult with a veterinarian before introducing any supplements to ensure the appropriate dosage and avoid further potential imbalances.
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Choosing the right fresh food that covers all these bases means your pet gets everything they need to stay healthy and happy.

With the right nutrition, your beloved companion can enjoy a robust, active, long life. As a pet guardian, making the choice to ensure your furry kid gets species-appropriate foods that offer a balanced mix of these vitamins and minerals, and considering supplements if recommended by your vet, is one of the best ways to show just how much you love them!
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In the next Family Edition issue, we'll talk about easy, yummy ways to help your furry friends eat fresher, species-appropriate meals with whole food items you likely already have in your fridge and pantry.

Thanks for reading this issue of The Pawsitive Pathfinder: Family Edition. And if there are other topics you'd like to talk about, or have thoughts you'd like to share, please hit REPLY on this email and let me know. 🤓

Until next time...

🦴Fido Friendly Digs🥎

Here's today's fun place to take your best friend:

If you like to shop at Nordstrom (and who doesn't 🤩) - or it's sister store, The Rack - you're in for an extra treat! It is the national chain store's policy to allow well-behaving dogs on a leash to accompany their guardians while they shop the luxury department store... And they don't have to be a Service Dog on the job, either.
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​Nordstrom has always held a pretty special place in my heart (if you'd like to know the story there, just ask me 😊), and now, having learned their affinity for our canine companions, my loyalty is surely solidified. 🧡 How about you?

🐾Furry Fun Facts🐾

Did you know...​
The sound of a cat's purring can reduce your stress and stimulate the production of endorphins? 😻

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Hey there! I'm StacyLynn. The Furry Kidz Call Me 'AuntieMom.' After a decade of professional pet sitting, I've been adopted by many furry friends. They've helped me to grow, taught me a lot about what makes our four-legged companions happy and healthy, and enriched my life in countless ways. I've become a fierce advocate for their health and well-being, on a mission to help more pet parents support their furry kidz in living longer and healthier lives. I'm the OG Pawsitive Pathfinder.

🤓 Thanks for reading! This is one of the few places we can connect and share knowledge without the constant onslaught of social media distractions, so I truly appreciate you and your time and attention! 🧡

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