Petvetruthann

Petvetruthann Dr. RuthAnn Lobos currently serves as the senior veterinarian for Nestle’ Purina PetCare.

I love sharing pet health knowledge with pet lovers and enjoying all things outdoors with our dogs!

09/06/2026

Your dog knows everyone went back to school. And they might not be handling it as well as you think. 🥺

Back-to-school season can be a bigger adjustment for our dogs than we realize. Their people leave at different times. Walks may happen earlier. The house gets quiet for hours. Their predictable summer routine suddenly looks very different.

And some dogs handle that change beautifully.

Others show us they’re struggling.

You might notice more whining, pacing, clinginess, barking, destructive behavior, changes in appetite, or simply a dog who seems a little less like themselves.

That doesn’t mean they’re being difficult. Their world just changed.

A few things can help:
🐾 Keep meals, walks and bedtime as predictable as possible
🐾 Give them something enriching to do when everyone leaves
🐾 Build in intentional connection before or after the school day
🐾 Give them time to adjust instead of expecting them to immediately settle into the new routine
🐾 Pay attention to changes in behavior, because behavior is communication

And if your dog’s anxiety is significant, persistent, or interfering with eating, sleeping, elimination, or normal daily life, talk with your veterinarian. They may need more support than a new routine can provide.

Because while the kids are getting used to a new school year, your dog is learning a whole new schedule too. ❤️

Send this to someone whose dog is currently wondering where everybody went.

There are some things your veterinarian should never be afraid to tell you.Even when they’re uncomfortable. Even when yo...
09/05/2026

There are some things your veterinarian should never be afraid to tell you.

Even when they’re uncomfortable. Even when you disagree. Even when you’d rather hear something else.

I took an oath to advocate for your pet’s health and do no harm. That’s my North Star when I make recommendations.

Your pet’s weight matters.
Vaccines matter.
Evidence matters.
Nutrition matters.
Dental health matters.

As your veterinarian, I have a responsibility to speak up when something could affect your pet’s health and longevity.

Sometimes advocacy looks like having the hard conversation.

And I won’t apologize for that.

Share this with a pet parent who appreciates a veterinarian who will always advocate for their pet, even when the conversation is uncomfortable.

09/04/2026

If your dog goes from couch potato to adventure athlete every weekend, this is for you.

You’re working. You’re busy. Your dog spends a lot of the weekdays lounging around, and when the weekend finally arrives, you want to make it count.

So you go BIG.

The long hike.
The run.
The swimming.
The full day outside afield.

I get it. It happens to me too.

But that jump from very little weekday activity to hours of weekend adventure can put more physical stress on your dog’s body than you realize.

Weekend warrior syndrome can work against their long-term health.

The goal isn’t to give up the adventures you both love. It’s to help their body be better prepared for them.

Three realistic ways to add more movement to a busy week:

1. Think minutes, not miles.
A 10–15 minute walk, sniff session or game of fetch still counts. Small amounts of activity add up.

2. Build movement into what you’re already doing.
Take a quick walk while you’re on a phone call. Play for a few minutes after dinner. Add a short training or retrieving session before you settle in for the evening.

3. Create a few weekday activity anchors.
Choose 2–3 days for something a little more intentional: a brisk walk, short run, conditioning session, swimming or training.

Your dog doesn’t need every weekday to look like a Saturday.

But if you want them hiking, running, swimming and hunting with you on the weekend, their body needs some preparation during the week, too.

And as a veterinarian, I’d much rather help you build that consistency now than help you recover from an injury later.

Send this to the dog parent whose weekend plans go from “we’ll take it easy” to “let’s do ALL the things.” 😂

More healthy days. More adventures. More time together.

09/03/2026

Your dog’s favorite thing might look completely ridiculous to someone else.

And it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone else because your dog isn’t anyone else’s dog.

They have their own personality, their own quirks, their own favorite places, their own version of what makes a day really good.

So do more of the things that make their tail wag a little harder. Take the long way home. Let them sniff. Go somewhere just because they love it. Chase the sunrise. Find the water. Play the silly game they never get tired of.

The best part of life with our dogs is getting to discover what makes them happy, and then making time for more of it.

We only get so many days together.

Fill them with the things that fill their cup. ❤️

Send this to someone who knows their dog’s happiness is worth making time for.

For many of us bird hunters, it’s finally here: OPENING DAY!! BUT….As a veterinarian and hunting dog owner, I think the ...
09/01/2026

For many of us bird hunters, it’s finally here: OPENING DAY!!

BUT….

As a veterinarian and hunting dog owner, I think the best preparation goes beyond conditioning and getting your gear ready. It means thinking through the situations you hope never happen, recognizing changes before they become emergencies, and having a plan when the day doesn’t go exactly as expected.

The little details matter:
• Knowing your dog’s normal
• Paying attention to weather and workload
• Being intentional about nutrition and hydration
•.Carrying supplies you actually know how to use
• Giving your dog the time and resources they need to
recover—especially early season when they’re still
getting ramped up and dialed in.

You can’t control every variable in the field. You can control how prepared you are for them.

Before you head out for opening day, send this to your hunting partner and compare notes. Five minutes of preparation now could make a big difference in the field.

When our dogs are working hard, their bodies have a very specific job to do.Muscles need oxygen. The heart and lungs nee...
08/29/2026

When our dogs are working hard, their bodies have a very specific job to do.

Muscles need oxygen. The heart and lungs need to keep up with demand. Hydration becomes especially important. And all of that requires energy and blood flow.

Digestion requires those same resources.

That’s one reason I pay close attention to meals around training and hunting. Exercise can also increase gastrointestinal motility, which means food may move through the GI tract faster and potentially reduce how efficiently nutrients are absorbed.

There’s another consideration for dogs prone to gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV). Exercising around a meal, particularly after a large meal, is one of the factors associated with increased GDV risk. Giving the stomach time to empty before strenuous activity is an important part of managing that risk.

And the performance piece is fascinating. Research in canine athletes has found differences in endurance and energy metabolism when dogs exercise in a fasted versus fed state. That doesn’t mean every dog should be exercised without food, or that feeding plans are one-size-fits-all. Age, body condition, workload, meal size, individual health and the type and duration of exercise all matter.

For my sporting dogs, I want their nutrition plan to support the work they’re asking their bodies to do, including when they eat.

If your dog trains, runs, hunts or participates in other intense activities, take a look at the entire feeding plan, not just what’s in the bowl.
Performance nutrition is about the whole picture.

And when it comes to your individual dog, your veterinarian can help you build a feeding and exercise plan that makes sense for their workload and health.

Save this for your next training day, and send it to someone whose dog is getting ready for hunting season.

Address

Boulder, CO
80303

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Petvetruthann posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category