Every 6 or 7 months we either Fall back or Spring ahead to extend the time that we have daylight hours. Does this time change affect your pets? In a simple word - yes! But it is more complicated than just a simple yes.
Your pets have a circadian rhythm just like people do. And so like people, when we have an hours change in our sleep schedule it affects us and them too. They don't care if our clock says 5:00 am or 6:00 am - they just notice the change in their daily routine. Dogs are creatures of light just like their humans and your animal 's behavioral patterns are deeply tuned to the rhythms of night and day. Have you noticed that most dogs wake up at daylight and want to go out? Or that they are ready for bed when the sun goes down? Just like us, they are creatures of habit and have very predictable patterns, which also explains how they can pick up on our patterns of behavior so fast as well.
Daylight savings time and it's change back to Standard Time can make for some grumpy and testy canine companions. But there is hope and ways to help your lovable pooch adjust easier to this dreaded time change.
1. You as the human, can incrementally begin to to change your routine by say 15 minutes day for a couple weeks Schedule in an little extra devotional time, or some extra morning stretching while your little furry family member waits for his/her walk. Another idea is to start going to bed 15 minutes earlier each night so that after DST begins you furry baby will already feel likes it's 6pm. These tips and tricks also work on two legged kiddos.... avoid the struggle and fight of trying to get them to sleep before they feel it's time - by adjusting 15 minutes each day for about 2 weeks.
2. Along with bedtime or wake in times, you should also gradually adjust meal times so their bodies will have a smoother transition to the new time of feeding schedule. In the Fall you would merely feed 15 minutes later each day to avoid them having to suffer the full 60 minute change on the day of time change. The same works for Spring by just feeding them a little earlier each day - especially if you have a dog that is on some kind of medication schedule that requires food be given at regular time intervals (like diabetes or epilepsy like I do).
3. The one thing that is hard to manage, especially in fall, is your arrival home from work. Since many times it will mean it is dark before or around the time you get home, your pup can get anxious wondering if you will ever come home. One way around this is to maybe run an errand or two on the way home. Filling up your car on the way home, stopping at the grocery store for 1 or 2 items, or even stopping in a parking lot to make a phone call or text can extend the time before you get home, giving your little pup a chance to get used to the new schedule. Then in Spring they will see you sooner than they are trained to, and will think they've hit the lottery when you come home to them "early".
4. Using essential oils can also help to alleviate their anxiety and stress over the change in schedules. Using your diffuser with some simple calming oils can certainly help aid in the transition. Remember to never leave any animal locked in a room with a diffuser going without some way out. This allows them to leave when they feel comfortable enough - or to remove themselves from the oil if they do not care for it. Some oils to try would be Peace and calming, Lavender, Stress Away - each for helping transition through difficult times. Another one to try would be Cedarwood which helps to create a warm and comforting atmosphere - but just make sure to be there during part of the time the oil is being diffused so you can take note of how your pup is reacting and you can adjust as needed.With these few simple tricks and tips both you and your furry family member can transition easier between Daylight Savings time and Standard Time this year.
To read more about how you can help yourself and your human family members ease the effects of time change as well, this article will help. https://scentsofvalor.com/blog/49203/does-time-change-really-affect-us-and-our-bodies-
Blessings
Cheryl Jones
c.and.e@att.net
Do you worry about your pets health more than your own at times? I know I do.
I wanted to share a quick tip to help you keep your dog or cat free of outside flying pests when you take them for a walk. It's Young Living's Insect Repellant Wipes! I take one and do a quick wipe down of their head and body before going outside, and that way insects pretty much have a "Stay Away" warning when they come flying around.
After wiping them down, i do a quick wipe down of any of my exposed arms/legs to protect myself also. This has been a real game changer. If you know anything about S. Florida, it's hot and humid in the summer time. And we get rain - lots of rain. With that rain comes mosquitos, and those nasty critters bring diseases. What could be better than to use a non-toxic and all natural insect repellant to keep them at bay for you and your pets? #winwin
HAVE YOU READ THE LABEL ON THE BACK OF A COMMERCIAL CLEANER?
Warning! Flammable! Do not ingest! Keep out of reach of children! Many chemicals used in household cleaners have not been tested for safety. Household cleaning supplies are one of the top five substance classes accounting for calls to the National Poison Control Center. Many commercial cleaners contain ingredients that are endocrine disrupting chemicals, carcinogens, or neurotoxins. Kids, babies, and pets are even more vulnerable to chemical exposure because they are smaller and cannot get rid of toxins as easily as adults. It is definitely worth ditching harsh chemicals for a cleaner with plant- and mineral-based ingredients.
DID YOU KNOW THAT INDOOR AIR IS 57 TIMES MORE POLLUTED THAN OUTDOOR AIR?
Most cleaning products contain Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs), which have been associated with many health problems, including damage to the liver, kidneys, and the central nervous system. They have also been shown to harm our lungs and cause throat irritations and headaches. VOCs are released when products are used and can linger in the air long after we clean. When we breathe, we inhale the air as well as whatever is in the air.
Harsh chemicals found in cleaners are not only harmful to our bodies, but they also have a major impact on the environment and are huge contributors to environmental pollution. Some conventional cleaning products contain ingredients that are toxic, non-biodegradable, and from non-renewable resources like petroleum, so they harm the Earth's ecosystems. Harsh chemicals may contaminate the water through rivers, streams, and lakes, which affects wildlife, plants, trees, and us! Plus, there are thousands of chemicals that are in cleaning products that have never been tested for safety.
This is why THIEVES HOUSEHOLD CLEANER is such a blessing in our home. Non toxic, harsh chemical free and it cleans e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! Check these items off your list when you buy THHC.... Glass, granite, porcelain, ceramic, tile, wood, painted surfaces, laminate, stainless steel, marble, carpet, rugs, leather, fabric sofa cushions, grout, and so much more...... One cleaner for your whole home! No more buying multiple different cleaners to congregate under your cabinets in the bathroom or kitchen. And it's wallet friendly too! One bottle of concentrated THHC wills make up about 22 bottles of spray cleaner - costing about $1.25 a bottle for non-toxic cleaner!
Another DiGize success story: Dakota, my 4 year old beagle mix, was having stomach issues this morning at 6 am. I woke up to him barfing up some bile. Not the most pleasant way to wake up, believe me. Any way, after cleaning that up, he laid down and just kept licking and slurping the way you do when you feel like something is still unsettled in your tummy. I wasn't able to put my hands on the Animal scents Paragize because it was in the other room - so DiGize to the rescue! I applied a couple drops neat on his tummy and in 3 minutes he was sound asleep snoring with no more tummy troubles!!!!!
This blog post may look long. It is about a 2 minute read that contains lots of good information.
I read an article today that really caught my attention. It was from the HGTV Lifetstyle department on their favorite cleaning tools. Honestly I only clicked on the article to see what kind of tools - like vacuums they were going to promote. I have tile and laminate in my home so I'm not really in the market for a vacuum but with 4 dogs if there was one that I could really count on, I'd be interested in the reviews.
Imagine my surprise when I realized it wasn't just things like vacuums but also included dish soap, glass cleaner, deodorizers, stain removers and more! Now I was really intrigued because I use a single product for each of these items and luckily do not have to have dozens of different bottles of product under my sink.... So here is my take away from this article.
1. Mrs. Meyers Clean day dish soap ($11.97 for 3 pk 16 0z bottles) vs. Thieves Dish soap ($14..50 for a 12 oz bottle)
At first glance you would immediately assume that $11.97 for 3 larger bottles would be the better deal right? WRONG! Wait WHAT? Thieves 14.4 oz bottle can actually make 3 16 oz bottles! But wait you say.... it's still more expensive. This is where it gets interesting. The clean day dish soap states right on their label Made with FRAGRANCE ALLERGENS! In case you didn't know - fragrance is another word for pesky nasty chemicals that companies don't want to tell you about. Now the big question is what is in Thieves? Water, Decyl glucoside, Sodium Lauryl sulfate, Sodium olate, Caprylyl glucoside, Sodium sesquicarbonate, Jade lemon oil, Begamot oil, Clove bud oil, Lemon oil, Cinnamon bark oil, Eucalyptus Radiata oil, and Rosemary leaf oil. Notice what is not in Thieves? No Fragrance or allergens listed! Just saying. A little more money for same product with no chemicals? My choice all the way!
2. Incredible Stain Remover ($10.40 16 oz at Walmart) vs. Thieves Household Cleaner ($23.50 for 14.4 oz bottle). Here again, at first glance the price difference is glaringly obvious. But as we learned above, reading of labels is part of the new norm and people are more conscientious these days about things. Many of the reviews on the stain remover are about pet stains and pet odors. Well I have 4 dogs, so if there is one thing I know about it is pet stains and odors! I am able to get almost 16-20 bottles of all purpose (and yes pet) cleaner from that 14.4 oz bottle of Thieves which brings my cost down to a little over $1 a bottle for an all natural cleaner. And if savings was your only goal - it's a no brainer. HOWEVER, it would be wasted money if it didn't do it's job.... so let's take a look. When I went to the Walmart website and tried to look at the ingredients, low and behold the views did not include the ingredients. I don't know why but I have my suspicions. It does list a bunch of things this cleaner is supposed to do: remove blood, coffee, cola, cosmetics, crayons and more. So here's the skinny on m Thieves cleaner, I have used it on upholstery, clothing, rugs, carpets, tile, glass, porcelain, marble, wood, painted surfaces, ceramic, plastic, leather, skin, melamine dishes, stainless steel, and more. I have removed, blood stains, pet urine stains, pet vomit stains, magic marker from my cabinets, latex paint drops from my stainless steel sink, crayon and lipstick from clothing, cooked food grease from clothes, coffee and tea from not only surfaces but from my Cadillac interior, leather upholstery and carpet - and I've even soaked and cleaned oven racks and cleaned tile grout! I don't get headaches and congestion from using my Thieves like I used to using traditional chemical cleaners.
Other items on this list that Thieves Household cleaner would replace: 3) Sprayaway Glass Cleaner. 4) Multi-cat Litter Deodorizer. 5) Bar Keepers Friend powdered cleanser and 6) Mr. Clean magic eraser. Imagine having all that cleaning power in one little bottle under your kitchen sink and not have to root through 5 or 6 different cleaners to get to the right one!
Don't get me wrong - there were plenty of neat gadgets and tools on this list too like, several different vacuums and mops, the Munchkin Sponge bottle brush, the stainless squeegee and more. But one last one also had my attention, It was the full circle fruit and veggie cleaning brush.
Full Circle fruit & veggie cleaning brush $4.99 vs. Thieve fruit & veggie soak. Here where convenience and time really matter. For those who buy lots of fresh produce scrubbing each carrot or apple can be time consuming - even if you do it only right before you each the item and not as soon as you come home from the store. Me personally? I hate the thought of standing at the sink for 15-30 minutes scrubbing produce before putting it away or using it. Honestly I have no idea how long a scrub brush for produce lasts, but I do know that you would need to wash it after each time you used it which then requires dish soap or dishwasher soap - a topic for another time. This is only one of many reasons I love the Thieves fruit and veggie soak. Thieves costs $20.50 for a 16 oz bottle of soaking liquid. Wait - hold on $20.50 vs. $4.99? Holy cow that's way too much money - I'll just scrub. I thought so too until I found this out. First it only takes a cap full for up to a sink full of water - so pennies per use. Second, in the time it takes me to put my groceries away, my produce is clean and ready to be removed and put away! About 3 minutes is all you need. Just fill up the sink, drop your capful of Thieves, put in your produce , swirl it around a few seconds and let it sit while you put your groceries away. Come back and the fruit is all clean. It is your preference if you want to re-rinse or just put away. Honestly I've done both and do not notice any difference - EXCEPT my back, arms, and feet are happy because I did not need to stand over the sink scrubbing what I bought. To me if there's any extra cost, it's well worth it. But since I also don't have to use my dishwasher or hand wash with dish soap the scrub brush, it may actually be a toss up on cost.
