Category: Brandpoint Lifestyle

2024-06-20T09:51:00

(BPT) – The start of a new day can be exciting, especially if you have an action-packed schedule to look forward to. If you’re looking to meet the day with more, there are plenty of easy ways to set yourself up for success in the mornings. Research has shown that adopting a morning routine can boost productivity and focus, reduce stress and anxiety and supercharge your mood.

But it doesn’t mean you need to overhaul your life completely. Just a few small changes can result in big benefits.

Here are six ways to lay the groundwork for a more fulfilling day.

Ditch the snooze button. Stealing a few extra minutes of sleep when you’re cozy in bed is a tempting idea, but it can do more harm than good. Dozing off after hitting the snooze button can leave you feeling tired and groggy, especially if you drift into REM sleep and are jolted out of it by the follow-up alarm. It can interfere with your overall sleep cycle, too.

Let the light in. Some people love wake-up lights that mimic sunrise, so they wake up more naturally. These can be great tools to simulate a natural sunrise, especially during the winter season. If you don’t have one of those and are waking up during sunlight hours, just throw open your curtains and greet the day. Seeing light in the morning tells your body it’s time to get up and can help you feel more alert.

Take your vitamins. Many individuals, even nutritionists, find it hard to eat a balanced diet every day given how busy our lifestyles are. A good vitamin and supplement routine can be key to getting the nutrients you need. There are a lot of choices in the vitamin aisle, but when it comes to wellness, there’s a reason Nature Made is the brand consumers have been turning to for over 50 years. If you’re looking to get more out of a multivitamin, the new, enjoyable Nature Made Advanced Multivitamin Gummies are available in three varieties — Nature Made Advanced Multivitamin for Adults, Nature Made Advanced Multivitamin for Her, and Nature Made Advanced Multivitamin for Him. Curated with a unique ingredient combination, the assortment offers 20 essential nutrients and provides a good source of magnesium, calcium and all 8 B vitamins^†.

To help people elevate their morning routine without added sugar, Nature Made also recently launched a portfolio of Nature Made Zero Sugar Gummies^‡ formulated to deliver a sugar-free^‡ alternative that tastes great and offers the same nutrient support as the brand’s traditional Gummies. This assortment is comprised of five products, all of which earned the United States Pharmacopeia’s Verified Dietary Supplement mark through rigorous third-party verification, that provide nutrients to support immune and bone health, cellular energy, sleep and overall wellbeing^†.

Hydrate. Drinking water soon after you wake up hydrates you after a long night and can increase your energy levels. It is also helpful in boosting mental performance.

Eat a healthy breakfast. According to research from Henry Ford Health, among numerous other studies, eating a high-protein breakfast helps you feel full throughout the day and, even more than that, it helps control your blood sugar. According to this research, after eating protein for breakfast, your blood sugar remains low for hours. But if you start the day with refined carbs, like grabbing a pastry on the way out the door, your blood sugar spikes and then crashes, which can make you feel tired and hungry. Great choices: Greek yogurt or cottage cheese, a smoothie with protein powder, or a breakfast burrito with eggs and black beans.

Move a little. This doesn’t mean you have to take a spin class or run a marathon. Ten minutes of stretching, some light yoga or tai chi, or walking the dog will energize you, get your blood moving, and make you feel more alert, awake and ready to take on the day.

Instead of a mad dash out of the house, mornings can be a time where you practice self-care, setting yourself up to tackle whatever the rest of your day holds. By creating a positive, uplifting morning routine, your whole day will fall into place.

^†These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

‡ Not a low calorie food

2024-06-20T07:03:00

(BPT) – Wedding planning requires countless choices, but one that remains highly debated is whether (or how much!) to include children in the festivities.

The Zola First Look Report found, of 4,000 couples with 2024 wedding dates, 79.5% are in favor of kid-free weddings. Although the decision is becoming more popular, it’s often met with criticism from guests who are parents needing to secure child care, which can add stress for the soon-to-be newlyweds.

Engaged couples are turning to “something new” to address the needs of guests with kids without sacrificing their own preferences and priorities: babysitter services. This new trend has become increasingly popular for weddings with couples offering in-home or on-site options to care for kids while adults focus on the celebrations. In fact, Jovie, the network of professionally trained child care experts, nannies and sitters, reports that the company has seen a 159% increase in event care since 2022.

“Couples can find themselves in a difficult position when contemplating whether to include children in their wedding day festivities as they may worry about parents feeling overwhelmed or distracted by having their kids present,” said Laura Davis, Jovie’s Nanny Concierge. “We’ve seen couples increasingly interested in providing child care for their guests, as it’s a win-win for both the couple and parents as everyone will get to enjoy the event without worrying about their children.”

Interested in services for your own nuptials? Davis recommends considering a few key factors ahead of time:

Determine whether a “kid-free” or “kid-friendly” option makes more sense:

• A “kid-free” wedding allows for babysitters, provided by the couple, to care for guests’ children at their home or hotel room. This option allows for parents to be conveniently connected with a pre-vetted babysitter directly. Most often, the couple covers the cost but are not the coordinators — with the babysitter service working directly with the wedding planner or venue to streamline and reduce stress. Alternatively, “kid-friendly” weddings invite children to the festivities but offer child care covered by the couple in a designated on-site area outfitted with a kids table, games and snacks that won’t disrupt the event’s flow. This is a wonderful choice for larger families who would prefer to have their kids close by or those including a flower girl or ring bearer in their ceremony and photos.

Utilize RSVPs to determine how many kids need care — and book babysitters early:

• Summer and fall are peak wedding seasons, so be sure to start reserving babysitters at least 3 months in advance. Adding a “Child Care Needed: Yes or No” section to your invites or RSVPs can seamlessly determine how many children will need care and how many babysitters need to be booked. Once booked, babysitter services will collaborate with you, your wedding planner or the parents directly to ensure individual needs and communication preferences are addressed.

Pay attention to the details — and loop in your babysitter accordingly:

• On-site babysitter services typically accommodate groups of up to 20 children, but it’s important to notify your babysitter when that number may ebb and flow if couples expect children to be involved in certain parts of the festivities. This will not only create a smoother experience, but if there are multiple babysitters present, they may also be able to help coordinate. Additionally, ahead of the big day, connect the babysitter service with your wedding planner or venue so they can work together to determine an appropriate care space and arrange meals.

“Your wedding day should be nothing short of spectacular, and whether you choose to include children in any capacity, remember there are multiple care options at your disposal,” continued Davis. “Babysitter services are just one of the many decisions you’ll need to make ahead of your special day, and companies like Jovie are eager to play a role in it being as stress-free as possible.”

To learn more about Jovie, visit www.jovie.com.

2024-06-19T20:01:00

(BPT) – Aging in place, the ability to live at home safely as we age, is crucial for many of us. The Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation at the University of Michigan recently found 88% of Americans want to stay in their homes as they age. But, that same study found only 15% have thought about the types of home modifications they need to make aging in place possible. Those modifications are crucial to prevent falling and other issues that can affect a person’s ability to live safely at home.

Here are seven ways to create a safe, accessible environment for your aging parents — or yourself.

1. Create clear pathways. It’s vital for people to have clear pathways to get around in their home. Look at the rooms, especially the living room and bedroom, with a critical eye. Is anything in the way as you move from the bedroom to the bathroom? How about from the living room to the kitchen? Do you need to maneuver around end tables, accent chairs or lamps? Stacks of books next to an armchair by the fireplace? It might mean you’ll need to move furniture to a new room configuration to create a clear pathway from Point A to Point B.

2. Remove throw rugs. They’re one of the biggest tripping hazards in the home, and they can make using a walker problematic. Get them up and get them out! And while you’re focusing on floors, use non-slip wax on wood floors and add non-skid treads to steps.

3. Add a toilet seat with built-in support arms. Bathroom safety is critical to aging in place. The Bemis Independence Assurance features support arms, each with a weight capacity of 350 pounds, integrated into the seat. The seat is securely mounted directly to the porcelain, ensuring exceptional stability. In addition to the arms, the Bemis Assurance is elevated three inches, to make sitting and standing easier. It also can include bidet functionality, which is incredibly helpful for the hygiene of older folks. This seat eliminates the need to install permanent grab bars near the toilet and makes it easier for people to sit and stand. It’s a powerful ally for people who want to be safer, aging at home.

4. Add non-slip treads or appliques to the bathtub or shower floor. It’s quick, it’s easy and it can save you or your loved one from a nasty fall. Add grab bars to help steady people in the shower or for extra stability getting into and out of the tub, and a waterproof shower seat.

5. Consider converting your tub into a walk-in shower. This is a more expensive fix than adding grab bars or a new toilet seat, but a walk-in shower is ultimately much safer than climbing over a tub, and can also accommodate a wheelchair.

6. “Smarten” up the house. Smart faucets, thermostats and other smart appliances can add ease of use, protection and safety for older adults. Faucets can be voice or motion activated, and turn off automatically at the end of use. Smart thermostats can keep the house at a comfortable temperature, and smart HVAC units can come with features like leak alerts that sense if pipes have burst or are leaking. All of these smart home items can be monitored from a cell phone, which adds peace of mind for adult children with an aging parent.

7. Install cameras inside and outside the house. Along with smart appliances, cameras can give adult children of aging parents an added layer of peace of mind, and a way to check on their loved one instantly on their phone, from wherever they are.

By making these and other simple, inexpensive changes, you or your loved ones can age in place safely, for as long as possible. And everybody wants that, right?

2024-06-19T06:01:00

(BPT) – Did you know we have less than 100 days to enjoy the summer season?

Summertime is here! The season we all know and love — and one that tends to go by way too quickly. Let’s be sure to take advantage of those longer, sunnier days ahead of us.

Here are some ways to do just that:

• Swim at your favorite spot — beach, lake, pool, you name it
• Ride bikes around the neighborhood
• Host a picnic at a local park
• Throw a barbecue party — the Fourth of July is a great time to throw some food on the grill and get together with family and friends

You should also add getting vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia, a potentially serious bacterial lung disease, to your list. Then, keep enjoying your summer plans.

Pneumococcal pneumonia can strike at any time, in any season. There’s a misconception that you can only get it in the winter or during flu season, but you can get it any time of year — even summer!

Pneumococcal pneumonia can put you in the hospital and even be life-threatening. You’re at increased risk if you’re 19-64 with certain underlying medical conditions like asthma, diabetes, chronic heart disease and COPD.

Adults 65 or older are also at increased risk. In fact, if you’re 65 or older, you’re at over 10x greater risk of being hospitalized with pneumococcal pneumonia compared with adults 18-49.

If you fall into any of these groups, getting vaccinated is one of the best ways to help protect yourself.

Vaccination is available all year round, so now is a great time to assess if pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination is right for you. Even if you’ve already been vaccinated against pneumococcal pneumonia previously, your healthcare provider may recommend another vaccination for additional protection.

There’s no room for pneumococcal pneumonia in your busy summer schedule, so don’t let it get in the way of enjoying all this season has to offer.

Talk to your doctor or pharmacist about pneumococcal pneumonia vaccination and visit PfizerVax.com to schedule a vaccination today.

Brought to you by Pfizer.

2024-06-18T09:01:00

(BPT) – Customers looking for affordable home Internet may be tempted to switch to a 5G home Internet service. But with spotty service and slow speeds, it usually doesn’t live up to the hype.

What if there was a way to get reliable, consistent Internet and mobile with no long-term contracts, hidden fees or credit checks?

Now there is a new option for affordable, pay-as-you-go Internet and mobile from Xfinity. NOW Internet and NOW Mobile provide reliable service with everyday, all-in low prices, no commitments and all backed by the Xfinity network.

It’s easy to sign up, and with built-in flexibility, you can easily pause or cancel your service anytime online or via the Xfinity app. All-in monthly pricing, no hidden fees or contracts, and no credit checks required — just a simple, low-cost way to get Internet and mobile service, on your own terms. It’s a great option for customers who may be looking to save money, like recent grads, retirees, or those looking for other options as the government’s Affordable Connectivity Program winds down.

Order online, visit an Xfinity store or call to get started. With NOW Internet you’ll get WiFi equipment included with your purchase, along with everything else you need to get connected. Getting started is simple and straightforward. You just download the Xfinity app, and instructions in the app walk you through step by step (available in both English and Spanish), so you can have Internet in 10 minutes.

Reliable Internet

NOW Internet delivers a more consistent and reliable connection at a better price point than 5G home Internet from cellular companies. It’s also backed by the nation’s largest network that delivers 99.9% reliability, uses AI to detect and proactively fix disruptions before consumers experience them, and is built with rigorous security and privacy protocols. Reliability means you won’t experience slowdowns in your connection at peak traffic times, as you can with other Internet services.

Affordable Mobile

You may not realize it, but WiFi is critical to the mobile experience. According to Comcast, upwards of 90% of data traffic from their customers’ smartphones runs over a WiFi connection, not cellular. Unlike existing prepaid providers, NOW Mobile uses WiFi to your advantage by tapping into over 23 million hotspots across the country. NOW Mobile offers the best value for Unlimited 5G prepaid mobile, exclusively for Xfinity and NOW Internet customers.

NOW Products and Services

The NOW portfolio of products offer simple, reliable and flexible service — that you can set up on your own terms.

NOW Internet: Choose between 100 Mbps for $30 all-in per month or 200 Mbps for $45 all-in per month. Unlimited data and an Xfinity gateway are included.

NOW Mobile: Add NOW Mobile to either your Xfinity or NOW Internet and enjoy one of the most affordable unlimited prepaid plans on the market — as low as $55 a month for bundled NOW Internet and Mobile, and $25 a month for each additional Mobile line.

NOW TV: The $20 streaming offering includes over 40 live channels, over two dozen integrated FAST channels, plus Peacock Premium. And it’s easily accessible via the Xfinity Stream app.

NOW WiFi Pass: Unlimited access to more than 23 million fast and reliable Xfinity WiFi hotspots for less than a dollar a day — at $20 for 30 days. No cancellation fees, no equipment and unlimited data.

Learn more about how you can get reliable, affordable and convenient service with NOW Internet and NOW Mobile at Xfinity.com/now.

2024-06-18T08:01:00

(BPT) – Longevity is one of the buzziest trends in wellness today, with a multitude of treatments and influential biohacking gurus promising to combat aging, extend lifespan, and improve the quality of your life. From headlines about “Blue Zones,” which are places where studies show people typically live longer due to their diets and lifestyles, to reports about the latest longevity therapies like cold plunges, many people are interested in finding out how to live longer and healthier as they age.

Short of moving to a Blue Zone like Sardinia, what can the average person do to support longevity? While proper diet and nutrition, exercise, sleep, and stress management are proven foundations for a healthy lifestyle, it can be a challenge to balance those needs with the demands of everyday life. For example, not everyone is able to eat a balanced, nutritious diet every day to support their wellness goals.

That means supplements can help play a valuable role in meeting your essential nutrition needs. Additionally, when it comes to supporting longevity and healthspan — which is a measure of your healthy, active years — supplements can support key areas of cellular health, mobility support, and cognitive function.

“Cellular health, cognitive health and mobility are all tied to longevity,” explains Brittany Michels, a Registered Dietitian nutritionist with The Vitamin Shoppe. “Cells are the building blocks of the body. The gradual decline of our cells is what ages our bodies and minds. Aging cells begin to lose function, their ability to efficiently respond to nutrients and remove waste, and signal to one another. This makes us more susceptible to physical and mental decline and disease. Diet, exercise, and supplementation are essential in supporting cellular health, and thus longevity.”

While every person has unique wellness goals and should speak to a health professional about their individual supplement use, here are five products Michels recommends from The Vitamin Shoppe to optimize overall longevity and healthspan.

Cellular Health:

Life Extension Super Ubiquinol CoQ10 provides the benefits of CoQ10, an antioxidant that reduces cellular oxidative stress and helps provide energy to cells, in a highly bioavailable form. CoQ10 is important to the proper function of many organs in the body, so it’s essential to maintain healthy levels as you age.

Jarrow Formula L-Carnitine Amino Acid promotes longevity by playing a key role in cellular energy metabolism and production. L-Carnitine is an amino acid found in high concentrations in heart and liver tissues, where it helps transform fats into energy. L-Carnitine works synergistically with CoQ10.

Cognitive Function:

VThrive The Vitamin Shoppe^® KSM-66 Ashwagandha – Stress & Anxiety Support is a premium ashwagandha formula available exclusively at The Vitamin Shoppe. Long used in Ayurveda, a traditional form of alternative medicine based on Indian principles of natural healing, Ashwagandha is best known for its natural ability to reduce stress, which it does by lowering levels of cortisol (aka the stress hormone) in our body. But Ashwagandha has also been shown to support memory and cognitive function, improve attention span, and boost mental performance.

Mobility Support:

Doctor’s Best Glucosamine Chondroitin MSM provides three important nutrients to support joints: glucosamine, chondroitin and Methylsulfonylmethane (MSM). Glucosamine supports joint mobility while chondroitin works to enhance joint comfort and lubrication. MSM supplies natural, bioavailable sulfur to support joint health — plus it provides beauty benefits for hair, skin, and nails.

Vibrant Health Joint Vibrance with Collagen & Glucosamine Chondroitin MSM Powder is a powder formula that can be used daily for the maintenance of healthy joints, bones, and cartilage. With an easy-to-drink blend of collagen, hyaluronic acid, chondroitin, glucosamine, and MSM, just mix it into your favorite beverage to complement your active lifestyle and help keep your joints functioning smoothly.

Always talk with your doctor about your supplement routine, especially if you are pregnant, nursing, or on prescription medications. While there is no magic pill that will turn back the clock, boosting your health with these longevity supplements from The Vitamin Shoppe can support your goals for a longer, more active life.

2024-06-17T11:01:00

(BPT) – Looking for ways to help your family unplug this summer? With smartphones and tablets and social media in the palms of everyone’s hands, it can seem like a nearly impossible task. But there’s an ally that can help your family get away from their devices and into summer fun. Technology itself! It seems counterintuitive, right? But technology can actually be your best friend in the quest to unplug.

The first step is choosing the right tools. Namely, a computer and a printer. But not just any will do. The HP All-In Plan combines a choice of a new printer, automatic ink delivery, continuous printer coverage with a dedicated 24/7 live support team, next-business-day replacement in the event of printer issues, and the option to upgrade your printer after two years. The best part — there’s no up-front cost and plans start as low as $6.99 per month.

Pair that with the powerful HP OMEN Transcend 14 laptop, which features the Intel Core Ultra processor with native AI processing, an ultra-portable and lightweight design, sleek exterior styling, an OLED screen, and enough performance to handle what you need for your family fun this summer, and into the school year, too.

Now that you’ve got the right technology, here are some fun ways to use it.

Get crafty with HP Print Pals, a new line of printable puppets from HP, designed with summer fun in mind. Print out these adorable puppets, have the kids decorate and trick them out, and then put on a puppet show. With this fun, screen-free activity, engage their inner creativity and have them express themselves by merging the magic of printing with the vibrant world of art. Download and print HP Print Pals for free at HP.com/PrintPals. And speaking of getting crafty… whether it’s building a butterfly house, creating an octopus out of sticks, a sunflower out of handprints or a snail out of a paper plate, you can find DIY directions online. Either print out the directions or set up your computer to play a DIY video. You could even print a schedule to make Mondays a Craft Day with a different project each week.

Read the book, watch the movie. Choose from any number of children’s books that have been turned into movies. “Little Women,” “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” “The Chronicles of Narnia,” “Diary of a Wimpy Kid” and so many more, whatever your child might like. Have them settle into a hammock in your backyard or their favorite nook in the house and read the story (or you read to them!). Then, hang a screen or even just a white sheet or curtain, in the backyard, download the movie on your laptop and connect it with a USB port to a projector. Arrange cushions, have everyone change into their jammies, grab the mosquito repellant, pop some popcorn, and settle in to watch the movie outside.

Print photos of summer adventures. When you’re out there having fun in the sun with your family, selfies are mandatory! Go old school and print those fun photos on your HP Envy Inspire printer to enjoy family keepsakes. Have the kids arrange and label them in a photo album — yes, they still exist! — or read on for another fun idea.

Set up a summer fun photo hunt in the backyard. You could spin this several ways. Simply printing out your photos and hiding them in the backyard for your kids to find — whoever finds the most photos gets to choose dessert that night — is one way to go. Or, you could be a little more elaborate and create a “reveal.” Use your computer to search for photos or other images that pertain to something special, like a family trip you have planned for later in the summer. Print those out and spin the activity into a “treasure hunt” for your kids, ending with, for example, a photo of the theme park or beach vacation you’ll be taking them on.

Print out your kids’ activity schedule. One child has softball on Tuesdays and Thursdays, another has swimming five days a week, they both attend a day camp on Saturdays. How do you keep it all straight? Create a spreadsheet of activities for the week or month and print it out to stick on your fridge. Then everyone knows who is doing what, when.

The HP All-In Plan can let you focus on your family and not worry your printer won’t have what it needs, when you need it. Now, get out there and enjoy summer!

2024-06-17T08:01:00

(BPT) – Just about every new tech comes with the promise of making our lives easier or helping us work faster. But often it feels like the opposite is true. More information and more new tools to learn — it’s hard not to feel overwhelmed.

Generative AI (or gen AI) may sound like just another complicated technology, but it’s surprisingly easy to use. For example, with ChatGPT you don’t need to be a professional researcher, database expert or writer. Just type in what you want in your own words and presto — ChatGPT gives you a big head start.

Now gen AI is coming to PDFs (and other document formats, too). With more than 3 trillion PDFs in the world — many of which are long, complex documents like agreements, research and articles — gen AI can help everyone work smarter and do more while saving time.

Helpful Hints from a PDF Expert

Adobe invented the PDF 30 years ago as a way to lock down documents so they could be shared and printed. Since then, Adobe has invented new ways to create, edit and share PDFs and gen AI is opening up a whole new world of possibilities. Here are a few ways you can already use gen AI to do more with your PDFs:

1. Find what you need fast: With gen AI you can generate a summary of your document to get a quick understanding of what’s in it. You can also “talk” to your documents — asking questions by typing in a quick prompt. Gen AI can also help by giving you a few starter questions — generated based on the information in your document so they’re already on-point and relevant. New gen AI capabilities even allow you to ask questions across a single document — and a group of documents — including PDFs, Word, PowerPoint, text and other kinds of documents.
   

2. Go deep on the details: Gen AI can help you explore information in your documents — on your terms. Instead of reading the text in the order it’s laid out, you can use gen AI to find and surface the top takeaways in a document or to surface all the information on a specific topic. New gen AI capabilities will even allow you to work with groups of documents — PDFs as well as other types of documents, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft PowerPoint and text documents — locating trends and relationships that they have in common.
3. Verify then trust: Generative AI is an amazing technology — and like all new tech, it’s not perfect. Sometimes you’ll ask a question and get an answer that’s not quite right — these are sometimes call “hallucinations.” At Adobe, we’ve added an extra check-and-balance to our Acrobat generative AI called intelligent citations. Here’s how they work: When you ask a question, the generative AI returns an answer with a citation attached. Clicking on the citation will take you to the source, so that you can verify the information for yourself. Remember, AI is there to help humans, not replace us.
4. Make new content: Another helpful thing gen AI can do is help consolidate information from documents and organize it into different formats. For example, let’s say your boss asked you to brief your team on an important topic — maybe an emerging trend, current news topic or audience segment. You can use generative AI to find the information you need and then ask it to format that information into a draft of an email or slides. You can then take all of the time you saved and focus on adding some analysis or customizing the information for a specific audience.
   
5. Add or edit images: Visuals are such an important part of getting and keeping someone’s attention. Whether you’re making a flier for your child’s school event or creating a business plan for a client, you need great images to really stand out. However, finding the right images that you also have permission to use isn’t always easy. With generative AI you can easily add, remove and revitalize images in your document in no time. It’s also simple to remove backgrounds, erase, crop and adjust (e.g., lighten, add color, sharpen). You can also use generative AI to create new images simply by describing what you want to see. Acrobat features are powered by Adobe’s Firefly generative AI — and designed to be safe to use publicly and for your business.

Generative AI can help humans be more productive and express their creative ideas more effectively. It’s an exciting time and new features in apps like Adobe Acrobat can help you work smarter and save time on low-value work. Try generative AI on your documents today by visiting here!

2024-06-16T09:01:00

(BPT) – Has your dog been acting differently? Do they seem to be slowing down? What many pet owners don’t realize is that changes in behavior can also mean your four-legged friend is in pain. In fact, osteoarthritis is one of the most common causes of chronic pain in dogs.

OA is a painful condition that progresses over time. It is a degenerative disease affecting all components of the joints and eventually can lead to the joints breaking down, causing the bones to rub together. This painful condition can affect your dog’s health and well-being [1], decrease their willingness to be active, and disrupt their interaction with family members, ultimately impacting the bond they share with their people. The good news is that although we cannot reverse OA, we can control the pain, which can provide your dog with an improved quality of life and get her back to being an active member of the family again.

While there is plenty of misinformation about OA and available treatment options, knowing the facts about OA pain and distinguishing between truth and myths can help provide your beloved canine companion with the care and support they need and deserve, giving them more days of play.

1. MYTH: OA pain only impacts older dogs.

FACT: Dogs of all ages, sizes and breeds can experience OA pain.[2] Signs of OA pain may be easier to detect in older dogs because they often have more advanced disease, but the pain can start at a much younger age. Dogs even as young as 1 year old can develop the condition.

In fact, approximately 40% of dogs show signs of OA pain.[3] Yet, despite its prevalence, only 33% of dogs with OA pain are diagnosed and treated for the condition.[4] It’s important to identify the signs and symptoms of OA pain early to give our dogs a better quality of life.

2. MYTH: The only signs of OA pain are limping and whimpering.

FACT: While limping and whimpering are common signs of OA pain, they’re not the only symptoms. Pet owners should also be on the lookout for the following signs of OA pain, including:

• Decreased activity;
• Lagging behind on walks;
• Slowness to rise;
• Hesitation or difficulty in jumping up or down;
• Stiffness;
• Difficulty going up or down stairs;
• Emotional changes, such as becoming more withdrawn or less happy and excited, or even showing signs of aggression or irritated behavior.

Pay attention to your dog’s physical and emotional behaviors and share any changes with your veterinarian to help determine if these are signs of OA pain and how they can be managed. Consider recording videos of your dog too, to help your veterinarian understand the changes you are observing. Waiting until the condition becomes severe can increase the amount of pain and decrease mobility, negatively impacting a dog’s physical and emotional well-being.[1] While OA cannot be cured, long-lasting relief can be provided for the chronic pain associated with OA.

By controlling OA pain, you can help your dog feel better, be more active and improve their overall quality of life.[5],[6]

3. MYTH: Available treatment options are unsafe and have not been tested.

FACT: Like other medical fields, veterinary medicine is always progressing as scientists develop innovative treatments for conditions like OA. While there are many available treatments, including monoclonal antibodies as well as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS), it’s important to make sure that the treatment option selected for your dog is safe and effective. The best way to do that is to consult with a veterinarian.

Your dog’s veterinary healthcare team can work with you on an OA pain management plan that best suits your dog and their lifestyle needs, which may include recommending a treatment like Librela^® (bedinvetmab injection) to control OA pain.

Librela is the first and only FDA-approved monthly injectable monoclonal antibody therapy to control OA pain in dogs. Librela has been tested in hundreds of dogs before being approved as safe and effective for use in the United States in 2023. Additionally, Librela has been available in Europe for more than three years and has been administered to millions of dogs around the world.* [7] Librela works by controlling dogs’ pain, which can lead to increased activity, which can improve quality of life, helping to restore the unique bond that dogs share with their owners.

The most common side effects of Librela in a clinical study were urinary tract infections, bacterial skin infections and dermatitis.[8]

Another option, NSAIDS have been used to treat canine OA pain for over 25 years. They also control the pain associated with osteoarthritis and are given as a once- or twice-daily oral medication. These drugs also have been approved as safe and effective. The most common side effects include appetite loss, vomiting and diarrhea, which could indicate gastrointestinal kidney or liver disease. Dogs should be evaluated for pre-existing conditions and regularly monitored.[9]

4. MYTH: Social media and online forums are the best source for pet health information.

FACT: It is natural to search for answers when your pet is sick and lean into other pet owners’ experiences to help make decisions for your dog. While online platforms can be a valuable source for pet owners to gather information and advice, community experiences such as those provided by social media groups and forums are not a substitute for accurate answers from veterinary experts. It’s also important to remember that each dog’s experience with pain and medications are different. As professional experts with many years of education and experience, you can trust your veterinarian to offer the best advice, treatment options, and care for your dog.

All medications come with risks and it’s important to talk about the risk and benefits of any treatment option with your veterinarian. They know your pet’s health history and can accurately diagnose OA and determine if Librela is right for your dog.

Visit Librela.com to learn more about the signs of OA pain and how to manage your dog’s care.

*Number of dogs treated estimated assuming that each dog receives 2 vials.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION: See full LIBRELA Prescribing Information at LibrelaPI.com. For use in dogs only. Women who are pregnant, trying to conceive or breastfeeding should take extreme care to avoid self-injection. Hypersensitivity reactions, including anaphylaxis, could potentially occur with self-injection. LIBRELA should not be used in breeding, pregnant or lactating dogs. LIBRELA should not be administered to dogs with known hypersensitivity to bedinvetmab. The most common adverse events reported in a clinical study were urinary tract infections, bacterial skin infections and dermatitis.

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[1] Lascelles BDX, Brown DC, Conzemius MG, Gill M, Oshinsky ML, Sharkey M. Measurement of chronic pain in companion animals: discussions from the Pain in Animals Workshop (PAW) 2017. Vet J. 2019;250:71-78. doi:10.1016/j. tvjl.2019.07.001.

[2] Anderson KL, Zulch H, O’Neill DG, Meeson RL, Collins LM. Risk factors for canine osteoarthritis and its predisposing arthropathies: a systematic review. Front Vet Sci. 2020;7:200. doi:10.3389/fvets.2020.00220

[3] IHS Markit. (2021) Canine and Feline Pain Market 2021: Animal Health Market Analysis; Wright A, et al. Identification of canine osteoarthritis using an owner-reported questionnaire and treatment monitoring using functional mobility tests. J Small Anim Pract, 2022. http://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13500

[4] ZMR: PetTrak US Pain Factored National January 2023.

[5] Brown DC, Boston RC, Coyne JC, Farrar JT. Development and psychometric testing of an instrument designed to measure chronic pain in dogs with osteoarthritis. Am J Vet Res. 2007;68(6):631-637. doi:10.2460/ajvr.68.6.631.

[6] Brown DC, Boston RC, Coyne JC, Farrar JT. Ability of the Canine Brief Pain Inventory to detect response to treatment in dogs with osteoarthritis. J Am Vet Med Assoc. 2008;233(8):1278-1283. doi:10.2460/ javma.233.8.1278.

[7] Global pharmacovigilance data on file.

[8] Librela (bedinvetmab injection). Prescribing information. NADA 141-562. Zoetis Inc; March 2023.

[9] Monteiro, B.P., et al. 2022 WSAVA guidelines for the recognition, assessment and treatment of pain. Journal of Small Animal Practice, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13566

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All trademarks are the property of Zoetis Services LLC or a related company or a licensor unless otherwise noted.

© 2024 Zoetis Services LLC. All rights reserved. LIB-00374

2024-06-15T10:01:00

(BPT) – Have you ever received a call or message from someone claiming to be from a governmental agency like the Internal Revenue Service or Social Security, or even claiming to be your grandchild? Did they ask for money, demand immediate payment, or say you’ve won the lottery? Did it make you feel threatened, scared, or suspicious? Trust your gut. It’s likely a scam.

Scammers can target anyone, but some of their favorite targets are older Americans. In 2023, reports show people over 60 years of age lost $3.4 billion to scammers.

In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, June 15, 2024, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service offers these tips to help you outsmart the scammers. It’s about recognizing the “Four Ps” that are the hallmarks of a scam.

Recognize the 4Ps of a scam

1. Scammers PRETEND to be from an organization you know.

Scammers often pretend to be contacting you on behalf of the government. They might use a real name, like the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Social Security Administration, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), or Medicare, or make up a name that sounds official. Some pretend to be from a business you know, like a utility company, a tech company, or even a charity asking for donations.

They use technology to change the phone number that appears on your caller ID, so the name and number you see is the same or close to the information from a legitimate company.

2. Scammers say there’s a PROBLEM or a PRIZE.

They might say you’re in trouble with the government. Or you owe money. Or someone in your family had an emergency. Or that there’s a virus on your computer. Some scammers say there’s a problem with one of your accounts and that you need to verify your information. Others will lie and say you won money in a lottery or sweepstakes, but you first need to pay a fee to get it.

3. Scammers PRESSURE you to act immediately.

Scammers want you to act before you have time to think. If you’re on the phone, they might tell you not to hang up so you can’t check out their story. They might threaten to arrest you, sue you, take away your driver’s or business license, or deport you. They might say your computer is about to be corrupted.

4. Scammers tell you to PAY in a specific way.

They often insist that you can only pay by using cryptocurrency, wiring money, using a payment app, or putting money on a gift card and then giving them the numbers on the back of the card. Some will send you a check (that will later turn out to be fake), then tell you to deposit it and send them money.

What to do about it

If you hear any of these Four Ps, or if your gut just tells you something’s wrong, trust your gut instinct. It is not a legitimate call; it’s probably a scam. The IRS, Social Security or any governmental agency will never call you to pressure you for payment. The same goes for your utility company. Remember, these are scams.

You may think, then what should I do? The U.S. Postal Inspection Service recommends that you:

Hang up immediately. If you’re on the phone with a scammer, hang up. If they’ve left a message, ignore it, delete it, and block the number. If you’re in doubt, never call back the number that left the message. Instead, look up the real number of the legitimate agency, company or whoever the scammer is pretending to be. Call that number to verify.

Report this to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC wants to stay on top of what’s happening out there to keep ahead of it.

Never pay a scammer! Remember, if they’re asking you for some odd way to pay, just hang up and forget about it. Examples of unusual payment methods include, and are not limited to, using cryptocurrency, money orders, a payment app, and gift cards.

Create an “emergency word” with your grandchildren. The “grandparent scam” is extremely prevalent. Someone claims to be your grandchild in trouble, needing cash immediately to get them out of jail or some other contrived situation. Thwart this by making a plan with your grandchildren. Choose an unusual word your grandchildren can use if they are legitimately in trouble and really calling for your help.

By recognizing the 4Ps and knowing what to do, you can stop scammers in their tracks. For more information, visit the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.