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SAT 10AM - 6PM
SUN 10AM - 5PM
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TUE - FRI 10AM - 7PM
SAT 10AM - 6PM
SUN 10AM - 5PM
MON - Closed
Articles:
Reducing Your Pet's Carbon Pawprint
When we go grocery shopping, many of us have learned to make choices that are both healthier for the planet and healthier for our bodies. We look for organic, locally grown produce, non toxic cleaners, and paper products made with recycled materials. But how many of us realize that we can apply these same sorts of good consumer choices when we're shopping for our pets?
Diet and Health
3 New Studies show the Benefits of Fish Oils in Dog Diets
There are a few things that I wish I could convince more customers to try adding to their dog's diet, and fish oil is certainly one of them.
Is Table Food Really Bad For Your Pets?
We humans certainly don't thrive on a diet of processed foods alone - your pets also may never be able to achieve optimal health on a diet that doesn't contain some whole foods.
Excellent Video about crystals and stones
This is a very nice clear description of how to protect the health of your cat's bladder, and of the causes and prevention of stones and crystals in the bladder. Note - though she seems to be talking about both cats and dogs, most of the information she states is most relevant to cats. (Dogs have a few interesting differences when it comes to crystals and bladder infections.)
Nitrates in Food Should be Avoided
Did you know that a recent study found that children eating more than 12 hot dogs per month have nine times the normal risk of developing childhood leukemia??
Dog Food Nirvana - My Tour of Natura's Facilities
Did I ever think I would go to Nebraska? Well no, but suddenly I was hopping on a plane, headed out to the land of corn and soy. I was very recently given a remarkable opportunity to visit Natura (makers of Innova, Evo, Healthwise, and California Natural pet foods) and to tour the entire manufacturing facility.
A tip on getting your cats to drink more water
Cats often do not drink enough water to stay as hydrated as they should be. This is because cats in the wild would get a lot of moisture from eating raw prey, but cats in our homes who are fed dry kibble are not getting that valuable hydration from their food.
Food for Thought - Raw Meat and Bones for Cats and Dogs
We know that whole foods are the most nutritionally complete for us, and that a steady diet of fast food can make us unhealthy pretty quickly. So what about for our pets?
I wrote this up a while back for a nutrition lecture I was giving, and I thought it might be useful to post it somewhere for more people to use
Flea Control
Now's your chance to fight fleas through the whole season without chemicals!
If you have pets that come in contact with your lawn, Beneficial Nematodes can be an excellent weapon to use against fleas and their larvae.
Advantage Soon to be Sold Over the Counter
This week, Bayer announced that they will be making Advantage and Advantix available to retailers (read article here), meaning you won't have to visit a vet to obtain them. Though the above news video is discussing the rise in dangerous side effects of other over the counter flea meds and not necessarily Advantage, we will still not be carrying any of these sorts of spot on treatments.
Dog stuck in crate highlights rare risk of spot-on flea treatment
A dog in Ontario Canada was given a flea treatment with Advantage and put to bed in his plastic kennel. An ingredient in the Advantage dissolved the plastic which resulted in the dog becoming stuck to his crate and unable to get out.
Green Tips
Reduce the chemicals you use by using more vinegar
It's amazing how much we as a society have come to rely on stronger and stronger chemicals to get our cleaning done, and how much the simple remedies have gotten lost over time.
Eating Organic is better for you
Did you know that organically grown foods can actually be better for you (and your pets) nutritionally than their traditionally grown counterparts?
Great Idea for Keeping Cats Out of Flower Beds
Times are tough and beds can be expensive. I found a couple of cute links for making pet beds out of things you might have lying around the house.
This is a great link to a site that illustrates the importance of cutting back the use of plastic bags globally.
It's beginning to be outrageous to me that people are drinking so much bottled water without realizing its tremendous environmental impact. Though the nutritionally aware part of me is glad that people are drinking water instead of soda, the sheer volume of bottled water consumed has created a product with enormous impact.
Electronic Waste - if it has a plug, don't throw it away!
Gadgets have improved our lives in ways we never could have imagined, and now we can't live without them. Unfortunately, the life spans of these devices are fairly short, as new and better versions become available all the time. This leads to an incredible disposal problem
Green Tip - LED Christmas Lights
If you were in our store between Thanksgiving and Christmas you might have noticed that we decorated with Christmas lights. These were actually strings of LED lights, which are an amazing innovation in Christmas lights
Training and Behavior
Pet Hair Everywhere! (and my pet won't let me groom her!)
The difference between normal seasonal shedding and year round shedding, and what's to be done if your pet won't let you brush him or perform routine grooming tasks?
Fun video with some great dog training
Check out this great dog show video. There are some fun ideas in here for new tricks you can train.
The Dominance Myth in Dog Training is Debunked Again
New Study backs up what many good trainers know already- blaming dominance for bad behavior in dogs is way off the mark, and can make matters far worse.
Check out this beautiful Canine Freestyle video.
Dominance-based Training Leads to Aggression
As a trainer and a retail pet supply store owner, I'm often in a situation where I can help someone through a problem. There are other times, however, where I see someone doing something so terribly wrong, so injurious to a dog's behavior, and the person can't seem to hear me when I try and guide them towards a new way.
Fireworks - Fun for some people, but a nightmare for some dogs and their owners.
If this is your first 4th of July with your new puppy, this is your chance to set the tone for the future. This exercise can also help older dogs that are already frightened of fireworks noises.
Fun video of dog and handler dancing
Although I can't help thinking Freestyle is a tad goofy with its costumes and routines, I am also in awe of how much you can accomplish with positive training, and I think it's a testament to how much fun we can have with dogs when you engage their minds and bodies in activities that challenge them and allow them to have fun at the same time.
Happy Halloween! Fun Stuff and Tips
Don't forget to be on guard for dogs getting into that Halloween Candy stash! Chocolate isn't the only thing that's toxic to dogs. Behaviorally, make sure that if your dog is stressed out by strangers, to have him in a secure area of the house where he won't be plagued by constant scary monsters ringing the doorbell. Conversely, if you're up for it this is a great time to work on door manners with a dog that isn't frightened, just excited.
Many people know about stuffing Kongs - those durable red or black rubber toys are great to smear a bit of peanut butter in. However many people don't get creative enough about their Kong stuffing, and may be wasting a good opportunity to keep a dog busy.
Interesting
Wow! Dogs Help to Study Endangered Wildlife
This is an amazing article about how dogs' amazing noses are helping wildlife ecologists to better study endangered species.