Do you brush your dog’s teeth?

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Dental health is very important to your dog’s health.  Get yourself a toothbrush made especially for canines; you can even get a full kit that includes the toothbrush and toothpaste.   It is important to get toothpaste made especially for canines or make a paste out of baking soda and water. Never use fluoride with dogs under six months of age—it can interfere with their enamel formation. And please do not use human toothpaste, which can irritate a dog’s stomach. Special mouthwash for dogs is also available—ask your vet.  After you have the correct supplies, taking these steps will make brushing a lot easier for the both of you:

  • First get your dog used to the idea of having her teeth brushed. Massage her lips with your finger in a circular motion for 30 to 60 seconds once or twice a day for a few weeks. Then move on to her teeth and gums.
  • When your pooch seems comfortable being touched this way, put a little bit of dog-formulated toothpaste or a paste of baking soda and water on her lips to get her used to the taste.
  • Next, introduce a toothbrush designed especially for dogs—it should be smaller than a human toothbrush and have softer bristles. Toothbrushes that you can wear over your finger (or a clean piece of gauze) are also available and allow you to give a nice massage to your dog’s gums.
  • Finally, apply the toothpaste to her teeth for a gentle brushing.
  • A veterinary exam beforehand may be helpful to find out if your dog’s gums are inflamed. If your dog has mild gingivitis, brushing too hard can hurt her gums.
  • Try to brush two to three times per week.

Following these simple steps can prevent gum disease and tartar on your dog’s teeth and we, at Gwinnett Pet Watchers, recommend it for all of our canine friends!

Grass Eating

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Why do pets eat grass?  Well, there are a few different reasons.   Some dogs and cats love the taste.  Grass contains fiber and some pets find it tasty.  Another reason could simply be boredom.  Stuck in the back yard by himself, your pet may just decide to eat his troubles away.  Are you providing enough exercise for your pet?  Another theory is that grass eating could be a form of self-medication.  If the behavior starts suddenly, then this could be the case and it could be a sign of something a little more serious if the behavior is not typical of your pet.   Whatever the reason, there is no need to panic.  Veterinarians consider grass eating among pets to be normal and as long as there are no harmful pesticides or chemicals on the grass, then your pet should be fine.  To keep your grass eater safe, use only non-toxic products on your lawn and when in public, keep a careful watch of what your pup puts in his mouth.

Another Great WalMart Find

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On the same day I found the Grandma’s Casserole, I decide to look up another dog food that had peaked my interest that is kept in a colder.  Freshpet Selects slice and serve.  Looking at the package makes one think this would be a very helpful dog food, but as we all know packaging can be very deceiving, otherwise I would be feeding my dogs Beneful  with all the pictures of vegetables and fresh meat on the package.

However when I did my research on Freshpet Select I was very pleasantly surprised as it gets a five star rating! And you can buy it in most grocery stores!!

This product comes in a roll, I take it and stuff my dogs Kong’s and that is how I now serve them there dinner.  Not only do the dogs love this new twist at dinner time, it takes them a while to eat it, so I get a few min to unwind or in most cases fix my two legged family their dinner.

We give Freshpet Selects Four Paws Up!   Let us know if your dog likes it as much as ours.

Your Puppy and their Pet Sitter

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Well it is definitely that time of year where people have gotten puppies for Christmas presents. They are totally adorable bundles of fur and love.  You took the time to pick the perfect puppy that will fit in with your family. You have spent days coming up with unique name for this wonderful new arrival. Now the real work starts. While the puppy is young it is the perfect time to instill the rules of the house to ensure a lifelong loving happy relationship.

 

The phones at Gwinnett Pet Watchers are ringing off the hook. New and existing clients are calling to get our help in raising their new puppy’s. This is one of our favorite times of the year. After all we get all the snuggles all the puppy breath without ever getting our shoes chewed on.

We have a special product called a potty break. We offer this service for all of Lawrenceville, Buford, Dacula ,Sugar Hill and Suwannee . We also offer this service to most of Loganville, Grayson and Snellville. We added the potty break to our line’s of  services when we realized there were a lot of people in Gwinnett County that are away from home for long periods of time Monday through Fridaybecause of their long commute to work . The potty break is ideal for the dog whose owner is at home in the morning, and in the evening to walk and give it plenty of attention. What we do is come in the middle of the day and get the pup to outside for a bathroom break.

People with new puppies use this service a little differently. Many will have us come in at 10 or 10:30 AM for the first break and then come back around 2 or 2:30 PM for the second break. With this schedule the puppy is only in its crate for 3 to 4 hours in between breaks. The client pays $10 per visit and in this example $20 per day. A price that is well worth the jumpstart to house training.

 

When the puppy gets to be about eight months old (like children each puppy develops at a different rate) we can usually move to one 30 minute walk. This gets the puppy out of its crate for a nice walk to get some exercise and to expel some energy. This  makes for a much happier experience for the owners when they come home from a long day at the office.

Call us today 404-819-3641 to  set up your free consultation. We can come up with the perfect plan for you and your new puppy.

Home Safty and Your Pet Sitter

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With cold temps clients water pipe burst.

With cold temps clients water pipe burst.

 

Yesterday while the temperatures were in the single digits and wind chills were even lower our crew was out visiting our four legged clients.

Amelia was making her rounds in Sugar Hill Georgia, when she made a stop to give a couple dogs who are crated a potty break. When she walked into the house she found that a pipe had burst in the ceiling and that part of the ceiling had collapsed on one of the dog crates. The poor dog was sitting in a puddle of water with water pouring down from the ceiling.

Amelia went into action; she got the dog out of the crate into a safe area. While she was doing that I was contacting the homeowner to find out where the main shutoff for her water was located. I then relayed that information to Amelia and she was able to shut the water off and stop any more damage.

Just another good reason to have a pet sitter/dog walker coming by daily to take care of your pets. If Amelia had not come by the water would’ve continued until the home owner made it home around 6 o’clock. Because we were there to give the pups a potty break we caught the problem at 1:30 PM.

Kudos to Amelia for doing a great job . Amelia  did everything right, taking care of the dogs, making sure they were safe first. Contacting the office so we could contact the owner to gain the information we need to protect our clients home .

Saying goodbye

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About two weeks ago I got a call from a client who has two dogs and two cats that I have taken care of for several years. One dog is an older Doberman with a large inoperable tumor on his chest.
When I answered the phone the owner told me she had some bad news. I thought that Rocko the Doberman had passed away. But then the owner said, “it wasn’t Rocko, it was Rusty.”
It has taken me two weeks to even be able to write about it. Rusty was a very special boy. He was a rescue so we don’t know his entire story. He was a very shy boy. When I first started taking care of him, I would put his dinner down then leave the room and go love on the kitties, because if I was anywhere around he would worry and not eat. I remember how happy I was the first time he let me pet him. And then there was the day he let me give him a belly rub, I think I liked that belly rub as much as he did.
Rusty was all ways a finicky eater, but over the last six months it had gotten worse. When the Vet diagnosed him with cancer he only lasted two weeks.
I love them all but some time there is the one who worms their way into your hart. I love you Rusty and will miss you. My hart and prayers go out to your family. It helps to know that we will all see each other again on the other side of the rainbow bridge.

Rabbit Hill Park

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Gwinnett County Parks: Rabbit Hill Park

400 Rabbit Hill Road, Dacula 30019

Near downtown Dacula, you will find Rabbit Hill Park. The 107-acre park has a special fenced in area just for dogs, which is a relatively new addition. The Dacula Dog Park includes areas for small, medium and large dogs to play with their peers and enjoy a fun filled day outdoors.

Each area includes recreational equipment for the animals and dog water fountains. You will find that most of the animals here are social and well behaved. Dacula is a great community in Gwinnett County and parents here are friendly and respectful. Rabbit Hill Park is a great all-around family park for grownups, kids and pets alike.

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Settles Bridge Park

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Gwinnett County Parks: Settles Bridge Park
380 Johnson Road, Suwanee 30024
Settles Bridge Park is one of our favorite parks in Gwinnett County. Located in the city of Suwanee, this large park is more than 250 acres and boasts a great dog park with play areas for large and small animals. You will even find agility equipment for your doggie to jump around and have some real fun on. Convenient water fountains make getting a drink easy for your pup and is a nice convenience for owners who won’t have to worry about bringing water along.
If your dog is the social type, head over in the evenings or during the weekend when you’ll find a good crowd. Daytime on weekdays the park is the quietest, so if you have a new puppy or a timid canine, this may be a better time for you to test the water. Whenever you choose to go, you will find that Settles Bridge Park is a great destination for Gwinnett County residents and their pups to have some fun in the sun this summer.

Lenora Park

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Gwinnett County Parks: Lenora Park
4515 Lenora Church Road, Snellville 30058
Lenora Park is 178 acres of recreation and fun in Snellville and one of our favorite dog parks in Gwinnett County. Lots of open space, fenced in for safety, and separated in to two areas, one for large dogs and one for small. There is also a dog run area separated from the play areas, which is a great addition. The majority of owners at Lenora Park are friendly and responsible, always keeping an eye on their pet, but I caution owners to be cautious and stay alert no matter which dog park they are at.
As we all know, Gwinnett County can get warm in the summer and since Lenora Park is a lot of wide-open land and not a lot of shade, be sure to bring water for both you and your dog. You will also want to take along some pickup bags, since they are not provided for you at the park.

Meet Victoria

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Photo: Say hello to one of our sitters Victoria, not only does she love all animals but she is a certified dog trainer and ready to help you get your kids in shape for summer.

I wanted you to meet one of our sitters, Victoria. Don’t be fooled by how sweet she looks, she is a certified dog trainer and can handle any dog big or small, and have them eating out of her hand!

Victoria helps out in the Buford – Dacula area doing daily dog walk(s) and taking care of all God(s) creatures when their owners are out of town. You can also book her for private  obedience lessons.