A Natural Diet

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People use herbal remedies everyday, but can the same apply to our pets?  Here are a list of herbs that I researched that can actually add some healthy qualities to their diet.

1. Oregano: This non-toxic herb has been used to help with digestive problems, diarrhea, and gas. Research using oil of oregano has also shown antifungal properties.

2. Rosemary: This good-for-dogs herb is high in iron, calcium, and Vitamin B6. Rosemary has also been shown to act as an antioxidant.

3. Peppermint: This aromatic herb has historically been used to help soothe upset stomachs, reduce gas, reduce nausea, and help with travel sickness. In addition, research is being done which shows that it may have radioprotective effects and can be used to reduce radiation-induced sickness and mortality in animals undergoing chemotherapy. There is no reported toxicity for dogs although very high doses may result in liver or kidney problems.

4. Basil: This dog-approved leafy herb, well-known for its delicious role in pesto, has antioxidant, antiviral, and antimicrobial properties. The next time you’re cooking with fresh basil, sprinkle a pinch of the chopped herb atop your dog’s dinner.

5. Parsley: Another leafy herb commonly seen as a garnish on our plates is a source of flavonoids, antioxidants, and vitamins. It also contains lycopene and carotenes. Often added to dog treats as a breath freshener or used to soothe the stomach, parsley has a long history of use with dogs.

Herbs can be fresh or dry.  You can put them on their food or bake the into homemade doggie cookies.

Pet Boutique and Bakery in Suwanee

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Has anyone been to Pooch N Paws Pet Boutique and Bakery in the Suwanee?  It is located in the Suwanee Town Center Square.  It is a fun place for pets and their owners to shop that is personalized and unique while supporting and giving back to the community.  They have a wide variety of premium pet food and treats.  I have shopped there before and they have a huge selection of bakery items that all of my dogs thoroughly enjoyed.  They also offer spa services including baths, haircuts, nail trimming, and polish.  Another cool feature of this place is that they have a self serve dog wash where you can bring your dog in and do it yourself, without the clean up.  They are also dog friendly, of course, so you can bring your pooch shopping with you so they can pick out their own treats!  It is a family owned business that has been open since 2010, so they are very knowledgeable and well established.  I highly recommend checking this place out.  I give it four paws up!!!

New Year’s Resolutions For Your Pet

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Now that we have all began our own New Year’s Resolutions for 2015, it may be time to think about things that we can start doing for our pets.  Here are ten suggestions that you may want to work in to your pet’s routine to start the year off right.

1. Identification: Make sure your pet’s tag has your current address and phone number and get your pet microchipped for extra identification.  This makes the chances of finding your pet much more likely, should something happen.

2. Love your pet: Tell your pet you love them.  Play calming and soothing music.  Bond with your pet and show them love; they will give it back to you tenfold.

3. A new trick: Teach your pet something new.  Play new games.  Try a puzzle feeder.  Stimulate their minds!

4. Foster a pet:  Do something good while providing a playmate for your baby.  Perhaps, you may fall in love and end up with a new addition!

5. Vet visit: Make sure you keep up with regular vet visits to keep your pet happy and healthy.

6. Smile: Get your pet’s teeth clean and healthy by having them checked and cleaned regularly to prevent oral disease and provide a bright smile.

7. Walk walk walk: Walk your pet daily to provide entertainment and prevent boredom.  Besides, what dog doesn’t love to go on walks?!

8. Grooming: Brush your pet regularly and bathe when needed to save yourself from a pet that is matted, itchy, and stinky.

9. Playtime: Your pet loves spending quality time with you, so give them an extra 10=30 minutes per day of your time.  They will love you forever.

10. Diet: With all of the new exercise you and your pet will be doing, they will certainly need a nutritious food regimen.  Lay off the table scraps and feed your pet a well-balanced, age appropriate diet.

Following these tips, along with your own New Year’s Resolutions, will make you and your pet a whole new you!

Ingredients you should know about in pet food

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Do you know what you are really feeding your pets?  Here are a few advertisement myths that you may want to take a closer look into:

AAFCO ensures that pet food is safe: The Association of American Feed Control Officials (AAFCO) is a nonprofit organization responsible for making sure that every pet food sold in America adheres to a set of acceptable standards.  This is supposed to ensure that all pet food that goes on sale in the market is safe for pet consumption. However, pet food recalls are a clear indication that its existence is not an assurance that pet foods are cleared of toxic contaminants prior to sale.

Foods labeled “Natural” are best for my pet: According to AAFCO, a product is considered natural if its ingredients are free from chemical alterations.  This leaves a broad spectrum of ingredients that can be used, and the list in not pretty.  Many of the ingredients come from other countries where there is very low quality control.

Raw foods are not good for your pet:  In a study conducted in young animals that were fed raw food and another group fed cooked food, the animals fed cooked food appeared healthy.  As they matured, the animals that were fed raw food aged much less rapidly than the animals who were fed cooked food and showed less degenerative diseases.

Always look at the label on the back of your pet food and avoid these ingredients: carcinogens, preservatives, protein extenders, heavy metals, and excessive metals.  As earlier stated, an alternative to commercial foods is a raw diet.  Other options are home cooked food, and organic products.  These diets could help prevent health problems and extend your pet’s life.

 

 

A Tasty Fall Treat

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Since we are in the first week of fall for the year, I find it very appropriate to share a recipe for a fun, fall dog treat that your pets will love.  It contains six ingredients: 2 1/2 cups whole wheat flour, 2 eggs, 1/2 cup canned pumpkin, 2 tablespoons peanut butter, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon,  Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Whisk together all of the ingredients in a bowl.  You may add some water for the dough to be workable, but the dough should remain dry and stiff.  Roll the dough in to a half inch thick flat roll.  Use cookie cutters to cut pieced from the roll.  I prefer the shape of dog bones, but any shape will do.  Bake for around forty minutes or until the treats are hard.  Your dog will love the combination of the taste of peanut butter and pumpkin flavors.  I have tested this recipe on my dogs and not only is it very easy, they loved the treats!  I may even start testing them on my Gwinnett Pet Watchers clients, and I am pretty sure that they won’t mind.  If they were a hit in my house, I am sure that everyone’s pups will love them.  It is nice to give your pets a little variety sometimes, rather than purchasing store bought treats all the time.

An Upcoming Event at Lenora Park in Snellville

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This Saturday, August 16th, there will be a pet friendly event in Snellville at Lenora Park in Gwinnett County, Georgia.  Milo’s Kitchen will be sponsoring a truck treat stop with their own food truck to serve your pooches.  We, Gwinnett Pet Watchers, have the details for the event on our website Events page.  The event will be held from 2-4pm and will be giving free samples out of Milo’s Kitchen home style treats to your pups.  All of their products are made in the USA.  They will also have family portraits, personalized give aways, and information on their products.  Lenora Park is located at 4515 Lenora Park Road in Snellville, GA.  The truck will also be at Bark in the Park on Sunday August 17th at 755 Hank Aaron Drive with the Atlanta Braves.  The truck has been touring the United States all summer promoting their treats.  You can follow their schedule www.MKTreattruck.com.

Does your dog scarf down his food?

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Sometimes dogs so things very fast…puppies grow up fast, dogs run fast, play fast, and wag their tails fast.  Some dogs even eat fast, which is not something that we, as pet owners, want them to do.  The risk of eating too fast is that they can suffer from bloat.  Bloat is when speedy eating and gulping cause excessive amounts of air, food, and liquid to fill the stomach and it blows up like a balloon.  The result is a trip to the vet and about 25-40% of dogs do not survive.  Luckily, pet owners have an easy solution for their pets ravenous eating.  It’s called the slow feeder dog bowl.  There are many different brands, but they all do the trick.  We, at Gwinnett Pet Watchers, have many clients that use these bowls for their dogs and they work great and save lives.  Do not take any chances if your dog is a rapid eater.  Go get yourself (and your pet) the slow feeder dog bowl!

What Are We Feeding Our Pets?

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Do You Realize What Harmful Ingredients Are In A Popular Dog Food Brand? 

 

I used to feed my dogs Iams food. Thirty years ago when I first started training dogs, Iams and Eukanuba were considered  very good dog food .  Did you know that Iams and Eukanuba yep, Proctor and gamble. Back then I was training dogs for an organization called  Bad Dogs Inc. The owner Bob Moorefield, was a big believer in good nutrition.  Bob also  feeding a good food meant cleaning up less waste.

Over the years the formula for both Iams and Eukenuba has changed. I know that I don’t know everything there is to know about dog food but I do know enough that I no longer put  Iams no longer  on my list of good dog foods.

Both Iams and Eukanuba contain Ethoxyquin. Ethoxyquin is a fat preservative used in some dog foods that is controversial. Some of these fears are linked with the product also being used as a pesticide and in making rubber. Most experts agree that when use properly the  additive is not toxic. For this reason after repeated investigations the United States FDA has ruled the additive may be safely used in animal feeds when used according to regulations.

 

Read more about Ethoxyguin later …

 

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.