Dog Health

Fish Oil for Dogs

Vets originally used fish oil to treat dogs with allergy problems, but more recently they have found it to benefit many different aspects of our canines’ health.  Since our pooches cannot produce the fats contained in these oils themselves, they rely on their diet to supply the needed fats.

Much like it’s benefits for humans, omega 3 oils (fish oil) support heart, vision, and joint health, along with providing important nutrients for proper immune function, and a healthy skin and coat.   The icing on the cake is that… it’s a natural source of all sorts of other vitamins and minerals.

We have seen two forms of fish oil.  One is in pill form that can be taken in a piece of cheese or some peanut butter and the other is in liquid form.   We have found the liquid form is more calorie friendly (those pieces of cheese and peanut butter can add up) and just plain easier to give (putting over their food has worked well for us).

We do recommend that you consult with your veterinarian about specific doses for your pooch, although there are dosing instructions on most bottles.  Some dogs require more than others based on certain conditions.  Stay tuned to our website… we will be adding some very unique salmon treats and jerky’s to the site really soon!

We carry the Plato Salmon Oil for dogs which can be found by clicking the link, however there are many great oils on the market; and the important thing is to make sure to add it to your pups daily regimen!

101 Dog Care Tips - Cleaning Your Dogs Ears - Tip 3

Cleaning your dog's ears can be a bad experience for both the pooch and the owner.  However, keeping your dog's ears clean is the best way to prevent against potential health hazards such as ear mites, ear infections and wax build up.  In addition, infections and build-up can affect their ability to hear.

To reduce your dog's risk for experiencing any of these problems perform a routine ear check.  This is best done on a weekly basis. Below are some helpful hints as to what you should be looking for when checking your dog's ears:

• Check the ear for any dirt, wax, foreign objects, or redness in the ear canal.
• Smell your dog's ear; if there is a foul smell present, this is usually indicative of a more serious problem.
• Mites, fleas and ticks like the dark, moist inaccessible area of your dog's ear.
• Check for a waxy substance in your dog's ears, it will almost look like dark brown coffee grinds.

If you think your dog may have any of these symptoms listed above it is imperative that you call and make an appointment to see your Veterinarian. These things can cause serious issues and get worse as they progress.

There are many ear cleaners out on the market, some which are a cleaning solution and rinse aid.  They work great for in between vet visits and really make a difference.  We do not recommend the use of soap and water or Qtips because they can damage the ear canal.

We appreciate you all checking out Tip 3, if you have any suggestions for future tips, or new dog treats or dog related products you would like to see on the site please give us a shout!

101 Dog Care Tips - Dog Nail Care - Tip 2

Many people have severe anxiety about cutting their pooches nails, but it might be easier than you think. Have a groomer or your veterinarian show you how to do it. Most pet stores sell a special dog nail clipper. In addition, there is a new tool out called the "Pedi-Paw" which is supposed to gently file your pups nails down over time.  We have tried the tool and found that the noise from the tool itself puts our boys on edge, so we just went back to the traditional method of clipping with clippers.  It is important to try a few things out and figure out which one works best for you and your pooch!

The blood supply to the dog's nail is called the "quick". If your dog's nails are too long and you immediately cut to the length you think they should be, you will cut into the quick and cause your dog's nail to bleed. Although this is not a serious problem, it can be painful for your pooch and can make for a royal mess around the house.  Most people keep some styptic powder or quick gel on hand to cauterize the bleeding if necessary.

The trick to trimming dog toenails is to train the quick to retreat backward. Remember, simply cutting a large chunk of the dog's nail is risky and can cause the nail to bleed. Instead, use the following method to avoid cutting the quick.

Cut or file the dog’s nails only a little bit every couple of days. This will cause the blood supply to get shorter at the same time as the nail is being shortened. Many also recommend regular walks, which encourages the quick to retreat and will mean that you will have less of a chance of nipping it.  When you get the nail to the length you would like to maintain, clip every few weeks or as often as necessary to maintain that length. This will prevent the quick from growing too long and prevent the nail from bleeding.

Nail clipping can be a stressful for event your pooch so make sure to give them a reward like a dog treat or dog chew to encourage them.

Conscientious Dog Treat and Chew Picks

When we started our company a few years ago we knew that we wanted to make sure we were confident and happy knowing that everything we offered for sale was something that we could be proud in and something that was healthy and rewarding for dogs.  We have to be honest it is tempting to sell popular dog treats like rawhide, or stuff packed with wheat and gluten; but we have learned over time that this is just simply not healthy and refuse to offer it.  Pretty packaging does not take the place of good nutrition, dog treats with ingredients you can't understand or pronounce are probably not healthy, and treats shaped like little steaks that smell like plastic just don't cut it!  Our commitment to you is to continue to scour the earth to find the unique, natural and healthy dog treats and chews like bully sticks you have come to know us for.

We must say that in the beginning we were "casual" dog owners and did not understand that it was important to really look at what we were feeding our dogs, how often they eat, how often they excersise etc.; but as our knowledge of the pet industry has grown, so has our knowledge of our own pet's health.  We hope that you find our selection as rewarding as we do as we routinely use all of the products which we sell.

Simply Put, We promise to:

• Offer healthy unique treats chews and other items that will not harm your dog
• We will keep our everyday prices as low as possible to make our selection available and accessible to the greatest number of owners and dogs possible
• We will continue to bring on new manufacturers that are committed to healthy pets and enriching the lives of our dogs
• We will listen to you and your feedback and adapt accordingly
• We will price match anyone on the internet or in a retail store for any of the products we sell (as long as they are of comparable quality) to make sure we stay competitive
  

Please follow the blog, over the next couple of weeks we will be launching not only several new chews and treats that are unique and extremely healthy, but we will also be adding TWO new categories of products and a supplement/food that is simply amazing!

As always, thank you for your continued patronage and support and if you find something you feel like should be here please let us know!!!

Supervising Your Dog

We wanted to put a quick post out on the blog reminding everyone to supervise your dog when giving any dog treat or chew!  Even if you are feeding a bully stick, we highly recommend watching your dog(s) to see how they react and make sure you take any chew away when it gets to about 2" left.  While everything we sell is digestible, we still think that it is important to monitor for super aggressive behavior and make sure that they don't try to swallow anything over 2" in length.

If you are currently feeding 6" bully sticks and your dog is going through it very quickly 15-30 minutes we would suggest going up in size to the 12" bully stick.  Alternatively, if you have a large breed or giant breed dog please consider our 12" braided bully sticks, dog bones, or knotted bully stick bones.

Make sure to check out our every growing catalog of dog chews and treats, and soon several new lines of all natural dog items!