Recommendation for puppy parents...

I love and highly recommend Dr. Sophia Yin. She is a veterinarian and Animal Behaviorist.  She went to UC Davis and is just incredible at what she does.

Link to information about her:About: Dr. Sophia Yin

I often look her up on Youtube when I want information on how to handle specific pet issues. 

She just put out a new dvd:  Creating the Perfect Puppy: How to Start Off Right and Stay on Track.

If you have or plan on getting a puppy, I would definitely get this DVD. I think it's $15 pre-sale. Check link for details.

She is great!

'Peanut'

Dog allergies... Do cats get them too?

I am noticing that Coco's scratching again. No fleas, just dry, flaky itchy skin. I am rubbing her down with coconut oil (more like wax, than oil) and giving her a soothing bath. She's shedding too, I wonder if that may be a partial cause?
I just remember so many of my customers going through this with their various breeds of dogs last year at this time. I thought it was because of all of the new goodies she got when I opened the store, but have been keeping her to a strict diet this time. I wonder if it's seasonal?

If your dog is scratching, some ways to differentiate fleas from allergies are:
-Get a flea comb and frequently check the base of their tail. This is a flea's favorite spot!
-Look for 'hot spots', red, irritated areas, that they just can't leave alone.
-If your dog is irritated in more hairless areas like under their arms or on their belly, it's not likely to be fleas, they like to hide out in the fur.

Some things I have done when Coco is scratching herself bald are:
-Socks. Larger dogs can wear yours! I found some disposable booties that work pretty well. Or make socks out of the adhesive bandages available at Walgreens. Just cover up those nails, so they can't scratch as much.
-Baby onesies. Coco hates clothes, but when she is really itchy, I put them on to cover all of the spots she likes to gnaw and scratch.
-Some veterinarians prescribe Benedryl, I've tried it with Coco and it hasn't ever helped enough to put her liver and kidneys through it. If you do decide to try it- CALL YOUR VETERINARIAN!! Different dosages for different sizes, depending on your pup's medical history, may not be an option!
-Last year a customer recommended Vetricyn and though it's a bit pricey, I found it worked well. It just dried out the irritated areas. So if you try a drying type of treatment, just don't overdo it. Read and follow directions carefully.an
-I've always used fish oil (a drop or so per day on her food), I am using Lipoderm, but Salmon oil, I've heard helps.
-I am looking for more skin and coat product recommendations to carry in the store, so feel free to comment with any suggestions :)

Fleas:
There's a lot of talk about fleas becoming immune to Frontline and Advantage, I try to carry Advantage for dogs and Frontline for cats in the store (it's hard, because I can't afford it!).
I just got some promotional package from a new 8-month-lasting flea collar, by Bayer, I think.
I've had Coco on Comfortis, which is only available by prescription currently, it's in a pill form. Seems to work well.

I am interested to hear about success stories with natural products (and I do carry some natural shampoos, I just don't know how effective shampoo is)

*Most importantly whatever form of flea treatment you decide upon, you absolutely must treat your home, when treatment is applied!
-Wash pet's bedding and yours as well. Heat (dryer) kills fleas. If you have carpet, an experienced exterminator has advised me to sprinkle talcum powder (I use baby powder, there's talc in there) on your carpet and let it get it deep. It will dry out the exoskeleton of the fleas and kill them.
Then if you can find one (actually I can order them)- get an old fashioned flea collar and cut into pieces and put it right in your vacuum canister or bag while vacuuming up the powder. Then *immediately* empty and take out of your home. Use another portion in the vacuum, just in case any are lurking around in there! I stick pieces into crevices in my dogs' favorite spot on the couch too. If you treat your dog and not your home, it can perpetuate the problem.

I hear different things about diatomaceous earth. Seems like it can be as caustic as some chemicals and needs to be used as directed. I never tried it, but if you have, please share your experience!

Ok. Back to work! Hope your pets stay itch-free this season!

http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/best-dog-foods/hypoallergenic-dog-foods/

 Some useful recall information:

- *Don't panic!!!* If your pet shows any possible symptoms, call or bring to your vet. But a majority of recalls are placed in time, to minimize pet & owner's health issues.

- Most recalls are precautionary and they recall more product than necessary- just to ensure the health of you and your pet.

- There are *very* few pet foods that have never had a recall. Do some research, you'll find over the years most popular brands have been recalled at some point.

- A lot of the recalls are salmonella related. This means more than likely, if anyone gets ill, it's usually the pet parent(s), because pets have a much higher immunity to salmonella (think of the raw food diets).
**The pets to worry most about are puppies, kittens and seniors, because they may have compromised health issues.**

- Also, simply wash your hands after feeding pets and treating them. So many recalls are salmonella-related, which is more of a threat to the owner than the pet, considering the pets' ability to eat salmonella and not be ill. Think about a stray dog, eating garbage, whatever it has to survive. And outdoor cats are always killing, eating dead birds...

- I tell my customers all the time- if you keep your (dry) pet food in rubber or 'tupperware-type" container or canister for freshness-
*Be SURE to cut Expiration date and lot#code printed on bag and keep it taped to or inside container with food.* That way if there is ever a recall you know exactly which batch you have.

To learn updates on most recent Natura (Evo, Innova, Healthwise, Karma, California Naturals..) Go to:
Natura Pet Recall 

I also highly recommend going to dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-recall-alerts
And signing up for their alerts. BTW- it's not just dog food!
If you receive an alert that includes a food you use, please go to manufacturer's site for most accurate and up to date information.

It's been a while, but I'm back! Heaven knows I have enough on my plate, with opening, owning and operating my little neighborhood pet supply, but now I have so many things to blog about!

So, last year when the cannibus dispensary on the ground floor of my apartment building got shut down by the Feds, the space became available and having already told my landlord about my idea for a neighborhood pet supply, he generously decided to roll the dice and help me open. It's been a wild ride to say the least!

My idea for the store was that since we had so many pets in the neighborhood, I would have a built-in market and with a small space, just carry what my customers need and my stock would always be turning (one thing I remembered from business classes in college), and if I had events and marketed and promoted (where my skills and experience apply), I thought I would never have to worry about the money and math and retail knowledge! Who knew retail is completely based on math? Not me! I am also not a salesman! I'm constantly killing my own sales, by telling customers how crummy something is or suggesting that they buy peanut butter at the grocery store, instead of buying the expensive Kong filling on my shelf or getting cheap baby wipes at Walgreens, instead of the 'dog wipes' I sell!!!

And I tried to go into the retail pet business, with the same attitude as when I was caring for other people's pets as a sitter and walker. I felt that I was hired to care for their pets, as the owners or parents did, even if I didn't entirely agree with methods or choices (for example, overfeeding overweight dogs table scraps, etc). Biting my tongue about Science Diet nearly killed me! Luckily, they decided to 'reformulate' and took themselves off the market to get in line with the newer grain-free and CORN-FREE ideology in the pet food market. And in the same line of thinking, I tried carrying Pedigree and Purina. Turns out it's cheaper at Safeway, and generally the pet parents using these brands are mostly looking at price and not ingredients or nutrition, so they still go to Safeway and I don't have to feel guilty or responsible for the nasty messes on the sidewalks in the neighborhood.

The store has opened up so many topics in the pet world. It's hard to try to keep up with all of the various products and trends, but I do enjoy learning about any or every aspect of pets' lives, health, recreation and treatment. I want to try to blog regularly about the things I am learning. I have discovered so many products and so much about new aspects of pet care, I look forward to sharing with you!

Not Just Another Dog Walker has taken on a whole new meaning!!

Separation Anxiety

Many dogs, including my own, Coco, suffer from separation anxiety.  There are many remedies and training methods that you can use to bring yourself and your dog relief.  It's not going to be a quick fix, but it does get better if you are consistent.  
Try your local pet store. They have collars and air-freshening type plug-in sprays that imitate the mother's pheromones and help calm the dog down. I have seen a collar that worked fairly well, while I was working in a doggy daycare and I bought the plug-in type for Coco, but I'm not really sure if it helped.

As far as training, you can practice leaving your dog (probably in a confined room), for five minutes at a time.  Prepare to leave as you normally would. Get your jacket, keys, etc., and leave, locking the door behind you.  Don't make a big deal about leaving- no long goodbyes! Just get your stuff say "see you soon" and leave for about 5-10 minutes.  Come back in, say hello, but again, don't make a big deal about coming in. Just put your things down, get a drink, sit down in front of the tv and act like everything is normal, because it is! It's totally normal to come and go from your own home!

Later that day do another 10 minutes and another.  Gradually work up to 20 minutes, try that several times until you are ready to try an hour.  Just make sure that you remain very matter-of-fact about the activities of coming and going so your dog sees it's normal and you will come back!   Definitely don't act overly emotional about coming back!

Don't forget this needs to be repeated quite often. The problem probably won't go away overnight. And consistency is key to training dogs. Even when you are bored and sick of going out for 10 or 15 minutes, keep doing it!  Give him some time in between to relax too!  Training a dog is one of the most rewarding experiences you'll ever have, so stick with it!!

You can also try having your dog sit for a treat just before you leave, to remind him or her that this is a pleasurable activity. 

If you come home to an accident or destroyed property, remember that it was your own lack of planning that caused the problem and do not be angry with your dog. Being angry will reinforce the anxiety. 

I got most of these tips from a good friend, Brittany Magallenas and the book "Little Dogs: Training your Pint-Sized Companion" by Deborah Wood, which is probably available at Amazon.com

Golden Retrievals by Mark Doty (a poem)

Fetch?  Balls and sticks capture my attention seconds at a time.
Catch?  I don't think so.
Bunny.  Tumbling leaf. A squirrel who is , oh joy, actually scared.
Sniff the wind, then I'm off again.
Muck. Pond. Ditch. Residue of any thrillingly dead thing.

And you?  Either you're sunk in the past half our walk,
Thinking of what you never can bring back,
Or else you're off in some fog concerning... tomorrow.
Is that what you call it?

My work?  To unsnare time's warp and woof.
Retrieving, my haze-headed friend, you.
The shining bark, a zen master's bronzy gong,
Calls you here.  Entirely.  Now.


Bow wow.
Bow wow.
Bow wow.

Beware of foxtails!

Since we are in the summer months, I thought it was important to warn against foxtails.  These innocuous looking weeds can be extremely dangerous! I saw so many dogs come in with these when I worked as a veterinary assistant. Here's what they look like:

 Watch out for these! Even if you live in the city, they grow in parks and even in cracks in the sidewalk.  They can get caught in out-of-sight spots on your dog, like between their paws, in their nose, throat or ears, in their butts and other "private" areas.  They usually need to be surgically removed and have a very dangerous bacteria that can cause severe problems including death!  So if you see any of these while walking your dog stay far away from them!