This time of year we rarely think about what the salt and dry conditions can do to our dog’s paws. They can become chapped and even get infected if not cared for properly. Thankfully there are a few simple and easy ways to protect your dog’s paws.

Dog Boots

Dog boots are a great way to protect your pet’s paws and there are many different options depending on yourneeds. We’ll go through a few of them now, but for a more in-depth discussion come visit us at the store.

Protex PawZ – Our first option are these rubber booties that provide protection from snow and salt, but are thin enough that your pet can still feel the ground through them. This usually makes your pet more willing to accept them. They are designed to be disposable, but as Rebecca will tell you, they easily last several months of continued use.

Pugz – These boots are for the fashion conscious canine, mimicking the popular Ugg boots for people. They feature a rubber sole, faux suede outer covering with fleece lining and accents. Pugz provide more protection than the rubber booties, and cover more of the foot, keeping it warmer.

Ruffwear – Ruffwear boots are the hiking, snowmobiling, and rock climbing boots of the dog world. They’re designed for extreme conditions and to keep your pet comfortable and safe during tough jobs or rough terrain. All these boots feature vibram soles, a high quality sole material used in human sporting shoes as well.

Paw Wax
Musher’s Secret, originally developed for sled dogs, is a clear wax that creates a protective layer to shield your dog’s pads from the snow or ice.  This is a great option for dogs who simply can’t get used to dog boots.

Paw Balm
Paw balm works just like lip balm for humans, but is made lick-safe for your pet. They are relatively inexpensive, and last quite a long time. Simply apply a thin layer of paw balm as needed to soothe your pet’s paw pads. But be sure to wipe your pet’s paws down with a wet cloth or baby wipe before applying the balm to remove any salt residue that may still be present.

Paw Soaks
For pups who’s paws have already had some damage from winter conditions, a paw soak can help rehydrate their paw pads to speed the healing process. We carry the SPA Bubble Bath Paw Treatment, which is a high quality and simple to use soak. Simply add some of the Bubble Bath to some lukewarm water (dogs are more sensitive to temperature that we are and with chapped paws hot water would be painful), and let them soaked for 5 minutes. To increase the benefits, give your dog a gentle paw massage after they’ve been soaking for a couple minutes. This easy treatment done several times a week will have your dog’s paws feeling great in no time.

If you weren’t able to make the seminar we will give you an overview of what we discussed, and are more than happy to discuss these ideas with you further in the store.

Biologically Appropriate Diets for Dogs & Cats

The theory behind these diets has to do with the ancestral heritage of dogs and cats. Dogs are descended from wolves and, despite the extreme visual difference between them for some breeds, they are are almost genetically identical. Cats are descended from African Wildcats (also known as Desert Cats), and again are nearly genetically the same. Due to these genetic similarities, logic follows that a diet similar to their ancestors would result in a healthy happy pet.

Cats, and their wild ancestors, are object carnivores. This means that they collect the majority of their nutritional needs from meat sources. Included in that majority is most of their water intake since domesticated cats descend from desert cats that did not have the availability to drink water frequently. What this means is that the moisture content in your cat’s diet is very important to their overall health. Wet foods can be one option to increase your cat’s water intake, but there are other options such as freeze dried/ dehydrated foods (that you rehydrate), or raw foods.

Dogs, in contrast, are carnivores. They collect the majority of their nutritional needs from meat sources, with the remainder coming from fruits and vegetables. Wolves have this same nutritional need, and mainly get their non-meat needs met from either the stomach contents of prey animals, or from occasional foraging for plants or berries. What this means for your dog’s diet is that regardless of the type of food you feed, a high content of quality protein is important for the overall health of your dog. This also shows that ingredients such as grains should be kept to a minim as part of a dog’s diet since they have a low nutritional value, and are not necessary to a balanced diet for most dogs.

• Puppy food
  Good health starts with good nutrition.
• Food and water dishes
• Training treats
  You only need a treat the size of a raisin for training.
• Treats
  Something a little bigger than a training treat is great for big accomplishments.
• Dog bed or pad
• Pet name tag
• Collar
  You may want to consider a martingale collar if you have an escape artist.
• Harness
  A harness may be easier for you to teach your puppy how to walk without pulling, and will take the pressure of the puppy’s throat.
• Leash
• Doggy pick-up bags
  Don’t forget to pick up after your pup on walks.
• Safe and appropriate chews
  Frozen raw bones will be good for the puppy’s teeth, soothing to gums when frozen, and a good way to introduce raw.
• Puppy toys
• Toy with treat spot
  Try stuffing the treat spot with a good canned dog food then freezing it. It is a longer lasting treat and soothing to your pup’s gums.
• Treat releasing toy, or more interactive toy for development
  It is important to give your puppy a challenge early on for good mental development.

You may also want to consider:

• Crate for crate training
  Crates can be a very good training tool, but make sure that your puppy’s crate is used as a safe and comfortable place and not as a place for punishment.
• Potty training pads
• Grooming wipes or puppy shampoo for accidents
• Pet stain and odor eliminator spray
  It’s better to be safe than sorry!
• A vet
  Establishing your puppy with a vet that fits your lifestyle will bring you peace of mind.
• Puppy training class
  Puppy class can be a good way to socialize your dog and can give you the tools for training after the class is over.
• Socialize! Socialize! Socialize!
  It’s very important to expose your new puppy to all walks of life: other dogs, animals and people of all ages.

Just as humans at times your pet can be “gassy” but there are a few things you can try to over come the frequency of your pet’s episodes. Many times the reason behind the gas is due to your pet swallowing too much air at mealtime. You can try to split up your pet’s meals into a few smaller ones, and/or you can try a special pet food bowl. We sell bowls called Brakefast. They are designed to make your pet eat slower by having them eat around these cone shaped protuberances in the bowl.

You can also try switching the protein your pet is eating. Every pet’s body chemistry is different and reacts to different proteins in a variety of ways. You can also try giving your dog prebiotics, probiotics, or digestive enzymes that help promote the growth of friendly bacteria like yogurt does. We have a couple of products with the digestive enzymes the first is called Gentle Digest by Ark Naturals. Not only does it help with gas, but is beneficial with a plethora of things. The second product we have with digestive enzymes is a treat called Fart Busters.

Finally it is good for your pet to have a lot of exercise. Not only will they be letting it out outdoors, but exercise also helps to promote digestion and gets gas to move through the system instead of building up. These are some things you can try, but please check with your vet and make sure that there is not an underlying problem with your pet.

There are a few ways in which I have tried to add water to my cats diet. Wet food is a great and healthy way to get fluids into your cat. However, feeding your cat just wet food can get to be expensive. So I supplement wet food into her diet with dry food. What I have found to work on my cat, is to add a little water to her dry food. Sometimes I even crush up one of her favorite freeze dried salmon treats along with the water and dry food, and mix it up to make more of a broth. She really loves that. I’ll even add water to her wet food and mix it together.

These are a few things I have tried, but if anyone else has more suggestions on what has worked for their cats please let us know.

We sell two types of toys that are guaranteed by the manufacturer. The first is called a GoughNut. The GoughNut is a rubber ring that comes in green or black. If your dog chews to the red core, you send it back to the manufacturer and get a one time free replacement. The second toy is a line of three different shapes called Zogoflex by West Paw Design. These are also rubber and will be replaced by the manufacturer one time as well.

If your dog is not into rubber toys we do have some chews that may work for her or him. Beef pizzles are one of our long lasting chews. They do not make a mess on the floor and dogs love them. However, the longest lasting chew we recommend to try is a deer antler. The antlers we carry are naturally shed and come in many different sizes. We have had a lot of positive feedback on both types of chews, and they are a safe and healthy alternative to rawhide chews.

Wholesome Hide Rawhides

It’s ok to give your dog rawhide if you choose to. However, there are certain qualities to look for in a good rawhide. The Whole Dog Journal (May, 2009) outlined a few of these qualities to look for. It is better to look for a rawhide that is made from one strip of material. Otherwise you can get rawhide made from many different pieces compressed together and then rolled in another piece. The pieces can easily break apart and your dog can potentially choke on them or have other digestive problems from them. A rawhide roll that is made from one piece looks like a continuous swirl.

It is also good to look at the color of the rawhide. Artificial colors are not good for our furry friends. The rawhide should be a white color or a natural color. If it is too white, it could be due to a lot of bleaching, which is also a sign of low quality.

Here at Katzenbarkers we carry Wholesome Hide, which holds up to the high standards of Whole Dog Journal.