American Natural Premium dog food is a new product at Katzenbarkers. We carry ANP Original and ANP Exhibitors Choice (Ultimate in Condition and Coat). As with all the foods we carry, American Natural Premium is made with all natural ingredients, no corn, wheat, or other fillers. All the ingredients come from the USA and the food is produced here in Wisconsin! American Natural Premium was created with quality, nutrition, and price in mind. The simplified packaging saves on cost, making it a great price point for bag size and food quality. American Natural Premium meets the nutritional requirements for all stages of your dog’s life.
Riding in Comfort
Tyler and Gypsy have been doing a lot of traveling with me recently as we go back-and-forth between Wausau and Madison each week. Tyler has a history of being a very nervous traveler (pacing in the car and drooling), but I’ve found that the addition of dog beds to the back of the car has helped Tyler to relax during longer road trips. Pictured here, Tyler enjoys the repurposed Molly Mutt bed and Gypsy catches up on her beauty sleep in the comfy Dog Gone Smart sherpa bed.
How to get Your Cat to Drink More Fluids
Giving your pet water is very healthful and cats are are easily dehydrated. Sometimes it is hard to get your cat to drink more. Cats love fresh water, so it is good to try and change their water as much as possible throughout the day. I was given a suggestion to keep a water dish near a sink you frequently use and give them a little water every time you use the sink. There are also cat water fountains that you can purchase which filter and aerate water all the time.
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.
Aggressive Chewer?
Every dog has his or her own style of chewing. Some owners’ look tirelessly for a toy to last while others can have a toy for long periods of time. For those owners whom are frustrated because your dog rips up a toy in ten minutes, we have a couple of suggestion for you.
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.
Ready for Valentine’s Day
With Valentine’s Day fast approaching, Jack (fully in touch with his feminine side) donned his valentine party collar and is on the lookout for that special someone. A note from Jack: “She owes me big time for this!”
Clean Up Made Easy
I had to clean up a lot of dog accidents this past week. I won’t go into the smelly details, but both of my dogs, Tyler & Gypsy, for different reasons, took turns creating doggy messes for me to clean up.
Most of these messes were on carpeting. Fortunately, I had some great cleaning products on hand — Crypton Stain & Odor Remover and Fizzion Pet Stain & Odor Remover — to help with the clean up. Fizzion is a cool new cleaning product that comes in the form of a concentrated tablet. Add the tablet to water to instantly create fizzy cleaning solution that works great on pet stains.
Once the carpets were clean it was time to tackle the two new dog beds. No problem. Both beds have removable, machine washable covers. The Molly Mutt bed is actually just a duvet cover that is stuffed with some old blankets. The “stuff sack” inner lining makes it very easy to remove the duvet cover for washing. And the Dog Gone Good Sherpa bed looks like new after its first machine washing.
What to Look for in a Rawhide
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.
Hello Gypsy
What’s new at Katzenbarkers in 2010? For starters we are welcoming a new store dog, Gypsy!
Gypsy is an 8-yr-old bearded collie with brown and white markings. She comes to us via Fluffy Dog Rescue in Hartland, WI, and a wonderful foster home in Wonder Lake, IL. Gypsy is one of six beardies rescued from a puppy mill in MO; she is only the second to be placed in a forever home.
Gypsy is still learning the ropes and becoming familiar with the store, but she grows more confident every day. You are most likely to find her relaxing and staying out-of-the-way in her Molly Mutt bed, behind the counter. Gypsy’s favorite part of working at Katzenbarkers is greeting customer dogs who come into the store.
Happy Birthday Jack!
Birthday Boy Jack
Today Jack celebrated his 9th birthday. Jack and his friends recognized this special day — his first birthday since overcoming a bout with cancer last summer — with Bubba Rose bakery treats from the Katzenbarkers treat bar. The birthday boy also received a plush penguin squeaky toy and a bag of his favorite Dr. Becker Bites treats.
Lexi and Trixi Win Photo Contest
Lexi and Trixi on the label of A Dog's Life treats
Matt and Tami are very proud of their Yorkies, Lexi and Trixi, who are featured on the label of A Dog’s Life double cheeseburger treats. This photo of Lexi and Trixi on their way to the park was one of five winning photos selected by A Dog’s Life for the month of January 2009.
