K9 Cuisine was honored to interview Marta Aldriedge of HealeyGrisham Studio – a well-known pet photography studio.
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into pet photography and pet rescue?
Marta: I’ve been heavily involved in commercial photography for 5 years. One of the things that attracted me to HealeyGrisham Studio is their reputation for helping the community – specifically in animal rescue for companion animals. My husband and my daughter are both passionate about working with animals, of all kinds. (We’ve also rescued and rehabilitated opossums, birds, turtles, reptiles.) It has always been a part of our lives. My first rescue was a poodle that found me in 2nd grade – at school.
Hooray for the Underdog! was created by the owners of HealeyGrisham Studio. Janet Healey and Joe Grisham have been lifelong animal lovers and rescue advocates. About 10 years ago, the couple began creating portraits of rescue animals to motivate others to open their eyes and their hearts to animal rescue. In 2006, they took their efforts one step further and created a stationery/gift line, aptly named Hooray For The Underdog!. 10% percent of all proceeds from “Hooray For The Underdog!” sales is given to a national charity that distributes funds to provide spay/neuter, adoption and emergency relief services to animals across the country. Last year alone, the charity contributed 24 million dollars to more than 3400 grassroots animal welfare agencies.
Janet and Joe’s animal rescue efforts have been recognized locally on Good Morning Texas, Channel 5 news, Larry Powell.com, the Daily Candy and in The Dallas Business Journal, as well as nationally on Oprah.com and CNN.com, The Haystack Needle and in Redbook magazine.
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with the organization-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Marta: Hooray for the Underdog! is successful and growing because of the genuine desire to help grassroots rescue organizations. Along the way, there has been much support from friends and strangers who believe in the cause. When you combine something that you are good at (photography in this case) with something you care deeply about (giving rescue animals the homes they deserve), the only way you can fail is to do nothing with it. Janet Healey and Joe Grisham put a tremendous amount of time, energy, money, and belief in their idea. When they didn’t know what to do next, or how to take the next step, they did extensive research, sought out professionals, and they did it to the best of their ability. Doing their personal best – that’s really the secret.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Marta: There are several things:
1) Janet and Joe don’t just rescue pets that they get to enjoy, (these days, they have 2 rescues that come to the studio every day), they also use their talents to make a difference for hundreds, maybe thousands, of companion animals across the country.
2) In raising awareness, rather than focusing on the abuse and neglect these animals suffer, their products showcase the beauty and charm of underdogs (and cats). The backs of these clever cards spotlight the animals’ personalities with each pet’s rescue story and their unique traits, their “special power.” In addition to greeting cards, there are also journals, notepads, folders, buttons, and pet id tags. You can purchase these items at the following websites: HoorayfortheUnderdog.com and Cardstore.com, at The Petropolitan in Dallas as well as in pet boutiques across the country.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Marta: It sounds cliche, but dogs love unconditionally. They are always happy to see you no matter how hard their day has been!
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Marta: Wow – you know, it doesn’t really seem like “work” at all… I think knowing that I am working with other people who have the same philosophies about the day to day – that our work and our personal lives really do have to blend in order to be truly successful on all fronts. I love what I do and so do the owners of the studio, so it is not like a typical “job”. Janet Healey and Joe Grisham found a way to integrate their passion for animal rescue and commercial photography into a business model, one that also gives back. I’m fortunate to be a part of it.
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see the pet photography industry going?
Marta: Up! There are several directions pet photography will grow. We are seeing in our portrait area that because pets are part of the family, and the emphasis on family has risen because of the economy, owners want professional, fine art portraits of their animals. A couple of candid shots at the holidays isn’t enough. In advertising, I’ve seen an increase in including pets in shots, not just for pet products, but across several consumer product lines. As consumers today, we are more emotional about the purchases we make, and whether consciously or not, we want to buy from companies that we feel a connection to. Animals, especially dogs and cats, provide a common ground for everyone. I’d venture to guess that almost every American today can tell you what type of dog, and probably his name, that President Obama has. Not because he/she voted for him, but because they relate on an emotional level. I don’t think that can be said of the past administrations pets. I believe this is due to the fact that literally everyone has been affected by the financial crisis and is more sensitive, more appreciative, of relationships – even with our pets.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Marta: We are gearing up for growth. Our stationery business has increased 200% over this time last year. Because the demand for pet photography has risen, we are brain-storming ideas that will facilitate efficiencies in locating the animals we want to shoot, both commercially and for our stationery line. As a result of attending the NY stationery show in May, we now have 30 reps across the US for Hooray for the Underdog! We expect big things in the years to come. Joe made a comment recently that he would like to see our cards become a household brand name – not unlike Hallmark. Imagine the difference it would make to the 5 million animals that are euthanized every year.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and your organization?
Marta: My job title is Artist Representative – I represent HealeyGrisham – a successful commercial photography studio in Dallas, Texas. I’ve been working for over 20 years in commercial advertising services: design, photography, high end retouching and pre-media support. My strength and passion is in building teams and cultures – putting the right people with the right projects, and in providing over the top customer service. I have an adorable Yorkie, Sophie, who models professionally, so I get to see that side of the business as well. She is represented by an animal talent agency in Dallas, AgentBeast. They are also very involved in animal rescue. Every day I’m surrounded by people and companies who champion rescue animals. It doesn’t get any better than that!
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.
We are honored to have interviewed Christine Barnett, lover of dogs and pet therapist.
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into helping animals?
Christine: Since the day I was born, I have always had a dog. As an only child, I counted my dogs as my best friends. My dog passed when I got divorced, and I was on my own with no animals. About 5 yrs ago, I received a surprise Christmas gift…a kitty, which was my first cat and a total surprise to me. I immediately loved her. She was a rescue and had been living as a stray at the animal shelter. She had been picked up off the street , homeless and pregnant at only 1 yr old. At the shelter, they gave her an abortion. When she was brought to me, she put her head on my chest and fell asleep. She slept for almost 3 days straight, walking only to eat and visit the litter box. She seemed emotionally and physically exhausted.
Having this close relationship and basically nursing a grieving mother back to emotional mental health made a huge impact on me and my understanding of animals and their feelings. Soon thereafter, I decided to go to a volunteer orientation at the San Francisco animal care and control where I found a tremendous need. I started working with Give a Dog a Bone, which is a quality of life program for long term, legal custody dogs. These are the forgotten dogs, the neglected, abused, brutalized, forced to fight and breed. Many people do not know about them, however anytime someone is hurt, dies, is arrested, jailed, cited for cruelty – we take these dogs. While its the most heartbreaking thing I have ever done, it is also the most important thing in my life. Many have to be euthanized, but i give them endless love as long as they are with us (and beyond – I never forget any of these dogs). This morphed into working with Grateful Dogs Rescue, a group of angels who rescue dogs slated for euthanasia. Many of the dogs in Give a Dog a Bone are rescued by GDR, and I have been able to continue my socialization and healing work that starts in the SF ACC and then ongoing after they make it out of the shelter. It’s wonderful to see the dogs outside in the real world!
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with the your business-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Christine: I am a Reiki specialist and perform energy healing for people and animals. My secret? I found my passion. My calling is to be a friend to the animals. I volunteer, take classes, and I have become a Reiki Master and a Spiritual Animal Healer.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Christine: I will never stop trying to make a difference in the lives of all animals and of all the people who have a connection with an animal. It could be as simple as talking with someone on the street and telling them that they are a wonderful guardian to their animal – this causes a mental shift for many who see animals as possessions and people as owners. I take every opportunity to better the lives of animals. I am also a licensed psychotherapist and have helped people deal with their issues for years. I believe that my background as a mental health clinician and my current spiritual practice of Reiki allows me to help people and animals from both a scientific and spiritual perspective. I am always seeking additional ways to help. I incorporate Tellington T Touch with the Reiki I do on animals, which is slightly different from what others do.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Christine: Dogs are so zen – right here, right now. I admire their ability to forgive and trust, and find this to be the most incredible quality any being can carry. People hold grudges- dogs are the embodiment of love, compassion, joy, lightheartedness, and simplicity. Even if they have been abused, starved, or beaten, when you come to them with a loving kindness and a soft voice, their little tails start thumping.
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Christine: Helping people and animals open the only thing that really matters – love. It’s so rich to bring animals and their guardians to a place of understanding one another and respecting one another. Animals and people can have amazing experiences of the simplest, purest nature, and it is astounding. This is something I love to see: joy. Playing in the shelter park with a dog who never learned to play and seeing them bounce and chase after a ball is an uplifting feeling. Another very important part of this work is helping animals cross over. This is an indescribable experience and I am always deeply honored to be part of the transition from this life to the next realm.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and your work?
Christine: I have a new website featuring my reiki practice and also my reiki products: www.SassyMonkeyReiki.com. You can also visit the sites of Give a Dog a Bone http://www.gadab.org and Grateful Dogs Rescue http://www.gratefuldogsrescue.org.
K9 Cuisine: Tell us a little about you!
Christine: I am Christine Barnett, MFT and DD, and a working and licensed psychotherapist for the past 10 years in SF, CA. My love for animals has been lifelong and my current focus is on spiritual animal healing (both in person and distant) and in co creating more effective human/animal relationships. I am an Usui Reiki Master who has received approximately 200 attunements to date. I am an avid animal rights advocate on many fronts from local city government to national and international issues. My specialty is in energetic healing of emotional and physical traumas and with animals crossing over. I am currently studying for my Doctorate in Metaphysics. I also a vegan chef and am more than happy to share my recipes to save more animals!
C.A.R.E. (Castaway Animal Rescue Effort) rescues neglected and abused animals. A great success story of theirs is about a sweet dog named Cody. Cody lived with a family where he received very little, if any, attention or care. For over a year, he was changed in the same spot. He was seldom fed or given water. Most nights Cody fell asleep at night hungry. Had this continued, Cody would have been destined to certain death. Lucky for Cody, a C.A.R.E. volunteer was informed of his situation.
Volunteer Heather spoke with the owner about Cody’s living conditions. Somehow, the owner thought Cody’s conditions were fine and claimed she was taking proper care of him. Heather explained that Cody was being neglected and if she was not able to provide a healthy, happy environment for an animal, she shouldn’t have one. Luckily, The woman agreed to turn Cody over to Heather.
After a thorough examination at a local clinic, it was determined that other than malnourishment and dehydration, Cody was healthy and only needed some love and good food. Sadly, many people, like Cody’s owner, grow up thinking this is an acceptable way to keep a dog. That is why it is up to us to teach them that this environment and way of life is not acceptable for any animal. As you can see in the after photo, Cody is doing great at the shelter. He has regained his self-confidence now and is starting to put on weight. He is eager to please and thanks his helpers each day with lots of kisses. He is up for adoption right now. If you would like to meet Cody, please call the shelter at (417) 875-6565. They are located in Aurora, MO.
This story is from the C.A.R.E. website, at www.carerescue.org.
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.
Following is our next post in our series of articles on “Evaluating Your Dog’s Health”. This week — Mouth and Teeth!
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A healthy mouth has nice white teeth and pink gums. To check your dog’s mouth, lift their lips to look at the color of the gums. Red and pale white gums could mean a serious problem. Next, examine their teeth. Dark yellow or loose teeth are also signs that attention is needed. Bad breath can be another bad sign. Problems in their mouth can spread to the kidneys and heart.
Look for redness or pale gums
Look for dark yellow, loose or discolored teeth
Look for tarter build up: usually along the gum line
Bad breath could be a sign of an infection or stomach problems
Good dental hygiene can begin in puppyhood to greatly reduce the chance of your dog developing periodontal disease. To brush a dog’s teeth, use a small, soft toothbrush or finger brush with toothpaste or tooth-cleaning solution formulated for pets. Human toothpaste foams too much, and the additives can upset your dog’s stomach.
Ideally, you should brush your dog’s teeth every day, but even a weekly brushing will help. Although dogs don’t usually get cavities, they are prone to gum disease caused by tartar buildup. Tartar is a by-product of plaque. Tartar buildup has to be removed by your veterinarian, so the extra effort of regular brushing will save you, your dog and your vet.
HINT: To make toothpaste for your dog at home, mix baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) with a little salt and water. Apply it with a toothbrush or with gauze wrapped around your finger. Don’t use this recipe if your dog is on a sodium-restricted diet.
This information was provided by Susan Hartzler with AlphaDog PR, which is based in Los Angeles and a chosen resource for editors, producers, writers and reporters. Alpha Dog PR is dedicated to providing the media with the most up-to-the-minute information about the rapidly growing pet industry. For more information, please visit www.alphadogpr.com or call (818) 998-6299.
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K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.
The day I made the call to FOCAS regarding a sweet dog (named Little Joe) they had advertised, is a day I will forever be thankful. This dog was found laying on the side of the road by a highway patrolman last Valentine’s Day. The story drove me to tears. Little Joe had been viciously attacked by coyotes. He suffered multiple wounds on his legs and neck, and he was unable to walk. His foster mom assured me that he had bounced back from his ordeal and was now ready for a forever home.
I couldn’t wait to meet him. He seemed to possess all the characteristics I was looking for in a new pet…good with cats and liked playing with other dogs. We arranged a meeting with myself and my 10 year old dog, Sylvie. We had to make sure they got along…and Sylvie would have final veto power. When this little bundle of energy popped out of the car, Sylvie and I instantly fell in love. He had great social skills, and he and Sylvie started playing together immediately! Foster mom, Cyndi and I brought both Sylvia and Little Joe to a big grassy area so we could watch them and see how they got along. We both felt great joy at how well they were playing together and knew this was a match made in heaven. I adopted Little Joe that day and to this day, couldn’t be happier!
Sylvie and Sailor (formerly Little Joe) are the best of friends. Sailor is a great playmate and has also restored Sylvie’s confidence in other dogs. Sylvie was attacked over a year ago by another dog and was generally afraid of other dogs. Sailor has an amazing spirit. He’s full of confidence, smart as a whip, and charms every person and dog that crosses his path. I was told about all of the things to expect with this new dog: he needed to be housetrained, he may be leery of men, and the potential that he may chew…but I felt well-prepared to take him on. What I was not prepared for, however, was how much I would love him from the very beginning, and how he would brighten up every single day of my existence. Thank you to FOCAS for all the hard work they do in helping to give animals a second chance. There are so many incredible personalities just waiting to blossom as they wait to be placed in a safe, secure, and loving home. If you don’t believe me, just ask Sailor.
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This story was provided by Katie Bauer, Programs Coordinator of FOCAS, Friends of County Animal Shelters at http://www.focas-sandiego.org.
K9 Cuisine is a provider of premium dog food. We’re committed to providing our customers with the knowledge, and the products, to help their faithful friends be the best they can be.
It’s around this time of year that your pup will encounter the most “wee beasties” of all kinds. But pests aren’t the only threat folks…
This time of year, our dogs face a variety of outdoor nasties (ticks, fleas, skunks, bees, etc.) that challenge the well-being of both the animal and human companion. One such adversary is poison oak, and in beautiful Northern California we love our outdoor hikes, but we hate Western Poison Oak (Toxicodendron diversilobum). Poison oak has a surface oil on its leaves and twigs called urushiol that often causes an allergic reaction.
When an eager and inquisitive dog explores its surroundings and encounters poison oak, the urushiol rubs off onto the dog’s coat or, worse, the dog’s face. While the urushiol on the dog’s coat does not in and of itself cause problems, the urushiol can get onto a human who may the pet the dog’s coat or onto carpet, furniture, or other surfaces that may be touched by a human or another pet.
Urushiol on a dog’s nose, snout, and eyes, however, provides the greatest opportunity for allergic reaction on your pet due to the exposed and sensitive skin. This results in inflammation, itching, and oozing (weeping blisters). It normally takes about a day for the rash to appear; for those with severe reactions it’ll worsen during the next few days. Depending on how it is treated and dealt with, the rash persists typically one to two weeks, sometimes longer – ugh! The resulting dog’s scratching of the affected area often compounds the affliction.
Our mobile pet grooming business recently received a call from one of our clients requesting our services to resolve a poison oak encounter by their two golden retrievers. “We just cleared out a portion of our backyard, including a huge growth of poison oak, and the dogs got into the stuff. Help!” Note: freshly-cut leaves and branches of poison oak expose more urushiol toxin thereby exacerbating any direct contact – yikes, a recipe for disaster! One of the humans had indeed gotten the toxin on her arms and hands by touching the affected coat of one of the dogs.
The primary remedy that we used in treating the dogs was a fabulous product called Tecnu, which removes the harmful oils. The product can be applied before a rash has started (as a preventive measure for when one first becomes aware of the poison oak encounter) or as soon as the rash appears. According to the directions, you saturate a cloth with Tecnu and wipe down the pet’s coat, then follow with a pet shampoo. We followed this procedure on both dogs, thoroughly wiping down each dog’s entire coat with Tecnu, then a thorough shampoo and rinse. Both dogs also had several small oozing sores on their snouts from the poison oak, so we avoided wiping down the affected areas on the snouts (per Tecnu’s instructions). If either dog had a severe rash on the face or snout or a rash in or around the eyes, I would have recommended the owner take the dog to the veterinarian. For severe reactions a prednisone prescription is necessary to stop skin damage, especially if the eyes are involved. Now, since the Tecnu only removes the oil, it won’t immediately resolve the rash or eliminate the acute itching.
The client has reported no more subsequent poison oak problems with these dogs and we have since returned to groom both retrievers and found no lingering evidence of the poison oak affliction. Yay!
In the end, the best a dog owner could do is to recognize the possibility of a poison oak (or poison ivy) encounter early and take preventive measures per the Tecnu regimen to avoid any rash outbreak. Of course, please take early and immediate steps to identify and carefully remove any and all poison oak or poison ivy from your yard or common areas frequented by your dog. Doing your best to reducing exposure to this toxin is good for your dog and good for you.
This information was provided to K9 Cuisine, courtesy of Dave Ely of Aussie Pet Mobile. They provide mobile luxury grooming services to cats & dogs all over Northern California. Their grooming products are ensured to be eco-friendly and biodegradable, lessening your pooch’s carbon footprint as well as your own.
Since our animals cannot speak to us in words, this is part three of our series on items you need to check each month to keep your pet healthy.
These steps will help you to know when your ailing dog needs to be taken to the vet and when you can take care of him at home.
This week we are focusing on eye health.
They say that dogs’ eyes are the windows to their soul. If you know your dog you can tell by looking into their eyes how they are feeling. The eyes should be bright and clear, with no swelling, redness, heavy tearing or runny discharge.
An unusual amount of discharge in the corners of the eyes or a reddish or “meaty” appearance of the conjunctiva are signs of conjunctivitis (inflammation of the membrane that lines the eyelid, the conjunctiva).
If you notice constant rubbing or pawing at the eye area, something is there
Wipe away dried matter from the corners of your dog’s eyes using a moistened cotton ball… no soap!
Redness, Tearing or Discharge can be caused by something in the environment, it is especially common in dogs that ride with their heads stuck out of car windows or spend a lot of time outdoors in windy, dusty weather. This can also be a sign of Allergy.
Eye problems that don’t clear up within 24 hours should be treated by a veterinarian
Excessive tearing (usually caused by allergies, infections, injuries, or irritation)
Tear stains beneath the eyes may indicate a problem.
If you see your dog continually pawing at his eyes or squinting, they may have a foreign body in the eye. Examine the eyes in a well-lit room. To get a good look, pull down on the lower lid and up on the upper lid. If only one eye appears to be affected, compare it to the other eye to see how they differ. If you can’t find anything or if you can’t remove the object, take your dog to the vet for treatment. You can also keep “Natural Tears” around the house for those red eye days or to flush the eye.
* H I N T * To help keep stains under control, wash the area under the eyes frequently using warm water and a cotton ball. Do not use soap near a dog’s eyes. Soap in the eye can cause a corneal ulcer.
Utilize this advice and have a healthier, happier dog! We will continue this series for many more weeks so stay tuned in!
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This information has been provided by Susan Hartlzer of AlphaDogPR. They are based in Los Angeles and a chosen resource for editors, producers, writers and reporters. Alpha Dog PR is dedicated to providing the media with the most up-to-the-minute information about the rapidly growing pet industry. For more information, please visit www.alphadogpr.com or call (818) 998-6299.
Kathy Sdao is an amazing trainer. She’s not just a trainer, she’s an associate Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, meaning she’s the real deal in terms of animal behavior. What I love most about Kathy is how she has all of this great experience, 20+ years in marine mammals and dogs, and yet she breaks information down into digestible, enjoyable bits. I feel like I am pretty well educated, in terms of dogs, but I always walk away from her seminars with a new gem of information, either a concept that I didn’t fully get or a new way to explain something to my clients.
A few years ago, we got lucky and Kathy agreed to do private behavior consultations at Ahimsa. My clients rave about how well their dogs are doing now and how much they love Kathy. So here’s the story of how Kathy got into reward-based training, in her own words.
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My choice to train dogs with carrots, not sticks.
I’m embarrassed to write this. At first, I didn’t understand that leash corrections, reprimands, squirt bottles and all the other painful or annoying tools traditionally used to train dogs were unnecessary. This was despite the fact that, at the time, I’d already spent more than 10 years successfully training complex behaviors to dolphins, whales, walruses, sea lions and polar bears without resorting to “sticks” (punishment). A veritable pack of professional dog trainers, some whom I knew well, told me that these force-free training methods (often called clicker- training) would never work on dogs. And, for a while, I believed them.
Then, in 1994, I attended a clicker-training workshop that Karen Pryor presented in Tukwila Washington. I’d met Karen once before and decided to attend mainly to say hello to her and to support her work. I wasn’t expecting to have my entire dog-training paradigm shifted! So I was stunned when her first comment was to request that none of the many attendees use any leash corrections on their dogs during the two days of the workshop. I couldn’t figure out why popping a dog’s collar – a standard training technique – would have any connection to using a clicker to mark instants of good dog behavior and using food-treats to pay the dog for these desirable behaviors. But Karen explained clearly how the frequent use of punishment, even mild stuff that’s more irritating than cruel, erodes the trust that is the foundation of all great training. (Check out Karen’s brand new book here “Reaching the Animal Mind: Clicker Training and What it Teaches Us About All Animals.”
Since then, I’ve spent 15 years learning everything I could about the amazing power of reward-based dog training. And I’ve never looked back. Once you experience the incredible “shivers down your spine” level of two-way communication you can develop with your dog (or cat or colt or kid) using positive reinforcement (e.g., food, toys, play, praise, butt-scritches, etc), you lose the excuses you had for “needing” to use punishment. And you discover potential in your trainee that you never imagined. Clicker-training is an infinitely creative process, in the truest sense of the word. It creates behavior – useful moves like coming when called, settling on a dog bed, and sitting at doorways or silly tricks like spinning, sneezing or waving. Punishment, which suppresses behavior, is a destructive process. Not much fun, for the animal or the trainer. Thank goodness all of us who train pet dogs, service and guide dogs, competition dogs, search & rescues dogs – all dogs – can choose a better way.
Next to my desk, I’ve hung a scrap of paper, on which is written this quote from the life-changing book Coercion & its Fallout by Dr. Murray Sidman (2001; available here): “An overworked and incorrect bit of folk wisdom pronounces the carrot to be of no avail unless backed up by the stick. But the carrot can do the job all by itself.”
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Find out more about Kathy Sdao on her website. You can also get videos of Kathy’s excellent seminars from Tawzer Dog Videos.
Since our animals cannot speak to us in words, this is part two of our series on items you need to check each month to keep your pet healthy.
These steps will help you to know when your ailing dog needs to be taken to the vet and when you can take care of him at home.
This week we are focusing on fleas.
A flea problem can be an indicator of your pet’s health. Start by looking for fleas, and flea dirt. To check for fleas, look thru the coat. If nothing is visible then look for flea dirt. To do this, brush your dog’s coat over a white piece of paper or light-colored towel. If you see any little black specks, moisten them with a drop of water or smear them with a damp cotton ball. They’ll turn red if they’re flea dirt. If you find signs of any of these problems, its time to take action:
If you notice constant scratching, biting, or sores, it could be due to an allergy to fleas.
When it comes to flea problems, like anything you have choices. In today’s world you probably have more choices than you would like to think about.
All the information is at your fingertips.
Be aware that the flea products that are being given to your pet can be toxic to them. Do your homework. Get on the internet and research the pharmaceutical flea options. Read the Pro’s and Con’s before you apply this medication to your dog.
Do not just accept anything recommended, always know and understand what you are applying, injecting or ingesting.
Your other option is to get on the computer, type in “natural flea remedies for dogs“, and a lot of options will appear. There are many natural remedies for flea control too.
When treating an animal for fleas, you must also treat the whole environment to actually stop the recurrence. If you don’t do this, you will not have long term success.
You have many choices to attack this problem:
The old “bug bomb” to set off in the house
The chemicals to treat the yard, concrete and patio areas
Hire a bug man to come in and spray
If you choose to try some natural remedies, here are some simple solutions:
Vacuum at least twice a week (get rid of the bag they live there too).
Wash all mats, rugs and toys in hot water, anything that can be washed and that is fabric.
Buy some diatomaceous earth and boric acid mix it and sprinkle it throughout the house.
Buy Nematode (for all the yards) you can get this from your nursery.
Use only natural ingredients in your flea shampoos.
Do not use flea collars.
Be cautious with chemical flea products, they are toxic.
Get a flea comb and a bowl of hot water and dish soap.
This should lead to a happy, healthy and flea-free pet! Stay tuned for more tips on evaluating your dog’s health next week!
This information has been provided by Susan Hartlzer of AlphaDogPR. They are based in Los Angeles and a chosen resource for editors, producers, writers and reporters. Alpha Dog PR is dedicated to providing the media with the most up-to-the-minute information about the rapidly growing pet industry. For more information, please visit www.alphadogpr.com or call (818) 998-6299.
We interviewed Jace Kentner of Fan’s Best Friend. They manufacture dog houses with different sports themes. A few pictures are below. If you love pets and love sports, this is a great product for you!
K9 Cuisine: What is your story-how did you get into making helmet houses for dogs?
Jace: A team of professionals thought it up and decided to run with it since it was an amazing idea—bringing together two things people love most—their sports and pets.
K9 Cuisine: What is the secret to your success with the your business-how have you gotten to where you are today?
Jace: I would probably have to say the secret to our success is pig-headed determination and discipline. We have gotten where we are today by doing what’s right and sticking to it.
K9 Cuisine: What makes you different?
Jace: We truly care about this country as well as the environment. Helmutt Houses are made only in America. The helmet portion of the doghouse is made from molded 100% recycled plastic. The base is also crafted of 20% recycled Thermo Plastic Olefin (TPO). This is naturally UV resistant to provide pets and owners with years of trouble-free service indoors and out.
K9 Cuisine: What is it about dogs that you love?
Jace: What’s not to love? It’s hard to narrow it down, but if I had to mention just one thing I loved about dogs, it would have to be their loyalty.
K9 Cuisine: What is the neatest part about your work?
Jace: I would say that the neatest part of my job is bringing together two fun markets that almost everyone loves—sports and dogs.
K9 Cuisine: Where do you see the pet house industry going?
Jace: I see the pet house industry remaining very strong even during a recession. Dog owners are always looking to keep their dogs cool in the summer, warm in the winter, and sheltered all year long. Of course dog houses are perfect for outside dogs, but if you’re looking for a place for inside dogs to sleep, they work well inside the house too.
K9 Cuisine: How do you fit into that-what are your future plans?
Jace: We see ourselves remaining strong in pet house industry, especially with sports lovers. We really feel like we’ve found a niche that no one else has thought of before. In the future, we’re hoping to add more than 200 jobs to our community in Missouri. Keeping jobs in the area is one of our main goals, so we look forward to adding more people hopefully in the near future.
K9 Cuisine: How can people find out more about you and the your company?
Jace: To learn more about Fan’s Best Friend and Helmutt Houses, people can check out our website, www.helmutthouse.com. We have also joined the social media world with Twitter (@helmutthouse) and Facebook (Helmutt House). People can also view our YouTube video here.
K9 Cuisine: Tell us a little about you!
Jace: We are a hard working family from Missouri. We love our product and we know you will too.
