Archive for June, 2009

Learn to cook homemade stew that can keep your dog healthy in this free video. Expert: Elise McMahon Bio: Elise McMahon has a Ph.D. in animal behavior, and has been working with both domestic and wild dogs since the early 1990s. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso

• Convenient, tasty beef-flavored dog food provides balanced, healthy meal
• Contains no soy, corn, or artificial preservatives
• Perfect for feeding during all life stages
• No messy cans make it perfect for traveling
• Please read all label information upon delivery

Product Description
Cardinal Laboratories Training Reward Treats contain a high meat content. The aroma instantly attracts the attention of the dog in training and focuses their concentration on the person training them…. More >>

Cardinal Laboratories Pet Botanics Training Rewards Treats, Beef 20 Ounces

Just bought a ceramic cat drinking fountain from an online pet shop which calls me Lady Steinunn. My cats love flowing waters, a very cat-thing to like. They leave filthy paw prints all over my new bathroom counter top. Since Nala likes to play with cotton buds in the sink, it’s all rather magical to her, I’m not sure I can stop her from playing on the counter top. Well, of course I can. But it’s too cute!

Because pet training is often thought of as being difficult and time consuming to anyone who is new, many beginners will have a tendency to lose their focus when it comes to their pet training efforts. This happens quite often as there are all sorts of things to that must be considered, such as your hand movements when you train your pet, how loud your voice should be, whether or not to use a rough voice, trying not to get frustrated, how many treats to feed, which collars to use, what type of leashes to buy, and a ton of other tools just to get the job done. However one tool that is often overlooked could easily be worth its weight in gold to the beginning pet trainer. The tool I speak of is the use of video.

There are two main ways that you can use video as a training tool for your pets. The first option is to buy videos of professional trainers working with dogs. This allows you to see and hear the exact steps that are being taken to train the dogs. Better videos will show you the entire training sessions. Do not settle for one that shows you a dog being all aggressive then cuts to another scene a week later where the dog is calm. You cannot verify what happened during that week.

In many cases you should see some, if not noticeable results within 15-20 minutes of training depending on the lesson and dog. Better training videos will also show a variety of dogs being trained, and will show them in real life situations. After all, what good is training your pet if the training does not work during your normal lifestyle?

The second method you can use video for is tracking your pet’s successes or failures. If you own a video camera, which many people do these days, consider video taping your sessions. This will also let you know if you are performing the training techniques as you should as well. There is no better way to scrutinize your methods then to watch yourself in replay.

Keeping a video log of your pet’s training will make it easier for you to refer back to training sessions at a later date, keep a record of progress, and maintain documentation of any mistakes. By using video as a training source you can learn how to train your pet better, faster, and more effectively.

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Stimulated by consumer attraction for nutritional supplements for human consumption, the pet health supplement is not far behind. With more people giving pets equal status in their households, more pets are getting premium nutrition through high quality pet supplements. This trend has been growing at a phenomenal rate, and is predicted to grow even more as new and more innovative pet supplements that cater to specific health needs are introduced into the market.

Pet Supplements – Growth Factors
The organic pet supplement industry continues to thrive despite the economic downturn, thus confirming that the majority of pet owners do not mind spending a few extra dollars when it comes to purchasing organic pet products. Industry statistics indicate that one or all of the following factors played a key role amongst pet owners in the decision to purchase an organic pet supplement:

Sustain the health of their family pet. Avoid the high cost of veterinary expenses or other medical costs. Organic products offer more health value as opposed to products that are not organic.

Other reasons for the rise in pet supplement sales include:

Pet owners show increased interest in providing complete nutrition for pets. Pet owners are more aware and educated about the nutrition, health and safety aspects of pet supplements. Aging of household pets and its associated health problems. Pets being overweight. Influx of new, innovative products that keep the public interested. These include pet supplements for teeth and tartar prevention, energy-boosters, joints, bones, muscles, skin and coat, immune health, cognitive health, eye health, digestive and urinary tract. Mintel noted 509 new pet food products with functional claims were available for purchase in 2008 as opposed to 302 in 2007. More pet supplements in the market that have been clinically proven by veterinarians Increased recommendation of pet supplements by veterinarians. Rising status of pets in the American household. More pet owners think of their pets as lovable companions and treat them as equal members of the family. Catchy advertising by pet supplement manufacturers that plays on consumer willingness to provide the best for their pets. Pet ownership is steadily on the rise according to the National Pet Owners Survey.

The pet nutrition market was valued at more than $2.1 billion in 2007. Out of this NBJ estimates that 43 percent of this figure is from the sale of pet supplements alone.

Popular Trends for Pet Supplements

While the primary focus of pet supplements is cats, dogs and horses, companion animals include birds, smaller animals and herptiles. High growth segments expected to have impressive sales include:

Nutritional/functional treats. Functional nutritional treats, in the form of tablets or chewables, have also seen a significant rise in the last five years. Supplements that have functional claims for health-specific conditions. Veterinary exclusive pet supplements New innovative ingredients such as probiotics and prebiotics for digestive health. Natural-based supplements or functional treats made from natural food sources such as fresh fruit extracts, vegetables, high-quality proteins and whole grains in easy-to-administer forms such as tablets or chewables.

Surveys show there are 20 million households who own pets and use supplements for themselves but not for their pets. This is a large target audience to tap. Popular trends in pet supplements include:

Omega 3s for puppy cognitive functions and skin/coat health Glucosamine and chondroitin for joint health especially in the light of conventional anti-inflammatory medication for joint pain showing side effects, joint supplements are perceived as the better choice both in terms of cost and favorable results. Fiber in weight loss aids Probioitcs and prebiotics including the use of enzymes for digestive health.

Joint health is the hottest category of pet supplements and has been long accepted by pet owners as a safer alternative to pain killers which are known to cause adverse side effects. According to the Arthritis Foundation, 20 percent of adult dogs are afflicted with joint pain. In addition to glucosamine and chondroitin, research shows InterHealth’s UC-II® undenatured type II collagen significantly improves joint health and pain.

Pet Supplement Industry – Growing Fast!

With the safety recall of certain pet food products in 2007, pet owners are choosing organic pet foods and supplements more than ever. In 2007, pet supplement sales reached $923 million, showing a significant rise of 8 percent from 2006 according to the Nutrition Business Journal (NBJ). According to Report Buyer sales of pet supplements are expected to rise by 39% by 2012 to reach a sales value of $1.7 billion. Veterinary clinics, health stores and online outlets account for 57 percent of the pet supplement sales. The other 43 percent is from retail outlets. With a formal regulatory status on pet supplements expected soon, Packaged Facts estimates that these predicted figures will rise even more. Once standardizations are introduced in the industry, it will lead to more credibility of products and consumer trust.

If you are thinking of producing your own product line of high-quality pet supplements or improving your existing product line, a knowledgeable and experienced nutraceutical manufacturer can help you manufacture pet supplements that will maximize your bottom-line profit potential!

What’s on your mind when you consider an all natural dog food? Could it be a commercial dog food which has the word ‘natural’ on the packet? Could it be you think of cooking your own dog food from scratch? Do you consider table scraps to be the ideal diet?

Wrong! None of the above will address your dog’s health, Why not?

Well, the commercial dog food starts off with very low grade meat, mostly meat by-products (the better quality going for the higher priced human food), high fat and sometimes euthanased animals, which contain the chemical sodium pentobarbital. Then, to bulk out the already cheap ‘meat’, a non-nutritional filler is added. That can be sugar, as there’s a world glut of it at the moment, or melamine if you live in China.

Then, to keep the product indefinitely at room temperature a preservative is added.

When you see a packet of dried dog food in the shop, with the slogan ‘preservative free’ ask yourself this question – how can dried ‘meat’ be kept indefinitely at room temperature without preservatives? Do you think you wouldn’t have heard of a new way to do this, if there was?

So either there is no ‘meat’ or there is preservative present. Trouble is, the preservatives used are very strong, cause huge health problems and aren’t allowed in human food.

So commercial dog food can be crossed off as an all natural dog food!.

I see quite a lot of ‘dog experts’ on the internet advocating you cook your own dog food. Whilst that is hugely better than commercial pet food, it’s still missing the nutrients that are lost in cooking. Typically these are vitamins and enzymes, both essential for a healthy dog. But other nutrients are altered by cooking. Fat changes during the cooking process from a beneficial food to a harmful one.

So you can cross though this one too, as an all natural dog food.

What about table scraps? That depends so much on the table scraps. If the human food is a good, natural one of lots of raw fruit and veg, with lightly cooked meat, then these table scraps have the potential of being the best dog food out of all three options, as long as there is enough left over to satisfy your dog’s nutritional needs.

If, however, your diet is typically fast food with a lot of processed food, then these table scraps will be little better than the commercial dog food.

Yet another cross through.

There is only one all natural dog food and that’s the one dogs evolved on. Nothing that mankind has done has improved one iota on that. And considerable decline has occurred.

Dogs have evolved over millions of years on an all natural dog food and it keeps them happy and healthy.

Once you get to grips with the idea of how dogs evolved, duplicating that diet within the constraints of what is available and the limits on your time, is not that difficult. However, there are a few important things you need to know such as:

what food should not be given more than once a week should bones be given what carbohydrates are the best ones and how much are there any fruit or vegetables that shouldn’t be given what amino acid is essential to a dog’s healthy skin should you supplement the diet how do you convert the diet of an elderly or sick dog safely

When you change the diet of your dog from a commercial pet food to an all natural dog food, there may initially be a de-toxing period. This is normal and natural, but can seem a bit scary to you if you don’t understand why it’s happening and the symptoms. It should be of short duration, depending on your dog’s age and level of health.

Dogs digestion is robust. They have evolved on eating raw meat and carrion. They can’t cope with preservatives, fillers, high fat or low grade protein, none of which occurs (at least in high proportions) in nature.

Once you have your dog on an all natural dog food, you’ll find fewer and fewer health problems. I’m sure you’d be as happy as anyone, to cut your dog’s professional health fees.

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Keeping pets in the house could do serious damage to your savings account. A pet entails almost as much responsibilities as taking care of a small child. You need to feed them, groom them, and take them out for walks and regular check ups to the vet. Most people endure huge pet care expenses because these furry friends are lovely additions to any household.

With today’s economy, though, it’s wise to keep your pet care expenses in tow. This article gives you six ways to do just that.

Avail of pet wellness insurance plans

A lot of introspection goes into shopping for the right pet wellness insurance plan. Some people spend almost half of their income on pet care products alone. A newly born pup needs a whole batch of vaccines and treatment just to grow up well. It’s best to make a close comparison of all pet insurance plans available in the market before making a purchase. Choose what pet insurance plan suits your pet and your budget the best.

Consider taking a CareCredit card

A CareCredit card basically works the same way as your regular credit card. However, this plastic money caters mostly to your pet’s vet expenses. You should ask your vet if he accepts this card for transactions. This is very useful when you don’t have enough cash at hand.

Take advantage of your vet clinic’s special offers

You should keep an ear out for promos which your animal clinic may offer. Every vet knows how expensive it is to keep your pets in tip top shape. Some clinics can get cheaper bulk offers on pet food, shampoos and vitamins. These clinics could then occasionally offer these goods to their clients for less.

Buy your pet supplies in bulk and split it with a friend

Pet supplies are generally cheaper when purchased in large volumes. You could probably cut down on your pet supplies expenses by buying certain products like pet food by the bulk. Look for friends or fellow pet owners in the neighborhood who might be willing to split the products and expenses with you. This means huge savings on pet care products for both happy pet owners.

Trade your services for vet check ups

Money doesn’t have to be the only bartering card in these deals. There’s a possibility that your veterinary is also involved in another businesses, like sales, or maintaining a website. If you find yourself capable of offering your skills in exchange for your pet’s checkups and treatments, do so. Your vet could give you special discounts if you can tutor his son in school, or give him and the missus a good travel deal to a tropical island in the summer.

Be preventive

If your pet is injured or showing subtle signs of being sick, don’t hesitate to go to the vet as soon as possible. Most pet owners shoulder larger hospital bills by holding off the vet visit. Bring your pet to the vet before the injury or illness gets any worse.

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