LOLcatMaker Free iPhone App

Oh, my dearly beloved clients:

Brace yourselves for an onslaught of LOLcats featuring your very own wonderful pets sent directly to your email address and/or smartphone. As a self-proclaimed pet, iPhone and LOLcats lover, this free LOLcatMaker iPhone app has officially just made my day. I have just downloaded the free app, and cannot wait to send you your own personalized LOLcats greetings to brighten your day!

Time for a Vacation!

I've already informed many of you of my vacation plans for this summer, but I just wanted to make sure that all of my clients & would-be clients are aware that I will be unavailable to provide pet care services during the following dates: over Memorial Day weekend (Saturday, May 29-Monday, May 31) and another long weekend mid-June, from Friday, June 18th through Monday, June 21st.

If you need pet care during those times, please contact me directly for a referral to another qualified pet sitter or visit www.ashevilleareapetsitters.com.

Stamps to the Rescue

This Friday, April 30th marks the launch of a remarkable "Stamps to the Rescue Campaign" which aims to draw attention to the plight of shelter & rescue animals across the country. According to the campaign website, nearly half of the animals that enter shelters are euthanized.

The United States Postal Service has partnered up with Ellen DeGeneres and Halo (makers of a fine pet food sold here in Asheville at EarthFare) to launch this series of "Animal Rescue: Adopt a Shelter Pet" postage stamps. In addition to being able to order the stamps online, the campaign website features an Adoption 101 center, with an awesome "Do You Have What It Takes to Adopt A Pet" meter, some basic facts on adopting a shelter or rescue pet, and an online search of adoptable pets near you via petfinder.com

I just used up my last postage stamp yesterday, so I'll be heading to the Post Office on Friday to stock up on some of these adorable stamps.

3 Easy Tips for Dealing with your Pet's Allergies & Itchy Skin

Well, spring is here and the flowers & allergies are in full bloom, affecting people and their pets.

Does your dog suffer from itchy skin or allergies?

If so, here are 3 things you can do to ease your pet's suffering:

1)Supplement with Fish Oil

Fish Oil is known for its anti-inflammatory properties, making it one of the top recommended supplements for itchy skin relief.

2)Cut out unnecessary fillers like corn, wheat & soy.

Corn, wheat and soy are often found in most of the commercial pet foods available at the supermarket. If your pet itches and you're not sure why, try eliminating these three common allergens to see if you notice any improvement.

Many of the premium pet foods sold at places like Asheville Pet Supply and Pet Supplies "Plus" do not contain corn, wheat or soy. Some of my favorite brands include Wellness, Innova, EVO, Canine Caviar, Nature's Variety, and Orijen. If you're shopping at Ingles, Lassie is one of the better brands sold there.

Above all, learn to read those ingredient labels & keep an eye on your pet to see what foods seem to work better or worse for him. Dr. Christina Chambreau, DVM makes a great journal for tracking your pet's symptoms.

3)Work toward a more natural, species-appropriate diet.

I personally feed my dog a prey model diet of 80% raw muscle meat, 10% raw edible bone (turkey necks, bone-in chicken breast, cornish hens, chicken quarters), and 10% raw organ meat (beef liver, beef kidney, chicken liver). If you're interested in learning more about feeding a raw, species appropriate diet, I'd encourage you to read any of the books mentioned in my Recommended Reading post or check out the blog DoggyBytes, which is packed with information on pet nutrition. Also, please feel free to contact me directly if you're interested in feeding your pet a natural diet. There's not much more in life that I'd rather talk about!

A quick precautionary note about feeding bones: Please do not ever feed cooked bones or weight-bearing bones of larger animals, such as beef knuckle bones.


There are also a number of wonderful, natural commercial diets available for pets. Two of my personal favorites are locally made Green Earth Pet Food (available at West Asheville EarthFare, Greenlife, Pet Harmony, West Village Market on Haywood, and MoonDoggies out in Candler) and Honest Kitchen.





*****Please note that I am not a vet nor do I receive any compensation from any of the companies or products mentioned, with the exception of Honest Kitchen, which I am now offering for sale in my online store. In the interest of full disclosure, the owner & maker of Green Earth Pet Food has become a dear friend of mine after months of bonding & chatting about our mutual passion for raw food & holistic care for pets, and I did work as a demo rep for Wellness Pet Food for a few months. That said, I only formed these relationships with these companies because I love their products.*****

ASPCA "Pet Safe" iPhone App

Shopping for plants this spring and want to know which ones are toxic to pets? The ASPCA has launched a "Pet Safe" app with a searchable database of plants and one touch dialing to the ASPCA's Animal Poison Control Center. I haven't tried it personally, but I can't resist plugging a pet-related iPhone app. For those of you who know me well, you no doubt know by now that pets & iPhones are two of my very favorite things. Anyone tried this app? Found it helpful?

Top 10 Myths About Pet Food

Top 10 Myths About Pet Food<---Great Newsletter Article by Only Natural Pet Store



I am certainly not a vet, but I do, however, read lots & lots about holistic pet care for pets. In my mind, and in the minds of many other holistic health enthusiasts, nutrition is one of the cornerstones for optimum health. As Dr. Shawn Messonnier, DVM, puts it: "You are what you eat, and so is your pet. Feeding the proper diet is the foundation upon which any integrative pet care program begins."

The linked 10 Myths About Pet Food Newsletter above touches on a few key misconceptions many pet owners have about pet food. For starters: Hill's Science Diet is probably not the best food you could be feeding your pet. Just read the ingredient label: ground corn, corn gluten meal, soybean meal, ground whole wheat. Given that corn, wheat and soy are three of the top food allergens in dogs, this food could very well be less than ideal for that reason alone.

If you're interested in further researching pet food ingredients, Natura has a great pet food comparison tool on their website. Keep in mind, of course, that this tool will likely be at least a tiny bit skewed so that the ingredients found in Natura foods come out looking better than those found in other brands. A useful tool, nonetheless.

The Top 10 Myths About Pet Food Newsletter also touches on two other items I hear a good bit about: 1)Does that dry food really clean your pet's teeth? and 2)Is feeding table scraps really so bad?
My 2 cents: Nope, dry food does not make that much of a difference (I believe it is Dr. Pitcairn who compares kibble for cleaning your pet's teeth to eating a bunch of crackers every day to clean your own teeth).
As for table scraps: Sure, there are a few foods you should not feed your pet: grapes, raisins, onions, to name a few. However, my major concern with feeding table scraps is portion control. According to the Pet Obesity Prevention Foundation,over 50% of dogs and cats in the United States are overweight or obese. This is a surefire recipe for health problems (diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, to name a few) in pets as with people, and as your pet's guardian you bear the responsibility for for keeping your pet at a healthy weight. If you are going to feed your pet table scraps, leftovers or dog treats, you need to adjust his dog food regimen accordingly.

Finally, the folks over at Only Natural Pet Store address the recent trend of "life stage" pet foods: kitten, indoor cat, senior, etc. and concerns about Salmonella in raw food.

Got a question about pet food or anything I mentioned in this post? Send an email or leave a comment. There is not much I love more than discussing pet nutrition!

Switching Your Dog To A Raw Meaty Bones Diet - Dogs | DoggyBytes.ca

Curious about trying a raw diet for your pet, but still have a few questions or concerns you'd like to clear up first? The following is part of a serious of blog posts that should prove quite helpful and informative to anyone considering a switch to a raw diet for their pet. It addresses a number of the more common concerns people seem to have about feeding raw, including salmonella and choking.

Switching Your Dog To A Raw Meaty Bones Diet - Dogs | DoggyBytes.ca


If anyone does decide to switch to raw, please feel free to get in touch with me with any questions you might have. Raw pet food is without a doubt one of my favorite conversation topics!