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.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
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.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
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.*****
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.*****
Saturday, April 10, 2010
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?
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