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DOES YOUR DOG’S BEHAVIOR IMPROVE WITH DIET • Beastie Boutique - Pet Groomer & Specialty Pet Supply Store
How diet can cause stress in dogs Unfortunately, dogs can’t talk about their problems so they often express stress in different forms, including: If your dog is showing some of these signs, they might not be getting enough high-quality nutrients to satisfy them. Some dogs for example can’t digest high levels of incomplete proteins and in turn don’t intake the necessary amino acids. On the other hand, dogs who are eating too many simple carbohydrates or sugars can become unfocused, agitated and difficult to train. Here is a good article by Dogs Naturally Magazine about your dog’s diet and his behavior—and why your dog may not be getting what he needs—even if you are feeding a high-quality dry kibble. How To Improve Your Dog’s Behavior With Diet By Julia Langlands ACFBA Last Updated: March 28, 2022 Raw meat and bones offer more than physical health and longevity for your dog. They offer amazing mental health and behavioral benefits too! The answer lies in the gut, your dog’s most underrated organ. Your Dog’s Gut Influences His Mood The gut contains many beneficial bacteria and chemicals that are essential for Knowing that gut influences mood brings diet into the spotlight when it comes to behavior. That’s why this fabulous organ is known as the second brain. The phrase, “You are what you eat,” has never been more relevant to dogs than it is right now. The rise of commercial processed kibble has brought with it a surge of behavior problems. Your dog’s food dramatically influences mood, feelings and actions – behavior itself! The Cycle Of Feelings And Behavior Behavior is a result of both internal and external factors, working together in harmony. Hormones and neurotransmitters are chemical messengers that have many jobs inside your dog’s body. One of these jobs is creating feelings. Feelings result in mood, and... Read More
FEBRUARY IS NATIONAL PET DENTAL HEALTH MONTH • Beastie Boutique - Pet Groomer & Specialty Pet Supply Store
(Savings at end of Article) A lot of times when we get a dog or cat, we don’t think about their teeth until it’s too late. Keeping your pet’s teeth clean is as important to your pet’s overall health as nutrition, proper exercise and for some pets, routine grooming. Keep an eye on your pet’s teeth. Look at them regularly to avoid dental disease. To check your pet’s teeth, lift the lips all around the mouth, look at the front and back teeth as closely as possible. To start with, there are three kinds of dental debris… Food particles are easy to remove. Just drinking water can eliminate most of the free-floating fragments from around a dog’s teeth. But plaque and tartar are different. Plaque is the sticky biofilm that adheres tightly to every tooth surface. It requires physical scrubbing to remove it. Once cleaned away… plaque returns again within just 24 hours. Left along the gumline long enough, plaque slowly and inevitably turns into a rock-hard, barnacle-like crust referred to as calculus… and more commonly called tartar. Plaque is what you remove with your toothbrush. Tartar is the hard stuff your dentist scrapes away when you get your teeth cleaned. Once plaque builds up on the teeth, it turns into tartar or calculus. Bacteria grows in these areas and eats away at the teeth and gums. The bacteria can get into the blood stream and affect the heart and kidneys. If you find the following, you may need to contact your Vet: Bad breath, reluctance to chew/crying out when chewing, increased salivation, red and/or puffy gums, bleeding gums, tartar/calculus (hard coating on teeth that is usually brown or yellow; results from plaque build-up), missing and/or loose teeth, anything else about the mouth that appears unusual. There are several things... Read More
National Pet Obesity Awareness Day • Beastie Boutique - Pet Groomer & Specialty Pet Supply Store
October 11, 2023 What causes pet obesity? Obesity is mostly caused by an imbalance between the energy intake and usage — in other words, the dog/cat eats more calories than they can burn. Obesity is also caused by your pet not eating a biologically appropriate diet. For example, a dry food diet will always contain too many carbohydrates for your pets, and they have no biological needs for carbs. Obesity also becomes more common in old age because of the normal decrease in a dog’s ability to exercise, due to arthritis and/or other conditions. Neutering or spaying can lower your dog’s metabolism. And like people, genetics can be a factor. Is My Dog Overweight? How can you tell if your dog is overweight? The easiest way to tell is to see if you can feel his ribs. There shouldn’t be a layer of fat preventing you from feeling the ridges of his ribs. And he should have a defined waist that you can see from above and from the side. You should be able to see where your dog’s chest stops, and his stomach area begins. What To Feed Your Overweight Dog Here are the most effective foods to help your dog lose weight. Raw Diet A whole food, raw meat diet is the best option for your dog. You can buy pre-made frozen raw food. Most should be complete and balanced, and some will contain fruits and vegetables. Higher quality foods won’t have added synthetic vitamins and minerals. Instead, the nutrients come from the ingredients. My favorites are Answers Pet Food and Small Batch Pet Food Low In Starch Whether you feed your dog raw or home-cooked, leave out the starchy foods. Dogs have no nutritional requirement for starch to survive. A diet of protein and fat supplemented by some low-carb fruit and vegetables meets your dog’s... Read More
Vitamin D Deficiency in Cats and Dog • Beastie Boutique - Pet Groomer & Specialty Pet Supply Store
This was from listening to a podcast with Dr. Katie Kangas. This is what she had to say, “Diseases arise because there has been a chronic nutritional deficiency that typically does not get identified in a conventional medical situation for a human or a pet and at some point it tips over into obvious symptoms and then the patient gets labeled with a disease and then goes on a pharmaceutical drug and the underlying functional problem never gets identified. Magnesiuam, trace minerals and Vitamin D especially are deficient in pet foods. Vitamin D is mainly responsible for the absorption of calcium and phosphorus in the body. This affects a large range of functions in the body. Vitamin D deficiency is linked to everything chronic and all kinds of inflammatory patterns, infections and cancer and other immune-related diseases. The normal range of Vitamin D for cats and dogs is 100 to 150 ng/mL. Cats and dogs do not get Vitamin D from sunlight exposure – they rely completely on their diet for all of their Vitamin D. If you pet is chronically ill, testing for deficiency should be included in blood work. Depending on levels, you can provide a supplement and/or change their diet. If you supplement, you will need to recheck levels as recommended by your vet. If levels are 80 ng/Ml or higher, you probably just need to adjust your pet’s diet. If you give a supplement, you must give it in a whole food form or you probably won’t be doing your pet any favors.” Dr. Katie Kangas, starts with Answers pet food because it contains naturally containing Vitamin D. Fermented foods are great for the gut and the raw dairy, and bone broths good levels naturally occurring Vitamin D. There are two types of vitamin D: vitamin D2 (which primarily comes from plant sources)... Read More
Allergies in Dogs • Beastie Boutique - Pet Groomer & Specialty Pet Supply Store
When our dogs have allergies, we tend to go to our vets for the solution. But here are some of the problems with traditional ways to treat allergies. Why Conventional Drugs work and why they Don’t Work Allergy symptoms happen when your dog’s immune system misfires. This causes your dog to react to things in his food or environment that are normally safe. The drugs vets give suppress important parts of your dog’s immune system. This might reduce your dog’s reaction to allergens, but it disables his immune system. This means cancer cells, viruses and bacteria can grow unchecked in your dog. There’s no functional immune system to find and destroy harmful invaders. So, the benefit of your dog’s allergy drugs comes at a very high cost to your dog. It’s a price you don’t want to pay. You also don’t take care of the allergy. You are just suppressing it and pushing it deeper into the body. So, you either need to keep increasing the drugs or if you take them off of the drug, the allergy is worse then when you started. What are the Problems with Allergy Diets? If your dog needs relief from his allergies, your vet will probably recommend expensive prescription dog foods. But according to pet food formulator Meg Smart DVM PhD, these diets contain a lot of harmful ingredients that can make your dog’s allergies worse. One of these harmful ingredients is hydrolyzed protein. The process needed to make these hydrolyzed proteins is the problem as it creates monosodium glutamate (MSG) and MSG can cause brain damage. According to Dr Smart, hydrolyzed proteins have not been effective in fighting allergies in clinical trials and have even caused more skin problems. There is a hydrolyzed food by Square Pet, which we carry, and they informed me they do not process their food... Read More
UPSET TUMMY? WHAT TO FEED • Beastie Boutique - Pet Groomer & Specialty Pet Supply Store
I will often get phone calls or someone coming in to the store whose dog may not be feeling well and they want to know what to feed. First, if your dog is sick, don’t force him to eat. Let them fast for 12 to 24 hours. Then start small with easy to digest foods and feed smaller amounts more frequently. But if your dog has an underlying medical condition like diabetes, always check with your veterinarian before changing his diet. And if your dog isn’t eating at all for more than 24 hours, then it’s also time to call your vet. So, what are the signs that your dog has an upset stomach: If your dog’s symptoms do not improve it can be a sign of a more serious problem and you should seek veterinarian care as soon as possible. So, after 12 to 24 hours, you can look at feeding your pet some bland food. Bone broth is a really good way to start. It’s nutritious and gentle on the stomach. If you pet is on the Answers diet, or you use their goat’s milk or Kiefer, then you could give them some goat’s milk as it is very easy to digest and provides a good amount of nutrition. When your dog’s ready for more solid food, boiled chicken or turkey is a great choice for a picky dog with an upset stomach. The meat is easy to digest and provides essential protein. You can give the meat in more bone broth, or give it with some canned pumpkin, which also helps the digestion. Other alternatives are steamed or puréed veggies like carrots or sweet potato. These are gentle on the stomach and contain fiber that can help firm up loose stools, as well as provide nutrients. Another option is plain scrambled... Read More
WHY DOES YOUR DOG EAT GRASS? • Beastie Boutique - Pet Groomer & Specialty Pet Supply Store
I have customer ask, why does my dog eat grass. Well, there can be several reasons. Your Dog Needs Chlorophyll Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in plants and algae. Its structure is a lot like your dog’s hemoglobin, which is an important part of your dog’s red blood cells. Hemoglobin carries oxygen throughout his body. Chlorophyll also Protects cells from damage and may lower risk of cancer Fights infections Heals wounds Builds the immune system Breaks down calcium oxalate stones in his bladder Heals the digestive tract (which we’ll talk about next) Unfortunately, grass isn’t a great source of chlorophyll because it’s hard to digest. But you can give your dog foods that supply the chlorophyl he needs You can purée or steam organic vegetables like … Kale Broccoli Green beans Parsley Spinach A dogs’ digestive systems can’t break down raw veggies effectively, so puréeing or steaming them will help him digest the vegetables better so he can absorb the nutrients. Your Dog Needs Fiber There’s a theory that dogs eat grass as a way to get more fiber in their diets. Dogs are omnivores, which means that they can eat both meat and plants. While their diets should be primarily made up of animal protein, they still need some fiber to keep their digestive systems running smoothly. Eating grass may be a way for dogs to supplement their fiber intake. Feeding foods like cabbage, sweet potato, or the vegetables mentioned earlier can help up your dog’s fiber intake and perhaps make it less likely for him to eat grass. Keep in mind that a dog’s fiber should be 2% to 5% of their diet, so it doesn’t take much and you don’t want to overdo it. Boredom Or Anxiety Sometimes a dog is not getting enough exercise, especially a working dog. ... Read More
4TH OF JULY GUIDELINES FOR YOUR PETS • Beastie Boutique - Pet Groomer & Specialty Pet Supply Store
The Fourth of July is fast approaching, and I already have concerned pet parents asking me what their alternatives are for helping their pets get through this stressful holiday. Here are some things we have that can help you help your pet have a calmer 4th of July. CBD Oil – CBD oil can have many benefits. Not only can it help to relax your pet, but also is a good pain reliever. There are many other benefits and it is a safe alternative to many pharmaceutical drugs out there. For both dogs and cats. I would recommend a Broad Spectrum like LIX or Austin and Kat. I like the elixir because you can keep dosing accordingly until your pet calms down. This is harder to do with treats. PROGILITY MAX – CALMING AID. Soft chews. Active Ingredients: L-Theanine, Thiamine, Passion Flower, L-Tryptophan, Ginger Root, Colostrum, Valerian Root. AMBER NATURALZ DermaNERV “Nerve Support” helps to sustain balanced pet behavior functions and helps support normal functions of the central nervous system. DermaNerv may also help occasional: DERMANERV contains organic herbs: lemon balm, yohimbe, skull cap, nettle, wood betony, alcohol, and filtered water. THUNDER SHIRTS. These shirts, made to apply pressure create a calming effect for your dog or cat. We keep in stock the dog shirts, so if you want one for your feline baby, let us know and we will do our best to get one in for you. Here are some tips for keeping your pets safe and calm during this time: Don’t bring your pet to a fireworks display. The sound of the fireworks are three times greater than the human ear can even register. Keep a collar and ID tag on your pet at all times. Cats should wear breakaway collars, and as a backup it’s advised to have either cat or dog microchiped from a veterinarian or check with SW Humane Society to... Read More
Laser Light Therapy For Dogs • Beastie Boutique
If you are not familiar with Laser Light Therapy, a non-evasive therapy that does not require drugs but heals and reduces inflammation. Clinical studies and research using laser therapy technology indicate the following beneficial effects of laser therapy on tissues and cells: Anti-Inflammation Anti-Pain (Analgesic) Reduced Fibrous Tissue Formation Improved Nerve Function Accelerated Tissue Repair and Cell Growth Improved Vascular Activity Faster Wound Healing Increased Metabolic Activity Here are some commonly asked questions: How are treatments administered? “Treatments are performed by positioning the laser handpiece over a specific area of injury and pain with the laser treatment beam. How many treatments are needed? The Class IV Laser Therapy produces results quickly. For most ACUTE conditions 5-6 treatments is all that is needed. CHRONIC conditions take longer and might require a minimum of 6-12 treatments and then may require some maintenance amount depending on the condition and how long they have had it. While these are the averages, each animal is unique and healing time varies by animal and condition. For those with lifelong conditions, your pet may need 1 or 2 follow-up treatments each month. Is Class IV Laser Therapy safe and without side effects? Laser therapy has been in use for over thirty years around the world. There have been almost no side effects reported. Occasionally some old injuries or pain syndromes may be aggravated for a few days, as the healing response becomes more active after a treatment. How long will the treatment take? Depending on the condition, treatment times for this drug-free non-invasive procedure will last on average 5-10 minutes but is based on the size of area, depth of penetration needed and condition being treated. When can normal activity begin again? The moment an animal leaves, they may resume normal daily activity. It is important to remember to not overexert for a few... Read More
10 Worst Dog Food Brands to Avoid • Beastie Boutique
What makes the brands on this list worth avoiding is simply that they fail to provide many -if any- of those nutrients your dog needs to stay healthy, instead using a variety of low-quality ingredients and various types of filler. At best, all these ingredients do is fill up your pup with empty calories devoid of any nutritional value. At worst, they could actually make them sick. Here are the main ingredients used in cheap, low-quality dog food that make them a poor choice for your pooch. Meat By-products and 4-D Meats (The term “4D meats” refers to meat that was sourced fromcattle who were dead, dying, diseased, or down. 4D animals are not slaughtered; they are animals found dead, dying, diseased, or down in the field, feedlot, or poultry lot. If not already deceased, they are euthanized). Corn and Other Fillers Synthetic Ingredients and Vitamins KAL KAN Corn isn’t exactly well known for its high nutritional content. There’s also the risk that any chemicals used to treat the corn before harvesting can make their way into the food. Bone meal is another major ingredient in Kal Kan dog food. This is basically ground-up animal bones and cartilage and although it may provide some protein content, it’s still no match for dog foods that have actual real meats as their primary ingredient. Soybean meal and wheat are also included as fillers, and present all the same problems as corn, and there’s a good dose of chicken by-product to boost. PURINA DOG CHOW (I would not feed any of the Purina Pet Food lines). Purina Dog Chow may be one of the cheapest brands around, but there’s a good reason why it didn’t make our list of the best affordable dog food brands: At best, it has low nutritional value. At... Read More
Pet Dental Health • Beastie Boutique
A lot of times when we get a dog or cat, we don’t think about their teeth until it’s too late. Keeping your pets’ teeth clean is as important to your pet’s overall heath as nutrition, proper exercise and for some pets, routine grooming. Keep an eye on your pet’s teeth. Look at the regularly to avoid dental disease. To check your pet’s teeth, lift the lips all around the mouth, look at the front and back teeth as closely as possible. To start with, there are three kinds of dental debris: Food particles Plaque Tartar (calculus) Food particles are easy to remove. Just drinking water can eliminate most of the free-floating fragments from around a dog’s teeth. But plaque and tartar are different. Plaque is the sticky biofilm that adheres tightly to every tooth surface. It requires physical scrubbing to remove it. Once cleaned away, plaque returns again within just 24 hours. Left along the gumline long enough, plaque slowly and inevitably turns into a rock-hard, barnacle-like crust referred to as calculus and more commonly called tartar. Plaque is what you remove with your toothbrush. Tartar is the hard stuff your dentist scrapes away when you get your teeth cleaned. Once plaque builds up on the teeth, it turns into tartar or calculus. Bacteria grows in these areas and eats away at the teeth and gums. The bacterial can get into the blood stream and affect the heart and kidneys. If you find the following, you may need to contact your Vet: Bad breath, reluctance to chew/crying out when chewing, increased salivation, red and/or puffy gums, bleeding gums, tartar/calculus (hard coating on teeth that is usually brown or yellow; results from plaque build-up), missing and/or loose teeth, anything else about the mouth that appears unusual. There are several things you can do to help keep your pet’s teeth in... Read More
OREGANO OIL • Beastie Boutique
Oregano oil is one of my favorite essential oils for both myself and my pets. It has many uses. It can be used both internally and externally. Kills Bacteria Oil of oregano’s claim to fame is that it’s a natural antibiotic. This is thanks to the carvacrol it contains. Carvacrol is an organic compound known as a phenol, which gives oregano it’s taste and aroma. While there are many phenols in oil of oregano, carvacrol is the most abundant. It’s also found in oregano essential oil. Studies show carvacrol can stop the growth of many different bacteria. That includes MRSA (Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), which causes staph infection. Oil of oregano may even work for antibiotic resistant bacteria like E coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. (P aeruginosa is a common cause of ear infections, which you’ll learn more about in a bit). Another study shows that it’s just as effective as conventional antibiotics. And it doesn’t have any of the negative side effects conventional drugs have. It’s even used in chicken feed to replace antibiotics. Boosts Antioxidants Carvacrol isn’t just an antibiotic, it’s also one of three major antioxidants found in oregano. The other two are thymol and rosmarinic acid. Out of 39 commonly used herbs (culinary and medicinal), oregano had the highest concentration of antioxidants. And gram for gram, it has 4x more antioxidants than blueberries and 42x more than apples. Fights Yeast Infections Yeast overgrowths are a major cause of ear infections in dogs and can cause skin and gut issues as well. Conventional vets will prescribe antifungal medications. The problem is that these drugs have harmful side effects and yeast can build up resistance to them. Oil of oregano is a natural yeast fighter thanks to carvacrol and thymol, which is a natural antifungal. Studies on dogs show it could even be an effective alternative treatment to conventional meds. In one study oregano essential oil was effective against 5 different types of Candida yeast. And another showed that... Read More