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We get a lot of questions about pet products
How best to use them, do they really act as advertised, are the rumours about how a certain product affects an animal’s development true? If you have these questions too, just click below for answers.
Ask Joey
JOEY: The short answer is no. It is natural for a dog to resist a restraint when they feel the tug of a harness or collar and they want to remove that strain by breaking free. But it isn’t the dog’s reaction to the restraint that causes it to become a puller for life. It’s actually our treatment of this reaction as an owner. For an in depth explanation of the proper way to correct this behaviour, click this link.
JOEY: Is all human food healthy? Of course not. To make food cheaper a manufacturer has to introduce junk and filler products to the recipe. Whole grains are better than non-whole grains. Protein quality varies depending on the source. Some protein will fill your dog up, good protein will fill your dog up with energy for his or her brain as well as muscles. High quality protein will circulate through your dogs system slowly, providing long lasting energy.
JOEY: This is a debate without a definitive answer. The best way to choose what’s right for your dog is to look at the well-established pros and cons that experts agree on.
- Pro: A crate caters to the dog’s natural den instinct, creating a warm safe place for sleeping
- Pro: A crate helps deal with housebreaking. A dog won’t want to soil it’s sleeping area and will learn to wait for walk time
- Pro: Puppies are inquisitive, and a crate can help protect a puppy from itself during unsupervised nights
- Pro: The crate becomes a safe place that can travel with the puppy
- Con: It can become cruel if the puppy is left in the crate for an unusual extended amount of time
- Con: Crate size is important, and a dog left in a crate that is way too small can suffer psychologically and developmentally
- Con: Improper assembly can lead to an injury to the dog. Money spent on a sturdy and easy to assembly crate is well spent.
JOEY: Read the ingredients. Ingredients are listed top to bottom by volume. The first ingredient is more present in the food than the second, the second more present than the third and so on. The highest quality foods list animal proteins as the first, second, or both ingredients. Ideally, it should list where that animal protein came from (ie – pork, beef, chicken, etc…). You should be able to pronounce and recognize at least the first 5 ingredients on the label, if not all of the ingredients. Grains will be present in any dry dog food, they are needed to hold the kibble together. However, corn is not a good grain for dogs. Avoid by-products. Anything listed as a by-product is bad. Avoid chemical preservatives like BHT/BHA. If you are at all confused, don’t worry call or come by and talk to us about your price range and dog breed. We will find you the right quality of food that will fit most budgets.
Ask Sofia
SOFIA: There are many things that can help a cat owner experience lesser allergy symptoms – from better grooming practices, to litter systems that minimize dust in the air. Even investing in a bed that your cat likes can help to keep them (and their dander) away from your resting places.
SOFIA: The raw food diet means that cats eat meals that are similar to what is found in the wild – uncooked, whole small animals including rodents, birds, and fish. Many cats thrive on a natural diet like this. Because of the potential for contamination, and the ability for a commercial brand to provide the right ratio of meat, fat, cartilage and organs, we recommend a commercial raw diet over a home-prepared raw diet. For more in depth information on raw food diets, come by or email us today and we can provide you with more information.
SOFIA: Cat pee doesn’t pose much of a challenge if you have the right cleaning supplies. First, remove as much as you can with a dry cloth or paper towels. To eliminate any odour from the area, especially on carpet or other absorbent surfaces, use an enzymatic cleaner to break down the solution and vacuum the area afterwards. Next, make sure your cats litter box is clean (this can sometimes be the reason why they are doing their business elsewhere!).
SOFIA: If you have a new kitten in your home, there are a lot of things you want to have. First and most important is the litter box- you’re going to want to have this before you even bring the kitten home! Other basic necessities include a food bowl and kitten food, cat bed and a collar with an ID tag, and of course, lots of toys!
