Catching up is hard to do

I know, I know, haven't updated this thing in ages. A lot has been happening lately and I feel like by the end of the day, there's little energy left for creativity.
Things are pretty well overall. Still working at the store and enjoying the learning experience. It feels nice waking up in the morning and not dreading going to work for a change. I thoroughly enjoy helping people and their pets. Couple days a woman came in almost in tears, she handed me a lost dog flyer and asked her if I could put it up in the window. Of course I said yes. Her king Charles spaniel escaped from the yard and she has spent the last 2 hours looking for him. At first I was going to put a notice on our facebook page, but decided to check craigslist lost and found first. Lo and behold the first ad I see is someone who found a sweet dog in that neighborhood. They provided no description, just a number. I called the owner right away and gave her the information. She came in today with a bouquet of flowers and tears in her eyes thanking me for helping her find her dog. I said it was nothing and it's the least I could do. I know if I ever lost Uno, I would be heartbroken, so I just wanted to reach out to her.
Things like that really make my day. Of course the next day you get some butthead who decides to give us a nasty review on yelp because we wouldn't give him a free 30 lb bag of Orijen.

The dogs have been doing well. Uno is still on raw and I'm experimenting with various supplements to see what he likes and does well on. Part of the reason is because I'm trying to expand our supplement selection in the store. Right now our selection is dismal to say the least. There are still supplements on the shelf that were there when I first started working (8 months). My main reservation is that it's very hard to recommend a product that I've never used myself. The only things I've really used for the dogs would be the seameal and fish oil. I've tried some of the honest kitchen products with good results (I love perfect form for any digestive issues).
I'd like to bring in one of a kind products that are not sold at big box stores, actually work and are not ridiculously expensive (under $35).

I found couple things so far that I like. One is called Dogzymes by Natures Farmacy. It's a powdered multi vitamin sort of blend meant to fill any nutritional dietary gaps whether you're feeding kibble, cooked or raw. The ingredients are fairly straightforward with no real red flags that I noticed.

Ingredients: Dried Organic Coconut, Parmesan Cheese, Algal Oil (source of omega-3 DHA), Choline Chloride, Yucca schidigera, Sodium Ascorbate (source of Vitamin C), Zinc Proteinate, Iron Proteinate, Vitamin E Supplement, Salt, Calcium Carbonate, Dicalcium Phosphate, D-Calcium Pantothenate, Cinnamon Extract, Origan Extract, Cayenne Extract, Copper Proteinate, Riboflavin, Niacin, Manganese Proteinate, Yeast Culture, Vitamin B-12 Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin A Supplement, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine HCl, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin D-3 Supplement, Beta Carotene, Sodium Selenite, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide and mixed tocopherols.

The dogs absolutely gobble it up because when you open a jar is smells like pizza, I'm not kidding. They use cheese powder as a second ingredient and God knows, Uno will do anything for cheese. Both dogs have been on it for about a month and I have definitely noticed less shedding, and winter dandruff as well as overall nice shiny coats. I mix this in with the raw food along with seameal and salmon oil.

The price is reasonable, $18 for 1 lb and $30 for 2 lbs. They make a variety of other supplements including joint, digestion, immune support etc. I do like the fact that it's in a powdered form which makes it easy for dogs with dental issues or those who dislike taking pills. It's also easy to mix in with raw food.

I still have about 3 months worth of it to go, so we'll see how the dogs do on it long term.

My second candidate is a product called Olewo. This may seem rather odd to some, but basically it's dehydrated carrots and beets. Sounds kind of like a horse food right? yes and no.

I'm not one of those hardcore raw feeders that believe that dogs should be eating like wolves to a T. While I believe that their diet should be primarily composed of animal proteins, they can also extract nutrients from predigested plant matter.
Olewo makes carrots in pellet form that need to be soaked prior to feeding as well as red beets. Both of these vegetables have a very high vitamin content including beta carotene(converts to vitamin A), vitamins B, C, E, D as well as mineral like calcium, potassium, phosphorus and more. This company is based in Germany and what makes this supplement superior is that it's grown in fertile soil and while the website doesn't mention it, I'm assuming it's not exposed to the same fertilizers/chemicals as it's American counterparts. Overall it seems like a quality product.

The main reason I wanted to use it is because Indy still has bouts of diarrhea. Unlike Uno, he doesn't have an iron gut. I can't switch him cold turkey from one protein to the next. If he has the runs for more than 2 days straight, his anal glands fill out and he's not a happy camper. Since I've been adding the carrots, he's had consistently firm poop and I noticed his coat has become really rich red color.

Uno has done well on raw but as he's gotten older, he's metabolism slowed down quite a bit.  I have to watch how much he eats and since I've been cutting back, he's become a major pain in the ass about counter surfing. So I've been adding the carrots to his raw food for extra fiber and it seems to keep him satiated. Both dogs love the taste and gobble it up, even plain with nothing added.

It seems like the supplement is highly praised by breeders for helping to keep their dogs in peak condition. Seems like a lot of people use it for any digestive issues like diarrhea, constipation, colitis, IBS, etc with good results. Since we have a lot of people who's dogs experience these problems, I will most likely bring this in to see how it does.

If you know of any supplements that you used or have used in the past with good results, let me know. I need to learn what's out there and bring some good stuff in!.

Here are couple pics of the lazy dogs from today

Uno with his "babies" (he does this thing every evening where he goes to his toy basked, picks out a toy or 2 and goes to sleep with them).

 

Indy found a sweet spot under my desk.

 

 

Where does the time go?

I cant believe it's already September. Feeling a bit guilty about abandoning this blog. For the most part my excuse has been lack of time and perhaps writing material. Between working full time and going to school full time, leaves me pretty exhausted after a long week.

The work has been going great, I very much enjoy my job and the opportunity to help educate pet owners. I feel pretty lucky right now because going to work doesn't feel like a chore, and I finally feel like I found a niche in life where I'm comfortable with who I am. It's always fun to anticipate what a new day will bring, whether it's a dog with rare illness and an owner seeking dietary advice, or perhaps a happy bouncy pup stopping by for a quick hello and a treat. Never a dull moment here.

The other day a woman came in and she's been trying to get some weight off her French bulldog, after some deliberation, I felt that the raw diet would be the best fit. I'm always worried about recommending a raw diet, the only reason is that if the dog gets upset stomach or loose stool, some owners will give up and go back to kibble. She came back yesterday (with her adorable frenchie), and said that the food has been working out great! he's lost couple lbs and has way more energy. She also noticed his tear stains cleared up.

It always makes me happy to hear positive feedback. I always try to follow up on the recommendation to see how they have been working. It helps me to establish a pattern, that way I can recommend the same food or health routine to another pet owner.

In other news, I'm super stoked about next month because 2 things are happening;

1) I will be attending a local pet trade show sponsored by one of our distributors. There will be a bunch of vendors showcasing new products and if you know me, I'm all about pet stuff. It's better than Christmas. They'll also have giveaways, demos and I'm sure lots of free samples. We'll also be treated to a fancy dinner and some show. So that's going to be fun!

2) We will be participating in our first expo called Fresh. It's basically an expo geared towards people interested in natural/holistic lifestyle, featuring vendors that sell various naturals products, foods, etc. They'll have guest speakers and some other fun activities. My hope is that people who care about what they eat and their lifestyle, would want the same for their pets. So we'll have lots of goodies to give away and I look forward to meeting new people and potential customers :)


In other news, the doggies are doing well. I feel bad for Uno because between being so dang hot this summer and my hectic schedule, he hasn't been getting much exercise. I've been trying to take him to a park almost every sunday for 2-3 hour walk/hike to make up for the lack of walks during the week.

I'm hoping that I can find a place to live closer to work and will cooler weather, we'll be getting more exercise (which I need).

Sharing is caring :)

Well, its that time again where I've accumulated more dog stuff than I need and it's going to a good home. 

Indy didn't do too well on dr tims or merrick puppy food (too many calories for the little guy), so the rest will be donated to the rescue. I also found a bunch of samples of petcurean food at work, since we no longer sell it, the samples would have been thrown out, at least these will feed some needy pups. All together, about 85 lbs of food, yay! 
I normally donate to couple local rescues that I volunteer with. This time, I wanted to see if there's a new one I could help out. I found a rescue that focuses on saving pitbulls from high risk situations and finding them good homes. They are going through some financial difficulties right now due to couple dogs needing surgeries and it looks like they have several puppies now, I figured they could really use the food. 

In other news, I ordered Jean Dodds' book called The Canine Thyroid Epidemic. I'm interested in her research when it comes to vaccines and the role it plays in dogs health as well as her take on nutrition. It seems to have gotten a lot of positive feedback on amazon, so I look forward to reading it this week. I also wanted to get Pukka's promise, but it's on backorder right now.  

Uno's anxiety and supplement trials

Uno has some reactivity issues, especially being approached by off leash dogs when we're out walking. So I've been trying various supplements and herbs to see what works. This is what I got from work and using the combination of the greendog and petnaturals. It seems to to take the edge off a little, but its only been about 3 days since I started. The calmshen doesn't seem to help much.  Even with the discount I get, both of the supplements are kinda pricey. What I will do most likely is look up the active ingredients and find an equivalent human version of it for less. The main issue with those is that they are not flavored and I either have to crumble it into the food or put it in peanut butter which I don't like due to extra calories. 

Do you use any anxiety supplements/drugs with your dogs, what has worked for you?

Just some pupdates (get it pups.. updates..lol).

So I dont have anything nutritionally constructive to deliver today because it's been little hectic the last few weeks with a new job and studying for finals. I have couple weeks of break before summer classes, so it was nice to have a day off yesterday and hang out with a friend instead of working, overdosing on caffeine and then racing to school and staying there until 10 pm.
Work is going pretty well, I'm getting more used to the routine and my boss is super happy with the changes I've implemented since the business has been steadily improving since I showed up.
I feel like I've been neglecting the dogs a little since I dont have as much time to walk them as I used to. They are staying with my parents during the day and then I take them for 2 walks after I get home.
I've incorporated more raw food into Indy's diet and his stomach seems to be handling it just fine right now. I got a bunch more expired raw from the store, mostly pre made instinct patties like organic chicken and buffalo, so I'm not complaining. The freezer is kind of stuffed right now, so I need to find a day to thaw out the bulk orders and portion them out to make more room.

We also got a big order of blue ridge beef today, half of it was special orders. I'm still on the fence about this company. I've heard some bad things (that they use 4-d meats), but so far I havent been able to find conclusive evidence to support it other than online rumors. This is what their website states:

1.       Blue Ridge Beef™ 100% pure natural meats and bones

2.       Fresh and flash frozen preserving amino acids and live digestive enzymes essential for healthy pets.

3.       No artificial ingredients.

4.       No gluten, grain or imported materials

5.       No preservatives or additives.

6.       No by-products, meals, organ fillers, color or taste additives.

7.       Protecting against bacteria, all of our facilities Utilize stainless steel equipment that is cleaned and sterilized between each product run and at the end of each day.

I do sincerely hope that they are not lying, but you just never know. The venison was super cheap, so I ordered a case for myself, along with duck and some natural mix (beef based grind with organ, tripe and bone). 

I rarely post pictures of the guys, so here are a few from tonight. They were trying to be cute because I had some turkey jerky. 

My white bearded wise beast

You know you have a problem when..

Your dog has more name tags than you have shoes. I went through some dog stuff this evening and didnt even realize how much I hoard when it comes to pet supplies. I absolutely loathe shoe/clothes shopping for myself, but when it comes to pet related stuff, sign me up!
Also found a bunch of collars, some of which I'll be donating since they are never even used, hopefully if I can foster in the near future, they will all be shared.

Work updates and some goodies

So it's been 2 weeks since I started my new job and I love it! Overall, its not as difficult as I anticipated, just keeping track of multiple things at once takes some getting used to. My favorite part is talking to customers about nutrition and meeting all the pups that come in. 
Hardest part is staying within store budget when ordering products weekly. There are so many cool things that I want to get, but right now, I have to mostly stick with the essentials like food and treats. 

I was cleaning out the store freezer today and found a bunch of pre-made raw that expired 2 months ago. So I got 

- 22 lbs of instinct lamb
-14 lbs instinct beef
- 12 lbs primal buffalo
- 8 lbs primal chicken/salmon mix for cats (but will most likely go to dogs since my parents cat is not a fan of premade). 
For a grand total of 56 lbs! 
Since I havent been able to find any freebies on craigslist, I'm glad I can get from work. The dogs will be eating buffalo tomorrow for the first time, we'll have to see how that goes.