12 Dogs of Christmas
12 different BLOWOUT Deals!
Okay folks. This is not the way I'm supposed to do this sale. However, over the past few years, I've gotten feedback that you are confused, not sure, generally don't understand what's happening. So, let me spell it out...
Starting on Tuesday, December 13 we count down the days to Christmas with a different sale every day - 12 days of sales! Every day there is a different deal. Stores that run this sale successfully claim it is their most popular sale of the year! We are not supposed to tell you what is on sale before it goes on sale. It is supposed to be a surprise. But this year, I'm going to give you a sneak peek at what the sales are up front. Hopefully this will get you excited...
If you are subscribed to our e-newsletter, we'll send you a reminder email every day starting on Dec 12 to let you know what is on sale the next day. All sales are while supplies last...Enjoy!
]]>Turkey, Ham, Prime Rib and other meats. Okay in small amounts / moderation and focus on meat - not fat and gristle. However, never feed any type of cooked bones - they can splinter and damage the GI tract. Too much fat and gristle can lead to pancreatitis - a very uncomfortable and dangerous condition. Stay away from meats with added sodium, nitrates and preservatives - they are bad for you and your pet.
Green Bean Casserole. Okay in very small amounts, but don't include the onion topping. Fresh raw or cooked green beans are okay to add to your dog's food any time.
Sweet Potatoes. Excellent source of beta carotene and highly nutritious. Steamed or baked sweet potatoes are ideal and easy to digest. Avoid serving your pets the traditional holiday version of sweet potato casserole that contains lots of syrup, marshmallows or candied nuts.
Cranberries. A great addition to your pet's bowl any time of year and especially during the holidays. No cranberry sauce or jelly, though, as these can be full of sugar and other things that Fido shouldn't have. Cranberries are good to help prevent urinary tract infections.
Pumpkin & Squash. These are wonderful foods to share with cats and dogs in moderate amounts. Most pets love the taste of these yummy and nutritious vegetables.
Winter Greens. Chard and kale are awesome sources of vitamins and antioxidants. Brussels sprouts and cabbage are also loaded with good nutrients, but they can cause gas in your pet's tummy. These can be added raw, lightly steemed or sauteed, but without added salt, wine, soy sauce or butter.
White Potatoes. Okay in moderate amounts. Avoid serving your pet potato dishes loaded with cream, dressings, oil or butter.
Lucy's List of Holiday Foods to Avoid
Lucy also explains that as with any time you change your pet's normal meal routine, it is best to make additions to your pet's bowl gradually so you can ensure your pet is able to tolerate what you are serving. Don't allow your pet to gorge. Gorging can lead to pancreatitis or bloat. If you do experience an incident where your pet over indulges due to counter surfing, or getting into the holiday trash, keep a close watch. If you notice signs of bloating, vomiting or other digestive problems such as diarrhea or constipation, Lucy says a visit to your vet's office is recommended, without delay. Happy Holidays!
]]>Also, read Five Holiday Pet Safety Tips written by Lucy Postins, founder of The Honest Kitchen, one of our absolute faves!
]]>Here's what else you can expect:
*Spooky Halloween music
*Treats for canine guests
*Dog costume contest with a $100 Grand Prize value
So, mark your calendars now. Here are the details for this year's Groovy Monster Bash:
Saturday, Oct 15 / 6p - 9-
Jenn's Wine Shop of Carrollwood
11724 N Dale Mabry Highway
Tampa, FL 33618
Phone: 813-960-4808
Call Jenn's at 813-960-4808 for details. Bring your well-mannered dog on leash for a howling good time! See you there!
As we've discussed before, music can excite, agitate, or soothe and calm pets, and it's the relaxing aspect of music that most interests us: can music make your anxious dog calmer during or after the storm, or while you're away? Can the right symphony soothe kitty when too much activity or outside interference makes her skittish? Research says yes, and in fact we've discovered a whole micro-industry of sweet sounds for furry friends, including one online shop that actually sells "pet speakers" for purrfect acoustics. If you search Amazon for "relaxation music" or "calming music" for pets/cats/dogs, you'll discover you have a lot to choose from, but there's really no need to spend a lot of money on pet tunes.
Many experts recommend classical music (this article has some specific recommendations), so you could just mine your music collection for Bach, Beethoven, Vivaldi and the like for your furball's relaxed listening pleasure. This independent study [PDF] claims that solo piano with simplified arrangements at 50-70 beats per minute is optimal for calming canine anxiety, and this article says, "dogs appear to be calmed by music with slower tempos, fewer instruments and simpler melodies."
But guess what, you don't even have to bother rifling through your stash of tunes, because in the manic, magical wonderland that is the Internet, guess what I've discovered? Yep, radio stations for pets. For reals.There's also an inexpensive Pet Acoustics iPhone app "music for your dog, cat or horse from your iPhone, iPod Touch or other music player" that I have not personally checked out.
]]>Our Natural Paws-a-Palooza is right around the corner and we've got a great line up planned this year. What is Natural Paws-a-Palooza you say? It is one of two wellness events we host each year. This is our Fall wellness event. The day is focused entirely on the subject of wellness and your pets.
Featured guests include:
Free Seminars Include:
11:00a Behavior / Training Qs and As by Amy's Canine Kindergarten
12:30p ABCs of Raw Food Diets by Chuck Harris of Raw Health
2:00p Intro to Energy Medicine by Eve Lucia, Holistic Healing Expert
Plus, participate in our PAWSOME Treasure Hunt where there are over $2,000 in prizes up for grabs. Visit local pet businesses, learn nutrition and wellness tips from Groovy experts and seek out samples and special offers from our suppliers in order to earn raffle tickets good for our raffle prizes. Our grand prize is a one year supply of dog food by Natural Balance.
Hope to see you there! Remember to call 813-265-1333 to schedule your pet portrait appointment with Laura Allen Studios. Sitting fees start at only $7.00 and we are booking them fast! Pet portrait times are all day from 9a - 5p. Schedule your pet portrait NOW!!
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Click on the image above to see a cool infographic from mint.com. "Pet Obssessed" gathers together a big ol' pile of stats to explain to us the "cost of cute." For example, "$1.5 billiion is spent on pet food every year. This is four times the amount spent on baby food."
Okay, but on the other hand, we don't have to spring for several years of college education a few years down the line, do we? Who's laughing now, eh? eh? On the other other hand, "39% of pet owners say they have more photos of their pet than of their spouse or significant other." erm. well. yes. guilty. You can laugh now. (My spouse is quite lovely and photogenic, actually -- he just complains too bitterly when I try to take photos of him begging and playing dead.)
For more statistical and infographical goodness, you can also check out 20 Crazy Facts About Pet Ownership in America.
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I happened upon this rather gorgeous little gem of a news story from the mid-1950s while browsing some dark and dusty corridors of the online newspaper morgue.
Yet this vintage story of a dog reunited with his master through what appear to be astonishing and epic machinations and maneuvers on the part of the canine somehow has the ring of truth for me. I can imagine the ways that a dog negotiates such challenges possibly ending in such a mythic way, and, also, the recounting of the specific behavior of the dog seems so very, very familiar to me as a dog owner... and the narration is attributed to a Capt. Kenneth Dodson, instead of, say, an ambitious reporter with a vivid imagination and a deadline to meet. Also, The Christian Science Monitor has long had a reputation as an upstanding journal.
Of course, Captain Dodson may have simply been an especially observant dog lover, with a penchant for romanticizing and telling tallish tales, but I'll rely on his honor as an officer and a gentleman. :) At any rate, it's a great story, a bit challenging to read in this old scanned format, but worth it, I think.
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The video, recorded by a motion-activated camera placed in a Gabon
forest, shows an African golden cat: a shy, medium-sized feline that
ducks human contact and lives in hard-to-access parts of central African
forests. [Info from CNN]
"Before the devastation in Japan earlier this year, witnesses reported elephants and monkeys moving to higher ground as well as crazy behavior in cattle, dogs and other domestic animals.
Before China's devastating 2008 earthquake, zebras banged their heads against doors, elephants swung their trunks wildly, lions and tigers paced when they should have been napping, and peacocks screeched simultaneously just 5 minutes before the tremors struck. Similar stories came from the Asian tsunami in 2005.
In China in 1975, residents of Haicheng reported unusual animal behavior just before a 7.3 earthquake that killed 2,000 people. Similar examples go back as far as 373 B.C. In Greece."
