K9 Archives

Tag Archives: K9

Psst … Your Compost May NOT be Dog-Friendly!

Posted on April 8, 2016 by Cold Noses News: Content & Marketing Services for the Dog Professional Leave a comment

Yes, it’s true; your compost is environment-friendly and waste-reducing, but it might also be dangerous to your dog(s), pets, wildlife and humans.

Here’s what you need to know …

As the contents of your compost pile or bin break down, dangerous pathogens (illness- or disease-causing agents) and tremorgenic mycotoxins (poisons from molds which can cause tremors or even seizures) are created and can seriously harm or even kill your dog and other pets.

So, how can you still compost while protecting your dog from indiscriminate scavenging on the tempting, unlimited buffet that is your compost?

Never compost dairy, grains, nuts, legumes, breads or meats due to their tendency to become moldy.
Use tightly sealed and secured compost containers to keep out curious noses and never-ending appetites.

Also, be on the lookout for symptoms in your dog like vomiting, unusual panting and/or drooling, depression, increase in heart rate, unusual changes in behavior and even coma. If you do suspect your dog has gotten into the compost, call your vet and seek immediate medical intervention. Even small amounts of compost can be toxic within a few hours and potentially fatal.

(Sources and Additional Reading: http://www.DogingtonPost.com, http://www.PetPoisonHelpline.com and http://www.TreeHugger.com)

RECALL: Smallbatch Pets Frozen Dog Sliders

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Cold Noses News: Content & Marketing Services for the Dog Professional Leave a comment

Smallbatch Pets Frozen Dog Food Recall

Just two hours after our recent post about making your own dog treats (due to the increased recalls in dog foods/treats), a new recall came to our attention from the FDA (actually released on March 26th) about Smallbatch Pets Inc. voluntarily recalling one lot of their frozen Duckbatch Sliders (for dogs) due to potential salmonella and listeria. (Interestingly, there’s nothing posted on the SmallBatch website at the time of writing this post.)

According to the FDA release, “the affected products are sold frozen in 3-pound bags and can be identified with the following manufacturing codes:

Lot #CO27
UPC #713757339001
Best By Date: 01/27/2017

and were distributed to retail pet food stores in California, Colorado, Oregon and Washington.”

According to the FDA release, there have been no pet or consumer illnesses reported from this product at this time. The recall was issued after “routine testing” by the FDA from a sample taken at a distributor. Eighty cases of this specific product lot were sold between the dates of February 23rd through March 10th.

Consumers who touched this contaminated product should thoroughly wash their hands and disinfect any surfaces exposed to this product. Human symptoms from being infected with salmonella and/or listeria include: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Infected pets may be lethargic, have a decreased appetite and abdominal pain and also exhibit diarrhea, fever and vomiting.

If you purchased frozen Dog Duckbatch Sliders from the affected Lot #CO27, do not feed or touch the product and return to the place of purchase for a full refund or throw them out where your dog, animals or humans cannot reach them.

To read the voluntary recall release in its entirety, go to the FDA Recalls & Safety Alerts Page.

Consumers may also call Smallbatch Pets Inc., at 888-507-2712 or email them at info@smallbatchpets.com.

Bake Some Homemade Dog Treats in a New York Minute!

Posted on March 28, 2016 by Cold Noses News: Content & Marketing Services for the Dog Professional Leave a comment

With all the recent dog food and treat recalls, you may be thinking about making your own treats for your K9 family member(s).

A few simple ingredients (you might already have in your kitchen) and five minutes in the microwave and you have yummy, homemade dog treats with NO preservatives, additives or questionable ingredients or chemicals.

And, from the reaction of our resident Great Danes (who of course volunteered to taste-test), it’s a home run!

Quickie K9 Treats:

2 chicken bouillon cubes
1 cup boiling water
2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 cup stone ground cornmeal
1-1/2 cups powdered skim milk
1 cup quick cooking rolled oats
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 eggs, beaten

Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water and set aside until room temperature.

In a large mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients. (I added parsley; you could also add mint, chopped nuts, garlic or carrots or some other favorite ingredient your dog loves.)

Make a well in the dry ingredients and gradually stir in oil, eggs and cooled bouillon until well-blended.

Knead dough on a floured surface, about 4-5 minutes, until dough sticks together and is easy to work with.

Roll dough to between 1/4″ and 1/2″ thickness.

Cut-out treats with your favorite cookie cutter (or just use a shot glass like I did) and place on a microwave-proof surface in the microwave (I used a dinner plate).

Microwave for 5 minutes.*

Remove and cool. Store in sealed plastic bags or containers.

* Here’s the cooking directions from the original recipe: microwave 5 minutes at medium heat. Turn over each biscuit and then microwave for another 5 minutes and turn again. Microwave another 2-5 minutes. Remove, cool and store. I found simply microwaving at 5 minutes full power worked nicely, so why spend extra time? My microwave is small (just large enough for a dinner plate) and only 900 watts.

Petco Acquired for $4.6 Billion

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Cold Noses News: Content & Marketing Services for the Dog Professional Leave a comment

Private equity firm CVC Capital Partners and Canada Pension Plan Investment Board have agreed to acquire the holding company for Petco Animal Supplies Inc. at a cost of $4.6 billion.

A joint statement said CVC and the Pension Plan Investment Board will purchase Petco Holdings from its current group of investors in a deal expected to close in early 2016.

Will you LOSE Your Holiday Season Customers?

Posted on November 18, 2015 by Cold Noses News: Content & Marketing Services for the Dog Professional Leave a comment

If you have a brick-and-mortar dog business or offer canine services, this holiday season is the time to RAMP UP your marketing instead of coasting through to the end of the year. The potential to get the word out about YOUR business will NEVER be better!

Holidays mean increased foot traffic to your retail K9 business … bringing both current customers and potential new ones. If your business is in a high tourist area, potential out-of-town customers are learning about you for the first time. Don’t let them forget you after that one-time purchase; especially if you have an online store they can patronize after they return back home from vacation.

The Cold Noses monthly Newsletter is marketing-made-easy for the dog business owner!

Click here to email us for a copy of our November Newsletter!

If you offer canine services, the holidays are often the most critical time for customers needing a helping hand with daycare, grooming, dog walking or pet sitting. And if they are busy, so are their friends! So it’s a great time to get new referrals for the services you offer. Offer an extra takeaway and ask them to give it to a friend.

In addition, what are you doing to really help your customer this holiday season? In addition to the products you sell and the services you provide? People become loyal customers when you HELP them with time-sensitive, season-specific information they need to know to keep their pets safe and healthy.

Simply put, people remember people who help them. So this holiday season, offer great products and services, out-of-this-world customer service and some kind of physical takeaway that reminds them to come back for more!

The Cold Noses Newsletter, the only monthly ready-to-print-and-use marketing tool for the dog business owner!

Click here to email us for a copy of our November Newsletter!

The Cold Noses Newsletter is the first – and only – completely done-for-you, ready-to-print-and-use monthly tool to gather emails at the cash register, cross-promote with other local dog businesses and serves as a reminder of your business … all without blatant, in-your-face sales pitches.

Are Holiday Treats Dog-Friendly?

Posted on November 17, 2015 by Cold Noses News: Content & Marketing Services for the Dog Professional Leave a comment

The holidays are quickly approaching with mouth-watering smells and delectable seasonal treats!

Something else is coming too … sad, SAD puppy eyes!

While most of us will probably indulge during the season, it doesn’t necessarily mean our dogs should follow our lead.

You may actually be surprised by some of the holiday foods and/or ingredients your four-legged family member should not partake of; below is a quick list.

Want to know about additional foods and WHY they are bad for your dog?

Click here to email us for a copy of our November Newsletter!

Want a dog-friendly treat you can make in advance for those oh-so-sad puppy eyes?

Click here to email us for a copy of our November Newsletter!

And remember … the smaller the dog, the faster – and more toxic – the adverse effect.