February is Pet Dental Month

February is Pet Dental Month.

Brushing your dog's teeth is a great way to keep them healthy. It also makes your life easier as you don't have to smell their breath.

Poochieheaven carries a great selection of dog toothpaste and dog toothbrushes that will help you keep your dog healthy and you happy!


Here is some great advice:


Brushing Your Dog's Teeth - It is Mandatory for a Healthy Pet!


February is National Pet Dental Health Month. There are so many aspects of keeping your dog healthy, but in my opinion, none is more important than brushing their teeth. The American Veterinary Dental Society (AVDS) estimates that eighty percent of dogs have periodontal disease by the age of three. A few years ago, the idea of brushing your dog’s teeth was nearly unheard of. While it is gaining popularity, the majority of pet owners still do not brush their dogs’ teeth on a regular basis.


Objections to tooth-brushing:


1. I only give her dry dog food so I don’t need to brush her teeth: Unfortunately most dry dog foods have high starch content. Sugar and starches combine with the bacteria in the mouth and produce acids. These acids can eat away at the enamel on the tooth in addition to causing plaque build-up.


2. My dog doesn’t like it: When I was a kid, I didn’t like brushing my teeth, but it wasn’t a choice. It is part of a healthy lifestyle. If you let your dog make all the decisions in your house, it would be a disaster!


3.I don’t need to; I give them bones and chew toys: This is an equivalent approach to only chewing gum for your personal dental hygiene. You won’t find a dentist that recommends that approach! It is a nice addition but can’t do the job alone.


4. I just put an additive in the water: This is an equivalent approach to only using a mouth rinse for your own personal hygiene, except not even as good because your dog isn’t gargling and rinsing. Again, a nice addition but not sufficient by itself. If you don’t brush your dog’s teeth, plaque will build up on the teeth, break off, and be absorbed into the bloodstream. This can lead to blockage in the arteries causing heart disease and kidney problems.


Hopefully, now I’ve convinced you that brushing is imperative. Here are some things you should know:


1. Brush at least three times per week to get maximum benefits.


2.Don’t use human toothpaste unless you have taught your dog to spit! Look on the back of your toothpaste. You will most likely find a statement that it should not be ingested. This is because it contains soap. Soap creates foam, which gives people the perception that the product is cleaning but is not indicative of the cleaning power of a product (it is for marketing purposes: perception is reality). Toothpaste designed specifically for pets does not contain soap; it won’t foam up; and it can be swallowed safely.


3. Replace the toothbrush when the bristles become frayed or every 3 months, as the brush will start to harbor microorganisms.


4. Follow teeth brushing with praise and an award so he/she looks forward to it next time.


The American Animal Hospital Association says, “proper dental care may add as much as five years to your pet's life!" (http://www.healthypet.com/library_view.aspx?id=142). It only takes about one minute. Isn’t increasing your dog’s life expectancy worth a few minutes per week?


Source: Cain and Able Collection

What kind of dog do you own?

Tell Poochieheaven a litle bit about your dog by leaving a comment and one lucky commenter will receive a free bag of dog treats!

Some examples of things to leave:
Dog's name
Breed
Age
Favorite Food
Favorite Toy

Good luck!

Contest end date: 2/3/09

Check back then to see if you are the winner!

The Science Diet Scam

Here is a great article about Science Diet.

Poochieheaven offers great organic dog food that is much better for your dog's health.

The Science Diet Scam
By Sabine Contreras, BetterDogCare.com, © Sabine Contreras 2004-2008

Of all the crooks in the commercial pet food industry, Hill's (the maker of Science Diet and Prescription Diet foods) has got to be the worst. The fact that their slogan "Veterinarian Recommended" is a cleverly used trademark is just the beginning. If you don't know even some very basic facts about commercial pet food, I suggest you poke around on my Dog Food Website for a bit before reading on. Of course you can also read this article first and then go there to read up on the details you don't understand.

Warning: this is going to be a long read.

Let's dive in with a short summary:
Science Diet is a pet food that is often recommended by veterinarians, and is heavily advertised, so many people buy it, thinking they are giving their pets the best product on the market. The fact that it is pretty popular doesn't make it a quality product though.
Why is Science Diet recommended by veterinarians?
The answer is simple and Tara Parker-Pope of the Wall Street Journal probably said it best in her article "Why Vets Recommend 'Designer' Chow" (reprinted here):
[...] Borrowing a page from the pharmaceuticals companies, which routinely woo doctors to prescribe their drugs, Hill's has spent a generation cultivating its professional following. It spends hundreds of thousands of dollars a year funding university research and nutrition courses at every one of the 27 U.S. veterinary colleges. Once in practice, vets who sell Science Diet and other premium foods directly from their offices pocket profits of as much as 40%. [...]"
So there you have it - veterinarians don't recommend this food because they are convinced it's a great product, but because they make a profit and have other personal benefits. To the contrary of what many people think, nutrition is not a major subject in veterinary schools, and most of the courses offered are sponsored by one of the pet food giants. Any vets specializing in nutrition or following a holistic approach do their own research outside of what they were taught at college. If you look at books about pet nutrition, you will find that pet food companies are involved in those too.

Need some examples?

The Waltham Book of Companion Animal NutritionDoes Waltham ring a bell? Pedigree, Whiskas, Cesar, Sheba? The stuff you find on the shelves of the pet supply aisle at your grocery or department store?Canine and Feline Nutrition: A Resource for Companion Animal Professionals.Daniel P. Carey, Diane A. Hirakawa and Leighann Daristotle, all three of them employees of the IAMS Company in leading positions. The fourth person, who edited this book, is Linda P. Case, the only independent on the team, but she also endorses the products this company manufactures.

Look at others used as textbooks at veterinary schools and investigate the authors. You'd be surprised at the level of involvement of the pet food industry. But I don't want to spin conspiracy theories here. No doubt that research is needed to learn more about how to keep our pets healthy, and that it has to be funded somehow - but as a consumer I do not appreciate being left in the dark, much less mislead purposely about what is best for my pet. So back to the topic at hand:

Have you ever looked at the ingredient lists of Science Diet products and compared those ingredients to the claims Hill's makes about the quality of their foods? Well, I have. And frankly, it disgusts me how many people get scammed into buying an overpriced product of poor quality just because they don't know much about what they are actually feeding their pets.

Adult Original?
Mostly grains with some chicken and chicken byproducts, animal fat and some chicken liver flavor. 48.1% carbohydrates.

Adult Beef (or Chicken or Lamb) & Rice Recipe?
Some beef, chicken or lamb and some rice or rice fragments, but mainly other grains (corn meal, soybean meal, ground grain sorghum, ground wheat), some chicken byproducts (except in the lamb variety - and yes, even the "beef" variety most likely has more chicken byproducts than beef!), animal fat, beet pulp and flavors. 50.6%, 50.2% and 48.7% carbohydrates respectively. I'm beginning to get the impression we are trying to feed cattle here, not animals with a carnivorous background!

The other "normal" foods of the main product line follow pretty much the same principle, but it gets worse when we get to the so-called "light", "oral care", "sensitive stomach" or "senior" products. 16% "soybean mill run" (read floor sweepings) and 10.8% peanut hulls? And you are paying how much per bag for this crap? $29? $33? $38? More??? Talk about being taken for a ride. Did your vet recommend that too?

But it gets better yet. We haven't discussed the fairly new "Nature's Best" line yet. It's available " with real beef" or "with real chicken". Go have a look at the ingredient lists, I'll wait.

Did you check it out? Good. What did you see? As you may know (or not), the ingredients are listed by descending weight proportions as they appear processing. What I see is that the first two ingredients are rice fractions and wheat and the third is turkey. The "real" beef or chicken is listed 7th and not even among the main ingredients. As per AAFCO labeling rules, a product labeled "with [something]" only has to include a minimum of 3% of the named ingredient by total weight. Out of the 6 main ingredients, 4 are grains or grain byproducts, one is a poor quality source of fat (rendered from nonspecified animals, possibly including euthanized pets) and only one is actually an animal-based protein. Peas, carrots and flavorings in small quantities round out the "wholesome goodness found in nature" advertised by the manufacturer as "real beef/chicken, real garden vegetables and wholesome grains - the best of everything". Mind you that not even USDA inspected ingredients are used, so my guess would rather be feed grade grains and poor quality meat.

It's hard to believe that even that can be topped, but they did it!
Yes, it is possible. Believe it or not. Enter "Science Diet Advanced Protection" - the ultimate scam, Hill's attempt to secure its market share, riding on the more and more popular natural/holistic wave. I present you the ingredient list of this product with "patent-pending breakthrough of nutritional technology" boasting a "unique antioxidant blend, sourced from ingredients like citrus fruits, carrots, spinach and tomatoes":

========== Main ingredients ====================

corn meal (not ideal as a first ingredient, which should be a quality source of animal protein)chicken by-product meal (anything but quality cuts of meat!)soybean meal (a byproduct of the manufacturing process of soybean oil)animal fat (rendered fat of unspecified animals, possibly diseased, decayed or even euthanized pets)

========== Present in lesser quantities ============flaxseed (no complaints here)chicken liver flavor (a higher amount of a flavoring ingredient than vegetables? interesting...)dried egg product (a byproduct of the egg grading industry instead of fresh, whole eggs?)dried carrots (instead of fresh carrots?)dried spinach (instead of fresh spinach?)dried grape pomace (when it is known that grapes can be toxic to dogs?)dried tomato pomace (a byproduct of the tomato processing industry)dried citrus pulp (the dried residue of peel, pulp and seeds of oranges, grapefruit and other citrus fruit - a byproduct more suitable as cattle feed, but in this product actually marketed to make the consumer think it's "citrus fruit"?.)vegetable oil (could be worse I suppose, but a specific oil like sunflower oil would be preferable.)oat fiber (as opposed to whole grain oats that include the entire range of nutrients?)and some amino acid supplements, rosemary extract, minerals and vitamins.

Just for comparison I'll list the ingredient list of a product that has a similar formula but actually includes clean, good quality ingredients:
Chicken, turkey, chicken meal, turkey meal, brown rice, pearled barley, lamb meal, oatmeal, chicken fat, dried eggs, salmon, natural flavoring, canola oil, flaxseed, fresh potatoes, fresh carrots, fresh peas, whole fresh apples, cranberries, dried chicory root, salt, potassium chloride, lecithin, garlic, vitamins, dehydrated kelp, minerals, yucca schidigera extract, sage extract, digestive enzymes and probiotics.

The manufacturer of the above mentioned quality product guarantees that all ingredients are human grade and free of antibiotics or hormones - an assurance of quality you will never hear from Hill's. If I told you that this food costs about the same (or even less) per 35 lb bag than Science Diet "Advanced Protection", would you believe me? What about if I said that one 35 lb bag of this quality food would last longer than 35 lbs of "Advanced Protection" because it contains less grains and more quality animal protein - and thus is more digestible and provides better nutrition?

So are you still getting scammed or already looking into a better dog food?
Don't be fooled, Hill's is not the only company trying to convince you to shell out your hard earned money for a poor quality product. Many other pet food manufacturers are doing the same thing, all you need to do is watch the cute, colorful commercials on TV or walk down the pet food aisle at your grocery or department store. Heck, even your local pet store is likely to have more crappy brands than good ones on their shelves.

So for the sake of your dog (and the same goes for other pets as well!), next time you go shopping for pet food, don't just toss a random bag with a bargain price tag into the cart, but look at the ingredient list.

Or even better, do your homework beforehand so you actually know what to look for.

Getting healthy dog food will cut down on many health care problem you face with your dog. As stated in the article feeding a dog food with less grains will actually last you longer, thus saving you money!

New Dog Furniture!

Poochieheaven has recently added some great new dog furniture.

They all have some great modern designs and area available in neat colors and designs. The best part is that some are 36" long and work for those medium sized dogs that get left out so often when it comes to cute dog furniture.

Furniture for dogs is a great idea for a lot of people because it offers a classy bed to add to a living area that people view a lot. Also it gives your dog a place to go instead of using your furniture.

Pet treats recalled in salmonella outbreak- PetSmart

(CNN) -- PetSmart is recalling seven of its Grreat Choice dog biscuit products because they contain peanut products made by a company that has been linked to a salmonella outbreak in 43 states and Canada, the Food and Drug Administration said Wednesday.

Peanut butter and peanut paste processed in a Georgia plant have been linked to an outbreak of salmonella.

Dr. Stephen Sundlof, a veterinarian who is the director of the FDA's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said that the risk to animals is minimal but that people who handle contaminated treats could come in contact with the salmonella bacteria.
"It's especially important that children wash their hands after feeding treats to pets" because the bacteria could be on the surface, Sundlof said.
Sundlof said dogs aren't immune to salmonella and in some cases could get sick. They may be lethargic or get bloody diarrhea. On the other hand, they may never show symptoms at all but could still carry the bacteria.
The outbreak of salmonella typhimurium has sickened at least 486 people, killing six, and has been linked to products manufactured by the Peanut Corp. of America in its Blakely, Georgia, plant.
PetSmart said it "is not aware of any reported cases of illness related to these products" but has removed the products from the shelves as a precautionary measure.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials say that of the nearly 500 people sickened, 107 have been hospitalized. The most recent death was recorded Saturday.

The first illnesses were reported September 8, and the most recent illness was reported January 8. The CDC still considers it an ongoing outbreak.
The CDC does not consider salmonella typhimurium any more virulent than any other strain. The strain "is not more or less than we would expect in a normal outbreak," said Dr. Robert Tauxe, deputy director of the CDC Division of Foodborne, Bacterial and Mycotic Diseases.
The FDA had reported that some of the samples from the Georgia plant tested positive for salmonella. On Wednesday, it said one sample was found in a crack of a floorboard near a bathroom and another was found on the floor near pallets in another room. Neither sample tested positive for the specific strain found in the sickened people, however.
Sundlof said the lack of a match makes no difference from a regulatory point of view.
"Those salmonella are not supposed to be there. Having salmonella in the plant is not supposed to happen, regardless if it's the same strain or not," he said.
Peanut butter produced by Peanut Corp. in Georgia is not sold in individual jars in grocery stores, health officials say. However, it is sold to institutions such as nursing homes, schools and cafeterias. Peanut Corp. also produces peanut paste, which is commonly used in cookies, crackers, cake, ice cream and other products, including the Grreat Choice dog biscuits.
Peanut Corp. released a statement Wednesday stating that the company is cooperating with federal and state officials and that it "will address the agency's findings when they are shared with us."
"To date, we have nothing in writing from the agency that documents its findings that result from its ongoing investigation and testing onsite at our facility. We trust that at some point they will share this with us, and PCA will respond accordingly."

Minnesota health officials were the first to link the specific strain of salmonella that made three people ill in one nursing home to an open 5-pound container of peanut butter. Then Connecticut health officials found the same strain in an unopened tub of Peanut Corp.-produced peanut butter.
After interviewing 57 sick people and 399 healthy people, CDC officials found "an association of illness and prepackaged peanut butter crackers in general." These people had consumed specific brands of products, particularly the Austin and Keebler brands, which are manufactured by the Kellogg Co. and have been recalled.
CDC officials recommend that consumers who are uncertain about a product throw out all recalled products. They also suggest avoiding any other products they think could contain ingredients manufactured by Peanut Corp. until they are certain they aren't being recalled.
About 125 products have been recalled. The FDA maintains a regularly updated list at its Web site.
The Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, issued a news release calling for "President Obama to appoint a new FDA commissioner as soon as possible to address peanut butter contamination and a growing list of other food safety problems."

Dalmation Bladder Stone Gene ID'd

Researchers at the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine have identified a gene mutation that causes high levels of uric acid and bladder stones in Dalmatians.

Elevated levels of uric acid is a trait found in all Dalmatians; other dog breeds do not usually product uric acid, according to the university. These high levels can cause bladder stones that often have to be surgically removed.

With this finding, dog breeders may be able to eliminate this trait.

"This defect, which in dogs is peculiar to the entire Dalmatian breed, has been reported for nearly a century and was probably unintentionally introduced as breeders worked to select more distinctive spotting patters," said Danika Bannasch, DVM, Ph.D., lead author on the study.

"It is now possible that this trait can be removed from the breed by crossing Dalmatians with the normal offspring of the original Dalmatian-pointer breeding that occurred in the early 1970s," she said.

The school's Veterinary Genetics Laboratory will being offering DNA testing for the mutation in dogs by Dec. 1st. For details, visit www.vgl.ucdavis.edu.

The discovery will also help scientists better understand the related problem in humans. Elevated levels of uric acid in humans can result in kidney stones, hypertension, and gout, and inflammation of the joints.

The Nov. 7 study published in the scientific journal Public Library of Science was supported, in part, by a fellowship from the Morris Animal Foundation and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases within the National Institutes of Health.

Peanut Butter Recall and Dog Treats

Please note that Poochieheaven's Peanutbutter and Blueberry Dog Treats are not involved in the recall and are 100% safe for you dog.

Here is a message from the baker:

This message is to inform you that STAM Peanut Butter & Blueberry treats are not affected by the recent recall. We use Adam's all-natural peanut butter, which we purchase in jars from local grocery stores.

It appears further investigation is needed to identify the source of the salmonella, but the head of the FDA is saying, "...there is no indication that the major national name-brand jars of peanut butter sold in retails stores are linked to the recall." Officials are focusing on peanut paste, as well as peanut butter, produced at a Blakely, Ga., facility owned by Peanut Corp. of America. Its peanut butter is not sold directly to consumers but distributed to institutions and food companies.

Please contact us if you have any questions.

Thanks.

Take $1 off our peanut butter dog treats by entering PBTREATS at checkout.

Note that while you may be concerned for your order, Salmonella is not as dangerous for dogs as it is humans. Many people feed their dogs a raw diet and thus dog's stomachs are meant to handle this bacteria much better than humans.

Also many treats are baked at high temperatures which eliminates the chances of salmonella. Many of the issues with this recall are items that are not backed and contain pure peanut butter, like Little Debbie Snacks.

So while it is good to be safe, baked dog treats do not pose much of a problem.

Watch that Doggie Door

A cute email I got!

This fawn followed this beagle home ---- right through the doggie door ---- in the Bittinger, MD. area recently. The owner came home to find the visitor had made himself right at home. This hit the 6 o'clock news big time.

Top Dog & Cat Names of 2008

Dogs

Top names

1. Max

2. Bailey

3. Bella

4. Molly

5. Lucy

6. Buddy

7. Maggie

8. Daisy

9. Sophie

10. Chloe

Most unusual

1. Rush Limbark

2. Sirius Lee Handsome

3. Rafikikadiki

4. Low Jack

5. Meatwad

6. Peanut Wigglebutt

7. Scuddles Unterfuss

8. Sophie Touch & Pee

9. Admiral Toot

10. Spatula

Cats

Top names

1. Max

2. Chloe

3. Tigger

4. Tiger

5. Lucy

6. Smokey

7. Oliver

8. Bella

9. Shadow

10. Charlie

Most unusual

1. Edward Scissorpaws

2. Sir Lix-a-lot

3. Optimus Prrrime

4. Buddah Pest

5. Snoop Kitty Kitty

6. Miss Fuzzbutt

7. 80 Bucks

8. Sparklemonkey

9. Rosie Posie Prozac

10. Toot Uncommon

Source:msnbc

Why should I shop with you and not Wal-Mart?

Why should I shop with you and not Wal-Mart?

I’m often told that my products are nice but pricey. Or that I can get dog clothes and beds at Wal-Mart for a 1/3 of your price. Very true, my prices are more than a bed or clothing item you would buy at Wal-Mart, but there is an important part that is not mentioned- Quality. Like all things in life, the higher quality items are going to cost more.

Quality is having your dog sleep on a bed that will actually support their body weight and not flatten after a few weeks. Quality is having a dog bed that you can wash more than three times and it will not fade and come apart.

Quality is feeding your dog what they are made to eat- meat- and not fillers such as soybean meal, wheat, and corn. Quality is feeding your dog food made in the United States and not flown half way across the world. Quality is all-natural and organic ingredients grown in the United States and baked by people in your own backyard.

Quality is buying from designers who originally designed and researched the product, not clothing patterns that have been copied and “stolen” during trade shows. Quality is buying dog clothes that will actually last getting washed after your dog enjoys a few dirty romps in a puddle.

Quality is buying dog toys made to withstand your dog actually playing with them- their intended purpose. Quality is buying dog toys made in the United States that you know won’t be tainted and sicken or even worse kill your dog.

Lastly, quality is good customer service. Wal-Mart employees are not going to be able to tell you what food or treats are best for your dog. They are not going to be able to special order a size or color they don’t carry because you have the largest or smallest (or cutest) dog on earth. Good customer service will be able to tell you how to train your new puppy to sit or why on earth your dog is always going to the bathroom.

This is why should you should shop from me and not Wal-Mart.

Pink the Pig

From an email I got-

Dachshund & Pink the Pig
This Dachshund is fostering this little guy for another mom who couldn't take care of him. He had his eyes closed, but now they are open. He is just a little bigger than her other pups. She loves this little guy as much as the other puppies and she is nursing him back to health. He is the cleanest pig-uppy ever because she licks him all the time.HIS NAME IS PINK....

Valentine's Day Gifts for your Dog

Now with Christmas and New Years over, we get to look forward to the next big holiday- Valentine's Day.

This holiday is a perfect time to shower your love ones- furry and human- with things they will love.

Poochieheaven has recently had added some valentines day dog treats. They are all natural dog treats, which means they are healthy and great tasting. We also have Valentine's Shirts and Collars. Check out all of our Valentine's Day Gifts for Dogs.

As for the human loved ones in your life, Serenityhealth carriers a large selection of wall fountains and comfortable bean bags that might be the perfect option for the non-furry loved ones.