The Best of Everything for Dogs and Cats Dear Friends, Pet Gazette Summer 2007 This issue of the Pet Gazette focuses on the special needs of older dogs and cats, our faithful companions. They have many of the same aging problems as we do ---- less energy, weight gain, stiff muscles and joints, and digestive problems, to name a few. But physical setbacks we once thought inevitable and unavoidable can now be improved with diet, exercise and a few key supplements. Read on and find out how some simple changes can bring out the youngster in your four-legged friend! All The Best, Ira & Susan Moss Who We Are First time you ve heard of All The Best Pet Care? Founded in 1985, we re a locally owned and operated family business offering the best in dog and cat nutrition made with the high quality ingredients your pet deserves. You ll also find the best supplements, treats, toys and cool gear for dogs and cats. Stop by for a free sample of one of our foods or treats! Our girl, Cosa Dulce at age one (above) and at nine years old (left). Senior Diets: New Thinking for Old Dogs Protein and the Aging Kidney Does your senior dog food have very low protein and fat? Until recently, the conventional wisdom was that senior dogs needed a low protein diet to spare their failing kidneys, and very restricted fat to control weight gain. Recent studies have debunked this, however, demonstrating that older dogs need as much protein as before, but from highly usable animal sources instead of poor quality vegetable proteins found abundantly in corn, wheat and soy. Carbohydrates are the real culprits in a dog s expanding waistline. Fewer total carbohydrates and moderate amounts of healthy healing fats can manage weight better. Reflecting this new thinking, Innova Senior Plus has the same protein level as their adult food with less total fat but more Omega-3 fatty acids. Good quality adult formulas are another sensible choice for seniors use the lower end of the feeding level to adjust for less activity. Grain-Free Dry Foods Reduce Carbs & Weight Overweight dogs will benefit from one of the many grain-free high protein, low carb foods that help burn fat Continued on page 3 Stop by one of our convenient store locations: Aurora 13510 Aurora Av N Seattle, WA 98133 206.267.5090 Issaquah 1590 NW Gilman Blvd Issaquah, WA 98027 425.369.8383 Lake City Way 8050 Lake City Way Seattle, WA 98115 206.524.0199 Madison 2713 E Madison Seattle, WA 98112 206.329.8565 Mercer Island 3037 78th Av SE Mercer Is., WA 98040 206.232.4377 Queen Anne 2127 Queen Anne Av N Seattle, WA 98109 206.283.3959 Redmond 17875 Redmond Way Redmond, WA 98052 425.881.2232 Coming Summer 2007! Alki Beach West Seattle - 2820 Alki Av. SW Seattle, WA 98116 206.938.7501
Raw Meat Diet Makes Old Carnivores Young Again Want to revitalize your ailing oldster? We ve witnessed some miraculous improvements simply as a result of switching to a fresh raw diet of human-grade meats, vegetables, healthy oils and small amounts of other good ingredients. Perhaps it s the benefit of nutrients undamaged by cooking or the absence of toxins that would be present in processed foods, but whatever the reasons, seemingly intractable problems of low energy, stiff joints, inflamed skin, chronic poor digestion and overweight have resolved themselves with the new diet. Senior animals should be transitioned very slowly over 2 to 4 weeks to let the digestive system adapt, adding a bit at a time to their regular food. We have recipes and instructions in our stores for preparing raw food at home, or ready-made frozen diets for dogs and cats. Nature s Variety Raw Meat Diets come in chicken, beef, lamb, venison and rabbit. Each variety consists of 95% USDA inspected meat and bone and 5% human quality fruits, vegetables, herbs and supplements. Available in 2 lb. chubs, 8oz. patties and 1oz. medallions. Ask for our introductory Taste of Raw 1 lb. bag of medallions for only $4.99. Signs of Aging Less Energy Trouble Getting Up Increase in Weight Increase in Skin & Coat Problems At What Age Are They Seniors?* Dog under 20 lb 9 years Dog 20 50 lb 8 years Dog 50 90 lb 7 years Dog over 90 lb 6 years * equivalent to 50 years old in human years Pet Food Safety Tips or What We Learned from the Pet Food Recall In light of recent events, we ve been thinking hard about pet food safety. Tainted ingredients triggered the latest recall. Deadly toxins from moldy corn and wheat prompted earlier recalls. While there s no way to guarantee complete safety, these tips may improve the odds: 1. Store dry food in the original bag to retain dating and batch codes. If your pet gets sick, you ll have the right information. 2. Buy dry food in small quantities, not more than a month s worth. It can become stale, moldy or even rancid if left open too long. Roll bag down to squeeze air out and clip shut after use. 4. Look for foods that use human-grade* ingredients. They re stored and handled more carefully than pet-grade ingredients. More expensive, but worth it. 5. Rotate foods frequently or feed a variety, component style. This reduces exposure to any one thing, and helps prevent deficiencies from single food syndrome. 3. If something looks or smells strange, don t serve it. If your pet won t eat it, return it. They have a better sense of smell than you do. Trust their judgment. * Although AAFCO doesn t yet allow the term human-grade to be applied to pet food, the ingredients in the foods we carry come from the same USDA-approved sources. Human-Grade
Becoming A Senior Tooth Decay (needs raw bones, tartar-removing supplement) Loss of Muscle Tone (needs diet high in protein) Weight Gain (needs more exercise, portion control, high protein, low carb diet) Joints Stiff and Painful (needs joint-building supplements, natural anti-inflammatories) Digestion Slows (needs digestive enzymes, probiotic cultures) Human-Grade Beef from Merrick Because beef is less common in dog and cat diets these days, we like to work it into our feeding rotation. One way is with Merrick s Cowboy Cookout human grade canned and dry foods. Cowboy Cookout cans come in both cat and dog recipes that include beef, sweet potatoes, carrots, green beans or snap peas and Granny Smith apples. Cowboy Cookout dry dog food has beef, oatmeal, barley, brown rice, carrots, peas, apples and whole blueberries. If you re concerned about safety as we are, it s comforting to know that Merrick makes all their own foods, both canned and dry, at their plant in Amarillo, Texas. They do not use any glutens or ingredients from China. Tyler Merrick, latest generation of his family-owned business, rides herd on quality control. Senior Diets: New Thinking for Old Dogs Continued from page 1 while preventing hunger and preserving lean muscle mass. EVO Reduced Fat Dog Food has 52% protein, 15% fat and only 12% carbohydrate from potatoes, fruits and vegetables. Other grain-free foods are Nature s Variety Instinct, Wellness CORE and OriJen. Feeding twice a day helps maintain a constant blood sugar level, and adding an extra 30-minute walk or game of catch will bump up the fat-burning metabolism for a slow and steady weight loss. Follow the feeding chart carefully, and even if your dog is quite pudgy, don t reduce portions more than 10% or you will send his metabolism into starvation mode! Serve Up Better Protein Canned food is a good way to increase the amount of high quality protein in your dog s daily fare. Cans from EVO, Nature s Variety, and Wellness are 95% meat and all human-grade. They add moisture and flavor, and are a great way to achieve variety and rotation of ingredients. Single meat cans come in beef. lamb, chicken, turkey, duck, salmon, rabbit and venison. Pairing these cans with a traditional dry food reduces the overall carbohydrates by displacing some of the dry food ration. Adding a raw meat component will do the same thing.
Leading Your Cat to Water Keeping your elder cat well hydrated is crucial to her good health. Aging kidneys need adequate water to flush out wastes and prevent CRF (chronic renal failure), one of the leading causes of death in older cats. Recent studies show that cats eating dry food only are in a constant state of dehydration. One way to increase fluids is by feeding canned or raw foods because they contain 75% moisture. Another way is by giving your cat a drinking fountain. Cats generally won t drink enough from their water bowl, but are attracted to a free-flowing stream (hence their preference for sink or tub). The new Drinkwell Platinum solves the problem admirably with the best design to date. It s quieter, holds more water and filters out more impurities to keep kitty s water fresher. We re so impressed with the improvements that even if you have an earlier model, you just might want to trade up. Get Your Cat s Mojo Working Is your senior cat bored and sleeping too much? Lack of stimulation can prematurely age older cats. Get her to exercise more by providing simulated hunting adventures. Da Bird, world s greatest interactive cat toy, is a wand with a feathered swivel that mimics the movement of an injured bird. Fly it over your cat s head to see her leap for it. Let it linger on the ground so she can sneak up on it and pounce. Be sure to hide it between play sessions. A laser pointer can bring cats to life, too. As they chase the red dot across the room, toss some treats where the dot is for a reward. We like using small high protein treats like Wild Salmon freeze-dried salmon pieces and Whole Life freeze-dried chicken pieces. For extra excitement, a cat tunnel can be incorporated in the games. Toss the treats inside, or have the laser pointer lead your cat in. Our Great China Cat Tunnel makes a cool crackling sound and has two dangling mice on the inside. However you get your cat s heart pumping, it ll keep her busy and happy! Cats don t like to drink water placed near their food because, having evolved as desert-dwellers, they ve learned not to contaminate their water hole with their kill. Try setting up a watering station away from their feeding area. Honeysuckle, the Un-Catnip Another way to enliven your jaded felines and get them to play the weight off try our honeysuckle toys and spray! They re a great cat exerciser and many cats who don t react to catnip will get their groove on with honeysuckle. Cats love rubbing, licking, batting and cuddling with the toys and pillows. Use the spray on scratching posts, tunnels, bedding and worn out toys. You can even spray directly on the floor and let your cat roll around with pleasure! Toys $2.99 to 5.99. Spray 2oz, $7.99 Did you know? Sensitivity to catnip is a genetic trait that doesn t develop until 6 or 7 months of age. About 30% of cats don t possess the gene, especially cats of Asian ancestry.
Becoming A Senior Tooth Decay (needs a tartar-removing supplement) Digestion Slows (needs digestive enzymes, probiotic cultures) Feeding the Elder Cat Weight Gain (needs more exercise, portion control, high protein, low carb diet) Loss of Muscle Tone (needs diet high in protein) Joints Stiff & Painful (needs joint-building supplements, natural anti-inflammatories) Although cats are seniors by the age of ten, they can live to 20 or even 25 with good care and the right food. Proper diet is the most important factor governing feline health in the later years. Sadly, many elder cats suffer from life shortening ailments obesity, diabetes, kidney problems and urinary crystals from eating the wrong diet. The Mother Nature Model Cats fare best with foods that more closely follow their original prey diet high meat, high moisture with few carbohydrates and little or no grain. Many blame dry grain-based cat foods for widespread obesity and diabetes. As true carnivores, cats easily convert protein and fat into energy, but lack the proper enzymes to utilize carbohydrates well, storing them as body fat instead. A raw meat diet is the best feline weight loss regimen. The high protein levels promote hunger-free weight loss while sparing lean muscle and improving the muscle tone. Moisture For Healthy Kidneys The next best food for cats is canned. Like the raw diet, it contains at least 75% moisture, flushing toxins and excess minerals from the kidneys and urinary tract. Cats have a poor thirst drive, and will allow themselves to become mildly dehydrated when eating only dry food. Good quality canned foods are also high in protein and a good bet for safe weight loss. Fatty Acids Help Older Animals Stay Sharp The right fatty acids are essential for keeping a sharp mind, calming inflammation in joints and blood vessels and helping the immune system fight off cancer and other diseases. Two excellent food sources rich in the good fats, Omega-3, EPA and DHA, are sardines and eggs. Give a sardine a day for cats and small dogs and several each day or a whole meal once or twice a week to larger dogs. Sardines in water or in a non-spicy tomato sauce are very much appreciated by both species. TikiCat and Weruva canned cat foods have several whole sardine varieties. Eggs can be fed raw, lightly scrambled or just the yolk where the good fats reside. Our dogs have scrambled eggs with whole grain toast every Sunday morning! A supplement we like is our little fishies Animal Essentials EFA caps that are shaped like tiny whales with a twist off tail. Cats get one per day squeezed into their food, and dogs get one to four depending on size. Because they come in capsules, they stay fresh for a long time and don t have the short shelf life of bottled oils. Cats need a diet with: high meat Grain-Free Dry Foods high moisture Many cats are addicted to dry little or no grains or food, and winning them over to carbohydrates canned or raw takes time and effort, and is not always successful. While conventional dry foods are grain heavy, the new grain-free foods change this paradigm, increasing meat and reducing carbs drastically. EVO cat food is made from fresh human grade chicken and turkey, with 50% protein, 22% fat and only 7% carbohydrates. Wellness CORE cat food, with 50% protein, 18% fat, and 12% carbohydrates, contains human grade turkey, chicken, whitefish, and salmon. Nature s Variety Instinct has a chicken meal and tapioca formula, and will soon have a rabbit formula for cats. Like other dry foods, grain-free kibble lacks moisture and may bring a greater risk of urinary crystals and blockages. However, a 2005 study of grain-free dry cat food at UC Davis suggested that cats will drink up to 50% more water on a high protein dry diet. Still, it s best to incorporate some canned or raw components into your feeding rotation, or introduce a water fountain into your cat s life.
Dental Care at Any Age If you want your fur kids Tomo chews on raw bones. to live a long and healthy life, don t neglect their teeth. If left unchecked, infected teeth and gums can release harmful oral bacteria into the bloodstream, damaging the heart and other organs and shortening lives by two to five years. Professional cleaning by your vet is the surest way to remove tartar deposits that harbor bacteria, but there are some interventions that will allow cleanings to be less frequent or even completely unnecessary. Our favorite way to keep a dog s teeth clean is with raw bones. Gnawing on bones several times a week is Nature s way of flossing. Our seven year old dog, Tomo, has never had a cleaning and his teeth are pearly white with no brown stuff on his gumlime! Additional benefits are sweeter breath and the rapture on your dog s face from the joy of chewing. Check out our wide selection of long-lasting beef and buffalo recreational bones. Whole poultry parts like necks and wings, also known as meal replacement bones, floss the teeth, too. We even carry tiny wingettes and neck sections for cats and tiny dogs. If bones aren t your cup of tea, try Wysong s DentaTreat, our hugely popular food supplement that tastes like parmesan. Especially good for cats and small dogs, DentaTreat contains dental-active cheeses, probiotics, enzymes and minerals that neutralize plaque-forming bacteria and restore the proper acid balance in the mouth. Sprinkle liberally on food at each meal, or make a paste and apply to teeth to dissolve tartar deposits more directly. Pet Food Myth #3: Kibble Cleans Teeth How many times have you heard that hard food cleans teeth? That s like saying eating pretzels is a substitute for brushing. In truth, kibble s slight scraping effect is more than offset by the starchy paste it leaves along the gum line, the perfect medium for plaque-forming bacteria. NEW! Pure Rewards are Pure Bliss When we give our dogs snacks or treats, we want them to be meaty and flavorful, and small enough to give several during a training session without spoiling their dinner. Pure Rewards caters to a dog s inner carnivore with moist, grain-free jerky bits in four varieties beef, venison, venison & salmon, and chicken & lamb. They re 95% meat from USDA approved sources, with added chicory root, sea salt, lecithin and garlic, naturally preserved with vitamin E. Pure Rewards 6oz. $9.99 NEW! Pet Steps Pet Steps give a needed boost to dogs and cats no longer able to jump up onto a bed or couch. Made from the same strong, light-weight materials as our magnificent driftwood cat stands, Pet Steps have carpeted platforms 8 to 12 inches apart. They are attractive and easy to move from room to room. In addition to the elderly and disabled, Pet Steps are a welcome safety aid for toy dogs who sometimes sustain injuries from jumping off furniture. Because they are one-of-kind driftwood creations, no two are identical. Available with one to three platforms, from $54.99 to $99.99.
Put Some Pep in Your Old Dog s Step Does your dog have a hard time getting to his feet or jumping into the car? The most common sign of canine aging is stiff, painful joints, and the larger the animal the earlier these symptoms appear. When the cartilage that cushions joints degenerates, the friction of bone on bone causes swelling and stiffness. But there are some natural remedies that can have your pooch feeling like a puppy again. Glucosamine and chrondroitin supplements have been clinically proven to rebuild joint tissue in dogs, humans and other animals. Liquid Health K-9 Formula contains glucosamine, chondroitin, aloe vera juice and MSM, a natural antiinflammatory pain reliever. Liquid Health Level 5000, with four times the active ingredients, is more concentrated, with additional antioxidants from shark cartilage, cat s claw and grape seed extract. Both are liquids that mix easily into food and absorb better than pills or capsules. We ve seen amazing results, so good that many dogs can be weaned off their prescription drugs. A remedy that works in a different manner is herbal DGP (Dog Gone Pain) from Australia. Anti-inflammatory herbs ease pain from arthritis, degenerative joints and surgical recovery. DGP has been gaining many converts in a trial by Whole Dog Journal, all participating dogs showed a noticeable improvement in their condition, including lifted spirits! Good Digestion to the Rescue! When older dogs and cats begin showing signs of allergies, skin problems, infections and illnesses that their immune systems can t fend off, the underlying difficulty is often their digestive system s declining enzyme-producing capacity. As age sets in, lack of digestive enzymes prevent the absorption of key nutrients that younger animals can easily obtain from the exact same food. A bit of Good Digestion in each meal solves the problem nicely, insuring your pet s immune system gets the vital nutrients it needs to function effectively. In addition to digestive enzymes, Good Digestion contains probiotics, the good gut bugs inhabiting the digestive tracts of all healthy animals, including humans. They set up a probiotic shield that keeps bad bugs (like salmonella, e. coli and various yeasts) in check while assisting in digestive breakdown and vitamin synthesis. Seniors benefit from probiotic replenishment, especially after taking antibiotics, which kill off the good organisms as well as the bad. Loose stools are often a clue that your pet s intestinal flora need to be topped off. Good Digestion 4oz. 17.99 Book Review Home-Prepared Dog and Cat Diets: The Healthful Alternative by Donald R. Strombeck, DVM, PhD. Cats can have arthritis too, evidenced by difficulty jumping up to high places. Healthy Drops, with the same formula as K-9 Liquid Health, comes in a dropper bottle for cats and small dogs. A half tablet of DGP may be administered to cats in need of pain relief. At last there are recipes for prescription diets you can make using pure unprocessed ingredients a far cry from the awful pet-grade stuff in most veterinary diets. In his clinical practice, Dr. Strombeck, also a professor at UC Davis, saw that poor diet was often the underlying reason for health problems in pets. Included are recipes for normal healthy dogs and cats and recipes to treat medical conditions: gastro-intestinal, allergies, pancreatic, heart, renal, hepatic, obesity and urinary tract stone disease. Each medical problem is profiled, and the good doctor also gives us an inside peek at what s really in low quality pet foods.
The Best of Everything for Dogs and Cats Our Nutritional Philosophy We believe the diets of dogs and cats should: 1. Contain only wholesome ingredients fit for human consumption. 2. Have NO chemical additives or preservatives, fillers or by-products. 3. Be high in meat protein and low in grains and carbohydrates. 4. Include some raw food or digestive enzymes daily. 5. Offer variety and rotation of protein sources and other ingredients. 6. Be as minimally processed as possible to preserve nutrient content. 7. Be high in moisture, especially the feline diet. 8. Be as close as practical to a dog or cat s ancestral diet. Visit one of our eight locations: Aurora 13510 Aurora Av N (by Sam s Club) Seattle, WA 98133 206.267.5090 Lake City Way 8050 Lake City Way Seattle, WA 98115 206.524.0199 Madison 2713 E Madison Seattle, WA 98112 206.329.8565 Kittens Seeking Forever Homes Have room in your life for an adorable kitten? Come in and visit! Our Madison, Queen Anne and Mercer Island stores have kittens for adoption courtesy of Feral Care, a nonprofit group that cares for feral cat colonies and places well- socialized formerly feral kittens in new homes. Our Aurora, Lake City, Issaquah and Redmond stores have kittens and adult cats from Purrfect Pals, an independent no-kill shelter. All have been neutered, vaccinated and treated for fleas and parasites. 100% of adoption fees go toward cat rescue work. To learn more about these organizations, please visit feralcare.org and purrfectpals.org. Queen Anne 2127 Queen Anne Av N Seattle, WA 98109 206.283.3959 Issaquah 1590 NW Gilman Blvd (across from QFC) Issaquah, WA 98027 425.369.8383 Alki Beach in West Seattle 2820 Alki Av. SW Seattle, WA 98116 206.938.7501 Your new friend is waiting for you! Open Summer 2007 Mercer Island 3037 78th Av SE Mercer Is., WA 98040 206.232.4377 Redmond 17875 Redmond Way (by Whole Foods) Redmond, WA 98052 425.881.2232 All The Best Pet Care 8050 Lake City Way NE Seattle, WA 98115 Presorted Standard U.S. Postage PAID Seattle, WA Permit No. 5506 printed on recycled paper 2007 All The Best Pet Care