10% of Sales to the HOME Team and Milestone Recovery

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I sat in this week on a Community Connection zoom meeting hosted by Milestone Recovery.  Milestone’s mission is to “provide compassionate care and services to empower individuals experiencing substance use disorders, mental illnesses and homelessness to attain an enhanced quality of life regardless of ability to pay.”

Phone number & hours for the HOME Team

The work they do is endless and the need has only been growing.  Among the services Milestone provides is their HOME Team, which stands for ‘Homeless Outreach Mobile Engagement’.  The HOME Team is a small group of just two people on each of two teams, who proactively go into the community to help connect homeless people with whatever resources they most need.  For people in crisis, the HOME Team is a lifeline, and a way to get help without involving the police.  If you find someone desperately in need, camped out in your lobby or doorway, or having a mental health breakdown, call the HOME Team instead of the police.  They will come out and provide help, whether it’s a ride, or transport to a doctor or shelter or substance abuse facility; or warm clothing, or meals.  Call the HOME Team 207-838-8904 or 207-303-2073 9am to 9pm Monday through Friday, 9am to 5pm weekends.

This weekend, 10% of all sales (Saturday and Sunday 2/4-2/5/23)  in our Portland store will be donated to the HOME Team to support their life-saving work.

Our Portland Store is Moving

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We’ve got new digs!

Our Portland store has moved to a brand new space about a half mile east, at 5 India Street! We are in, and we are open!

11/21/22
We opened today at 10am! If you don’t mind navigating around a few boxes yet to be unpacked, we’d love to see you!

11/20/22
We start moving at noon today, and we’ll keep going till every can, pouch, bag and box of food, litter and treats – and everything else – has been moved from our old space to 5 India.

11/18/22
Updates: with a Certificate of Occupancy in hand, we’re definitely moving this Sunday afternoon 11/20/22. We plan to stay open in the old location the whole time. If you come in on Sunday it will be pretty much business as usual, except you’ll see our whole crew there. Those of us who aren’t helping customers will be hauling inventory over to 5 India. We plan to be open for business at our new location Monday morning by 10am.

Monday morning, the remaining two freezers arrive. Tuesday 11/22, both freezers and all shelves will be fully stocked.

We have to temporarily hit ‘pawse’ on the dog wash. We do hope to bring it back at 5 India, but we need a little time to settle in first. Apologies to our current dog wash customers! If you want to convert your Rub A Dub Club card into loyalty points just come in and talk to Colleen or Stephanie, or send us a note here.

11/11/22
We’ve got ductwork and lights now, woo hoo! The cement floor is sealed and the walls and ceiling are painted. It’s starting to take shape. Monday, we move two of our freezers in, and you should see vinyl on the windows. No exterior sign permit yet. Still planning on being open on 11/21 unless something unexpected happens.

11/1/22
We hope to be open (if not completely organized) on 11/21/22. Because this is a new building, it needs to pass final inspection the week before. Till then it’s pretty much business as usual in our old location, with a couple of things to mention:

Frozen Raw: We’ll be moving our freezers over in two stages, and to do that we need to pare down our frozen temporarily. We’ll still have frozen on the shelf but if you want something specific, please try to order in advance online, by email or in person/by phone. Order any week up till midnight Sunday and we’ll have it for you to pick up on Tuesday morning. Take us up on delivery! It’s free for orders $100 and up!

Dog Wash: Get your dog washes in by 11/13! We’ll be disconnecting the grooming tubs on 11/14 in preparation for the move. We haven’t made a final decision on whether to include a dog wash in our new space yet. We will keep you posted!

10/15/22
The actual moving date is, well, a moving target. Original plan was to get the keys and start by moving half the freezers around the 1st of November, then take a couple of weeks, have a big moving sale at the old location, and set up gradually at the new location. But the nationwide labor shortage apparently has not skipped over sheet rockers. They might catch up however, we’re told. So either we start moving 11/1 or sometime up until middle of the month. Regardless of actual date it happens, we are planning on staying open throughout the transition.

10/3/22
The idea is to return to our roots.  We opened on the Hill in 2000, then moved to the Old Port in 2002.  This new space is back toward Munjoy Hill, a half mile from our Commercial Street location, and much bigger.  The parking is much MUCH easier.  We’ve got three 15-minute spots right in front, and another two 15-minute spots right across the street.  There’s an hourly parking lot directly across too, next to the old BenKay space.  There’s also an hourly lot diagonally behind our new location, on Fore Street, and the Ocean Gateway Garage on Fore Street as well.  And, Thames Street, where Speckled Axe and AC Hotel are, is lined with 2-hour meters. Lots of options.  Plus people who love to walk their dogs along the water on the Eastern Promenade Trail will be able to pop in on their route.


We’ll also be expanding our delivery to 5 days/week, with same day delivery for customers who order before say 3pm. But we think customers will want to come in, because the space is going to be so big and beautiful.  We’re planning a 4′ bakery case, two more freezers.  Customers who are looking for a local alternative to the Farmer’s Dog or Ollie will be really happy.  They can get even better quality sous vide or gently cooked pet food with the same kind of ‘set it and forget it’ automatic delivery.  Plus they will be glad to know we support local animal welfare.  We’re a longtime partner of ARLGP and HART as just two examples. And we’re looking to give back more, with more frequent drives and fun ways to donate.

Right now the opening date is a moving target because there is build out to do – in the coming weeks we’ll know (and share) more.

9/26/22

Why, you ask, would we leave our location of 22 years?

Where we have been, in the heart of the Old Port, has become just too hard for our local customers to get to.  The traffic drives everyone nuts and the parking is tough.  Not to mention, the heat and the AC in our old building were not reliable. And in winter, snow would actually get in through the mortar between the bricks.  During nor’easters, rain would find its way in, run along the beams and drip down in various inconvenient places in the store.  It’s time for a change.

We opened up on Munjoy Hill in 2000 with a mission to improve the quality of life of Portland’s pets.  Moving just a half mile east feels like a huge step back to our roots.  Come see us, we can’t wait to show you around our new forever home!

 

How to Teach Your Dog to Swim

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Mercy Learns to Swim

Say your dog wades but won’t swim. Do you let it go at that, or decide you’re going to teach your dog to swim?  I have no doubt what the answer is for me.  All dogs deserve to experience the joy and the physical and emotional good feeling and freedom that swimming brings them.

Swimming feels good

The water is exciting to dogs. It’s is an entirely different playing field for fetching sticks and romping with buddies. And it feels really good, all year round but especially in summer.  For cooling themselves off, your dog only has three tools at their disposal.  There’s panting – not very efficient especially for short-nosed dogs.  There’s sweating through their paws – also not very quick or satisfying.  And there’s moving to a place that’s cooler than their body temperature. That’s it.  By far the fastest (and most fun) way to lower their body heat is to jump into the water.

Weightless & Pain-free

Think about this too – suddenly your dog is weightless. There’s no pressure on the joints. Your dog can move – and burn calories – as if suspended in air.  Imagine how great that feels for an elder pup, for whom even just walking can be painful?

Swimming Builds Confidence

Confidence is the foundations of all training.  It’s the magic ingredient.  Dogs who have a solid foundation of confidence are eager to learn and do more. Dogs who lack confidence are less likely to socialize and take on other challenges, and are more likely to be reactive and exhibit aggressive behavior.  Dogs who have confidence are happier, less stressed, and less reactive.

How We Taught Mercy to Swim

Our 3 year old rescue Mercy is sweet and tends toward being slightly timid. She loves to play at the beach and till just this summer, she would only wade up to her shoulders.  We could see she was thrilled by the water, and she wanted so badly to fetch sticks thrown a little further than her comfort zone. But she couldn’t overcome her fear of not being able to touch bottom.

Now she’s a swimmer. How did I help her to learn?  It was really simple and you can do it easily too.  I outfitted her in a Ruffwear Float Coat sized to fit her core closely.  She’s 66 lbs and wears a Medium, but you’ll want to size your dog according to his or her girth (circumference of the widest part of the chest). I made sure her Float Coat was snug and buckled securely for the perfect fit. We took her to a calm swimming spot on Upper Range Pond on a hot day with some friends who were eager to help.  We started by throwing sticks within her comfort zone (where she’s still able to touch bottom) to build her confidence and stoke her enthusiasm. One of us went into the water to give Mercy a target beyond the stick, and to be sure she would feel as safe as possible venturing out beyond the paws-still-touch-bottom zone.  We gave her lots of praise, and zero pressure.  Gradually we started throwing the stick a little further beyond, and encouraged her to go get it.

We could see that the prospect of crossing over to swimming was so exciting to her that it was a huge carrot in itself.  It was clear she wanted so badly to be able to get to that stick that she would break through on her own, as long as she felt safe.  Watch the video to see how it went!

 

PFDs for Dogs – Our Picks

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Just like people, not all dogs are designed well for swimming.  Most breeds do not have the Lab’s famous webbed toes, and some breeds are in fact particularly water-challenged by their short noses and deep chests.  Some dogs are actually well-designed for the water, but don’t trust it, and their fear of not being able to touch bottom keeps them from partaking of one of the true joys of summer.  Years ago our pug Zip, built like a VW beetle, wouldn’t swim. I’d always put his life jacket on him when we went to beach just in case, and sure enough one day he trotted right out behind me and never seemed to notice that suddenly THIS PUG did not sink like a rock.  The life jacket not only kept him safe, it opened his world. From then on he swam.  Kind of slow and and low, like a tug boat, but that’s a step up from a beetle. Our pug Zip in his Float Coat

Just A Few Reasons Why Every Dog Should Have a Life Jacket

Even dogs who do swim well get tired. I once watched a Chessie try to retrieve a mooring buoy, which of course would not be possible because it’s anchored to the bottom of the bay. But she wouldn’t give up till her owner paddled a canoe out and retrieved their retriever. A dog like that Chessie will not know when she’s exhausted and needs to give up.  And just like people, they lose strength when their muscles get cold.

Senior dogs, with the support of a life jacket, can safely exercise and cool off, without joint pain. It brings them back to life. Having experienced that first hand, I wish every senior dog owner would get one.

We just taught our rescue mix breed Mercy to swim this summer.  Her life jacket gave her the confidence she needed – and now she’s a swimming champ.  Think about how it can build the confidence of a senior or impaired or nervous dog of any age to get in the water.  And a dog who already can swim can stay in the water longer.  And without a doubt, when you get on the boat or hanging out on the dock, be sure every being, not just the humans, has their own PFD, and that it fits well.

Our picks:

Timber LOVES swimming in her float coat

Ruffwear Float Coat™ Dog Life Jacket

Ruffwear‘s is the doggie

PFD we know the best.  We’ve carried it and sold hundreds of them since opening in 2000. As always with R

 

uffwear, expect thoughtful details like a strong handle optimally positioned to lift dogs out of the water. A leash clip-in point under the handle. And, reflective trim to boost visibility in low-light conditions. It’s made with a buoyant and soft, PVC-free foam for both maneuverability and comfort in and out of water.  Fits pretty much all dogs with sizes XXS to XL. Measure your dog’s girth – the widest part of their chest – to best choose size.

Canada Pooch High Tide Life Jacket

Canada Pooch‘s floatation materials are little more bendable, which means it sometimes fits the smaller doggos more Beautiful dog in High Tide Life Vest closely to their core. The High Tide has high buoyancy for safer assisted swimming. That stretchy quality I mentioned above that can make a closer fit on small dogs.  Plus: a double front buckle with zipper closure, a flotation chin pad for extra head support, rust-proof aluminum alloy d-ring for leash attachment, and a durable handle with neoprene padding for easy lift.

Life jackets are on our short list of the dog products that really save lives. If you are planning on spending time on the water with your dog, or you want to teach your dog to swim, get one, and come in to our stores if you need help sizing or fitting.

 

Anxiety in Pets: Fireworks & Thunderstorms

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Golden Retriever pensive in front of US flag and bike Who doesn’t love fireworks and wild summer thunderstorms?  A lot of anxious pets…that’s who!

Summer is ‘Anxiety Season’ for us at The Fish & Bone.  And it’s not just because of weather and pyrotechnics. Summer means road trips, visitors from away, open windows that allow in loud neighborhood noise like construction – and often long days at the beach with pets home alone. Anxiety is suffering, and it’s a year-round condition…in summer, the triggers are just bigger and more frequent.

Our Best Advice

1. Try CBD, CBG and hemp products. Due to state laws, we can only sell them in our brick and mortar stores.  There are choices to make within this category, and in person we can answer your questions about brand, format (ex, straight oils, the most economical; or in chews, or mixed into honey or peanut butter), dosage, and frequency.

2. Try other natural plant-based products like Happy Traveler Chews and Happy Traveler Capsules have worked for many of our customers.  Active ingredients include valerian, St. Jon’s wort, tryptophan and chamomile.

3. Start working out your anxiety solution now (before you need it). It can take a few tries to get the right product, dose and timing for your pet.  We want you on the right path well before the road trip/fireworks/visitors from away/thunderstorm.

4. Remember to administer your chosen remedy before the trigger. It’s easier to prevent anxiety than to dial it down once your pet is anxious.

4. Be sure you are feeding a clean diet.  How your pet feels is strongly influenced by what he or she eats. Eliminate artificial preservatives, by products, fillers, excess starches – these are low quality ingredients that can cause discomfort, which can manifest in anxiety.

Other Things You Can Do to Help Support An Anxious Pet

Set up a ‘safe spot’ where they feel nurtured and protected. Provide a soothing ‘buddy’ toy stuffed with lavender.  Burn off excess energy with extra walks, swims, runs or play sessions before trigger events occur.   Pull the blinds to reduce the visual impact of a storm, put on lights during night time storms, and turn on a fan or other white noise (or TV, radio, or music). During severe storms or fireworks, be sure that someone, ideally you, or a trusted stand-in, is available.  You don’t want to reinforce fear response, but you do want to allow your pet to seek you out for security.  Use the guideline ‘comfort, don’t coddle’ and let your dog come to you if she needs to be reassured.

Sources of Anxiety Can Be Tricky

Anxiety is a broad term that’s applied to any fearful, nervous emotional state.  The source of anxiety isn’t always obvious.  For instance, you might think that your dog hides in the bathtub during thunderstorms because she is afraid of the loud claps of thunder (which would be understandable), but maybe more likely, according to Tufts Animal Behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman, your dog is afraid of the electrostatic charge, which can be really uncomfortable or even painful in large dogs with heavy coats of fur.  As CJ Puotinen points out in the Whole Dog Journal, areas anxious dogs often retreat to during thunderstorms, like bathtubs and behind toilets, provide excellent electrical grounding, and that does suggest that the electrostatic charge, rather than the noise, is what causes the most fear.  Which isn’t to say that she might not also be afraid of the thunder claps or the rain beating on the windows, but they may just be ‘secondarily conditioned fears’, in other words, things your dog has learned to be afraid of because she associates them with the static electricity.

Come see us and our team will help you.

Fish & Bone was started with the goal of helping people help their animals through good natural nutrition.  We are at our happiest when we can help relieve unnecessary suffering – don’t hesitate to come in and see us with your questions.

Flea and Tick Protection & Prevention for Pets

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Ticks Ahead Trail SignIf you are like us and you operate on a ‘natural first’ approach to health, your flea and tick prevention plan for your pets probably makes you wince. We don’t like ticks – and especially don’t like the diseases they can carry – but we definitely don’t like using toxins on our pets either. Chemical flea and tick prevention is a last resort that’s become unfortunately almost an imperative for animals who are active outdoors in New England.

Pick Your Poison – Carefully

For years after opening our first store, we wouldn’t sell chemical flea prevention at all. If that sounds radical, in the early 2000’s it was a lot easier to protect your pets naturally. According the CDC, from 2004 to 2019 the number of tickborne disease cases doubled. Lyme is the most prevalent, but also ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis, are common in the Northeastern US throughout the year now.  As a result we no longer recommend an only-natural prevention plan to customers in the Northeast. If your pet or family can’t tolerate chemical flea and tick prevention, read on – we have solutions for you too. 

Say you are ready to use the most reliable chemical preventatives – they are powerful but remember that none of them is 100% effective solo. Think in layers of protection. Spray yourselves and your pets with a 100% natural flea and tick repellant (see below for our picks) when you head out to the trail, beach or grass – which means pretty much anywhere except maybe an indoor mall.  Monitor for ticks while you are out and do a tick check when you back home. If you can, shed all clothing when you return home and put it into your dryer for 30 minutes at high heat. And when bathing your dog, use a natural flea and tick shampoo/conditioner (see below).  If you follow these steps you will minimize the risk to your pets and your family safely.

Chemical Flea and Tick Prevention

Many pet parents in areas with a high tick presence tell us that the Seresto Collar, available for dogs or cats, is the most reliable for tick prevention.  It starts killing fleas in 24 hours and ticks in 48 hours, it has the highest tick kill rate, it’s waterproof, and the pesiticide works for 8 months.  In June 2022 a congressional report was issued by the Committee on Oversight and Reform claiming that the collar is related to numerous incidents of adverse reactions, including death. In the report, Seresto maker Elanco responds that it is not proven that the collar is the cause in the reported incidents.  I’ve made clear above my stance on chemicals – we wouldn’t use or sell them if we didn’t feel we had to based on prevalence of ticks, and the risk of tickborne disease. Until it’s clear that we have reliable information on its safety, I’m recommending other options over the Seresto collar.

The ‘top spot’ preventatives require application once/month (you can often stretch it to 6 weeks) between the shoulder blades. For years we have carried Frontline for Dogs and Frontline for Cats, or Advantix for dogs without any reported side effects.  Both Frontline and Advantix for Dogs kills fleas as well as ticks in all stages, nymph through adult. Frontline for cats kills all life stages of the flea and tick.  For homes with cats as well as dogs, avoid Advantix because it is not safe for cats. With a multi-pet household there’s a risk you could confuse the two, or your cat could come in contact with it…and why take the chance if you don’t have to. Always, always: wash your hands after application, and avoid touching the area where you applied it for at least 24 hours. Always monitor your pet for adverse reactions the first 24 hours after administering any treatment, and always time the treatments so that you are not administering heartworm for instance on the same day as your flea and tick. Leave a few days between to give your pet’s body and immune system a chance to recover.

Natural Flea and Tick Prevention

For completely natural prevention, you really have to think holistically.  Because you aren’t using the chemicals, it’s even more important that you build up an arsenal of protection. And yes, nutrition plays a role (see below).  Natural flea and tick prevention products we love include shampoos like Skout’s Honor Max Strength Flea & Tick Shampoo for Dogs – it kills ticks, fleas and their larvae.  Bathing too often can dry out the skin and coat, so once every two weeks should be plenty.  For continuous natural repelling, use Earth Animal Flea & Tick Dog Collar for Dogs or Earth Animal Flea & Tick Spot On Treatment for Dogs.

For cats, we recommend Earth Animal Flea & Tick Cat Collar to help repel pets continuously for 3 months. If you prefer a monthly treatment with not collar, use Earth Animal Flea & Tick Spot On Treatment for Cats.  Like Frontline for instance, it comes in a snap-open dropper that you squeeze onto the skin between the shoulder blades.

But wait – your natural arsenal is not complete yet.  Powerful plant-based sprays we love include Skout’s Honor Flea & Tick Dog + Home Spray and Wondercide Flea and Tick Spray Pets + Home – great products that not only kill fleas and ticks and their larvae, but also repels mosquitoes and a number of other pests. We also love Earth Animal Herbal Bug Spray. All of these sprays use cedarwood oil and peppermint oil – powerful essential oils that pests downright hate.  Use them generously; you can’t overdo it.  Bonus – they smell GREAT.  And the essential oils are naturally moisturizing and help nourish dry skin and coat.  Safe on humans as well as pets. For cats, best to spray onto hands and then rub into fur. To treat the area around your house, use Skout’s Honor Flea & Tick Yard Spray.  Each time you treat your yard, it deters pets for two weeks in an area about 5000 square feet.

Flea Combs and Tick Removal

Essential for every household: an effective tick remover like the Tick Key, and a flea comb with a good grip.  Flea combs have very tight teeth – so tight that they’ll catch not just fleas but flea ‘dirt’, aka dried blood from flea bites, tiny black specks that signal the presence of fleas. Check for ticks first thoroughly so that you don’t accidentally pass the flea comb over an attached tick. Removing a tick is not hard, you just have to have a little patience and the right tool. Place the hole of the Tick Key over the attached tick, pull gently to place the tick in the narrow end, and slowly pull. 

The Importance of Diet in Flea and Tick Prevention

Fleas and ticks are parasites, and parasites are opportunistic – they seek the easiest path to a meal – and that means that weaker animals are their first choice. The better the diet is, the healthier your pet’s immune system – and that makes them less attractive to parasites. So, if you are wondering if that premium all natural food, plus supplements like probiotics for immune and gut health, and fish oil to keep the skin and coat healthy (remember their skin is the largest organ in their body and the most important barrier to pests) are worth the cost – YES, they are.  Feed your pets as well as you can reasonably afford to…they will be better equipped to survive and thrive, no matter what they are exposed to, or what adventures they get into.

Love from the Inside – 5 Easy Ways

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The love that we humans get from our animals every day is so healing and so powerful, it softens even the most hardened among us.  Our pets help us through our darkest days and they inspire us to be better humans.

What can we possibly do to repay this incredible gift?  Our job is to do whatever we can to support their health and happiness. To us at Fish & Bone, that translates to  ‘love them from the inside’… nurture their physical and emotional well-being so that they can live their best lives.

Digestive Support

We now know that a healthy gut with diverse flora (a variety of good bacteria) is the heart of our immune system, which keeps us feeling good, and keeps us healthy in face of infection, stress or disease. A healthy gut needs lots and lots of good bacteria and enzymes (which break down protein, fats and carbs into absorbable nutrients).  Start with the best natural diet you can reasonably afford. Visit one of our stores, and we’ll walk you through our aisles and describe all of your options. But let’s say you already have a great base diet. A terrific addition to any processed pet food, and to any change in formulas/rotation, is a good probiotic/enzyme mix…this will have an immediate impact in helping to digest any meal it is added to. When given along with food over time, the benefits multiply.   Also pumpkin is a fantastic addition.  Pumpkin is packed with antioxidants and vitamins, and it has the unique binding properties that help both diarrhea and constipation.  And it’s flavorful, so most animals love it. Keep pumpkin in the pantry in dehydrated form, and just use as much as you need.  Or buy pumpkin by the can, moist and ready to rock the bowl.  Bone broth is dense with nutrients and collagen, which helps heal the lining of the intestines, and dogs and cats love it.  Buy bone broth frozen or shelf-stable and either give it as a treat or as a topper to hydrate a dry or freeze-dried meal. Goat milk is another fantastic digestion-booster as it is rich in enzymes, and tastes like ice cream to your pets.  Get goat milk either frozen or dehydrated and use it as often as you like for a happy healthy gut.

Raw Bones and Brushing

Raw meaty bones have the combination of acidic pH, live enzymes, sinew that acts as floss, and scraping that naturally happens when dogs chew…these factors act together to help remove plaque, inhibit bad bacteria from forming and stimulating the gum line where inflammation often occurs.  Marrow bones contain a lot of fat, so we like to scoop out most of it before giving the bone to our dog as a treat.  Cats enjoy chewing too!  Sinewy chicken wings, necks or backs are perfectly sized for their mouths (dogs can eat them too).  Brushing is the best way to really clean teeth. It doesn’t have to every night, just choose a routine and stick to it.  No matter the age of your pet, start now.  You can get simple starter kits designed for cats, puppies, small to medium dogs or large breeds. Enlist your dog to help in between.  Get a dental toy or ‘diy’ toothbrush, spread it with a peanut butter or poultry toothpaste, and let the chewing (and brushing) begin. But any amount, at any age, is going to have benefits.  Add a plaque-inhibiting powder to the bowl, available for cats and dogs, and try bacteria-reducing water additives, also available for cats and dogs.

Healthy Skin and Coat

Essential fatty acids or EFAs are essential because the body can’t make them, they have to part of the diet. The easiest way to support the skin, provided you’re feeding a healthy base diet, is to add fish oil.  Fish oil is high in long chain omega 3 fatty acids, which go right to the skin cells as well as supporting other organs, like the heart, the eyes and brain. It just doesn’t get much easier…a few squirts on the bowl and your pet will love the taste. Cats love it too.

Pain-free Joints

Cats and dogs can begin to experience joint pain even in their adolescent years. Keeping their weight down is important in order to take stress off their joints. And it will help them live longer. But add a really good joint support supplement, and you will do wonders to ease pain and increase range of mobility.  We love this joint support with green-lipped mussels and curcumin for dogs and cats as a daily topper. Alternate it with Austin & Kat’s more potent version with boswellia and medicinal Reishi mushrooms.  You can also give chrondroitin and glucosamine in the form of joint support treats made with natural seaweed for the best kind of reward…one that will make them feel like a puppy again.

Ease Anxiety

Anxiety is very common in pets, triggered by storms, travel, fireworks, traffic noise, separation, vet visits, changes in their environment like a new pet in the house, or a move to a new home.  Anxiety causes real suffering. But thankfully there are potent natural solutions that work wonders, using plant-based ingredients like valerian, St. Jon’s Wort and tryptophan.  Plan ahead, and give them to your pets well in advance. Our customers’ (and ours as well) favorite solutions are hemp oil-based, but though they are 100% safe and effective, we can only sell them in our brick & mortar stores.  Come see us and our team will walk you through those options.

Dental Chews for Dogs

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Dogs in the Wild Didn’t Eat Dental Chews

Domesticated dogs are prone to gum disease and tooth decay just like people are.  Their ancestors of course didn’t eat dental chews.  But they didn’t eat kibble, milk bones or any other processed foods either.  Dogs in the wild subsisted on a diet of raw, whole prey that in order to consume had to be chewed and pulverized. The combination of not only eating raw meaty tissue rich in enzymes, with a pH that naturally helps to retard plaque, but also by necessity chewing through sometimes fur and stringy, sinewy tissue (like flossing) or cartilage and bone (providing mechanical abrasion), amounted to a more than adequate natural oral care routine.  And that is true for cats in the wild as well.

Domesticated pets need an approximation of that wild brushing and flossing effect to keep their gums and teeth healthy.  Bacterial infections in the mouth can also easily travel to other parts of the body via the many blood vessels that are part of the gums, so the health of teeth and gums are important not just for clean breath, but for the overall health, and longevity, of our pets.Whimzee Toothbrush Chew

Do Dental Chews Really Work?

Honestly, we’re not really sure.  There just isn’t a lot of data out there on dental chews.  Many of our customers are loyal to them, but is it because they really reduce tartar or because dogs love them so much?  Given the size of the pet oral care industry (estimated at $1,564 million for 2020 and growing), they ought to.  Clearly a lot of research has gone into their design.  There’s no doubt about the taste and chew appeal.  As a part of the oral care solution, palatability matters.  Because dogs love them, they will do their part (chewing!) enthusiastically…and cooperation isn’t something you can necessarily count on for other parts of your oral care plan.  Dental chews are designed for maximum exposure to teeth and gums, and for longest possible chew time.  While your dog happily licks and chews, all variety of bristles, bumps and grooves provide gum stimulation and scraping action against the teeth.  Dental chews are intentionally ‘tacky’, grabbing onto and hopefully dislodging film on the surface of teeth.  Depending on which you ‘chews’, ingredients like chlorophyll, cinnamon, turmeric, cloves and parsley may help minimize bacteria & inflammation, and stimulate fresh breath.  

Whether they are effective, or not… don’t rely on dental chews alone to keep teeth clean.  Why?  For one, just like people, dogs often favor chewing on one side of the mouth or the other, which means only half the mouth is receiving full benefit.  Two, even with all-natural ingredients, they are highly processed.  But the most important reason is that your oral care routine will have exponentially greater impact if you approach the problem with from 360 degrees.  Provide dental chews to tap into the natural desire to chew, add a dental powder to their food, put dental water additives in their drinking bowls daily to inhibit plaque and bio-film growth, get an oral care kit with a brush to thoroughly clean the teeth and gum line, and use “brushless” gels and sprays to minimize bacteria between brushing and chewing.  

Raw Marrow BonesAnd please include raw recreational and edible meaty bones.  Raw meaty bones like these from Primal or Northwest Naturals are the original ‘dental chews’.  They are whole foods, unprocessed, and rich in enzymes, collagen, and minerals. The pH helps the saliva to inhibit tartar growth, and your dogs prey drive means enthusiastic chewing and scraping, which will help to physically dislodge calculus.  Beef marrow bones are very high in fat, but you can scrape out nearly all the marrow and it will still provide hours of engaged chewing.  Buffalo is a much leaner alternative, and considered sweeter and softer, so a great choice for older dogs with sensitive teeth, or any dog with food sensitivities. As with all chews, select the appropriate size (bigger than they can fit in their mouths…rule of thumb, ‘as big as their head’) and monitor as they chew/remove if it becomes too small, or breaks into pieces.

Are dental chews safe and digestible?

Dental chews have evolved since the early 2000’s when first generation Greenies were causing blockages and other digestive problems.  For healthy dogs, if provided with the appropriately-sized chew, plenty of fresh water, and monitoring, they are believed to be as safe as any other thing your dog will want to gnaw on….depending on who you talk to!  What do we believe?  Raw bones should be your first choice, but not everyone is open to raGreenies Dental Cheww.  Dental chews are a reasonable option as part of your routine, and may have a positive impact.  Just remember that nothing replaces brushing, except perhaps consistently providing appropriately-chosen raw bones.  If you are providing dental chews, alwayArk Naturals Brushless Toothpaste Dental Chewss look for natural ingredients that you easily recognize (and can pronounce). Avoid artificial dyes, preservatives (like BHA, not FDA-approved safe for people so your dog shouldn’t have it either) and ingredients like propylene glycol (petroleum derivative), carrageenan (inflammatory) and by-products. We prefer edibles to have simple ingredients panels, but with scientifically-engineered dental products that is not common.  Our most popular chews are Missing Link Smartmouth Original Dental Chews and PlaqueOff Bacon chews. 

But what about digestibility?  It’s hard to say whether, once chewed into pieces and swallowed, the ingredients are being simply passed or digested.  So we’re running our own (admittedly rudimentary) science project.  What happens when you soak them in everyday water, and how long does it take for one to soften and eventually break down?  Stay tuned for un update.