Canned Food

Why feed canned food to your dog or cat? A lot of people don’t know much about canned food, but it has plenty of benefits. Canned food tends to have a higher overall protein content then kibble. The moisture content is great for both dogs and cats, and it almost always gets finicky eaters to gobble down their meal. The downside is the cost, bacteria if left out, and it can cause weight gain.

Canned food tends to have more protein then kibble because the meats in the food are closer to their original state, they also require less carbohydrates and binding agents which are used to keep kibble together. This is especially great for cats since they are carnivores and do not need grains. This provides great protein rich food which both dogs and cats thrive on.

The moisture content in canned food is an awesome feature. Cats generally don’t like water, so it is a nice way to sneak moisture into their diet; because they will generally lick up the gravy in canned food. For older dogs or dogs with dental issues the high moisture content helps make it easier for them to get the food down without the need to chew.   

Finicky or picky dogs can be a pain. Some dogs are just stubborn and will go 2-3 days without eating to prove their point. Dogs will not starve themselves, but as an owner it is alarming when your dog goes this long without food. If you have never tried canned food as a topper we at Poudre Pet and Feed Supply highly recommend it for these situations. Most dogs cannot resist the food when you put a little bit of canned food on it!

There are a few things about canned food that make some people steer away. The cost is usually the first. Canned food tends to be a little pricey if you are trying to feed it alone. We recommend a good mix of can and dry food.  When feeding canned food, do not leave it out for more than one hour as bacteria will begin to form much quicker than dry food. Since canned food is much higher in protein and fat than kibble it is easy for us humans to feed too much. This can cause obesity in our pets which will lessen their quality of life, so again we will recommend a mixture of canned and dry food which will keep pets at a healthy weight!

In the end do not be afraid of canned food, it is a great way to keep your pets happy and healthy and there is nothing better than that!!

Sources
http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/canned-or-dry-dog-food/
http://www.doghealth.com/nutrition/wet-food-vs-dry-food-for-dogs 
http://www.catinfo.org/?link=cannedfoods

Cat Facts

We tend to do a lot of blogging about our canine friends here, so I thought it would be good to change it up and give some love to our feline friends! Now, I personally am no cat expert having never owned a cat myself (although I have been around them a lot). So my first instinct was to head to google and see what I could find. I stumbled upon a lot of interesting Cat factoids. I thought I would share some for those who have never done this.

“On average cats spend 2/3 of their day sleeping.” Seriously? Do cats really sleep that much? This made me think for a minute. I thought about our store cat Ohso, and sure enough I think every time I see Ohso she is sleeping somewhere throughout the North store. This means that a 9 year old cat has really only been awake for 3 years of their life. Weird fact, but at least when they are awake they are hunting and taking care of rodent problems!

“Female cats tend to be right pawed, while male cats are more often left pawed.” I thought this fact was very interesting. How can you tell what paw is dominant. Does this have to do with which paw they use to swat more often, or just a blatant lie? This led me to search and find out. It appears as though there have been many studies conducted to find out. From what I gathered the criteria for deciding is which paw they use for foraging. The numbers do not seem as concrete as male versus female, but more that the majority of cats are ambidextrous but there are cats that have a dominant paw!

“Some cats have survived falls of over 65 feet, due largely to their “righting reflex.” The eyes and balance organs in the inner ear tell it where it is in space so the cat can land on its feet. Even cats without a tail have this ability.” We all know that cats always land on their feet; but that is quite the fall to survive. Cats are quite resilient.

“A cat rubs against people not only to be affectionate but also to mark out its territory with scent glands around its face. The tail area and paws also carry the cat’s scent.^” I had to share this fact, because I always wondered why cats would continue to rub against you even when they know you don’t want them to. Marking their territory makes a lot of sense.

These are just a few facts about cats that interested me, and there are a lot more out there. Cats are quite an interesting animal with a lot of skill and ability. We love cats here at Poudre Pet and Feed Supply, so if anyone has any interesting cat facts please share with us either here or at any of our locations!

Sources

http://facts.randomhistory.com/interesting-facts-about-cats.html

http://pets.thenest.com/cats-dominant-paw-8318.html

http://www.petplace.com/cats/cat-paw-preference/page1.aspx

Bathing your Dog the Bad the Good and How!

The Bad:
There is no real downfall to bathing your dog, the only thing to be worried about is potentially bathing them too much. If bathed to much your dog’s skin and coat will dry out much like our hands do when we wash them excessively.  Bathing your dog removes the natural oils of the skin and coat; so they should only be bathed when they are really dirty, or excessively smelly. If bathed too much they can develop dandruff.

The Good:
Now for the positive! The one that comes to everyone’s mind is the smell. Dogs get stinky that is just the way it goes, but a good quick bath will always take care of that! One of my favorite reasons for bathing my dog is to help with shedding. Bathing your dog will wash away the dead hair that is trapped within your dog’s coat, so it will not continue to end up all over your clothes and furniture.  Another very good reason for bathing your dog is that it allows you to check them for any irregular lumps or bumps that may need to be checked by a vet. By bathing them on a regular routine, but not too often you will know if there is a new lump that was not there before[1]. The ASPCA recommends bathing your dog every 3 months[2].

Tips For How:
The key to a positive experience with your dog’s first bath is to make sure they stay calm, and you stay calm. The first bath is usually a challenge, it was for me anyway; the only thing my dog wanted to do was jump out of the tub. Be sure you are very calm and positive when going into a bathing situation to keep the dog from having a bad experience. One bad experience is very difficult to overcome as they will associate this activity with a negative state of mind, making bathing difficult for a long time. A good way to keep them from fighting you in the beginning and for any bath time really is make sure they are tired when you decide to bathe them. A good way to do it is play fetch beforehand, or take them for a nice long walk[3]. Another small thing that can cause your dog to panic is water temperature. If the water is burning hot, or freezing cold your dog will most likely do anything they can to get away from it. Find a good warm water temperature and go with it. Start with a light stream of water, then increase the water pressure slowly and begin lathering the dog with soap starting with the shoulders. Save the head for last as this tends to cause the most anxiety. Be sure to rinse the soap completely as to not leave behind itchy residue. The key is to remain calm and in control of the situation. As long as you keep it a positive activity and make it part of their routine you should have successful baths for years to come. Dogs will most likely never enjoy a bath, but if done properly they will learn to tolerate them!

[1] http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/virtual-pet-behaviorist/dog-articles/bathing-your-dog

[2] https://www.vetsecure.com/canyonsmallanimalhospital.com/articles/252

[3] http://www.cesarsway.com/dogcare/grooming/How-to-Successfully-Bathe-Your-Dog

How to Brush your Dog’s Teeth

In honor of out upcoming dental clinic, we thought a good dental care article was in order…

How to Brush your Dog’s Teeth

Healthy teeth and gums actually contributes to your pet’s overall health and, ultimately, their lifespan. If plaque and tartar are allowed to progress to the point of an infection, harmful bacteria can enter the bloodstream and can gradually damage vital organs such as the heart, kidneys, and liver. Regular visits to your vet in addition to daily brushing at home is the best way to keep your dog’s teeth healthy.

Introduce the Idea

Slowly introduce your dog to an oral care routine. First, get them comfortable with you touching their mouth and teeth. Gently touch the outside of their cheeks and lips and reward them. Gradually introduce a dab of pet toothpaste on your finger, letting the dog taste it. Never use toothpaste designed for humans, as it can ingredients that are harmful to dogs. Plus, your dog will like the taste of dog toothpaste much better, and it is designed to be swallowed! A dilution of baking soda and water can also be used instead of toothpaste. Make sure to keep brushing sessions brief, just a couple of minutes a day. Praise and reassure your dog to keep the experience positive.

Help dogs get used to the feel of the brush.

Place a pea sized dab of toothpaste on a brush and use a slow circular motion to brush one or two teeth and the adjoining gum line. Over the next several days, slowly increase the number of teeth brushed. Brush in a circular motion, concentrating on the outside surfaces of the teeth and gum lines. If a dog does not like the toothbrush, you can try wrapping your finger with a piece of gauze and scrubbing the teeth in a circular motion.

Protip

Dogs are creatures of habit, so try to brush your pet’s teeth at least 2-3 times a week. Routine is key. In order to make tooth brushing and maintenance a positive experience for all, make sure to use treats and lavish praise upon your dog. 

Intro to Clicker Training

Why is clicker training effective?

When an animal intentionally performs a behavior in order to bring about a desired consequence, as clicker trained animals do, they are learning using “operant conditioning.”

Animals (and people) may also associate an action, event, place, person, or object with a consequence, whether positive or negative. The more a certain event or environment is paired with a particular consequence, the stronger the association. This type of learning is called “classical conditioning” and represents reflexive or automatic behavior, rather than intentional behavior.

While clicker training initially employs classical conditioning, it quickly becomes operant conditioning as soon as the animal intentionally repeats an action in order to earn a reward. Training through operant conditioning results in purposeful behavior, while training through classical conditioning results in habitual behavior.

The difference between an animal that behaves with purpose, rather than by habit, is vast. Clicker trained or operantly conditioned animals try to learn new behaviors. They remember behaviors even years later because they were aware of them as they learned them, rather than acquiring them without awareness. They develop confidence because they have control over the consequences of their actions. They are enthusiastic because they expect those consequences to be pleasurable.

Why is a clicker used?

The essential difference between clicker training and other reward-based training is that the animal is told exactly which behavior earned it a reward. This information is communicated with a distinct and unique sound, a click, which occurs at the same time as the desired behavior. The reward follows.

Without hearing a click during an action, an animal may not connect the reward with that action. Or, the animal may associate the reward with another, unwanted action. With the click, a trainer can precisely “mark” behavior so that the animal knows exactly what it was doing. That’s why clicker trainers call the click an “event marker.” The click also bridges or connects the behavior and its reward, and so is also called a “bridging signal.”

Why use the click? Why not just a word?

A click is more powerful for training than a spoken word because it is not a sound heard by the animal in other circumstances. It means one thing only: a reward is coming because of what you did when you heard the click. It can be produced instantly and at the exact moment a behavior occurs.

Unlike our voices, which can say the same word in different ways, the click sounds the same every time it is heard; its meaning never varies. Humans are highly verbal creatures, but our pets are not. It can be difficult for them to pick out a single word from the stream of meaningless words they hear us speak every day. The click’s meaning, however, is always clear. It is always directed at the animal, and it is always good news.

How does clicker training work?

The trainer clicks at the moment the behavior occurs: the horse raises its hoof, the trainer clicks simultaneously. The dog sits, the trainer clicks. Clicking is like taking a picture of the behavior the trainer wishes to reinforce. After “taking the picture,” the trainer gives the animal something it likes, usually a small piece of food but sometimes play, petting, or other rewards.Very soon (sometimes within two or three clicks), an animal will associate the sound of the click with something it likes: the reward. Since it wishes to repeat that pleasurable experience, it will repeat the action it was doing when it heard the click.

Any behavior can be trained with any animal following these three simple steps:

1. Get the behavior.
2. Mark the behavior.
3. Reinforce the behavior.

http://www.clickertraining.com/whatis

Hi Everyone,

We're happy to be posting up here for the first time. We plan to use this space to post articles about pet health, training and nutrition, as well as updates on upcoming events here at Poudre Pet & Feed Supply.

How to Choose the Right Dog Food

Dogs are omnivorous carnivores. Dogs are members of the order Carnivora, but, unlike cats, are not obligate carnivores. The most current research indicates that dogs are capable of digesting a wide array of foods--both plants and animals--as part of a healthy and complete diet. Keeping that in mind that your dog still requires a meat-centered diet, plants can be a nutritious part of your dog's diet.

Look for high-quality proteins. Proteins can come from both plant and animal sources, but dogs are better able to process meat-based proteins. Raw chicken meat is about 20% protein, whereas corn, a common carbohydrate source in dog food, is only 3% protein. Since dogs are omnivorous carnivores, it is ideal when meat is listed as the first ingredient.  Dog foods that use list a carbohydrate, such as corn, as the first ingredient should be avoided, as this is not a sufficient source of protein. Sometimes dog food companies will list a meal instead of a whole meat source. This is nothing to be too concerned about. It just means that they have removed the water before using it as an ingredient. Companies that list meat by-products, however, can contain everything from beaks to feathers, which dogs do not digest very well.

Choose nutritious carbohydrates from whole grains or vegetables. All dry dog food has to contain some sort of carbohydrate source, which is used as a binder among other things. Dog food companies can use everything from rice, to sweet potatoes, to lentils in their foods. Ingredients such as corn, wheat, soy and gluten, in general, have recently come under fire as being potential allergens in dog food. As such, more and more companies are now offering grain-free, soy-free and corn-free options for your pet. It is important to keep in mind, however, that veterinary nutritionists estimate that only about one in twenty itchy dogs are actually reacting to any of the ingredients found in high-quality, natural dog foods. If a dog isn’t allergic, then corn, wheat or soy are unlikely to present problems.

Poudre Pet & Feed Supply does not sell junk. We stand by every food on our shelf and if for any reason you, your dog or your cat isn't completely happy with something you've bought at Poudre Pet & Feed Supply, please bring it back. We'll trade it out for something that may work better, or simply refund your money.