Bark ‘N Bubbles Self Dog Wash–10% off bathing package (inside front)
All Friends Pet Care–$25 off first booking (inside front)
Sunset Pet Services–10% off any urn (p. 3)
The Dog Eaze Inn– 1 free doggy play day (p.5)
Doody Calls Pet Waste Removal–$23 off first month (p. 27)
Loyalty Pet Care Services–$25 off first month midday dog walks (p.27)
Bings Barkin Bakery–10% off first order (p. 27)
Canine Caterers Dog Food Delivery–20% off first order (inside back)
Dogs can experience the same Winter Woes as humans; dry itchy skin! Cooler weather can be pretty harsh on your dog’s skin and coat.
Be sure not to overly bathe your pet during the colder months (or dry weather). A dog’s skin has a tendency to become extra dry and flaky during cooler weather and giving too many baths can strip away essential oils in their skin; increasing the dryness. Every 6 to 8 weeks is a good time frame. Using an oatmeal-based shampoo can help soothe itchy, flakey winter skin.
Continually brushing your dog will help to remove any extra dander, skin cells and hair to keep the coat healthy. It also helps to stimulate the creation of oils to give your pet’s coat the moisture it needs.
A balanced, high-quality diet is essential for maintaining a healthy coat. Look for food containing Omega-3 fatty acids and Vitamin E, and only add oils to your dog’s food when recommended by your vet.
When you come in for a bath be sure to get your pet as dry as possible so he’s not wet and facing the cold winter winds, which can cause “wet tail,” where the tail becomes stiff and sore for a period of time.
Dog Paws—Colder weather can cause great issues with your dog’s pads as well.
When there’s ice and snow, you can expect various melting products to be on the ground. The ice and salt can dry out your pet’s paws causing them to crack. It is a good idea to:
• Wipe off your pets feet with a wet rag after each walk
• Make sure the hair between your pets pads is always trimmed to cut down on the collection of ice and salt
• Place a pad balm on your pet’s paws to create a protective layering between the pads and the harsh ground.
Pamela M. Ahart, and her business partner Dani Weng, own Bark ‘N Bubbles, a premier facility where dog owners can self bathe their dogs, enjoy the social dog atmosphere in the “Bark Lounge” take pet first aid courses and retail shop for their dogs. They strongly believe that “A regularly bathed pet is a healthier, happier pet.” To find a Northern Virginia location near you, visit www.barknbubblesdogwash.com.
“Bark For Life” – American Cancer Society, Canine Relay for Life of Fauquier
The leaves are changing color, the air is cool and refreshing, what better a time to leash up your pup and head out to the countryside for a walk! Enjoy the beautiful fall weather and colors, get some exercise with your pup, all while supporting a very worthy cause, what could be better?
This Saturday, October 31st, the American Cancer Society is hosting the first annual Canine Relay for Life of Fauquier. The event will be held at the American Legion in Warrenton, VA. For more details, to pre-register or to donate visit: “Bark For Life”
Registration is from 8-9AM, then the fun begins (barks, kisses, wags, walks and sniffing), and runs until 12 PM when the closing ceremony is held. Pull together a group of friends (even the dog-less ones) and head out for some fun! The Fauquier SPCA will have shelter dogs available to walk if you don’t have your own four legged friend.
One month into the Fitness Challenge—Tippy is doing well and adjusting to her lifestyle changes. Lesley and Carol from Dog On Fitness come to our home three times a week for exercise. They have taken her to the local dog parks and used the agility equipment as well as walks in the neighborhood where she does brisk walks with some jogging. We do our part by walking Tippy at least 30 minutes on the other days and incorporating the techniques the trainers are using.
Tippy has never really been a great walker because she is fearful of loud sounds. Walks with her in the past included her having to be dragged along while she put on the brakes. Braking so hard sometimes that she pulled out of her collar. Then when we turned toward home she would drag us home. Our arms felt like they were coming out of their socket—with the help of Lesley and Carol that has been greatly reduced. In the last month we have found walks with Tippy are much more enjoyable and we actually look forward to taking her out.
We weighed her in last week and her weight was 63.5lbs. She actually gained about a pound, so after an email to Kate at Canine Caterers we have made some adjustments in Tippy’s diet and we will weigh her again in a couple of weeks to see if that is working. We were surprised to see the weight gain because Tippy actually looks trimmer through the waist and is much more energetic.
We are confident that Tippy will be successful in the end because she has so many great people working to help her achieve the goal.
Amy Peterson and her husband Jim live in Herndon, VA with their two kids Caroline and Collin. Their dog Tippy, was chosen as the winner to participate in the NOVADog Fitness Challenge. Our vet consultant says that Tippy has about 12 pounds to lose during the 6-month Fitness Challenge, which runs through March of 2010. We invite our readers to check back often to follow her progress and read interesting articles about canine health, fitness, and nutrition.
Halloween is a time of fun and excitement for everyone. However, for many family pets, it can be a time filled with stress and anxiety. To ensure that your dog is safe and happy this Halloween, consider the following tips:
Have a safe and happy Howl-O-Ween!
Dogtopia is hosting its Annual Howl-O-Ween Costume Contest. Think your dog’s the spookiest, cutest or most original around? Submit your picture! Visit www.dogdaycare.com for more information.
Alexandra Bowens is the Marketing Manager for Dogtopia—a dog daycare, boarding and spa facility with five locations in Northern Virginia. Dogs are free to romp and play in open playrooms, monitored by staff trained in pack management and dog behavior. Live webcams on the company’s website www.dogdaycare.com offer a peak into the fun.
My yellow lab Piggy can eat just about anything – bananas, pineapple, olives, the occasional chicken poop – all with absolutely no stomach upset. Now my sister’s Dopus (aka Doberman) gets diarrhea dribble if you look at her the wrong way. And then you end up with disinfectant and a lot of paper towel trying to get every last molecule out from between the floorboards. Well, maybe that’s just me. But either way, its seriously not fun.
Every dog has a different degree of sensitivity to ingredients so a change in dog food can create some very messy cleanups. All new Canine Caterers clients get the same “switching your dog food” chat. Total Focus, our exclusive super premium dry dog food, is very nutrient dense, chock full of vegetables, supplements, probiotics, prebiotics and more so I always suggest a gradual switch over the course of one to two weeks. Many dogs have been on the same food all of their lives, so it is reasonable that a dog might need some time to adjust.
Begin the switch by decreasing your current food slightly and adding the new food in its place. Over the course of one to two weeks, continue increasing the new food and decreasing the old one. As long as your dog doesn’t show any signs of stomach upset or intolerance, you’re golden. But if your dog does have loose stools and/or vomiting, you can feed him brown rice and a plain protein (unseasoned chicken, beef etc) for a day or so and then begin or resume the gradual change over again. Just because your dog suffers a few side effects from the new food doesn’t mean it is not going to work for him. Some dogs may take four weeks or more to fully adjust. However, if he’s not improving after several tries and plenty of time has elapsed, your dog may truly have sensitivity to one or more ingredients in the food.
If you are switching to a food you know is truly an all natural superior food, give the food some time to settle. Though it may take a while, the payoff from switching from an air puffed inferior food can be tremendous. Our clients see a marked improvement in the appearance of their dog’s coat, skin, eyes, gums, energy levels and overall vitality. Worth a week of dribble, wouldn’t you say?
Kate LoStracco is managing partner of Canine Caterers a local family-owned and operated company delivering super premium pet food—right to your door. Reach her at info@caninecaterers.com. Canine Caterers is participating in the NOVADog Canine Fitness Challenge, by donating healthy meals to our winner, Tippy Peterson.
The cover of the Fall issue of NOVADog Magazine was photographed by Bev Hollis in her wonderfully rustic Purcellville, VA barn studio. I always find it so interesting to attend photo shoots and to see the photographer in action. Bev has a unique perspective because she is also a veterinarian.
We had a ball with June, the 11-month-old Jack Russell (who was in heat, by the way, so hence the diaper) and she was SO good. Hard to believe that she is so young. Of course Jaclyn Koblos, her owner, had her out on a Labor Day camping trip, so she was pretty tired out. I’d like to thank Bev, her assistant Michelle (who did all of the light metering and played the part of “June” until we were ready for her) and of course Jaclyn and June for helping to produce our wonderful and festive fall cover! (click to enlarge the photos below)
Getting the lighting just right
June, waiting for her big moment
The "set up." I love the rustic feel of Bev's studio!
We were really excited to be picked for the NOVA Dog Magazine Canine Fitness Challenge. Our dog Tippy…not so much. She really likes her couch potato lifestyle. However, since we’ve had our first meeting with DogOn Fitness she is slowly coming around to the idea of exercise. Her trainers (Carol, Neil and Lesley), have been great. Tippy is a very sweet dog, but is fearful. So the trainers showed us some techniques we can use to make her walks more productive. They also encouraged us to take her to the dog park to play as well to switch up her routine. The one thing Tippy took to without any hesitation was the food provided by Canine Caterers. There is nothing she has not eaten happily. Tippy started this challenge weighing 62.3 lbs and we are hoping she weighs 50-55lbs by the end. Stay tuned…
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Amy Peterson and her husband Jim live in Herndon, VA with their two kids Caroline and Collin. Their dog Tippy, was chosen as the winner to participate in the NOVADog Fitness Challenge. Our vet consultant says that Tippy has about 12 pounds to lose during the 6-month Fitness Challenge, which runs through March of 2010. We invite our readers to check back often to follow her progress and read interesting articles about canine health, fitness, and nutrition.
Last spring and summer, we invited our readers to send in photos of their “couch potato” dogs in need of a fitness makeover. We have finalized our selection, and would like to introduce you to our winning candidate, Tippy Peterson. (pictured at right with her family) She is a four-year-old mixed breed from Herndon, VA. During a kick-off celebration at the Bark ‘N Bubbles in Herndon, Tippy received some extra special pampering and a doggy “spaw” treatment in preparation for her photo shoot with Megan Lee, of Paws and Claws Photography. Tippy will also receive six months of a healthy diet, courtesy of Canine Caterers; a personalized fitness plan from DogOn Fitness; Wellness visits and weigh-in appointments at Caring Hands Animal Hospital; and more pampering from Bark ‘N Bubbles Dog Wash.
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