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Happy 2021!
Here’s hoping that change is afoot! People ask us when we’ll be letting more people in the store, and I can assure you, we long for the time that we can do this! Curbside is a pretty difficult way for us to do business, and has affected our sales. Customers tend to default to buying food only, which has a very slim margin. Our poor phones are overworked - sorry if you can’t get through sometimes, but it’s probably better for you to email us if you can. The phone literally rings in our hand when we push the button to hang up the last call, and soon we have multiple orders piled up in front of us and people showing up just minutes after they call, with no chance of us putting them together in time. Though having customers in the store would alleviate some of this phone order chaos, we don’t feel like we can effectively protect our own safety with this new more transmissible variant of the virus. Even people on the sidewalk are having a little trouble with the concept of social distancing and masks, and are losing their tempers when we simply ask if they step back, etc. With three immune compromised employees willing to risk their safety to work with us, we have to try our best to control their surroundings and ours as well of course. Most of you have been incredibly supportive of our efforts and we are so grateful to you!
Check out some of the ways we can help you "browse"! - We’re glad to bring merchandise to you if you’d like to see it! If you say you’re looking for a collar with blue and green colors, we’ll grab all of them that might fit the bill and show them to you. Or we can even snap a photo and email it to you. Check out instagram or facebook for products we’re featuring like toys and treats, etc. Need a good training treat? We’ll bring you an armload to choose from! We can also make you tailor-made bulk biscuit assortments.
- We’re still doing harness, sweater, and rain coat fittings for you (inside for safety if your dog is comfortable with it, or carefully on the sidewalk with you).
- We now have all of our chewing options accessible to show you at the front of the store as we know all of these new dogs in town need a variety of interesting things they’re allowed to chew on, for teething, reducing boredom or anxiety issues, or simply for time management reasons for people working from home.
- Check out our two amazing window displays, one for dogs and one for cats. Lissey and Melissa have done a wonderful job making a lot of fun toys, etc available for window shopping. These items will be rotated to allow you to browse for fun stuff!
We also want you to feel free to ask questions. We continue to do nutrition and behavior consultations by email, phone or simply stepping out to the sidewalk to chat about issues you might be dealing with. You might even just be curious about what CBDs are good for, or whether raw food is safe (it surely is, and we can tell you exactly why). This is the core of what we do and what we enjoy doing.
Quick Question For You: Door Dash is putting together a pet supply delivery option. Is this something you’d be interested in, even if it means you’re spending a few extra dollars? Feel free to reply to this email with your thoughts.
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| | ROXBURY BEDS ARE COMING!
We're excited to find a fabulous line of beds that are made right in California! We're bringing in two styles - a bolster rectangle bed (reversible!) and lovely plush donut beds, each in a variety of colors. We were so happy to order these, as we’ve been frustrated by the lack of availability of many products during COVID. We're picky too as we want to find beds with some sort of sustainable feature(s). For example, we loved the look of those Pendleton Beds, but they used to be made in Oregon. Now that they’ve gone all China, we have resisted ordering them again. Unlike many of the other sustainable beds on the market these new beds aren't ridiculously expensive and don't take take weeks and weeks to come! They look great and we can’t wait to see them in person. They should be in in the first part of February!
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A DISCUSSION ABOUT CHEWS FOR DOGS! (AND A FEW FOR CATS)!
There are certainly a lot of safety considerations to be made when you’re choosing any dog chew. You have to factor in how tenacious and destructive your chewer is to make sure she doesn’t break off and swallow big pieces, whether she’s the type that needs to be supervised so that she doesn’t choke on or gulp down something that she’s softened up, and how healthy her teeth are, etc.
The truth is that every chew has some sort of risk, as dogs can be so “creative” about how they approach and handle each item. Any hard item could damage a tooth if the dog were to bear down and try and crush or break it instead of steadily gnawing away at it. Anything that they can soften can become a swallowing or choking hazard, as are things that are too small for their mouths. Other toys like frisbees can wear their teeth down over time making them more vulnerable to damage by harder chews.
Older dogs may also have weaker teeth.
The big thing that people don’t often realize is that dogs that eat dry food their whole lives often have weaker teeth, for two reasons related to processed food diets: 1) All kibble requires the use of starchy carbohydrates to bind the food and make those little nuggets. These simple carbs can linger in their mouths and then break down into simple sugars. Bacteria feed on these sugars and produce acid, which causes tooth decay. 2) These carbohydrates also contain phytic acid found in many plant based foods (grains, peas, lentils, rice, etc) which can inhibit the absorption of calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc, all minerals necessary for oral health.
The takeaway here is NOT that you shouldn’t provide chews to dogs because you fear risk. Chewing is an essential activity for dogs, and those that don’t provide appropriate chews might quickly find their dogs becoming destructive to furniture or shoes, etc.
Chewing can be a very calming activity to anxious dogs, helps to dissipate extra energy that would otherwise distract you from your work at home (it can even wear a dog out as much as a big walk), provides enrichment that helps to alleviate boredom, and most importantly helps to keep teeth cleaner and gums healthier. Coyotes, wolves, etc keep their teeth plaque free with their natural diet of meat, organs and especially crunching through little bones and cartilage, and gnawing the meat and marrow from bigger bones.
The key to safety is choosing something that suits your dog’s chewing style, knowing the risks associated with each type so that you can supervise your dog to make sure that they’re chewing appropriately. Once you feel confident that you know which chews your dog does well with, you can leave them more unsupervised with their favorite chews. Generally, the larger the chew, the safer it is as less of it can be fit into their mouths at a time. Hard chews that are flat generally carry a larger risk of fracturing a tooth than round hard chews, as they can’t bear down as easily on those. Remember that humans who have a tooth that’s on the verge of breaking anyway might find it happening on a piece of popcorn!
Here are some of our favorite chews:
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| BUFFALO SCAPULA AND TRACHEA TUBES!
Edible chews like a buffalo scapulas and trachea tubes are eaten away as they chew, so they’re unlikely to hurt a tooth and big enough not to be swallowed whole. We don’t carry pig ears due to the difficulty of finding a supply that isn’t from factory farmed pigs, but a buffalo scapula ($3.99 ) is like a larger and more durable version of pig ear. They’re not as long lasting as a bully stick, but definitely a good little project, whereas a pig ear is often gone in a flash. Bison Tubes(thicker material $5.99) and Beef trachea Tubes (Thinner but longer $8.99) are another good little project. They’re hard and crunchy and rich in nutrients like glucosamine and chondroitin, which are supportive to your dog’s joint health. For little dogs, we have single small slices of trachea pieces which are a good little project for puppies ($1.49). These small slices can also be purchased in one pound bags, which is a really good deal ($24.99). These bags are actually a wonderful thing for bigger dogs as well. Of course they’re not a big project, but we were surprised to find they take some minutes to work on for many dogs, which can buy you a little time and create a moment of calm for the dog at a good price. Using them every day is a good habit for benefitting dental health as well. Daily chewing arguably gives more benefit than a once a week bully stick. Once you’re happy with how they do with them, they’d be a great treat to give them as you go out the door, to make that moment positive for them, or to reward a great recall.
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| | | BULLY STICKS!
Bully Sticks are a great standby chew. They take some dogs a very long time to chew (especially puppies) and for other dogs it’s quite a bit faster. The upsides are that they’re great teeth cleaners that get way back there to the molars and soften as they chew so can help “floss” a bit. They’re high in protein and low in fat, and are very high value to dogs. The downsides are that they are fairly spendy if you have a super fast chewer ($2.99 - $15.99) and could become a little floppy or stringy depending on your dog’s chewing style. The other potential risk could be swallowing the last piece. We have a few devices to help hold a bully stick or other long chew like Himalayan cheese sticks, but the best strategy is to supervise until you know for sure how your dog manages any chew.
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| ANTLERS!
The longest lasting chew are Elk Antlers. Antlers are very humane as they are naturally shed by deer and elk every year and sold as dog chews. (In nature, forest creatures like squirrels like to chew them too!) They come in a variety of sizes.($12.99-$34.99) The upsides: Nothing outlasts them, and they don’t splinter or stink. Usually they provide months of chewing, so they offset what appears to be a big sticker price. Most antlers are fairly round, which means dogs teeth slip off the sides, encouraging safer gnawing. There’s nothing to ingest so they’re a good thing for crates (unless they’ve worn the antler down small, so be smart about throwing them away if this happens). The downsides of course are that it’s a hard chew, so could hurt a tooth if the dog is intent on trying to break the antler. Vets do worry about this as they are of course the ones that see the instances where teeth are damaged, but honestly we’ve sold thousands of antlers in our 16 years of selling them and have only had 3 or maybe 4 reports of tooth damage (two were older dogs). Smaller softer puppy teeth might conceivably be damaged by hard chews, though to be honest we’ve only see that happen once I believe. This doesn’t mean the risk doesn’t exist, but it hasn’t been often. They’re generally a good tool for them as there are few other ways they could have trouble with them and don’t carry the risks of swallowing or making them need to potty in a crate like a full Kong might, but all chews are a judgement call on your part. There are a few dogs out there that can really burn through an antler quickly, which isn’t ideal. Those dogs probably shouldn’t have them, as they might be wearing their teeth down more quickly. In our opinion those dogs need more exercise to burn off their energy! The flip side is that some dogs are frustrated by not being able to make headway with antlers, so they don’t even bother trying…
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| | | POULTRY NECKS!
Some of the very best teeth cleaners are chicken necks, duck necks and turkey necks (suiting 3 sizes of dog). It’s very true that COOKED poultry bones are very dangerous to dogs, as they can be sharp and splintery. Raw necks are different. The bones in the neck are tiny and crunchy and surrounded in connective tissue and cartilage. They’re safe to chew through and very supportive nutritionally. Our favorite holistic vet recommends three raw poultry parts a week in place of commercial joint supplements, due to the high levels of natural glucosamine and chondroitin and other joint supporting nutrients in the collagen and connective tissues of bone in a highly bio-available state.. As they eat them, their teeth and gums are also getting a great flossing! The enzymes in the raw meat help to fight bacteria in the mouth. Dogs love them, and many cats love chicken necks too (either whole, which is often a young cat’s game, or in 1/2 inch slices). This was Otis’ favorite treat! Check out the video in this blog post and turn on the sound!
Necks have another nice benefit for dogs with anal gland issues – several chicken necks a week can make nice hard stools that help to express the anal glands more effectively.
Most dogs and cats eat necks, chewing it as they go, but I could conceive of a situation where a dog might gulp a whole neck and choke, but I’ve never heard of it. Remember that dogs and cats are designed to eat something like a bird squirrel or rat as well as shearing meat from even larger bones. It’s very enriching for them to work away at it and enjoy it. I also think that a neck would be very digestible if they did swallow a larger piece. Dogs are also designed to bring up a piece of meat that’s too big and re-chew it to give it another go. (Gross, but efficient and natural behavior) Try to choose the appropriate size for your dog and like anything, watch them as they eat them. |
| | | RAW MEATY BONES!
We also carry raw meaty marrow bones (beef and bison) in a variety of sizes. Ideally for safety any recreational bone or chew would be as big as their head, so they can’t bear down on any hard surface, but those aren’t available for us to buy. (Gartner’s maybe?). Perhaps you might choose the larger of the sizes we have so they can’t fit as much between their back teeth . Stripping the bone of the stuff on the outside and emptying the marrow from the center (like a natural Kong!) is the valuable project. Enzymes in the raw meat help to fight bacteria in the mouth and working around all of the surfaces scrubs the teeth. You can leave them to gnaw on the cleaned-out bone, or you might want to chuck it in the curbside compost bin, especially if they’ve eaten kibble for years or have a history of tooth problems. Some dogs will even work away to consume the bone itself - our raw fed dogs on staff often do this and their teeth are sparkling. If they’ve never had a raw meaty bone before, it might be a good idea to introduce it slowly to avoid digestive surprises, either by allowing 15 or so minutes with it and putting it back in the fridge for tomorrow, or cleaning out some of the marrow before giving it to them so they consume less at first (It could be a little rich). Like for our own food, raw meat should be discarded after 3 days in the fridge. Good news: The Primal 6pk of bones ($13.99) has a frequent buyer program!
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| | CHEW STICKS FOR THE
TEENIE WEENIES!
When puppies are super young, they need chews that are softer and smaller than those for older dogs. These Whimzees puppy sticks are so useful for this purpose! They come in 2 sizes: XS/S for puppies as little as 5lb (30 chews gives you a whole month of chews for $9.99), and MD/L for puppies 20lb and up. (14 chews per bag for $9.99) Many of you like the potato based Whimzees sticks, alligators, hedgehogs and toothbrushes for their simple ingredients, great for sensitive tummies, dogs with pancreatitis, protein allergies, etc. We’re happy to have these little puppy versions for the youngsters.
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| | | BIG BONES FOR THE BIG GUYS!
Customers love the 4-5 inch “Split Shins” ($6.99) for dogs that need a project. The downside is that it’s another hard bone, but the upsides are that they’re very durable and even more importantly, they can create another sort of chewing style. They’re covered in dried connective tissue, so dogs have a project to try and strip the outside off. People love them for their big chewers, and also for smaller dogs who like the stripping project. They’re too big to swallow which is nice. They also have a small marrow end that the dogs might spend time trying to lick out. We’re very happy to have found the 9-10” Full Shins too! ($16.99) These have the knuckle on both ends and lots more “project” material on the outside.
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| | CAT CHEWS!
Cat chews are hard to find - Our favorites are freeze dried chicken hearts! They’re a great size as cats need to use their back teeth to bite into them, and their teeth are scrubbed as they do it. (Kind of like those prescription T/D things that scrape the teeth but have ingredients we would certainly not recommend feeding as meals).
Don't miss the the section above about chicken necks with a video of Otis chewing a big piece! Also see this past newsletter for these Fish skin chews! |
| | GREAT POOP BAGS ARE A SUPER GOOD DEAL!
Doo-and-go poop bags are popular because they come in 3 sizes. (8X10”, 10X12”,10X16”). Many folks who have been frustrated by the long shortage of small sized poop bags will be very happy to know that the small size is back! We’ve discounted all three sizes for a time, so they’re really our best value for poop bags! (smalls are 3 cents per bag!) All of our poop bags have some degree of biodegradability, though regulations prohibit the use of the term biodegradable for any poop bag. These have D2W, an additive that helps them break down faster than traditional plastics with access to sun and moisture. The most important sustainability tip is to make sure your dog poop and your bags are not left in the environment at all, as they can contaminate streams and rivers, some of which travel to our water supply. All bags themselves are of course a hazard to wildlife, especially marine animals.
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| | | THERE'S STILL TIME TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF JANUARY SPECIALS!
Lotus Raw Cat = $5 off 24oz / $3 off 16oz!
Vital Essentials Raw Cat = Buy 2 get one free!
Honest Kitchen $8 off of 10lb box!
Nulo Kibble $6 off 24# bag / $4 off 11# / $2 off 5#!
All Nulo sales this month = money donated to Fences For Fido!
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| | | NEIGHBORHOOD NEWS!
Mad Hannah Barroom on Fremont Pivots to become a retail space, “equal parts indie boutique, craft fair and whimsically curated market.” More here
Former Alameda Brewpub is home to a multi-use kitchen, with multiple food businesses sharing the space. Some of you have already found the nifty ice cream shop inside, but other food is coming as well, as early as March. Read here about one of them, with a mention of a bakery as well. More Here
Nepali Kitchen - new restaurant on Fremont! More Here
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THANKS FOR SUPPORTING A LOCALLY OWNED INDEPENDENT STORE! |
| | | | Located in Beaumont Village 4327 NE Fremont Street, Portland, Oregon 97213
Telephone: 503-528-1800
© 2007 - 2015 Green Dog Pet Supply. Green Dog Pet Supply® is a Registered Trademark. |
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