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Happy Halloween!
Happy Fall, finally!
One of the most fun things about this fall? Halloween Costumes!!! We’ve never had them before, as we didn’t feel like there was much else out there besides cheap made-in-China costumes. But we did find a company in Seattle that hand makes costumes, and they’re so cute!! You’d better hurry though, as they’re going fast. Come grab a costume or Halloween toy or Halloween cookie before Halloween and mention the newsletter to get 20% off of any of those full priced items!
Summer sure has been hanging on, which means a few things to our dog community. First, it might be a challenging end to the flea season, and there are a lot of itchy dogs right now who don’t have fleas at all (see articles below).
Fall also brings with it reduced visibility and hopefully lots of rain for the trees and snow on the mountains. See below for products that can help with keeping you and your pet visible at night and cozy and dry when the weather turns. Don’t miss the discounts!! As newsletter subscribers, you can mention that you saw the featured products (below) in the newsletter and take 15% off of those products any time in the next week! (Through Nov. 4th) We won’t be offering these discounts to the general public, so you’ll have to mention it at the register to receive the discount. We like to offer these Secret discounts to our e-mail newsletter list to reward our regular customers.
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| Light Them Up!
Check out these nifty new light “necklaces”. One size fits all (just trim it down to fit). They’re super visible (even on very fluffy dogs) and the display can be either solid or flashing. We also have a variety of other lights that can attach to a collar or clip to a harness, and Nite Ize also makes a neat flat illuminated strip that attaches with velcro to a collar, harness or leash.
Speaking of leashes, don’t miss out on Cycle Dog’s Max Reflective leashes and collars! They are wildly reflective! The other benefit to them is that they’re made in Portland with recycled bike inner tubes, which are waterproof (with means they don’t get stinky) and they’re easy to grip when they’re wet. BeBop Leashes (made in Gresham) glow in the dark as well as reflect!
Mention the newsletter and get 15% off of any full priced light or reflective leash/collar between now and Nov 4th!
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| Fleas!
This time of year we unfortunately usually see a big “last hurrah” for the flea season. I think this summer wasn’t as bad as in previous summers due to the extended drought, but there are other factors that can make them plentiful in late summer/early fall. We haven’t had too much of a freeze in previous winters (freezes help to curb their numbers), and extended warm weather like we’re having can help them reproduce a few more times before the weather really changes. Then a few other variables conspire to make them troublesome this time of year: people sometimes stop using preventative measures after summer is over but before flea season is technically over. As the rains start they provide moisture that helps fleas thrive, and as cold weather starts to move in, thicker undercoats make fleas harder to find and comb out. Fleas are all too happy to seek shelter in our heated homes, so we might see an increase in flea activity inside as temperatures cool. It’s a great idea to continue to use effective nontoxic repellents to prevent fleas from hitching a ride to begin with! We prefer less toxic but still effective methods to repel and kill fleas to spare our small bodied fur kids from toxic chemicals that are absorbed through the skin.
Mad About Organics has good safe and effective topicals for cats and dogs (did you know their spray repellent is a great mosquito spray for humans too?), and Wondercide (dogs only) is a great spray that can be used on bedding, furniture, floors, etc as well as directly on dogs. It kills eggs, larvae, pupae and adults and is very soothing to itchy skin.
Make sure to use a flea comb every day or two until we get a freeze to check for fleas and flea dirt (Flea dirt = little black specks that tell you that fleas have been on your pet recently. They’re essentially flea poop. Unsure if it’s flea dirt? Put them onto a wet paper towel and let them sit for several minutes - you’ll see a reddish color around it on the paper towel. Since they eat blood, they poop it too). Flea shampoos can help kill fleas and soothe itchy skin, and lots and lots of vacuuming can really go a long way to removing fleas and larvae. If you have a lot of carpeting, consider putting down some Boric Acid in the carpets - it will kill fleas that hatch out of eggs in the carpeting and is safe for cats and dogs to walk on and groom themselves, etc. Come on in and talk to us about fleas if you’re having trouble.
Take 15% off of any full priced flea shampoo, Boric acid, Wondercide, Mad About Organics, or flea comb when you mention this newsletter at the register before Nov 4th!
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Itchy Dogs!
There are a lot of itchy dogs right now who don’t have fleas. We’re moving into our 12th winter, and it seems like every single year at this time we hear a lot of complaints about itchy dogs. We think it must be triggered by the change of seasons. It’s been awfully dry (I know I’m dry and itchy right now!), and as temperatures fluctuate and dogs are going outside where it’s cold and inside where it’s warm, it can create some dryness and itchiness. Perhaps it also has something to do with shedding out their summer coat and growing new undercoats for the winter. As rains start up, molds can flourish which can cause allergy issues as well.
A few things can help with itchiness:
- You might remember from the last newsletter that dried nettles can help a lot to relieve the symptoms of itching while you work on finding the cause.
- Our favorite thing to try first to treat the cause is fish oil. Fish oils are high in Omega 3s which have a natural anti-inflammatory effect in the body, and they really help to support and heal the skin from the inside. They can also help with dryness and flakiness as well, and has numerous other benefits in the body like supporting joint and brain health. We have lots of fish oils with handy pumps for easy dispensing and dosage information for your pet, but if you take fish oil yourself, you can share with your dogs and cats by piercing the capsule and squeezing some on their meals. Start slow and work up if you haven’t given it before, like with any other supplement, to make sure it's sitting well in the belly.
- Of course, the quality of the fats and proteins in the foods they eat have a lot to do with their overall health, especially noticeable in the quality of their skin and coat. Come in and chat with us about their food. Often another brand might have a similar cost but be made with better ingredients (the cost of marketing is often significant, so smaller companies you haven't heard of might be using that money to pay for better quality ingredients instead).
- There are also fabulous shampoos that can help to moisturize and soothe the skin, and topical treatments for sores, hotspots and other irritations.
Mention the newsletter and get 15% off of any fish oil through Nov 4th!
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Protect Their Feet!
If you’re hiking this fall, don’t forget to pack some boots. Longer walks over rocky terrain or snow sometimes result in sore or abraded pads. A boot is a great first aid item to bring along in case your dog cuts a pad (along with some gauze to wrap it first). They’re also handy in the rare case of snow and ice in the neighborhood, when people might be using toxic ice melters. Dogs can ingest these with ice and snow they lick or eat, or later when they lick their feet to clean them (one of our customers had a very serious health problem after doing just this). Companies like Ruff Wear make fantastic boots that will last a lifetime, but they can be expensive if you just use them occasionally. Luckily, we’ve found some low cost, highly practical single boots! We carry 2 colors and 5 sizes, and they easily close with a strip of velcro. One of our employees has had these boots for 6 or 7 years, and has used them in the snow, on hot pavement, for injuries, etc and loves them for their versatility and their ability to stay on, and they're still in great shape! They can be purchased as singles for $2.99 each!
Take 15% off of any boots in the store when you mention this newsletter through Nov 4th!
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| | Calling All Santas!
We are looking for a Santa for this year's Beaumont Village Holiday Festival - are you a Santa? Do you know a Santa? "Santa Paws" is a fun part of the Holiday Fest where people and their pets can get their photos taken with Santa Claus. It will be taking place at Green Dog this year, but we need help to find our Santa. We are looking for a person to volunteer to be Santa for a few hours on the evening of Friday December 4th, and we'll need a costume. If you are a volunteer without a suit, we'll rent one. If you have a suit we can borrow but don't want to be Santa, we'll work on that too! Thanks! (our e-mail is at the bottom of this page)
Thanks to Heather for this fabulous photo of Canine Companions for Independence with Santa. Go CCI! |
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Neighborhood News
Thrive has opened in the old Alameda Cafe space and it's lovely, and we love having such a healthy and delicious option on the street!
Pizzas Abound! - There will soon be 2 new pizza places on NE 42nd, just about across the street from each other. I'm sure neither of them knew about the other until they were well committed, and we wish them both luck! Here's info on one and here's info on the other. Both sound great!
The Refinery is expanding! You'll find Christine at this awesome gym space every week - classes are really fun and challenging. We're happy for them that they will be able to expand into a neighboring space, and they're trying to work out what new features and classes will be available (possibly spinning?). After class you can go next door to the newly expanded Pip's for donuts, because you earned it, right? We love to see our local neighborhood businesses thrive!
Providore Fine Foods - We're excited at how awesome the food scene is becoming on Sandy Blvd! With The Ocean, The Zipper and now Providore Fine Foods, there is no shortage of fabulous eats so close to the neighborhood! Check out all of the neat businesses going into Providore
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| | Nifty Tip!
Check out this great idea we stumbled upon - we thought it was worth passing on. What would happen if you were injured and couldn't get home to your pets right away? Make up a card you can put in your wallet with instructions of who can be contacted to care for your pets in case of emergency.
Thanks so much for your business - we truly appreciate it! See you soon!
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| | | | 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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