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| Hello Friends! You might have noticed that I'm not in the store as often as I was. I'm still having issues with some Long Covid stuff, mostly speech issues and some mild degree of cognitive trouble. I am however able to do a lot of stuff from home, like this newsletter and and some bookkeeping stuff, etc. I do miss hanging out and catching up with you all! Mike and I still come in here and there to help out with any small troubles or just to visit and get some dog kisses. Speaking of Covid, we're definitely hearing about a Covid resurgence currently, and in fact someone we're close to at the store is home sick as I type this. Boy the COVID sure sucks! Please Be Safe! |
| | DISASTER PREPAIREDNESS!
I've long been a fan of the idea of having something similar to this photo in your wallet, but Mike and I are realizing that if the volcano blows, etc, that we don't want to be tearing around the house trying to find things that we consider important. After years of warnings of Global environmental stress due to rising temperatures, we're hearing every day now about fires, droughts, floods etc. It's unfortunately time to get serious about preparedness. A quick Google turned up this link to an organization that will send you a free pet disaster kit, and I'm sure there are many other sites like that that could be useful tools to help build out your pet's "Go Bag".
I'd say you'd want enough food for 1-2 weeks in the form of kibble, canned, or freeze dried food. Definitely include their meds and some first aid supplies, health records and a few recent photos. Don't forget to bring litter for cats, perhaps pee-pads for dogs and poop bags, and a few toys to help pets and their families keep things light-hearted. We might have some other important pet Go Bag items in the store, such as: collapsable water bowls, food bowls with lids, water bottles (we have a few neat ones, like our nifty Green Dog Logo water bottle!), an extra leash, and a harness and leash for Kitties We can also order things, such as Ruff Wear's Grip Trex boots, Portable Dog Beds, and the amazing "Knot-a hitch" which is a comprehensive and intuitive system allowing dogs to roam at camp while remaining on leash. The Knot-a-Hitch includes a strong, kernmantle rope that can be set up between two trees or secured to a single post using Ruffwear-designed hardware and an easy-to-use tensioning system. Dogs can explore their new surroundings while their human performs camp duties such as setting up the tent, cooking dinner, or building a fire. Mike and I have started realizing that if the volcano blows, etc, that we don't want to be tearing around the house trying to find things that I consider important. We've started loading plastic totes with camping gear, etc.... and luckily Walter loves his crate. (Cat folks might do well by their cats by setting up an open crate in a comfortable place which has a comfy pad inside that is often covered in little treats! Then if they have to travel , they're already comfortable in a crate). Writing this entry today is motivating me to make sure we actually finish that preparedness project! NEWSLETTER SPECIAL! MENTION THIS NEWSLETTER AT THE REGISTER and take 15% OFF OF ONE OF THE PRODUCTS HIGHLIGHTED IN ORANGE ABOVE! |
| | WALTER'S CORNER!
Though Mike and I aren't strangers to fluffy cats, Walter takes the cake. He'd win some sort of fluffy cat contest for sure.His hair is not only fine like cobwebs, but it's about 5" long. One big problem this creates is that litter gets stuck in his pants, and lord knows, cats really love it when you turn them upside down to pick chunks of litter out of their private pants that have turned to cement. I've been working my way through the litter aisle at Green Dog to see which litter does best when it comes to tracking, odor control, and its ability to clump properly without sticking to the bottom of the box and of course whether they cause cement pants.
It's important in my opinion to always avoid Stinky perfumed litter. Cats are very sensitive to smells, and you don't want to create litter box issues. Cats who are uncomfortable using the box can be prone to urinary problems, or peeing in secret places, which can be a big problem for the cat owners! This is why we never carry scented litters. I could go on and on about other opinions about litter do's and don'ts, and why we are so against clay litter, etc,... (OK, the Green Dog in me says I can't just leave it at that; Clay Litters are extracted from the earth through harmful strip-mining and they never ever break down, they're very heavy, and so use more resources to transport, etc,) but I'll restrain myself for now about this issue and return to the original point. Drum Roll Please... As you might have guessed from the giant graphic, The winner is Naturally Fresh! Some litters clumped very quickly like Smart Cat, World's Best and Sustainably yours, and but I didn't love that Smart Cat tended to stick kind of hard to the bottom of the box. Over all, super- fast clumping is nice for short haired cats, but not for the fluffy-butts. All 3 of those of those also tracked a lot, as most all litters do. Naturally fresh is made with ground up walnut shells. They're remarkably good at neutralizing odor without any perfumes. It's soft to the touch but not dusty! ThIs company is also making a positive impact on the planet. They plant lots of walnut trees - thousands every year. They currently have 7,480 solar panels in their production facilities, and the final product creates 130% fewer greenhouse gases emitted than clay litter production.ll Best of all, it hardly tracks, and it doesn't stick in Walter's Fluffy pants except for the occasional tiny bit. We love it! It comes in 14# and 26#
NEWSLETTER SPECIAL! MENTION THIS NEWSLETTER AT THE REGISTER AND TAKE 15% OFF OF ONE BAG OF NATURALLY FRESH LITTER! |
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FIRST MATE DOG KIBBLES HAVE A NEW FLAVOR: Pasture-Raised New Zealand Beef!
We've loved First Mate Brand Dog Foods for a long time.We brought it in 19 years ago actually and have solidly stocked it since. The rep lives right in our neighborhood and has remained one of the best reps in the pet food business, in my opinion. The company is doing excellent work with quality control, inspections, and top- notch ingredients. When I'm talking to a customer that wants to stick with kibble but has had a bad experience with other kibbles due to sensitivities or whatnot, I bring them to the First Mate shelves because their ingredient lists are so short and simple. They also have a high % of meat content, even in their newer "Grain Friendly" formulas. Like all of the kibbles we carry, they do not contain difficult and problematic ingredients like Soy and corn, meat by-product meals, etc (**nothing like that is in any of our foods - we leave that dangerous junk to Purina...) First Mate also makes great canned foods for cats and dogs with simple ingredients!
FirstMate's Beef formulas use pasture-raised New Zealand Beef without added hormones or antibiotics. Their limited ingredient diets are great for dogs with allergies and diet restrictions. Fewer ingredients make this formula easy on digestion.It also comes in a meaty Grain Friendly version! It's available in 5lb and 25lb bags in both Grain Free and Grain Friendly!
A Side Note About Kibbles: All of us at Green Dog are strong advocates of amending kibble diets by adding some amount of non heat-processed whole foods foods as possible when feeding a processed kibble diet, especially those whole foods that are rich in important, delicate and heat-sensitive amino acids like Taurine (Vital for heart health and vision, as well as retaining muscle mass, etc).
Heat processing can damage these important/critical Amino acids. Ask us to point you towards some of our favorite yummy healthful amendments that can improve the quality of any processed diets- we have so many!(Goat Milk,anyone?)
ANYWAY, I DIGRESS...
Simple foods like First Mate kibbles are a great base for those that love the convenience of dry food, and provide some room for sensitive dogs to be able to add some simple-ingredient whole foods! We're proud of the companies we carry, and First Mate stands out as a company that excels when it comes to Quality dry foods! |
| | | EARTH RATED TOYS ARE HERE! Earth Rated is a Canadian company that makes toys for dogs.
*Their toys are made from responsibly sourced natural rubber and are designed to be durable.
*Earth Rated toys are also dishwasher and freezer safe! See them Here
MENTION THIS NEWSLETTER AT THE REGISTER AND TAKE 15% OFF OF ONE EARTH RATED TOY!
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MIKE AND CHRISTINE AND OUR WONDERFUL STAFF SAY THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT!
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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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