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4th of July is Near, And So Is a Secret Sale!
(Don't Miss Two Very Important Announcements Below)
Dogs all over the country are challenged by the noise of this holiday, but Portland seems to have a rather extraordinary affinity for illegal fireworks which creates a serious problem for many pet owners.
We’re here to help! Please read this blog postfor important safety tips you might not have considered and recommendations for products that can really help.
Though everyone should read it (did you know there’s a product some vets recommend for anxiety that actually can make dogs more sensitive to noise? Did you know that there's also a common calming herb for pets that works like a charm for most, but sometimes has the opposite effect?), if you’ve gotten a new pet this year, it’s very important that you’re home for their first July 4th and that you make it a positive event. If you have pets that are stressed by the noise, you might consider stocking up on calming treats and Thundershirts. Sarah J (one of our managers) has a very frightened dog every 4th of July (that's him in the photo), and she’s come up with a great "cocktail" for him: CBD treats, a calming tincture called Tranquility Blend, and a Thundershirt. It’s still not a “fun” time, but it’s the best he’s done so far.
We have a good selection of different calming treats and tinctures. We’ve had great results with each of them, but remember that every pet responds differently to different formulas – now’s the time to try them to see how they affect your pets, so you have time to return one and try another if it didn’t help during these pesky “warm-up” days where people start setting fireworks off in the evenings before the 4th.
Luckily, we’ve got a Secret Sale planned to help you save some money if you need these sorts of tools and perhaps some advice. On Saturday June 23rd from 10-6 save 15% on all regularly priced products that aren’t pet food! Leashes, collars, treats, toys, chews, beds, supplements, etc are all on sale! Remember - Secret Sales are just for you, our loyal newsletter readers. It’s a Secret! In order to get your discount, you’ll have to let the person at the counter know that you got our newsletter, even if it's just a knowing wink and a nod! You are welcome to tell your friends that if they put their e-mail on our newsletter sign-up sheet when they come, they can take advantage of the sale too. Read On for Two Important Announcements,
and news about our first photo contest!
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| | Tuesday July 4th HOLIDAY HOURS: We will be open from 10am - 4pm |
| | Important Discussion For Those That Feed Kibble (Dry food) to Dogs:
New Health Problems Reported.
These Problems Are Easy To AvoidStory At-A-Glance:
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Some breeds of dogs are genetically predisposed to heart problems like
cardiomyopathy, but UC Davis Veterinarians are reporting a concerning
increase lately in dogs due to a nutritional deficiency of taurine.
- There has been a surge in the number of Golden Retrievers with this issue, but it has been found in other breeds as well. Cats can also benefit greatly from this info.
- Correlations have been made between low taurine levels and grain free dry foods, but more research is needed. We explain what might be the cause.
- Good news! Research shows taurine deficiencies are easily resolved!
All
people who feed kibble diets to dogs should be taking these simple
inexpensive measures to prevent (or help to treat) cardiomyopathy and
other heart problems.
Here's the link |
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Attention Pure Vita, Nutrisource and Natural Planet Feeders
We
have made the very difficult decision to pull KLN brands containing
salmon off of our shelves due to their decision to include farmed
salmon in these foods. This will include Pure Vita Salmon for dogs and
cats, Both Natural Planet recipes, and Nutrisource Seafood, Lamb and
Chicken. We are so sad that they have made the decision to
include farmed salmon in their formulas, as we know how much many of
you love and rely on the salmon formulas they make - we hate to take them
away from you. We are trying to convince KLN to reverse this decision
and will bring it back if they do. They have communicated really well
with us about this, asking many great questions about the issue, and they are
going to be meeting about this in the next few weeks. We hope to bring
you good news. We have some good recommendations for substitutions and
will make sure your frequent buyer cards are carried over. Make sure to get your next bag of food before your current bag runs out, so you can blend in a new food to introduce it.
We have made a policy in our store to do what we can to avoid farmed salmon in the store. Why is this important?
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The process of farming salmon encloses large numbers of fish in small
pens, polluting the water with fecal matter and chemical waste.
According to Scotland's World Wildlife Fund, salmon farms there produce
nitrogen wastes equal to a human population of more than nine million
people.
- Overcrowded conditions lead to unhealthy conditions and
outbreaks of contagious disease leading to massive antibiotic use which
promotes the spread of antibiotic-resistance in both human and fish
pathogens common to both humans and fish, such as Streptococcus.
- This practice is seriously harmful to wild salmon.
- Most importantly,
it’s unhealthy to eat farmed salmon regularly, as the fish are fed food
contaminated with dioxins, resulting in high levels of PCBs in the
flesh of the fish. The journal Science performed a study which is being
considered the most thorough analysis of farmed and wild salmon to date,
which found in most cases that consuming more than one serving of
farmed salmon per month could pose unacceptable cancer risks for humans.
Our pets are smaller than we are, and most of them consume the same
food every day, for every meal, day in and day out. (This is one of the
main reasons we are big proponents of rotation of food for our pets -
nutritional variety is important for all of us, ensuring a broader range
of nutrients as well as the minimization of the potential contaminants
found in our food supply.) |
| | WalkyDog Bike Attachment!
We
carried these years ago in our old location and our customers really
liked them. Then the company told us they stopped selling wholesale and we were bummed. Six
months or so ago we saw another store announcing that they were carrying
them, but we couldn’t seem to contact the makers successfully. Finally
some success! Walky Dogs are back in the store. With his smart design,
the bike attachment installs quickly and remains on your bike, and the
leash attachment just pops on and off - truly a quick release. The cord
can be adjusted slightly for length, but will keep the dog from crossing
in front of or behind the bike, unlike a traditional leash. There is a patented internal spring system that absorbs shock. You can
also use the bike attachment as a leash when you’re out on a bike trip
and want to take a break and walk around.
Important safety tips: Your
dog should be at least a year to a year and a half old and at least
30lbs (Here’s a neat link to an option for smaller dogs). Short faced
dogs like bulldogs and pugs are not appropriate breeds to participate in
this activity. You should introduce this slowly, walking alongside your
bike with your dog on a normal leash. When they are comfortable with
this, attach the dog to the Walky Dog and continue to walk alongside
your bike, getting them used to you turning in different directions and rewarding frequently. When biking, choose the coolest part of the day and start
with a very short distance in an area with very few distractions. Use a
harness, preferably a padded one that doesn’t rub in their armpits. Ruff
Wear’s Front Range Harness is ideal. Protect their pads for longer
trips - Musher’s Secret is a great way to do this. Don’t run (or take
walks) on hot pavement. Let the dog choose the pace. Pay attention to
them when you stop. Are they laying down or panting for 10 minutes?
You’ve gone too far. Build up their endurance, and probably don’t go
more than a mile or two, unless your dog has been running with you
greater distances already. Dogs aren’t really designed as endurance
runners. This is however a great way to exercise them more quickly
before work when you don’t have a lot of time - a spin around the block
after they’ve relieved themselves can be a good way to burn some energy
for an athletic dog. And many dogs think it’s a blast! Here’s a helpful
video about introducing a bike attachment (though please ignore the collar corrections. Just check out how to start the process of getting used to walking alongside a bike). |
| | July 3rd Calming Treats!
Not just for Independence day, this calming chew from Herbsmith helps to promote a sense of relaxation and to support a normal emotional balance. It did work very well last year for many dogs on the 4th of July, but it can also help to maintain a normal, content, and relaxed disposition during other times that may cause anxiousness, such as changes in your pet’s daily routine, separation, thunderstorms, trips to the groomer, meeting strangers, traveling, or boarding. If you just need it for occasional events, they make a small inexpensive vial of just a few doses, which is really handy (we also carry the larger size). Containing valerian, chamomile, thiamine, L-Tryptophan, and passion flower, July Third has impressed us with its effects. It’s probably a good idea to ask your vet before using any calming products as there are just a few medications that might conflict with them - here’s a link that lists a few drug interaction precautions (under feeding directions) |
| | Select Pet CBD Tincture You may not know, but we have an excellent collection of CBD products, and we couldn’t be more grateful to be able to carry them. They’ve been such a valuable tool for our customers to manage issues like pain and stiffness, inflammation, anxiety, for appetite stimulation and nausea, and they’ve been a miracle for seizures. One tough thing though is to get them into really picky dogs or especially cats. Hemp tinctures can be anywhere from a little funky tasting to downright bitter. Even some really picky dogs have enjoyed the CBD treats, but of course there are others that will never touch a dry biscuit or who have food sensitivities. This tincture is amazing, as it has almost no flavor at all - it’s in a coconut oil base, but it doesn’t even taste like coconut - it just tastes like plain oil. This is wonderful, as it’s so easy to hide in anything. Our 17 year old Otis the picky cat is finally able to get CBDs, which has really helped his stiffness/limping when he first gets up, and it's also much easier for him to jump up onto the couch. We have several employees using it with their sore dogs, and they’ve noticed a big improvement in both mobility and pain issues as well as their mood. It’s made right here in Portland by really nice folks, and like each CBD product we’ve brought in, they use excellent pure extraction and growing methods. Best thing of all: it’s the most reasonably priced CBD tincture around - what a relief to big dog owners on a budget! CBDs can be safely combined with any medication, as well as other calming products. Pro Tip: Sometimes noise sensitivity later in life can be a big red flag for pain issues! CBDs can really help. See our Blog Post on July 4th Tips for using CBDs for fireworks anxiety and for an explanation of how CBDs work in the body
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| | Haven Hearts - Vegan Dog Treats With A Purpose!
Made right in Portland, 100% of this company's profits from these treats is devoted to giving rescued animals safe haven! 80% of profits go toward a lifetime sponsorship for a rescued animal in need. This animal's picture and story is attached to the bag of treats that you buy. The other 20% of profits goes to a
general fund, out of which they are able to give to animal sanctuaries for
emergency expenses, like medical costs and urgently needed equipment. These treats make great gifts!
They make their treats with the highest quality organic ingredients that your pup will love—for them, for the animals, and for the earth. More here |
| | Great News - All Cat Litter, Stella and Chewy's Kibbles, and Answers Raw Foods Have Frequent Buyer Cards Now! YAY SAVINGS!
Answers Brand is already one of our very favorite brands in the store. Their foods are second to none - they own many of their own animals and have very strict sourcing guidelines, including pastured meats and organic veggies. They go a step further by fermenting those veggies and amending their foods with other fermented ingredients, to fortify your pet's digestive health and therefore their immune system. It's also an innovative and effective way to protect the foods from pathogenic bacteria and keep them safe after you open them. Their goat's milk is probably our favorite product in the store, and yes, the frequent buyer program also covers goat's milk, cow's milk kefir, bone broths, and even their amazing cheese treats!
Stella and Chewy's kibbles are our favorite dry foods for dogs. Kibble diets have their shortfalls, but this one really stands out from the crowd: Most kibble is extruded, and this one is baked. Baking is a gentler process, and doesn't destroy the nutrients as much as high heat/high pressure extrusion. After baking, they coat the kibbles with freeze dried raw food which adds the value of whole foods to the meal. They have two formulas that go the extra mile and add little nuggets of freeze dried raw food to the baked kibbles (Like Lucky Charms, only healthy!)
All of our cat litters have frequent buyer cards now as well. This is great news for cat owners for this reoccurring expense. Read on about our newest cat litter!
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| | Wee Kitty Clumping Corn Pellets
I won't bury the lead - this litter hardly tracks at all!I mean really - how tired are you of litter outside the box? Our amazing litter mats we carry are a big improvement, but these little pellets hardly need a litter mat. They are much smaller than pine pellets so are better accepted texturally by cats. They clump very well, unlike pine pellets that don't clump at all, and they handle odor very well. NOTE: I don't recommend them for long haired cats. The litter dissolves pretty quickly and hardens quickly as well. This can make some little cement clumps on the fringes of their fluffy pants.
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| | Photo Contest!
Win a PetChatz system that lets you watch and talk to your pets on camera when they're home alone, and even to dispense a treat! This model might need a software upgrade to enjoy the most recent improvements to its function, but it's a pretty neat idea. You'll also likely see your photo entries in future newsletters or advertisements, even if you don't win the prize.
We're looking for great photos of your pet near our logo or signage, showing them looking happy to be there. Put smaller animals on the counter, or get low with bigger dogs on the floor and shoot up towards the logo. Or, go out front near our bamboo sign in the window, or even sitting next to our sandwich board would be great. Winners will be announced in 2 weeks, to give you time to enter. Send your entries to info@greendogpetsupply.com. Good Luck!
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| | Neighborhood News!
A New Mural to be Painted on the side of The Arrangement to memorialize a local artist. More info here
Denim and Gin is now open in the old Girlfriend's Closet space. Please welcome them to the neighborhood! More info here
New Bakery Going in at 71st and NE Fremont (in the old Roseway Play Space). “Heim relies on locally-sourced, organic ingredients as much as possible and cares about sustainability - the packaging is also eco-friendly.” Look at their blog for lots of luscious photos! Tacos Coming - Tacovore, a Pacific Northwest Taqueria that originated in Eugene is setting up their smoker in the old Fire and Stone building on NE Fremont. Owner Steve Mertz, and Chef Jon Grumble of Laughing Planet Cafe, are slated to start serving their fan-favorite tacos and tequila sometime in mid-fall. Check out their menu here.
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Thanks For The Sense of Community You Bring To Us! We Love To Spoil Your Babies and Turn Them Into Longtime Friends!
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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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