Finally. Online One-Stop Shopping the Easy Way, with DugDug!

Let's say you're shopping online for your pet's medication or that special food your furry friend loves. But there are so many websites to choose from. So you start to comparison shop for the best price, hitting one site after the next. If you're searching for the best deal on pet meds, you know you'll need to find the right dosage that corresponds to your pet's weight and particular malady. But many of the sites you're looking up aren't giving you very helpful results. The prices are tough to compare because your search results aren't specific enough for the product you need.

That's where DugDug comes in. The idea came to founder David Keh when he was trying to buy some simple medications for his pet poodle. Problem was, none of the sites could quote him an accurate price for the size of his dog and the dosage he needed. Everything he found was useless. So he came up with a way to buy medications, food, even dog toys to make it super easy for the consumer.

Here's basically how it works: let's say you're looking to buy Frontline Flea and Tick control and want the spot on treatment version. Just click the Flea and Tick section, then the Spot On Treatments tab and you'll find a list of different brands, including Frontline, K9, Advantix, etc. You just click on Frontline and there you'll find a list of tabs that correspond to various dog sizes and dosages. Choose the tabs that fit your situation and a list will appear below, showing all of the online vendors who have that exact Frontline spot on treatment and the prices they are selling it for. Then its up to you to choose the best one and you'll go right to that store, whether it's Amazon, PetSupplies4Less.com, or whichever.

You see, DugDug is doing the collating work in order to show all of the online stores that have what you need based on the information you enter. It's much quicker than searching high and low across the Internet. DugDug has done all the work for you. It's a simple one-stop website that doesn't sell the goods themselves but connects to you the stores that do. DugDug gets a small piece of the action from some of the sites if you indeed choose to buy from those stores, but they always list the best prices from the respective vendors regardless of whether those vendors pay a fee or not. So you can rest assured you are always getting the best price snapshot at that time.

Right now, the site pretty much handles mostly dog related products, but hopes to branch out soon. So give it a shot the next time you need to do some shopping. The time you save may be your own!

Is a Raw Food Diet Safe?

Consumers who like to eat healthy and natural often want the same for the pet. According to market research, a raw food diet is growing in popularity despite the higher cost than regular pet foods. Owners claim happier pets who have healthier teeth, shinier coats and fewer vet visits. So why the popularity of this new trend in pet diet practices? The explanation is simply in the name: raw. Pet companies who produce raw diet options use a balanced combination of pure bone and complete meats where very little of the animal is wasted. The result is an all-natural diet that offers the same nutrition as if your pet hunted down its prey and consumed it.

But while regulatory standards oversee the nutrional value of pet foods for consumers, many veterinarians are concerned that such foods might expose owners and other pets in the house to unnecessary germs. Since these meals are "raw", they could pose a danger of exposure to harmful contaminints such as E.Coli or Salmonella. In fact, a University of Minnesota study tested 60 raw meat meals in which 7% tested positive for both.

So what's the solution? The fact is there really isn't one hard and fast answer. If you feel the nutrional advantage to your pet is beneficial, than that is the pet food for you. Take precautions when feeding you pet a raw diet. Isolate their dish or bowl away from areas where exposure to E.Coli or Salmonella could spread.  Always wash your pet's bowl thoroughly and with hot water after use. Or, of course, do nothing. Maybe a raw diet isn't the way to go for your pet.

Always ask your veterinarian for their thoughts on the matter and do some research, talk to some people you know who feed their pet a raw diet. Maybe just let your pet decide. They are often the best and final word on almost any matter. If they like eating it, then maybe that's the one they should have. If not, problem solved.

Taming the High Cost of Pet Care

It seems the price of, well, everything has gone sky high and that includes vet care and pet supplies. So what is there to do about it? Just pony up more of your hard earned cash to keep your pet healthy and happy? Heck no! You're going to do a little homework. You trained your pet to behave, now it's time to show those prices who's boss and bring those costs way down. Here are some of the ways to go about doing just that.

Read Your Labels 

Most mainstream pet foods like to use big, flashy words to convince you that their product is the best one on the market. The truth is, you may be buying only that: words. Some companies will often stuff their foods with a lot of fillers that you don't need and your pet probably would rather not eat. Stay away from any bag of food that has the word 'Premium' on it. Chances are there's nothing premium about it but the price. Look for brands that claim their food is 'complete and balanced' or promises '100% nutrition'. Those aren't just buzzwords to the Association of American Feed Control, those claims are intended to promise that the food meets at least the minimum requirements of the regulatory organization that oversees all foods and medications intended for animal consumption. You're likely to be paying upwards of 80% more per pound with those brands who claim their food is 'premium' when mostly what you're getting is filler. 

Flea and Tick Protection

A major patent on one of the active ingredients in flea and tick products has expired, which means that more companies can now utilize it under their brands. Much the same with pharmaceutical companies and their patents, once one expires, it's up for grabs. So do some comparison shopping among a wider variety of brands as they will all be competing for your doggy dollar and undercutting each other to get it. 

Shop Online

Most of our savvy clients are probably aware of this, but buying online can help save money, especially when it comes to medications and flea and tick protection. Some of the sites you probably know, like 1800PetMeds.com, but others, such as; PetCareRX.com or drsfostersmith.com offer competitive prices on almost everything your pet needs. 

Getting a Check-Up

Finally, vet care costs can also be quite astronomical. But there are ways to save here as well, and I don't mean compromising on the quality of care. Ask other pet owners for the best vets in your area; call around to find out what their examination fees are what's included in the visit. City animal shelters sometimes offer free neutering and spaying services and you may even find a vaccination clinic that will give your pet shots for free or at a huge discount. Check online with your local city services, there may be some programs for low-income families to get good veterinary care for little or no out of pocket cost. 

Food Stamps...for pets!

With a lagging economy putting many Americans in dire financial straits, families have found themselves forced to make difficult sacrifices. Unfortunately, the ones who suffer these tough economic times are pets who are brought to shelters or just abandoned because their owners simply cannot afford to care for them any longer. There has been a spike in the amount of cats and dogs who have been surrendered to animal services facilities due to financial hardship. 

But one organization is looking to help out those pets in need. The Pet Food Stamps program has been created for the sole purpose of assisting people who cannot afford pet food and supplies. The organization is a non-profit corporation that subsists on the generous contributions from donors who want to prevent another animal being euthanized because their owners had to make a devastating choice that no one should have to be subjected to. 

Their website is pretty easy to remember, but here's a direct link: https://petfoodstamps.org/Home_Page.php

Whether you want to donate or apply for their assistance, this link will take you to the right place. Like them on Facebook as well. This is a wonderful organization doing some amazing work in an area that has been long-neglected for too long. The Pet Food Stamps folks intend to help low income families with veterinary care by the end of 2013 as well. 

Farewell to Miles...and some of our other favorites.

We at Paws, Claws, Wings, and Things sometimes have to say goodbye to some of our best four-legged friends. We have to remember that, as much as we love and care for each of our furry clients as if they were our own, the reality is they are not our own. They have wonderful owners who love them very much and life can often take us on an unexpected journey.

Such is the case with a couple of our beloved pets, who are moving away from us and on to new experiences and adventures.

This brings us to Miles. One of the smartest and most easy-going dogs around. He knows when you're coming up the sidewalk and greets you at the door, ready to do some serious walking.

Always stretches before it's time to go...but never leaves until he gets some belly-scratchin's first. When we head out, he's well-behaved yet inquisitive. Everyone in the neighborhood loves him, even those who've never met him before always comment on how good looking he is and wonder why he isn't doing TV commercials yet.

Miles just shrugs it off, maybe someday he will. He takes it all in stride since he gets such notices quite often. This is a humble dog who knows he's got it going on, but plays it cool. We are sure going to miss him and wish his owner Jenny the best of luck with her new job.

We also want to take this opportunity to say that we are going to miss a few of our other departing clients who are onto bigger and exciting things.

Gus and Sophie, and their owner Dawn.

 

And Milo and Gryffin, and their owner Tessa. 

We wish them all the best of luck...and hope our paths cross again in the future! 

Finn...the Coolest Golden Retriever You'll Ever Meet

Many of our clients are dogs and, like most people, they all have different temperaments. Sure, many breeds are expected to act a certain way and a good portion of them display the behaviors typically inherent to their lineage. Golden retrievers are regarded as energetic, highly active and in some cases, typically friendly and eager to please. They can also be very patient dogs. 

That brings us to Finn. He may just be the coolest customer on his block. You see, his neighborhood is filled with dogs of all shapes and sizes and when we go for a walk, we pass the homes of many of his furry four-legged neighbors. Of course, it never fails that when we walk by the front yards of most of these other dogs, they go into veritable conniption fits when they see us pass. Whether it's the large boxer or the german shepherds or the collection of small terriers who run around their gated yards untethered, they all bark and yap at ol' Finn when he saunters by. 

Now you have to understand, Finn is larger than most other retrievers, with his sturdy shoulders, long, thick body and tail that swings back and forth; kind of like a shark swimming through the water. He cuts a pretty imposing silhouette in the afternoon sun. But Finn is the very example of patience and is so chill that when those other dogs bark and growl at him, not only does he not flinch, he doesn't even look twice. He just ambles on down the street like he owns the place. Maybe that sort of confidence threatens the other dogs around him. Perhaps they don't like to see this dog so sure of himself. But that's Finn. He lets the others just keep talking loud and sayin' nothin...while he keeps quiet and just moves along his own path. And maybe that, in and of itself, speaks volumes about how cool he is.

That's Finn...the coolest golden retriever you'll ever meet.  

Treating Your Pet's Itchy Irritated Skin

Skin irritation is an immune response that can make pets miserable. But much like human allergic reactions, most skin afflictions are easily treated, and luckily, cats and dogs can take a form of the same medication that doctors prescribe to us to combat itchy, red skin. It's called chlorpheniramine, a powerful antihistamine with a high rate of success and it is available in various forms; capsules, tablets and syrup.

Common Forms of Dermatitis

The three most common forms of dermatitis are caused by fleas, inhalation of or direct contact with an allergen, and possible reaction to the ingredients in your pet's food. Each form of stimuli often leads to red, swollen, itchy skin which your loved one will scratch repeatedly and if severe enough, could result in hair loss of the affected area or even a bacterial infection from broken, scratched skin. Some allergic reactions can also lead to coughing, sneezing, and other respiratory issues. The first tell-tale signs that a cat or dog has some manner of skin irritation is excessive scratching, chewing, and/or licking of various parts of the body.

Symptoms Skin Irritation

There are a number of possible reactions your pet can be having and where they may appear on the body: Cat miliary dermatitis is primarily found on the back of the cat and is often related to flea bites, Symmetrical Alopecia generally shows up on the belly, abdomen and legs and looks like the pet's hair is falling out, Granuloma Complex which often reveals itself through itchy, lacerated lesions on the legs, and Head and Neck Pruritus, a reaction centered around the head and neck which is sometimes confused with common food allergies that also reveal their symptoms in the same general areas. Fleas and mites that cause allergic reactions in pets can show their symptoms in similar ways to all four of these common skin reactions and a flea treatment will usually be administered with chlorpheniramine to ease the discomfort from the parasitic bites.

Side Effects and Caution with Using Chlopheniramine

Administering chlorpheniramine to your pet is widely regarded as a safe and effective antihistamine to combat the symptoms of dermatitis and other allergic reactions. There may be some minor side effects such as drowsiness, nausea, diarrhea, dry mouth and vomiting. It is also important, before starting any kind of antihistamine regimen, to tell your veterinarian if your pet is taking any prescriptions as there could be adverse reactions if chlorpheniramine is mixed with other medications. Pets who are pregnant should also not take this antihistamine, nor should pets with glaucoma, high blood pressure, heart disease or lung disease. Any medical conditions your pet has should be reported to your veterinarian, and it is imperative that your dog or cat receives a full check up to make sure your their irritation diagnosis isn't something more severe or life threatening than a standard allergy.