| Green Acres Newsletter for 13FEB12 |
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Published: 13FEB12 <Click here for PDF Version> Does Your Pet Need a Boarding Reservation?REMEMBER FEBRUARY VACATION IS COMING SOON!(February 18th through 26th) Or call us at 945-6841 Would You Like to Receive Valuable Green Acres Coupons?Green Acres distributes two different editions of its newsletter; a version posted on our webpage and on our FaceBook pages (this one) and, a version which is emailed. The email edition includes valuable coupons for Green Acres services and products not offered in this edition. Your information will not be made available to third parties and will only be used for the purposes of sending you a newsletter electronically. To subscribe, visit our webpage at (http://www.greenacreskennel.com/information/newsletters.html) and look in the lower right hand corner for an area that looks like this. Product Safety Alert - Nylabone Dura ChewWe have a new product from Nylabone which is causing us some concern. It's called the Nylabone Dura Chew and it consists of a shaped piece of nylon (see photos) with little red bumps on the surface (see below). It is labeled for "Powerful Chewers" but we have had clients return them because their dogs were easily able to break this toy apart. Inside are small plastic parts which could be ingested. While the company has not recalled this product we have removed it from our shelves. If you purchased this product from Green Acres we encourage you to bring it back for a full refund.
Featured Food - Solid Gold
Please Note: We do not regularly stock Sun Dancer Grain and Gluten Free, but would be more than happy to special order it for you if you would like to purchase it. Featured Treat - K9 Granola FactoryThis month's featured treat is Coconut Crunchers and Pumpkin Crunchers from the K9 Granola Factory. This blend of all-natural and organic ingredients is wheat, corn and soy free. Coconut Crunchers feature Featured Products - Dental HealthFebruary is National Pet Dental Health Month so we are featuring three of our favorite products that can be used to help keep your pet’s teeth clean and healthy. Wysong DentaTreat™
Toothbrushes and ToothpasteUsing a toothbrush and toothpaste specifically designed for pets is probably the most common form of pet dental care. Green Acres carries both products in stock. Raw BonesThere are some folks that feed their pet a diet of raw food or at least use raw bones as a way of keeping a dog's teeth clean and healthy. Please note that not all veterinarians are comfortable with this practice, Best of Surveys – Please Vote!
Debunking Pet Food MythsMYTH: Canned Food Is Unnecessary and Is a Waste of MoneyWithout hesitation we recommend that all cats be offered a high quality canned diet at least twice a day. Cats depend on their food for getting much of their water. As a result many cats eating only dry food do not consume sufficient water; this may cause potentially fatal health problems with their urinary tract. If you are considering adding canned food to your cats diet, please keep in mind that cats develop their dietary preferences when very young and it may take some time for them to start eating canned food, so be patient and keep trying! Canned food is not necessary for a dog, and certainly a good quality canned food is generally more expensive than a dry food, but it may be a good supplement or alternative. Many people who feed raw, use a 95% to 100% meat canned diet when they travel. Canned food is just like dry pet food; there is a range from very high quality to very low quality products. As a consumer you need to educate yourself about the companies offering canned foods. There are only a few pet food canneries in the USA, so most pet food companies, even the huge ones, contract this work out to others. Two companies that do make their own canned food are Merrick and Evanger’s, which is one of the reasons we highly recommend these canned food lines. The ingredient list on a can of food is just as critical as it is on a bag of dry food. Look for meat as the first ingredient and recognize that what passes for meat in many of those supermarket canned foods is in fact soy protein. You can learn more at our website at: http://www.greenacreskennel.com/pet-food-information Staff NewsFebruary Staff AnniversariesGreen Acres is very fortunate to have many staff members who have been with us for several years. We thank them for their service! Tracy H. - Kennel Supervisor/ Dog Training Instructor – 5 years
Staff ChampionsEvery month the Green Acres staff chooses two Staff Champions; someone who has done an exceptional job and someone who has publicly recognized another employee for doing an exceptional job. Hearty congratulations and thank you to our latest champions! December – Amber T. and Jamie B.
Don's TravelsDon spent five days in Greenville, SC in January at the headquarters of the Association of Pet Dog Trainers; two at an Education Committee meeting and three at a strategic planning meeting of the APDT Board of Trustees.
Pet Health - The Importance of Dental Care for PetsAccording to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) periodontal disease is the most commonly diagnosed problem in dogs and cats, and while 80% of people brush their own teeth every day, most do not do the same for their pets. Periodontal disease is a disease of the gums; it can lead to infections of the mouth. The bacteria causing these infections can spread through the bloodstream and cause life-threatening conditions. Infections from periodontal disease have been linked to diabetes, heart attacks, strokes, kidney disease and other life threatening disorders as well as tooth loss. The AVMA estimates that by age two, 80 percent of dogs and 70 percent of cats have some form of periodontal disease. Some common signs of dental disease in pets are; bad breath, reluctance to chew or crying out when chewing, increased salivation, red and/or puffy gums, bleeding gums, a buildup of tartar/calculus on the teeth, and missing or loose teeth. Your veterinarian will typically examine your pet's mouth and teeth during a routine physical exam. This is one reason why a through annual exam is so important for every pet. If necessary, the veterinarian may recommend a dental cleaning. This procedure requires general anesthesia. During the procedure the pet's teeth and gums will be thoroughly examined, scaled and polished. If a problem tooth is found, it may need to be extracted. The best way to minimize professional cleanings at your veterinarians is to do your best to keep your pet’s teeth clean by home dental care. This can include brushing your pet's teeth (the general rule seems to be at least every 48 hours to be effective) or using special treats and or supplements to help keep teeth clean. There is an urban myth that feeding only dry food will keep your pet’s teeth clean and it is just that - a myth. Cats may also benefit greatly from having canned (wet) food in their diet. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ New PollCheckout the polling portion of our website (greenacreskennel.com) and our two latest poll questions. Do you brush your pet's teeth? - http://bit.ly/yis5No Have you had your pet's teeth cleaned by your veterinarian? - http://bit.ly/zirnNn From Our Friends at the Bangor Humane SocietyHelping to Reduce the Number of Unwanted Pets
Monday, February 6, 2012 – An estimated 6-8 million homeless animals enter animal shelters throughout the U.S. every year. The Bangor Humane Society alone takes in over 5,000 animals a year. Two-thirds of those animals are cats. That is why the Bangor Humane Society is thrilled to announce that due to the generosity of the Belvedere Animal Welfare Fund of the Maine Community Foundation, and from other generous local foundations, a Spay/Neuter Voucher Program for low-income cat and dog owners opens on February 6, 2012. This program is available to anyone who receives or is eligible for Food Stamps, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Social Security Disability (SSD), or Maine Care (Medicaid). Starting on Monday, February 6th, they can call 942-8902 to apply and then, if qualified; receive a voucher that they can use at participating veterinary practices. For an average co-pay of $20 for male cats and $30 for female cats; $25 for male dogs and $40 for female dog (cost does not include additional fees that may be required by participating veterinarians) their pets can be spayed or neutered and receive a rabies shot. The low-income spay/ neuter grant funds received by BHS will cover the remaining cost. “The increased availability of spay/neuter will help to reduce the number of unwanted litters surrendered to animal shelters”, said Suzan Bell, Executive Director of the Bangor Humane Society. Last year BHS accepted 480 owner-relinquished dogs and 390 stray dogs. During the same time it accepted 3,032 owner-relinquished cats and 597 stray cats. Many of the dogs, and most of the cats, would not have arrived at BHS if owners had sterilized their pets. In fact, many of the cats arrived at BHS pregnant or with a litter of kittens. The funds available for the BHS program are limited and not expected to last more than a couple of months. Last year, the BHS spay/neuter funds were able to assist over one hundred applicants, but almost 100 more names were put on a waiting list. Here are some of the facts about spaying and neutering:
In addition to the grant funding, BHS is also implementing some other spay/neuter programs to help reduce the number of unwanted pets, available to assist those individuals in the community that do not qualify for the voucher program. BHS has contracted with local veterinarians to host a monthly feline spay/neuter clinic at the shelter. The clinic can accommodate a minimum of 40 felines per month and charges $25 per male cat and $50 per female cat. The clinic is cash only. For an additional fee, felines can also receive their rabies shot, flea and ear mite treatment, and nail clipping. Interested individuals can contact BHS for more details. Space is extremely limited and we have a waiting list through March. Lastly, BHS is launching a new initiative called, “Spay Your Mama” available for female canine owners. If an owner’s female dog has recently had a litter of puppies, the Bangor Humane Society will spay the mom for nominal fee, if the owner surrenders the puppies for adoption. The mom dog will be returned to the original owner for a $50 reclaim fee, while the puppies are spayed or neutered and placed for adoption. The community need for sustainable spay/neuter programs is vast and ongoing. “The need is great (and increasing) in our region for low income spay / neuter programs, but the resources available through BHS, the State of Maine Animal Welfare program and other agencies are limited,” says Bell. Each year the BHS cares for and works to find forever homes for more than 5000 homeless pets. The Bangor Humane Society is an independent, non-profit organization, funded by local contributions and donations. Finding safe homes for animals is not just our mission here at the Bangor Humane Society, it’s our tradition, and we thank the community for helping us accomplish this goal each day. Tune in to The Woof Meow Show
Keep up with the Woof Meow Show at our FaceBook page - https://www.facebook.com/WoofMeowShow Businesses We Use and RecommendGreen Acres, as well as Paula and I personally, use the products and services of a number of area businesses. Like Green Acres most of them are small and locally owned. Many, but not all are members of the Paul Bunyan Chapter of Business Networks International (http://www.bni.com/) an organization where we all help each other grow our businesses. This space in our newsletter will be used to recognize some of those businesses and their products. Chapel Hill FloralI first became acquainted with Chapel Hill Floral (http://www.chapelhillfloral.com) when co-owner Barbara Frye joined my BNI group several years ago. Since that time Paula and I have used Chapel Hill's services for a wide variety of personal and business needs. We've sent flowers, fruit baskets, and even chocolates both locally and throughout the country with the assistance of Barbara, her husband Ricky, and the great staff at Chapel Hill. Time and time again we hear compliments on the beauty of the floral arrangements design and how long the flowers last. Like Green Acres, Chapel Hill is locally owned and they put a great emphasis on superb customer service and continuing education for their staff. We recommend them highly! Links We LikePet Dental HealthAVMA Page on Pet Dental Health - http://www.avma.org/animal_health/npdhm/default.asp Wysong Technical Monograph on DentaTreat - http://bit.ly/yxM1Oj Instincts When Making DecisionsA short but insightful article by Gary Marcus on how animals (yes that includes humans) tend to default to our reflexive systems (instincts) when making decisions. Our short-term thinking circuits, necessary for survival, have evolved over hundreds of millions of years to be the default mechanism, especially under stress. Deliberative/rational thinking has really only been developing for a few thousand years. While the article was primarily addressing the question "Why has evolution let drugs be fun?" it could just as easily apply to "why do people/corporations/governments make bad, short-term economic and political decisions or why does my dog bark at strangers and chase cats. - http://bit.ly/yY8U80 Find Us On the Internet Green Acres Website – www.greenacreskennel.com Green Acres FaceBook – www.facebook.com/GreenAcresKennelShop Bach Flowers for Pets Website- www.greenacreskennel.com/bach-flowers-for-pets Bach Flowers for Pets FaceBook - www.facebook.com/BachFlowersForPets Woof Meow Show FaceBook – www.facebook.com/WoofMeowShow Friends of Furry Friends Food Bank FaceBook - www.facebook.com/GAKS.FFFFB
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Solid Gold, established in 1974, was one of the first companies in the United States to use natural ingredients in their pet foods. The company takes a holistic approach to health care and thus considers every part of your pet when designing a nutritious diet. To maintain optimum health, every one of the pet's internal systems needs to be functioning properly. When proper nutrition is not met, one or more of these systems is compromised, resulting in an unhealthy, unhappy animal. For this reason, Solid Gold has developed "non-allergenic" foods which boost the immune system and protect your pet from disease.
coconut, apricot and kiwi in their ingredients. I can tell you first hand that they taste as good as they sound! Pumpkin crunchers feature pumpkin and blueberries. Give them a try with your dogs today!
Paula and I have been using DentaTreat™ with our pets since it first came out several years ago. We will be the first to admit that we are not very diligent about brushing our pet's teeth. It's a difficult habitat to establish and so easy to break. That's what makes DentaTreat perfect for people like us - you just sprinkle it on the pet's food at every meal and... Voila! The dental-active natural cheeses, minerals, and apple polyphenols in DentaTreat go to work, keeping their mouths clean and healthy. Yeah, we know... that sounds way to good to be true, but the fact is when we use DentaTreat with the fur kids it has greatly reduced our need for cleanings at the veterinarians. If you want all of the technical details, you can read more at - 
nor is it a good practice if you have a dog with food guarding issues. We, however, have routinely fed raw bones over the years and our dogs have loved them and we believe they have contributed to better dental health. Here at Green Acres, we sell Bravo Raw Bones in the store because we feel they offer a superior product to what you might get at the supermarket. Before feeding raw bones you might want to review this article on the Bravo website - 
Once again it's time to vote for the best businesses in the greater Bangor area in the annual survey by Market Surveys of America. We'd appreciate it if you would consider voting for Green Acres Kennel Shop in the following three categories; Best Dog Trainer, Best Kennel and Best Pet Store. All you need to do to vote is to go to this website 
The Woof Meow Show