Moisture, it's very important to your pet's health!

I recently read an article about how most pets, cats and dogs, do not get enough moisture in their diet.  Much like people, animals don't necessarily drink as much water as their body needs.  In fact, a lack of water has very negative effects on the organs which require a substantial amount of water to run at full efficiency. This is one reason we see so many kidney and urinary tract problems with our pets, especially with cats.

Out in the wild, way back when, our companion animals hunted for their food and ate what they caught. The moisture available from the animal food source was high, about 70% moisture, plus the animals drank water in addition to what they ate.  Now think about what our pets eat most of the time now, dry kibble that contains about 10% moisture.

Not that kibble is terrible and of course some are better than others. That said, there is still little moisture in a cup of kibble and that's a problem.

One way to deal with this discrepancy is to provide moist foods in addition to the dry food. One can do this by simply adding some warm water into the dry food and letting the water absorb some of the flavor from the kibble.  Freeze dried foods where you add water to rehydrate the food is another great option to add to your pet's diet. Canned wet food can provide additional moisture as well since this type of food is about 75% water.  Of course read the labels and choose a wet food that contains wholesome ingredients!

Cats in particular are less inclined to drink from a bowl (non-moving water source) so it is recommended to provide a water source that appeals to your cats natural instinct.  Even still, your pet is more than likely not drinking as much as he really needs so it's important to sneak some moisture in your pet's diet so he gets all that he needs. You pet's organs will thank you!!

Continuing the theme of moisture and diet here is a link to another really interesting article on moisture content in dry food and how to get a better reading on the actual amounts of protein and fat in your pet's food: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/choosing-dog-food/dry-matter-basis/

Theme of the month: Dinosaurs!

Dinosaurs are always a lot of fun!! Especially when they are in the form of a fuzzy squeaker toy!

L4P Grand Opening: And what a grand day we had!!

The ribbon cutting  with the MC Chamber of Commerce. L to R: Michi Knight, Lola, Chris, Rachel Unell 

The party went on all day with food and give aways!

Boo Boo said he had a good time and got a toy.

Beautiful food made by my hubby Chris Silagyi

The MC SPCA was there too!

Residents/customers signed the keepsake book.

The store has all kinds of fun & useful stuff

Healthy choices only!

I love the bone rugs...

Come visit L4P soon! More good things to come...

To be or not to be...off leash?

photo from Americanhunter.org

It seems that these days many people  feel that their dog should be able to walk around off leash in public spaces.  I don't mean in a dog park or a dog beach where dogs are sanctioned to be off leash, but rather just out and about in the public realm where there are all kinds of animals and people mingling.

Needless to say, the people who feel entitled to an off leash lifestyle for their dogs feel that their dog is super well trained and has no aggression issues towards people or pets.  They will usually say that their dog "always" obeys their command of "come" or "no" or even that their dog is not interested in people or other animals.  In fact, the person may feel they are in total control over their dog which is often referred to as "bomb proof. " Thinking your dog is perfect is okay (although unrealistic) and may even true up to a point. Regardless of whether you have what you think is a "bomb proof" dog or not, is it EVER okay to have your dog off leash around other people and dogs who may not be so dog friendly or well trained?

Here are some reasons that I feel it is not wise to walk your dog around the neighborhood off leash:

• Some people are afraid of dogs, I mean phobic, so they panic if approached by a dog. Some kids also feel this way.  A dog could react negatively to sensing the fear in the person or sudden movements. Kids are especially susceptible to dog bites since they are small and their face is so close to the dog's face.
• Some dogs are not dog-friendly when approached by a dog especially when they are on leash and the other dog is not, this can be very dangerous to the off-leash dog and the on-leash dog.
• No dog is 100% bomb proof, if something unexpected happens, how do you get your off-leash dog under control?
• If something goes wrong are you prepared to pay for any damage, vet bills, doctor bills? It could be very expensive and may even end up in a lawsuit. 
• It's against the law to have your dog off leash in public places,I guess there is probably a reason for that...just sayin'.

Isn't it better to be safe rather than sorry?