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BANG FOR THE BITE
If 10,000 Biters opt for a 32-ounce bottle of natural flea killer instead of a synthetic-based one, we'll keep the weight of 2,000 Maltese pooches in potentially bad chems outta circulation.
COCKTAIL FACT
In Napoleonic France, royal dog groomers used hot-rollers and wax on pups to create tonte en macarons, a cascade of coiled hair first worn by wife of Napoleon III, Princess Eugénie.
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home › tip library › Pet Grooming Products
Does your pet smell like absolute scum?
The Bite
That’s ruff. But no need to lie, cheat, or steal to clean ’em up; instead, just tame your best-loved brutes with organic shampoos, breath-fresheners, and flea-fighters.The Benefits
- Keeping ne’er-do-well creepy-crawlies crawling elsewhere. Natural but effective treatments keep fleas and other pests at bay.
- Putting health fur-st. Many conventional pet cleaning products use pyrethroids, known brain toxins.
- More pet-table coats. Most commercial cleansers contain more than 50% ethyl alcohol, which dries out Fido’s skin.
Personally Speaking
Jen's cat Froggy is so into getting brushed that Jen once accidentally brushed him 'til he was completely naked on his right shoulder blade.Wanna Try?
- Cyber Canine Herbal Ear Cleaning Blend - clear ear goo with natural oils such as chamomile and goldenseal ($15/1 ounce).
- Only Natural Pet All-in-One Flea Remedy - use its nontox minerals on your pet, on the carpet, or in your yard to get rid of fleas ($15/8 ounces).
- Cloud Star Buddy Wash - rub-a-dub-dub, all natural suds that smell like lavender ($10/19 ounces).
- Bowser Breath Herbal Breath Drops - just a few drops of this fennel, parsley, and peppermint formula knocks out dog breath ($5/.5 ounces).
- Evercare Magik Brush - lint-roller that removes fur from your duds - and you dont have to replace the lint tape all the freakin' time ($3).
Jun 17,2008
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All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.
Vanity’s Fair
We seldom really think about the vanity of pets. They don't use makeup or have shoe obsessions (beyond chewing them); they unselfconsciously drool, hump couches, and chase their tails in public.
But when we lived in the desert, we used to give Toma, our shy retriever, a close shave in summer to help keep him cool and comfortable. But for the first few days following, he actually made himself scarce, hiding under the table or tucking himself behind the barstools...we swear he was blushing beneath those fluffy golden cheeks. Over time, he'd go outside for longer periods, start meeting guests at the door again, snuggle up for a cuddle....and eventually, with a little more fluff on his back, he'd be himself again. (We stopped shaving him quite as close.) And while professional pet grooming for some animals (esp. cats) can be traumatic, I've witnessed more than a few little beasts prance about proudly after a turn at the hairdresser.
Grooming it seems, with pets and humans, is good for health...and ego.
-Jenifer Morgan...off to wash my own hair...
Biter Comments...
Here are some truly green tips for pet care. Dogs & cats are carnivores. It does not matter if you are a vegetarian. It does not matter if you are a card carrying member of PETA. It does not matter if the thought of meat makes you ill. Your dog and cat - still carnivores.
When animals (this includes humans!) are fed properly, guess what happens? They are healthy! Healthy animals (yes, you too!) are not attractive to pests, don't smell, have clean and healthy teeth, etc...
Best flea and tick repellent: Raw Meat & Bones Diet
Best cleaning method: Raw Meat & Bones Diet
Best ear remedy: Raw Meat & Bones Diet
Best anal gland method: Raw Meat & Bones Diet
If your dog truly needs a bath (mine gets one annually), mix aluminum free baking soda with warm water for the shampoo. Conditioner, water and vinegar (I use ACV).
Thank you, I am just getting a flea problem with my cats and was wondering what I could use that was all natural. Perfect timing.
I would NOT suggest shaving a dog..they have no natural defense against the sun and aren't able to tan- they just burn. Dogs can get skin cancers, and no one deserves a sun burn. I have four big dogs and live in the desert. It's a big pain to deal with the hair in the summer time, but it's the price I pay for having such wonderful family members. I do give them a few extra baths and brushings in the summer, but it's mostly in the vain hope that some of that annoying hair will come off in the yard rather than in the house. It's a lot of work, but no one gets hurt.The raw bones stuff is good advice. I don't do the whole raw bones diet, but I wish I did. We do give them raw bones several times a week, and we have virtually no skin or breath problems.
I like to use EarthBath's all natural pet shampoo for my dog. For treats, I wish I had the time to make my own, but Sam’s Yams Veggie Rawhide are so convenient that I usually opt for those. (They are made of dehydrated American-grown sweet potatoes, and our dog loves them.)
Does anyone know of a good all natural ear cleaner for cats? Our cat has problems keeping his ears clean, but he also has sensitive skin and the solution for ear infections (which he doesn't have) is too strong for just cleaning.
Even with constant brushing, my cat kept getting hairballs, irritating her stomach and making her throw up her food. Many people online suggested feeding Vaseline, but finally at Petco I found some natural hairball remedies WITHOUT petrolatum or other scary chemicals. I bought Natural Defense, http://www.shop.com/Sentry_Natural_Defense_Hairball_Remedy-75868104-p!.shtml and she loves it so much she'll eat it straight from the tube! NaturVet was another one with green appeal. http://www.petco.com/product/106419/NaturVet-Natural-Hairball-Aid-Gel.aspx
And I don't have to worry about what's going into her body!
Janessa - That "Only Natural..." link takes you to a store that sells Fleabusters powder. We used that many years ago and it's FABULOUS. Because we had an entire carpeted house (at that time), we had Fleabusters come out & treat the house - with that same powder that they sell. The fleas went pretty quickly and have never returned, and we never applied any toxic flea treatment to any of our 3 cats.
For some reason, my dog doesn't get fleas. The occasional tick, yes, but no fleas.
Christy B., I think you're going overboard with all that meat. If you can afford to give your pets all that meat, then go right ahead, but that sounds like a diet only rich folks can afford to give their pets. Heck! I can't even afford meat for MYSELF, never mind my dog! However, you're right when you say that dogs and cats are carnivores and shouldn't be fed a strictly vegetarian diet, but they shouldn't be fed meat exclusively, either. They need their veggie nutrients just as we do.
Joanne,
When's the last time you saw a wolf picking corn?!
Science Diet would have you believe that is natural behavior though!!
Meat does not have to be expensive. Many people feed for less than $1 per day. I purchase pastured meat and so I pay about $3 per day.
It might seem that meat is expensive but consider it a preventative cost. It's cheaper to buy food that keeps your dog healthy rather than kibble, vet bills, flea "preventative", tick "preventative", shampoo, conditioner, ear cleaning, anal gland expression, medication, obesity, breath freshener, treats, toothbrush, dental - and the list goes on!
All nutrients that carnivores need can be found in - you guessed it - meat!
Good point about the corn, it's safe to say that the ONE thing dogs don't eat is grain. It's been years since I read the BARF book, but I recall it did recommend cooked vegies. I live in the desert where there are LOTS of coyotes and I assure you coyotes DO eat more than just meat. They love prickly pears! When it's that time of year, all coyote scat is literally coated in cactus seeds. Dogs are omnivores, they'll eat fruits when they're in season. Remember the Aesops fable about the fox and the grapes? I do agree though that you can feed your dogs a BARF diet for a reasonable amount. We give our dogs lots of soup bones and whatever meat scraps we have that aren't cooked. The soups bones are cheaper than anything else you can buy- I get them for .59 lb at the local Asian market.
Actually, wolves and other carnivores get some vegetable nutrients by eating the stomachs (with the contents) of their kills.
Gross, but true.
Another argument for a higher quality diet is that your pet will eat less volume, and have smaller and fewer BMs as they will process the food more efficiently.
"It might seem that meat is expensive but consider it a preventative cost. It’s cheaper to buy food that keeps your dog healthy rather than kibble, vet bills, flea “preventative”, tick “preventative”, shampoo, conditioner, ear cleaning, anal gland expression, medication, obesity, breath freshener, treats, toothbrush, dental - and the list goes on!
All nutrients that carnivores need can be found in - you guessed it - meat!"
Sorry, Christy B., but that is SO not true that all the nutrients that a carnivore needs can be found in meat and meat alone. Kibble keeps a dog plenty healthy. My dog is living proof of that. And my dog isn't fat, either. So there! The same thing that makes people fat is also the same thing that makes dogs fat -- overeating, NOT kibble! My dog has been neutered, and the long-held belief is that once a dog is "fixed," they get fat. Not true! My vet once told me that my dog should be shown to some of her other clients as proof that just because a dog is "fixed" doesn't mean he/she automatically gets fat. Just as with people, portion control is the key, whether you feed kibble, or an unbalanced diet like your beloved all meat.
Evelyn,
Which nutrients do you think a carnivore can't get from meat?
Why would natures diet be unbalanced?
Sorry, I should have addressed my last comment to LINDA !!
Linda,
Which nutrient(s) do you think a carnivore can't get from meat?
What would nature's diet be unbalanced?
A carnivore can't get VEGETABLE protein from meat. Domesticated dogs are OMNIVORES, NOT carnivores. They'll eat meat and veggies because they NEED both. (I'm sure that's also very well true of wild canids. Just because we usually see them eating only meat, we don't know what else they eat when we're not watching.) Besides, you can't compare domesticated canines to their wild cousins. They're two different species.
Canus Lupus (gray wolf) and Canus Lupus Familiaris (dog) are actually 1-2% different genetically. Most of that difference has to do with hormones and the adrenal gland - those changes affect color, coat, barking, etc...
Well you and I might not "see" what happens in the wild but Mr. David Mech is the recognized wolf researcher and has published lots to read. He reports that stomach contents are generally not eaten. I can report that is the case here too!
When I was a kid my cousins were wild and we had more genetic differences than canus lupus and canus lupus familiaris but guess what, we were the same species!! What makes them different species seriously? In all the scientific reading I have done I have never read a scientist claim this (unless you want to include most vets whose one semester of nutrition is paid for by Pet Food Manufacturers!!).
Dogs/cats do not need vegetable protein, they do not need grains. The reason that we believe this stuff is that 100 years ago when pre-packaged food was first developed and sold it didn't sell well. Different marketing tactics were used over the years but it was only after WWII that the marketers got their message right - at the expense of our pets of course - and people started purchasing pre-made food. Veggies, protein, tumors, flea collars, euthanized animals, cardboard, sawdust - those "ingredients" are cheap. It's in the best interest of manufacturers to use scare tactics, myths, lies and cheap ingredients to keep their business going.
I almost feel as if I'm butting into someone's private conversation, but I can't help myself. Dogs are omnivores- there's no way around it, they'll eat whatever they can. The one exception is grains. They don't pick corn or graze on wheat seeds. They will eat grasses if they have a stomach problem, but overall they are not ever grain eaters. Wolves, coyotes, and foxes all will eat berries and fruits when they are in season.
According to wolfcountry.net, "Wolves will also eat wild berries and other fruit as a minor part of their diet." Anyone who gets out of the city and goes where there are wild dogs (wolves, foxes, or coyotes) can tell you that their scat obviously contains seeds when berries are in season. I know it sounds weird to admit to noticing such a thing, but it's part of anyone's hiking experience- and probably a very lizard brain sort of thing to notice when you are someplace where you might not be at the top of the food chain.
Obviously dogs can survive months at a time without eating fruits, but at the same time, they don't fail to take advantage of their availability when the opportunity presents itself. I'm not sure that limiting their diet to just meats is ideal in light of this information, and I wouldn't advocate their eating grains, but I would think that in a perfect world a bit of variation is a better thing.
At the very least insisting that dogs are carnivores is a bit of a misnomer. They are truly omnivores, with the minor exception of not prefering to eat grains- but do eat grasses for tummy aches. They can live on meat alone, but that ability does not mean they are exclusively carnivores.
Katie,
The more the merrier!
According to pet food manufacturers dogs are omnivores - they couldn't get away with selling what they do if they didn't perpetuate this lie.
According to the Merck Veterinary manual dogs and cats are carnivores. Also, the Merck Veterinary manual states that dogs and cats have "no dietary requirement for carbohydrates".
Actually nobody has been able to prove why dogs eat grass - there are all kinds of theories though.
Feed lot cows are fed feed that contains animal protein. Does that mean that cows are now omnivores and no longer herbivores just because someone decided to feed them a species inappropriate diet? I am pretty sure you won't find a scientist who is willing to reclassify cows based on that theory!
Dogs are opportunistic. Some dogs eat socks - are those dogs now "sockavores"?! Cows in India are eating plastic bags - are they "plastivores"?! An opportunistic dog is one that will survive but that does not change their basic biology.
Look at a dog's dentition, enzymes, digestive system - all the "proof" that they are carnivores are there. Know why carnivore poop is filled with seeds, sticks, grass and other veggie matter untouched (when they eat it of course)? Because their digestive system is not equipped to digest it so it goes out in the exact same form went in!
Christy, I'm glad you have all the perfect and unrefutable final answers on this one. I was silly enough to think there was more than authority or one way to look at this issue. I've said my piece and I have no more to say at this point. Your dogs will do fine on nothing but meat. I never implied they wouldn't, I was just foolish enough to think there was room for some deviance from a strict and narrow path. I am not an advocate of commercial dog foods- something that clearly we do agree on. I don't feed my dogs a bowl of Cheerios with yogurt and wouldn't suggest that anyone does. I went out of my way to say that grains aren't what a dog wants or needs. In the end I guess we'll just have to agree to disagree on the semantics. My dogs will continue to get a more varied diet and yours won't. Ultimately, I suspect we'll both have happy dogs with no food related health problems. Best of luck to you and I congratulate you for having passion and love for your four legged family members.
Christy, I'm sure you won't deny that dogs eat meat, meat comes from cattle, and what do cattle eat? You've got it -- GRAINS! I've never seen veggie matter in any carnivore (domesticated dog) poop I've ever seen because the grains and veggies they eat are mixed in with other foods. As a matter of fact, vets encourage giving our dogs veggies as snacks. (Veggies like baby carrots are good doggie toothbrushes for one thing.) Dogs like their veggies, and veggies are as good for them as they are for us. I remember a dog I had once got into my garbage can, and you know what she was looking for? She wanted -- and got to -- some BROCCOLI I had tossed out! So, sorry, Christy, you can argue to me all you want about dogs being strictly carnivores, but I ain't buyin' it, and you can believe all you want that dogs are strictly carnivores, but that doesn't make it so. Believe it or not, they DO like their veggies.
Linda,
If I've got your theory down right, meat isn't meat if they animal didn't eat meat? Vegetarians & vegans can now eat burgers because feed lot cows are actually grain and not meat!
Cows, fed a species appropriate diet, eat grass NOT grain. We have been marketed to death about "corn fed" cows and how great that is. One look at a feed lot operation will tell anyone that is a lie. Grass is what cows eat to stay healthy.
A cow's diet does not change what classification a dog is; what they (dog, cow, me, etc...) will eat does not change what classification a dog is; slick marketing will not change what classification a dog is either!
A good toothbrush for dog's teeth: bones, tendons, cartilage. Anyone can choose to feed their dogs veggies if they wish - heck fresh veggies are much better than kibble!
That doesn't mean they aren't carnivores though. "Liking" something doesn't change classification either. I like pudding - I am pretty sure I could live off it (Dr. Oetker;s made with raw milk from Claravale Dairy - OMG!) - if I declare my pudding joy and eat nothing for the rest of my life, I'm still an omnivore! My behavior and my likes do not influence my classification.
PHOTO ALBUMS
Posted by: Lou | June 17, 2008 at 06:52 AM