Managing Water Emergencies

Our collection of jugs for Appie

Appie's dad emailed us the night before they left town for two weeks over the holidays to let us know the water heater had gone on the fritz. It had flooded their laundry room and into the garage. They had to shut the water off and asked us to keep emptying the bucket as there was still a slow trickle.

The first thought was - oh no! Followed immediately by - thank goodness it happened when they were home to control the situation! (Another great benefit of having a pet sitter coming is that we encounter and resolve household emergencies, too).

During the record breaking cold snap in 2011 we contacted our clients and, with permission, left water trickling overnight in preparation for the big event. If pipes froze we shut the water off at the main supply to prevent flooding when it warmed up a few days later. Luckily, the horses on our watch didn't have pipe issues - they drink a lot of water!

Our team is prepared for water emergencies! We will bring containers and keep your pet's water fresh throughout the outage.

Sprouting Seed for Chickens

Sprouts are a nutritious and delicious treat for your chickens. With 3 buckets rinsing you will have fresh sprouts daily. This video playlist will show you the steps.

  

How To Keep Your Cat Out of the Christmas Tree

My new kitten, Maggie, loves to sleep under the Christmas Tree. For the first two days she was an angel. Then she was abducted and Bad Cat took her place. Bad Cat grabbed the beaded garland and swatted at the shiny ornaments. She made off with a piece of holly and ate one of the branch tips. She was caught in Pounce Mode just prior to launching herself from a box into the middle of the tree.

Fortunately, Maggie LOVES the laser pointer! Try as we might to pick it up from the table without making a sound she immediately jumps to attention no matter what she is doing. We burn off some of her energy in short laser tag sessions until she is tired and no longer bent on destroying the Christmas Tree.

You can distract your cat with favorite toys and, if that doesn't work, try lining the perimeter of your tree with aluminum foil. It's not the most attractive decoration but it works!  When you can't supervise them around the tree it is wise to keep them in a different room.

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Chubby Dog Program

We are offering special rates on daily exercise sessions with our Chubby Dog Program! 

We know you LOVE your chubby dog! We know your dog loves the treats you can't help but give him! Life is good and chubby dogs are seemingly happy being couch potatoes.

But life with our beloved dogs is short! There are health dangers lurking that will lead to illness and poor health and will shorten the time you have to spend with him. 

The longer your dog is chubby the more health issues she will face. One of the most common illnesses chubby dogs face is diabetes as your dog's body struggles to balance blood sugar and insulin until finally losing the battle.

Joint and ligament damage is also a common and painful chronic condition caused by excess weight. Some breeds are also prone to muscular skeletal conditions like hip dysplasia and disc disease that are exacerbated by excess weight.

Heart disease and high blood pressure also happen to dogs! The heart has an increased work load with all that extra body mass.The lungs have a difficult time functioning, leading to breathing difficulty. 

Chubby dogs have more trouble dealing with the heat.

Digestive issues also become common and your dog will have increased flatulence. No one wants that!  Skin and coat issues develop as fat wrinkles cause rashes and infections (this can cause an unpleasant smell that you may have noticed).

Chubby dogs are at a higher risk of cancer. 

We have a solution for busy pet parents to prevent the myriad health issues that can plague obese dogs. Enroll your dog in our Chubby Dog Program!

Here is how it works:

• Chubby dogs must otherwise be in good health with no chronic illnesses or conditions that might pose a health risk.
• Your vet can give your dog the green light for a daily exercise routine (or put him on a diet and medication regime to manage his weight and health condition to allow for participation in exercise!).
• Dogs must be able to walk for at least 30 minutes. Ask your vet if this is an achievable activity for your dog.
• Nails need to be trimmed to allow your dog to walk comfortably. While you're at the vet's office ask them to trim her nails to a proper length.

Chubby dogs will be taken on a daily walk to slim down and achieve better physical and mental health for a long and happy life!

Call us today to enroll your dog in our special program with affordable rates.