Foods being recalled include:  Diamond, Kirkland, Taste of the Wild, Chicken Soup, Wellness, Canidae, and Natural Balance. We do carry some of these lines of food and have been assured that NONE of what we have is affected by the recall. 

Diamond has several manufacturing plants and ONLY food from the Gaston, South Carolina plant is being recalled, so this is affecting the Eastern states and parts of Canada.  We will keep an eye on the situation and if anything changes we will let you know.

Please see the links below for more information:

http://www.petsitusa.com/blog/?p=5094

http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm303034.htm

If you have any concerns about this recall, please do not hesitate to call us 480-502-7973.  Even though our foods are NOT part of the recall, some people have asked for suggestions on alternatives.  If you, too, would like suggestions, just let us know.

Bewitching Kitchens

A pet who knows how to behave in the kitchen on a normal day may be overcome by all kinds of temptations on Thanksgiving. Adding to the excitement may be more people in your kitchen than usual, and more distractions. This can be a recipe for several kinds of problems.

Avoid taking a spill.  Busy, preoccupied cooks can trip over pets, spilling hot liquids, dropping heavy cookware, breaking dishes, and falling on easily broken bones. Consider keeping your pet out of the kitchen with a safety gate.

Counter that ability to jump.  If your pet can reach the counter, keep her out of the kitchen unless you can keep a vigilant eye on her. This can be especially dangerous for cats who can jump up and stroll on the counter. A trip to answer the phone or the door can provide her with the opportunity to singe her tail on the stove burners or burn herself with hot food items or pots on the counter.

Don’t string her along.  Another special threat for cats is the string that wraps around the turkey’s legs. Busy cooks trying to get dinner on the table may untruss the bird and leave the string where it can be found by kitty while the turkey is being placed on a cutting board or serving platter. Your cat may also be attracted to the plastic the turkey was wrapped in. Either of these items can create an obstruction and require emergency surgery.

Make no bones about it.  Bones can cause internal punctures, tears, and obstruction, but an open kitchen trash can or even a sealed trash bag can be irresistible to a pet when fragrant turkey bones are inside. Take care to dispose of turkey scraps and bones responsibly. Take them to your garbage pail outside, and make sure the lid is secured.

Off the menu

Humans may overindulge a bit on Thanksgiving, but an after-dinner walk or a nap usually restores us. Not so for our furry friends. The rich, fatty foods that are often served on Thanksgiving can be dangerous for them. And that’s just the beginning of the problems that certain “people foods” can cause.

Fat. Very fatty foods and trimmings can cause pancreatitis.If you want to share your table’s bounty, give your pet a small amount of turkey and vegetables. Make sure the turkey is properly cooked. Pets are not immune to eColi and Salmonella!

Stuffing. Ingredients in this Thanksgiving favorite like onions, garlic, or chives can cause gastrointestinal problems. Sage and other herbs contain oils and resins that can cause problems for the gastrointestinal and central nervous systems, particularly in cats.

Yeast dough. If you buy refrigerated rolls, keep the raw dough out of reach. If eaten, it will expand in your pet’s stomach and could become a life-threatening emergency.

Baking ingredients. Baking powder and baking soda are both highly toxic. So are nutmeg and other spices used in food at Thanksgiving time. Wipe up spills promptly and keep lids and boxes closed tightly.Keep raisins (and grapes) out of reach. These can case kidney failure.

Avocados. Keep your dog away from salads that contain avocados. They contain Persin which is toxic to animals and can cause stomach upset and vomiting.

Nuts and candies. Keep candy off the coffee table or any other place that can be reached by your pet. Chocolate is a no-no, but so is anything that contains xylitol, a sweetener that can cause seizures, low blood sugar, liver failure and death in dogs. Macadamia nuts are another popular offering during the holidays which can be fatal to dogs.

Alcohol. Beverages and foods containing alchohol can be fatal.

Fire hazards

Thanksgiving is often the first time the fireplace is used for the winter. Make sure curious but unsuspecting pets are kept away from sparks and flames. Candles are another source of burns for curious kitties or enthusiastic tail waggers. Keep these out of reach and never leave candles burning unattended.

Flower arrangements
If guests bring flowers or you have centerpieces with flowers and berries that are common in November, keep them out of reach of your pets. Lilies in all varieties are toxic to cats, and many other plants are dangerous for both dogs and cats.

Room fragrances
Liquid room scents with diffuser reeds are very popular around the holidays, but they can be highly caustic to the gums or throat. Keep your curious kitty away from these “playthings.”

A few simple precautions can make a world of difference in keeping your pet safe. And safe, healthy pets are something to be thankful for!

TODAY ONLY — ADDITIONAL 50% OFF all remaining clearance. We still have beds, cots, toys, treats, foods, collars, leashes, and more…! Come in and see what savings you can find!

Come on in while we have all sizes! Your furkid will love you even more!!

Customer donations were just over 300 lbs and with vendor donations we had just over 1250 lbs total of cat and dog food.

A hearty “THANKS” to everyone who contributed! Your generosity is greatly appreciated by all of the volunteer foster parents!

Some suggested items are crates, leashes, collars, books, beds, boots, and art. What is useless to one person might be valuable to another!!

All About Animals Rescue will also be there with adobtable dogs and cats. Open up your hearts and give a needy cat or dog their forever home!

Tammy Ceroni of Canine Cares (our awesome anesthesia-free dental hygienist) will be hosting a clinic on “How to Brush Your Pets Teeth.” There will be limited space for this clinic, so call today to reserve your place.

We hope you’ll take a few minutes and stop by the store that day!

If you donate any 5# or larger bag of food, you will receive 10% off your purchase (excluding grooming).

Our goal is 100 lbs – I hope we can count on you to help us achieve this goal. Come and be a part of it!

Afterall, it’s all about the animals!

Please take a minute and read this information from pet advocate Susan Thixton of the Truth About Pet Report.

According to Sandy, who has been grooming dogs and cats of all breeds for over 30 years, shave means to take the coat to one millimeter or less. This is usually the length that a matted dog ends up being and in that case, there really is no choice about what length they are left.

Not all dogs that come to Sandy are matted to that degree and have many choices when it comes to the length of the coat.

One quarter to one half inch of hair is enough to protect the skin from the sun and any pollutants lurking about.

For long-haired dogs, that means she can take more than half their length off, lightening their load considerably, and still keep them properly protected from sun and pollutants.

Some groomers will recommend de-shedding (which they charge extra for) instead of shaving. It is important to know that de-shedding needs to be done whether a dog is shaved or not and for Sandy, that’s just part of the grooming experience. Sandy says “any grooming of a double coated dog, shaved or not, should include a thorough de-shed. The customer, in my opinion, should not have to pay an extra charge for a proper grooming job.

We asked Dr. Tom Leininger, Vet On Wheels, for his professional opinion and this is what he says.

“To some people this means all the way to bare skin, and to others it means just much shorter hair — more what I would describe as a buzz cut. I do not believe that cutting the hair short does anything to jeopardize the health of an animal. Yes, with light skinned dogs, one has to be careful of too much skin exposure due to sunburn and with dark colored dogs one has to be careful because of the heat effects to the body (sun stroke). In my professional opinion, I have not seen any harmful effects of what is typically called a shave down, as long as it is not all the way to bare skin.”

If you decide that shaving is not for you, then be sure your groomer does a good de-shedding as part of the grooming job.

For more information, contact Sandy Burke at 480-502-7973.

So, if you can’t find your favorite food or would like information on any of these new brands, please ask one of us. We’re here to help! If there’s something you’d like on the shelves, take a minute to tell us in the comments setion below.

Thanks for being the great customers that you are!! We appreciate your business.