Keep that breath fresh, Valentine!

February is pet dental health month

Here are some quick tips for ways to keep Fido and Felix's teeth pearly white WITHOUT a trip to the vet...
Let your dog chew for at least 20 minutes a day. This will massage his gums and clean his teeth by scraping off the tartar. Chewing also reduces his stress level, relieves boredom and gives him an appropriate outlet for his natural need to chew. Good examples of chews would be raw bones, antlers, Himalayan chews and Zuke's bones. You could also let him chew on an extreme Kong toy. Avoid rawhide, as these are very difficult for dogs to digest. Also, kibble does not adequately clean teeth, so make sure they have something to chew on.
Use plaque reducing gels, like Tropiclean. Works fast and naturally to help reduce plaque and tartar on dogs and cats -- no toothbrush required. A proprietary blend of natural, holistic ingredients produce a healthy oral environment. Kills the germs that cause bad breath, plaque and gingivitis. Soothes minor gum irritations.
Brush your pet's teeth! ASPCA gives some steps for getting your pet used to getting his teeth brushed and how to brush properly:


First get your dog used to the idea of having her teeth brushed. Massage her lips with your finger in a circular motion for 30 to 60 seconds once or twice a day for a few weeks. Then move on to her teeth and gums.
When your pooch seems comfortable being touched this way, put a little bit of dog-formulated toothpaste on her lips to get her used to the taste.
Next, introduce a toothbrush designed especially for dogs—it should be smaller than a human toothbrush and have softer bristles.
Finally, apply the toothpaste to her teeth for a gentle brushing, as in step 7.
A veterinary exam beforehand may be helpful to find out if your dog’s gums are inflamed. If your dog has mild gingivitis, brushing too hard can hurt her gums. Brushing Technique
Yes, there is actually a technique! Place the brush at a 45-degree angle to the teeth and clean in small, circular motions. Work on one area of your dog’s mouth at a time, lifting her lip as necessary. The side of the tooth that touches the cheek usually has the most tartar, and giving a final downward stroke can help to remove it. If your dog resists having the inner surfaces of her teeth cleaned, don’t fight it—only a small amount of tartar accumulates there. Once you get the technique down, go for a brushing two or three times a week.



Enjoy 15% off any one dental health item during the month of February: Zuke's bones, Himalayan chews, Tropiclean gel, Paragon edible toothbrush, or Spot's chew. Just mention you saw the newsletter!


Yappy Hour

Our next Yappy hour will be held at the Refinery on Sunday, February 12th from 4-7pm on the deck. It will be benefitting the Labrador Retriever rescue of Florida, so bring a few bucks to donate if you can, as they are completely volunteer-based.
The Refinery offers craft beers, great wine, and excellent food!

Sweet Treat
Spend $50 at Health Mutt and mention this blog post to recieve a free iced cookie in the month of February! 1 per family, while supplies last

Around the store...

Your dog will drool over #2: ANTLERS!

Antlers are a popular chew because they are naturally shed, don't stink, aren't messy, don't splinter into tiny pieces, last forever, and most of all, dogs LOVE them! We have them in all different sizes, come take a peek!

The brand we brought in is Antlerz, and here is what they have to say:

Antlerz are a totally new, 100% natural, mineral rich, long lasting dog chew. The new chew is made from a natural material that is rich in minerals, does not splinter and comes from a completely renewable source: Deer Antlers! Wild deer shed their antlers once a year as part of a natural process, after which the deer re-grow another set. These shed antlers are gathered by ranch workers and transported to QT Dog's manufacturing facility. The antlers are cut to the appropriate size, cleaned, and packaged to produce dog chews. ANTLERZ™ hold up substantially longer than most traditional chews made from plastic, bone, or compacted starch. A minerals analysis of these dog chews show high concentrations of calcium and phosphorus, with trace amounts iron, zinc, and sodium. Unlike processed livestock bones ANTLERZ™ don't chip or splinter when they are being used by even the most aggressive chewing dogs. A dog's chewing action grinds ANTLERZ™ down slowly. Deer antlers are a 100% natural, mineral rich dog chew that contains no plastics, no petrochemicals, no empty starches or artificial flavors.

*Please be careful when buying Deer Antlers for dogs on the internet, there are now many companies selling products that are so-called "fresh" Antlers for dogs which are not cleaned or sterilized properly. These products will not last nearly as long as the original Antlerz products and are prone to many problems including bacterial issues! We only recommend the best for your pups! ***

THINGS YOUR DOG WILL DROOL OVER SERIES

We have so much new product coming in, I am starting a series to highlight certain products and why I think they're awesome (and why your dog or cat will, too!)



Your dog will drool over #1: Zoo Rest beds from West Paw Design!
Made in Montana, these beds are one machine washable piece, great for travel yet stylish for your home! Come check them out at our shop!
www.westpawdesign.com

Demolition project has commenced!

First, I wanted to show you guys, this is the outside of the building. I think it's so cute, and it's over 100 years old!

I know its kind of hard to tell with the furniture and stuff in the way (that stuff won't be in the store, it isn't ours..it's just there..)

This is another view of what it looks like so far...that front wall you see will get taken down on Monday and a wall will go up right in front of where I am standing in the picture. It is going to be my photo studio and office space. This picture is taken from the back right of the store.

This is where there used to be big walls and red carpet (you can kind of see the carpet in the earlier picture). This is where the dog wash will be. We took down the walls to open up the space, and are replacing it with a cute fence. There is a skylight above the dog wash area, and with the walls down, it shines through really beautifully.

This door is from a big wall in the front of the store that will be taken down (it really divides the place). But I love this door, so we are still going to use it!

That's it for now, lots of other big changes coming soon!

Updates

So, I've been going to free business seminars in Tampa to help me figure out what all I will need to start up my own business. There is so much that goes into it! I need to get a trademark for my store name, decide what type of business I would need (I decided on LLC), find a space, start thinking about marketing and branding, building a website, and get money somehow to start it all up!
I know that I want Health Mutt to be in Seminole heights, it's where I live and there is a real need for some healthy pet food and dog wash services in the area! So many people have happy, well loved rescued cats and dogs in the area. The particular space I have been looking at is on Central and Hanna, a few blocks from the Starbucks and in the same plaza as Velo Champ and New Way Cafe. This is a historic building that will need a lot of love, but I really think it would work. Since I first saw the space, I just have a feeling like that's it. It even has a cute window front so people could look and see the dogs getting washed! Or maybe see some of our fresh baked healthy treats on display!