March 2, 2020 - By Lexi Klinkenberg

Moving to a new home ranks right up there among life’s super-stressful events. This also holds true for your dog. New rooms, unfamiliar smells, a new yard, and a neighborhood of new people and pets. introducing your dog to a new home can all be very exciting — but also overwhelming. While you may have the option of chilling out with a glass of red wine or venting to a friend about your stress, your beloved dog, unfortunately, doesn’t have those options.

Here are some tips for introducing your dog to a new home:

Pack up gradually

Try your best to remain calm during the weeks that you’re packing up your home. From gathering packing materials to organizing your moving boxes, there are tons of things to get done. If you’re super-stressed your dog will pick up on your emotions and feel uneasy as well. If you can stay organized and collected and pack up over time, your dog will feel more at ease during this transition.  

Find a new vet 

Your hometown vet may have recommendations for an alternative in your new town. Or, if you’re relocating to a new city, like New York, for work, check with your new employer. Their HR department may have referral services. If your chosen vet’s office isn’t open 24/7, also find an emergency vet in your new area who’s available at all hours. Add the vet’s phone number and address to your phone, and learn how to find your way there.

 Get new collar tags before you move

You should also get a new ID tag for your dog, and put it on before you move; many dogs get anxious and may try to run away in the first days in a new home. With many new smells and sounds, if your dog does run away during the first few days at your new home they may have less of an idea of where to come back to, which is why having these news tags is so important. 

Check the house for pet hazards

Before you move in, carefully scan the house for potential pet hazards. Look high and low. Stoop down to your dog’s level to look for hazards on the floor, and also look to levels where your dog may be able to climb or jump. Even if your dog isn’t a climber, a new environment may cause stress and lead to unusual behavior.

Be especially careful to look for:

• Possible poisons: Household cleaners, antifreeze, paint, pesticides, medications (prescription and over-the-counter, including vitamins), and houseplants. Medications are by far the leading cause of calls to the Animal Poison Control Center.

• Choking hazards: Give your house a clean sweep before moving in and look for buttons, needles, Legos and other tiny toys or game pieces that may have been left on the floor. Make sure window blinds and shades are well out of reach.

• Electrical or heat sources: Small appliances, furnaces, fireplaces, and electrical cords.

• Escape routes: Make sure fences and gates are closed and look for loose or missing window screens.

Make the introduction fun

If at all possible, place your dog’s bed and toys, as well as their water and food dishes, in your new home before arriving. This will let the dog know that this is their space now and it will be comforting to have familiar items and smells. When you first arrive with your dog at the new home, take them to the backyard to relieve themself in the area you prefer. Showing your dog where the proper place to use the bathroom is located. Next, walk through the house and let your dog sniff around to their heart’s content. Try not to leave them alone during the first day in the new home, they may be nervous and you are what they are most familiar with. 

Keep old routines consistent 

Make each day’s routine consistent. Many people want to get all new stuff after a move, but it is advised to use your dog’s familiar leash, dog dish, food, and bed to help them feel more at home. Also, keep the rules the same. Don’t change the rules just because you feel bad that your dog is having to adjust to your new home. The more secure your dog feels, the smoother the transition will be. If your dog is anxious, using a crate can be a good option to help minimize anxiety.

Be patient 

Be patient and let your dog adjust on his or her own time. Some dogs will be perfectly comfortable within a few days, but others may take a few weeks or months to finally feel at home and settle in. No matter how long it takes your dog to adjust, your patience is more likely to speed up the process and make your dog feel more comfortable.

Bring your dog along to meet your neighbors

When you begin to explore the new neighborhood and meet your neighbors you should bring your dog with you. They’ll begin to familiarize themselves with the new area and smells as well as what the surrounding area of your home is like. You can also find out which neighbors have friendly dogs that may want to meet yours. And, if your dogs hit it off, book a date for the nearest dog park! 

Watch for territorial or unexpected behavior

After introducing your dog to your new home, some dogs may bark incessantly, become destructive, or become extra protective over you and your family. It is important to get these new behaviors figured out sooner rather than later. Don’t hesitate to contact your veterinarian for advice, or even a trainer or dog behaviorist if needed.  

Shower your dog with love

As hectic as the move is, be sure to take the time to shower your dog with lots and lots of extra love and attention. Spending some quality one-on-one time will help make you both feel better, and show your dog that this new home is a happy and safe place.

How to Choose The Right Food for Your Cat

Reading the Label isn’t just for Humans Anymore

Your cat is a beloved member of your family and you want to supply healthy, appealing

meals. However, the cat food industry has responded to the increased number of

homes with one or more cats as a reason to multiply the cat food formulas without

ensuring the quality. Recently a review of the cat food formulas found that although over

1700 different formulas from 100 different brands are on the market, only 152 formulas

of 36 brands are of high quality and recommended for your cat.

The primary issue considered in the review was quality ingredients. Numerous

interviews with veterinarians and cat owners, along with hundreds of hours spent

researching ingredients, resulted in four primary factors.

The First Ingredient

As with the food you select for the rest of your family, the first item listed on the label is

the one that weighs the most. Pure protein is vital to the health of carnivores like your

cat. Any formula that does not list a "whole protein" first was considered insufficient.

"Whole proteins" are specifically-named meat like chicken or salmon. These will retain

most of the original amino acids which are basic to the growth of the structural and

immune system. Over 505 cat food formulas were removed based on this factor alone.

Artificial or Controversial Ingredients

Chemically-based ingredients added for appearance or long shelf life were the next

issue. 311 formulas were disqualified for containing the following items.

• Preservatives also dangerous for humans - BHA, BHT & Ethoxyquin have been found to cause cancer or tumors in laboratory animals.
• Caramel Color – this artificial coloring does not contribute any nutritional value and some versions contain the carcinogenic chemical 4-Methylimidazole.
• Sodium Nitrate – this chemical is viewed as controversial since when meats are cooked, they can form carcinogenic nitroso compounds.
• Vitamin K3 – this water-soluble synthetic vitamin can damage liver function with prolonged consumption.

Questionable Ingredients

An additional number of ingredients are either unidentifiable or provide no benefits. Four

of the most notable concerns of this group that resulted in the removal of another 458

formulas are listed below.

•  Ingredients also discouraged for humans – gluten, sugar and xanthan gum.These ingredients do not provide essential nutrients and can contribute toallergies, obesity, diabetes and diarrhea.
•  Meat meal / meat byproduct – these "mystery meat" ingredients cannot be identified or evaluated.
•  Rendered fat – another unknown ingredient, this item can also be made from diseased or disabled animals, or even roadkill.
•  Garlic – garlic is considered controversial because it is linked to hemolytic anemia which causes red blood cells to burst.

Manufacturers

Evaluation of the source of the ingredients resulted in the final 323 disqualifications.

Manufacturers from countries with lax food-quality laws or with significant recalls over

the past five years were eliminated. Similarly, any product for which the manufacturer

could not be clearly identified or which received high customer complaints was also

removed.

One of the best ways to keep your cat healthy and happy for many years is to ensure

their meals provide the essentials like whole proteins and natural preservatives like

vitamin C or vitamin E. Avoid undesirable ingredients like meat meal/byproduct,

rendered fat, sugar, thickening agents and chemicals. The first step is the simplest –

always read the label!

You can see the original article by Reviews.com here: http://www.reviews.com/cat-food/

Important Holiday Tips

4. Grapes and Raisins: 

Grapes and raisins contain a toxin that can cause kidney damage to both dogs and cats.  They usually don’t like them that much anyway, but beware of dropped grapes and raisins for those pets that double as vacuum in your kitchen.

5. Chocolate: 

Chocolate can actually be fatal to your dog or cat; so all those sweets must be kept well out of reach.

6. Food Wrappings: 

Aluminum foil, wax paper and other food wrappings can keep the flavor and smell of our tasty food to attract our food-driven pets for days, but can cause intestinal obstruction. Make sure to place these items securely in the garbage.

7. Garbage: 

Keep the garbage can tightly shut, especially when leaving your pets at home alone.  With all the tasty leftovers wafting their aromas it can be tempting, but dangerous for our furry friends.

 

Happy Thanksgiving from Paradise Pet Care!  We are happy to say that one of our busiest days of the year went off without a hitch as our team spent much of Turkey Day with our favorite furry friends in the San Diego sun.

Here are a few safety tips to make sure your pet stays happy and healthy during the holiday season:

1. Diet and Exercise:

Maintain your pet's regular meal and exercise schedule, avoiding the temptation to indulge them with too many tasty leftovers from the Thanksgiving feast.

2. No Turkey Bones: 

Poultry bones can be especially dangerous for pets as they can easily lacerate or obstruct your pet’s insides.  As much as they might think they want to chew every last bit of flavor off of the leftover turkey leg, save the bones for your turkey soup instead.

3. Onions:  

Onions and onion powder, common in our Thanksgiving stuffing and other dishes, can destroy your dog or cat's red blood cells, which can lead to anemia.  No onion-breath for your pets!

At Paradise Pet Car we are wishing you all a happy and healthy holiday season!

First week

The holidays are right around the corner so please check your vacation plans and call or email us to schedule service with your favorite pet sitter.   The new online contact form also allows new clients to easily request a “Meet-n-Greet” to discuss their pet’s needs and for existing clients to log in and request service.

For those of you traveling out of town that have attention-craving pets, we have drastically lowered the price for overnight stays so that your pet does not have to endure any cold winter nights alone and gets the love and attention they deserve.  It always breaks our heart as much as yours to leave your dogs alone when we know they just want some love and company so we strive to make it affordable for you to keep your pet and house in good hands while you are away.

Paradise Pet Care is officially up and running!  We are excited to have all of the logistics taken care of for the new website, new Yelp account, and new client paperwork so now we can focus 100% on what we really love: your pets!  If you haven’t seen our new look please check us out at www.paradisepetcaresd.com and for existing clients if you haven’t seen our new Yelp page please take a look and leave us a new review.  You may even see a picture or two of your own furry friend featured! Very little changes in the day-to-day service for our regular clients as we were lucky enough to keep the entire pet care team so you and your pets will get the same great service you have grown accustomed to.  We are so grateful for the support and love showed by all of our existing clients in this transition and look forward to continuing our service and growing even fonder of your four-legged family members.

Paradise Pet Care Grand Opening

Paradise Pet Care is now open and proudly serving our furry friends in coastal San Diego.  Smiling dogs, purring cats, well-fed bunnies, chirping birds, and lounging lizards make us happy and feed our passion for happy animals.  With this mentality we go above and beyond the number 1s and number 2s of pet care and strive to bring happiness into the lives of all of our pets and the humans that own them.    From playful walks to bunny belly rubs we seek to find that special way to make our pets feel loved and happy while their owners are away.   

Combining the experience of professional dog walkers trained under the Camp Bow Wow franchise and an innovative new management belief that happy pets make happy people; Paradise Pet Care is the new name on the boardwalk.

We employ state of the art GPS check in and check out to give owners piece of mind and up to the minute confirmation that their pet was cared for.  With the latest software we are able to provide real time photo and text message updates instead of paper notes so that you know immediately your pet is happy with us while you are away on vacation instead of waiting to read about it when you get back.