Bark City Doggy Daycare

The countdown is beginning! Well actually, one of my two-legged children started the count down right after Halloween. Christmas is getting close. Too close for my comfort because I am currently sitting on my couch with a stuffed up nose, body aches and a cough. While my heating pad is keeping me warm and cozy, I am thinking about the fact that I should be out there getting all my stocking stuffers. Oh, did I mention that Bark City has stocking stuffers? Yes, we do! And only a limited supply--it's a first come first serve kind of deal. One of the stocking stuffers I would like to highlight today is the Instant Eggnog. In fact, I am tempted to try a cupful to see if it will cure my cold.  This eggnog is only available for a limited time. If you don't get it at Bark City, you can order it online (for a limited time) from the Honest Kitchen website. It is: 100% Human Grade Made in the USA No by-products No preservatives No corn, wheat,  soy or GMO The ingredi...

Yes, I know I spelled "dehydrating" wrong. Typo!!! ~Before you read this article, please remember that I am just writing what I have read and researched. I do not have a medical degree in anything. I have tried to reference my work by highlighting areas of the article and providing some references at the bottom. ~  Magnesium is extremely important for the body. It plays a key role in a healthy immune system and the bodies ability to produce ATP. It is second only to Potassium as the most abundant substance in cells . Humans usually get magnesium through their diet. But by some estimates, up to 80% of Americans are not getting enough magnesium . More and more, people are turning to Transdermal Magnesium Therapy (TMT) for supplementation. Basically, TMT is a really fancy word for absorption through the skin. TMT seems to be the most efficient way for the body to absorb magnesium. It also provides the least amount of discomfort. Taking a magnesium supplement orally...

Winter is coming and it is time to start preparing for the COLD... which also means your dog. Certain breeds are more susceptible to cold: little dogs, short haired dogs. lean dogs (like a greyhound), puppies and older dogs. There are dogs that are "cold weather dogs". This means their fur and body is build to handle colder temperatures. BUT, even these dogs can get cold if left outside for too long or the temperature drops below zero. How can you tell if your dog is cold? A sure sign is if they start to SHIVER. They will also hunch their back (trying to make themselves smaller!), make sounds of distress and try to go to any shelter they can find (veer towards the neighbors porch while on a walk). If the vulnerable padding on their paws starts to freeze or becomes compacted with snow, they will limp or lift one paw up at a time. Cold weather can be extremely dangerous for animals. Yes, they can get hypothermi a which can lead to death . Here are some tips to keep you...

It's coming (enter scary Jaws music)-- Cold and Flu season. It hits canines as well as humans. Like humans, if you furry friend is feeling under the weather, it's best if you keep him/her at home until fully recovered to reduce the risk of spreading infection. Also like humans, there are certain things you can give your dog to help support recovery. Here are my top five not in any ranking order: 1. Coconut Oil : Coconut oil has a composition of medium chain fatty acids. One of these medium chain fatty acids is called lauric acid. When lauric acid is present in the body, it is converted into monolaurin. Without getting all "scientific-y" on you, I am just going to say that monolaurin is a super hero in the body: it exhibits anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-microbial properties that destroy all those enemies that infiltrate the body.  It is recommended that you start with 1/4 tsp for a small dog or 1 tsp for a large dog every couple of day...

This is Marley. Marley was my first dog (American bulldog/mastiff mix). We adopted him from the Humane Society. He was 2-yrs-old and had never been outside. He wasn't house trained and had food anxiety (he would get nervous and start shaking if a human was in the same room when he was eating... tells you something, right?) We had A LOT of work to do with Marley, but eventually he became a somewhat normal dog (like eating 2 lbs of burger right out of a pan on the stove or leaping over the back of the couch to be the first one to greet whomever was at the door). BUT, Marley always had food anxiety on the of his mind. It just sometimes lurked around the corner as a subtlety that we forgot about...Until we put him on a diet. Looking back on the infamous diet, I probably should have done a lot of things differently. I should have added fillers (like pumpkin!) to his food instead of just giving him smaller portions. That would have been a great option since I was dealing with a dog t...

Hairballs are not just a cat thing. True, a cat's meticulous grooming habit will contribute to the frequent disgusting thing on your carpet, but dogs can also get hairballs. Just not as frequently. And sometimes, these canine hairballs can become an obstruction which is life threatening. Dogs that are at a higher risk for hairballs are: long haired dogs, puppies nursing off of a mother that is shedding (or has long hair), dogs with skin irritations, skin parasites and/or an anxious dog. Signs that your dog may have a hairball are: coughing retching vomiting loss of appetite gastrointestinal distress pain The last three signs are also signs that your dog's hairball may be causing a blockage. As you can see, all of these signs can also be cues of other medical issues. All in all, if you are seeing a pattern of these symptoms, it's best to have your dog checked out by a veterinarian. For the last three signs, you should take your dog to the vet asap. A blockage...

Awe 😍 Teacup dogs! They are cute, cuddly and you can take them anywhere. Teacup dogs have always been in "fashion" as highly trendy. And, at first glance, I can see why-- again, the cuteness. Lots of people are drawn to them because they require less food and preventative medication than a standard dog. They also seem like a logical choice if you live in a facility that has pet size restrictions or in an area that is difficult to exercise a standard dog. But before you buy one, there are certain things you must be aware of before committing. A Teacup Dog is any dog that is bred to be as small as possible-- this means about 5lbs or less in size. To obtain this optimal level of tiny, a breeder will usually breed the runts of litters. This can be problematic: sometimes the smallest of the litter is caused by a birth defect or another medical condition.  With standard dogs, dogs are bred to preserve healthy genetics. But with teacup dogs, they are bred for size first and fo...