Expanded Merrick Recall

Hey Everyone!

I know it seems like there are an awful lot of recalls lately and I don't want our blog to be just gloom and doom, but I do feel like it's important to pass along these recalls for the safety of your pets and those of your friends and neighbors. I do want to note that we don't carry any of the recently recalled products, we just feel that as part of the pet community, it's our duty to help disseminate this information. This article was originally posted by Pet Sit USA, you can view it here


Merrick Pet Foods is extending a recent recall, due to salmonella, announced last month.

Merrick Pet Care, Inc. of Amarillo, Texas is extending its July 2, 2010 recall of 10oz “Beef Filet Squares for Dogs (Texas Hold’Ems)” pet treat (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10084TL7 BEST BY MARCH 24, 2012) to also include 83 cases of “Texas Hold’ems” (ITEM # 60016 LOT # 10127 BEST BY MAY 6, 2012) because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. Salmonella can affect animals and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products. People handling the treats can become infected with Salmonella, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the chews or any surfaces exposed to these products. Consumers should dispose of these products in a safe manner by securing them in a covered trash receptacle.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers immediately.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian immediately.

The Beef Filet Squares (Texas Hold ‘Ems) were shipped to distributors and retailers throughout the US. These individuals have been notified and have activated their recall procedures.

The treats are sold in 10oz plastic bags marked with “Lot # 10127 Best By May 6, 2012” on the top of the bag and on a sticker applied to the bottom.

No illnesses have been reported to date for either lot of product. A sample tested positive for Salmonella.

Consumers who have purchased 10 ounce packages of “Texas Hold’ems” are urged to return the unused portion to the place of purchase for a full refund. Consumers with questions may contact the company at 1-800-664-7387 M-F 8:00 – 5:00 CDT.

Merrick does have the announcement on their website: Merrick Pet Care Recalls Texas Hold’ems 10 oz. Bag (Item# 60016 Lot 10127 Best By May 6, 2010) Because of Possible Salmonella Health Risk.

Bad News Bearer

Good evening everyone,

I hate to start out the blog bearing bad news. No one wants to see price increases, not even business owners. We have made it our mission to provide healthy affordable treats for all dogs. As you all know we have been in business for four years but you may not be aware that we have never changed our prices on our treats. The price of ingredients have been rising steadily since the business opened but the business had been absorbing the cost. We hate to do it but unfortunately, it is to the point where we have to increase the prices because we would not be making any profit. The good news is we made the increase as low as possible and it wont be effective until August 1st. AND tomorrow is $5 FRIDAY, so you will be able to get great deals on things like Peanut Butter, Carob, and Yogurt Chips (which, sadly, will be affected by the increase). The new prices are as follows:

Basic Treats: Were $0.33 Now $0.35

Premium Treats: Were $0.50 Now $0.55

Carob, Peanut Butter, and Yogurt Chips: Were $5.50 Now $6.50

Pupcakes: Were $1.00 Now $1.25

Howl at the Moon Pies: Were $1.00 Now $1.25

Barkday Cakes: Started at $13.00 Now: starting at $15.00

We really do apologize for the inconvenience and thank everyone for their understanding and continued support.

Kibble Crack - The Dirty Dozen

We know that sugary pet treats are bad. When pet treats first started out, there wasn't any sugar added as an ingredient. As large companies began vying for shelf space, two factors became universally important - cheap ingredients and that dogs love them. One of the ways large manufacturers found out they could solve both problems was to use sugar or corn syrup. These in themselves are a cheap ingredient, but dogs have a sweet tooth, and lots of sugar meant that you didn't have to really worry about adding anything else they might want, like peanut butter or liver.

Dr. Ernie Ward, pet expert for WebMD writes

"What I want to bring attention to is what ingredients are in pet treats – and why. Pet owners must begin to question why there is sugar in a treat that claims to help teeth.” Following the trend of sugar-laden children’s snacks, pet treat manufacturers are tapping into a dog’s sweet tooth to boost sales. “One of the key reasons I became involved with fighting pet obesity was when I began seeing sugar added to pet treats. I think if more pet owners were aware of this, they may choose their treats more carefully.” says veterinarian Dr. Ernie Ward, founder of the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention (APOP) and author of “Chow Hounds: Why Our Dogs Are Getting Fatter – A Vet’s Plan to Save Their Lives” (2010 HCI). “When you have popular treats such as Snausages SnawSomes that list sugars as three of the first four ingredients, you know there’s a problem.”

And the problem is huge. APOP estimates that 45% of US dogs and 58% of cats are too heavy. That equals an estimated 89 million pets that are at high risk for developing conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure and more.

Ward says the problem is linked to money – lots of it. With US pet treat sales estimated to be nearly $2 billion in 2010, the treat bowl has turned golden. “Sugar is incredibly attractive to dogs. If a dog gobbles a treat quickly, an owner is more likely to give another – and another. This adds up to more sales – and profits. In the race for pet treat profits, our pets’ health is being bankrupted.”

Ward also contends that added sugar has behavioral consequences. “Numerous studies in rats demonstrate that overfeeding sugar can create symptoms similar to drug addiction. A dog’s daily sweet treat may be contributing to overeating and other undesirable behaviors. This is why I call today’s high-sugar treats ‘kibble crack.’”

Dr. Ward has compiled a list of "The Dirty Dozen" = sugar pet treats you should avoid and why:

1. Canine CarryOuts Chew-lotta Dextrose first ingredient
2. Snausages SnawSomes! Beef and Chicken Flavor Sugars 3 of first 4 ingredients
3. Pedigree Jumbone Mini Snack Food for Small Dogs Sugars 2 of 3 first ingredient
4. Petrodex Dental Treats for Cats Dextrose second ingredient
5. Pedigree Jumbone Sugar third ingredient
6. Milk Bone Essentials Plus Oral Care Sugar third ingredient
7. Pup-Peroni Lean Beef Recipe Sugar third ingredient
8. Science Diet Simple Essentials Treats Training Adult Treats with Real Beef Sugar third ingredient
9. Cesar Softies Dog Treats Sugar third ingredient
10. Milk-Bone Chewy Chicken Drumsticks Sugar third ingredient
11. Meow Mix Moist Cat Treats Corn syrup fourth ingredient
12. Pedigree Marrobone Sugar third ingredient

Other common sugar-containing treats according to Dr. Ernie Ward:

• Beneful Snackin’ Slices – Sugar fourth ingredient
• Pit’r Pat Fresh Breath Mint Flavored Cat Treats – Maltodextrin first ingredient
• Three Dog Bakery Lick ‘n Crunch – Dextrose third ingredient
• Beneful Snackin Slices – Sugar fourth ingredient
• Busy Chewnola – Maltodextrin second ingredient
• Exclusively Dog Vanilla Flavor Sandwich Creme Dog Cookies – Sugars first two ingredients
• Canine Carryouts Dog Treats – Corn syrup second ingredient

You can read Dr. Wards full article here.

I know I don't really need to do this, but here is the ingredient statement from one of our most popular treats - Where is the sugar? There isn't any. I can't really put it any better than Dr. Ward. This has been one of our founding principles since we opened the bakery in 2006. I also completely agree with Dr. Ward - READ THE INGREDIENT STATEMENTS!

Bacon and Egg Piglets - Ingredients: Whole Wheat Flour, Oats, Water, Whey, Pork Fat, Bacon, Egg, Cheese, Yeast, Baking Powder, Garlic.

Killing Them Sweetly

In a recent study by Princeton University, corn syrup fed to lab rats has demonstrated that not all sweetners are created equal.

"In the 40 years since the introduction of high-fructose corn syrup as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet, rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese, the CDC reported. High-fructose corn syrup is found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year."

They also go on to say that the molecular structure of corn syrup combined with the manufacturing process sends the corn syrup directly to body fat instead of being metabolized as a carbohydrate, even when you compare corn syrup to other sugars. The study also reveals that corn syrup contributes to higher triglicerides.

"These rats aren't just getting fat; they're demonstrating characteristics of obesity, including substantial increases in abdominal fat and circulating triglycerides," said Princeton graduate student Miriam Bocarsly. "In humans, these same characteristics are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes."

According to Amy Attas, V.M.D of Webvet, 44% of dogs in this country are considered overweight, including 10% that were obese. This is seen as a rising problem with many contributors. We've all heard this for some time. Now check out this list. This is not a comprehensive list by any means, nor did I exhaustively include all ingredient statements:

• Sunshine Mills Pup Corn Dog Snacks - Corn flour, wheat flour, natural chicken flavor, powdered cellulose, chicken, canola oil, dried cheese product, mono and di-gylcerides, corn syrup, yellow #6, lecithin.
• Dr. Fosters and Smith, Tasty Snacks® Chewy Dog Treats - Wheat flour, corn gluten meal, corn, wheat, corn flour, soybean meal, corn syrup, propylene glycol, glycerin, beef
• Bil-Jac Little Jacs Liver Treats - Chicken Liver, Chicken, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn, Glycerin, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Wheat Flour, Propylene Glycol
• Claudia’s Canine Cuisine Hearts and Bones Dog Cookie Treats - Wheat flour, corn syrup, honey, palm oil, peanut butter, vanilla, yogurt, red #3
• Bit-O-Luv Bistro Beef Recipe Dog Treats - Beef, chicken, dextrose, water, corn syrup, soy protein isolate, natural smoke flavor, salt, potassium sorbate (preservative), paprika oleoresin, and sodium nitrite (preservative).
• Espre Pet Gourmet Treats - Wheat flour, corn syrup, palm oil, honey, yogurt, vanilla, Yellow #5 Lake, Blue #1 Lake, Red #40 Lake, Yellow #6 Lake
• Jerky Treats - Beef, wheat flour, soy flour, wheat middlings, corn syrup, sugar, corn starch, wheat gluten, propylene glycol
• Chewy Louie Mini Chewy Burger Dog Treats - Beef, corn syrup, beef meal, soy flour, textured soy protein product, sugar, poultry fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols)
• Greenies Pill Pockets - Chicken, glycerin, wheat flour, vegetable oil, dried corn syrup, wheat gluten
• Purina Snausages Beef Flavor - Wheat flour, beef, soy, corn syrup
• Pup-Peroni Naw Somes Dog Snacks - Wheat flour, pregelatinized wheat flour, sugar, fructose, corn syrup, water, glycerine, beef, dried cheese product
• JB Pets Every Flavor Treats - Beef, Wheat Flour, Soy Flour, Corn Syrup, Glycerin
• Ginger Ridge Puppy Mints - wheat flour, beet molasses, corn syrup, vegetable oil, sea salt, peppermint extract and natural colors
• Lean Treats Nutritional Rewards - Skinless Chicken, Chicken Liver, Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Wheat Flour
• AKC Puppy Training Treats - beef liver, wheat flour, beef, corn starch, corn syrup, rice flour, beef tallow, propylene Glycol, dextrose
• Mouthful's Lickin Logs - Beef, Ground Whole Wheat, Wheat Flour, Soy Grits, Corn Syrup
• Barkworth Gourmet Valentine Dog Cookies - Wheat flour, palm oil, corn syrup, honey, vanilla, peanut butter, yogurt, Red #40 Lake
• Zuke's Beef Hip Action Dog Treats - Beef, Durum wheat flour, Fructose corn syrup, Gelatin, Beet Molasses, Glycerin
• Windmill Cookies - Gourmet Dog Treats - Wheat Flour, Sugar, Vegetable Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols, a natural form of Vitamin E), Corn Syrup, Caramel Color
• PETCO Treat Bar Natural Low-Fat Vanilla Pretzels - Unbleached flour, glucose, vegetable shortening, corn syrup, water, vanilla flavor, baking soda and lecithin
• PETCO Jerky Strips Treats For Dogs - Beef, Wheat Flour, Soybean Meal, Corn Syrup, Ground Wheat, Soy Flour, Gelatin, Animal Fat
• Red Barn Mini Chewy Burger Dog Treats - Beef, corn syrup, beef meal, soy flour, textured soy protein product, sugar, poultry fat
• Canine Carry Outs Bac'n Bites Chewy Dog Treats - Wheat flour, soybean flour, water, beef, glycerin, corn, sugar, bacon, corn syrup, natural smoke flavor, bone phosphate

OK - that's not all of them, but that is a pretty big list. I found it very interesting that Bil-Jac only lists "Key Ingredients", so I had to go to a retailer site that actually listed their full ingredient statement. I also found different ingredient statements about Pup-Peroni on Pup-Peroni's website than I did about Pup-Peroni on Petco's website. I don't know if this was intentional or simply out of date data - but the packaging itself must be legally correct, so use the packaging as the gospel.
 
Some interesting surprises I am sure. Lots of well recognized brands up there as well as some not so recognized brands that claim to be gourmet. In my opinion, if you have to add corn syrup to a "gourmet dog treat" you are seriously lacking some gourmet ingredients. Real ingredients dogs love do not need sugar or corn syrup to entice them to eat.
 
I think I illustrated my point that corn syrup has infiltrated dog treats and food in parallel that it has with human foods enumerated in the Princeton article. I also don't think it's a huge leap to correlate the corn syrup Americans feed their pets to the rise in obesity being reported by veterinarian studies like the one I quoted at Webvet. 
 
Corn syrup is a cheap ingredient that I think is a "cheap shot" in pet treats. Dogs like fats and sweets just like humans, so they add the penny ingredient corn syrup vs. something high quality like liver or whey. Even regular sugar would be better than corn syrup. To me it's taking the easy road - just add corn syrup and the dogs will eat it! But what toll is it taking on your four legged friend's life? High blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer and diabetes?

Do Magic Cookies Exist?

Do magic cookies really exist? Today I read that Three Dog Bakery is expanding their manufacturing plant in Kansas City, doubling their size. They got a bunch of TIP money and property tax abatement for 10 years to create 150 new jobs in the downtown Kansas City area.

I have never been shy in giving TDB credit for being the grandfathers of the dog bakery. Their book was very inspiring, but I have to wonder if the current manifestation of the creature they created is what they had envisioned. While I am sure as entrepreneurs this would be deemed a success, their whole inspiration was that store bought, mass produced dog treats would last in their underwear drawer for 10 years and be the exact same treat that it was when you bought it. I have to start to wonder how far from that path they have strayed. (yes, pun intended)

While I hope that they continue to use quality ingredients, large retailers qualify on price - it is the single biggest determinant in what they place on their shelves. When you start buying your ingredients by the shipping container from overseas because the price point is so much better, and then everything is mixed in giant vats and pressed out by huge machines, I think you lose something - that magic of touching the treats by hand, knowing that you are making something somebody else is going to enjoy. There is a transference of pride and ownership. Each treat has to meet standards knowing that it is going home with someone. I think that they still bake the fancy stuff like pupcakes and boxer brownies in their individual stores, however most of the every day treats they sell are all now baked in a "manufacturing plant" - not too unlike something like Milkbones are as I would guess.

Question - is this what happens to everyone when you get so big? Is this what happened to Starbucks? To McDonalds? Every single business starts out as a small business, and the ones that are successful grow and grow, and suddenly the magic is gone.

If we ever grow the business that big - I think I absolutely do not want to have a central baking and manufacturing facility - I don't want my treats ending up in someone's underwear drawer for 10 years, because I am pretty sure all of the magic has leaked out long before they get eaten. I want to make sure the magic stays in our cookies. You only get magic cookies when you go from hand cut dough, to oven, and straight to the display. If you have ever seen a dog eat a magic cookie from us and then give them a Milkbone, you understand.

Easy Pill Pockets - Giving Your Dog Medications

I just read a review for greenies pill pockets. While I am sure that this product probably works, I am not a big fan of the original greenies because of their digestibility issues, and to be honest, I don't know much about these pill pockets. But, I have always failed to understand why someone would need a special pill pocket to give dogs treats when every dog I have ever owned took pills so easily.

Whats my secret you ask? I use one of four human foods to give my dogs pills. First I'll try bread. I'll take a corner, and mash the bread around the pill until it's pretty dense. Most dogs swallow this so fast they don't even realize it's a pill. If you keep it small (just a corner) they will barely even taste it.

Second try, if that doesn't work, I'll do the same thing with a bit of sliced American cheese. Cheese is perfectly safe for dogs, and they love it. I don't give my dogs too much cheese, as too much might constipate them. But, a little corner or even one slice has never hurt them. I have medium sized dogs, so just vary according to the size of your dog.

Third try, if that doesn't work, I'll slice up a piece of hotdog, and poke the pill into the center. I rarely have to get to this stage, but I have not known too many dogs to need to get past this point. Sometimes I wonder if the pill even touched their tongue. Thsi is usually the express elevator to their stomachs.

TOP SECRET: I have had one dog that could tell the difference of a pill in any of these foods, and at that point no soft food, including pill pockets will help this situation. They are just too smart and have sensitive teeth. To get past this one problem, I took a corner of bread, and spread crunchy peanut butter over it, placed the pill in the center, and rolled it up like a mini burrito. Wasn't too messy, and it was virtually impossible for her to distinguish the pill from the other crunchy nuts. This never failed. The sticky quality of the peanut butter made it impossible to separate, and the nuts made it indistinguishable.

The true grace of these methods for pill pockets is that I usually have most of these items in the house already, so I don't need to rush out and buy anything to give my dogs pills. Second, they are 100% digestible, and I don't have to worry about poor quality ingredients, because they are all human grade ingredients. I don't have to worry about giving my dog sugar laden candy that is most of the commercial pet treats on the market today. If anyone else has any suggestions, please share!

People Food May Shorten Dog's Life

Darlene Dunn of Channel 40/29 wrote an article on the effects of giving your pet human food and table scraps.

“I had an experience with a (Yorkshire terrier) that was given bacon every morning for breakfast,” she says. “Anything greasy, fatty or salty is not good. The dog would end up skipping meals, waiting on the bacon.” The pooch was eventually diagnosed with pancreatitis.

Read the original post here.

While our treats are made with human grade ingredients, we actually agree with this article. (shock, awe, and gasp) Most of what is out there is not that good for dogs. Especially if it's loaded with salt, fat, or sugar - and if you look at what most people's diets consist of, then you would agree thats it's hard to find foods that are not loaded up on those three ingredients.

On rare occasion we come across a dog that will turn it's nose at our treats, and after a little interrogation, we soon find out that the dog got McDonalds hamburgers every day for lunch. While our treats are very tasty, if not addictive to most dogs, there really isn't any comparison of a liver cookie to a McDonalds hamburger. I would turn my nose too! Our cookies would probably be healthier for me tho, even tho I usually choose McD's for myself.

Facts and Myths about Your Dogs Food and Treats

Myth: The dog food I am using will help my dog live a long and healthy life.

FACT: Most commercial dog foods don't contain enough quality proteins, good fats, and proper carbohydrate sources. Instead they contain fillers, sugars, spoiled or rancid grains, toxic chemicals, preservatives, slaughterhouse waste, artificial colors and flavors, feces, and pesticides. The AAFCO allows bird beaks, feet and feathers to be used as a protein source, listed as poultry meals and by products. The average dog consumes 35-40 lbs. of artificial preservatives a year. With cancer rates in dogs increasing, as well as starting at earlier ages then ever before, the average life expectancy of our dogs is decreasing at an alarming rate.

Myth: I can manage any pet food allergy myself by switching their food.

FACT: Unfortunately for pets with food allergies, most pet food diets contain some sort of mixture of beef, dairy, wheat, lamb, fish, and chicken. Even worse, some contain corn or soy. Just changing foods is bound to lead to exposure to the same allergens. There are two ways to address food allergies: feeding a diet based on high quality or exotic protein sources (this usually means venison, duck, kangaroo, rabbit or even alligator) OR feeding a diet where the proteins have been predigested into units too small to interest their immune system.

Myth: My dog can't have a food allergy because I've been feeding them the same food for years.

FACT: It can take months or even years to develop a food allergy. The immune system must be repeatedly exposed to food in question, and must develop enough antibodies to trigger an allergic reaction. A reaction to a food that occurs on the first exposure is not an allergic reaction, but rather a "food intolerance" and usually involves toxins within the food.

Myth: My dog food has 100% of the nutritional needs for my dog.

FACT: Most proteins, amino acids, and nutritional value is cooked out of the food during the baking process. Most commercial dog foods are cooked twice, once during the extrusion, and a second time to harden the food. Most commercial dog foods have such low quality proteins, from sources that are indigestible, they often will eat twice as much food to get the same nutritional value as they would from a single serving of a higher quality food.

Myth: My dog food is a quality dog food, containing only the freshest ingredients, and choice cuts of meat.

FACT: Most dog foods contain inferior ingredients, unsuitable for human consumption. By-products, meat meals, animal digest, old or rancid grains, bird feathers, even dead, diseased, and deformed animals all make up the ingredient list in many commercial dog foods.

Myth: Human food is bad for dogs.

FACT: Table scraps have been what domesticated dogs have eaten since they were domesticated. It wasn't until within the last 100 years, that large pet food manufacturers have begun marketing prepared dog food that we began to believe table scraps were bad for them. Human food is often made with sauces, salts, and seasonings, and it's these ingredients that makes our food unfit for our pets. Meats, vegetables, grains, yogurt, and cheese are all suitable ingredients for our dogs.

Myth: Vitamin C is the new cure-all wonder vitamin for dogs.

FACT: Vitamin C is a water soluble vitamin, which means excess is flushed from the body in the urine. While this means it is impossible to overdose on vitamin C, it also means feeding more isn't going to do anything because excess will be flushed from the body. Their are reports of vitamin C reducing kidney stone and aiding in relief of pain from hip dysplasia, however feeding large amount of C may cause diarrhea as it is a natural laxative.

Myth: All doggy treats are healthy.

FACT: Most dog treats contain large amounts of chemicals and preservatives. Think about how long most treats have been sitting on store shelves. These chemicals and preservatives contribute to poor health, especially over the long term.

Dog Food and Treats to Avoid For the Health of Your Dog

I found this blog the other day. The headline was the same as the one above that I used. It was interesting in the fact it was really tugging at the "scary strings" to frighten you into avoiding all commercial pet foods and treats, and to cook for your pet at home. The website is "supposed" to be laden with recipes to help you accomplish this goal. After I checked out the website, I was a little stunned at how they completely bashed "all treats".

The problem I have with this website is that there is "some" truth in the articles Jennifer writes about. But here is where I draw the line. First, she talks about all dog treats are bad, all commercial dog foods are bad, here's a sampling recipe of something healthy you can bake at home. (This is their recipe - not mine. This excerpt is from the Pooch Place)

Oatmeal Dog Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 cups quick-cooking oats
• 1/2 cup butter — cut into pieces
• 4 beef or chicken bouillon cubes
• 2 cups boiling water
• 2 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup skim milk
• 2 large eggs
• 2 cups grated cheese
• 2 cups all-purpose flour

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F degrees. Spray cookie sheets with nonstick
cooking spray.

Mix oats into a medium bowl, top with pieces of butter and the bouillon cubes.

Pour in boiling water and let sit 10 minutes to dissolve the butter and bouillon.

Mix well, then add whole wheat flour, cornmeal, sugar, milk, eggs and cheese.

Add enough of the all purpose flour to make a stiff dough.

Mix well

Roll out dough. The thinner the dough, the crisper the baked treats will be.

Use a cookie cutter to cut out cookies in fun shapes.

Bake on prepared cookie sheets until hard, 5-15 minutes depending on how thin the dough is rolled.

Remove from cookie sheets and cool completely.
This recipe makes 4 dozen cookies

Do you guys see what I see up there? 2 tablespoons of sugar. Hmmmm...interesting. This seems to conflict with her core message - that what you bake at home "will always be healthier for your pet". But wait! Theres more!

This whole website - and at least two others that I find all linked to the same information, seems to be interested in selling us one thing - an ebook that is supposed to be telling us how to feed our pets. If this recipe indicates the quality of the ebook, I think I would be a little skeptical of what I was reading.

This proves to me there is one valuable bit of knowledge that is helpful in determining what to and what not to feed your pet - and that is to pay close attention to the ingredients yourself. Sugar doesn't need to be in any dog treat - even the ones you make yourself. This blog loves to talk about obesity, heart and kidney failure, and a myriad of other health problems, but are they selling you a real product, or are they selling you the hype?

Visiting a Three Dog Bakery

I got a chance to visit a Three Dog Bakery last week - my second store that I have seen. When you are in the dog bakery businesses, it should be a requirement to go and pay some homage to the granddaddy's of the business - after all - they invented it.

I had a few take aways after leaving their store that makes me very excited to be a part of BigWag and glad I didn't opt to buy a franchise. The first thing that I noticed was that the store did not have very much in the way of other non-competing pet businesses, dog rescues, or shelters in their store. This gave me the impression they were not a very big part of the pet community in their city. Point number one is that I am glad I can direct BigWag to be a big part of the pet community - help rescues and shelters with events, help other pet businesses by posting business cards on our bulletin board - be a part of NWA, not just exist here.

The second thing that rang home was that their every day treats are not baked in their store - they are baked in a factory somewhere. It appears that all they do in the retail stores these days are cakes and pastries. I'm proud of the fact that all of our treats are baked in our store and are as fresh as possible. It gives us flexibility to do things like our promotional Stephen Colbert Claws that we are currently doing to help raise money for the Humane Society. (This also goes back to the community thing above). We're trying to get mentioned on his TV show. =)

They sell rawhide. This surprises me, with all of the bad things rawhide can do to your pet. For such a forward thinking, pet well being company, selling rawhide seems to conflict with their core message. We sell only natural chews - bully sticks, beef twists, shanks, bones, and ears. We also carry a line of dehydrated sweet potato chews, which I think are an awesome, nutritious alternative to the meat products. My dogs love these.

And lastly - we need a refrigerated display case. I've wanted one of these since we opened - they are just so expensive. I think I need to make this a higher priority. It makes a really nice presentation of the pastry type treats, and it would allow us to pre-bake a couple of barkday cakes and decorate them right there on the spot when people come into the store wanting a cake right away. We currently ask for 24 hours notice on cakes, but this would allow people to pick one up right away.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not necessarily knocking the Three Dog Bakery company - after all, they get all the credit for dog bakeries. I'm a big fan, read their books, and bought their treats. I just happen to think there is some room for improvement, and I think we are addressing some of those now - which makes me glad I am part of a place like BigWag where we can do those kinds of things.

BigWag at Springfest

The weather was perfect at Springfest on Saturday, April 26th 2008. These are some pictures of our booth in "Doggie Alley" along with Dog Party USA and the Humane Society of the Ozarks.

Last year we got roasted, burnt and crispy, but our new booth design really let us spend more time in out tent with our customers talking about our treats, Lupine collars, and the cooling collars we had this year. The cooling collars were a big hit. They absorb water and slowly evaporate it over several hours, creating a cooling effect around your dog's neck.

There was a dog parade that started down at Wassabi's at 2:00 PM, and ended at Doggie Alley, which was down by the train bank. Prizes were given away for the most unique dog, the most Springfest Spirit, and the biggest wag (of course!) .

The video is of a little boy that went dance crazy with our mascot "Bubby" the BigWag Dog. He was so cute. Bubby helped lead the dog parade, took pictures with the kids down on Dickson street, and helped people find Doggie Alley. Bubby should be making another appearance at the Dogwood walk this Saturday, May 3rd, 9 AM at Gulley Park in Fayetteville.

We'll also be having a booth at the Bark Park walk the same day. If you would like more information about the up comming events, check out our pet calendar.

PRESENCE OF SALMONELLA BACTERIA IN ROLL OVER PORK TENDERS PREMIUM DOG TREAT

PRESENCE OF SALMONELLA BACTERIA IN ROLL OVER PORK TENDERS PREMIUM DOG TREAT
OTTAWA, March 13, 2008 - The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Rollover Premium Pet Food Ltd. are warning consumers not to purchase or use the Roll Over Pork Tenders Premium Dog Treat described below. This product may be contaminated with the bacteria responsible for salmonellosis in humans.

The affected Roll Over Pork Tenders Premium Dog Treat was sold in 50 g packages bearing

UPC 0 60766 88138 1. All lots up to and including 07 MAR 10 are affected by this alert.

Roll Over Pork Tenders Premium Dog Treat was distributed nationally.

There has been one illness reported associated with this product.

People may risk bacterial infection by handling the treats directly or by contact with pets who have used the treats. Anyone who may have handled the treats should wash their hands with warm water and soap. Consumers should dispose of these treats in the trash.

Common symptoms of Salmonella infection are nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea, although more serious consequences are possible, especially in young children, the elderly, and in people with weakened immune systems.

Rollover Premium Pet Food Ltd., High River, Alberta, is voluntarily recalling the affected product from the marketplace. The CFIA is monitoring the effectiveness of the recall.

For more information, consumers and industry can call one of the following numbers:

Rollover Premium Pet Food Ltd.
403-652-4300 or 1-800-616-9267
info@rolloverpetfood.com

CFIA at 1-800-442-2342 / TTY 1-800-465-7735 (8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday to Friday).

For information on Salmonella, visit the Food Facts web page at http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/causee.shtml.

For information on receiving recalls by e-mail, or for other food safety facts, visit our web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.

Coupon This Week - Good till 3/11/2008

Another Rawhide Story

Here's a story that is circulating the internet right now. It's a tragedy for sure:


To Whom It May Concern...(Is There Any Justice For The Loss Of My Bestfriend) November 08, 2007 5:40 PM

Well on Oct. 28, 2007 I had to get my most loyal and loving BlackJack put
to sleep because she was so sick and dying...I still can't believe she's gone forever. My baby was only about 3yrs old...I will not let go what happened and I want my voice to be heard !!!!! I purchased some rawhide bones from the 24hr Walgreens on Main St. here in High Point, N.C. when I gave my dog one within an hour of chewing half of the bone my BlackJack became sick, vomiting very badly...this went on for a few days and she seemed to get better or so I thought, I noticed her gums, tongue, skin, and white of her eyes was yellow...I was like no way, my dog has jaundice so I took her to the vet. They kept her for 3 days and done blood tests, X-ray, IV's, Etc. and they ruled out blood disease, foreign objects, any kind of blockage, and said my dog was way too healthy & had very good bloodwork prior to get this sick, this fast!! They sent her home with me and wanted to try medication...but nothing worked she just got sick more each day until she could barely walk & would not eat, she was suffering and the outlook didn't look good even with surgery as weak as she was...It was like she had been poisened, even the vet that put her to sleep said that...and she had from that bone. Now I'm at war with the company and want some justice for the life of my bestfriend, she was the kind of dog that if your lucky you might run into one once in your lifetime. Now take note on the information below:
- There sold at: Walgreens
- Brand Name ( Bag O Bones )
- Company Info: Specialty Products Resources Inc.
49 Harrington Rd.
Waltham, M.A. 02452 USA
Tel: (781) 894-1411
Fax: (781) 894-1811
Website: www.specialtyrawhide.com

Please Check Out & Sign The Petition To Make Sure Another Bestfriend Is Not Lost!!! http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/a-life-lost

---------------------EOM--------------------------

At first glance, I want to rush out and sign this petition. I know rawhide is a horrible product, and more is sold at this time of year than any other. But there is so much information out there about rawhide. You can google it, read blogs about it, talk to your vet about it, talk to your boarder, your local dog bakery, trainers, fellow dog parkers; I would think there has to be information about how rawhide is so bad coming at people from every angle. If that is really the case, then why do people still buy it? Stores wouldn't stock it unless people were buying it.

There is another part of me that thinks, with all of the information available at hand, how is this person not personally accountable for this? Stores simply sell what people want. If nobody wanted it, good or bad for you, nobody would sell it. Doesn't that make us, everyone who buys rawhide products, accountable for this also? Anyone thats purchased rawhide in the last year send this person one dollar, and she'll feel better. Like that will ever happen. Now, if this was something new, a new product that's untested, a mistake, never happened to anyone before. I could see some accountability on the part of the company. But rawhide, and the horrible stories that go with it, have been around a long time. I think it's really up to us to spread this word. The companies and manufacturers aren't going to stop making it unless everyone stops buying it. Stores like Wal-mart are going to continue to sell it, because it keeps making them money. It's only small stores like our bakery that take a stand on junk like this (See Rawhide is for shoes).

I won't sell rawhide, I've never sold rawhide, and I won't even sell the pressed rawhide, which is supposed to be the lesser of the evils. If there should be a petition, lets tell the retailers we don't want this in the stores anymore. Lets get this on the news so other people know about it and can make an informed decision. Let's not just sue the retailer for punitive damages. Put your money where your mouth is - or your dog's mouth anyway. Just say no to rawhide. There are plenty of alternatives. Be an informed consumer. Read the ingredients. Stores like Wal-mart are very much a democracy. If the public votes they won't buy something, it gets yanked pretty fast and replaced with something else. They have to move product off of their shelves to make money, and under performing products are always replaced quickly, or else it effects their year end numbers. Bonuses are at stake. Vote NO on rawhide! Spread the word!

The Dilemma of All Natural Soft Treats

There is a growing trend for people to search out soft treats for their smaller or older dogs. The reasons are usually "they can't chew the hard ones", "their mouth is too small", or "they don't have any teeth left", that sort of thing.

I don't know how else to break the news to you, but there is no such thing as a soft treat that is all natural. There are only two ways you can get an all-natural soft treat - bake it yourself fresh in your kitchen, or load the treat up with preservatives, glycerin, and sugar to give it a soft, gummy texture. Those treats that seem like bacon flavored gummy bears, well, thats basically what they are. Gummy bears with bacon flavoring. Not the healthiest thing you can feed them on a regular basis. Now, once in a blue moon, I'm sure they won't hurt your dog, but would you want to eat a gummy bear every day of your life? My dogs won't even eat these gummy bear treats anymore. They just get them all wet then spit them on the carpet to make a nice red stain.

The "cake" treats that are out there are really best served as the bake it yourself variety, where they are made in small batches fresh right there in your kitchen. There are lots of recipes floating around the internet for these. They can be a great option if you have the time and inclination to make them yourself, and should pretty much be a cookie recipe (eggs, milk, flour, etc) without sugar or salt so they are healthy for your dog. Add some ground meat or peanut butter and watch them salivate. You should feed these quickly or freeze them, as they can sour pretty quickly.

There is also a difference between crunchy and crumbly. We do have a treat we bill as "soft bites". They've been called that for over a decade, so I don't think I can change the name. We make these crumbly, which makes them easier to chew for older or smaller dogs. We still bake out most of the moisture, but despite that, their shelf life is still only 3-4 weeks. We'd rather throw some away then add preservatives. But they last a lot longer than the cake cookies, simply because we remove most of the moisture.

One last note: There is at least one brand of treats that are out there, that claim to be soft AND natural. The ingredient that enables this is guar gum. I guess they claim that guar gum is natural, as it comes directly from a bean. I might hesitate feeding this to my dogs, simply because it has a myriad of uses, such as a waterproofing agent for explosives. According to the wiki article, it is a non-digestible ingredient, and can actually bind with other ingredients, making them indigestible as well. I really don't like these all-purpose, one-million-uses ingredients like these. Glycerin is also one of these. It's a sugar alcohol that is used in tons of things, including soap. I think it's hard to avoid these at all times, simply because they are so prolific, but I don't want to eat them on purpose.