5 Tips to Teach Kids to Play Safely with Dogs

June 5, 2018 By Emery McGarvin 1 Comment

5 Tips to Teach Kids to Play Safely with Dogs

Dogs are kid’s best friend! But to get these BFFs together, children need to learn safe get-to-know-Fido rules.

Happy Girl Curly Hair Outside on Grass Dog Licks Face

Springtime pet safety

May 1, 2018 By Emery McGarvin 2 Comments

Warmer weather, blooming plants and buzzing insects can all spell trouble for the pets in your care, but depending on where you live, winter hazards may still apply! Stay alert to weather patterns, don’t allow pets outside unsupervised and wash melting salts from paws to prevent poisonous ingestion.

If, however, the bright and beautiful days of spring are upon you, remember that doggie dangers and cat-astrophes can happen anywhere, so professional pet sitters must be prepared to prevent disasters and stabilize injuries before veterinary care is available.

Cannabis For Your Dog: How It Can Help

March 26, 2018 By Emery McGarvin 3 Comments

There’s a popular medicinal herb you can give your dog these days …… and it’s called cannabis.

Dog owners are using it to help their pets with a wide range of ailments – from anxiety to arthritis to cancer.

Are dogs going to pot?

Not exactly. The cannabis dogs are taking is hemp, not marijuana.

For a long time, hemp was illegal in the US and other countries because it got lumped in with other forms of cannabis. Today, you can buy hempseed products in your local grocery store – not just soaps and lotions, but hempseed protein powders and drinks like hempseed milk.

But the hemp that has therapeutic benefits for your dog isn’t the kind lining the supermarket shelves.

We’re talking about whole herb cannabis.

Treatibles for Cats and Dogs- Learn more about how this great company is helping our loved ones with Cannabinoids!

March 26, 2018 By Emery McGarvin 1 Comment

I have been on a hunt for the best CBD products for our animals. I have researched a ton of companies and have found my favorite one. The name is Treatibles, and they offer a variety of products. They are the first company to offer Cannabinoid products on the market for pets. Not only is it an amazing product, but they are an amazing company. They help rescues and give back. Right now, $1 of every package goes directly towards veterinary expenses for Villalobos rescues. One of my favorite rescues! I will be writing another blog that explains more information on the benefits of Canabinoids and CBD for our animals.

What is the best cat food on the market?

March 22, 2018 By Emery McGarvin 5 Comments

After assessing more than 2,000 formulas, we’re happy to recommend 18 of the best cat food brands, both wet and dry.

The best cat food will keep your cat healthy and happy, and will come in a flavor he or she loves. Any high-quality food needs to feature protein front-and-center, and won’t include any low-quality fillers, artificial additives, or ingredients that are toxic to cats over time. To find the most high-quality options available, we scoured the formulas of over 2,400 dry and wet cat foods on the market, read through research and regulations, and talked to veterinarians about what cats need to thrive.

In the end, we identified a shortlist of the best cat food brands and lines that you can count on. Now it’s up to you to figure out what flavors sit well with your cat’s preferences and to find the food that fits your budget. If you’re having trouble deciding between a wet or dry food diet, or you want more information about our top picks, check out our comparison tables and guide to cat food types, below.

Using Essential Oils Around Your Pets

January 25, 2018 By Emery McGarvin Leave a Comment

Using Essential Oils Around Pets

As pet owners, we often worry about how the products we use in our homes impact the health and well-being of our pets. Essential oils are natural but we may be worried that the wrong essential oil can trigger a negative reaction in our pets. However, aromatherapy can be just as beneficial to our companion animals as it is for ourselves. So if you are worried about using essential oils around your pets or are curious about the benefits of essential oils for your pets, here is a simple guide that can help answer your questions.

Be Careful With These Essential Oils

Every pet is different and may have different reactions to different essential oils. However, there are some essential oils that you may want to be careful using around your pets. If you have cats, you also need to be wary about certain oils. Cats are particularly sensitive to essential oils that contain polyphenolic compounds because they interfere with their liver detoxification processes. So if you have cats use extra caution around essentials oils like cinnamon, tea tree, thyme, birch, wintergreen, clove, and oregano.

There are also certain essential oils that should not be used for or around dogs including anise, clove, garlic, horseradish, juniper, thyme, wintergreen, and yarrow. These essential oils can trigger a range of issues from allergies and skin sensitivities to interference in their natural body processes.

If you use any of these essential oils for your own health, make sure you also exercise caution around your pets. If you use a diffuser, keep them out of the room during the treatment period. If you wear these essential oils on pulse points throughout the day, be careful when petting your companion animals.

Essential Oils That Are Great For Pets

Though there are some essential oils that can cause your pets problems, there are plenty of essential oils that can be used to help them. The best part is all of these essential oils have great benefits for you as well. Here are some essential oils you can safely use around and for your pets:

Cedarwood: Helps repel pests and promote healthy skin and coat
Chamomile: Promotes relaxation and sleep and also support healthy digestion
Lavender: Relieves anxiety from separation or during long trips
Myrrh: Can help fight allergies and promote health skin and coat
Clary Sage: Calms nervousness and excitability
Geranium: Great for repelling pests and as a treatment for ear infections
Peppermint: Soothes the pain from arthritis and hip dysplasia and repels pests
Carrot Seed: Supports healthy skin as a topical treatment for dryness
Ginger: Relieves pain from arthritis and hip dysplasia and supports healthy digestion
Helichrysum: Used topically can help with pain relief and skin issues
Marjoram: Repels pests and helps treat skin infections and irritations

These are just some of the great essential oils that can be used. If you are interested in learning more, you can always talk to a holistic veterinarian for suggestions for specific ailments.

Safe Use Of Essential Oils

Whether you decide to use aromatherapy for your companion animal or just yourself, it’s important you exercise the safe use of essential oils. Pets have a stronger sense of smell than humans and smaller bodies, so the biggest mistake pet owners make is using too much essential oil. One of the best ways to avoid this mistake is by using a high quality aromatherapy diffuser that you can control the amount of oil emitted. A high quality aromatherapy diffuser, like the beautiful hand carved diffusers from Organic Aromas can diffuse the perfect amount of essential oil into the air so neither you nor your pets are overwhelmed.

Use High Quality Essential Oils

Another important aspect of using safe essential oils around pets is to use only high-quality therapeutic grade essential oils. Other, lesser-quality essential oils are made with additives or are stretched with carrier oils that may trigger pet sensitivities. They also may be a blend of oils that include other botanicals or absolutes that resemble the smell of the botanical but potentially contain solvents that could be unhealthy for you or your pets. So make sure that you do your due diligence and get the best quality oils like our selection of organic, therapeutic grade essential oils at Organic Aromas.

Many people worry about the impact of essential oils on their pets. However, as long as you use the correct essential oils and avoid any of the oils that may trigger issues for your pets, they are perfectly safe. Also make sure that you are exercising best practices when introducing essential oils into your home by using a quality diffuser and only therapeutic grade oils in a safe and prudent manner. Finally, go slow and monitor your pets to see how they react. Since every pet is different, an essential oil that can benefit one might trigger a different response in another.

Consult Your Veterinarian

1. When it comes to animals and essential oils, we always recommend that pet owners consult with their veterinarian to get advice on the proper way to use them, particularly based on the individual pet’s species, age, size and health history.

2. Research does show essential oils can be safe for dogs and cats and even very effective, but only when diluted heavily and/or used in the appropriate way, time, place and on a specific subject in the correct amount.

3. Using undiluted essential oil on animals is always a mistake. Unless diluted correctly, it’s not recommended for cats, and while it might be effective for dogs, never apply it directly to the animal.

Using Essential Oils Around Pets Info-graphic

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11 facts on CBD for dogs you may not know about

January 21, 2018 By Emery McGarvin 4 Comments

Since CBD is just now entering into the ears of everyone from your neighbors to grandparents, I want to give you our 11 best tips about CBD for dogs and help you better understand what CBD for pets is.

How to Keep your Dogs Safe: Martingale Collar

December 24, 2017 By Emery McGarvin Leave a Comment

Auntie Em’s uses a martingale on EVERY single dog we care for. We will also use them along with a harness as a safety precaution. If you or someone you know is not familiar with martingale collar, we highly recommend you try one. This is a great alternative to using a collar that can slip off, and it is cruel free. [Read more…]

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5 Ways to Keep Your Indoor Cat Purring

October 2, 2017 By Emery McGarvin 1 Comment

by Vanessa Voltolina

Indoor cat or outdoor cat? When you bring home a cat or kitten, this is likely one of the first decisions you will have to make. Indoor cats are safer than their outdoor counterparts—research shows that outdoor cats generally have a lifespan of two years or less—but indoor cats require extra attention and entertainment to stave off potential boredom and keep their “call of the wild” instincts healthy and active.

Hiring a Professional Cat Sitter: What You Need to Know

May 24, 2017 By Emery McGarvin Leave a Comment

hiring-a-cat-sitter

I consider my cat sitter one of the most important people in my life. After all, she’s in charge of Allegra and Ruby when I can’t be there to care for them – what job could be more important? I’m fortunate that my cat sitter is also a close friend. My girls love Renée – Allegra probably a little more than Ruby, who sometimes gives Renée a bit of that “you’re not my mom” attitude… The peace of mind I feel, knowing that the girls are in the best possible hands while I’m away, is priceless.

I’ve also been fortunate that I’ve never had to hire a cold sitter “cold.” My cat sitters have always been friends, or were referred to me by a trusted friend. I realize that not everyone is that lucky, and hiring a cat sitter can be a daunting task. After all, you will trust this person not just with your precious cats, but also with your home.

South Bay Branch:
Serving the Cities of Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach,
Manhattan Beach & West Torrance

South Orange County Branch:
Laguna Niguel, Monarch Beach, Dana Point,
San Juan Capistrano, Ladera Ranch

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