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Happy Spring!
Don't Miss the Newsletter Specials Below!
We're all happy to be seeing some sunshine!
In this newsletter we want to let you know about an upcoming event, a chance to win a free cat tree, and some exciting new products! Read On! |
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| | But First, a Note:
If you're a customer at Fremont Vet, you may have gotten an email about Heart Disease and grain free foods. The truth is, all processed dry pet food diets are compromised nutritionally due to high-heat, high-pressure extrusion and the need for starchy carbs to bind them and make those little nuggets. The critical amino acids like taurine that are found in muscle meats and organs are fragile and very heat sensitive. It's true that a variable that exacerbates this problem could very well be the overuse of legumes in dog foods. Some brands use a lot of them because they contain plant proteins that are less expensive than meat proteins, but plant proteins don't contain those vital amino acids. Large quantities of peas or other starchy carbs may very well be blocking absorption of those important amino acids found in meat that do vital jobs in your dog's body like support his heart function. Please read this important article - we've tried hard to distill the facts and offer suggestions for how to avoid trouble.
One thing that frustrates us is that many traditional vets work closely with brands like Purina and Hills, who are companies eager to use this opportunity to switch nervous consumers back to their formulas that contain corn, wheat, and soy. Some of these well intentioned vets are simply advising customers to switch to foods containing grains. Please note that foods made with grains also are using plant proteins to save the company money by taking the place of more species appropriate proteins from meat, and they also do not contain those valuable amino acids like taurine. Both corn and wheat are high carb and high glycemic and often cause food sensitivities/allergic reactions in dogs. We often see dogs with new troubles come to us after having been on a diet like this, and we are able to reverse these new issues when we remove the foods that contain corn, wheat, and soy and switch to kibbles that have higher quality sources of meat proteins.
More importantly, these ingredients are likely to contain contaminates that don't cook out. GMO crops are sprayed with large quantities of RoundUp (glyphosate), and corn is especially problematic as it almost certainly contains dangerous aflatoxins. These are dangerous grain molds, toxic to humans and animals, even in very small amounts. In 2005 a Diamond Foods aflatoxin recall resulted in 100 dog deaths. Our most recent stats from 2017 show that 88% of all corn tested nationally was contaminated with aflatoxins, and in some previous years (2012) it has been 100%. A testing agency stated:"With more than ten-years of experience monitoring the occurrence of mycotoxins in livestock feeds, BIOMIN has shown that co-occurrence of mycotoxins (the presence of more than one mycotoxin) is the rule and not the exception” The FDA allows mycotoxins to be at 20 ppb (parts per billion) in pet foods, however science shows that even small amounts of mycotoxins can be dangerous to pets. From the International Journal of Food Microbiology, Drs. Herman J. Boermans and Maxwell C.K. Leung published the report “Mycotoxins and the pet food industry: Toxicological evidence and risk assessment” in 2007. One of the biggest issues of concern discussed, is that existing studies of mycotoxin contamination in pet food overlook the day to day consumption of small amounts of mycotoxins; resulting in “chronic diseases such as liver and kidney fibrosis, infections resulting from immunosuppression and cancer.”
A second small note:
One thing they said that we do take issue with is the statement that "Meat By-products" get a bad rap and are actually just contain good organ meats. Organ meats are desirable ingredients, and are far more expensive than "Meat By-products". Good organ meats would be listed on the label as their own named ingredient, ie: "beef liver" or "beef hearts", etc. and would be USDA inspected and passed for human consumption. When you look closely at FDA laws concerning pet food ingredients, "Meat By-products" are defined as rendered product that is legally allowed to be a mix of any species of animal, including animals that "died otherwise than by slaughter". These include animals that died from disease, euthanized animals, condemned/spoiled meats, and roadkill. Rendering facilities are waste management facilities, with separate standards for handling and storing ingredients meant to be rendered. FDA states clearly that these ingredients are acceptable in pet foods. When looking at your ingredient list, it's important that you see the species of animal mentioned with the proteins and the fat. ie: avoid "Animal Fat" and choose "Chicken Fat". We love human quality organ meats for pets, but we avoid By-products in pet foods, as even named ingredients such as "Chicken By-products" are not handled with the same safety or quality standards as USDA inspected and passed meats and organs.
Here's a link to yesterday's Green Dog Blog post with the above information if you'd like to share it with a friend. |
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MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
As a Green store, Earth Day is a big holiday for us. We want to let you know that we'll be having our 3rd annual Earth Day Fun Run With Dogs in cooperation with Foot Traffic on Sunday April 28th at 10am. This year the run and raffle will benefit BARK, an organization that helps to protect the forests of Mt. Hood. All runners get free raffle tickets for participating - our big Earth Day Raffle and Sale are that weekend as well! |
| | Kahleesi Says,
"It's Time For Dragons!"
Those of you who are Game Of Thrones fans are getting excited for new episodes! Let your dog join in the fun by picking up a dragon of their own! We have a variety of species and colors to choose from.
If you're going to a G.O.T. viewing party, don't forget to bring a dragon as hostess gift to the house if they have a dog! Come in by the End of the Month, Mention the Newsletter at the Counter, and Take 15% off of a Dragon Toy!
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| | | New! Pill-a-Pet Pill Wraps
These bacon-flavored moldable wraps are wheat, corn, and soy free. The wrap sticks to itself and the pill, but not your hands. They say that you can wrap pills, tinctures and powders, and that it never dries out! 60 wraps per bag.
Newsletter Special: Mention the Newsletter at the Counter Through the End of the Month and Take 15% off of any bag of Pill-a-Pet Wraps! |
| | Turn Any Plastic Soda Bottle
Into A Portable Shower!Spring Rains or trips to the beach can turn dogs into a muddy, sandy mess that's hard to invite back into your car. This genius idea comes to the rescue! The rubber Mud Dog Travel Shower simply screws onto most plastic bottles to create a quick, convenient shower to clean off a playful puppy or their muddy gear after a romp on the trail.
-Fits Standard PET soda bottles from 16oz to 2 liter (not included)
-Shower time is over a minute long (with 2 liter bottle)
-Made of dishwasher safe, food-grade silicone.
We're impressed with how well it showers!
Come in by the End of the Month, Mention the Newsletter at the Counter and Take 15% off of a Mud Dog Travel Shower!
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| | | NEW! Lightly Cooked Diets From Small Batch!
This just in: Lightly Cooked formulas! Three flavors, made in Oregon, with the same fabulous certified humane, pasture raised, organic ingredients as the Small Batch frozen raw foods! These foods are great for picky dogs, for senior dogs that need something very gentle on the belly, or for people who might be making home cooked diets but who wish for greater convenience or the desire to make sure what they’re feeding is a complete and balanced meal. Come check them out! |
| | | NEW! Nulo Pet Foods!
This just in! We now carry Nulo brand dry cat and dog food! Many of you already know Nulo’s highly palatable canned foods, and now you can try the dry! We like Nulo because there’s more meat per bowl than many other foods (including Orijen and Acana). Their eyes are on sustainability when it comes to sourcing, and most importantly, they are an incredibly transparent company and are really forthcoming with information when we have questions. (We’ve been asking Champion regularly for a full year about what % of their guaranteed analysis for protein is derived from meat, and they’ve still never responded or even acknowledged their receipt of the question. This is one of the reasons we’ve switched!). Our employee Liz really pushed us to consider Nulo (though we already had it in mind) as she sold it at the last store she worked at and was so impressed with how well dogs and cats did on this food compared with others.
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| | Win This Cat Tree!
We’ve just recently brought in an exciting new line of cat food and treats by Feline Naturals, and we’re so pumped up about the amazing ingredients and by how much cats are loving it! Available in freeze dried (nice little soft pellets that can be eaten straight, rehydrated, or sprinkled over other foods to make them yummier), cans and delicious treats (both also good toppers). All Feline Naturals products will be 10% off until the 31st!
Also, any Feline Naturals purchase during that time will get you a free raffle ticket to win this beautiful piece of cat furniture!
We know cats are picky, but don’t worry- we guarantee they’ll like it or your money back!
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| | | Neighborhood News
Yonder Opens Soon! The chef's incredibly popular Southern dinner series pop-up restaurant with her famous fried chicken is opening a permanent space on NE 42nd Ave. The restaurant, a casual fried chicken spot with dishes like pimento macaroni and cheese and spicy catfish, will also serve as a permanent home for her pop-up series Mae, which will have its own space separate from the main restaurant. Opening in March.
Have You Seen Beaumont Market Lately? What a nice job they're doing with a major overhaul inside. They've expanded their craft beer and wine section, put in a big bulk snacks section, a Kombucha Bar for you to fill your growlers, and expanded their selection of organic, vegan, and non-GMO products. It's looking great in there.
Neighborhood News from the BBA newsletter:
Free Classes at Honest Training! Honest Training is offering a free week of in-studio classes for first-time students only. More here
Free Acupuncture Session at Wildhearts Wellness! Amber Howard is the Saturday Acupuncturist at Wild Hearts Wellness and she just so happens to be the March Practitioner of the Month. In honor of this, Amber is offering a free acupuncture session to first-time clients. More here.
Taste of Beaumont - The Beaumont Wilshire Neighborhood Association (BWNA) is hosting their annual meeting and Taste of Beaumont on Tuesday, April 2 at 6:30 pm at Beaumont Middle School. Sample dishes from neighborhood restaurants, listen to the Middle School Jazz Band and vote in the new board. If you are interested in advocating for city policies and services that will improve our neighborhood’s livability, then consider joining the board. It's a wonderful group of community members that play nicely together and love Beaumont-Wilshire. Reach out to BWNA President Tim Hemstreet for more info. |
| | Thank You So Much For Your Support and for Shopping At a Locally Owned Independent Pet Supply Store Like Ours! (photo submitted for our fall photo contest by @glitterbugpsyd) |
| | | | Located in Beaumont Village 4327 NE Fremont Street, Portland, Oregon 97213
Telephone: 503-528-1800
© 2007 - 2015 Green Dog Pet Supply. Green Dog Pet Supply® is a Registered Trademark. |
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