Summer & Hot Weather * To shave or not to shave, that is the question *

Hot weather and long haired pets.
Dogs don't use sweat to cool themselves the way we do, their sweat glands exist on their muzzle (nose) and the pads of their feet. Panting and drinking water helps cool them, but if they only have hot, overheated air to breathe, dogs can undergo organ and brain damage after just 10 minutes. Short-nosed dogs, like Pugs and shih-tzu‘s, puppies, elderly or pets with health problems such as weight, respiratory, cardiovascular are especially susceptible to heat-related stress. They don't need to have exposed skin in order to stay cool. Too much hair can stop being beneficial in hot weather and start retaining too much heat especally if the coats are matted or dirty. Clipping down the coat close to the skin is fine just as long as you protect the skin from sunburn.
Todays pets live in houses along side their human owners and adjust well to both air conditioning and fans. So go ahead, try a summer hair cut your pet will look cool and feel very cool.

Matted Dog / Shaved Dog

I just have to share this tragic story with you. Dogs that are not groomed by either owners or professional groomers WILL get matted. It's a shame that animals are neglected to the point that drastic measures need to be taken.

Case in point: This little dog, we will call him Mr. Miserable, was so matted that there was no way to brush out his hair and do it humanly. The only thing I could do was to shave it off and hear me when I say "I was not easy". I think sometimes people assume sense it's going to be shaved it just comes off. No! It is hard and very dangerous. Think about the skin, it was smothered by nasty, smelly, matted fur. The skin needs to be able to breath so to speak. The oils (Sebum) need to be released to lubricate, and protect the hair shaft resulting in a healthy, shiny coat, without it, skin and hair become unmanageable.

The pictures you see are disturbing, but it is a reality for some dogs.

Here is Mr. Miserable in such bad shape that I needed to shave ALL his hair off. This was very hard and dangerous to do.

As you can see, the hair came off in a pelt.

His poor little belly was very red from urine soaked hair.

This picture is of his tail. It pealed off in one big piece.

Here he is so happy to be free of all that nasty, smelly hair. Let us now call him Mr. Delighted and that he was.

Flint River Ranch DryWater Dog Food

Flint River Ranch DryWater Dog Food
Why is DryWater so Healthy & Superior?

REAL CHICKEN, NO by-products or parts of the chicken that our precious pets should ever eat.

All-Natural Ingredients: Vegetables, Rice and Grains, Healing Herbs, Flax, etc.

Vitamins & Chelated Minerals "Live" enzymes (Probiotics) Recommended by Veterinarians Approved by Nutritionists

Lower Cost Per Feeding

Instant Fresh and Warm Meals

No Wasted Food No Smelly Cans

Healthy Benefits No Chemical Preservatives Highest Quality Ingredients Canned Food is 75-82% water. With DryWater, you don't pay a high cost for plain water with no nutritional value!
A 14 oz can of dog food, made with 80% water, has only 20% solid food or 2.8 oz of food per can. DryWater has 48 oz of food. A one cup serving size of 3.2 oz is equal to 15 - 14 oz or 30 - 7 oz cans.

To Serve: Scoop the desired amount of DryWater food into your dog's bowl. Add enough hot water (bottled or tap) to just cover the food. Stir briefly to blend - allow 2 minutes to create a warm, light, and natural meaty gravy consistency. DryWater is a 100% complete and fully balanced meal. Serve as a single complete hot meal or combine and serve over Flint River Ranch Oven-baked dry Dog Food.

Healthy Pets Newletter

Would you like to join in on receiving a Free monthly Newsletter from my PipsChoice - HealthyPetNet business?

Each issue contains: Helpful Pet Information, Interesting Stories and Nutritional Advice along with Insightful viewpoints from our Veterinarian Formulator Dr. Jane Bicks.
The monthly newsletter also includes a current schedule of our “Ask Dr. Jane” phone calls. These calls give you an opportunity to speak directly with Dr. Jane Bicks about any of HealthyPetNet products. The HealthyPetNet Newsletters are ABSOLUTELY FREE! To view a sample of the information in our newsletters Click Here on the picture.

Then enter your email into the form HERE to receive our next newsletter at the beginning of the month.

It is a great away to learn about keeping your pet healthy. There is always something at I learn in each issue and now you can too.

West Highland Terrier

This is Jemma as a puppy. She is now an adult but I love this picture and wanted to share it with everyone.
The Westie, as some call them have a harsh, straight, short-haired double coat that is fairly easy to groom. They shed little to no hair so this breed is great for allergy prone owners .
Grooming: Start by brushing with a stiff bristle brush, followed by a grayhound comb. Daily brushing helps keep the coat clean and bathe once a month with a whitener shampoo. These dogs are groomed using one of two methods:
Clip or Strip
For the pet, clipping is what most owners prefer, it does tend to make the coat softer but it is more convenient, easier to do and takes less time. Stripping is always done on show dogs because it makes the coat harder and coarser.
The basic look for the pet Westie:
Trim the ears so that they come to a point. The tip is trimmed close to look smooth and velvety. Hair on the skull should be slightly shorter than the ears. The head is scissored round and is supposed to look like a chrysanthemum when viewed from the front.
Trim the hair tight around the foot. The tail is shaped to look like a carrot. The back is clipped short from the back of the neck to the tail. The sides are trimmed slightly leaving a shirt.

Using the Right Brush

Did you know that there are different brushes for different hair/coat types? Well there is and I am going to tell you. First, Why brush? Brushing the hair is just not for the beauty it, it also serves several other significant purposes; cleaning the hair shaft, massaging the skin and stimulating the release of a valuable oil called sebum. Sebum is released by the sebaceous gland at the base of the hair follicle. Brushing the coat cleans the hair shaft, follicle, and skin by removing trapped dead skin cells, dirt, and oils. Brushing also distributes the sebum, coating, lubricating, and protecting the hair shaft resulting in a healthy, shiny coat.
Pin brush: This style is especially effective on long and full coated breeds. The stainless-steel pins are durable and outlast the plastic type. Anti-static pin brush: perfect of dogs that have fine, flyway hair.
Slicker Brush: These brushes have a curved head and fairly stiff pins, they are ideal for dematting. Soft slickers have a curved back and softer pins, ideal for delicate coats.
All System brush: These are slicker brushes with long pins to safely remove the undercoat without damaging the top coat.
Rubber brush: Use during bathing to remove loose hair, massage skin. Ideal for short, medium and double-coated dogs and cats.
Boar Bristle brush: These help distribute skin's natural oils (Sebum) though the coat to enhance shine.

Trout & Sweet Potato Wafers from Flint River Ranch

Pippin and Bosco's favorite treat is by far the Flint River Ranch Trout & Sweet Potato Wafers. It is crunchy oven baked treat that is wheat and chicken free! So if your pet can not have wheat or poultry due to allergies this is the treat for them. They contain the same formula as the Fish & Chips Dog Formula, and is also enhanced with cranberries and blueberries, providing healthy antioxidants. The wafers are a nice size measuring 2 by 2inch squares. They also come nicely packaged in a resealable bag to maintain there freshness.

Pomeranian Poodle Mix

This little cutie is a cross between a Pomeranian and a Miniature Poodle. Not all Pom Poo mixes are going to look like this one. Crosses can look like either parent or a little of both.

This crossbred pup makes for a charming and intelligent companion dog. Small and compact, he fits in very well in a home of any size.

Grooming:

With this dog, I use a short blade on the body and scissored the legs, tail, chest and head. The hair on the ears was trimmed very short to show off their pointedness.

Bichon Frise Pomeranian Mix Breed

This is Milo.
He is a cross between the Bichon and the Pomeranian. This little dog has very soft hair, unlike the Bichon Frise that has a curly coat and the very long, double coat of the Pom. These mix breeds dogs have been given the title of Designer Dogs. A DD has documented purebred ancestry, meaning the parents are purebreds different from one another. The one thing you must know about these crosses, is that you never know for sure what the puppies will look like. In fact, the puppies may all be very different in appearance.
Grooming:
Milo was bathed with Eqyss Premier shampoo and conditioner.
The look the owner wanted was for him to have a puppy style. I brushed the hair and used a comb attachment to leave his body length about 2 inches long. I scissored his legs and head and tail to give him that puppy appearance.

Actual Testomonials From NuVet Plus Customers

I have people ask me "does Nuvet Plus actually work?" I tell them It does and here's the proof. What you are about to read are Actual Testimonials from NuVet Plus customers. Their story's are real, their pets are real.

“My Pets are My Children”

To the manufacturers of NuVet Products:

I consider my pets to be my children. Therefore, I am the mother of three furry children, Bonnie (75 lbs. German Shepherd mix) who is 14 years old. Kittie, a beautiful Tabby who is 19 years old and Gatsby also a Tabby who is a 2 years old.

My family is very precious to me and I had been quite saddened by two facts of life. Bonnie was limping and very lethargic and Kittie slept most of the time. The vet informed me Kittie had incurable end stage renal failure. I was devastated.
A friend suggested I try a new supplement for both Bonnie and Kittie. A month ago, I started both on NuVet Plus and Hip & Joint Therapy for Bonnie. I cannot tell you how much my pets have changed.

Today Bonnie is running instead of walking. Her coat is shining like a mirror. A neighbor asked me what fountain of youth she had been drinking from. The other day she started to chase another dog. As for Miss Kittie, she is running around the house chasing Bonnie and is as perky as a kitten. Gatsby looked sad that he was not getting any “medicine" so I started him on the supplement. He has more vitality than he ever did and is a true lover purring all the time.

All I know is my family does not appear to be on the verge of dying. For as long as they have on this earth I know they will be really happy. Thank you so much for creating your great products.
Sincerely,
Dorothy F.
Chatsworth, CA

“Hero’s Son”

Dear NuVet,

Our foundation male, Hero, was the love of our life and the basis for our entire breeding program. He was tragically killed last year. Upon learning of his death, a buyer of one of his sons told us we could have Hero’s son, Echo, back as he was being transferred to Brazil.

He had kept him boarded at a friend’s for many months. He was in deplorable condition…malnourished and fly sores around his rectum and eyes/ears. I tried everything to put the weight on him and help with his sores to no avail. It was a battle I was determined to win in order to be able to hold on to a piece of his magnificent father, Hero.

As a breeder of Siberian Huskies, I was referred to NuVet. I simply cannot put into words what this product has done for my Echo. He is the dog he was meant to be, and a breathtaking legacy of his father.

Thank you, NuVet, for giving us back our Hero’s son! Every puppy that leaves our home leaves with a sample of NuVet and our wholehearted recommendation!
Robin Foley
Hero’s Huskies

“Mishka”

Dear NuVet,All I can say is that I am so thankful that I tried your product. I received a flyer with some pet information that I requested, and came across NuVet. I thought I would give it a try.I have an 8 month old German Shepherd-Rottweiler pup named Mishka. He is absolutely gorgeous and radiant and I know this can only be attributed to NuVet. Many of our neighbors have young dogs too but none of them are as alert, vibrant, and outwardly healthy like my dog. All our neighbors comment on how gorgeous his coat is and how alert and active he is.NuVet is a fantastic product. I am sold for life.Kakoli M.New York

“Walking and Jumping Again”

Hi- Just a note to let you know how pleased I am with your NuJoint Plus. Our Misty, a schnauzer is 14 years old and very arthritic. I was having to hold her back with a towel to walk. After 2 weeks of NuJoint Plus she was walking on her own. Now after 2 months she is jumping into my arms. I highly recommend this product for every older dog.
Roselyn W.
Danvers, MN

“Outstanding!”

Dear NuVet Labs,

I can’t tell you how wonderful I think these vitamins are. I received samples last year and, as usual, threw them up on the shelf thinking, “OK, I will try them one day.”

I had a dog shipped to me that had gotten razor burned at the tip of his sheath. It was very swollen and no matter what antibiotics I tried, nothing worked. A month later and several hundred dollars, I decided to try the NuVet vitamins (with the shark cartilage, I thought maybe this will help get the swelling down). I put him on it for a week and, waaalaaa, the swelling went down and I was able to treat with antibiotics so it would heal. It was better in about 10 days.

I had had some issues with mastitis in my females. I decided that I would put my girls on it as when they were bred to see if that would help with that issue. It has!!! Since they have been on NuVet vitamins, I have not had another mastitis issue to date. I have since started my pups on NuVet before they go to their new homes at around 6 weeks old. Since their mom has been on them since they were conceived, their coats and general appearance is outstanding. I recommend it to anyone with a pup, it helps with growth issues, and in older dogs it can help with any issues: skin, general all around health, etc.

I’m sold! This is the best vitamins I have ever tried in the 25+ years I have raised dogs. Thank you, thank you, thank you!
Nancy Smallwood
Small Hills Doodlesville

“Shiny Coats and Bright Eyes”

Dear NuVet,

I would like to send you a personal testimonial regarding my four cats, and how they have benefited from your product.

It has been about one year since my four Siamese cats have been “using” your product. In that time, I have DEFINITELY noticed a shinier coat, brighter eyes and extra energy. When their breeder first told me about NuVet, and recommended it. I was skeptical; however, the “proof has been in the pudding.” The “pudding” is healthier cats. Guests often state that they have such soft, shiny coats of hair, I always respond, “Thanks to NuVet.”
My cats get it every morning in their canned food, and they love it!!!
Thanks a lot for your product,
Robert J.

“Roxee and Wynter”

Dear NuVet,

I would like to start off mentioning that I have never written a letter to any company for any reason what so ever. But I am compelled to write to you.
In June of this year I was speaking with a co-member of our local Bichon Frise club. She was telling me about your supplements and how the NuJoint Plus has especially helped her large older dog. She was saying that he is a new dog after taking these supplements. He has more energy and greatly increased mobility, and that he was running around the yard like a puppy.

I have two small dogs, Bichon Frise, both only 3 years old. One of them (Roxee) has always had a rather poor coat and a little too lean (not a big eater). The other (Wynter) I had noticed was starting to limp upon rising, each time she emerged from her crate. She seemed to walk it off with a few strides, but a limp was defiantly there and troubling to me. On occasion she would even skip on three feet. This had been going on for about six weeks. I guess I was hoping it would go away on its own.

My friend gave me a sample of the supplements. This was important to me because if I can’t get my dogs to eat them, then obviously they are of no use. To my amazement they both ate them with no hesitation.

I placed my first order, which included NuJoint Plus for Wynter, and NuVet Plus K-9 for Roxee. After giving my girls their supplements for only ONE WEEK, the girl who limped, limped NO MORE!! I have not seen one single limp or skip since
that time!! NOT ONE!! In the mornings she fires out of her crate like a rocket!!
Roxee now eats much better, has put on weight and filled out beautifully. Her coat is now thick and lovely, and remarkably to me, she has not once refused to eat her supplements (and she is extremely picky).

It has been three months since we first started with NuVet and we have just received our second shipment of supplements. My girls will NEVER be without their NuVet!! I highly recommend your products to all my dog friends.
Thank you so much for making such a quality supplement available.
Sheri Kennedy

“Helps with Hot Spots”
Summer has arrived and my 12 year old Lab again has to suffer from “hot spots,” which I’m afraid will kill her this year. She also has arthritis in one hip. A groomer suggested NuVet Plus, which my dog, Samantha, has been on for two weeks now. I noticed an improvement in her skin condition within the first week. She’s a happier dog now. She’s back to following me around on my farm, while before she was lethargic and just worn out from scratching. She looks so good. In her eyes she tells me that she’s feeling much better. Thank you. Mary C. Holland

Dear NuVet Labs,

I have a 1 year old Chihuahua named Tidus. I purchased him from a pet store, which is a mistake that many people make. When I saw this little 1 lb sweetheart, I could not help myself. I was told he had kennel cough but he was ok. Then, 3 days after I brought him home, he could not breathe. I rushed him to the emergency clinic and was told his right lung was shut down with pneumonia. He was not given much of a chance to live. My vet and his staff worked miracles and after 4 months of intense treatment, he finally kicked the pneumonia.

Once he was better, I purchase another Chihuhua from a private breeder this time and was introduced to your product. I purchased it for the new puppy and inquired about putting my other Chi on it, but was concerned because of his sensitive stomach (caused by all of the medications). The breeder contacted your company and was informed it would be very helpful to give him the vitamin.Tidus is now the healthiest he has ever been. His hair has grown back and it is full, thick and shiny. He is very active and is running and playing all the time. He does not have any stomach problems anymore since being on the vitamin. Neither of my Chi's shed. They are both very healthy and active.So thanks to the breeder and your product, I believe that both of my Chi's will live a long, healthy, happy life.
Michelle Kesler

For first time customers only - Order now at New to NuVet and get a $5.00 discount on grooming. All out of area customers receive a $5.00 discount on any product from Pips Choice.
Send an email with your name, address, telephone number and breed of dog/cat so you will receive credit for your order.

What to do when your dog is afraid of thunder storms.

Sping and Summer bring the THUNDER

Does your dog run and hide every time there is a thunder storm? Does he jump into your lap or lean against your leg at the first sign of rain? You may think this is cute but your dog is genuinely freaked out about storms. Many owners just tolerate these behaviors, like; hiding, shaking, barking, pacing and yes, sometimes peeing. In some cases dogs have been known to chew on furniture, rip up carpeting, break lamps and many other things. This mostly happens when the pet is home alone during a storm. My mother would always tell my dad that they need to return home because she didn‘t want the dogs to be scared.

Storm phobias are very common and many owners experience this behavioral problem with your dogs. Why this happens is unclear. Veterinarians and scientists that studies these cases think it may be linked to the fact that dogs seem to have a sixth sense about what is going on in the atmosphere. Some dogs will begin to show signs like running and barking before the storm hits. It is the sudden drop in air pressure?the wind blowing through the trees? the flash of lighting? or it is something entirely different that only dogs will sense?

How can you help your dog cope with this?
One thing is to comfort your dog. Talk to him in a upbeat tone of voice. Be happy, tell him it’s alright. Dogs may not understand the meaning of words, but they know the implication in the way you say it. Try playing with him, toss a toy, play tug, give him a treat, anything to take his mind off of the chaos that is going on outside.

2. Some dogs, if bad enough will even need some medication to cope with this. Your veterinarian can prescribe something to help take the edge off.

3. Be sure to provide your dog with a safe place to be during storms, Please not outside away from family. Dogs are companion animals and need to feel the safety of their human family. There has been dogs have gotten lost when they ran from their yards during a storm and that is a very sad situation for both you and the dog. Don’t crate him as this may make things worse. It would be like being trapped and scared all at the same time.

4. Some noise such as a TV or radio may help drown out the thunder. Play some fun music it helps you too.

5. Aromatherapy can also help with stress and anxiety from storms Try the herbs chamomile and lavender. You can buy this in the form of an essential oil or dry. With the oil, put 5-6 drops in some water and sprits around the room. The dry can be use in a simmering pot. There are both calming herbs that help soothe the senses and helps with sleep. I use this to help me relax and it will work the same on pet’s.

I pray you are able to help your pet overcome his anxiety about storms with these few tips. If you have any others that you have tried and work, please let me know about them.