Northwest Naturals Blog | Raw Pet Food & Pet Care

31
Jul 18
0

Camping with Your Dog

Tips and Tricks for a Stress Free Getaway with Your Furry Companion

Thinking about taking a camping trip with your dog? Worried that it might be a bit stressful? With a little bit of preparation, you can bring your canine companion along on your next camping trip for a relaxing getaway. We’ve pulled together some helpful tips and tricks to help you get started.

Stay… Hydrated

There’s no air conditioning in nature, so staying hydrated is important. A collapsible bowl is a lightweight and portable tool that helps you make sure your dog is getting enough water. Allow these bowls to dry before collapsing them to help keep them free from anything unsanitary.

Meals

Northwest Naturals Freeze Dried Diets makes feeding your pets while hiking and camping with your pets easy. Lightweight and convenient to feed, the NWN Recipes are complete and balanced for your canine companion. Just pour in a bowl and add water.

The Freeze-dried nuggets can be fed during the day to keep the energy level and nutritional requirements stable while hiking. For weekend camping trips, you can pack your raw frozen diets that have been frozen into convenient portions. Smaller portions stay fresh longer and can be frozen to maintain freshness (and act as ice packs).

Don’t forget the Treats!

Packing an easy to transport treat option like freeze dried treats makes rewarding, and spoiling your pet safer, healthier, and easier. Freeze dried treats won’t spoil and don’t need to be refrigerated. They’re wholesome and healthy options for which your pets will go bananas.

Pet First Aid Kit

While bandages and wraps might work on both pets and humans alike, when it comes to scrapes and sores, pet first aid is very different. Pain pills and anti-inflammatory drugs that are made for us can be poisonous to them. It’s also a good idea to have a salve or poultice that will stop a scrape from bleeding if you are going to be hiking any rugged terrain.

Flashing Lights

Often overlooked, a small light that can clip to your pets collar or harness is a great way to keep them safe at night. Keep an eye on your pet as it gets dark, while you sit around the campfire and after the lights go out, make nighttime potty breaks a breeze.

Preparation is the key to a great outdoor experience with your dog. Now it’s time to hit the trail and enjoy some fresh air and nature!

13
Jun 18
0

Dog Park Etiquette

Are you planning your first time taking the new furry companion to the dog park? Perhaps you just want to make sure you’re following all the rules when it comes to doggy socializing time. Many people don’t know proper dog park etiquette which is very understandable. A lot of dog park “should” and “should-nots” are not intuitive, but that’s why we’re writing this article! So, let’s dive straight in on a few quick tips to make sure you and your pup have a safe and fun time!

Doo Doo Diligence

First some basics: clean up after your dog. Nobody likes stepping in refuse. Get off your phone and pay attention to how your pup is interacting. Don’t let your dog be aggressive towards other dogs or attempt to dominate them. If this starts happening, it may be best to leave the dog park today.

Tame the Excitement

Before heading to the dog park, make sure that your dog has had some exercise! Wait, I thought exercise was for the dog park? Nope the dog park needs to be supplemental exercise. If your pooch hasn’t had any exercise all day and suddenly they are presented with an extremely stimulating environment, problems can easily arise.

Basic Obedience

Make sure your dog has excellent recall skills. This doesn’t mean coming every tenth time when there is no other external stimulation. Your dog needs to be able to divert their attention immediately to you and return when called in high energy situations. If your dog does not have recall skills and you bring her to a dog park, you are putting her and every other dog and human in the dog park in danger.

Health & Safety

Vaccinate! This one should probably come as a no-brainer. If your dog is younger than 12 weeks not up to date on their vaccines, don’t bring them to the park. Be mindful of any outbreaks or diseases endemic to your area such as Canine Influenza (CI) and ensure that your dog is properly vaccinated for these as well. Also, bring your own water bowl to reduce the risk of diseases in any public water bowls.

Freedom

Take your dog off the leash. When visiting dog parks for the first time, many owners are uneasy letting their dog run loose. However, this can make your dog feel trapped and anxious in this new environment. If another dog runs up and wants to play, your dog may become aggressive because they feel like they cannot get away.

Don’t bring your dog’s own toys if they have trouble sharing. Your dog will not have a fun time at the dog park if they like to steal or guard food and toys. The dog park is a social experience for everyone involved and if your dog can’t play well with others then bringing them puts everyone involved in danger.

Size Matters

For smaller dogs, make sure you don’t put them in the same play area as the large dogs. Even if your tiny pup often plays with the bigger dogs, the predatory instinct can be triggered by their quick movements and higher pitched barks. It’s on you for whatever may happen to your pup when they overly stimulate a larger dog in the big dog play area.

Read the Room

Also, be careful when picking up your smaller dog. If they are being chased in what appears to be a menacing way, bringing them up into the air can trigger a treeing instinct in the chasing dog. With all the stimulation of a dog park, picking up your small dog may result in you being bitten or knocked down. In these situations, it may be better to simply lead your dog away from the confrontation.

It’s a Team Effort

Finally, make sure to be welcoming to other owners. Nobody is born with the innate knowledge of how to raise a dog perfectly or have great dog park etiquette. If you see someone who looks overwhelmed, talk to them and show them the ropes. It’s not rude to politely point at any mistakes that may be putting any dogs or people in danger.

13
Jun 18
0

little girl in english garden with puppy - purples and greens and an old wooden fence - pet pictures

Taking Great Pet Pictures

Taking pet pictures helps us immortalize those candid or exciting moment so we can relive them months or years into the future. However, we all know that photographing your pets is a much different task than snapping some pictures of friends, family, or a beautiful landscape. While we all love our companions, they don’t always listen, so capturing those key seconds the way we see them can be difficult. Here are a few tips to help you get the best shots of your favorite animal friends.

Get them Used to the Equipment

Make sure your pet is comfortable with the device(s) you’re using to capture them with. The sound of the shutter can sometimes frighten or alter the mood of an animal companion who is not accustomed to it. Let them examine the camera – from a safe distance of course! Make sure that you aren’t doing anything else out of the ordinary because your pet may begin to wonder what is different about this scenario and become frightened or guarded. Nonchalantly begin taking pictures and don’t start distracting them with treats or talking in a different voice than usual.

Angles & Perspectives

Change the camera angle / perspective. Some of the most compelling pictures come from the eye level of our friends. Get down and capture what the world is like for them with them in it. Experiment with different perspectives. Take shots from behind, below, from the side, and even upside down.

Backgrounds & Contrast

Be aware of your surroundings. Make sure that you’re not capturing an overly complex background that will draw the viewers eyes away from your subject. Simple backgrounds that contrast with your pet will make them “pop” and create the most compelling images.

How to Get a Smile

If you’re going for dog pictures and want to see that pearly white smile then make sure to run them a little bit beforehand. Play with them for a few minutes and you’ll see that happy active grin show up. Your furry companion will have all their attention on you, so you can get great portrait shots as well!

Lots of Pictures

Take lots of shots! You aren’t going to get the best shot every first, second, third, or even fiftieth time in most cases. Memory is cheap these days but great memories are priceless! Snap the same shot from different angles, trace your eye around the shot and make sure there isn’t something in it that you don’t want. Try portrait shots, landscape shots, different exposures. Odds are you won’t know which shot was the best until you review them afterwards, so take plenty.

Image Editing

Finally, a little post-processing can really give that extra kick to an otherwise mediocre image. There are plenty of free image manipulation tools on the web such as GIMP, if you don’t already have access to one. Mess with the saturation, exposure, and contrast. Remember that small tweaks go a long way unless you’re going for a very surreal look. There are plenty of short and simple YouTube tutorials out there as well targeted specifically at individuals taking shots of their pets. Now get out there and snap some shots of your animal companions!

More Tips

Here’s a video from Carli Davidson, a Portland pet photographer!

19
Feb 18
0

Pet Dental Health Matters

If a dog’s diet is nutritionally adequate, how can dental disease be so prevalent? Maybe we need to take a look at diet. Did you know that healthy teeth and gums not only help prevent periodontal disease, mouth pain and bad breath, but also more serious conditions of the kidney, liver, heart, and joints? Pet dental health can significantly impact life quality and longevity and diet does matter.

Clean Eating is not just for Humans

Clean eating has become a focus of healthy living for humans. People are reading labels, eliminating chemicals and processed foods, and eating “clean” as a means to health, so it’s common sense to consider that option for your pets as well.

Commercial dry or canned foods are often times made with poor quality ingredients, synthetic vitamins, harmful aflatoxins, are highly processed, and are typically high in starch, which sticks to teeth. On top of that, dogs don’t generally chew it – they just gulp it down, which means they don’t get any benefit from abrasive action during the chewing process. On the contrary, the benefits of a raw diet go far beyond just pet dental health, giving your pet a higher quality of life.

Raw Diet Benefits

Lean meats are the foundation of a good raw diet and contain natural enzymes. Organs provide necessary vitamins and nutrients, and bones are needed for calcium, magnesium, and phosphorous. All of these are components that foster pet dental health.

Raw bones are a staple in diets for dogs to ensure a good source of minerals, especially calcium and phosphorous. Meat is lower in calcium and high in phosphorous so meat alone will not provide what your pet needs. Giving raw meaty bones like our chicken or turkey necks allows the chewing action to help clean teeth naturally. Beef bones can also be given as a recreational chew and can offer great exercise. (Please remember to supervise dogs when chewing these and pick an appropriate size for your pet.)

Try an Experiment

Try an experiment by feeding a balanced raw diet, such as Northwest Naturals, for 3-4 weeks. We’d love to hear your results and see before and after pictures.

For More Information

Read more about Raw Bone Benefits here. Raw Bone Benefits for Your Pet.

Watch this documentary on the commercial pet food industry. Pet Fooled Documentary

15
Feb 18
0

Dogs and Baths, Oh My!

Start them out Right

Dog breeds that require a haircut should be seen by a professional groomer for the first time, somewhere between 2-6 months of age. They need to get used to being handled by other people, the clippers, and the noises of a grooming shop. This also helps to gain the puppies confidence going forward. Ask your friends for a recommendation on where they take their dog. (Just because you take a puppy in, doesn’t mean it has to get a haircut, just a bath or to meet the groomer.)

Bathing at Home

Some dogs naturally take to water and like any opportunity to frolic and play. Others, not so much. Here are a few tips to help make bath time more enjoyable.

Get the Wiggles Out

Taking a long walk is good for both you and your dog and also reduces their energy level. Some dogs even enjoy going for a “swim” after exercise.

Baby Steppin’

For the first few baths, do one small step at a time, giving your puppy a chance to get used to each new experience. Start with an empty bathtub (with a mat) and a little playtime in the tub. Then, when the dog is outside the tub, run the water to help him or her get used to the sound. Next time, add a small amount of water to the tub and maybe just dip the paws in. It’s important not to rush the process. Keep working your way up to a full bath – watching for that state of calm at each new step before you move on.

The Right Tools

Bathtubs are slippery, so be sure to use a non-slip mat or large towel that will stay in place.
Did you know they make special pet shower spray attachments? Lowering the pressure and water flow and holding it close to the fur can be less surprising.
Use a wash cloth around the face and be careful that water doesn’t go up the nose or in the ears.

Attitude

Be aware of your body language and tone of voice.
Make it fun! Incorporate toys and make time for play.
Make it tasty! Bring some treats into the bath area – or feed your dog there a few times to get him to associate good things with tub time on days when you aren’t planning a bath.

It’s never too late to employ a little planning and consistent effort to make bath time less of a struggle. And, you can always hire a trainer if you need some extra help!

17
Jan 18
0

Benefits of a Bison/Beef Formula

Even though the popularity of Bison has increased significantly in the past couple of decades, the national population is still small. There are currently about 500,000 Bison in the United States and Canada while, comparatively, there are about 29.3 million beef cattle in the United States alone. Of those 500,000 Bison, only about 40,000 are slaughtered each year. This accounts for the competitive market and limited availability of Bison for both human and pet food such as Bison Beef dog food.

We at Northwest Naturals are very pleased to offer our Bison & Beef Dinner for Dogs, which includes the great benefits of bison in a convenient and affordable way to feed your pet.

bison beef dog food by Northwest Naturals | Raw diet for dogs

Some of the exciting benefits of Bison beef dog food include:

Lean Meat: Bison has less fat than skinless chicken breast and salmon

Iron: Bison contains more iron than beef, chicken, pork, or fish

Protein: Bison contains about 40% more protein per ounce than beef

Nutritionally Dense: Due to the proportion of protein, fat, minerals, and fatty acids to the caloric value

Fatty Acids: Bison meat has a well-proportioned ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids

Selenium: Bison has a high concentration of the “mood elevator” element, Selenium

These wonderful benefits of Bison are all included in the Bison & Beef Dinner for Dogs, available in our Original Nugget Diet and our Dinner Bars, both of which are designed for quality, convenience, and value.

Check out our other great Bison products too! (marrow and knuckle bones)

SOURCES:

http://www.naturalfoodbenefits.com/display.asp?CAT=3&ID=100

http://www.bisoncentral.com/cooking-bison/nutrition-information

27
Sep 17
0

Northwest Naturals the Shape of Things

Over the past few months, we have adjusted the shape of our Raw Frozen & Freeze Dried Nuggets and Freeze Dried treats to a shape that is better suited for our equipment and manufacturing processes.

There have been a few questions from our customers about this change. We want to assure you that we are still the same great food your pets love.

With this change there are a few things to remember:

The weight has not changed. There is still the same amount in every package as before.
The ingredients have not changed. NWN contains the same wholesome ingredients as before.
The shape of nuggets are CLOSE to the same and we recommend that you weigh the food to be certain your pet gets the right amount. Please follow the Feeding Guidelines on the package or on our website.

With these changes in shape we have saved on our ever growing cost of energy, labor and ingredient costs.

This allows us to keep the finished product cost in check and provide you, as always, a great value.

Northwest Naturals has always kept the environment in mind when making any decision about changes to equipment and how we produce The Original Raw Nugget Diet. We have updated our equipment to be more efficient and energy conscious.

We have changed our treats from a ground and formed shape to a sliced and diced shape to be more ergonomically friendly to our production team.

We are always looking at ways to improve and reduce our carbon footprint.

We love to hear from our customers! Reach out on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram

And keep sending us great stories and photos of your pets.

16
Mar 17
0

“Pet Fooled” Documentary

An investigative exposé of the inner workings of the commercial pet food industry, Pet Fooled is an eye-opening documentary that all pet owners should watch.

pet fooled documentary

Available on:

Netflix
YouTube
iTunes
Amazon Video
Google Play Movies and more

15
Nov 16
0

Why A Raw Diet Is So Important For Cats

True Carnivores

To truly understand why a raw food diet is so important for cats, we must first understand a few basic facts about cats:

Cats evolved in an arid, desert climate
Cats are obligate carnivores
Cats are very successful hunters
Cats have different nutritional needs than dogs

There are approximately 600 million housecats in the world and all of them evolved from five lineages, traced through analysis of mitochondrial DNA to the Near East region of the world. The climate in the Near East is dry and hot, with little to no vegetation and with very low annual rainfall. Water is scarce, and animals in the region have had to adapt to these climate extremes with very specialized systems. For cats, this means a protein-only diet, obtaining nearly all of their moisture requirements from the foods they eat. Many of the health issues we see in domestic cats are a direct result of dehydration. Most of these can be avoided, and sometimes repaired simply by switching the cat to high moisture, highly digestible raw meat diet.

Cats are Obligate Carnivores, or “true” carnivores, which means that they depend only on the nutrients found in prey animals for survival. They have a need for an Essential Fatty Acid, or EFA, called arachidonic acid which plays a vital role in fat utilization and energy production. This particular EFA is found primarily in raw meat. Cats do not actually require any plant material at all in their diet to thrive. In fact, a diet high in vegetable matter can lead to an overabundance of glutamic acid which will cause sporadic vomiting and a thiamine deficiency.

Obligate carnivores will, in very few cases, eat plant material (especially that found in the stomach contents of smaller prey that are eaten whole) even though they lack the digestive enzymes to break down and metabolize such foods. Additionally, cats cannot synthesize certain essential nutrients from plant matter, such as taurine and retinol (Vitamin A), and must obtain them from the proteins they consume. Another characteristic of true carnivores that cats exhibit is a very short, straight digestive tract. This is because cats do not need to break down tough plant cellulose. In fact, the higher the amount of fiber in the diet (plant or grain), the higher the level of taurine is required in the diet.

In the wild, and even in their own backyards, cats are very good hunters and can easily catch the prey they wish to. Cats differ from other carnivores, such as dogs, in that they do not have to scavenge for other food if they do not catch the prey they were hunting. Dogs are somewhat sloppy hunters and do not always get to eat their preferred meal and so have had to adapt to eating less-than-optimal foods that they can scavenge, like berries or roots. Cats would rather forgo eating altogether if they cannot have the food they wish to eat. One result of cats being such successful hunters is that they are “imprint eaters”, and as such tend to imprint of the foods fed to them as kittens. Though this can make switching their diet more of a challenge, the health benefits far outweigh the temporary frustration of making the diet switch.

The differences in hunting methods/success and anatomy between dogs and cats mean that they have very different nutritional needs. Cats must obtain most, if not all, of their nutrition from protein to thrive, whereas dogs can obtain nutrition from a few other sources in addition to proteins. It is for this reason that we promote the philosophy of feeding cats and dogs a species appropriate diet, specific to their unique needs. Northwest Naturals Cat Formulas do not contain any produce. The Dog Formulas contain approximately 18.5% produce. It would be difficult for a cat to thrive on a diet with such a high percentage of produce. When a cat consumes large amounts of materials that they are unable to digest, their digestive systems are overworked, their metabolism is exhausted, and extra fat and toxins are stored.

The most important thing to remember when feeding cats is that we must try to cater to their needs as much as possible and provide a diet that is as close to what they would eat in the wild as possible. Northwest Naturals Raw Frozen Cat Formulas were specifically formulated with this in mind and provide the highest nutritional value possible for your feline pet.

15
Nov 16
0

Raw Bone Benefits

Proper dental maintenance is essential to prevent periodontal disease and promote healthy teeth and gums in pets. Though a daily brushing is an excellent way to keep up on dental health, the most effective way to get rid of plaque build-up is offering your pet a raw meaty bone. The reason why plaque is so hard to remove from teeth is that the dental bacteria create a protective barrier, or biofilm, which cannot be permeated by water, toothpaste, or chemicals. Traditional brushing moves the plaque around the teeth, and while some is removed, much of the plaque and bacteria remain behind. Raw bones have naturally occurring enzymes which break down the biofilm. Then, when pets chew on the bone, the plaque is gently scraped off the teeth.

In addition to great dental health benefits, raw meaty bones provide recreational activity for adult dogs and an appropriate chewing outlet for puppies. Young and teething dogs have a psychological and physical need to chew. Besides providing a fun and engaging (and tasty!) activity, young dogs can properly develop jaw, skull, neck, and shoulder muscling. (It also keeps them away from your favorite shoes!)

The last important aspect of feeding raw bones is a nutritional benefit. Raw bones, and the marrow within, are both natural nutritional sources of protein, fat, minerals, calcium, and phosphorous. However, since raw marrow bones are meant to be chewed only–not eaten—there are only small amounts of these nutrients and the bones should be fed more as a “treat” than as a replacement for your dog’s usual food.

How to introduce a raw marrow bone into your dog’s diet:

For a dog that has never had a raw bone before, introduce it slowly. Let the dog have the bone in a confined space (maybe the kitchen, a towel on the floor, or even the bathtub) or outside of the house, for about 10-15 minutes for the first couple of feedings. Since the marrow inside of a raw bone is very rich and is somewhat fatty, it can cause loose stools in dogs with sensitive stomachs if consumed in large amounts. The amount of marrow the dog consumes can be reduced by scooping the marrow out of the center of a femur bone and stored in the freezer to add to the bone again later. Once the dog is used to having raw bones in their allowed space, raw marrow bones can be fed around three times a week.

Tips for Feeding Raw Bones:

Choose an appropriate size bone for your dog. Be sure to remove bones that start to crack or chip due to aggressive chewing. Small bones are not appropriate for aggressive chewers.

Always supervise a dog when it is chewing on a raw bone. Dogs should be kept in a confined and monitored space and the bone should be removed if large chunks are bitten off or the dog appears in distress in any way.

Feed raw bones in an area that can be easily cleaned. Remember that these are raw meat products and they should be handled with the same procedures as meat for human consumption. Always wash hands and surfaces with hot soapy water.

Dogs should never be fed a cooked marrow bone. Cooking a bone completely changes the chemical structure of the bone and it becomes very hard and can splinter easily into very sharp, dangerous pieces.

Separate dogs when you feed raw bones. Many dogs can get very territorial about their delicious bones!

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Jul 18