Protection from the elements: A dog coat can provide insulation and protection from rain, snow, and cold temperatures. This can help keep your dog warm and dry during walks and outdoor activities. Even a dog with a thick, double-coat (such as a German Shepherd) can benefit from the warmth of a coat, especially if they are older to help keep the chill at bay on arthritic joints.
Increased visibility: Many dog coats come with reflective material, which can make your dog more visible to drivers and other pedestrians at night or in low-light conditions. This can help keep your dog safe while out and about. Our best-selling Trespaws Butch-X Coat features a bright reflective strip and reflective stitching for super visibility. Our Trespaws Duke Coat has the same great benefits but also features a removable inner fleece - meaning you can use it as a light waterproof jacket for warmer, wet walks, or with the insulating fleece for really arctic weather!
Easy cleaning: A dog coat can make cleaning up after walks much easier. Mud, dirt and debris won't stick to the coat as easily as it would to their fur, making it much easier to wipe or wash off, especially if you have a short haired dog. There's much less of the dog to clean if they've been wearing a coat, meaning less time battling them with a wet towel after a walk.
Comfort: Dog coats can provide lots of comfort for dogs who have sensitive skin or are recovering from surgery, as well as dogs with extremely short coats! Breeds such as Italian Greyhounds or Whippets who don't have a particularly thick coat to keep them warm can benefit the most from protection against the elements.
When purchasing a dog coat, it is important to consider the size, material, and design. Visit us in store and ask one of our staff to help you with finding the perfect fit. We have our very own 'doggy fitting room' for the occasion and we're always on hand to assist you with trying them on. Look for a coat that's made with a breathable and water-resistant material. And don't forget, you should always measure your dog before purchasing a coat to ensure the best fit if you don't have them with you.
In conclusion, buying a dog coat for your furry friend can provide protection from the elements, increased visibility, easy cleaning and comfort. It is also a great choice for dogs with sensitive skin or those with thin coats. With so many benefits, a coat is definitely worth the investment!
]]>This tasty liquid is jam-packed with vitamins and minerals and it's a great source of protein, collagen, glycine, and glucosamine. These nutrients provide various benefits to your pup's immune system and entire body, including the ones described below.
Enhanced gut health: The gelatin found in bone broth can help to soothe and heal the digestive tract, making it a useful food for dogs with digestive issues such as inflammatory bowel disease or pancreatitis. If your dog gets a tummy upset, feeding them bone broth can help to repair their stomach lining, keep them hydrated and promote a healthy gut.
Boosted immune system: The vitamins, minerals, and amino acids found in bone broth can help to support a healthy immune system in dogs.
Increased hydration: If your dog is prone to dehydration or even diarrhea, bone broth can be a good source of fluids. It's also a great option to offer when your dog is sick or recovering from surgery.
When adding bone broth to your dog's diet, it's important to use a high-quality selection of bones (knuckle bones and joints are especially great because they contain more gelatin) and to avoid any ingredients that may be harmful to dogs. You can make your own bone broth at home using a slow cooker or pressure cooker. While bone broth should not be used as a replacement for a balanced diet, it's a nutritious addition to your dog's meals!
You can store your bone broth in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week or in the freezer for up to a year. Another idea is to pour bone broth into an ice cube tray and freeze it. (This will also keep for up to a year.) Then, you have a convenient serving size you can warm in the microwave before adding it to your dog's kibble. Just be sure to test it with your finger to make sure it's not too hot.
Here at The Urban Pet Store, we offer a variety of different options of bone broth. You can purchase our readymade Boil & Broth packs which we keep in the freezer in store - these will last 3 days in the fridge after they've been defrosted and contain added Chia seeds for additional nutritional benefits.
Alternatively, you can check out our new Anco Bone Broth Powders. All you need to do is add fresh boiled water to a scoop of powder and leave it to cool before adding it to your dogs meal. Our 120g packs make up to 4 litres of bone broth - an amazing bargain at just £18.50 per pack!
Commercial, supermarket brands and mass-produced dog food often contain fillers, artificial preservatives, and other questionable ingredients that can be harmful to your dog's health. These cheaper options may be tempting due to their lower price point, but the long-term health consequences may not be worth the savings.
On the other hand, natural dog food and treats are made with whole, unprocessed ingredients that are more easily digestible and provide essential nutrients for your dog. These high-quality options may cost a bit more upfront, but they can actually save you money in the long run by helping to prevent costly veterinary bills due to preventable health issues.
In addition to the health benefits, feeding your dog natural food and treats is also a more ethical choice. Many mass-produced dog food brands source their ingredients from questionable sources and may not have the highest standards for animal welfare. Choosing natural options from trusted, responsible companies ensures that you are supporting ethical practices and helping to improve the lives of livestock and animals.
In conclusion, investing in natural, high-quality dog food and treats may cost a bit more upfront, but the long-term health benefits and ethical considerations make it a worthwhile choice for the well-being of your beloved pet!
Check out some of our favourite ethical brands:
]]>As the spring season approaches, many of us enjoy taking our dogs on walks in the countryside and through farmers fields. However, during lambing season, it's important to be extra careful to ensure the safety of both your dog and the lambs. Here are some tips to help you keep your furry friend safe on walks near farmers fields during lambing season:
Keep your dog on a lead: It's important to always keep your dog on a lead when walking near farmers fields, especially during lambing season. This will help prevent your dog from chasing after or injuring any lambs.
Stay on designated paths: Many farmers fields have designated paths for walkers to use. It's important to stay on these paths to avoid disturbing the lambs and their mothers.
Keep a close eye on your dog: Even if your dog is well-behaved, it's important to keep a close eye on them when walking near farmers fields. Lambs can be unpredictable and your dog's natural instincts may kick in, leading to potential accidents.
Be aware of your surroundings: Keep an eye out for any warning signs or notices from farmers. These may include signs indicating that there are lambs in the field or that dogs are not allowed.
Educate yourself on the local laws: It's important to familiarize yourself with any local laws or regulations regarding dogs and farmers fields. In some areas, it may be illegal to allow your dog to enter a field with livestock.
By following these tips, you can ensure the safety of both your dog and the lambs on your countryside walks. Always remember to respect the farmer's property and be mindful of any potential risks to the animals.
Fleas and ticks are the bane of any dog owners life. Not only will fleas irritate your dog and cause excessive scratching, but once they get into your house they will lay eggs in your carpets, on your furniture, in your bed and anywhere else that's warm and inviting.
Thankfully there's an abundance of ways in which you can treat these pesky nuisances naturally, without the need for harsh chemicals.
Ever-popular in the raw feeding community, Billy No Mates has gained itself a trusted reputation for it's effectiveness in the fight against fleas and ticks.
Supplied in a foil pouch, Billy No Mates is a herbal mix of mint, lemon balm, fenugreek, seaweed and neem leaves. We've all heard the saying "you are what you eat", and the same goes for our dogs! Simply sprinkle the advised dosage of herbs onto your dogs dinner, mixing with a small amount of salmon oil if you feed kibble (or something similar) to avoid them filtering to the bottom of the dish. This can be fed all year round for continuous protection, however if you prefer to have a break in winter, we recommend starting again in early March to allow 6 weeks for it to get into your dogs system before flea season starts again.
Diatomaceous earth is a non-toxic, natural fine powder made from crushed fossils of freshwater organisms and marine life. Through a microscope, these particles look like bits of broken glass. It's deadly to any insect (fleas, ticks, lice or mites), yet completely harmless to animals.
We’ll admit it sounds strange, but an incredibly effective way to treat and repel fleas naturally is to sprinkle diatomaceous earth on your carpet and let it sit there for 48 hours. Ideally, block off the area so no one – especially your dog – can walk over it during this time. Afterward, vacuum the carpet thoroughly. When the razor-sharp diatomaceous particles touch the pests, they pierce the insects’ protective coating, so the bugs quickly dehydrate and die. This is an effective way of drying out and killing flea eggs, to prevent another flea infestation.
To kill the fleas that are living in your dogs fur, dust their skin with a plentiful amount and give them a thorough wash after 48 hours using a natural flea shampoo.
Tropiclean Maximum Strength shampoo has been formulated with a careful blend of Clove Oil, Lemongrass Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Cinnamon Oil and Sesame Seed Oil. Known for their powerful pest fighting qualities, this shampoo is designed to kill any fleas living in your dogs fur and prevent future fleas from setting up camp on your dogs skin for up to 7 days.
You can also use this alongside Tropiclean Flea Bite Relief spray; a medicated solution formulated to moisturize and nourish the skin for immediate relief from bites, irritation and redness. This is supplied in a spray bottle for easy application.
This magical spray works in the same way as our Tropiclean Maximum Strength shampoo, except you can use it to your hearts content without the risk of over-bathing or stripping your dogs fur of their natural oils. It's guaranteed to kill adult fleas and ticks on contact, so get spraying!
Lightly spray your dogs coat including their legs, tail, and stomach, but making sure to avoid their 'bits'. Not only can you use it directly on their fur, but you can spray it directly onto their bedding too!
If you’ve ever wondered how to get rid of fleas on dog bedding in your home and from your beloved dog, we hope these flea remedies have got you covered.
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Since the first UK lockdown was announced at the end of last March, The Kennel Club has reported a 168% increase in the search for puppies.
Lockdown has provided many families with the perfect opportunity to add a four-legged member to their home, which in turn has led the demand and prices of litters to soar. The price of puppies has more than doubled with dogs costing almost £1,900 on average. Popular breeds such as Cavapoo's and Cockapoo's now typically cost between £2,800 and £3,000 on the popular site Pets4Homes.
This increase in price does somewhat effectively deter people from purchasing a puppy as an impulse buy. However, on the other hand, the price of dogs has led to a significant rise in pet thefts as thieves see a golden opportunity to re-sell stolen puppies for a exponentially high price.
Among many of our local Facebook groups - Garforth News & Events, Micklefield Community and Dog Friendly Leeds to name a few - there's a recurring stream of posts regarding dogs that have being stolen.
Within the last couple of days, a Cocker Spaniel by the name of Flora has been snatched from outside a Co-op supermarket in Outwood, Wakefield.
Over in South Milford, there's been a report of a suspicious car with stolen registration plates pulling up outside a family home. The two men inside were seen getting out of the car carrying blankets and a basket, in a clear bid to steal two dogs that were loose in the garden. Thankfully, the dogs started barking which alerted the owner who saw the two men quickly driving off.
Over in Huddersfield, a German Shepherd named Lexi has been stolen overnight from a yard which was broken into. Only Lexi was stolen but the owners other dog, a male German Shepherd who was also outside, was attacked with fence posts, bars and a hammer. The dog is now on the mend and will thankfully recover from its horrendous injuries, however there's sadly no update on Lexi's whereabouts.
Keeping your dogs safe goes without saying... but with dog thefts significantly on the rise, we are reminding you to be extra cautious.
As we find ourselves in the middle of a pandemic and a puppy boom, stay safe, keep your puppies close and always wear your common sense hat!
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Over the years, there have been many articles listing the risks of raw feeding to dogs and their humans. The internet is a minefield of conflicting information regarding bacteria and the possible ill-effects of raw feeding on our own health, but I agree that if we feed raw and never wash our hands, we may have a problem. However, most of the information in these articles is just unfounded nonsense. I'd just like to point out that I'm not a pet nutritionist or a veterinarian, however, I think washing hands after handling raw meat is fairly common sense, don't you think?
That's not to say that raw feeders don't make mistakes, because the majority of us could certainly hold up our hands and admit we've made a few.
Believing that raw is just feeding ground beef mince from the supermarket. Believe it or not, you shouldn't feed your dog raw mince straight from the supermarket packet without freezing it first. Human mince is sold with the intention of being cooked, meaning it can contain harmful parasites that would otherwise be killed in the cooking process, but can cause issues when fed to our dogs raw. That's why you should freeze any supermarket meat for at least a week before feeding it to your dog, to kill off any harmful parasites. This is especially important when considering feeding your dog supermarket bought fish.
A diet that only consists of ground protein doesn't contain all of the nutrients our dogs need.
To make sure you are feeding a balanced diet, make sure you are doing the following:
It seems a little complicated at first, but you'll be amazed at how easy this can be once you source a good selection and gain a better understanding of what your dog needs in the bowl.
The idea of switching to raw is to improve our dogs health. If we're still feeding kibble, then we are offsetting the benefits that raw brings to the bowl by mixing it with something that's processed, cooked and contains a whole array of additives. Kibble (especially that's low quality) promotes inflammation, it's difficult to digest, and the sourcing of the ingredients are questionable.
Not only does raw feeding alongside kibble kind of defeat the point, but the two require a different pH in the stomach to digest. Kibble will increase the pH in the stomach to digest the starch it contains (making it less acidic), but when the pH of the gut is increased, bacteria such as E. coli and salmonella are more likely to survive and cause digestive upset or illness in your dog.
It's the acidic environment in your dogs gut that protects them against these pathogens. Dogs and other carnivores have evolved to handle the bacteria in raw meats, but if we change the pH in their digestive tract by feeding a food that’s not appropriate for them (starch), some of that protection is lost.
When it comes to raw meaty bones, knowing which ones to feed is entirely dependent on the dinosaur you're feeding. Some dogs will take their time with a raw bone by safely chewing it down at a slow rate, whilst others will literally try to swallow the thing whole (not ideal).
The key to determining which bones are safe for your dog is learning their eating habits. Tara primarily enjoys lamb ribs and beef marrowbones, but will attempt to annihilate a duck neck in one gulp.
Adding the right supplements to your dogs bowl can be hugely beneficial in many ways, whether it's adding glucosamine to provide joint aid, or cod liver oil to promote a healthy skin and coat. However, the kitchen can quickly turn into a lab for a mad scientist. (Especially if you're DIY raw feeding) Remember that many of the beneficial vitamins and oils found in supplements can also be fed in the form of whole foods - for example, feeding whole mackerel instead of fish oil; chicken feet and trachea's instead of glucosamine.
That's not to say you should stop giving your 12 year old spaniel their joint tablets, but for younger dogs that take them only for precautionary support, this is a good point to note.
It's easy to become overwhelmed by the number of options about models to follow, brands to choose, and the amount of work that goes into raw feeding. However, feeding raw can be as easy or as complicated as you would like to make it.
When it comes to understanding the basics of raw feeding, the most important thing to remember is that variety is key. Many dogs develop food allergies after eating the same thing day in and day out. One of the main reasons why beef and chicken are known to be the most common allergies is because it's one of the cheapest meats for manufacturers to source. The majority of widely known brands use this as a primary ingredient in their recipes, which results in dogs developing an intolerance to them over time. Ensuring you are varying between 5 and 6 different proteins in your dogs diet reduces the likelihood of them developing an intolerance.
If you'd like to discuss raw feeding in more depth or if you're considering making the transition from kibble, we and your local natural pet store's are always on hand to offer advice. Check out The Barking Lot if you're in or around Wetherby, or Stef's Pet Pantry if you're in the Ilkley area!
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