Paw Prints

01/03/2022

🚨OUR FACEBOOK PAGE IS DOWN🚨 Please stand by about info on our new page! 🐾

08/15/2021

is showing a demo in our shop today! Come stop by to learn more! 🐾🐶🦴

07/31/2021

Oh Vinny...

07/02/2021

Who takes their dog on the boat with them?? ❤🐾
We have these great EZ DOG brand DFGs (dog floatation device) A must have every boating lifestyle dog!🚣❤🐾

07/02/2021

We have everything your pet needs for fun and safe 4th of July! 💥
We will be open 10-2 on Sunday the 4th for your convenience.
We wish you all a Happy and safe Independence Day!!💥💥💥

06/25/2021

Fun spa day with Chrissy for little kids Moose and Yogi❤🐾 Too much cutness❤🐾❤

06/25/2021

Groomer Chrissy wore Hooper out, time for a post grooming nap.❤😴❤

06/21/2021

Our adorable, sweet friend Piper, helping Kat schedule grooming appointments. We love her! ❤🐾❤

06/16/2021

Do you think you're super cute Joey? We think you are!! ❤❤🐾

06/15/2021

Paw Prints photo op featuring the adorable Sage and her Auntie Kaley ❤🐾❤

06/14/2021

Swizzles coat is so black it's hard to get a good picture. Before and much better after thanks to groomer Kaley❤🐾❤

06/14/2021

Sully the baby Airedale says thanks groomer Kaley for making look so handsome ❤🐾❤

06/12/2021

06/11/2021

Interested in My Perfect Pet? This Sunday, My Perfect Pet will be in our shop to answer all of your questions! Stop by from 11:00-3:00 for free samples! 20% off sale today through Sunday! . . .

06/07/2021

Raw bones and other natural chews also help keep teeth clean
Also watch for our K9 Smiles Anesthesia free dental days❤🐾❤

The claim that kibble will clean your pet’s teeth = utter nonsense. https://bit.ly/3vOgKhx

06/05/2021

Have you ever wondered what Anesthesia free dental cleaning looks like? Here's how it looked at Paw Prints today 🐾❤🐾
Thanks to K9 Smiles for our dental day!!

06/03/2021

THE MOST DANGEROUS PET CHEW EVER: RAWHIDE!

How can one of the most popular chew sticks on the planet be so dangerous for your pets, you ask? I mean, most dogs chew on rawhide for hours on end, and not only does it keep them busy, but they seem to last forever.

Well if you understood what it took to make this toxic “raw” leather stick, you would quickly understand what the problem is.

Aside from the horror stories circulating all over social media these days, of pets needing emergency surgery after consuming rawhide, the majority of pet parents today, especially the newbies, believe that this chew is some sort of dried up meat stick. Let me debunk that myth right away!

A rawhide stick is not the by-product of the beef industry nor is it made of dehydrated meat. Rather, rawhide is the by-product of the “Leather Industry”, so theoretically it is a leather chew. Sounds awesome, right?

“Producing rawhide begins with the splitting of an animal hide, usually from cattle. The top grain is generally tanned and made into leather products, while the inner portion, in its “raw” state, goes to the dogs.” TheBark.com

So, how does this leather, which is conveniently rolled up into pretty shapes, actually get made into those rawhide chews?

Follow along my friends and I will enlighten you on how this hide travels through a leathery process where it transforms from hide to a not-so beautiful, colorful, chew stick. Here is a paraphrased tutorial that was explained by the whole dog journal several years back:

STEP 1: Normally, cattle hides are shipped from slaughterhouses to tanneries for processing. These hides are then treated with a chemical bath to help “preserve” the product during transport to help prevent spoilage.

(No one wants to purchase a black, spoiled rawhide stick!)

Once at the tannery: the hides are soaked and treated with either an ash-lye solution or a highly toxic recipe of sodium sulphide liming. This process will help strip the hair and fat that maybe attached to the hides themselves.

(No, no one wants to see a hairy hide…)

Next on this glorious journey, these hides are then treated with chemicals that help “puff” the hide, making it easier to split into layers.

The outer layer of the hide is used for goods like car seats, clothing, shoes, purses, etc. But, it’s the inner layer that is needed to make the rawhide. (Oh and other things like gelatin, cosmetics, and glue as well!)

STEP 2: Now that we have the inner layer of the hide, it’s time to go to the post-tannery stage! Hides are washed and whitened using a solution of hydrogen peroxide and/or bleach; this will also help remove the smell of the rotten or putrid leather. Bonus!
(Research also shows that other chemicals maybe used here to help the whitening process if the bleach isn’t strong enough.)

STEP 3: Now it’s time to make these whitened sheets of this “leathery by-product” look delicious! So, here is where the artistic painting process comes in.

“Basted, smoked, and decoratively tinted products might be any color (or odor) underneath the coating of (often artificial) dyes and flavors. They can even be painted with a coating of titanium oxide to make them appear white and pretty on the pet store shelves.” - whole-dog-journal.com

“…the Material Safety Data Sheet reveals a toxic confection containing the carcinogen FD&C Red 40, along with preservatives like sodium benzoate. But tracking the effects of chemical exposure is nearly impossible when it’s a matter of slow, low-dose poisoning.”– thebark.com

Ok, now that these hides have been painted, it’s time for the final process.

STEP 4: Getting it to last forever!

Because the FDA does not consider these chews to be food, really it’s a free for all when it comes to the manufacturers of these leather strips, and the products they may want to add to these chews, to get them to last forever. Any sort of glue can be added here to get these bad boys to never come apart.

When tested: Lead, arsenic, mercury, chromium salts, formaldehyde, and other toxic chemicals have been detected in raw hides. So it’s safe to say that any sort of glues can be used as well!

Finally, it’s time to package and attach all the glorious marketing labels to the product.

Check out the fine print warning that’s attached with some of these rawhides:
“Choking or blockages. If your dog swallows large pieces of rawhide, the rawhide can get stuck in the esophagus or other parts of the digestive tract. Sometimes, abdominal surgery is needed to remove them from the stomach or intestines. If it isn’t resolved, a blockage can lead to death.“

(Oh, how lovely…)

And there it is! It’s now ready to be shipped to store shelves where it can be purchased for our loving animal companions.

How do proactive veterinarians feel about these chews?

Here is world-renowned veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker's take on the matter:

“The name ‘rawhide’ is technically incorrect. A more accurate name would be processed-hide, because the skin isn’t raw at all. But the term “rawhide” has stuck.

Rawhide chews start out hard, but as your dog works the chew it becomes softer, and eventually he can unknot the knots on each end and the chew takes on the consistency of a slimy piece of taffy or bubble gum. And by that time your dog cannot stop working it -- it becomes almost addictive.

At this point, there’s no longer any dental benefit to the chew because it has turned soft and gooey, and, in fact, it has become a choking and intestinal obstruction hazard.“

P.S. Ready for the jaw dropper?

An investigation by Humane Society International stated in their report, “In a particularly grisly twist, the skins of brutally slaughtered dogs in Thailand are mixed with other bits of skin to produce rawhide chew toys for pet dogs. Manufacturers told investigators that these chew toys are regularly exported to and sold in U.S. stores.” – dogingtonpost.com

Rodney Habib Pet Health Site

"An educated, informed and well-researched community of pet owners can only put more pressure on the pet food industry to be better! When pet owners know better, they will only do better!"

05/28/2021

Our summertime take your dog camping section 🐾❤🐾

05/27/2021

Does your dog need their teeth cleaned? K9 Smiles will be back on June 4th for anesthesia-free dental cleanings. We only have a few spots left so give us a call to sign up!

04/29/2021

Apparently grooming by Chrissy is very relaxing for Boomer❤🐾❤
Sunday Funday💤💤

04/26/2021

Little Coco is like, hey Watson who said you could share my bath tub big boy??

04/24/2021

New bright, colorful, solid color 6' leads and matching collars for spring

04/23/2021

The absolutely adorable Olive with her favorite groomer Chrissy❤❤❤

04/23/2021

Please beware! Report to animal control if you see them

04/23/2021

A ONE-OF-A KIND PET FOOD and it's worth it.

FERMENTED FISH STOCK
🔹 Excellent for joint and dental health
🔹 Supports thyroid health
🔹 Aids in digestive health
🔹 Aids in liver detox and support
🔹 Improves skin and coat
🔹 Boosts the immune system
🔹 Regulates diabetes
🔹 Calming
🔹 Helps ease hypertension
🔹 Ideal for dogs with kidney disease; offsets a low-protein diet and helps to reduce stress on kidneys
🔹 Mineral-rich