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Health & Fitness

It's time for Howl-o-ween!!!

Halloween festivities and the wonders of pumpkin.

It’s almost Howl-o-ween! If you’re like my fellow pet owning friends, this is the perfect excuse to dress your dogs up in silly outfits and parade them around town. (As opposed to dressing them up in silly outfits and posting humiliating pictures of them on Facebook, as I am apt to do.) While I contemplate whether or not Sassy will tolerate wearing a tutu this year (her death glare is indicating “no” thus far), I have the following moderately helpful info to pass along:

Hounds Town is having it’s annual Halloween party on October 31st. We’re having a costume contest this year as well. The best costume winner will receive 20% off any of our services, including grooming! No humans allowed, sorry folks. These party animals need their privacy. What happens at doggie daycare…

Also, Fetch Doggies in Port Jeff Village is holding it’s Halloween parade on October 23rd, at 2pm sharp! They also give prizes out for the best costumes and will have a professional photographer ready to take pictures of your little darling all decked out in his or her Halloween finery.

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Since it is also pumpkin season, now is a good time to remind you all that pumpkin is VERY good for your pooch’s digestive tract! It cures all kinds of tummy ailments due to it’s high fiber content. Simply boil the pumpkin until it’s soft and add to your regular dog food. It’s particularly helpful for those pups who have issues with their (ew) anal glands. If you’ve noticed your dog scooting along the floor - while really funny to watch - it’s a sign his or her anal glands might be full. Adding a high fiber food like pumpkin to his diet can help relieve the pressure a bit.

Many of our customers love taking their dogs to dog parks and dog runs but often find the dog gets sick or has worms a few days later. (Remember - not everyone cares for their dog as well as you do - many dog runs and dog parks are breeding grounds for bacterial illnesses and parasites). Rather than not going and enjoying the outside time together, try giving your pup raw pumpkin seeds. They’ve been found helpful in preventing parasites and if you‘re carving pumpkins anyway, the seeds are readily available. If you haven’t got a dog who will eat anything like I do (my son keeps Magoo outside with him while he carves pumpkins because Magoo cleans up the pumpkin guts as he goes), grind them up and sprinkle a bit on his food.

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Happy Halloween everyone! I hope to see you and your canines at the Howl-O-Ween festivities!

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