Woofles and meowz pet bakery

Today its gonna be a baking day here at Woofles and Meowz with "Bis-Scotties"....get it?!?!? on the roster to make....yes I know...I am too funny! At least the dogs are happy with the results.
Today is timely as we are making two different types. One is a peanutbutter, banana and carob and one is an applesauce, pumpkin, banana and spice.
It is timely because usually after Christmas and this year is no exception dog owners are concerned with any and all chocolate consumption by their dogs.
Almost everyone has the story of how Fido ate a box of black magic chocolates or a dairy box of chocolates off the coffee table while they were out well....

Everybody has heard the old story....chocolate is poisonous to dogs. The fact is THIS IS TRUE! Chocolate contains significant levels of a substance known as Theobromine as well as caffeine (drug class: Methylxanthines) which are extremely toxic to dogs (and cats to a lesser degree). These substances are present in all types of chocolate although the darker the chocolate the more theobromine present. In dogs this substance can cause vomiting, nausea, hyperventilating (accelerated breathing) and accelerated heart rate. In more severe cases it can causes seizures and even death. Even small amounts of chocolate given over a long period of time can have detrimental effects to certain organs (eg, liver). The only way to prevent any harm being caused is to ensure your dog has no chocolate whatsoever unless it is specially formulated for dogs. Although even this can lead to problems such as obesity and tooth decay if fed in too large quanities or if fed too frequently.

Sweets/candy can also pose a threat to your pet. This is not due to the sugar content (although this can cause the usual health problems if fed in unsuitable amounts: obesity, tooth decay, diabetes etc) as most mammals are suitably adapted to process sugar efficiently (dogs and cats DO HAVE A PANCREAS! and it works very well) the main problem is that most of the sweets available today contain various sweetners as well as sugar and, like theobromine in chocolate, these sweetners contain some substances that are fairly toxic to dogs and cats many of which can have a profound effect on the central nervous system leading to symptoms similar (if not more severe) to those of chocolate toxicosis.

The simple answer is DO NOT FEED CATS AND DOGS candy or chocolate.

natural sugars are so much better for both people and pets with people being able convert them better than animals. Carob, bananas, apple pieces and pumpkin are great alternatives to any and all sugary treats you may be tempted to give your pooch.
IF you think the dog or cat has got into some chocolate and it is displaying any of the above symptoms...I would take a quick trip to the vet.
and save the treats for yourself!

Dog days of summer

Woofles and Meowz has been a super busy place this summer and by the lack of blog entries this confirms it but what has transpired in the past short while has been the opening of The Granville Island Soap Gallery here on Granville Island.
We are of course a pet friendly store there as well as the pet boutique so come on by and say "HEY" as they say in the south.
The soap gallery is dedicated to making and providing from other suppliers only products from Canada and mostly BC with a focus on natural and organic products.....including some wonderful items for doggies and kitties.

This past summer has been great seeing all our regular customers and the lovely problem we had was trying to keep up with the biscuit making for those who know us and our products.
Providing organic and handmade treats is labor intensive but one out of love and from what we see a necessary one for those pooches who can only eat our items.
We are both happy and frustrated by that.
Giving the best nutritional advice we can with regard to our observations and experience has been both tiring and rewarding. I still wonder why oh why people still feel they can feed only a dry dog food to their animal with no vegetables or proper balance and then they wonder why their wee pooch is not doing so well.
My simple advice is always "if you ate what you are feeding your dog how would YOUR digestion and overall health be??"
That usually gets a clear mental image and puts things into perspective.
Several of our doggy friends have been good success stories this past while...yay!!
...ok off to do some ordering..........Halloween is upcoming and as you all know I don't love dressing up dogs in unnecessary clothing items but for an interactive doggy/owner day a cute costume can be fun!
I'll keep you abreast of what transpires!!

Granville Island goes to the dogs.

Granville Island sees a lot of our furry friends on a normal day but since the Olympics have started there is a lot less traffic ( I think there is a rumour that Granville Island was closed or that there was no parking...both of which are not true) the walking traffic is starting to get pretty busy though and along with that comes all our doggy friends.
In this blog I have to tell you that there is a new hot toy on the market which is marketed by the name of Orka. This product is super tough but also has just enough give to prevent a tooth going through the product easliy. The thing is so tough that I tried to put a nail through it and there was almost like a self healing property to the material. This makes it a really good toy to use as a retrieval item.
As I have said before many times there is no such thing as a "chew toy" but there are toys that are routinely chewed in the course of play. This ORKA toy is one that works well in this regard.....come on by and check it out.
On the CAT TOY front there is big news in a new line that I have got in the store that is super popular and made rerally, really well by a lady on the Sunshine Coast. These products use sheep fleece, replaceable feathers and tisal fibres attached to smooth and safe bike wires. These products ROCK!!!...made by a lady named Linda Buckingham and very well!
We carry the whole lineup so ask for them when you come in.
WOOF and MEOW!

Olympics goes to the Dogs. or vise versa.

Opening a new store here on Granville Island called THE BUBBLES STORE has taken a bit of time and energy to say the least but it is all finished and in the same interest as Woofles and Meowz we have stocked "Bubbles" with organic and sustainable products of high quality with a focus on local suppliers. While Woofles and Meowz can get a bit.....uhh....fragrant when we bake the treats the Bubbles store always smells great with all the organic essential oils going on and NOT like some other stores where it assaults your senses.
Since the last entrt we have done several interviews with local and far reaching news organizations and I have been remiss in loading them up here on the blog but the following is one from Steffanie in Texas......
cheers and WOOF!!
www.examiner.com/x-35768-Dallas-First-Dog-Examiner~y2010m1d26-Vancouver-and-your-dog

Dog costumes for Halloween.

Well, folks they are here and FLYING out the door..literally. The dog costumes are so freaking funny and this year we at Woofles and Meowz have a great but quickly diminishing supply of:

The dinosaur
The Skunk
the Witch
The witche's hat with hair attached hanging underneath
The spider
The pig
...of course the HOTDOG outfit...too freakin' funny
The tuxedo outfit
The Lion
The convict...
......all too funny and all sizes being purchased.....come and get'em!

HALLOWEEN COSTUMES FOR DOGS!!!

YAY!! the Halloween costumes are here for 2009 and we are stoked!

Now, a wee bit of backtracking in that I am not one to dress up dogs in a fluffy manner for everyday type walking around rather I like cold weather equipment used properly to keep dogs dry and warm when needed. Nothing to get in the way of the "smell test" of other dogs in my opinion but here is where I sound like a hippocrate because I really have fun with the dressing up of Fido for a fun night of Halloween.
There are some considerations to factor in with regard to safety and they are pretty important:
NO MASKS on the dogs that are made of plastic and could impede vision or safety....no dangly bits that could be caught up in anything or be swallowed when chewed.
If the dog is panting or distressed by the costume after wearing it for 5-6 minutes then forgo the option and maybe just throw on a fun bandana in a Halloween print...easy-peasy!
For those who have dogs that like the interaction and attention and dig the costume I offer the concept of themed duos.......Imagine Sonny and Cher with your dog in a black wig and moustache....you KNOW that long black wig is just waiting for you...........and ya KNOW you wanna!
Either way have a great time with the festivities!
Here at the Pet store Woofles and Meowz we have about 14 different types of costumes from Dinosaurs to Fellons and from Lions to Cheerleaders........different sizes and styles.
Stop by before October 31st for the best selection...........last year was an absolute blast.
Also check out the article in LOV Magazine theres always cool stuff in there!
Happy Haloweener dog!!
WOOF!

Rain coats for dogs.

Ok, yesterday or so I was looking out the window and fully expected an ARK to float by! It was not helped by the fact that the overhang of the KIDS MARKET was barely handling the rain pouring off the roof. It was pretty darn wet...a type of weather that we actually rarely get here on the coast.
It was the type of rain that I have experienced in Alberta or Ontario. Here when it rains it is that misty type stuff that unless you are wearing a fur coat it does not actually soak through......fur coat......nice segue huh?!??
Of the many people here in the pet store I would have to say that most were in the market for a good rain jacket for their dog.
We carry a variety of styles and from my searches around the other stores we carry a HUGE selection. Two of my favourites come from one of my favourite suppliers that make the METRO SLICKER (a rip-stop nylon shell with a rubber polymer coating that is both tough and flexible while being pretty stylish to....this one lasts forever and I know as I never, ever washed my dogs Metro slicker in several years and it looked pretty great! The other one is a fabric with Gortex type technology and a fleece lining......super warm and waterproof to cover all the bases for short haired animals or those is other provinces or in the interior.
We seem to be the main supplier for people from Edmonton and Calgary......literally 1000s of warm weather items go there from our store on Granville Island.........and we and the warm, dry dogs thank you for it!!