A beneficial and extensive routine is one of the best ways you can ensure that your pet is receiving all the care it needs day to day. And due to the New Year, this is a perfect time to craft one!
So here are some important items to include in your schedule for the new year of 2022!

1. Pet Vaccinations

As always, pet vaccinations should be at the top of your to-do list. This is due to the New Year coming with the possibility that your pet may need booster vaccinations or even new ones entirely.

Therefore, if your pet has a yearly check-up at the vet, it can be prudent to ensure that you ask if there are any recommended vaccinations or boosters your pet may require.

If you don’t have a check-up planned, it can always be a good idea to get one sorted if possible!

We require all dogs to be up-to-date on their vaccinations, especially Rabies and Distemper vaccines. All necessary vaccinations must be administered at least 24 hours prior to your scheduled appointment.

2. Pet Exercise Plan

Are you sure your pet is getting enough exercise? Whilst cats usually do a good job of making their own fun if they are provided with enough toys and a big enough area to jump around, dog exercise requires a bit more help from us humans.

With most breeds being much bigger than cats, they need to be outside to fully stretch out their legs. To avoid negative behavior traits or obesity, meeting your breed’s exercise requirements are a must. Long walks and play are a good way of achieving this.

Having a weekly exercise plan can be a great way of keeping track and ensuring that your pet is receiving all the exercise it needs.

3. Pet Diet Plan

Just like with us humans, a good diet for our pets helps keep them healthy and free of potential health conditions.

Being aware of what you are feeding your pet and discussing with your vet what makes a good diet for your particular furry friend are good first steps in ensuring that they are receiving all the nutrients they need.

For more tips on providing a good diet for your pets, check here for cats and here for dogs.

4. Pet Grooming Plan

Regular thorough grooming of your pet comes with many benefits, including the prevention of potential severe health issues. Therefore, it is just as important as any other requirements your pet may have!

While keeping their coat looking its best is a significant part of grooming, it is by far not all there is to it. Regular trimming of the nails, dental upkeep, flea and tick treatments, all of these come under the umbrella of grooming and all our important to your pet’s health.

For that reason, we would recommend creating a weekly and monthly grooming schedule to keep on top of everything your pet may need.

If you are struggling to find the time, why not make an appointment with us? We at Groomit make professional grooming easy, coming to your home and performing our magic where your pets feel relaxed.

Anything Else You Would Like to Add?

In the coming year, your pets will be certainly well-cared for with these important items within your schedule. Because a healthy dog is a happy dog!

Is there anything we have missed you would like us to add? What is your weekly pet routine?

Let us know in the comments below!

The post New Year: What You Need to Plan For Your Pets appeared first on Pet Grooming Blog for Dog and Cat Owners | Groomit.
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Halloween is just around the corner, which means thousands of children (and sometimes even adults) will be going around their neighborhoods with the hopes of being greeted with some candy at each doorstep. While most humans get a kick out of this holiday, dogs don’t always share our enthusiasm, often fearing the constant knocking on the door and being greeted by children wearing all manner of spooky costumes. 

With a few tips in mind, you can make sure that you keep your dog calm during the popular trick-or-treating night of Halloween. We’ve collected five of the most important tips that you should take into consideration if you have a dog and are concerned about how your pooch will handle the influx of door-bell-ringers.

1. Focus on Teaching a “Quiet” Command

Training your dog to recognize and obey the “quiet” command can be one of the most valuable steps you take before Halloween night. 

The great thing about teaching dogs is that – with some effort and patience from your side – you can achieve a lot. If your dog is particularly food-motivated and eager to learn, he may pick up this command within just a few days.

The quiet command does take some practice. The idea behind the “quiet” command is to get your dog to calm down and stop barking when you do say this word along with a hand signal (most folks choose the “shhh” motion of bringing their finger to their lips). 

To start off, assess your dog’s attitude towards the doorbell. One of the major reasons why your dog may become uncontrollable when the doorbell rings is due to fear. With this in mind, begin by associating a ringing of the doorbell with some positive things, such as a treat or a toy. 

Initially, don’t worry if your dog barks at the door – simply provide tasty treats when the doorbell rings. For some dogs, this new positive association may be all you need to stop the barking.

Part two is adding the “quiet” command. Ring the doorbell and then use the “quiet” command and hand motion. Show your dog the treat clearly to get him focused on you. Wait for your dog to be quiet – even just a few seconds of silence counts at first! Treat and praise your dog for keeping quiet. 

Next, you’ll want to try getting him to stay quiet for longer before giving another treat each time. 

2. Find A Treat Your Dog Really Appreciates

When it comes to treating your dog, one thing is for certain – a high-value treat will make your dog obey your commands and be obedient much more effectively than something you give him on a regular basis (like boring old kibble). 

Every dog is different, however. What would be considered a high value treat for one pooch may not be so exciting for another canine. You might have to do some experimenting to find what your dog would really consider a valuable treat. 

Hot dogs, string cheese, and peanut butter all usually work well as high-value treats for dogs. You should, however, take care when buying peanut butter. Never give your dog peanut butter that contains Xylitol, as it’s toxic for dogs.

3. Use CBD Oil To Relieve Canine Stress

CBD oil is a product that contains extracts from hemp plants. No, this is not the same as marijuana, so don’t worry that CBD oil will get your dog high – the oil does not cause psychoactive effects. 

While the use of CBD oil products has become very popular among humans, our pets can also benefit from these oils. 

There are different types of CBD oil for dogs – some are tinctures you can add to your dog’s food while others are CBD-infused dog treats. These products have been shown to provide an effective reduction in anxiety symptoms in many dogs. CBD oil can help chill your pup out when those trick-or-treaters start showing up. This will not only help prevent barking, but may also calm your dog enough that they’ll be more receptive to your training efforts. 

In addition to being an effective remedy for stress and anxiety, CBD oil has several other benefits for dogs. This includes a reduction in inflammation and the potential alleviation of chronic pain symptoms. CBD oil may also help to ease symptoms of digestive disorders and help a dog better cope with the effects of arthritis.

4. Don’t Skimp On Exercise

Exercise is a critical part of keeping a dog healthy – but it may have more benefits for your pooch than just aiding in your dog’s overall well-being. 

When it comes to preparing for the trick-or-treaters that will come by on Halloween night, exercise will definitely be a big factor in keeping your dog calm. Studies have shown that exercise is a great way of helping to relieve stress in dogs. 

When you take your dog out for some exercise, it stimulates the release of a neurotransmitter known as serotonin. The chemical has a similar effect on dogs as it has in humans, giving your pup a good mood boost. 

As they say, a tired dog is a happy dog. Wear your dog down so that they won’t have so much pent up energy, will feel better overall, and won’t be as likely to harass your visitors.

5. Put The Dog Away As A Last Resort

While some dogs can be effectively trained and persuaded with a few treats to keep calm and listen to you, this is not always the case. 

Unfortunately, when this happens, your dog may feel stressed and act out when there are visitors who show up at your doorstep. If your dog doesn’t seem to be handling the trick-or-treaters very well, it might be a good idea to consider putting him away for the evening. 

If you decide to put your dog away, make sure you keep him in a quiet, relaxing environment that is familiar to him, like his crate or your bedroom. 

Consider putting on the radio to act as a distraction if the doorbell is setting him off. As always, make sure your dog has access to water and check up on them frequently. You should also leave a toy or two for your dog (or – even better – an engaging dog puzzle toy). 

This will help to further distract them from what is happening at the front door!

***

If your house will be visited by trick-or-treaters during Halloween and you own a dog, then you need to prepare your pet for the people who will be arriving at the doorstep. Luckily, there are ways to make sure that your dog remains calm and does not feel frightened of those spooky little ghosts showing up at your doorstep. Follow the tips above for a fun and fright-free Halloween!

The post How to Keep Your Pooch Happy & Calm For Trick-Or-Treaters appeared first on Pet Grooming Blog for Dog and Cat Owners | Groomit.
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As the date inches ever so closer to the 31^st, we can’t help to contain our excitement for Halloween!

However, the frightening fun brings some preventable risks to your pet’s health. Therefore, in this #WiseWednesday post, we thought we would go over Halloween pet safety for the upcoming spooky festivities.

In this article, you will learn what common Halloween snacks may prove to be harmful to our family animals, and give you some ideas for some delicious treats that you could be giving instead.

Halloween Pet Safety: What Foods Are Harmful?

On the night of Halloween, there is likely to be a lot of sweets and chocolate throughout the home. For those of us with a sweet tooth, this could be a dream could true, but for our pets, these tasty treats could serve to be a real danger to their health.

Chocolate is well-known to be toxic within both cats and dogs, due to the build-up of an alkaloid called Theobromine. Candy can also cause serious illness in dogs due to a common artificial sweetener known as Xylitol, which can cause a severe drop in their blood sugar levels.

So what can we do to help?

How Do I Keep My Pets Safe On Halloween?

Now that we have an understanding of the potential food-related dangers, it’s important to keep such items out of reach. Keep sweets elevated to a point where pets cannot reach!

It’s also recommended to keep your pets supervised if they are in a room with candy.

If you do see your dog munching down on sweets or your cat nibbling at chocolate, it’s time to ring the vet. Depending on the amount ingested and your pet’s body weight, you may need to take them in. Do not induce vomiting by yourself without a vet’s go-ahead. It’s much better to have a professional examination before doing anything rash.

For the symptoms of chocolate poisoning, see here. To see the symptoms of Xylitol poisoning, check here. Ring the vet if you notice any of these symptoms!    

What Alternative Treats Can I Give My Pets This Halloween?

Just because chocolate and candy aren’t great for pets doesn’t mean they don’t deserve any treats at all!

There are plenty of risk-free treats available to give your pets that are healthy and tasty for them. For example, if you wanted to be truly keeping in line with the festivities, you could give your pet pumpkin treats!

It can be given raw or cooked, but be aware; they aren’t easily digestible and should be fed in small amounts to avoid upsetting your pet’s stomach. Also, keep in mind that raw pumpkin can go rancid quickly; don’t be giving your pets the jack-o-lantern that has been sitting on the porch all week!

If pumpkin doesn’t interest your pets too much, you can find Halloween-themed treats for both dogs and cats on sale at Chewy. For a more personal approach, why not prepare homemade treats? We have some great and healthy recipes you could use!

Have a Fantastic Halloween From All of Us At Groomit!

We hope this article has helped you prepare a safe and exciting Halloween night for your family and pets!

Remember, if you are looking to have your dog or cat spruced up for the festivities, whether that be for a spooky costume or to just bring out their cutest qualities, we at Groomit are always on hand to give them a stress-free professional grooming session. Just give us a shout!

Let’s all keep our pets safe and involved this Halloween!

The post Halloween Pet Safety – What Is Safe For Them to Eat? appeared first on Pet Grooming Blog for Dog and Cat Owners | Groomit.
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With the date slowly creeping towards the 25th, many of us are fast running to finish up their Christmas shopping! If you are just as unorganized as me when it comes to gift-giving at the end of the year, you may be finding yourself at a loss as to what would make good Christmas gifts for pets.

But fear not! In this article, we will take you through some excellent gift ideas that would make any pet jump for joy!

1. Help Your Pets Look and Feel Good!

Let’s face it; most pets love to be pampered. So what could be better than gifting them a session with professional groomers so they can truly look and feel their best?

Not only does good grooming help your pets look great, but it is also beneficial to their health and mood.

But why choose us at Groomit? We offer in-home grooming, reducing the hassle and stress on both your pet and yourself at this very hectic time of the year. Not only that, but our professional groomers not only do exemplary work, but even the most anxious of pets will be won over by them!

We offer digital gift cards here for those who would like to give their friend or family a chance to experience our service.

2. The Gift That Keeps on Giving – Subscription Boxes!

If you’re hurting for ideas, you can never go wrong with toys! But rather than just getting them a cheap toy or two that you just know they are going to destroy before the New Year, why not gift them a pet subscription box?

If you haven’t heard of them, a pet subscription box is a monthly package made up of toys or food that your dog or cat could really love!

However, there are quite a lot to choose from out there! Here are some suggestions for some of our favorites:

• Bullymake – Fantastic choice for dog Christmas gifts, especially for those who are heavy chewers!
• KitNipBox – As far as Christmas presents for cats go, this subscription box is filled with everything a curious feline could want! Toys, treats, and other products complete this set.
• The Farmer’s Dog – If you’re looking to go more down the fresh, tailored food route, you cannot go wrong with this box.

3. Gifts for Pet Lovers – Pet Cameras!

If you’re looking for a gift that could both satisfy a friend or family member and their pets at the same time, a great idea is a pet camera!

In our hectic lives, there are a lot of periods where we are forced to just leave our pets alone at the house. For anxious and dependent pets, this can be a source of a great deal of stress.

However, a pet camera aims to alleviate this by providing a method of contact between you and your pets no matter how far away you are!

A great choice for a pet cam is the Furbo. Specifically made for dogs, it allows you to speak to your dog through the camera and even dispense treats!

Have a Great Christmas!

There we have it! We hope you have come away with a better idea of gifts for pet lovers or your own animals. Get that shopping done and don’t put it off any further!

We at Groomit wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! We all look forward to seeing you again in 2019!

The post Christmas Gifts for Pets: Exciting Ideas! appeared first on Pet Grooming Blog for Dog and Cat Owners | Groomit.
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If we eat healthy food why our dogs shouldn’t? As groomers we believe we can get our pets healthy and natural food, while grooming we can notice a big difference on dogs hair when they are well fed.  Now there are no more excuses, if you live in NYC you can have it delivered to you home and also you can even select the best preferences for you pup. The Farmer’s Dog is one such company working to improve the well-being of your pet, they deliver balanced, freshly made pet food with simple recipes, guided by science, and driven by love.

They offer  Tested on humans food, Human-grade USDA ingredients means less processing, natural nutrients, and higher safety standards.
Personalized, Ready-to-serve plan that is customized to your dog’s individual profile. Easy ready-to-serve meals are pre-made and pre-portioned. Just open and pour. Made fresh and delivered, your food is delivered to you within days of cooking. Never deep frozen. Never stored on a shelf for months.

Check it out, you will love it

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