DIY Cat Toys

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As most cat owners know, cats will play with just about anything that entertains them.

So why pay for cat toys when you can easily create some of your own with everyday items found around the house? Check out these fun DIY cat toy ideas from The Honest Kitchen and get to creating!


Sock Cat Toys

The next time you start seeing holes in your socks, don’t throw them out. Instead, easily turn them into cat toys. Take one of the socks and roll it up inside the other. Add crinkly paper and some catnip in there before tying the open end of the outer sock into a knot. Give it to your cat or throw it for him to chase.

Toilet Paper Roll Toys

Cat owners know how easily a feline can be entertained—for a time—with the right kind of toy. It can be as simple as a rolled up piece of paper destined for the garbage that didn’t make it into the bin. But after 20 minutes of intense play, that “toy” may easily be forgotten—which is why it is a good idea to have a variety of options. One common household item that lends itself well to this is the toilet paper roll. There are several toys you can make out of these rolls, including balls. It can also be as simple as just giving your cat the roll that he can unwind. When you make the toys, avoid using anything on the rolls that would make them unsafe or toxic, including staples.

Newspaper Toys

All you need is a single sheet of newspaper to create a crumpled-up ball, thick strands torn from the sheet and a loop cut from the edges. Recycle when used and start from scratch (pun intended) with a new sheet.

Straw Toys

Offer your cat a couple plastic drinking straws for batting, chewing, chasing and pounce action. Keep an eye out for the cat chewing pieces of the straw up, though. Replace the straws as needed.

DIY Whack-a-Mole Toy

Have an extra soda or cardboard box laying around? Turn it into a whack-a-mole game for your cat! Cut holes in one side and use your sock toy (or anything else that will work) for hours of DIY cat enrichment.

What cat toys have YOU created that we should add to the list? Have fun playing with your furry friends!

 

What Exactly Is Prescription Pet Food?

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If your furry friend has ever had a chronic illness or food sensitivity, chances are you’ve gone to the vet and may have been told to start feeding your pet prescription food. According to Dog’s Naturally Magazine, the main difference between over the counter pet food and prescription pet food is how expensive they are.  To put it simply, your dog doesn’t need prescription food.

According to Dana Scott, CEO of Dogs Naturally Magazine, the top 5 ingredients in store bought prescription food and prescription food are the same:

  • Chicken by-product meal
  • Corn meal
  • Sorghum
  • Barley
  • Chicken

So, there’s no reason for the foods to require a prescription, since they contain no drug or other ingredient not commonly found in non-prescription pet diets. There is no reason for veterinarians to hand a written “prescription” for dog food that is taken elsewhere to purchase the food.

Now, you might be thinking this is because the prescription diet was formulated and tested with a specific condition in mind. This is completely false. While an over-the-counter food with a health claim (such as controls weight) is subject to FDA regulations and enforcement, the FDA practices “enforcement discretion” when it comes to veterinary diets.

Put another way, this means the FDA has not reviewed or verified the health claims on any veterinary diet. So, if your vet claims your dog needs to be eating a prescription diet, ask to review the ingredient list. Then ask for hard evidence the foods in the prescription diet are any better than those in regular diets.

The Brookside Barkery’s mission is providing “better health through better nutrition” and we’re dedicated to educating our customers so that they can make better decisions. If you think your pet may require a special diet, top by Brookside Barkery today and let our pet nutrition experts guide you and your four-legged best friend to a healthy and happy life!

Source: Dog’s Naturally Magazine 

Brookside Barkery fetches new delivery services

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Thanks to Thinking Bigger for this amazing feature about our new online store. We are so excited to offer free local delivery to our 4-legged friends in the Kansas City Metro!

We’re proud to offer free product delivery within a 10-mile radius with a minimum spending requirement of $50.

“As a small, brick-and-mortar business, our concerns of competing with retail giants have been on the horizon for quite some time. Brookside Barkery’s advantage has always existed in the value of the pet products we carry and our incredibly knowledgeable staff,” marketing coordinator Courtney Klitzke said.

“Pet owners come to the Barkery looking for answers and trust our advice, which cannot be replicated by online retailers,” she continued. “Unfortunately, there’s nothing stopping those pet owners from taking our advice, choosing the right products for their pets and then simply putting those items on an automatic delivery schedule through one of many online stores.”

“We believe pet owners shouldn’t have to choose between quality and convenience,” Klitzke said.“Instead, we’ve created a positive, accessible, multi-channel shopping experience for our customers so that whether they’re in-store or shopping from home, the clear choice when shopping for their pets’ favorites is the Barkery.”

Read the full article here. 

April Sale – Lotus Pet Foods

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Lotus Natural Food for Pets is a unique line of holistic, oven-baked dry foods, canned stews and raw foods, all created for the long, happy life of your favorite dog or cat.

We’re talking high-quality animal proteins like lamb and poultry, whole fruits and veggies, a unique oil blend bursting with omega-3s and 6s, and energy giving carbs like barley and potatoes, all gently baked into tasty little cookies and savory stews that will have your pet smiling from ear to floppy ear.

Check out what Lotus is offering this month, only at the Barkery:

  • Dog & Cat Cans: $1 Off!
  • NEW Soft Baked Dog Treats: $2 Off!
  • $10 Off Large Bags of Dog Kibble
  • $6 Off Medium Bags of Dog & Cat Kibble
  • $4 Off Small Bags of Dog & Cat Kibble

Busy Schedule? Take Advantage of Barkery’s Food Delivery & Pick-Up/Drop-Off Grooming Services!

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Don’t let your busy schedule keep your pets from getting the grooming and quality pet food they need – take advantage of our convenient Barkery Pet Van and Delivery Services! Not only can we deliver the best pet food in Kansas City directly from our store to your front door, but we can also pick up your furry friend for their grooming appointment!

Here are some key things to know when using each service:

Food Delivery:

  • Available at both Brookside and Lee’s Summit locations.
  • Free delivery within 10-miles of our stores with a purchase of $50 or more.
  • All deliveries placed will be delivered by the next business day.
  • Place your order online or by calling your preferred store.
  • A Barkery associate will call to confirm payment and delivery.
  • A Barkery associate can even look up your order history!
  • Click here for more information.

Grooming:

  • Pick-up & Drop-off services are only available at the Brookside location to customers within a 10-mile radius of our Brookside store.
  • Pick-up & Drop-off service is currently available Monday-Friday for Grooming and Bathing appointments.
  • Pick-ups begin at 7 AM and run to 9 AM.
  • Drop-offs occur between 3 PM – 5 PM.
  • You must provide a carrier for dogs 30 lbs or less.
  • All customers must fill out a waiver form.
  • Click here to schedule your appointment.

What are you waiting for? Take advantage of Barkery’s convenient pet food delivery and grooming services today!

Nontoxic Flea Prevention

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Flea and tick season will be here before you know it, and it’s time to start thinking about how to protect our four-legged friends from them. All of the options for flea and tick treatment and prevention can be overwhelming, especially when you’re looking for products that are all-natural and non-toxic.

According to PetBusiness.com, “‘There is no such thing as a flea free zone,’ says Steven Rosenfeld, owner of Bronxville, N.Y.-based F.C. Sturtevant. ‘Even if your dog or cat is bathed regularly and has little or no direct contact with other animals, it can become infected when visiting a groomer or even walking from your home to your car when traveling with your pet.’”

If your pet does end up with fleas, it can be really tempting to grab a box of Frontline to treat your pet. But you might not know that brands like Frontline are toxic and can be harmful to not only your pet – but your whole family. Here at Brookside Barkery & Bath, we’re dedicated to providing our customers with superb, all-natural pet products – even when it comes to flea and tick treatment.

Many pet owners may be concerned about the effectiveness of all-natural flea and tick preventative, especially if their dog is frequently outside, in different environments, or at a higher risk for attracting pests. Although it is not 100% chemical free, Seresto Flea and Tick Collars are a smart choice for pet owners that want long-term, less toxic flea control.

We also offer Wondercide Flea, Tick & Mosquito Control for Pets + Home– a natural spray that kills, repels, and prevents fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes without toxic chemicals. It’s great for spraying directly on your pet or around the house.

While the possibility of getting fleas is higher during the spring and summer months, according to PetBusiness.com, “Pet parents also need to be aware that the possibility of an animal getting a flea or tick
isn’t limited to certain seasons or climates. James Brandly, associate trade marketing manager for Tropiclean, explains that ticks are found at any time and in any place, from a ‘deep woods hike to your afternoon walk through your neighborhood.’”

Stop by Brookside Barkery at either of our locations in Brookside or Lee’s Summit to learn more – or check out our online store for more information.

*Thanks PetBusiness.com for the info!

What is Animal Chiropractic?

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What is Animal Chiropractic ?

Written by Dr. Keenan Massey DC, CAC, Hoof n Paw Animal Chiropractic.

What is animal chiropractic? That’s a question I get asked quite often in my attempts to market my Animal Chiropractic business. I think it would be a safe assumption to make that most people have heard of chiropractic and that many people utilize it every day. It’s a wonderful medicine that can help reduce the aches and pains in our bodies in a non-invasive and more holistic way than traditional medical care. And if it works so well for us then it would make sense that it would work for our four-legged family as well, right?

Animal chiropractic is a relatively new branch of chiropractic, only having officially been around for a few decades now. To be an animal chiropractor you first must either be a Doctor of Chiropractic or a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine and then take a post graduate course to become certified in the field. Like with people, animals’ bodies are controlled through their nervous system which is housed in their spinal cord, wrapped up in vertebrae. If any of this comes out of alignment it can impinge the nervous systems ability to send and receive signals throughout the body which can impede the bodies ability to function normally, which can lead to loss of function or disease. Chiropractic looks to help keep the nervous system working to the best of its ability

When you think about it, it makes sense that animals would benefit from chiropractic. While built slightly different from our own, an animals’ body still works in much the same way as ours. While it’s obvious to us that something is painful and could use the benefit of chiropractic, we don’t always notice that our furry loved ones might be in pain as well. An animal in the wild wouldn’t make it very long if it showed any sign of weakness, and our pets still have that drive to act like nothing is wrong even when they might be in some pain. Often, we don’t notice the limp or see signs of pain until the cause of that pain has gotten bad for the animal. I will always promote preventative care to help keep anything bad from happening and while chiropractic won’t always cure an issue, it can help to lessen the symptoms and help the body get back to a better place.

Animal chiropractic can help with all types of animals with all different kinds of lifestyles. From performance and show animals to a typical lazy couch potato family pet, all animals can use some form of adjustment from time to time. Animal athletes are always pushing themselves which could lead to injury and chiropractic can help keep them going as long as possible or help the healing process when an injury does occur. Even the typical house pet goes through more trauma than we would assume they do. Long bodied breeds like Dachshunds are prone to vertebral disc issues and chiropractic can help those disc issues to heal more rapidly. Even jumping down from couches and beds can be hard on a dog’s spine, and chiropractic can help to take some of that trauma out of their bodies.

Chiropractic is really a wonderful medicine, and when used along side traditional veterinary medicine can help keep our fur babies live a long healthy life.

Dr. Keenan Massey DC, CAC developed a love of working with animals when he was an employee of the Brookside Barkery’s Lee’s Summit store back between 2011-2013. Dr. Keenan Massey He left the store to pursue his degree as a Doctor of Chiropractic in 2013. During his last year of school, he decided to put his prior work experience and love of animals to use and become an animal chiropractor. He graduated from Cleveland Chiropractic University in May 2018 and got his certification to practice on animals later that summer. He opened Hoof n Paw Animal Chiropractic in October 2018 and works out of Arrowhead Veterinary Services and Country Kennel with Dr. Steve Epstein DVM.
If you would like to schedule an appointment with him, you can call or text him at (816) 507-9296 or email him at drkeenanmassey@gmail.com.

 

Customer Testimonial: Wolvie the Cat

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We love to help our customers care for their pets in the healthiest and most holistic way possible, just like we were able to help Cara D. with her beloved cat, Wolvie. Thank you, Cara for your kind words! We are always here to help.

This is Wolvie (Wolverine). He and his twin Xixi (Sissy) came to me as babies. They are four years old now. 

He’s my mediator (I call him my Switzerland) between his twin sister and his older brother, who do not get along. He’s my lover (loves to kiss the tip of your nose), snuggler, make-up assistant, my outside adventurer on his cat-harness, and my baby who doesn’t know how huge he is or how sharp his claws are (hence, his name).

He also has struggled with UTIs which, I believe, are a result of being stressed (aka: bullied) by his older cat brother and a result of boredom living in an inside space. Even after I switched everyone to a FISH-FREE WET-FOOD ONLY diet, he continued to struggle with pain, crying every night for hours.

We had the urethra-rerouting surgery last August after he became blocked twice in 3 months (deadly for male cats). He healed from surgery but then continued to have issues in his digestive tract (unknown even now but he cried every day for 5 months). I tried everything.

I do holistic healing on myself so I couldn’t very well have one set of rules for me and another for my fur babies, expecting them to heal using antibiotics after my own body went through a whole ordeal the last time I had antibiotics for a year and a half (in 2007). After reading online about holistic healing for UTIs, I made him a special apple cider vinegar/water concoction that he was given for about a month.

After trying the ACV mixture for that month, I was beside myself – I felt I was not living a human life because he required so much attention (ACV mixture every 30 mins to an hour while I was home). The whole family was affected.

It was at this time I went into Brookside Barkery, ready to put him down. In tears, I explained his situation and how he continued to struggle even after surgery which was supposed to “fix the issue”.

“Alex at Brookside Barkery saved his life that day.”

Standing there, looking completely lost, I was asked by Alex if I needed any assistance. I started telling her Wolvie’s story and history and was in tears before I knew it. Alex took me in hand and jumped into action. She handed me some gut-health probiotics and some urinary berry powder, along with bone broth. I went home that night with nothing to lose.

Wolvie is just now (March 2019 – nearly an entire year later) healing from his bouts with antibiotics, surgery, and all that comes with that. His gut health was compromised for a while and it has been a journey of many moons and lots of tears for both of us. We just made it through our first weekend without any crying – it was amazing. I have tried aloe vera powder (for anti-inflammatory properties), probiotics, etc. etc. and we have found the path forward for Wolvie, which was adding some pumpkin and CBD oil to his food. He is a healthy, happy cat and I’m so grateful to Alex and Brookside Barkery for being there when I was in my time of need. I’m utterly in debt that I still have my sweet baby boy as part of my family.

My only advice is DON’T GIVE UP ON YOUR FUR BABIES! There is often a homeopathic or holistic way to heal and our problems stem from our impatience, frustration with the inability to ask our fur kids what’s going on with them, and – of course – finances. Often though the homeopathic fix is the most financially feasible and Brookside Barkery has a depth of knowledge relating to sustaining wellness that pairs well with other holistic remedies if needed.

Namaste, Alex and all at Brookside Barkery!

Cara D.
Igby, Sissy and Wolvie

March Special – OC Raw

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OC Raw Dog is a premium raw line using only all-natural, ethically sourced ingredients. You will find zero indirect or direct preservatives, chemicals, fillers, or grains. OC Raw has a wide variety of options for your dog, from treats to complete and balanced diets. The result is happier, healthier dogs. Health concerns such as red eyes, dry skin, loose stools, excessive shedding, and low energy are dramatically mitigated when your dog is eating what nature intended!

This month only:

  • 20% off all OC Raw Dog products – raw food and bones, sardines, goat cheese, goat milk, freeze dried, and treats.

Click here to meet Tom Allen at OC Raw’s Superzoo booth & learn more about the OC Raw brand!

Celebrate Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day with Barkery!

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Get ready for your dog’s favorite day of the year! Don’t let your furry best friend down – bring them by Barkery this Saturday, February 23rd to celebrate National Dog Biscuit Appreciation Day!

When celebrating this important holiday, we must also be aware of choosing quality biscuits for our canine. Thanks to American James Spratt, the cake-like biscuits consisting of meat, grains, and vegetables were developed in the mid-1800s. A couple hundreds of years later and dog biscuits are healthier and more nourishing than ever!

Here at Barkery, we want to make sure you’re choosing the perfect treat for your pet. Like every food you buy, for either yourself or your dog, ingredients are the most important to check.

Venture into the Barkery to find organic, all natural dog biscuits like Healthy Hemp Biscuits, Barkworthies, Himalayan Dog Chews, OC Raw Dog Meaty Bones, and more. Ensure you are feeding what’s best for your best friend by stopping in your local Barkery and speaking with a pet nutritionist today!