Pets in the City, Saint Louis

Hello boils and ghouls, I’m going to let those of you who have to deal with urinary tract infections (you or your pet) in on a little secret.

It’s no secret that when a human has a UTI, everyone and their mother gives them the same advice: “Drink cranberry juice.” What most of them don’t know is the reason cranberry juice helps to take care of this painful predicament: D-mannose. D-mannose is a simple sugar that prevents certain kinds of bacteria from sticking to the urinary tract wall. Using a medicated antibiotic for urinary tract infections isn’t always the best option. The antibiotics kill bacteria indiscriminately, often killing the good along with the bad. Since D-Mannose simply attaches to the bacterias that cause UTIs, they are the only bacterias that are cleaned out. A solution with no side effects!

This remedy is safe for pets and their owners to use, and easy to use. We carry the Animal Essentials brand powder D-Mannose in a 5oz jar.

This sugar is absorbed eight times slower than glucose, so it is not metabolized by the body — making it safe for diabetics to take.

We continue in a celebration of eco-friendly products for pets here at Pets in the City.

Most cat owners can all agree upon one thing: cleaning the litter box is the worst part about owning a cat. The worst part about litter boxes, besides the #1s and the #2s, is usually the litter itself. The clay litter is obtained through a process called “strip mining” which heavily impacts the environment. Thousands of acres of land have been destroyed, millions of tons of earth have been removed, and then tons of used non-biodegradable litter end up in landfills, just so Fluffy McMittens can go poop.

We carry a wide variety of brands of environmentally friendly kitty litter, including the ones shown. Swheat Scoop is, you guessed it, made from wheat. When it’s done being used you can flush it, use it as mulch, whatever your heart desires! It is 100% biodegradable and comes from a renewable source. Purr & Simple is a favorite amongst our Pets in the City kitties, Kramer and Macy. The pellets are made from a fibrous blend of tree-nut by-products, and are great at odor control and absorption. The trees are a renewable source of this material, and after use the litter can be used as compost. No trees are cut down, no food supply is used, no importing product from other countries. What an all-encompassing and easy switch!

While we’re on the subject of poo, Biobags are great for when nature calls! These waste pickup bags are made from America’s favorite crop, corn. There are many, many good reasons to use them — biodegradable, compostable, GMO free, etc. I’m sure I don’t have to waste time convincing you, so onto our next, and final product:

Deer antlers! Naturally shed, these are nature’s ultimate eco-friendly product. Once a year, deer naturally shed their antlers, and regrow a new set. The antlers are collected, cleaned, and cut to size to make them safe for dogs to gnaw. The antlers are sturdier than most dog chews, and are chock full of minerals. As an added bonus, deer antlers don’t chip or splinter like regular processed chew bones — when your dog munches on them, they wear down slowly. We have a hard time keeping these babies in stock! Antlers come in a variety of shapes and sizes; they range in price from $5.99-$22.99.

And there you have it; plenty of ways you and your pet can be eco-conscious and earth friendly!

Here are more earth friendly products that we carry at Pets in the City, as we celebrate Earth Day month-long!

What do milk cartons and Premier Eco collars and leashes have in common? They’re both made from milk cartons! Ba-dum-tsh! Poor jokes aside, Premier Eco collars and leashes are really made from recycled milk cartons, so you can fill up on moo-juice guilt free. Choose from a variety of styles (the collars come in traditional or Martingale, the collar that slips over the head), colors (red, blue, green and black), and sizes to fit your needs. They range in price from $6.99-$9.99 — much less expensive than most traditional collars and leashes!

If your pet is having trouble sleeping tonight, have them count water bottles instead of sheep tonight. That’s because these West Paw Eco Slumber beds use existing materials (i.e. water bottles) to create these beds, therefore reducing energy use and keeping trash out of landfills. That alone can assuage the most anxious of minds! These beds are thick, soft, and comfy — and look at those nice colors! A small runs $59.99, and a medium is $74.99.

Chews your toys wisely, as some might have benefits beyond being fun to bite. These Dura Doggie Design “Chews Your Cause” toys are colorful, durable, eco-friendly, two-in-one (has a squeaker and a treat dispenser!) and made in the USA. WOW! If that doesn’t sound amazing enough, the color of each toy represents a different cause — pink for breast cancer, orange for diabetes, blue for animals, and green for the planet. Choose which cause is nearest and dearest to your heart, and the company donates 20% of the profits towards it. These toys are a win-win-win-win-win-win situation for everyone involved. Give ‘em a try! The Chews Your Cause toys come in a variety of shapes and sizes, ranging in price from $7.99-13.49.

Not everyone can be a veritable Johnny Appleseed — how many people can make a (presumed) living tossing the progeny of fruit all over town? Earth Day is coming up, and you don’t have to be Johnny Appleseed to make an environmental difference. Even doing something as small as bringing your own bags when you go shopping can have a huge impact!

We love it when we find products that have some sort of eco-friendly slant, and we hope you do too. Each week until Earth Day, we feature some of our favorite “green” products:

Herb’n Maid’s motto is “Cleaning with a conscience,” and that is truly incredible. Not only do they use natural ingredients (you won’t find any chemicals here!) but they also make their product locally. We carry the Herbal Wood Cleaner ($13.99), Herbal Glass Cleaner ($7.99) and the Herbal All-Purpose Cleaner ($9.99)

 

Who would’ve suspected that dog toys made of jute would become such a big hit? The material best known for containing large quantities of rice is also sturdy enough to take on a pair of dog chompers, and is 100% natural and biodegradable. Jute is sustainably grown, so there aren’t any worries about it wiping out indigenous species to be commercially produced. These toys come in a range of shapes and sizes; we have them priced between $7.99-$13.99.

 

 

Disappearing acts — most people agree they’re pretty neat. Why else would the legend of Harry Houdini live on in such infamy? What if products that were no longer used didn’t take up room at the landfill, they just…disappeared? Your pet’s food dish can now stake its own claim to fame by being one less item to clog up the junkyards. The Pureness Eco dishes are made from natural materials (bamboo and rice husks), thus making them 100% biodegradable, taking less energy to manufacture. If that wasn’t appealing enough, the shape of the bowl is especially helpful when smushy-faced dogs are trying to eat, since there are no seams around the bottom for kibble to get stuck in. Awesome! The bowls range in size from 4oz-48oz, and $3.99-$11.99.

With humans and pets alike enjoying warmer weather, we’re starting to see a resurgence of fleas, and people concerned on the prevention of the pesky pests. Our customers tend to trend away from using commercially prepared, chemical-laden flea treatments.  What else is out there?

Diatomaceous earth, which are fossilized water plants, are a perfectly natural solution to ridding your pet and home of fleas. Food grade diatomaceous earth can be lightly rubbed into your pet’s fur and bedding to destroy fleas and mites. The shells of the fossilized water plants (diatoms) are spiny, therefore pests walking through them have a similar effect as to a human walking through broken glass — they either get cut up, or abandon the area.

At Pets in the City we offer Lumino brand food-grade diatomaceous earth, 5oz for $10.99 and 9oz for $13.99. For more information, visit http://www.luminowellness.com/pet_page.php or visit us in store!

Welcome to the Pets in the City blog! We hope to keep you apprised of useful information regarding pets.

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