CETYL M, AN AMAZING PRODUCT!

With old age come achy joint, stiffness and pain which can be debilitating. Arthritis is a degenerative disease causing inflammation of joints. It occurs when the lubrication and cartilage in one's joints is no longer sufficient to keep the joint moving smoothly, the bones may come into contact with each other and cause mild to excruciating pain.

As you know…. like humans, pets can also suffer from arthritis preventing them from walking and running normally. Arthritis can cause swelling, stiffness, pain and discomfort which leads to weakened mobility taking away your pets gusto for life. Older pets are much more prone to arthritis, but younger pets can also experience joint problems, making prevention even more important. Here are a few preventive steps and tips you can do at home to make your arthritic pet feel more comfortable and breathe life back into your furry friend.

1. Help Your Hound Shed Pounds-
If your pet is overweight or inactive then they have a higher risk of suffering from joint pain. Keeping your dog slim, trim and fit will help reduce the amount of stress extra weight can place on the joints, giving your pet some joint pain relief. So, cut back on your pet's treat intake, do away with the table scrap diet and switch to lower calorie senior pet food with less fat and more fiber. As many of you have heard us preach before, the caloric intake of your pet is critical. The average 65 pound dog, for instance, requires roughly 1450 calories per day. When eating one of our healthy kibbles this measures up to about 2 ½ to 3 cups of food per day, excluding, any treats! For example 3 biscuits can be equivalent to one cup of food.

2. Exercise is key!
Regular exercise helps keep arthritis under control. Taking your dog for a 20 minute brisk walk several times a day will work wonders. If your dog is unable to do a 20 minute walk, try shorter walks up and down a small incline/hill.

3. Let Them Sleep Indoors-
Cold and damp places can cause your pet's joints to hurt. So, make sure to bring your dog inside at night, and give him a warm, soft place to lay away from drafty doors and windows.

4. Make Feeding Time Easier-
Often times pets with arthritic stiff neck can have a difficult time eating. For more convenience, place your pet’s food and water bowls up off the floor so they don’t have to lower their head as much during mealtime. Consider a raised feeding bowl.

5. Lend Your Climbing Pet a Helping Paw -
Arthritic pets often have a hard time with mobility, making jumping up and down and climbing stairs quite a painful task. Installing a ramp will help assist your pet in getting around and help your pet maintain some independence.

6. Give Your dog Cetyl M-
The best thing to do for prevention is to give your pet an effective joint supplement that contains Cetyl M. Cetyl M is like WD 40 for their joints. Much like glucosamine has been proven effective in reducing inflammation and lessening your dogs joint pain, Cetyl M is DRAMATIC! All of our dogs take it and we have seen an incredible difference. We sell bottle after bottle with nothing but rave reviews for the product. If you have an older, or orthopedic dog give it a try. You will be glad you did.

Watch This Amazing Video!

JUST ADDED TO OUR PRODUCT LINE ORIJEN & BLUE BUFFALO !!!!

Announcing the newest lines of health food added to Ben's Bark Ave Bistro's inventory of nutritious pet food products!

ORIJEN
AWARD WINNING & BIOLOGICALLY APPROPRIATE PET FOODS

“Cats and dogs evolved as hunters and despite a modern lifestyle, their digestive systems remain unchanged”.

A Biologically Appropriate diet is formulated to match the same balance of protein and fat from meat ingredients that cats and dogs would find hunting in the wild—while keeping in mind that a modern lifestyle of regular meals and less exercise means a reduced calorie requirement. The Biologically Appropriate concept is simple: in correct ratio and quantity, include the fresh, whole foods that nature evolved dogs and cats to eat while excluding ingredients like cereal grains that are not part of the natural diet.
The peak health of our companion cats and dogs depends upon the quality proteins and fats they derive from meats - not from carbohydrates and grains. High-protein, low-carbohydrate and grain-free, ORIJEN features high inclusions of fresh regional ingredients in a Biologically Appropriate ratio of 70 percent meat, 30 percent fruit and vegetables and zero grain (70/30/0). ORIJEN closely matches the foods that dogs and cats are evolved to eat, providing them nourishment as Mother Nature intended.


BLUE BUFFALO

All Natural and Healthy Dog Food with Natural Ingredients

Now you can feed your puppy, adult dog or senior dog with the same care you feed your family. All of our natural dog foods have real meat, fish, or poultry as the first ingredient, plus wholesome whole grains, garden vegetables and healthy fruit. All of our dry dog food formulas contain exclusive LifeSource® Bits — a precise blend of nutrients, including vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. These include ingredients that have been shown to help strengthen your dog or cat’s immune system, support their specific life stage requirements and protect them from the negative impact of environmental toxins. In addition, all BLUE healthy dog foods contain NO chicken or poultry by-product meals, artificial preservatives, corn, wheat or soy.

OPEN FOR ONE WEEK!

Hello Ben’s Friends!

We have been open for one week now and we can honestly say there has been an overwhelmingly positive response to the new location in the Nugget Plaza. Everyone has expressed their cheerful approval of the location, the store itself (although temporary), and the ample PARKING!

It’s been very gratifying to see all of the familiar and friendly faces, that we have come to know and spend time with in our previous location. We have also had the pleasure of meeting new customers as well. It is rewarding to share our knowledge and passion for keeping all cats and dogs as healthy as we possibly can through their proper nutrition.

There was a little confusion at first with the exact location. So as a reminder, we are at the east end of the center directly below the Sharp Bicycle sign in Suite 180. This is our temporary spot until our permanent Suite 120 is completed in the fall. Additionally, our new phone number is: (916) 797-DOGS (3647) just in case.

If you haven’t had the chance to stop by yet, please do. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Sally, Brad, Ryan, Chance & Dante’

THE NEW STORE IS OPEN!

Hello Ben's Friends!

After eight straight days of working until after midnight every day, and our only off day to attend our oldest son's wedding, we have opened our new store!

It was a tremendous amount of work, yet worth the effort. On our very first day every one of our customers that came by raved about the new location and the ease of the PARKING! We think you will agree.

We are at the east end of the shopping center between the Sharp Bicycle Shop and the Top this Yogurt Shop in Suite #180.

Thank you for your patience and now that we are fully operational we are looking forward to seeing you soon!

To Our Loyal Customers:

Thank you all for your patience and understanding during what was to have been an easy transition to our new location, months ago and the lack of entries to our blog as a result.

After more than 10 months, the location that we previously had identified at Sunset Blvd & Highway 65 unfortunately did not work out for us. The original March timeline has obviously expired.

It’s easy to see that we have out grown our old location and the parking continues to be a nightmare. Never the less our lease expired on June 1st, and our current landlord has been unyielding even in these trying economic times.

Our family thanks you, our customers, for being a constant through this troublesome economy. We hope that our family’s commitment to your pet’s and the business of feeding ALL dogs and cats a healthy and nutritious food have helped to see us through. No matter the size or shape - Maine Coon, Chihuahua or Great Dane - we spend the time to consult each animal companion to insure their pet’s optimal health!

We are very excited to inform you that we have confirmed our new LOCATION! It’s a short drive from our previous store and YES, it has plenty of parking too! It “will be” twice the size and has super easy freeway access. Due to our already expired lease and the lack of progress on the previously identified building, we found ourselves scrambling for a new store location at the last minute.

This new location will afford us the growth needed for our business and a much larger selection of healthy and fun products our customers have come to expect from Ben’s Bark Ave. Bistro! We will be adding many new lines of healthy foods, as well as new collars, leashes, toys and treats!

Although, our new store is still under construction and it will take about 90 days to complete the “real” store, the landlord has afforded us a temporary location in the same building until ours is completed. Therefore all of the current products and a few new ones will be available during the relocation.

We will now be located in the Nugget Plaza at Pleasant Grove Blvd. and Fairway Drive, just off of Highway 65 in Roseville. Our “temporary” store will be right between “Top this Yogurt” and “Sharp Bicycles.” So please excuse our lack of décor for the next couple of months while the permanent store is finished.

To complete our transition to the new center we will be closing the last week of July, with our soft opening in the temporary space on Monday, August 2nd 2010. So please stock up on food so you don’t run out. We will have our GRAND OPENING celebration as soon as the permanent store is finished!

Although our location has changed, our commitment to you and your pets has not! Please remember:

"The single largest contribution you can make to your pet’s health and longevity is the quality of food you provide for them!"

From our family to yours, thank you for your trust, your patience and understanding. We look forward to seeing you all very soon!

Here’s To the Health of Your Dog and Cat!

The Romero’s - Sally, Brad, Ryan, Chance & Dante’

BULLY STICKS

Bully Sticks for dogs are also called pizzle sticks. They're made from bull penises, though they're often marketed as dried muscles or tendons. They come in various styles, lengths and widths to suit any dog's chew toy needs, and since they contain 100% beef, they're safe and healthy for your dog to eat. Bully Sticks last a long time and will not break or splinter.

How Bully Sticks for Dogs Are Made

Bully sticks for dogs are made of dried bull penises. All natural bully sticks contain only pure beef, and they make a great chewy dog treat.
Manufacturers make bully sticks by removing the bull penis, cleaning it and then hanging it upside down, it may be stretched to make a larger chew, and it may be twisted or braided. Once the penis has been stretched and shaped, it's smoked or dried to make a long lasting, safe dog chew toy.
Bully sticks are available in a number of different sizes. Dogs of all sizes can enjoy bully sticks.

Benefits of Bully Sticks for Dogs

Bully sticks are safer for dogs than rawhide and other treats, because they're all natural and free of dyes, chemicals and pesticides. They're easy for your dog to digest, and their manufacture is monitored by the USDA, to ensure the quality of the ingredients.

Bully sticks are a great way to help maintain your dog's oral hygiene and health. They can prevent the buildup of plaque and tartar on the teeth, and help to stop the formation of cavities. Bully stick chew toys for dogs can help prevent periodontal disease and gingivitis, both of which can cause not only oral pain, inflammation and tooth decay, but can also lead to chronic and life threatening disease in the heart, liver, kidney and joints when bacteria spread from the mouth throughout the rest of the body.

Bully sticks are also a great way to help your dog relieve stress by chewing. Bully sticks last longer than other chews, and they have a long shelf life.

Why You Should Choose Bully Stick Dog Treats for Your Dog

Bully sticks are high in protein, but low in fat, so they make a great treat for overweight dogs. They're also high in vitamins and minerals, like calcium and magnesium, which your dog needs for good health.

Traditional rawhide chew toys present a choking hazard for many dogs, especially larger dogs, since they're capable of breaking the rawhide into small pieces which could lodge themselves in your dog's windpipe and cause him to choke.

Ben, our mascot, once started to bloat due to a raw hide being lodged in the back of his stomach. He would have died in about 5 hours, but a $2,100 surgery and six weeks of down time saved his life.

Bully sticks, however, are far less hazardous, since it's much more difficult for your dog to break the bully stick into smaller pieces. However, you might want to protect your dog by taking away the bully stick when it becomes very small, and replacing it with a new one.

THE DIETARY NEEDS OF DOGS AND CATS

The dog is, by all scientific standards and by evolutionary history, a domesticated wolf. We illustrated the anatomical features of dogs and cats that classify them as carnivores, and explained how these features adapt dogs and cats for digesting proteins and fats from animal flesh, – not carbohydrates from plants.

This raises the question of which foods are appropriate for their carnivorous anatomy, and which are not?

As the dog's internal physiology does not differ from the wolf, dogs have the same physiological and nutritional needs as their wild predator cousins, whose diets are almost exclusively proteins and fats.

Modern dogs of all breeds are not only capable of eating the food of their wild ancestors, but actually require it for maximum health. This is because their basic physiology has changed very little with domestication—despite the obvious differences in their physical appearances.

ANIMAL SOURCE PROTEINS

Protein is the staff of life for dogs and cats – essential to basic body functions, including cellular regeneration, tissue maintenance, hormone and enzyme production, and the provision of energy.

Although protein is essential, not all proteins function equally, with protein qualities varying enormously between various sources.

Three factors effecting protein quality include:

1. PROTEIN SOURCE

2. AMINO ACID COMPOSITION

3. DIGESTIBILITY

PROTEIN SOURCE
Due to the different amino acid profiles contained in animal and plant proteins, ANIMAL PROTEINS are considered ‘complete proteins’ for dogs and cats, while PLANT PROTEINS are considered ‘incomplete proteins’.

AMINO ACID COMPOSITION
ANIMAL PROTEINS contain all of the amino acids essential to dogs and cats in quantities that match the requirements needed for their overall health, maintenance and growth.

PLANT PROTEINS such as corn gluten, soybean meal or plant protein isolates, do not contain all of the amino acids in the right proportions that a dog or cat needs, even though a vast majority of recognizable dog and cat foods contain these inferior ingredients. Unsuspecting companions unknowingly feed these inferior foods daily to their pets. Amino acids essential to dogs and cats often missing in plant proteins, include arginine, taurine, methionine, lysine and tryptophan.

PROTEIN DIGESTIBILITY
Protein digestibility is a key quality measure. After all, what good is it to have a food made with a higher quality protein if it’s not also easy to digest? A food with high protein digestibility is one that can be broken down into smaller easy-to-absorb components easier and quicker than others. In the short digestive systems of dogs and cats, plant proteins are far less digestible than meat proteins. Animal source protein is the best choice - it is easily digested and contains the amino acids essential for dogs and cats.