Bows & Bones Pet Grooming

Essential Oils are a great, all natural tool that have been found to benefit not just humans, but pets as well. For example, Lavender is a great essential oil that can be used for its calming and anxiety reducing benefits in both humans and pets. Although it's normal to think of natural products as being always safe, unfortunately, that's not the case. Certain oils can actually be harmful to your pet. Every pet is different and may have different reactions to different essential oils. However, there are certain oils to be aware of when using them around pets, whether using them directly or in a diffuser. Cats are particularly sensitive to essential oils that contain polyphenolic compounds because they interfere with their liver detoxification processes. Oils that are NOT recommended to use around cats are cinnamon, tea tree, thyme, birch, wintergreen, clove, and oregano. Oils that are NOT recommended to use for or around dogs include anise, clove, garlic, horseradish, jun...

When dogs spend a good deal of time outdoors, running on various hard surfaces, including concrete and blacktop, their nails are gradually worn down, and they have less of a need for formal nail-grooming sessions. But with many dogs spending a majority of time indoors or on soft surfaces like lawns, there is less friction and will need more frequent nail trims. Long, unkempt nails not only look unattractive, but over time they can do serious damage to your dog (and your floors). When nails are so long that they touch the ground, they exert force back into the nail bed, creating pain for the dog and pressure on the toe joint. Long term, this can actually realign the joints of the foreleg and make them "flat footed". This is a problem that compromises your dog's weight distribution and leave them more susceptible to injuries while making walking and running difficult and painful. In extreme cases, overgrown nails can curve and grow into the pad of the foot. Even if they a...

85% of all pets have periodontal disease by the time they are 3 years of age. Periodontal disease is a progressive disease of the supporting tissues surrounding teeth and the main cause of early tooth loss. This disease starts when bacteria combine with food particles to form plaque on the teeth. Within days, minerals in the saliva bond with the plaque to form tartar, a hard substance that adheres to the teeth. The bacteria work their way under the gums and cause gingivitis --- inflammation of the gums. Once under the gums, bacteria destroy the supporting tissue around the tooth, leading to tooth loss. The bacteria associated with periodontal disease can also travel in the bloodstream to infect the heart, kidneys, and liver. A professional vet dental cleaning is the only way to remove tartar from the teeth and under the gum tissue to protect your pet's health. With a professional dental cleaning and follow-up care, gingivitis is reversible. Periodontal disease is not reversible, ...

Like people, dogs are what they eat. 40% of dogs are obese, 46% of dogs die of cancer, and heart, kidney, and liver disease are an epidemic. A lot people don't know about the foods their dog is eating, simply because the labels that say "organic, gourmet, high quality, complete and balanced", etc. are often misleading and don't mean much at all. Dog food may legally contain "4-D" meat: meat from dead, dying, diseased, and disabled animals. You may not think that what your dog eats can directly correlate with their health, but it can and it does! Ingredients in Dog Food to Avoid: Find a full list of ingredients to avoid here:  Ingredients To Avoid Ethoxyquin  - used as a preservative which is also found in herbicides. Vets have noticed that this ingredient is associated with development of kidney and liver damage, cancer, immune deficiency syndrome, blindness, and leukemia Propylene Glycol  - Also found in anti-freeze, it's placed in dog food to...

Fleas can be a pain in the tail to get rid of. Although fleas are less active in the Winter, they are still able to live in warm micro environments such as your house year round so it's important to keep your dog on his/her regular flea/tick prevention treatment. In today's market, there are several different treatment options for flea & tick prevention. It's important to know about the different options, how they work, and how they can effect your pet. Some people see fleas and think "no big deal, they just make my dog itch", give their pet a flea bath and call it a day. It's important to know the dangers of fleas and why they need to be taken care of ASAP. Fleas can cause a wide variety of issues for your pets. The most common issue is flea bite dermatitis which is a specific allergy to flea saliva, which leads to intense itching and scratching. That constant itching allows the skin to break open and form scabs that can get infected. This can easily wa...

One thing that is commonly overlooked by many pet owners is the types of household cleaners they use and how they can effect your pet. Some people don't think about it since we aren't spraying the cleaners directly on our dogs, however, the cleaners we use on floors and other places where our dogs go or can reach can seriously harm them. For example, Chlorine is a toxic respiratory irritant that can damage pets' skin, eyes, or other membranes. It can be found in all-purpose cleaners, automatic dish washing detergents, tile scrubs, disinfecting wipes, toilet-bowl cleaners, laundry detergents, and mildew removers. According to the National Center for Health Sciences, cleaning products with ingredients such as bleach, ammonia, chlorine, glycol ethers or formaldehyde can put pets at risk for cancer, anemia, liver, and kidney damage. Even when toxic cleaners are put away and closed, the vapors left behind can continue to harm both us and our pets. Chemicals To Avoid: Phe...

As our beloved dogs and cats are a part of our family, it's always best to be prepared in the event of a natural disaster so they do not get left behind. Here are a few tips to prepare for in case disaster strikes: Upload all of your pet/vet records/identification records to a safe place (in the event that the paper copies get lost or destroyed) either to an email, phone, or hard drive. Also it's best to have a Rescue Alert Sticker that lets first responders know there are pets inside your home that need to be saved. Blizzards: Since we are in the middle of this year's winter weather, we will start with tips on how to keep your pup safe during blizzards. Keep your pet indoors as much as possible and limit outdoor time to bathroom breaks. It's very important that you do not leave your pets outdoors during frigid temperatures. If you are cold, that's a good indication that they are cold as well. When they do go outside, make sure you are prepared. Keep the...