The Freshpet Blog

This week’s blog post is written by pet agility trainer Linda of Bohm-Marrazzo Photography. Her prizewinner, Pippi, gets her energy by eating Freshpet cat food!

Cat agility has been around since 2005 and is offered as a competition at the larger cat shows, which has the 32 x 32 foot room needed to run the 10 part obstacle course. This consists of weave poles, tunnels, jumps, hoops, and a step frame. If you want to read more – google CFA cat agility – and read lots about it.

I started training Pippi a few weeks ago, even took a cat lesson and went to the last show of the season in Easton, Pennsylvania to merely have some laughs and introduce my five-month-old Somali kitten to the ring. Significantly, this show is the last chance all the heavy hitters in breed and agility have to capture points for national standings – that meant that the top cats in agility flew in from Oregon, California, Virginia and the like. I also showed her in the breed ring – she showed under 12 judges and won 11 blue ribbons for best color and best of breed in the Somali kitten category. So when I went in to the agility “cage” I never thought about anything but handling her like I handle Whoopee, my prizewinning Pyrenean Shepherd, in the dog ring.

Imagine my complete disbelief when I found out that we had beat all the “veterans” and won the class in 22 seconds. It was such a hoot! The next day we competed again – she was quite tired, so we only placed 6th – however the points and speed from both days put us in First Place in the CFA’s North American Region as the Best Agility Cat and we placed 10th in the nation – so imagine when we get serious!!!

She comes from the Kimbelot cattery in Pennsylvania where her grandfather Eric lives – his picture is on the Freshpet Vital Complete Meals for Cats bag. So that’s the story at the moment – I’m going to the banquet in June to get my trophy.

It’s a pretty well known fact that dogs love to play outside in the summer. Whether it’s chasing a ball outside on the lawn, taking a dip in the family pool, or just laying out in the warm sun our furry friends just can’t seem to get enough of the outdoors!

Even though our dogs are enjoying the weather changes to the summer season, there are several measures we should take as pet owners to protect the safety and health of our canine companions. If not taken care of properly, dogs can suffer from dehydration, sunburns, and heat strokes. Make sure to follow these simple precautions for a safe, fun-filled summer with your pooch.

Take them to the vet
A check-up is important to make sure your dog will start off the summer with a clean bill of health. Have your pet checked for heartworms and other parasites.

Fresh, cool water
It is essential to give your dog water, even more so in the hot summer months! Make sure your dog’s water bowl is always replenished with fresh, cool water and is kept in a shady location.

Shelter from the sun
Dogs might love to sunbathe, but they need a cool, shady place to relax. Shade from trees or an insulated doghouse can help keep your dog cool when the sun becomes unbearable.

Pets in cars
Never leave your pets alone in a parked car. The inside of the car can become like a furnace, even with the windows slightly opened.

Doggy haircuts
Start your pup’s summer in style with a lightweight haircut that helps prevent overheating. Shave their hair to about one inch in length to protect their bare skin from sunrays.

Pools are for cooling
Pools of any size can be a great way to keep your dog cool. Be sure to supervise your dog at all times since not all canines are great swimmers.

Be street smart
Don’t let your pooch slouch and lay down on the hot asphalt. Sensitive paws can burn and their bodies can heat up extra quick. Make sure to keep walks in hot weather to a minimum.

Fan your dog
Air conditioning is a great way to keep your dog cool, but if it is not readily accessible, make sure to place fans in areas where your dog likes to sleep.

Give your dog a Freshpet frozen treat
Cool down your pup on a warm sunny day with our all natural frozen treats. Our Wag-gurt Frozen Organic Yogurt and  Chilly Wags ice cream is a special indulgent summer snack for your dog.

Freshpet pup Hudson enjoying a Dog Joy Fresh Bone.

This week’s blog post is written by Justin, Freshpet Sales:

I am lucky to have the easiest job at Freshpet…Sales.

Don’t tell my boss, but most of the hard-sell is done every day by thousands of dogs across the country.

My dog, Hudson, loves Freshpet. Every once and awhile when he doesn’t get it for dinner, he gives me a look that speaks a thousand words. He’s too sweet to pout for long, but he makes his point and next time he gets his favorite.

Hudson loves to chase, catch, and eat lizards in the back yard. He could hunt them from sun up to sun down if I would stand out there with him. Sometimes I need a break from all the hunting, and Hudson needs something to do. Freshpet’s Dog Joy Fresh Bones keep him busy and happy while cleaning his teeth. I have tried many bones, but I like Freshpet’s best because they are all natural and don’t have any of the usual fillers like corn, wheat, soy, or cellulose.

Working for a company that makes healthy products that my dog craves so much makes me feel great about my job!

Grain-free dog and cat foods are slowly becoming a favorite for those who wish to feed their pets a more ancestral diet and for those who want to minimize the risk of food allergies. Grains can cause some canine allergies, and this can make it very difficult for a dog to digest. Here are some common symptoms of dog allergies to grains:

Symptoms of Food Allergies in Dogs

• Itchy, red, flaky skin
• Excessive chewing and licking of the abdomen, groin, and paws
• Reddened, pink, or oozing ears
• Areas of balding
• Dark pigmentation of the skin
• Bacterial infections

We recommend that you see a veterinarian immediately should your dog display any of these symptoms. Food allergies can be treated once your dog has been tested and you have found what is the root of the problem. Wheat and corn often do cause allergies in animals, so it is best to avoid these ingredients in your dog’s food.

Since some of the more common food allergies are due to grains, we created our grain-free line Freshpet Vital for dogs and cats, which has recipes that contain 80% or more animal protein and 10% fruits and vegetables. Vital recipes provide a grain-free alternative that can benefit pets with coat and skin problems.

Is a Grain-Free Diet Right For Your Pet?

Although feeding a grain-free diet to your cat or dog is a healthy option, it is not necessarily better. Feeding your pet an all-natural, fresh diet from the start should have them healthy throughout the course of their life.

Just like humans, there are many dogs that are very particular about their food and tastes, which can be very frustrating. On the other hand, there are dogs that will pretty much eat anything that is placed in front of them. There are also dogs that have recently become picky eaters by their environment and family.

The good news here is that even though your pooch may be a picky eater, there are ways you can encourage healthier eating habits.

Tips on how to deal with finicky dogs

1. Take a trip to the Vet – It is important to determine if your pup’s finicky eating has a medical cause. The veterinarian will be able to diagnose and rule out any medical conditions that may be causing this feeding behavior.

2. Evaluate the food – Make sure that the food your pooch is eating has not spoiled or expired. Dogs should be eating a fresh, all natural diet.

3. Other food sources – Observe your dog’s activities during the day. Could there be a chance that a family member is feeding him scraps from the table? Your dog could also be getting into trash cans outdoors or neighbors might be giving him snacks. All of this can be a factor in why your dog is a picky eater.

4. How do you respond when your dog refuses to eat? - Petting, consoling, or hand feeding your dog when he is finicky may cause him to like the extra attention. Instead, put the food in your dog’s bowl and walk away. Dogs instinctively will eat for nourishment.

For finicky eaters try our Deli Fresh brand dog food: Available in Turkey, Vegetable & Rice Formula and Chicken, Vegetable & Rice Formula. Deli Fresh formulas contain soluble and insoluble fibers from vegetables and wholesome grains to help promote digestive health, including insulin, a prebiotic that aids in the absorption of nutrients.

Day to day operations at Freshpet range from making sure our foods are of the highest quality, to answering your questions on Facebook, to sending out refrigerators to various grocery and pet specialty stores. But even though all of us at the office have different roles, titles, and responsibilities, we all have one thing in common: our core belief that pets deserve to eat fresh, less processed foods, just like we do.

We have profiled several team members already, but over the course of the next couple of months we will continue to introduce other employees. We want you to get a chance to know who is making your furry friend’s fresh meals and treats!

Learn More about Freshpet

If you haven’t yet, be sure to visit our About Us section to learn a little more about our mission and who we are. Also, feel free to send us a note, review, or just some general feedback on our foods by visiting our Contact Us section of our website. We are always open to new ideas and love hearing from our consumers.

This picture was taken during a Freshpet Team Meeting in Secaucus, NJ.

My dog loves Freshpet Ready to Bake Cookies just as they are: freshly baked mounds of doggie goodness! (Dog Joy Peanut Butter & Oatmeal are his favorite).

But sometimes, I like to jazz them up a bit, either before or after baking.

Check out these fun ways to add a personal touch to your dog’s cookies, along with some fun ways to serve them!

Fun Ways to Make Freshpet Dog Cookies

Prior to baking a batch of Freshpet cookies, you could add a little variety to each cookie in the following ways:

• Press a few small pieces of your dog’s favorite treat into the center of the dough.
• Drop a tiny mound of canned pumpkin on top of the cookie
• Press unsalted sunflower seeds into the top and bottom of the cookie
• Sprinkle or press fresh parsley on top of the cookie. Parsley helps with bad dog breath!
• Press a doggie breath mint into the center of the cookie. The mint itself will melt into the cookie — which is great if your dog doesn’t particularly like the taste of mint. (My dog doesn’t, but he’ll eat the mints when they’re mixed in things like cookies).
• Drop some bits of chunky peanut butter on top — either before or after baking.
• Shred or dice some fresh vegetables or berries and press a few pieces into the cookie

The possibilities are endless. There are so many human foods that are safe for dogs. You could add just about any of them to Freshpet Ready to Bake Cookies. That way, it’s as if your dog is getting a brand new treat every time you make them!

Fun Ways to Serve Dog Cookies

In addition to all the fun ways that you can make dog cookies, I also like to think of fun ways to serve them. Some ideas to try:

• Instead of doling them out one-by-one as regular dog cookies all the time, I sometimes break them into smaller pieces and use them to stuff my dog’s Kong toy. Mixed in with a little bit of peanut butter or plain yogurt, this makes an extra nice treat for your dog!
• Of course, it’s a no-brainer to reward your dog with a treat after he does something that you’ve requested on command. While everyday commands like “come” and “sit” typically earn my dog regular treats, more challenging commands like “tell me a secret” and “bring me the remote” definitely deserve a homemade dog cookie!
• This next idea is similar to making a frosted cookie for your dog. Just smear a lot of peanut butter across the top of a fresh-baked cookie – just like icing! Or, turn it into a double-decker cookie (or mini-cupcake) by sandwiching two cookies together with peanut butter in the middle and on top.
• And finally, my favorite way to serve dog cookies is to play a game of hide-and-seek with my dog where the cookies are the prize. He sits and waits while I hide several cookies (or pieces of cookies) in various places of one room. When I say, “Okay!” he runs to find as many hidden cookies as he can.

Dog treats, like Freshpet Ready to Bake Cookies, are a fun way to reward your dog with an extra special treat, and also a fun way to play and communicate with your dog in a way that’s different from your day-to-day routine.

What fun things do you like to do when making or serving your dog cookies?

Lynnette Walczak is a lifelong dog owner who writes about fun dog stuff at The Fun Times Guide to Dogs. As publisher of TheFunTimesGuide.com, she enjoys sharing outside-the-box ideas and helping people find unique ways to do things.

It can be difficult to find time to take a walk outside with your pooch when you’re juggling the work/life balance. It does not mean that our dogs have to become unhealthy though. Here are some time-saving ideas so that you can cycle, play fetch, go out for a run, or do some other form of exercise with your pooch.

Skip The Gym - If you go to the gym regularly after work, take 1 or 2 days off to run with your dog instead. It’ll be like running at the treadmill at the gym, but instead with your companion friend outside.

Organize Dog Play Sessions - Find people in your neighborhood who own friendly dogs and make weekly dog play sessions with them. This can take place either at a neighbor’s yard or a local dog park.

Organize Dog Walking Sessions With Neighbors - If you have neighbors who also have dogs, they are likely to be in the same boat as you are. Set up a routine where you alternate exercising each others’ dogs before or after work. Be sure that you trust the people well enough before you let them take care of your dog.

Cut Down On TV & Computer Time- It’s understandable that after a hard day’s work, it can be soothing to just sit down and watch your favorite show or surf the web. However, cutting down just 10 minutes of this time can give you a great opportunity to play fetch with your dog outside or go for a quick jog.

Get Your Kids To Exercise Your Dog - If you have kids that are old enough and you trust to take care of the dog, why not let them play together at the park? It’ll allow both to get some fresh air.

Natalie Myers, Freshpet R&D Associate

This week’s blog post is written by Natalie Myers, Freshpet R&D Associate:

If you would have known me back when I was a child, working for a pet food company would be the last job you would have guessed I would have someday. I was PETRIFIED of dogs; it didn’t matter the size or type. Growing slightly older, my fears have since subsided and now I really enjoy spending time with our furry friends.

Previous to my days here at Freshpet, I received my undergraduate degree in Food Science. In high school, I was more of a science nerd than anything else and I LOVE to eat, so I figured Food Science was the perfect route for me. Why wouldn’t I want to spend all day researching and developing new food products to eat? (while of course, making sure the quality is perfectly up to standard).

Little did I know when I started into the food world, that I would one day end up here, at a pet food company. After all, our pets have to eat too, right? And now, my job is to make sure their food is nutritious and delicious while being made with high quality ingredients so everyone remains happy and healthy. Our technical team here in Quakertown, PA, where we make our fresh foods, does extensive research and testing before, during and after production on everything from the raw ingredients, to the equipment and of the course the finished product. Even though the product looks and smells good to us, we have to make sure pets enjoy our foods as well.

It’s an exciting job creating fresh ideas for food and treats to keep your pets coming back to the fridge, so stay tuned for our new products!

It’s official – Winter is here! Even though we know our loved ones like to run loose outside, there are many potential dangers of not being protected from the cold. Here are some tips to help protect our companion animals on those unbearable cold winter days.

Cold Weather Tips:

1. Keep your pooch or cat indoors. Those who are allowed to stray are exposed to infectious diseases, including rabies, from other cats, dogs and wildlife.
2. Bang on car hoods. Outdoor cats tend to sleep underneath car hoods. This is hazardous because fan belts can do serious damage. Before starting your car in the winter, bang on the hood to give a chance for outdoor cats to escape.
3. Never let your pooch off the leash when there is snow or ice. Dogs can easily lose their scent and become lost. There are more lost pooches in the winter than any other season, so make sure that your dog has an ID tag.
4. Get them jackets and sweaters. If they are going outside, it is best to choose something that has a waterproof nylon covering.
5. If your dog has a long coat, never shave it down. More hair will provide more warmth in the winter. Be sure to completely dry your dog after a bath when taking them out on long walks.
6. Never leave your dog or cat unattended and alone in a car during cold weather. A car can act as a refrigerator in the winter, holding in the cold and causing the animal to freeze to death.
7. Make sure your pooch wears booties. Booties protect your dog’s sole from cold weather and harmful substances use to melt ice.
8. Provide more food. Dogs use calories to stay warm, so make sure to feed them properly especially if they spend a lot of time outdoors.
9. Warm bedding. Make sure your companion animal has a warm bed that is at least 3 inches from the ground to avoid cold drafts.
10. Warm their hearts! Give your pooch or cat some Freshpet treats that will guarantee to warm their hearts and their spirits.

Tips provided by ASPCA, PetPlace.com, and MentorPatch