Our business has a relationship with a rescue organization in Portland, Oregon called Animal Aid, Inc. that we donate Get Clean products to regularly. Their favorites are the Dish Wash liquid for washing pet bowls and the Hand Wash concentrate for washing their hands after basically everything they need to do there. One can only imagine!

(TIP #2 continued, part III) You can replace every single cleaner in your kitchen, bathrooms, and laundry room right now with just the products in that Kit and you’re good to go. I have to sing the praises of the 1 additional product that doesn’t come in the Starter Kit which is the Basic-G Germicide.

Now that I also volunteer to wash some of the towels and blankets the dogs and cats use at the local shelter I dog walk at 2 times a week, it has been a lifesaver to both disinfect and deodorize. There can be a lot of germs and fungi and viruses at animal shelters unfortunately so I put a small capful of this in the washing machine with each load. To protect my own dogs. And my husband and I. It kills all kinds of things like salmonella and strep and over 60 pesky microbes but without the harshness of bleach. I can’t think of a better tip for the safety of pets inside your home then going fully “green” with your cleaners.

Cath: Tip #3: Tinsel & Toxins. With all the hustle and bustle of the holidays it’s important to take note of a few hidden dangers in the home that we might not even think about. A live Christmas tree, what could go wrong there? Well, they’ve been sprayed with harmful chemicals and pesticides and the stagnant water in the tree stand is a breeding ground for bacteria, so keep it covered. If you opt instead for a fake tree, they’re not much better. Consider where it was made, if China, it may contain lead. If you have a chewer, check your tree lights and be observant of bite marks or loose wiring. Electrical shock can cause burns, loss of consciousness and even death. Do you have a cat that can’t resist all the tinsel and ribbons? If ingested it can cause a serious life-threatening intestinal blockage. Look for symptoms like vomiting, diarrhea, inappetance and lethargy. If you see ribbon exiting your dog or cat (you get my drift) – DO NOT pull it out. That can cause more damage. Call your vet immediately.

Summer: TIP #4: Dogs love to eat and they will try to eat just about anything, but just like humans, whole unprocessed foods are the foundation for life-long good health. Like most people, I grew up with “family dogs and cats” and we always fed them any commercial food, picking up a giant bag of dry kibble at the store. And I didn’t think much about it. Eventually, with my first pets as an adult, I switched to higher quality brands. And that upgrade alone is pretty important.

Until the spring of 2014 when my youngest rescued dog at the time, Blue, was diagnosed with a rare kidney carcinoma. He was only 4 years old and showed only 1 symptom of being sick at all right up until I pushed for further testing, which was just some mild weight loss. We attempted 2 failed surgeries with specialists to remove the cancerous tumor along with the 1 affected kidney, but by the time we even knew anything was wrong it had grown so large it had blood vessels attached to multiple other organs like the spleen and pancreas. I was devastated obviously and felt like I failed him. But the truth is that it’s hard to know when our pets are in pain or ill because they can’t just tell us, right? Not unless we have that medical expertise. So I became resolved to do at least everything I could holistically to either heal him or just extend his life as much as possible comfortably when medical intervention couldn’t help. And lucky enough a good friend introduced me to an “anti-cancer” dog food recipe that one of her friends has used successfully…

(TIP #4 continued, part II)…I took that recipe and educated myself further and began making my own version of it for all of my 4 dogs at the time. Along with some other supplements I was giving him (I’ll share more about that too) not only did he live another 6 months when he was only given a couple of weeks, but he was still exercising and enjoying most normal activities right up until the last week or so. By that point the tumor was so large it was diverting all of his nutrients from the other organs and they were worn out. He let me know it was his time to stop fighting by choosing to stop eating, which animals often do, and we made the compassionate choice to not prolong any suffering. Never an easy choice!

Summer: TIP #6: Another nutritional issue that concerns me and I hear from a lot of other pet people are skin allergies and yeast ear infections, which can go hand in hand, so a little supplementation can go a long way from the inside out. And I know all about that one personally too! My eldest dog, Baby, is almost 17 years old and he has battled chronic skin and ear problems his whole life. Even before I really understood all the trigger ingredients in the commercial food we used to give him, I started him on a supplement program years ago. And so this 2nd decade of his life has been vastly improved. (The homemade food helped him with this too because it is also anti-inflammatory.) I give much of this credit to the powder recipe I designed using strictly Shaklee brand vitamin, mineral, and herbal supplements. Please watch the full 12 minute video that I made to see exactly how it’s done later at your own convenience: https://vimeo.com/149484759

(TIP #6 continued, part II) Shaklee doesn’t make supplements specifically for pets. (I want to be clear that Shaklee does not recommend any of their products for anything but human use.) But there are many of us that use them for our furry companions because they work and we don’t trust other companies that don’t have the clinical track record and history that Shaklee does. There literally is such a thing as The Shaklee Difference. And I invite you to watch this video which illustrates that perfectly.

To me the ABCs of natural health supplementation for dogs really begins with a D for a normal Digestive system and bowel movements, E for Energy and tail wagging, and F for Fun and play without joint and muscle pain. I may not need this help yet but all 4 of my dogs are seniors now from age 8 to almost 17 and susceptible to arthritis building up so I include Shaklee’s Joint Health Complex as part of their powder.

Cath: Tip #7: The Comings and Goings of Guests. When visitors come to share the special moments of the holiday season be aware that they may not have pets and won’t necessarily be as careful as you will with the front door. Warn them to be watchful and take care if you have door dashers or opportunists. Make sure you have current identification on pets at all times when guests are in your home, just in case one gets out. Provide your pets a special holiday retreat, a quiet space in your home to escape the noise and stress of the party. Or, consider a petsitter to look after your furry friends so you can have a worry free feast.

Summer: TIP #8: You have to be careful about any topical products that go on your pets. Shampoos, conditioners, and other grooming products may have irritants. Some dogs have really sensitive skin like my Baby and there are plenty of environmental factors to consider. For example, there are residentially used pesticides, industrial residues, and agricultural byproducts that your pets may be literally walking, running, and rolling around in then licking off themselves.

One final product that Shaklee makes that translates really well to dog skin is the Herbal Blend Multi-Purpose Cream. It is a cooling mentholated formula enriched with natural extracts, including rosemary, chamomile, corn oil, and salvia. When Baby has an occasional rashy, red outbreak on his underside, I usually slather some on him (which he tries to lick off immediately but that’s okay) before bedtime and by the morning, his skin is back to normal. I keep a tube of it by my bed at all times!