Weruva

Since cats can be so picky, we're always searching for cat foods that will appease the most discerning palate. Weruva is proving to be just that! Made in a human food facility, Weruva is actually approved for human consumption! It looks good enough to eat, too!! Weruva is made with select cuts of antibiotic free, hormone free, free range chicken and beef. They hand place ingredients such as fresh vegetables, and many of their toppers which are unique proteins such as grilled skipjack, grilled tilapia, grilled red bigeye, calamari and shirasu. What does this mean? You can actually RECOGNIZE what's in your cat's food!

Currently in stock are:

Paw Lickin' Chicken- Grain free chicken

Green Eggs & Chicken- Chicken, peas and eggs

On The Cat Wok- Beef, veggies & white rice

Marabella Paella- Mackerel, Calamari, Shrimp & Mussel

Meow Luau- Mackerel & Aloe

Polynesia BBQ- Grilled Skipjack, sardine & tuna

Do you have a Hungry Dog?

At this weekend's Pet Food Summit we were lucky to get samples of Cloud Star's Muttos & Provenance treats for the Poms to try. Bebe and Jack went WILD for the Muttos and Parker LOVED the Provenance! Muttos are kinda like the dog version of Combos but much healthier. They're two treats- and two flavors combined into one. We have both the Duck & Sweet Potato and Peanut Butter & Green Apple. They smell soo yummy that I'm tempted to try them! I've done it before!

Provenance is Cloud Star's Grain Free treat. Parker is allergic to grains and was excited to try the Provenance treats. They come in Cheese & Potato, Chicken & Potato and White Fish & Potato, all great for dogs with sensitive tummies.

Another product we were excited to see at the Pet Food Summit was the Merrick Hungry Dog Super Value Pack. It's a 2lb assortment of Merrick treats- including Flossies, Miss Porky Ears, and Texas Toothpicks- that did not quite recieve the Merrick 5 star brand. They're still great quality treats, just some are too small or too large. We just opened up a bag for the Poms to find TONS of flossies- one of their favorites!

Ziwi Peak!

We were super busy the past few days getting ready for all of the new products we have in! Ziwi Peak dog & cat food is as close to a biologically appropriate food you can get without going raw. It's grain, corn, wheat, soy, preservative, color, chemical and sugar free! What's in it, then? Meat! Ziwi Peak closely matches the diet dogs & cats would eat in the wild. What are the advantages? It's easy to digest, it helps control weight issues, will reduce stool volume & gas and much more! It also contains Green Lipped Mussels, which helps promote healthy joints. Because it's such a concentrated food you have to feed very, very little. Parker is going ga-ga for the Lamb formula and Rosalie, store kitty, loves the Venison cat formula with Fish and Venison canned Ziwi Peak on top!

Canned Ziwi Peak, just like the dry food, is high in meat. It's great to help hide pills (like Bebe's thyroid medicine!), stuff in a kong, as a dry food topper or as a stand alone diet.

Ziwi Peak treats are GREAT for training! Since they're so high in meat dogs really want to work for them! Cats, being obligate carnivores, also go crazy for Ziwi Peak.

Another Recall

From the Sun-Times:

Salmonella scare prompts Jewel to recall dog biscuits

January 24, 2009
FROM STNG WIRE REPORTS
Jewel Food stores announced Saturday that due to the recent Salmonella outbreak linked to peanut butter products, the store has recalled Happy Tails dog biscuits.
Although no pet illnesses have been linked to the biscuits, the grocery store has recalled the product as a precautionary measure, according to a release.
The Happy Tails multi-flavored biscuits may contain peanut butter, which has “the potential to be contaminated with salmonella,” the release said.
The Peanut Corporation of America voluntarily recalled all peanut butter and peanut paste products produced in its Blakely, Georgia processing facility following multiple reports of salmonella-related illnesses linked to the products, the release said.
Signs that your pet may have ingested Salmonella are diarrhea, bloody diarrhea, fever and vomiting, the release said. Some pets experience decreased appetite and abdominal pain. Well animals can carry the illness and pass it on to humans or other animals.
Although salmonella bacterial infection is most commonly associated with raw meat, eggs and produce, it can also grow in uncooked processed foods.
Salmonella bacteria live in the intestinal tracts of many animals and are generally transmitted through contact with feces from an infected source. Typhimurium is the most common of nearly 2,500 strains of salmonella bacteria.
Customers who purchased the biscuits can bring the product back to their local Jewel-Osco store for a full refund or exchange, the release said.

None of the treats we carry have been recalled. We have been in touch with our manufacturers and they are safe.

Taste of The Wild!

Today we got in a new food, Taste of The Wild. Grain free and all life stages, Taste of The Wild has 3 dog formulas and one cat. High Prairie canine formula is made with roasted bison and roasted venison. Pacific Stream canine formula has salmon & sweet potatoes. Wetlands canine formula has roasted quail, roasted duck & smoked turkey. Rocky Mountain feline formula is made with roasted venison and smoked salmon.

All Taste of The Wild formulas are easy to digest and good for dogs with allergies. Each formula also has probiotics to help support the digestive system and antioxidants to support optimum cellular health. With unique proteins like venison, quail and salmon, it's a great addition to any food rotation.

We're excited to add TOTW to the many foods we carry at Parker's Pets. Come in today for free samples!

Loads of new stuff!

We got in TONS of new stuff today! New coats from RuffLuv including the BundleUp, a reversible camo coat with a faux fur lined detachable hood. We are also re-stocked in the super popular, sold out Everest coat in black and NOW in pink!! We also got in new puffy coats in yellow, a new Army coat, lots of new sweaters including a super yummy olive green cashmere hoodie, and are totally stocked in Pawz disposable boots and much more!

Labrador Retriever is Chicago's Top Dog!

According to today's Sun-Times, the list of Top Dogs in Chicago is:
1. Labrador retriever

2. German shepherd

3. Yorkshire Terrier

4. Boxer

5. Bulldog

6. Golden Retriever

7. Rottweiler

8. Dachshund

9. Boston terrier

10. Shih Tzu and Vizsla (tied)

Interesting, huh?

Facebook!

Add Parker's Pets as a facebook friend, or as a favorite place! Just search for Parker's Pets!

Petsmart Recall

According to fda.gov:
"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -- PHOENIX, AZ, January 20, 2009 -- PetSmart is voluntarily recalling seven of its Grreat Choice® Dog Biscuit products that contain peanut paste made by Peanut Corporation of America (PCA). PCA is the focus of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration investigation into potential salmonella contamination of peanut butter and paste made at its Blakely, Georgia facility.
Although PetSmart is not aware of any reported cases of illness related to these products, it has removed these products from its store shelves and website and is conducting the recall as a precautionary measure.
The recalled products include only the following types of Grreat Choice Dog Biscuits sold between Aug. 21, 2008 and Jan. 19, 2009:
Small Assorted 32 oz., UPC 73725702900
Small/Medium Assorted 4 lb., UPC 73725700601
Small/Medium Assorted 8 lb., UPC 73725700605
Small/Medium Assorted 10 lb., UPC 73725702755
Large Assorted 8 lb., UPC 73725700638
Extra Large Assorted 8 lb., UPC 73725700779
Peanut Butter 4 lb., UPC 73725700766 "
None of the treats we carry at Parker's Pets have been recalled. All have been varified safe by our distributors and manufacturers.

Bark for Barack

Now that Hyde Park's very own Barack Obama is President, we can't forget to keep Barking for Barack! Get your Obama '08 & Bark for Barack t- shirts and hoodies while supplies last!!

George The Lame Duck toys are now 50% off!

Opt to Adopt! Jack-Jack and Bebe Belle's story.

Puppy mills are a subject close to our heart at Parker's Pets as both Bebe Belle and Jack-Jack are puppy mill rescues. Now that spring is coming and puppy buying season is coming, let's all OPT TO ADOPT. What are puppy mills? Puppy mills are commercial breeding facilities where dogs are bred for profit. Generally, dogs are kept in cages their whole lives, never given human attention or veterinary care. Their whole lives are to breed puppies, who are then sold to pet stores. No matter what a pet store says, no reputable breeder sells their puppies to pet stores! Reputable breeders, who breed for the love of the breed and to better the breed, care where their puppies go.

Jack-Jack was rescued from a puppy mill in central Indiana when the miller decided to retire. A known puppy miller, he placed an ad in the local paper to try to sell his breeding stock. The local pound saw this, and implored him to let them take his older breeding dogs. He sold Jack-Jack and two other males (including store favorite, Izzy) to the shelter. They, in turn, contacted Smaller Paws & Pomeranian Rescue (http://www.smallerpawsandpoms.com/) who took them in. That's Jack-Jack's Petfinder photo above. When I got Jack-Jack- then named Pedro by Smaller Paws as he had never had a name before- he had never lived inside, never walked on grass or up stairs, had never been in a family. He spent weeks sitting on the couch just looking at us. He wasn't sure what life was like outside of a cage. That was two and a half years ago. Since then he's had some health issues- he is going blind from Progressive Retinal Atrophy from having distemper as a puppy and he had his kneecaps fixed- but is an amazing dog. He's the "Boss Man" of the store and loves to be picked up by customers or to howl for them. Just say HELLO! To Jack-Jack and he'll say HOWLO! back!

Looking for a purebred dog and think that rescues don't have purebreds? That's not true! According to the Humane Society of the United States, 25% of all dogs in shelters and rescues are purebred, just like Jack-Jack and Bebe. Want a puppy? Shelters and rescues have puppies, too. Four to five million dogs are euthanized in shelters every year, while it's estimated that 4 million puppies are being bred in puppy mills. See the problem with that?

Think you're "rescuing" that puppy from the pet store? You're not. You're just making room for another puppy, and making another miserable mother have to have another litter to produce a puppy for that now empty cage. Every time a puppy is purchased at a pet store, another dog has to be bred to make a puppy to fill that store.

What can you do? Website like Petfinder.com and 1-800-saveapet.com are great resources to search for your perfect dog. Already have a dog and want to help the cause? Give a donation of food, money or your time to your favorite shelter or rescue. Have room in your home for another pup temporarily? Rescues and shelters are always in desperate need of foster homes for their dogs.

Remember to OPT TO ADOPT! Don't buy while others die!

New Cat Food!

This week we added GO! Natural Grain Free canned Chicken, Duck & Turkey formula and Freshwater Trout formula! The cans are 80% meat, cooked at low temperatures, contain pre and pro-biotics and help promote a healthy urinary tract! Soon we will be adding NOW!, made by the makers of GO! Grain Free dry cat and dog foods.

Nature's Variety Prairie dry foods are on sale for 25% off!

Ouch! My paws hurt!

Ever wonder why your dog lifts his paws outside or refuses to go on walks when it's snowy? Regular salt has harsh chemicals that burns and cracks their paws when they walk on it. What can you do to combat ouchie paw-itis? At Parker's Pets we have lots of cures!

Putting boots on your dog this time of year is essential. Boots are your dog's first line of defense against road salt. We have both Ruffwear Skyliner boots and Pawz disposable boots- both great for dogs that don't like to wear boots. What should you do if your dog already has cracked, sore paws? Happytails Bow Wow Butter Balm or Cain & Able Paw Balm are soothing and moisturizing.

To help your dog at home, we have Safe Paw Ice Melter. Made without the same harsh chemicals at salt, it won't burn your dogs paws or hurt plants or grass!

G.G. and Moose!

G.G., a Standard Poodle puppy, is one of our favorite customers here at Parker's Pets! G.G. is fed a diet of Ziwi Peak air-dried kibble and Nature's Variety raw food. Here G.G. is modeling one of our Bark for Barack bandanas!

Moose, an 8 year old Chihuahua rescue has found a great home after years of neglect. Here he's stylin' in a New York Dog parka! How can you not love that face?

Instinct Rabbit

Nature's Variety Instinct Rabbit for Cats is now back in stock! After months of reformulating, Instinct Rabbit is back and better than ever! Instinct Rabbit for Dogs will be back soon!

Wellness & Merrick 3oz canned cat foods are buy 10, get 2 free for a limited time! Come get them while they're still in stock!

Deli Fresh!

We're happy to announce we've just begun carrying Deli Fresh dog food & treats! Gently cooked without the use of preservatives, Deli Fresh is great as a stand alone food or topper. Because it's high in meat content, it's great for picky eaters or dogs with sensitive stomachs. Always fresh and never frozen, Deli Fresh comes in a roll and is simple to feed- just slice and serve!

Deli Fresh makes two different types of treats- Fresh Bites and The Loved Dog by Tamar Geller. Both come in beef or chicken. Fresh Bites, similar in shape and texture to a meatball, are Parker's favorites. They're certified by AAFO as a complete diet, so you don't have to worry about feeding too many to your dog! The Loved Dog treats by celebrity trainer Tamar Geller (as seen on Oprah) are super tasty and great for training.

Come and give Deli Fresh a try! We have LOTS of free 1lb rolls!

New Sweaters & Coats!!

We just got in a huge box of sweaters and coats from RuffLuvNYC. New coats, including the Everest coat (center) and sweaters priced from $26-35. RuffLuvNYC clothes are made in the USA and come up to 21" long! That's HUGE!

We also have a large selection of coats & sweaters on sale! Come while there's still a large selection!

Welcome!

Welcome to our blog! We are Parker's Pets, Hyde Park's only pet boutique! At Parker's Pets we specialize in natural dog and cat food and clothing to fit every size and shape pet. We also carry dog & cat toys, all natural treats, collars & leashes and carriers. With over 8,000 items in stock, we have everything you could need for your four legged friend!

On this blog we will be including new product updates, customer photos, interesting articles and much more.

Come see us at Parker's Pets 1342 E 55th St, Chicago IL. Call us at 773-643-PETS or visit our website at http://www.parkerspets.com