Ask Rakker

As more and more people become educated on reducing their carbon footprint, they’re also evaluating the carbon footprint of their pets too. While they may seem small, dogs can emit a carbon footprint just as large, if not larger, than the cars we drive! To help reduce the size, follow these simple tips:

Get your next pet from your local animal shelter. By doing so, you are reducing the overpopulation most shelters face and decreasing the demand on pet stores for new dogs. Also spay or neuter your dog to help reduce overpopulation later down the line.

When selecting your dog’s food, choose something organic. Organic food is more eco-friendly because of its lack of chemicals, which is better for the environment and the health of your dog. Try to choose a brand that has recyclable packaging as well.

Choosing biodegradable bags to help with dog clean up outside is another easy way to reduce your dog’s footprint. Leaving waste behind is not a safe option, it can pass germs and parasites onto other dogs and people; switching your clean up bag to one that is biodegradable is best.

Giving your dog toys made from recycled goods and keeping up with chemical free flea treatments are also important steps to reduce your dog’s carbon footprint. Using an all natural shampoo can help considerably improve your dog’s health and reduce their carbon footprint.

Way back when we started this blog, we introduced you to a very special dog: Rakker. This spectacular dog is very special to us and we consider him to be one of the inspirations for starting up K9HealthSolutions.com.

The story of how this business was started is really rather unique. The owner of K9HealthSolutions.com, Jeff Button, was working at the Pentagon Police Department as a Bomb Dog Handler and his assigned canine, Rakker, a Belgian Malinois, had developed some severe digestive issues and was also shedding like crazy. They tried everything to help him…and nothing worked.

Then, one of Jeff’s coworkers mentioned a product called Dinovite. Jeff read all the information and felt it was probably too good to be true but decided to give it a try for Rakker’s sake. Within about a month the problems were gone and the then 8 year-old Rakker was once again acting like a puppy.

Dinovite was able to help Rakker be the best Bomb Dog he could be, and in turn, it inspired Jeff to start up a business where other dog owners with similar problems could find a solution that would really work. That all happened back in 2007.

Since then, K9HealthSolutions.com has developed into one of the top retailers of Dinovite, as well as other dog care products, with Rakker as a chief tester of any new toys, treats, or other dog care supplies we add to our selection.

Jeff resigned his position as a Police K-9 Handler to take on the business full time and his old partner Rakker was granted retirement. He still lives with Jeff and his wife Joanna today – and he still gets his daily dose of Dinovite.

Rakker here! Say hello to my good friend Max the Golden Retriever from KeepOnWagging.com! Max and friends believe that “If life gives you tennis balls…play fetch!”. Their carefree take on life is a great way to live and an inspiration for all. People liked it so much that they decided to print it on apparel and gifts so everyone could take a lesson from Max. Here’s some of our favorite products from KeepOnWagging:

Women’s Apparel

Men’s Apparel

Dog Gifts

KeepOnWagging Gifts

Be sure to say hi to Max at KeepOnWagging.com, adopt their carefree motto and lifestyle, and spread the “Keep On Wagging” message through all their great merchandise!

Hey there. Rakker here, forgive me for being late, I’ve been busy testing toys for the Holiday season and boy am I tired!

My dad, Jeff, has been running around like crazy the past couple weeks and we haven’t had too much time to play. This made him just as sad as me, so we decided to make work more fun. He said that we needed to find out which toys would be the best gift for dogs this Holiday season. So we’ve been “testing” the toys for how much fun they are to play with!

Here are some of our favorites:

Plush Toys – The first thing my dad gave me a box of soft chew toys. These are so much fun! Usually when I get toys like this, I rip them apart in 2 days, but these are though and easy on my teeth. I don’t like to pick favorites, but I really loved the Squirrel and Teddy Bear!

Fetch! – I love playing fetch with my dad! I love to run as fast as I can after the ball. My dad can throw far but he gets tired and we have to take breaks so he could rest his arm, but yesterday he was using this stick he called a Chuckit to throw a ball really, really far. He played for awhile and I got tired before he did!

Tug-O -War – At night, me and my dad like to hang-out and just play. Our favorite end of the day activity is to play tug-o-war with a toy. A long time favorite of ours was a Rope Bone, but the other day we played with this long rope he called a Wonder Tug. He was able to get a good grip on it and I had a hard time trying to get it off him! It was so much fun!

Now I gotta get back to work. The Holidays are almost here and I still have a lot of testing ahead of me. You know, working in quality control is a “ruff” job, but somebody has to do it!

Q: Dear Rakker, my name is Mimsy and my family goes trick-or-treating every Halloween, and leaves me at home. They dress the kids up in cute costumes, and I just have to sit on the sidelines and watch. It’s not fair, especially when I see some of my dog friends dressed up. All I want is to be a crocodile or a cute penguin!

A: Hi Mimsy! Aww, don’t be down – many families feel their pooch won’t like wearing a Halloween costume, so let me educate all those parents out there. Dressing your dog up in an ill-fitting costume for a whole day or more is definitely not recommended. However, dog Halloween costumes are meant for dogs! If you’re dressing your dog up just for a few hours, feel free to go all out with his or her Halloween costume! There’s tons of cute dog costumes out there! And remember to take Dog Treats with you when you take your dog trick-or-treating!

Mimsy, give your family some extra help, and the next time the computer’s on, put your paw on top of that computer mouse and navigate to photos of dogs in Halloween costumes!

Q: Hey Rakker, this is Rascal here! My owner, Diane, is a great lady, but her stressful job and that pesky boyfriend has her wanting to tear her hair out. She looks so upset, and I just want to see her happy! How can I help her out?

A: Hi Rascal! Just by simply being a dog you’re able to help your owner relieve stress! Dogs have been used in therapist’s offices, schools, nursing homes, and other places where the stress level is a bit high. Dogs have such a soothing effect – every time Diane takes a minute to pet you, she most likely feels less stressed and more calm. Here’s what you can do: curl up by her side, give her those cute puppy dog eyes of yours, and place your head on her lap. She’ll melt to jelly! Just as you want love and affection, so does your owner.

To all the stressed humans out there: If you have the ability and time for a dog, save a dog’s life (and reduce the stress in your own!) by adopting a new furry best friend! Check out Animal Shelters organized by state for a local shelter.

Reward that special dog in your life with some fun Dog Chew Toys!

Q: Hi Rakker! I’m a three year old Labrador retriever, and I love to run outside with my dog friends. But here’s the problem…every time I come inside, my owner has to pick all over me to make sure there’s no ticks or fleas in my fur. No fun! Can you tell my owner to just get me one of those flea and tick collars?

Rakker says: Hey pet owners! Protecting your pets from fleas and ticks can greatly reduce the risk of Lyme disease for you and your family (pets included!). As the most popular form of transmitted disease from tick bites, Lyme disease affects thousands of humans and animals nationwide each year. Left untreated, Lyme disease can cause major neurological and mental problems in both pets and people. Educating yourself on the risks, symptoms and prevention of Lyme disease can help you and you pet avoid this debilitating disease.

Early symptoms of Lyme disease in pets include lameness, swollen joints, fever, poor appetite, fatigue, and vomiting. Should your pet start exhibiting these symptoms, check your pet for the site of infection. To remove a tick, use fine tweezers to grab the tick near its mouth and gently pull. Once you’ve removed the tick, place it in an empty pill bottle and container, labeled with information about where the tick was found, your pet’s name, symptoms, your name, address, and phone number. Make sure you contact a vet as soon as possible to have the tick identified and tested for diseases. If caught early, Lyme disease can be treated effectively with antibiotics.

To prevent tick bites, always use Flea and Tick Control products like Frontline, K9 Advantix, or Advantage to keep your pet safe. When out with your pet or hiking on your own, be sure to use an effective bug spray with DEET to repel ticks and other insects, thus preventing the spread of Lyme disease. Be safe out there and remember to protect yourself!

– Rakker is the resident canine expert at the K9HealthSolutions.com Dog Blog because well, he’s a dog! Woof!

We may be new to the blogging world at K9HealthSolutions, but we’re certainly not new to the world of dog and cat health! We designed this blog with you in mind – we want to help you care for your dog and see that your dog is healthy for years to come (and your cat too!). Here’s some upcoming features we’ll be adding to the blog:

1. Ask Rakker – Rakker is our resident dog here at K9HealthSolutions (woof!). Rakker is here to answer your dog related questions, and will chat with his kitty friends for any cat owners!

2. Two Paws Up – We’ll be giving “two paws up” to pet products that are worthy of your attention!

3. Dynamic Dogs