Cats, especially male cats, are often prone to bladder and kidney disease because they do not consume adequate amounts of water, often because they are only fed dry cat food. All cats will be healthier and happier if they are fed canned food in addition to dry food on a daily basis.

Cats do not have a strong thirst drive compared to other species. They do not normally drink a lot of water  because they evolved to get the bulk of the water they need from the prey they consume. That prey is approximately seventy to seventy five percent water, whereas dry cat food is only seven to ten percent water.

Canned cat food is more representative of what a cat would consume by eating prey. It typically has a much higher meat content than dry cat food and also contains about seventy eight percent water.

If you need help in selecting a healthy canned food for your cat, stop by Green Acres Kennel shop and we'd be glad to assist you.

Kate and Don answer questions from our listeners that they’ve received in the store, on the phone, via email or on the Woof Meow Show FaceBook page. This week’s questions include; What do I need to do before I get my new kitten?, My dog screams when I leave him alone and gets destructive chewing on things. What can I do to stop the chewing?, I’ve just adopted an 8 m/o old dog and my son is nervous around the dog and that seems to make the dog anxious. What should I be doing?, Our dog will grab things that he is not supposed to have (socks, paper towel with bacon grease, chicken bones, etc.). He then growls and snaps at us when we try to get it back. What should we do? and My dog eats her feces. What can I do to stop her?

I love seeing people out and about, enjoying the outdoors with their dog. However, it's important to remember that we have a responsibility to pickup after our dog whenever we are off our own property.

Not everyone likes dogs and one of the main reasons why is that some dog owners don't clean up after their dogs. I hate stepping in a mess left behind by an irresponsible dog owner.

Whenever you are out and about with your dog, make sure that you are equipped with something that you can use to cleanup and contain your dog's feces until you can properly dispose of them. Whether it's a commercial made poop bag, an old grocery store bag, or something else, always be prepared. Even a handkerchief can work in an emergency.

If while you are out with your dog and find a pile some other dog owner has left behind… do the right thing and pick that one up to.

[Click for Audio] As summer temperatures rise, so do potential dangers for our pets.

Things you can do to prevent heat related injuries are:

Make sure your pet always has access to fresh cool water, and if outside, shade.

Be aware that not all dogs will move into the shade when they need to, so if they are outside you need to check on them on a regular basis.

Avoid walking your pet on asphalt. Asphalt absorbs heat and can become hot enough to burn the pads on your pets feet.

Make sure you pet does not overly exert themselves. Exercise is important, but too much activity when it's hot and humid contributes to dehydration and can result in heat stroke. Like some people, not all pets know when to stop and rest.

Enjoy the summer but please make sure you keep yourself and your pet safe and comfortable

To all of you who voted for Green Acres and give us the privilege of caring for your pets, thank you!. Paula and I will be celebrating our 20th anniversary at Green Acres later this year and we wouldn’t have been able to do it without the community’s kind and generous support and the commitment of or excellent staff. Thank you all!

Back in January Dr. Hanks wanted to interview Kate and Don about their work as pet behavior counselors/consultants. That show was a big hit and really fun for them to do, so Mark wanted a return gig as guest host so that he could interview them about dog training. This is part 3 of a three part series with Dr. Hanks as guest host. 

In this episode Dr. Hanks asks Kate and Don about: dominance, pack hierarchy and alphas and the current science which indicates wolves are a cooperative social species, the benefits of kind leadership as opposed to coercive based leadership, the myth of dogs doing things just to please us, temperament and personality in dogs, the importance of knowing parents because of the genetic role in temperament, "stubborn" dogs versus under-motivated dogs, epigenetics and the possibility of mental health disorders in dogs like autism and PTSD, and temperament as a continuum and nature versus nurture.

For more information on the Woof Meow Show go to: http://bit.ly/HjrFE0

Summer is the time for family and group gatherings, something many pets don't enjoy.

In fact, many dog bites occur during family gatherings when our dog's routine becomes different and there is more noise, confusion, and overall chaotic activity in your home.

Consider these steps when you have a family gathering:

Put your dog in his crate with a bone or favorite chew toy, at least during the most hectic times - when guests are arriving and leaving as well as when meals are being prepared and served.

Assign one adult to be in charge of each of the dogs, to watch for signs of stress and to protect the dog from unwanted attention from children.

Assign one adult to supervise each baby or toddler, with no other tasks assigned to them.

Or consider, boarding your pets at a pet friendly boarding facility where they can have a good time as you relax and enjoy your gathering.

Back in January Dr. Hanks wanted to interview Kate and Don about their work as pet behavior counselors/consultants. That show was a big hit and really fun for them to do, so Mark wanted a return gig as guest host so that he could interview them about dog training. This is part 2 of a three part series with Dr. Hanks as guest host. 

In this episode Dr. Hanks asks Kate and Don about: Green Acres holistic approach to training (husbandry, nutrition, body language, ethology, and training) and how we work with families to understand their dog and the importance of having a good foundation of education so people can better understand their dogs, how some students may attend class without their dog either because their dog is sick, in heat or simply because the dog learns better at home, private training options at Green Acres, the critical period of puppy socialization and habituation, why socialization needs to be actively planned and implemented by owners - it doesn't just happen, what do you do you when want your puppy to be a therapy dog, the difference between therapy dogs, service/assistance dogs, and emotional support dogs, the fake service dog epidemic, can you teach an old dog new tricks, how do you deal with constant barking, and how do you deal with clients that need the dogs behavior changed tomorrow.

For more information on the Woof Meow Show go to: http://bit.ly/HjrFE0

[Click for Audio] As summer temperatures rise, so do potential dangers for our pets.

Things you can do to prevent heat related injuries are:

If you leave a pet in the car you need to check on them every few minutes - No Exceptions!

When the temperature outside is 80 degrees, the temperature inside your car can reach 100 degrees in 15 minutes, and 120 degrees in 30 minutes, even with the windows open half-way. This can be fatal!

Once the outside temperature reaches 70, if your pet doesn't need to go with you, the best place for them is probably at home.

Do not rely on the vehicle's air conditioning, or if you do, you must continue to check on your pet every few minutes to ensure that the vehicle and AC are still running.

Enjoy the summer but please make sure you keep yourself and your pet safe and comfortable

Back in January Dr. Hanks wanted to interview Kate and Don about their work as pet behavior counselors/consultants. That show was a big hit and really fun for them to do, so Mark wanted a return gig as guest host so that he could interview them about dog training. This is part 1 of a three part series with Dr. Hanks as guest host. 

In this episode Dr. Hanks asks Kate and Don about: how training has changed in the past 26 years since Mark began his practice, why training a dog is important, the importance of training for mental enrichment, how breed effects training and compatibility with a family, how human intervention has adversely effected health and behavior, researching dogs before one decides what dog and breed to get, making temperament a key decision when picking a dog, what we typically teach a client and their dog, Green Acres holistic approach to training (husbandry, nutrition, body language, ethology, and training), inadvertent reinforcement of undesirable behaviors, the continuing necessity to refute antiquated and inaccurate myths about canine behavior, the optimal age for starting training,  the structure of Green Acres training classes, Green Acres program to help parents find the best pet for them, how family lifestyles have changed and how that affects time for a dog, knowing when to wait before starting a group training class, and how they deal with special needs rescue dogs.

For more information on the Woof Meow Show go to: http://bit.ly/HjrFE0