March 18, 2015

I like to do “undercover” recon missions any time I’m at a pet store. There are so many bizarre, hysterical and downright befuddling products on the shelves at pet stores. My previous post on this topic detailed some products I’d seen recently. Just this past weekend, I found a few more goodies at our local pet store.

Ok, so many of us probably think our cats could smell better. Less halitosis, less litter box stink, less fish breath. But a chewable treat to “support a fresh litter box” seems like utter hogwash to me. And a huge waste of money. Poop stinks! No magic pet product will change that.

It’s always interesting to talk poop with clients; truly, bowel movements are one of our “hot topics” in the clinic. How much? How often? What does it look like? What does it smell like? How easy is it to clean up? Do you have a photo of it on your phone? (And people often do!)

Severe dental disease, under-grooming, anal gland disease and malabsorption/maldigestion are all reasons why Fluffy may be more fragrant than normal. Instead of buying this product, take your cat to the veterinarian to ensure she doesn’t have any medical conditions contributing to her “Smelly Cat” situation.

“Petchup” and “Muttstard” sound like a recipe for obesity. These are extra sources of unnecessary calories and chemicals that will do nothing other than contribute to your dog’s waistline. If Fido won’t eat without doggy condiments, please take him to your veterinarian to find out why. If there is no medical problem contributing to Fido’s picky eating, read my previous blog post on “Food Fights” and learn how to take charge of your dog’s mealtimes.

Apparently the detox and cleanse trend has now spread to dogs and cats. What, exactly, do Fido and Fluffy need to detox from? Unlike many of us mere mortals, they don’t drink, smoke, eat junk food or take illicit drugs. At least, I hope they don’t! No product can detoxify internal organs, nor should internal organs need detoxification as long as they are working properly. If you believe your pet’s internal organs aren’t working properly, please schedule an appointment for appropriate diagnosis and treatment by a veterinarian. Finally, as an English major, I cannot knowingly recommend any products that intentionally misspell words. Words like “Cleanz” on product packaging immediately make me doubt the quality of the product (and run, screaming for the hills!) For better or for worse, it’s inevitable that human health and food fads eventually make their way to cats and dogs. Most of the time these fads are for the worse; see my previous posts on food fads and a link to this article on how pet parents are starting to decline lifesaving vaccines for their animals.

This last product isn’t worrisome or dangerous, just odd. Would Fido want to eat grass-fed venison “Lung Puffs” from New Zealand? Probably! I guess the one value in a product is like this that at least companies make use of the entire animal when slaughtering for meat production.