Closed Today

Hello Everyone!

This is just a note to let you know that due to the weather and resulting road conditions, we are closed today (Sat, Dec 26). Not one of us can get out of our driveways!!

Here's hoping you had a safe and wonderful Christmas, give us a call at 816-358-7387 to reschedule your appointment.

Be safe! We'll see you next week!

Here's a Smart Puppy!

A Great Pet Photographer

We often have clients asking who we recommend for pet photography, and today I'm happy to introduce Photography by Brandi. If you'd like to see more of her work, you can visit the "pets" section on her blog.

Chompin’ Chicken Bites

½ pound ground chicken
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup cornmeal
¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 egg
1 tablespoon finely chopped tarragon

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a non-stick skillet, cook chicken until done; crumble into small pieces and set aside to cool. In a medium bowl, combine flour and cornmeal. In a small bowl, combine chicken broth, vegetable oil, egg, and tarragon; beat until well combined. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients to form a soft dough. Knead chicken into dough. Working with ½ of the dough at a time, press dough into a rectangle and roll out onto parchment paper to ¼-inch thickness. Using a pizza cutter, cut into 1-inch squares. Move parchment to a baking sheet and bake 20 to 23 minutes or until firm and dry. Cool on baking sheet; break squares apart. Repeat with remaining dough. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months.

Yield: about 15½ dozen bites

Found at: Free Pet Projects

Tuna Melt Squares for Dogs and Cats

1 (6 ounce) can tuna, in oil
¼ cup cottage cheese
¾ cup all-purpose flour
¼ cup shredded cheddar cheese
2 tablespoons parmesan cheese

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium bowl, combine tuna and cottage cheese; beat until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add flour and stir until well combined. (Dough will be sticky.) Use greased hands to pat dough into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan. Sprinkle cheddar cheese and parmesan cheese on top. Bake 35 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Cool and cut into 1-inch squares. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 1 week or in freezer up to 3 months.

Yield: forty-nine 1-inch squares

Found at: Free Pet Projects

Minty Fresh Dog Biscuits

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley
3 tablespoons minced fresh mint
3/4 cup water
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
2 tablespoons honey

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a medium bowl, stir together flours, parsley, and mint. In a small bowl, combine water, vegetable oil, and honey. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients; mix well to form a soft dough.

Working with 1/2 of the dough at a time, roll out on a lightly floured surface to 1/8-inch thickness. Cut out dough with cookie cutters, using desired shapes.

Transfer to a lightly greased baking sheet and bake 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer biscuits to a wire rack to cool. Store in an airtight container in refrigerator up to 2 weeks or in freezer up to 3 months.

Yields:
2 dozen small biscuits
4 dozen large biscuits

Found at: Free Pet Projects

When Cold Puts A Bite On Your Dog

Be aware that dogs can get frostbite, just as people can. The areas most likely to affect dogs are their ear tips, tail tips, and toes. Deb Eldredge, DVM, of Vernon, New York, warns dog owners to watch for the following symptoms, particularly on those areas of the body.

• Coldness to the touch
• White skin
• Hard, dry skin

If you suspect your dog has frostbite, contact your veterinarian immediately.

Source: The Family Dog

Our Online Gift Shop

Here is a sneak peak at the small online store we created at Amazon.com. The store itself won't fit into this page properly because it's too wide, (as you can see). To view the store properly, use this link:

Heavenly Pets at Amazon

We scoured Amazon.com for cool stuff we thought you might be interested in. So, if you're looking for a gift for your dog, cat, or your pet loving family and friends. Be sure to check it out!

Dressing Your Dog For The Weather

Getting a sweater and booties to protect your dog from the elements is one thing. Actually getting your dog to wear that sweater and booties is quite another. If you're determined to outfit your canine companion in winter garb, keep the following tips in mind.

Measure Up: Follow the manufacturer's instructions when choosing what size sweater and boots to buy for your dog. If his measurments place him between two sizes, opt for the larger size.

Prepare Ahead Of Time: Don't wait until the first snowfall to acquaint your dog with a new sweater and footwear. Instead, introduce him to such garb well before the forcast is white. That way, your dog is more likely to don his winter gear calmly by the time you really need to use it.

Take it slowly: Don't expect your dog to accept either a sweater or booties immediately. Take the time to introduce these items to him slowly. If you're tryig to acquaint him with a sweater, start by putting just his head through it. After he's done that successfully and easily several times, put one leg through. Once he's accepted putting his head and one leg through the sweater, do the other leg.

Treat him right: A dog might learn the art of getting dressed for winter a lot faster if you offer some tasty treats as an incentive. For example, encourage your dog to put his head through the sweater in order to gain the treat that you're holding on the other side of the garment. Once he's got the sweater on over his head, take the sweater off, and repeat a few more times. To persuade him to give booties a try, give him a treat as soon as you've successfully placed one bootie on. The idea is to help your dog associate these garments with good things - in this case, treates.

source: Susan McCullough