#TipTuesday – Halloween Pet Safety

Halloween (and HOWL-o-ween) is almost here! While most of us enjoy this spooky holiday, it can be full of dangers for our pets. Here are a few tips to keep your four-legged friends safe this weekend. Firstly, keep any candy well out of reach, chocolate and sweeteners like xylitol are toxic to dogs. It’s best to keep pets safely enclosed since you will probably be opening the front door frequently to greet trick-or-treaters. Also, make sure your dog has proper identification on his or her collar. Decorations are fun, but your dog may think this is a new and exciting chew toy! Ensure that your pet isn’t left unattended with any decorations or lit candles. For a few more Halloween safety tips and our source, please visit: https://www.avma.org/public/PetCare/Pages/halloween.aspx.

Wilderness Adventure – October 21st, 2015

7th Annual HOWL-o-ween at Astro!

HOWL-o-ween at Astro is almost here! Get those doggy costumes ready and join us on October 31st from 2:00pm-4:00pm. This event will feature ghoulish games, a boneyard hunt, haunted agility maze, door prizes, local vendors, free dog swim times, costume contests, and much more! Entry to event is $3 per dog and includes all activities, games, and entry to door prize drawings.

Day Boarding at Astro!

HOWL-o-ween at Astro!

HOWL-o-ween at Astro will be here before you know it! It’s time to get your dog’s costume ready for our annual costume contest! Join us on October 31st from 2:00pm-4:00pm for an afternoon of spooky fun! This event will feature ghoulish games, a boneyard hunt, haunted agility maze, door prizes, local vendors, free dog swim times, and much more! Entry to event is $3 per dog and includes all activities, games, and entry to door prize drawings.

Roxy’s First Wilderness Adventure!

One of our favorite programs here at Astro is our Wilderness Adventure. This program was designed to let dog’s experience nature as nature intended, and that means with as little human interference as possible. This program takes place once per week on 38+ acres located only minutes down the road. This plot of land features beautiful wooded pine trails and four lakes for swimming. Today, Roxy the Doberman, went on her first Wilderness Adventure, and it’s safe to say she’s a fan of the program!

We started the Adventure with a hike, and Roxy immediately took the lead. Someone had to look out for all those squirrels, and why shouldn’t it be her?

After hiking for a while, and of course chasing those pesky squirrels, the path opened up and Roxy spotted it; the first of many swimming spots on her Adventure!

Roxy couldn’t wait to jump in and splash around in the cool water. After a few minutes, it was time to shake off the water and move on to the next lake!

Roxy loved testing out the different lakes. After she decided she was done swimming, she jumped out and relaxed under a nice shady tree with a view before heading back to Astro.

Tip Tuesday

It’s that time of year where everything seems to be pumpkin flavored; but did you know that dog’s enjoy pumpkin too? Pumpkin puree can be very beneficial for dogs and is a great way to give your dog a nutritional boost. A main benefit for our four-legged friends is the fiber content in pumpkin. “Pumpkin contains nearly three grams of fiber per one cup serving. Increased dietary fiber can help pets suffering from diarrhea. Both cats and dogs are prone to large bowel diarrhea (also known as colitis), often from food changes or dietary indiscretion (eating something that one should not).” Pumpkin also provides a healthy punch of moisture to your dog’s food, especially if they are eating a dry dog food. Furthermore, pumpkin is a great source of potassium, vitamin C, and beta-carotene. As always, consult your veterinarian if your dog is experiencing digestion issues or you plan on making any dietary changes. You can make your own pumpkin puree or purchase it from the store, make sure that you are NOT using a pumpkin pie filling, which contains sugar and spices. For our source and more information on this topic, click here.

Astro’s K9 Kadets

Our K9 Kadets program continues this Saturday, 2:00pm at Cedar Falls Park. The Kadets and their four-legged partners will get to experience a Wilderness Adventure and learn how to tackle real world agility obstacles. This program is designed for kids ages 6-12. There is still time to sign-up, if you would like more information please call us at 864-297-9636.

Puppy Update! (pictures)

German Shepherd puppies, Gilly & Ryder, stopped by Astro today for training. This litter is now four-months-old and they are progressing wonderfully. Both pups are from Ellie x Nolen’s litter and there are still a few available puppies. This litter comes from working bloodlines and these puppies will be suitable to Search & Rescue, Odor Detection, Personal Protection, and Law Enforcement work. If you are looking for a high drive German Shepherd, please contact jamie@astrokennels.net for more information.

Astro’s Wilderness Adventure