Introducing Nulo, Pet Nutrition Inspired by World-Class Athletes

I’d like to introduce you to our newest, and in my and Michael Phelp’s opinion, highest-performing pet food we carry. It is Nulo, with the slogan “Fuel Their Inner Athlete”, and it has a number of traits that distinguish it from other pet foods.

We Begin with its Macro-Nutrient Composition

Nulo is free from grains and high-glycemic carbohydrates. Grains are often linked to food allergies while ingredients like potatoes and tapioca are associated with elevated blood sugar levels in pets. As a result, Nulo also guarantees a minimum of 30% crude protein, supporting immune health and lean muscle mass. Not all protein is equal, and the first 2-4 ingredients of Nulo are animal-sourced proteins, like turkey, cod, and salmon meal. This means that carbs are guaranteed equal to or lower than 35% of Nulo’s mass.

And we arrive at Nulo’s hallmark, a patented probiotic

GanedenBC is a patented, spore based probiotic that survives the heat of processing so that it may be applied before cooking, and therefore avoid failures due to drying, storage, and shelf-life. It supports digestive health and improves nutrient absorption.

And end at Nulo’s sourcing

Nulo is independently-owned, and dedicated to the highest standards of authenticity, integrity, and food-safety. It’s based in Austin, TX, so Nulo supports the Texas economy. If you have any questions about Nulo, you can forward them to customercare@nulo.com.

If you’re reading this, you probably live in Texas

And I don’t have to tell you what you can feel by stepping outside. But if you’re unconvinced, a new report from the European Union’s Copernicus Climate Change Programme shows that last month was globally the hottest month in history. In Texas, last month 26 out of 31 days averaged over 90 degrees Fahrenheit, many on the upper end.

If it’s hot for you, it’s hot for your pets

Glamour Paws offers Shed-Out treatments for your pets. If your pets are long-haired, it is simply not manageable for them to endure the Summer heat with their coats unabated. According to vcahospitals.com, if your pet’s body temperature exceeds 103 degrees Fahrenheit, that is considered abnormal or hyperthermic. Plus, pet hair is messy and an irritant, even in people not allergic. When you stop by Glamour Paws for your regular spa appointment, make sure to include a Shed-Out treatment this Summer, for your pets’ sakes and yours.

Today I’m going to tell you a very special story of how my dog’s behavior transformed in a single day. Let us first establish what a handsome boy Bob is, and why we kept him around for multiple years before his behavioral change. He’s the black Rhodesian Ridgeback / Great Dane mix, and he’s truly quite easy on the eyes:

So you can see why we would have kept him around, even though he was a nightmare to deal with.

Bob’s Behavior

Bob was an anxious, jealous dog. He did NOT like when you would pet any of the other dogs in the house, and would make it clear by forcing himself between you and whomever you were petting. His constant need for physical touch meant that if you petted him, then he would harass you if you stopped. He was not responsive to a trainer we hired, and his large stature combined with his over-excitability meant that he was accidentally hurting people regularly, especially my mom.

The latter point is probably what would have ended his stay at our home, had things not changed irrevocably for the better.

Why We Tried CBD

When I came back to write more blogs for Glamour Paws, I saw that Charlene had many CBD treatments in her shop. Personally, I have friends and family that use CBD to treat anxiety, but I had never heard of its use in pets before! I did a bit of research. According to The Canadian Veterinary Journal, dogs in fact have a higher proportion of cannabinoid receptors than humans do! We know that these receptors are responsible for the anxiolytic effects of CBD in humans, so it stands to reason that it has these affects in dogs too.

How Bob Changed

Well, I guess you could say that Bob started acting like a normal dog. But the relief this brought our family was immeasurable. I can’t speak to Bob and get his opinion, but I can only believe that it had to have brought him immeasurable relief as well! The transformation was apparent in literally 20 minutes. He didn’t jump anymore, previously an integral feature of his behavior, and while he still enjoyed being petted, he didn’t become panicky when we stopped! I’ve never been more impressed with a pet product, honestly.

If you’re interested, I’m attaching a chart below that is also posted inside the Glamour Paws store, that provides information on specific versions of the drug and what they treat best. We used “Chill Out.”

Today I took a stroll through the shop and sat down for a chat with Sandy, whom in the photo on the left is shaving a Yorkie mix named Maggie. Sandy has worked at Glamour Paws for almost five years now, and she’s been a part of the family for longer than that. Her sister Daisy has been a part of Glamour Paws for 13 years now, and Sandy would drop by the shop to fill in bathing vacancies, which eventually turned into full-time employment as a bather. Sandy is a rising star at the shop, quickly becoming the bath manager and also helping with Charlene’s mobile grooming service, C. R. Paws. About two years ago she became a groomer.

Asked about her favorite cuts, she enjoys doing what is called the ‘Lamb Cut’, which is essentially short hair on the dog’s body and long hair on the dog’s legs. Guests request this cut on breeds ranging from Doodles, to Yorkies, to Schnauzers. In general, Sandy also loves working with Golden Retrievers.

Speaking of Yorkies, this was my favorite thing I learned from the conversation: A while ago a customer did not want their Yorkipoo, Sophia, that they had brought into the shop, and Sandy adopted her on the spot. I have met Sophia, and I will say she is hard not to immediately love, but I think Sandy is extra special for displaying this amount of care!

I’m back!

I took a break from Glamour Paws to continue my studies at TCU, but now I’m making time again to make more posts! We had a good response to the last set of posts I made, and I wanted to tell you all a little bit about myself:

Me at Glamour Paws holding a dog I fell in love with

My name is Peter and I’m 23 years old. I’m a senior at TCU and I’m majoring in Math. My favorite hobby is playing guitar and I read a lot. Here’s my dog situation: I have 4 dogs. Their names are Bob, Molly, Micky, and Blue, and their breeds are respectively Rhodesian Ridgeback/Great Dane mix, Chihuahua, Chihuahua, and Golden Retriever. I met Charlene through her son, who is a childhood friend of mine, and I’ve watched Glamour Paws grow and develop over the past few years under her leadership.

I’m excited to continue this blog and I hope to put out content that my readers love. I would love to hear from each of you about what kind of content you’d love to see! Comment below.

I was curious because my cat never comes when I call it but my dog always does. But does my dog recognize that that name is hers, or does she simply know that when she hears that sound, I’m usually about to pet her or give her something? I did a little bit of research and here’s the conclusion I reached:

For dogs, it isn’t clear whether it depends on the dog, or all dogs recognize their names as their identities. Intelligence varies wildly between breeds. Some dogs are capable of reacting to other’s names which shows they should be able to recognize their own. For example, one person said that if they said their friends name while looking expectantly at their dog, their dog would run over to their friend. But other dogs seem to not be able because they will not register hearing their name if you use it in a different tone of voice than when you’re calling them, such as when used in conversation with others. However recent animal behavior studies have found that dog’s brains behave in much the same way our brains do when someone says our name.

Now what about cats? The aforementioned studies found that cat’s brains also behave in the same way as ours when they hear their names. So why do they not come when called? They simply don’t care. Domesticated cats are social with humans and sometimes other animals, but they were originally solitary animals, unlike dogs. Wolves are highly social and have highly complicated social relationships, so they are more adapted to caring about interactions. Of course anyone who owns a cat can tell you that they can be selfish jerks.

You can almost always avoid your new pet and your old pets hating each other if you follow the steps below. Remember that in introducing a pet, like anything involving pets, it is about using the psychology of the animals to your advantage. Without further ado, here are the tips:

Confine the newcomer to a small room at the beginning.

Keep the new pet in a small room with water, food, litter box and scratching post if it is a cat, or kennel if it is a dog. This has two advantages. The pet feels secure in what is going to be at first an uncomfortable environment, and allows you to perform the following trick: Put the pets’ food bowls on opposite sides of the door. This forces the pets to be near each other, but does so on good terms. Pets generally enjoy eating, and sharing a good experience with each other helps to warm relations.

Trade bedding, toys, and such, to introduce the pets to each other’s smells.

To animals, smells are far more important than appearances. Trade the bedding between the newcomer and the old residents so that the animals can experience each other’s scents in a non-threatening way.

Take it slow and steady.

It is much easier to get pets to like each other if they don’t have any bad experiences with each other. Take things gradually. If you rush it, a snap judgement by one pet can ruin their relationship for a long time, or forever.

If you’re paying attention to this, you probably have a new pet or are about to get one. I love the feeling of getting a new animal! If it is a smooth experience introducing the pets to each other, you get to enjoy their interactions, which can be one of the most fulfilling parts about owning pets. Good luck!

Feast your eyes on the greatest thing you will ever see:

They’re all natural and apparently dogs love the crap out of them. People love ice cream, dogs love people food -> dogs love ice cream. Come by the shop and pick some up!

Most pets are actually not that picky about what they eat. . .

I see my dogs eating their Acana Dog Food: Lamb and Apple with the same voracity that I see my sister’s dogs eating Pedigree. Why do I choose to buy premium food when the dogs don’t seem to mind (considering they eat grass and random insects they find)? Well, I look at it like this: If I really ate what I wanted to every day, I’d probably be eating a whole lot of Whataburger, Fuzzy’s Tacos, and Canes’ chicken fingers. Do these things taste good? Yes. Would I want to eat it every day? Probably.

Is it good for me? Probably not.

We at Glamour Paws prefer premium food for our dogs because we care about their health, not just giving them the cheapest food we can find that they will scarf down. I don’t buy them Pedigree or Natural Balance because I think my dogs are better off without their bellies full of taurine and cheap grains. I want whole ingredients, like those found in the food I buy and in every single product available at this store. I checked the ingredients lists of various foods in the Glamour Paws store and they all are filled with things that even sound good for me to eat. I know that Charlene, the owner of Glamour Paws, vets her food choices well enough that I don’t have to (though I actually enjoy reading the ingredients off of gems like Fromm Dog Food: Gold Adult (Duck, Oatmeal, Salmon Oil, etc., it just sounds yummy).

If you are looking for recommendations, I will have to personally recommend Acana’s Lamb and Apple variety, found in store or on our online shop, since it was what I feed Charlie and Molly. It is mostly comprised of lamb, and features wholesome ingredients like whole peas, red delicious apples, and butternut squash. Every ingredient on the list is a natural, whole food, or helpful enzymes like acidophilus.

They’re attacking!

OK, I realize it’s not actually that big of a deal. We have an entire industry dedicated to killing them. But I do think that many people have the wrong idea about how to fight them, so I’d like to spread some information about fighting fleas.

It is much, much easier to prevent fleas than it is to remove them.

Killing fleas in their vulnerable larval and egg stages is much easier than destroying an infestation. You don’t even need to necessarily target the environment (though this can be a very good idea). A Seresto collar for each of your animals will guard them the whole season (they protect for 8 months!). You can purchase one in our store or online shop.

You don’t have to hurt your pets to hurt fleas. (and some products will do that)

Your average flea product in a pet store is designed with efficacy and cost in mind. They need to mass produce it, and they will use the cheapest chemicals that can get the job done. They don’t care if whatever chemicals they use cause cancer 3 years down the road for your dog, because you probably won’t associate it with that flea treatment and it won’t ever get back to them. There is no easy way to tell what flea products are good for your pets, so it is best to consult the experts. That’s what we do. You can trust that any product in our shop is going to be safe for your pet.

I am begrudgingly reminded of this fact every year when there is a month of consecutive 90+ degree days.

But it’s not that bad. I like to think of it as free visits to the tanning salon, courtesy of nature. And it makes vacations to Colorado / northern United States all the much nicer. I guess cats and dogs probably view the summer differently depending on the species. For example, I’d be quite sure this Afghan Hound hates the Summer heat more than I do, with all that hair:

While he would benefit more from being shaved if he had to live in Texas, we just got in these adorable doggy sun visors! I picked up two for Charlie and Molly yesterday.

Pet health is fairly easy to get almost correct.

If you choose an organic pet food mix free of preservatives and unhealthy additives (Our shop offers the most healthy types of food on the market), take your pet to the vet, and exercise your pet regularly, you will be taking great steps to ensure your pets’ health. These will get you 90% of the way there. A pet’s life can be full-length and happy with these things.

Supplements are the final addition to pet health to get it perfect.

Just as humans fare best with a multivitamin, pets can do better with some key supplements too. The role they play in pet health is improving the functioning of specific systems in the pet’s body (joint health, digestive health, urinary tract health, etc.). For example, try PERNALOGIX Canine Joint Health:

This product and many like it, that help with other facets of your pet’s health, are found in our shop online and in-store.

Time to celebrate with the whole family!

Long Exposure of Roman Candles

I’ve headed down to Austin, TX this weekend to spend some time with some friends, and I brought along my Dachshund, Charlie and my Chihuahua Molly. We’ve hung out at Barton Springs, a huge swimming pool and creek (great destination if you want to bring dogs!), and spend the nights patrolling 6th street. This is one of my favorite times of the year because it feels like Independence Day is one of the best holidays to bring us together.

Now that it’s the 4th of July, I’m looking ahead to the fireworks! However, remember that as pet owners we must consider our friends that may not understand fireworks as well as we do. Charlie handles them pretty easily, but Molly definitely gets pretty frightened. That’s surprising to me actually, because she pays no mind to thunder, which is pretty similar. . . Oh well. I keep her calm with a Thundershirt. It’s designed to keep dogs wrapped tightly and securely to reduce anxiety from thunder, but I have found that it also works for fireworks. You can pick them up at Glamour Paws, or here on our store website, if your dog gets anxious from loud noises.

Since I’m all prepared for tonight, I think we will go out and have something very American. I don’t really need excuses to eat more Whataburger, but come on. Remember to treat your pets to something tasty when you’re celebrating! (Yup, we have healthy and tasty treats too)