Relax, it's just music.

Music has always been known to "soothe the savage beast"...so does soothing music help pets? People often leave a television or radio on for their pets when they leave their house, many believe this helps distract and tune out unwanted noise. This also makes people feel like their pets have some kind of company. While this may be true, clinical studies show that animals react differently to types of sounds and music. Whereas they are calm and relaxed with most classical types, they are uneasy and bothered with heavy metal or loud rock. Dogs and cats exposed to soothing classical music appear noticeably calmer and generally more relaxed than those that are not. Cats seem to sleep heavier when they are left with soothing music playing and dogs seem to settle easier. Listening to such music while you're at home is great because you get to see first hand how your pets react to it if in case you are questioning the calming effects of music.

 So go on and pick out some Mozart, Bach, or Beethoven and leave it playing while you are out or leave your radio on to a local classical station. Just make sure that upon arriving home you come in quietly... you won't want to disturb the peace.

Think green.

We picked-up some produce from Earl's Organic this week and thought of sharing some pictures of the "greens" with everyone. After each pick-up we typically grind the produce that are added to our batches, but before going through that task we snapped some shots. Organic kale, broccoli, parsley, basil, and rosemary are the ones pictured because of how beautiful and vibrant they looked when grouped together. They are also key elements in our batches in both cat and dog diets, the nutritional value they hold is amazing. Hope everyone's eating their greens, at least we know our pets are!

Uncovering the truth.

A few months ago we came across an article in a pet magazine written by acclaimed author Marion Nestle. The article reported on Pet Expos or Pet Trade shows and the rise of more natural products and most importantly domestic made food products. More recently at "Slow Food Nation" we came across her latest book "Pet Food Politics". In this book Nestle follows the trail of the largest pet food recall in U.S. history and takes a close look at the tainted pet food ingredients back to their source in China and along the supply chain. The book reads like a detective, mystery novel yet she highlights the failings of food regulation and makes us all wonder about how this affects all of our food supply. After reading this you can't ever see pet food the same again, nor should you. An absolute must read. 

The terrible ones.

Fleas. It's a never ending itchy and scratchy show when they're around. Besides being the ultimate pests, they are also very threatening to your pets health. Getting rid of them can be very tricky, specially if you are using a natural approach and not giving in to harmful pesticides as the only alternative to deal with them. Here are some ways to remedy and help with these pesky invaders:

-A healthy diet. Fleas really like poor defenseless creatures such as kittens and puppies or malnourished ones because of their weak immune systems. Feeding your pet a healthy fresh diet is incredibly important for helping them stay strong. A raw diet is ideal and staying away from foods with chemical preservatives, food coloring, and by-products is a must. Nutritional yeast and garlic added to or in their diet is also essential to help fight fleas. Adding a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar to your pets water bowl can also help. This makes your pets skin more acidic and unpleasant to fleas and ticks.

-Groom your pet regularly. Baths are great for warding off pesky fleas. Try using an natural herbal shampoo specially one with eucalyptus and neem oil(you can also add a few drops to your regular shampoo) yet stay away from essential oils on cats since they are toxic to them. Using a flea comb is essential when you have an infestation the fine teeth trap fleas, which then die when you dip them in soapy water. After rinsing very well, you can also use a rosemary rinse/mixture to repel fleas. To make this you steep two cups of fresh rosemary in two pints of boiling water for 30 minutes you then strain the liquid discard the leaves and make it up to one gallon (8 pints) with warm water. Pour this mixture over your pet until it's saturated. Do not rinse off and allow to dry naturally.

-Use a natural way to repel and kill fleas. Staying away from "on spot" flea treatments is essential for your pet's overall health. These contain harmful toxins which can not only harm your pets but can be very bad for you and the environment. Use diatomaceous earth instead, you apply a little on your pet's body, bedding and around your house. Fleas eat this powder and dehydrate, shrink and are gone! A lemon repellent has been known to be very efficient as well(not to be used on cats), it's easy, natural and inexpensive. You finely slice a whole lemon, cover it with a pint of boiling water and let it steep overnight. You can put the solution in a spray bottle and spray behind ears avoiding eyes and sensitive areas but covering the rest of the body. You can also try a homeopathic approach. Products by Dr. Goodpet offer some flea aid. Flea relief is one product and it is all natural with no side effects it helps relieve itching, scratching, biting caused by fleas and it contains pulex irritants(flea extract) so it fights flea with flea!

-Clean your house. They lurk in cracks and crevices, your bed, your pet's bedding, rugs, and carpets. Vacuuming, sweeping, and washing all help eliminate flea infestation. Keeping a clean routine around your house will help maintain a low or obsolete flea population.

Throughout this flea ordeal give your dog or cat some love, comfort and keep them entertained assuring them and yourself that fleas don't have to be part of your lives.

For the love of bones.

*Blue(cat) and Daisy(dog) enjoying and sharing a meaty beef bone.

Give a dog a bone and watch as this simple treat becomes an indulgence. Dogs love to gnaw and chew on bones from meaty bones, to marrow bones, to just plain bones. They also keep them entertained for hours depending on the size of the bone, jaw strength, and the kind practice your dog has.

Cats love bones too, yet most owners rarely think of these as treat options for their cats perhaps because many cats are finicky. Cats love chicken necks and usually can eat a whole one without having to break it in pieces. The tiny bones crumble easily and the meat on them helps cats exercise their jaw muscles. The safest kind of bones are the raw kind, some people don't know this but cooked bones splinter and can cause some serious damage. Following that rule of thumb you can try all sorts of bones to treat your pets and keep their teeth clean and help their breath stay fresh. In the long run feeding bones is essential for your pet's oral care and eliminates the need for professional teeth cleaning which can cost a lot of money and in most cases requires anesthesia. So go ahead, give them bones and enjoy the show.

Pugalicious and healthy.

*Ruby posing and waiting for a treat!

We decided we had to share the story of a dear friend of ours, miss Ruby. She is a sassy and beautiful black pug who loves people, treats, and food! Anyone who owns a pug knows this is pretty much how a pug is, yet Ruby (the little food hound that she is), has a very lean body specially for a pug and one who loves food. Ruby's guardian, Laura James who is also a good friend of ours and a jill of all trades has been feeding Ruby raw food for a number of years. Laura is a huge supporter of anything local her store (a boutique called Ruby, go figure!) showcases jewelry and accessories by local artists and she also runs a community garden. When we first met, several years ago and she found out we made raw pet food she shared her experience with feeding it and making it herself. 

Ruby had an incident with cancer years ago and Laura immediately evaluated the situation and chose to go with a natural and holistic approach to treat Ruby. Her first major move was to switch Ruby's food from commercial dry food to a homemade raw diet. Making Ruby's food was never an issue for Laura since she loves to cook for herself and always uses fresh organic ingredients in her meals, yet she found herself having to go to multiple places to pick and choose ingredients for Ruby's food. Then it occurred to her, that despite the fact that she enjoyed making raw food herself, smallbatch would save her time and she felt that our diets were more balanced and complete.  In the end the cost would average out, she would save time, and she would support a local small company. Ruby is now a full supporter and taste tester for smallbatch, she is healthy, vibrant and happy. She also devours each meal as fast as you can put the plate down and wink. 

Grassy truths.

Time gets the best of us and time definitely flies for us at smallbatch, but we wanted to make a post completely inspired by our previous post (Grass fed, and happy.) regarding the health benefits of grass farming. Many people wonder what the difference is...is there any? So we decided to round up our knowledge on grass fed and pick-up some new stuff along the way. 

Most of us have been led to believe that meat is meat no matter what the animal has been fed and that the nutritional value of it's products remains the same. Not true. The nutrient content of an animal's diet has a profound influence. Therefore, the difference between grain fed versus grass fed animal products is huge. Here's the basic rundown.

Grass fed tends to be much lower in fat than grain fed products. When meat is lean it is known to lower cholesterol. Lower in calories as well.

Enter extra Omega-3's. Grass fed is low on "bad" fats including saturated fat, and it gives 2-6 times more of a type of "good" fat omega 3-fatty acids. Omega 3's are heart friendly, essential for brain function, and may reduce the risk of cancer. Many studies show that for both animals and humans essential fatty acids can slow the growth of cancers and keep them from spreading. Grain fed contains Omega 6 fatty acids a diet too rich in these can lead to obesity, diabetes, immune system disorders and cancer.  The reasons for going with grain fed are simple. The animals grow fatter faster. Grain is a higher concentrated force of energy than grass and provides way more calories. The end result with grain feeding is fattier meat.

Oh my, there you have it! Grass fed is here to stay and there are some wonderful ranches making this possible. As for us we love using grass fed in all of our batches, dogs and cats alike love the taste. You can see the difference in their energy, beautiful coat and lean muscles. 

Grass fed, and happy.

We are proud to introduce Bear River Valley Beef to our smallbatch magic. These wonderful folks are located in Ferndale, 265 miles north of San Francisco. The ranch is a family run operation with Hugo leading the way, he is from Zimbabwe and has a huge ranching background. He is joined by his wife Elizabeth a native of England who holds a Cooper Institute Certificate in Nutrition and Kinesiology. The family is complete with three children and a ton of happy cows.

We were instantly excited about them and learning that after running a traditional cow/calf operation for many years and establishing a superior cow herd whose calves were sold into the commodity market, Hugo realized that he could provide a much better product and service by retaining ownership of the cattle and finishing them on grass. All natural 100% grass fed. Yes, sir!

We picked up some wonderful marrow bones, and organ meat for all of our beef diets. Tuula our pup enjoyed a very generous piece of bone. 

smallbatch sold at Hazel & Gertie's.

It's been a few months now since smallbatch was introduced in the most beautiful and most inviting pet boutique in San Francisco, perhaps in all of California, or ever! Hazel & Gertie's is this gem I rant and rave about. If you are a pet owner or have ever been to your typical pet store, or pet boutique you know that these are typically either over the top cutesy/annoying or dusty and unorganized. Hazel & Gertie's is amazing. Very clever, vintage, flea market decor yet functional with great merchandise. A must see and of course smallbatch has a little space in this store which makes us feel very fortunate. Our existing customers as well as new curious pets and their owners visit our small freezer to stock up or try smallbatch. We find ourselves "visiting" or "restocking" the little thing often. All very exciting and overwhelming too.