Happy New Year! We hope you and your pet’s 2016 is off to a happy and healthy start!
We love the beginning of the year at Calvin & Susie because not only do we get to make plans for how we’ll continue to improve and expand our furry-friendly customer service, but we also look forward to all the new pet products we’ll learn about in the coming year. As many of you may know, our staff is constantly researching and sussing out pet goodies, accessories, supplements, and foods that might be good additions to our shelves.
Walking through our stores, it’s remarkable how much our shelves have grown and changed over the years. Old favorites or “oldies but goodies” sit next to new innovative products, and with every passing year we hope that our shelves better reflect the needs of our discerning customers. While we fill the orders and scrutinize the labels, it is you that is reflected in our shelves — you inform what we bring to Calvin & Susie.
So with 2016 pulling at its leash, we thought we’d share with you some of our staff favorites from 2015; new products and “oldies but goodies” that we think will help make 2016 a year to bark (or purr) about!
Leah
New Favorite: “The Tre Ponti Harness. The sleek, step-in design is simple to put on and has minimal material so that it reduces rubbing against your pet’s skin. Reflective trim makes it perfect for night walks.”
Tre Ponti Reflective Dog Harness
Favorite “Oldie but Goodie”: “Himalayan Dog Chew. I buy this for all of the pet parents in my life. The dogs L-O-V-E it. It’s hard enough to last quite a while, and the company kept the consumer in mind with their no-waste product. Just pop the last little chunk in the microwave, and it puffs up into a non-choke crunchy, cheese biscuit.”
Himalayan Dog Chew (smaller and larger sizes available)
What you want to know: The Tre Ponti harness is easy to put on, easy to adjust, and as an added bonus is easy to clean. The material is designed to “not collect hairs”. This might be a good “first harness”, for your Hawai’i dog as the material is light and should not rub under their legs, and is reflective — perfect for those long, leisurely walks on balmy Hawai’i nights.
The Himalayan Dog Chew is a long time customer favorite. If your dog likes cheese, they might LOVE the long-lasting Himalayan chew, made from only three responsibly sourced ingredients: “yak and cow milk, salt, and lime juice”. And every little bit can be enjoyed! Once the chew is down to a size that becomes a choking hazard for your dog (a swallowable size), just pop the chunk or chunks in microwave (as Leah mentioned) and your dog has a crunchy cheese treat!
Stephen
New Favorite: “The entire Vital Essentials brand. They’re small, freeze dried raw, single sourced protein treats. Good for training, and healthy enough to give your puppy as well as senior dog!! Plus I eat them on my break don’t judge me… Just kidding hahaha!”
Freeze-Dried Vital Treats at the Kapahulu store.
What you want to know: Yes, Stephen has questionable eating habits. We’re kidding! (Please don’t EVER eat your pet’s food, even the most high quality pet foods aren’t safe for human consumption!)
But joking aside, Vital Essentials look so yummy we wouldn’t be surprised if you’re a little jealous of your dog. Their Freezed-Dried Vital Treats are made from only raw meat and organs — no grain, hormones, antibiotics, gluten, fillers, by-products, preservatives, or synthetic vitamins and minerals. Just the good stuff “sourced, made, and packed” in the USA.
Regina
Favorite “Oldie but Goodie”: “Great Life eNZYmes Pro+. It really helped my cat when she was having serious digestive issues!”
Great Life eNZYmes Pro+ in Chewables (formula also available in a powder that is suitable for both canine and feline supplementation; chewables are only for dogs)
What you want to know: Great Life eNZYmes Pro+ is a digestive enzyme that helps your cat or dog more easily digest and absorb the nutrients and matter from their food. The eNZYmes Pro+ is a great, easy-to-feed option for pets with upset stomaches, absorption issues, diarrhea, gas, bloating, skin issues, and many other digestion related problems. This food-based enzyme supplement has no fillers, no GMOs, and contains “micro-encapsulated probiotics”. While you should always check with a vet FIRST if your pet is suffering from digestive distress, eNZYmes Pro+ could be a great way to get their stomach and gut back on track.
Ashley
New Favorite (or as Ash put it, “Awesome Addition of 2015”): “The Barkworthies line. They have so many good treats with unusual protein sources at a good price, so it’s difficult to choose just one — but my dog Zen loves the Pork Rose. What I like about it is that it’s pork, so it’s good for those with allergies, and contains glucosamine in the form of trachea and larynx cartilage.
ALSO! Calvin & Susie Ahi Jerky. It’s local ahi that is prepared locally. They’re crispy and make great omiyage お土産 [gift or souvenir].”
Zen and his Pork Rose
Favorite “Oldie but Goodie”: “Polka Dog Bakery Cod Skins! It’s single ingredient, crunchy, smelly (a plus for the dogs!), and breaks easily for tinier mouths or for sharing (one of our customers likes to share with her dog’s friends at the dog park!).”
Polka Dog Bakery Cod Skins
What you want to know: Barkworthies makes simple, straightforward, yummy products. “Absolutely no preservatives, chemicals, or additives” — with these treats and chews what you see is what you get. The Pork Rose is, like Ash said, only baked pork trachea and larynx; it’s 100% digestible and a healthier alternative to rawhide.
Our Calvin & Susie Ahi Jerky is a product we’re really proud of. Made with only wild-caught and air-dried Hawaiian Ahi, our Ahi Jerky is a unique Hawai’i treat for dogs who might be allergic to other proteins. No salt, sugar, or preservatives either!
Calvin & Susie Ahi Jerky
Polka Dog Bakery is “all about locally-sourced, made-in-the-usa, limited ingredient natural dog treats”. Their Cod Skins are not only one of Ash’s favorites, but a favorite among our customers. With only one ingredient, wild-caught Alaskan cod skins, each skin is hand-rolled and slowly dehydrated to give them their singular look, taste, and gloriously fishy smell. Every time we open a package in the store, all the dogs come a-begging!
Joanna
New Favorite: “Calvin & Susie Ahi Jerky. It’s a hit with both dogs and cats. Wild caught ahi with no added preservatives!”
Favorite “Oldie but Goodie”: “The Honest Kitchen Pro Bloom Instant Goat’s Milk. [My dogs] Max and Jake LOVE it and it’s great for all seasons. Can warm it up a little bit on cool days/nights and freeze it into little ice cube popsicle treats for summer.”
The Honest Kitchen Pro Bloom Instant Goat’s Milk
What you want to know: As you can see our Ahi Jerky is a quite a hit with our staff. And as Joanna mentioned, cats love it too!
The Honest Kitchen’s Pro Bloom Instant Goat’s Milk is a long time favorite amongst customers as well as staff. Personally, I always have a supply of it on-hand for my senior cat, Brandy. A tempting, gut-friendly supplement, Pro Bloom has “a whopping 5 billion active probiotics and digestive enzymes, so it’s good for your pet and their gut”. Pro Bloom is one of those products that has seemingly countless uses: a stomach/gut soother when your dog or cat is suffering from diarrhea or stomach upset, a way to maintain gut health for recovering or sensitive pets — almost any pet, a way to tempt picky pets by pouring it over food, a great way to work more hydration into your pet’s diet. The list goes on and on.
I would say that Pro Bloom is my favorite “evergreen” product too. As soon as I open my Pro Bloom container, my cranky, old kitty comes MEOWING into the kitchen, literally climbing my legs for her goat milk treat! Pro Bloom has helped so much in keeping her stomach soothed while on all her “old-kitty” meds.
(As stated earlier, always check with your vet FIRST if your pet is suffering from digestion, or any such distress. Consult your vet before any significant diet changes.)
Alli
Favorite “Oldie but Goodie” (really, this might be Alli’s “All Time Favorite”): Buck Mountain Wound Balm for Animals. Especially great for this time of year when people might be traveling in airplanes. It helps keep [human and pet] skin moist from cabin dry air. I use it for almost all skin problems — on both me and my dogs. Scratches, burns, minor wounds, even zits!”
Buck Mountain Wound Balm for Animals
Buck Mountain Wound Balm is another one of those products that almost seems like it can do anything. A thick olive oil and beeswax based balm, the active ingredients are “extract of burdock root, echinacea root and yarrow herb”. It stays put on the skin very well (and is safe if small amounts are licked off), and a little goes a long way. The balm has anti-fungal, anti-microbial, and anti-inflammatory properties, while at the same time discouraging the formation of scar tissue.
For many of us at the store, no home is complete without a tub of Wound Balm!
In case any of the products we’ve mentioned sound appealing to you, here’s a quick recap you can add to your pet’s shopping list.
Treats
Himalayan Dog Chew
Vital Essentials — Freeze-Dried Vital Treats
Barkworthies products — Pork Rose
Calvin & Susie Ahi Jerky
Polka Dog Bakery Cod Skins
Supplements
Great Life Enzymes Pro+
The Honest Kitchen Pro Bloom Instant Goat’s Milk
Wound/Skin Care
Buck Mountain Wound Balm for Animals
Harness
Tre Ponti Harness (reflective)
As always, if you have any questions, never hesitate to call us or drop by. There’s always more to be learned about every product.
We look forward to seeing you and your pet in the store this year!
~Your Loyal Calvin & Susie Blogger
Note: Always check with your vet before making any changes to your pet’s diet. The Calvin & Susie Blogger always researches to the best of her ability, but she is not a vet. This blog is not in any way meant to replace veterinary advice or care. When in doubt, always ask a vet.