There are a few neighborhoods around the Allen, TX area that we have several pet sitting & dog walking clients that live there, yet none of those clients found us from each other. That's totally fine, but I wanted to let my clients know where we have a good established client base and that we work with several of their neighbors already.

One of those neighborhoods is StarCreek in Allen, TX. StarCreek is located off Stacy Road between 75 and 121. The neighborhood is fairly new and still being developed. Great family neighborhood! We have several established clients in that neighborhood and continue to get more, and all found Select Pet Care in different ways besides word of mouth in the neighborhood.

Well, I want that to change! I want people to know that you aren't the only one considering our services to take care of your pet. I want you to ask if we've worked in your area before, and I want you to know that we have clients that are willing to be used as a reference to answer any questions or concerns that you might have as well.

Next time you are looking for a local pet sitter or dog walker, you might just ask a couple of your neighbors who they use. I love that we are consistently growing our client base in neighborhoods such as StarCreek and look forward to making Select Pet Care your preferred pet sitting company!!

Please feel free to call me with any questions! (469) 233-7335

As we all know, there are tons of flea/tick preventatives out there for both dogs and cats, but some of those raise concerns about how they make affect your pet. We even have a couple clients that their animals have suffered some pretty rough side effects from the topical flea treatments. For those of you looking for a different alternative, there are a few ways to help prevent fleas & ticks without using a chemical pesticide.

Start with Nutrition:

Providing your pet with a diet that is high in antioxidants and nutrients will naturally repel fleas. Also, garlic and brewer's yeast are a great supplement to ward off fleas, because the fleas do not like the taste of it. You can provide those in a supplement or in a tasty homemade snack.

Shampoos:

There are several types of herbal shampoos that help keep fleas away. They contain peppermint, neem, tea tree, citrus or clove. But don't use the tea tree or neem on cats, it's toxic. These work just as good as the chemical type shampoos, but you have to use it more often.

Diatomaceous Earth:

Consists of fossilized of aquatic organisms. Weird huh? It's harmless to pets, but kills fleas and ticks. You sprinkle it on their coat and/or around the house.

Electromagnetic Fields:

It's a little magnet that you put on your pet's collar that prevents fleas, ticks and mosquitoes. The pet has to wear it for 24 hours straight in the beginning to make it work to it's fullest potential, but hey, it's better than a chemical, right?

For more information about how to prevent fleas and ticks naturally, click here.

Summer is literally just around the corner!! Do you know who is going to take care of your pets while you're on vacation? Well, if you don't, give us a call!! (469) 233-7335

We still have plenty of availability this Summer for both the Memorial Day and 4th of July holidays. We charge $17 per 30 minute visit, up to 3 pets. It's $3 extra for each additional pet thereafter.

Our pet sitting visits include feeding/watering, walking (if requested), cleaning litter boxes, lots of play time and affection, bring in mail/newspaper, adjust electronics, etc. Select Pet Care is bonded & insured for your protection.

Don't wait until the last minute to find professional care for your pets. Call us today and we'll set up a free consultation to come meet you and your pets and discuss their needs while you'll be away.

We always leave notes about our visits for you to read upon your return to give you peace of mind that your pets were well taken care of and enjoyed their company.

Stay cool out there! Can't wait to hear from you!

I don't know about you, but I consider my dog (and cats) my closest confidants these days. Studies show that humans communicate with dogs better than their own human friends. Well duh! They are great listeners, always keep your secret, and never judge you for what you are telling them. Many times I feel like I know what is going on in Ginger's head too, and my clients totally agree! They tell me about conversations they've had with their dogs, especially when it comes to introducing a new person, such as a pet sitter. That's why we try to communicate with your pets just as you do, because we want them to know that we're their friends and then you can have peace in mind while you're away. In fact, "a full two-thirds of dog owners confess that when they’re out of town, they’re more likely to feel guilty about leaving their dogs behind than their own family and friends."

Right now Ginger is telling me she wants me to go take a nap with her, but knows I have work to do, so she's using my foot as a pillow instead. Gotta love her!

To read more, click here.

I found a very interesting article the other day about the increasing problem of pet obesity, especially in dogs. As a dog and cat owner, I can understand the frustration in trying to find the right diet for your pet and keeping a regular exercise routine. It can be just as difficult for them as it is for us to stay healthy!

Facts about Pet Obesity:

Just like humans, overweight animals have an increased chance of health problems such as diabetes and joint problems, just to name a couple.

Their life span is shortened

Their problems with keeping the weight down are very similar to ours. For example, lack of exercise, increased snacking, larger food portions, etc.

Oh, and another that I didn't know was that spaying/neutering an animal increases their chances of getting overweight, which does make sense. That doesn't mean we should stop getting our animals fixed to control the pet population, but it does mean that you need to adjust their diet after surgery and reduce their calorie intake.

How to Get the Weight Off and Keep it Off:

Get with your vet to determine what type and amount of food your pet should be eating. Remember, just because there are low-calorie and diet dry foods out there, doesn't mean that is what your dog/cat needs.

Take your pet on a daily walk and/or provide daily exercise – Select Pet Care can help with that one!!! : )

Stop giving in to those sweet little puppy dog eyes when they are begging you for a treat or table scraps, though you can always change up the snack diet to fresh fruits and vegetables (make sure they are safe first).

I can speak from personal experience on this topic. My dog's weight began to get a little out of control when she had to undergo heartworm treatment (She was heartworm positive when we adopted her). She had to take a steroid for several weeks, which severely increased her appetite. She wasn't allowed exercise for a couple months too. So you can imagine, the weight packed on. We've since been able to work some off, but it's taken a lot of work and will continue to. We changed her diet completely. At first, we thought feeding her a diet dry food would help the situation, but she really didn't enjoy the flavor and eventually stopped eating it all together. We switched to an ultra premium dry dog food specially made for larger breeds and mix it with a small amount of premium canned food to keep the protein in her diet and reduce the amount of carbs. Her snacks consist of glucosamine chews, omega vitamins, bananas, and apples. She'll also eat the occasional carrot. She goes on a daily walk, sometimes twice a day, to burn off those calories too. She's definitely lost some weight since this past Summer, and her vet has no complaints. We'll just continue our regimen and see how it goes and tweak it along the way if necessary.

The article provides helpful information on how to figure out a healthy diet/exercise plan for your pet and hopefully you'll see some results too!

I came across a story about Susan Boyle, the now famous British singer, and how she can't imagine leaving or uplifting her cat for the sake of her career. The article reads that, "despite the generous offer made by Sony Music, Boyle refused because she was concerned that Pebbles would never adjust". I can honestly say that I make some such decisions with consideration for my pets as well. For example, my husband and I will try to plan vacations where we can take our dog along with us. Ginger, our 2 yr old Chocolate Lab mix loves going on trips, and we hate leaving her at home, so we try to plan trips that she can enjoy too. We recently took her camping in Oklahoma and the 3 of us had a blast!

Here is a picture of Ginger enjoying her weekend camping trip this past November.

To read more about Susan Boyle and Pebbles' story, click here.

I'd love to hear what kinds of things you do for your pets to keep them happy. Post your comments below.

I have to say it…. what will they think of next?! So, Twitter's newest craze? Twitter for your dogs!! Your pet will no longer be left out of the social network now! I've come across a couple different articles that discuss the idea of Twitter accounts for your dogs, and both were very interesting.

First off, who do you think jumped on board for the dog Twitter phenomenon? IPhone of course!! There will soon be a new app that you can download to your iPhone that will "translate" your dog's barks into "tweets". How funny is that?! The app will sell for about $5. Check out the full article here, IPhone Dog Twitter app.

Also, Mattel is getting on board with the Doggie Twitter Craze too! They are soon releasing a new toy called Puppy Tweets. How does it work you ask? Well, you attach the product to your dog's collar and the sound and motion sensor will update your dog's Twitter page automatically. Of course, the tweets may not be very accurate, but the idea is so cute! This product will retail for about $30. Read more about the Puppy Tweet product here, Mattel Dog Twitter Toy.

I know we do the craziest things for our pets, but these two ideas are definitely taking it to a whole new level! Do you have a Twitter account for your pet??? I'd love to hear from you!

Spring Break is just around the corner, thank goodness! I'm tired of this bitter cold weather and ready for Spring to move on in!

Select Pet Care still has availability for the Spring Break holiday for pet sitting in Allen, Plano, and McKinney TX, but not for too long. Calls are coming in, and everyone is getting their pet care lined up for the week.

Our pet sitting rates are $17 per visit and there is no additional charge for the Spring Break holidays.

We'd love to help you out so call us and get your free consultation set up ASAP!

(469) 233-7335

Ask us about our current specials too!!