Monthly Archives: July 2017

07.26.17
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THE INS AND OUTS OF YOUR DOG’S PEARLY WHITES

How much do you know about your dog’s teeth? Well, let’s get serious, how much do you even know about your own teeth? Not much?  You should, since those pearly whites in your mouth not only look great in photos, but they make it so you can enjoy your favorite foods! It’s important you care about them, whether it’s your own set or your dog’s.

 

Below, we wanted to share some fun facts about your dog’s teeth that you may not know:

  • Dogs have 42 permanent teeth and puppies has 28 teeth.
  • By age 3, 80 percent of dogs show signs of gum disease
  • Small dogs have a bigger chance of developing periodontal disease than larger dogs.
  • Dogs, who spend a lot of time outdoors, are known to break teeth often from carrying objects in their mouths.
  • Dogs don’t usually get cavities, because they don’t consume sugar like humans do, and the surfaces of their teeth are different than ours. Dogs’ saliva also has a high pH, which helps prevent demineralization in the teeth
  • A dog dental visit is just like a human’s; the vet will give them an exam, a cleaning and x-rays.
  • Like humans, a dog can have extra teeth and need them removed.

 

 

First and foremost, it’s essential you bring your dog in regularly to get a dental check in with the vet. Once a year is usually enough for a professional checkup, but some breeds need more visits. It truly is essential to bring your dog in for teeth cleanings by a vet. Otherwise, you run the risk of your dog developing a periodontal disease that can cause him pain, destroy the teeth, gums, and bones, and even cause damage to other parts of the body. If your dog has extremely bad breath, irritated gums, is reluctant to eat, or has bumps in the mouth, you should get him checked out by a vet to rule out anything serious.

 

In between dental visits, there’s plenty you can do to prevent plaque and tartar build up throughout the year. You can brush your dog’s teeth with a special dog toothbrush and toothpaste, use a special dental oral rinse, or use dental chews and water additives.

 

Ark Naturals and Gray Muzzle offer a few different dental products for dogs.

 

  • Breath-Less Chewable Brushless Toothpaste – These are natural dental chews for dogs that help keep plaque, tartar, and bacteria under control. These also help reduce bad breath and stained teeth. No brushing needed!
  • Breath-Less Plaque Zapper – This is an odorless, tasteless, and colorless natural water additive that helps prevent dental decay, plaque, tartar, and bad breath.
  • Brushless Toothpaste – This is a natural, senior-friendly dental chewable that helps control plaque, bad breath and tartar. This is also good for dogs with tender gums or missing teeth.

 

Your dog’s dental health is just as important as yours! With the proper dental care, you can keep your dog smiling and pain free all year round. For more dog wellness products, visit Ark Naturals’ Dog page. Ark Naturals takes pride in creating products that promote pet health so they can live healthier and happier lives.

07.19.17
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SCAREDY CAT: HOW TO HELP YOUR CAT BE STRESS FREE

Unlike you, your cat can’t pick up a book, sign up for a yoga class, or sit back in the therapist’s couch to de-stress himself. Yet, your cat experiences stress and anxiety just like you. And if stress and anxiety makes you feel and act crazy, you better believe it’s also doing that to your cat.

 

If you think your cat may be stressed, don’t ignore it! Ignoring the problem will only make it worse. Also, stress and anxiety could be a sign of a bigger health issue. Stress can also suppress your cat’s immune system making them more prone to sickness and diseases.

 

Why could your cat be stressed? Well, there’s many reasons, and it’s not always easy to pinpoint the exact cause. Sometimes, it could be a combination of a few different causes. Here are some potential reasons as to why your cat may be stressed:

 

  • He is bothered by other animals in the house
  • He isn’t comfortable in a new home you moved into
  • He feels too confined/can’t see or go outdoors
  • He isn’t OK with change in his or your daily routine
  • He has fleas or worms
  • He has a physical injury
  • He is bored or lonely
  • He is afraid of something or someone in or outside the house

 

If you’re on the fence about whether your cat is truly stressed or anxiety, here are some signs your cat will exhibit when experiencing these feelings.

 

  • Urinating outside the litter box
  • Pacing back and forth
  • Excessive grooming or scratching or crying
  • Hides and isolates himself a lot
  • Loss of appetite
  • Aggression

 

These are just a few of the reasons your cat may be stressed. It’s best to talk to your vet about your cat’s behavior, and work with him or her to determine if your cat indeed is stressed/anxious or if there is some other issue going on.

 

Besides working with your vet, there are a couple other things you can do at home to make your cat calm and happy again.

  • Purchase cat trees and cat toys to put around your home so your cat has many places and things to climb and play with.
  • Schedule play time with your cat daily so he feels like he is getting attention from you.
  • Clean the litter box often so he doesn’t look for elsewhere to urinate.
  • Opt for a natural herbal calming supplement to help your stressed/nervous/anxious cat relax. Ark Naturals offers Happy Traveler capsules and soft chews for cats. This product was developed by a holistic veterinarian and PhD herbal scientist to ease anxiety and motion sickness, whether you’re bringing you cat for a car ride or if he’s unhappy in the home. You can purchase Happy Traveler here.

 

In the end, it’s up to you and your vet to determine the best steps to take to get your cat purring again.

 

At Ark Naturals, we take pride in creating products that promote health in cats so they can live healthier and happier lives. Click here to view and purchase all our health and wellness products for cats

 

07.12.17
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Qualified Project Leads in the Construction Industry

Lead Generating Companies

The other day I was driving in my truck and I hear an advertisement from a well-known company offering a place for listeners to go and check up on contractors.  Not five seconds after this commercial started to play, my phone rings.  On the other end of the line was a sales person offering me the opportunity to get QUALIFIED project leads from folks right here in my work area; all for mere pennies on the dollar!  If that is not proof positive that there is a lot of money at stake in the lead generating business I don’t know what is.

We have all heard the heart-breaking story of the single parent or the elderly that gets beaten out of their hard-earned dollars by the mean old contractor.  I can already hear some of you saying to me, “Marc, we NEED companies like that because contractors are notoriously corrupt”.   If this is your thought process, believe me when I say, you are not alone, but also listen to me when I tell you this is a bunch of hogwash!

Have you ever heard the old saying, “there’s no such thing as a free lunch”?  Growing up, I heard that one and many more from my grandfather.  I didn’t understand him at the time because granny made me as many peanut butter and jelly sandwiches as I could eat and never charged me a penny for them (well, she would steal a kiss or two).  I learned it’s meaning as I got older.

In the referral game, a 3rd party is putting their greedy little mitts into the cash flow.  To you, the customer, they tell you it will not cost you a penny for their services, but just as my granny always managed to get her kiss on my cheek, these companies have ways of getting paid without you knowing about it….

Lead Generating Companies | Construction Quotes

Let’s say a contractor agrees to use one (or more) of these “lead generating” companies.  Finally, after driving all over 3 counties and talking to anyone that would hold a door open long enough for the contractor to say hello, they get their first “qualified lead”.  This means he beat at least 20 other contractors to the customer and the customer actually wants a job done.  So, in addition to all the gas spent driving around, and time wasted talking to all those other “customers” that really didn’t want any work done; the contractor now gets the opportunity to “bid” on a job that actually exists – with 20 other contractors!  Yea!  Oh, and let’s not forget, the contractor had to pay for that lead (and all the other bad ones).  Do you think he might be inclined to add a little extra onto your bid to help offset some of his prior losses?

This is but one method that these companies employ to get paid for their services.  Keep in mind, they got paid by EACH and EVERY ONE of those contractors that wanted that lead!

And what about that contractor that made it to your door?  How do you know they can even drive a nail into a piece of wood?  I bet you that lead generating company told you they had those contractors checked out, didn’t they?  Folks this is a topic for another day, but the short story is; don’t believe it.

Another “saying” that my grandfather had was, “you have to do your own work”.   Most customers like the lead generating idea because someone else is supposed to be doing their work for them!  Checking out the contractor to make sure they have proper licenses and insurances.  Sending out a quote form for a job and getting the estimates back and maybe they will even offer to come and wash your car on Friday.  Point is, don’t believe everything they say.  You can do each of these things yourself; here’s how.

How do I research a construction company?

License and Insurance Requirements for a Contractor

Licensing:  In the state of Florida, all state certified contractors will be listed on the State’s web site under the department of business and professional regulation.  Simply go to http://www.myflorida.com/directory/ and click on the link to “business and professional regulation” and on the next page click on “verify a license”.  At this point it’s going to ask you for some information about the contractor; Company name, phone number, the city or county they work in or the license type. If you don’t know the answer to one of these search options, call the company and ask them.  Any reputable contractor will have no issues giving you the information.

NOTE:  This same process can be done for contractors that hold “local” licenses, however, the process may not be available online.  You may need to call the local government agency for verification.

Insurance:  This one is the easiest of all.  When you have selected your contractor, ask them to provide you with a copy of their General Liability and Workman’s Compensation insurance policies.  Folks, we must have these insurances to do our job.  I can have copies of these certifications sent to you within a few hours.  And make sure you don’t fall victim to the contractor that tells you they are exempt from having workman’s compensation insurance (once again, another topic for discussion)!  If you have questions, call your insurance agent and ask; If they don’t know, chances are they know someone that does.

Project Quotes:  Now things get a little trickier.  For me to provide you with a project quote I’m going to need a bit of information.  Which means I’m going to be asking you questions about your project.  Which means you need to have spent some time thinking about your project.  And, you should spend some time talking to your spouse about your project; I definitely will.   The more you know about your project the easier it will be for me to assemble the needed information and provide you with a firm fixed price quotation.

What does a contractor need in order to provide you with a firm fixed price quotation?

  • First off, they need to know what you want to do; be specific.
  • Secondly, they need to know when you want the job to be done.
  • Third, they must know who will be making the buying decision.
  • And finally, they need to know what your investment budget is for your project.

I will address each one of these in more detail in later blogs.

When you provide me with definitive answers to these questions, I am happy to provide you with a rough estimate to complete your project.  If you want a firm fixed price quotation, we would move to the design agreement which will get plans drawn up by an engineer or architect.  I use those plans to prepare a detailed takeoff, solicit bids from subcontractors and material suppliers and get answers to any questions I may have with the building department before construction startsl.

As you can see, there are many steps involved to arrive at the firm fixed price for your job.  You have work you need to do and I have many questions that need answers.  You should not push this work off to a lead generating company whose only interest is adding more zeros to their bottom line.

When you take the time, you will find there are many qualified contractors out there waiting for your work.  I hope you will take that time to look for them because I like to see the good guys (and girls) win.

My best to you all,

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