Is your best friend furry with four legs? If so, it’s a sure bet you’ll want to visit the Bone Appetit bakery before the end of the holiday season.
The store hosts a doggy treasure-trove of lovingly baked treats, as well as an array of kitty-pleasing delicacies and other pet supplies sure to please your special pal.
The store owner, Joe Goldblatt, points out that the freshly prepared treats contain no by-products, no preservatives, animal fat, soy or artificial colors. They also are made without salt or sugar. They do contain whole-wheat flour, wheat germ, corn meal, fresh eggs, vegetable oil and other wholesome, all-natural ingredients. (The cat treats have some preservatives, notes Goldblatt, because they contain fish and meat products. All the treats are veterinarian approved.)
The one-of-a–kind store was opened in 1999 by Goldblatt and his wife, Helen, after they were inspired by a shop in Kansas City and decided to pursue a similar operation in Arizona.
But there’s always room for innovation, and when Goldblatt heard about a new service to help maintain a pet’s oral health, he pounced on it.
On Mondays, when the store would otherwise be closed, anesthesia-free dental cleaning is available for canines, and it’s already proved popular
“More people are realizing that the care of their animal’s teeth is just as important as their own. We usually book 15 to 25 dogs for the teeth cleaning service, which is undertaken by a licensed veterinarian and his tech team. It’s generally completed in 30 to 40 minutes.”
Tartar-encrusted teeth are not just unattractive; they are absolutely dangerous to a dog’s health, according to “The Whole Dog Journal,” a monthly publication and its website, www.whole-dog-journal.com, which is devoted to canines.
Just as with humans, tartar or calculus forms on a dog’s teeth when plaque – a combination of salivary proteins and bacteria – accumulates on the teeth and is not brushed or mechanically scraped away by vigorous chewing.
And, just as with humans, some dogs seem more prone to tartar accumulation than others. Some of this may be due to an inherited trait; it’s also thought that the chemistry in some dogs’ saliva seems to promote tartar formation.
However it happens to attach itself to Fido’s teeth, the mineralized concretion acts as a trap for even more plaque deposits. Soon, the gums become inflamed, and bacterial infections may develop. Yes, the dog will have bad breath and unsightly red gums. He may experience pain when he’s eating his food, playing with toys, or during recreational chewing. Chronic mouth pain can cause behavioral changes, including crankiness and the sudden onset of “bad moods.”
A more serious danger is the bacterial infection and resultant inflammation in the gums, which can send bacteria through the dog’s bloodstream, where it can wreak havoc with the heart, lungs, kidney and liver. Dogs with chronic health problems that affect these organs and dogs with immune-mediated disease are at special risk of experiencing complications due to periodontal disease.
For this reason alone, owners of these dogs should be the most proactive in keeping their dogs’ teeth clean.
The next canine cleaning will be 9 a.m. to noon Monday, Dec. 10—just in time for the holiday season.
For more information, visit the store’s website at www.azboneapetit.com or call 480-785-9499 to schedule an appointment.
The store is in Foothills Park Place, 4810 E. Ray Road, Ahwatukee Foothills. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday between 10 a.m. and 6 p.m., and on Sundays from noon to 5.
No bones about it…specialty store caters to canine owners
