Making your home safe for your pets It’s here again… Christmas songs on the radio, festive baking, decorating the tree… but did you know that many plants typically seen (and gifted!) at this time of year can actually be dangerous for your dogs and cats? It’s important to make sure that your decorations aren’t creating an inadvertent hazard for your furry friends, so we’ve put together a list of some of the more toxic plants that are best avoided in pet-loving households. Mildly toxic Poinsettias Toxic to dogs and cats... Read more

MOMMS Premium Pet Foods opened its doors in July 2019 in Calgary’s southeast community of Lake Bonavista. Chris Malmberg and his wife Shelley had both been looking for a change in career, and they realized that a pet food store could be just the “hidden gem” that the neighbourhood of dog-owners needed. It was another independent pet food store owner in Calgary, Drew at Dexter’s Pet Shop, who played an integral role at the beginning. “We learned a lot of knowledge from him - Drew is just absolutely brilliant,” Chris... Read more

Delicious and Nutritious: How Important is the Diet you Feed your Pet? As pet parents, we know what our furry friends need the most - love and attention, exercise and socializing, food and water (and a little more love, just because). But when it comes to the diet we decide to feed them, how important are the choices that you make? In this article, we answer that question by taking a look at the importance of nutrition for elevating your pet’s well-being and helping them to thrive. It’s All About... Read more

They Are What They Eat: How a Good Diet Can Help Prevent Poor Health in Your Pets Eat well, move more, take care of your body. We all know the best things to do to keep ourselves fit and healthy and living longer - but what about our pets? As much as vets are there for us to help treat any illness our dogs and cats may succumb to, the importance of doing what we can to prevent health issues from arising in the first place cannot be underestimated. Here,... Read more

Frost things frost…keeping your pets (and their paws) safe this winter All too quickly, winter is here again, and that means it’s time to think about the best ways to keep your pets safe from the cold. After all, cats and dogs don’t usually enjoy the -30°C Canadian weather anymore than we do. Brr! Read on for some of our best tips for keeping your pets safe and protecting their paws as we head into the frostier months of the year. Beware the cold... Dogs and cats, especially puppies and... Read more

Cranberries are for life, not just for Christmas - the health benefits of this festive ingredient What’s the first thing you think of when you hear the word ‘cranberry’? Yuletide turkey and cranberry sauce, perhaps? Dried cranberries in your favourite trail mix? Or a superhero ingredient, ready to fight a urinary tract infection at a moment’s notice? Cranberries may be small, but they are su-paw mighty. Read on for more about why this ingredient is more than just a festive fruit for Thanksgiving or Christmas - and why including it... Read more

Born and raised in Vermillion, AB, Maureen Tate grew up with dogs, and has been a dog owner for most of her life. Growing up in “farming and duck-hunting country”, her family always had lots of dogs. They were always fed a diet ranging from table scraps, meat and bones, to oatmeal, carrots and even berries from the branch. “They were fed such a natural diet,” Maureen explains - a very different one from the kibble and dried food so many dogs are fed today. When she took early retirement... Read more

Did someone say....treats? Here at Smack Pet Food, we are all about the pumpkin. All but one of our delicious Smack products contains this paw-some ingredient, packed with vitamins, minerals, iron, potassium...just to name a few! Check out our recent blogpost for more on this incredible ingredient. But if you're looking to take your dog's pumpkin enjoyment to the next level... why not pamper them with some home-baked pumpkin treats? Read on for one of our favourite fall treats for pooches. Pumpkin Treats for Dogs Prep time: 15 minutes Cook... Read more

Lisa Robinson, founder and former owner of Wild Side Pet Boutique, started her career in a very different industry, graduating from college as an interior designer. Having started off in commercial design, she then moved into kitchens and residential projects. “I wasn’t happy,” she says. “It wasn’t fulfilling.” She had always imagined she would work with animals, and so she made the change and took a job as a vet assistant, working in clinics for almost seven years before deciding to branch out into the pet food business. “I opened... Read more

For Karen Morrill, enjoying what she does every day is the most important thing. “I think regardless of money, you need to be happy,” she says. “What makes me happy is working with animals every day and helping them to feel better.” Karen, owner of The Dog House and More, a training, supplies and grooming store in Thunder Bay, ON, had originally thought she would become a lawyer, but after completing her pre-law degree she realized that career wasn’t right for her. Instead, she took over the family business from... Read more

Nothing Spooky Here! How Pumpkin Can Boost Your Pet’s Diet ’Tis the pumpkin season! Pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, pumpkin bread - it’s hard to avoid this Thanksgiving favourite. But did you ever wonder if your pet was missing out by not getting to join in on this taste of fall? Perhaps surprisingly, pumpkin is an amazing ingredient to include in your dog or cat’s diet, and offers a huge range of benefits to their short and long-term health. Read on for more about what makes pumpkin so perfect! Let's... Read more