Emerging Market for Products for Disabled and Elderly Pets

Filed Under Pet Business Tips, Pet News | 1 Comment

Yesterday I interviewed Jeanie Kraft, a pet acupuncturist for my soon to be released Secrets of Pet Business Success Audio interview series. In our discussion Jeanie mentioned that she is seeing growth in her pet therapy business as owners are looking for alternative ways to relieve pain in their pets that suffer from chronic diseases and allergies.  These owners want the lives of their animals to be as comfortable as possible in their later years.

An article that I found today in the Huntington Post reminded me of this conversation and really brought home that the disabled pet market is one where many opportunities exists for new products and pet service businesses.  The Post article highlights the growing willingness of pet parents to spend money on their disabled and elderly pets to ensure their quality of life.  Here is an excerpt:

A growing number of pet owners are turning to custom-built wheelchairs to restore mobility to furry friends whose legs, hips or backs don’t work. The owners’ goals are simple: to reward their pets’ unconditional love with whatever it takes for the animals to live normally.

The two-wheel carts support the dog’s midsection with a padded saddle, and are secured with a shoulder yoke and chest strap. Most dogs have rear-wheel carts to compensate for lame hind legs, though a growing number of front-wheel carts are being ordered for animals with front-leg problems.

Donna Blain’s 7-year-old Maltese named Gizmo hopped and hobbled on his deformed front legs before she adopted him a year ago. She ordered his cart after learning the odd gait had damaged his spine and would have required surgery.

Now he wheels himself around for hours on sidewalks, in parks and anywhere he can find treats and praise.

“He’s into everything,” said Blain, of Woodstock, Conn. “He just wants to live, after all those years of really hobbling and not being able to get where he wanted to be.”

Eddie and Leslie Grinnell, founders of Eddie’s Wheels, built their first pet wheelchair in 1989 when their 10-year-old Doberman, Buddha, lost the use of her rear legs because of disc disease and spinal problems.

Their veterinarian, impressed by Buddha’s revived mobility and vitality, started referring others to the Grinnells. In 1998, they started their own business.

Similar wheelchair makers can be found in Montana, Maryland, Oregon, Washington and elsewhere. Most dog carts start around $250 and can exceed $500 based on the size of the dog, while the cost of wheelchairs for other animals can vary depending on the type and size of animal.

Since launching the business, Eddie’s Wheels has shipped carts worldwide _ the largest to a 220-pound Saint Bernard in Great Britain _ and has made wheelchairs for several cats, a ferret, alpacas, goats, sheep, a rabbit and a possum.

They even keep a supply of tiny wheels on hand for a gerbil or hamster.

Veterinarian Derek Fox, a University of Missouri professor specializing in orthopedic surgery for dogs, cats and other small animals, said pets that once would have been irreversibly crippled are benefiting from a variety of advancements: improved hip and joint replacements, better physical therapy and wheelchairs.

“Even if a treatment is expensive, these are people who say they’ll do anything to keep their pet moving, to keep them happy, to keep their quality of life up,” he said.

You can find the full article here.

I think that this trend is one that is here to stay and I hope that the growing consumer need will inspire the creation of many new products that will improve the lives of our pets.

How can you tailor the services that you provide in your business to disabled and elderly pets? Perhaps you can create a special package where you can combine massage, regular exercise, or other therapies into your visits or consultations and market them to pet owners.  You could also offer a selection of products for disabled pets or add a page to your website giving information about the special needs of elderly pets.

Let me know by leaving a comment if you already have a special service that you tailor for this market, or if you can suggest any great products that can benefit disabled or elderly pets.

Pet Business Success Circle Coaching Club Launches April 15th

Filed Under My Pet Business, Pet Events, Pet News | 1 Comment

I have been secretly working on a new project for a couple of weeks and I am now excited to announce the release date of my new coaching program for pet business professionals.

The Pet Business Success Circle will officially launch on April 15th 2008.   

The mission of this new coaching program is to help small pet business owners to grow their business faster, and with less frustration, by giving them access to the right resources, tips and advice from pet business experts and their peers.   

Members will enjoy all the following club benefits:

Live Monthly Q& A call to get your questions answered

Live Monthly Special Topic call to learn from business experts

Private access to Exclusive Networking & Brainstroming Forum

One Monthly One-on-One Call in Day for Private Laser Coaching

Access to Recordings of all Live calls

This type of comprehensive group pet business coaching is unique and a very affordable option to one on one coaching.  

Pet Business Coaching ClubI am offering an early bird discount for new members that opt-in to receive more information before April 1st. When you join this list you will also be the first to get a Free copy of my new ebook - “10 Steps to Super Charge Your Pet Care Business”. 

Sign up now to make sure you get all the details (and your discount and ebook).

Tell me more about the Pet Business Coaching Club!

National Be Heard Day Give Aways Will Help Get Publicity for Your Pet Business

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National Be Heard Day National Be Heard Day was actually last Friday - the 7th March. Sorry I didn’t report it on the day but it’s not too late to take advantage of a couple of great giveaway ebooks that will help you get free publicity for your pet business and get known. Don’t wait too long as they will only be available until March 20th.

Publicity pro Shannon Cherry of Be Heard Solutions (www.beheardsolutions.com) created National Be Heard day to help entrepreneurs find their voice, tell their story and be heard by using low-cost marketing tactics to promote their businesses.

This year, she’s gotten together a great lineup of 17 marketing pros to share some of their secrets.

All you have to do it go to http://www.BeHeardFirst.com to get 2 great free ebooks that will show you how you can attract more pet business customers by getting free PR!

Remember the secret to getting publicity is about informing, educating, and entertaining. You don’t want to be trying to sell your service or product. Some of the ways you can do this are:

1) Write press releases about exciting events that occur in your business such as expansion into an new city, hiring of first employee, a community event you are organizing, or launch of a new service or product. Submit releases to local media and online using services such as PRweb.com

2) Write a series of How-To articles about your pet expertise that will help pet owners. Publish these online but also use them to contact local papers to suggest writing a weekly pet column for them.

3) Submit your articles to professional association newsletters.

4) Offer to give a speech to a local association or non-profit group to get speaking experience.

Once you get media coverage make sure you put this up on your business website so prospective clients can read or listen to an interview.

What will you do this week to get some Free PR? Join us at the pet business forum to share your goals.

Obesity in pets - Do you have a fat dog or cat?

Filed Under Pet Health, Pet News | 9 Comments

Pug LizaThe latest studies suggest that 25% of pets in the US are obese - that totals 33 million fat cats and fat dogs. A staggering 45% of US pets are overweight.

We’ve never had any trouble with our overactive Labrador but recently this hit home to our family when we fostered our first pug - Liza (there she is in the picture). She came to us overweight and we have been attempting to reduce her daily food intake but have had little luck shedding the pounds so far. I’ve been a little scared to walk her too far as she limps and seems to struggle (she is advanced in years - 9-10yrs) but I took her on her first walk up the street and back tonight in an attempt to increase her movement. Sitting on the dog bed or at your feet is her most favorite activity. We are going to have to work up to all the way around the block - but at least we’ve made a start.

I was searching on the web for diet tips and discovered that February is the first National Canine Weight Check. A group of vets have come together to offer free weight assessments for dogs this month. You can find the vets near you that are offering this program at www.stopcanineobesity.com/ncwc

Pet obesity is a serious problem as it puts pets at risk of diseases such as osteoarthritis, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, hypertension and cancer. Extra weight can also worsen existing conditions such as asthma, high blood pressure, hormone imbalances, and joint diseases. Put simply, carrying around the extra pounds will shorten the life of your pet. Veterinary Pet Insurance reported that last year they reimbursed policy holders over 14 million dollars for claims related to obesity - around 7 % of their total claims.

The most common reason for weight gain in pet is overeating. If the number of calories consumed by the pet each day is more than is used for normal body functions and during exercise then extra calories are stored as fat. There are other factors that can contribute to weight gain including heredity, breed, body type, and some medical conditions. Usually all that is needed for weight loss is reduced calorie intake and increased exercise. It is a common myth that spaying/neutering a pet will cause slowing of the metabolism. However, just like humans an animals metabolism will slow with age, so as they get older they will need to eat less calories each day.

Signs that your pet is overweight include:

1. Difficulty finding the ribs under layers of fat. Ribs should be easily felt.

2. Sagging stomach

3. No waist

4. Broad / flat back

Ideal weights for dogs vary by breed but a healthy pet usually weighs between 8-10 lbs. You can find a chart of ideal dog weights for common breeds at www.petobesityprevention.com/weight_ranges.htm

If your pet is overweight then you should visit your vet to get a weight assessment and suggestions for a diet plan.

An easy diet plan for dogs is:

1. Record the weight of your dog

2. Reduce their daily calorie intake by 1/3 (this means 1/3 of the total calories consumed in food and treats)

3. Weigh your dog again after 2 weeks

4. If no weight is lost - reduce calories again by 1/3. If weight is lost then stick to this amount of calories.

5. Repeat this cycle until your dog successfully starts losing weight

Information about the calorific values of common pet foods and treats is available here.

A healthy rate of weight loss is 1-2% of total body weight per week. If your pet is losing weight more rapidly then they may be losing lean muscle tissue. You should feed your pets a quality food and avoid table scraps and too many treats. Some vets recommend avoiding “Low Calorie” or “Diet Foods” for pets as these food have less fats and often more carbohydrates. Extra carbs stimulate insulin production which tells the body to store unused calories as fat. Often it is preferable to simply cut the amount of your regular pet foods.

For more weight loss tips visit www.petobesityprevention.com or take advantage of Canine Weight Check and take your dog to your nearest participating vet for a free weight assessment. Don’t wait any longer to start improving the health of your pets - because who want to have less time with their companions?

Feed Pets in Need with One Click A Day

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The Animal Rescue SiteA friend alerted me to the Animal Rescue site this morning - and what a great idea!

At The Animal Rescue Site all you have to do to help feed animals in need is to click on the button on their website once a day to raise enough money for 0.6 bowls of food per click. Today as I write this post they have already raised enough money for 150,265 bowls of food.  

Seems too easy right - you’re wondering how this works? The trick is that when you click you are shown a page with ads from their sponsors. The amount that these sponsors pay for these ads depends on how much traffic is brought to this page via clicks.  100% of sponsorship payments are used to support animals in rescues and sanctuaries. Of course we are not obligated to make any purchases - but some of the cute products tempted me! Of course a percentage of any purchase that you do make on their site also goes to help their charity.

The money raised goes directly to their partners - Petfinder, The Fund for Animals, and North Shore Animal League.

They also have a page which gives you some other free ways that you can help - suggestions include subscribing to their newsletter, helping to spread the word by sending e-cards to your friends, and finding new sponsors for their site.

Drop by their site today and click to feed more animals - www.theanimalrescuesite.com

If you have other great ideas or products suggestions to help donate to animal causes please share it with us by leaving a comment.

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