Why Does It Feel Like Someone Just Kicked My Dog? The ONE Star Review...

So I probably take things like a negative review too personally.  It's because of Agatha.  She’s the inspiration for Agatha’s Apothecary.  She’s the reason I started the journey to find the things that truly help pets stay healthy.  She’s why I spent years and a small fortune gathering great products in a field that abounds with cheap, ineffective placebos.Agatha's Apothecary is unlike any pet company out there & I'm blessed to be part of its beginnings.  My dream?  To provide absolutely the best products money could buy.  Products that help pets have happier + healthier lives,,,  period.  I wanted ours to be products with HEART, from a COMPANY with heart.  A company that truly cares about the other Agathas and Annabelles, the much-loved Luckys and Lucys and Lulus out there.I've been so excited about our new product line.  There have been so many thousands of hours poured into this endeavor and finally, we approach the official Amazon launch of over a dozen products.  Besides our probiotics, upcoming is a joint formula, an all-natural flea remedy, the best dog shampoo & coat conditioner money can buy. (really!)  There's Fur Freshener & Pup Pup Cologne (divine!) Agatha's Elixir and even a product called Probiotic Cat Essentials for those with a furry feline in the house.The first product formula is AMAZING, (learn more about Agatha's Advanced Probiotic and other new products here) in brief, I've taken our original Advanced Probiotic and made it even more powerful, it has ten of the most pet beneficial probiotic strains, a whopping 15 BILLION CFU's per capsule. (That is  incredible for a dog probiotic, check labels, most pet products just don't come close)  I wanted to create products with stories and wonderful watercolor illustrations.  Stories about real dogs and cats, because we all need to laugh more and perhaps reflect more too.  It's been the busiest time of my life but a joy-filled time of creativity and a chance to be part of something that will help others hopefully avoid some of the pitfalls of keeping their pets well.I'm a storyteller and first, I shared the story of my wonderfully funny and sweet and loving and courageous little dog Agatha, who will be (trumpet sound!)  TEN YEARS OLD HER NEXT BIRTHDAY!  (yes, shouting for joy!).This isn't some huge China-based conglomerate company that spins out who know's what kind of pet products, to the best of my ability,  I promise that Agatha's Apothecary will offer the very best you can buy for your pets.Agatha's Apothecary is unlike any pet company out there, we follow the most current scientific & holistic research and offer the best made in the USA products on the planet.  I'm so blessed to have been given this dream and been surrounded by the talented people who could help make it become a reality.So what has all this got to do with reviews on Amazon?  I'm so glad you asked!Not long ago, I was checking the inventory on our Advanced Probiotic, I was stunned to see an ONE-star review from a woman who complained (with bad language) that she didn’t want the "blank blank" bother of having to hide the capsule in a treat.  (which is totally incorrect anyway, the package clearly says just pull open and sprinkle over wet or dry food, it’s totally invisible to pets & tasteless) easy peasy to give in those shiny little vegetable glycerine capsules, edible and safe any way you give it really...Regardless, not everyone will love Agatha's, I get that.  But, did she have to curse?(I know she wasn't cursing at my dearest of Agatha's, but it sure felt like it).And a ONE star review?  Ouch that hurts in the world of pet products.People CARE about their pets and who wants a product with even one bad review?The heart of Agatha’s Apothecary is summed up here: “for the love of a dog”.I started this journey “for the love of a dog”.  Because I knew if I didn’t find answers for how to help that dog fight the cancer that struck her at only four years of age, that certainly I would watch her die years before her time.And not for Agatha only, but for all the dogs I’ve owned and lost too early.  For those now lost companions, some of whom I watched suffer painful and needlessly early deaths.  It was like a slap in the face for everything we’ve worked so hard for, the products that I KNOW are amazing, that I’ve poured so much into, to be so caustically rejected without one ounce of understanding of why it was important to be willing to be slightly inconvenienced for the sake of the pets we love.   Am I old-fashioned as to believe that an open forum like that calls for at least a modicum of courtesy and good taste?  Obviously, she hadn’t read anything about who Agatha was, or why her products were so important for pet health, obviously, she couldn’t have cared less.Of course, I immediately responded and offered her a full refund, to keep the unused portion with my apologies (and just a word or two about using it the right way instead of writing such a disparaging review that was so unfair to the product itself).  It stung for days though, I’d wake up thinking about it, check my emails hourly waiting for her reply which never came.I contacted Amazon Seller Central with pleas of not wanting an unhappy customer and trying to find out how to refund her purchase, Amazon couldn’t find her order either so that was fruitless as well.Reviews on sites like Amazon can be the lifeblood of a new company.  I carefully read reviews myself and they definitely are one of the factors I consider when trying anything new.  Happily, Agatha’s products have a faithful and passionate following, but considering the hundreds of products we’ve sent to customers, the sad fact is that 99% of people (including myself I’m ashamed to say), never leave a review on a product. I totally get it, we are so busy, who has time to place the order in the first place, the added step of remembering to go back and rave about the products I love is often a good intention I simply never take the time to follow through on.  I’m trying to be more diligent in that area and when I love a product, I try to let the world know!The one good thing that might have come out of that review?  I decided that making probiotics even easier to use made sense, and I’m happy to say that  we’ll now be offering another really fabulous dog probiotic (and a formula for cat lovers too!) Probiotic Dog Essentials that allows you to use a scoop, contains a 5 month supply to make things easier for those with more than one canine companion.   It’s a powerhouse blend of immune building ingredients, you can read all about here soon here, but for now, suffice to say I’m more than excited and my dream of seeing Agatha’s Apothecary change the lives of pets everywhere seems well on it's way to becoming a reality.(By the way, would you do Agatha & I a favor?If you love her products???Please help us tell the world with a nice review on Amazon?!? Warmest Wags Indeed,Terry & AgathaCo-CEO’s & Founders of Agatha’s Apothecary TO VISIT AGATHA'S NEW SITE OR SHOP NOW CLICK HERE 

The Life of a Dog Shampoo Poster Child isn't always Easy.

Poor Agatha, she's had the sometimes not so enjoyable job of helping us develop new products for the company named in her honor.SHE HAS NOT BEEN A FAN.The problem is, as someone with rather a large amount of experience regarding dog grooming (owner of a grooming shop/boarding kennel, veterinary technician, etc), I decided a few years ago that there simply had to be a better dog shampoo available.It wasn't too much to ask really.A shampoo that smelled fabulous (and didn't bother my allergies). A shampoo that lathered richly (without nasty sulfates) and left doggie fur lightly fragrant and super clean.A shampoo that was truly safe and natural, as organically sourced as possible, gentle on the eyes. A shampoo that not only cleansed, but nourished coat and skin. A shampoo that removed dander and amazingly, even helped reduce shedding!Alas, it took dozens of failed attempts on this journey to an absolutely fantastic dog shampoo solution.First I tried searching the internet. I spent hours reading the reviews of this or that bubbly offering. I stayed up late at night, scanning the vast array of dog shampoos available to the pet owner.  I ordered so many bottles of shampoo Agatha began to think we were opening our own pet apothecary,,, (little did she know).The UPS guy must have wearied of driving up our long farmhouse lane. Of carrying box after box of heavy cartons up into my kitchen.Agatha was always pleased to see his arrival; he carries a box of dog biscuits (though I'm certain they are not grain-free, she doesn't mind a bit).I would open those cartons, one by one, and begin the process of evaluating the pros and cons of each.The criteria were strict, upon opening the bottle, first of all, the fragrance had to be fabulous AND not bother my allergies.You'd be amazed at how many failed even that first simple test. The high hopes that I had for each new candidate were often dashed the moment the lid came off the trendy looking bottle.Why on earth would I want my dog to smell like a pumpkin latte?  If just the first whiff made me cringe, why bother to douse my pet in the smelly stuff?I developed a rather large carton of bottles to donate & spent a small fortune only to find that not a single one of those products which promised the moon & stars was more than mediocre at best.Some of them required an enormous amount of shampoo "pour a couple of palmfuls on your dog's coat to start" (this one had over a hundred 5 Star Amazon reviews!). Even that enormous amount of shampoo didn't clean very well and required so much rinsing that it quickly went to the reject bin.(Agatha was relieved when that one went by the wayside!)

All that trial and error ended up being one of the best things that ever happened to me as far as dog grooming and coat care.  It forced me to expand my search and eventually helped me find the California company that would help me create what without a doubt is one of the most amazing dog shampoos you can find on the planet!

Agatha's Luxury Lather Dog Shampoo

I know dog shampoos, the good the bad and the ugly of dog shampoos. I know even Agatha would agree.

If you have to give your dog a bath, why not use a product that makes you happy just to open the bottle?

A shampoo that helps bring not only shine and a great fragrance to your pet but a shampoo that over time will make your dog's skin and coat healthier.  One will help reduce shedding, a dog shampoo that will make dog bath time, dare I say it?Doggone divine.

SAVING LITTLE PUPPY LIVES, ONE PUPPY AT A TIME...

How do you build a dream... What do you do when you know you have something almost miraculously beneficial to pets and yet have the overwhelming task of letting pet owners know it even exists?I had a sad phone call this morning,,one that not only grieved me, but also angered me. The anger I felt spurred me on to take the photos you see here, to move forward with a dream that from my vantage point in my farmhouse kitchen in Ohio, seems an almost impossible one to attain.The phone rang and balancing the little bottle of Elixir on the counter so it wouldn’t roll off, I answered the call. It was Margaret Adams, a long-time dog breeder friend, calling to tell me that a local Collie breeder in Charleston had contacted her after hearing about our Agatha’a Apothecary line of products. It seems this lady had a new litter of puppies and that she had been having problems keeping their blood sugar levels stable, a common issue in puppies. This lady has absolutely stunning Collies, and a few years ago had bred the #1 Rough Collie in the nation, obviously a knowledgeable woman, but like myself she had believed that a popular pet supplement was the only way to address the issues in her puppies. Margaret said the lady had been using it to try and stabilize them. I groaned inwardly knowing where she was going with her story.The puppies, though fussy eaters (a common side effect of this widely used product), had passed their 9 week puppy exam with her veterinarian, and had been released to new homes. As I waited for the story to unfold, I knew already that the outcome probably was a grim one. It seems that the first little girl puppy, a sweet baby called Molly, had been in her new home only 3 days when the owner called frantically to say that the puppy who just the evening before had been playing with her children, was limp and unresponsive and on her way to the emergency animal hospital.Even after spending almost a thousand dollars, little Molly was gone,,,A victim of her breeders good intentions and products that do more harm than good. Her lack of the right tools to keep her puppies healthy in that critical transition time of going to a new home resulted in the needless death of a beautiful puppy and a heartbroken family, not mention the financial losses incurred.In years past I too had used that same commonly available supplement, and similar products like it until I lost one too many little puppies. Determined to know why was I losing puppies, why the more I used the thick sugary paste, the less my puppies ate, the more difficult it became to keep their appetites stimulated. Why would some of them began to have wildly fluctuating blood sugar levels and repeatedly crash when I tried to wean them off the corn syrup laden gel. Eventually I realized that the product I was using to support them was instead contributing to their problems. This is probably one of the most frequently used products for raising puppies and kittens, and unfortunately, one that has damaging side affects that are often unnoticed until it's too late. Too late to stop the downhill slide little creatures can quickly make if there’s not swift intervention. Out of desperation, I began to search for a healthier alternative and finally found a product that had no less than amazing results when used not only for puppies like Molly, but for any time a pet needs extra immune system support. Working with a small private lab and a dog breeder of over 30 years, I’ve found a supplement we’ve christened Agatha’s Prebiotic Elixir.A nourishing blend of proprietary herbs, vitamins and minerals formulated in a delicious barley apple cider syrup. Dogs love the taste and Agatha's Elixir offers the happy benefit of gently stimulating appetites while normalizing and stabilizing blood sugar levels. This single item has been amazingly effective, quite easily one of the most beneficial I’ve found for animals who need extra calories and nutritional support during times of stress. CLICK HERE to purchase this product for your beloved furry friends, cats and dogs alike!The dream that looks so impossible?To help pet owners and dog breeders alike, find products that help their dogs live longer healthier lives and avoid costly vet bills.I hope to encourage dog owners to stop using products that do more harm than good, to avoid the heartbreak and expense that lack of proper supplementation can bring. To help owners of dogs of all ages give them the products they need, simply and inexpensively. As I boxed up a small order of my much loved little product “Agatha’s Elixir” to mail to our client Constance, I reflect on what this package will mean to her pets. She had emailed me to say that her 3 dogs are thriving on our products, and that she was especially delighted that her 14 year old Golden Retriever who has Cushings Disease showed a marked improvement after just two weeks of taking Agatha’a Apothecary Advanced Probiotics, our ultra-high potency probiotic. Now, a year later, Constance wants to keep plenty on hand. She wrote to thank me for how much the products have helped her dogs.It’s tough to start a small business in your kitchen, to build an online presence and community, to navigate social media and get the word out in the vast online world already teeming with other stories, to make the investments and find labs to produce my products, to do all it takes to help prevent such small tragedies like Molly’s.I’m grateful for my customers and puppy people who continue to help spread the word, but it seems such an enormous task… This story was in the back of my mind as I hung up the phone, the winter sun was shining on the counter where I had placed my small shipment and labels, I picked up my camera to try and capture the reality of the process, to help illustrate the smallness and the immensity of what I have endeavored to do. I took several random shots, grieving the loss of yet another baby puppy who very likely would have thrived on our nourishing little elixir.After I downloaded the first photos, I looked amazed at the first image, the little bottle of elixir on it’s side, dear Agatha gazing at me from the label, and unnoticed by me, as I’d taken the photo, a tiny rainbow shone across the counter where it lay, like a promise of good things to come.

Winning the War Against Tear Staining

“FDA Warns Makers Of Tear Stain Removers To Pull Products From The Market” Veterinary News. | “FDA Gets Tough On Tear Stain Removers” Seattle Times | FDA “Stop Marketing Unapproved Tear Stain Remover For Dogs And Cats” Dr Marty Becker “America’s Veterinarian”Pet owners were recently shocked, to find that Angel Eyes, a product many had been using for years to remove tear stains in their dogs, had received a stern warning from the FDA and is subsequently being removed from pet store shelves and online sources like Amazon.The controversy started over a year ago with this announcement from the FDA: ( Taken from the US Food and Drug Administration website)FDA Issues Warning Letters for Unapproved Tear Stain Removers Used in Dogs and CatsAugust 14 2014The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is issuing warning letters today to companies manufacturing unapproved animal drugs to remove tear stains in dogs and cats. These products, including Angels’ Eyes, Angels’ Glow, Pets’ Spark, and exported products Glow Groom and Health Glow, have not been reviewed by FDA for safety and effectiveness. These tear stain removers also contain the medically important antibiotic tylosin tartrate, which is not approved for use in dogs or cats, nor for the treatment of conditions associated with tear stains. Tear stain remover products are used to treat tear staining conditions around the eyes of animals, which, in particular, is associated with a condition called epiphora, mostly in cats and dogs.FDA has serious concerns about unapproved animal drugs. Unapproved animal drugs are not reviewed by FDA and may not meet FDA’s strict standards for safety and effectiveness.These tear stain drug products may be subject to additional enforcement action should the products continue to be marketed, such as seizure of violative products and/or injunction against the manufacturers and distributors of the violative products.”Here’s the letter sent to the firm which manufacturers Angel Eyes. The bad news? That not only have pet owners been unwittingly using a potentially harmful product, but that dogs and cats may have sustained long-term ill effects from indiscriminate antibiotic use, and now those pets owners are left without answers on how to safely treat the often disfiguring tear stains to which so many breeds are prone.Here’s a video on YouTube reviewing Dog Tear Stain Removers that is typical of the struggle of many dog and cat owners.Of course we love our pets regardless of their appearance, but let’s be honest, tear stains are not only unsightly, but they also make our pets look unkempt and unhealthy. If there’s a way to safely reduce or eliminate them, a vast number of pet owners would want to know.I’ve found that no single product is effective in 100% of cases, tear staining is a stubborn problem and will require treating your pet from the inside as well as outside. It’s not an issue that can be completely eliminated overnight, but if you are patient and implement a few critical steps to your pet’s routine, you’ll be rewarded with a dog whose face is clean and fresh as a puppy’s!

The first step I tell our clients to take is to add a high potency probiotic to your pet’s diet.

This single step can be amazingly effective, as a dog groomer and veterinary technician, I’ve seen many pet's tear stains disappear completely, simply with the addition of a quality probiotic.Probiotics can benefit your dog in profound ways, not only to aid in removing stains, but allergies to food & environment, chronic ear infections and yeast problems. Skin and coat ailments that have required oral medications and cortisone injections, irritable bowel and digestive upsets all can be improved by adding a high potency probiotic to your dog’s daily diet.“Probiotics, a microorganism introduced into the body for its beneficial qualities.” Webster’s Dictionary5 Tips To Keep In Mind:

1. Stained fur must be trimmed away; probiotics can’t remove the stains that are already absorbed into the hair shaft. They work internally to eliminate the cause naturally.
2. Probiotic therapy is not an overnight cure, expect to see results after the first 60 days. Giving your pet a quality probiotic will help support her entire system, including help reduce and often stop tear stains from forming.
3. Many pets have tear stains as a result of ear infections or allergies. High potency probiotics can help reduce these problems as well, which in turn aids in resolving what caused the tear stains in the first place.
4. Start slow, while probiotics are considered safe and beneficial, any change to your pet’s diet should occur gradually, for a dog under 50 pounds, start with a half capsule sprinkled once daily over your dog’s kibble. Increase to one capsule daily after the first week.
5. Some owners are reporting that putting ½ a capsule of probiotics in about a tablespoon of tepid water and applying it with a cotton ball can help treat the stains on the skin’s surface and can speed the stain removal process.

I’ve used probiotics with great success for almost a decade now. I even built this small company, Agatha’s Apothecary to offer quality products and supplements to support our dog’s healthy lives. My experience with dogs spans 30 years, including many years working as a veterinary technician, assisting in surgery and watching our clients struggle with a multitude of health problems. I even owned a popular boarding/grooming kennel for almost 20 years which added vastly to my pool of doggie experience.My journey with my own dogs, but especially my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel “Agatha”, led me on a search for the very best and most effective products, that really made a difference in the health of my dogs and those of my clients.Here’s what I believe is the best probiotic available on the market today for dogs. It’s called Agatha’s Apothecary Advanced Probiotic. It’s a great product, and one of the most effective that I could find. Agatha's Advanced Probiotic contains 10 different probiotic strains, ( a much wider spectrum than that of most products that are available for dogs ).It’s also a super high potency at 10 Billion CFU’s (colony forming units) per capsule which is what I’ve found are necessary to bring therapeutic results for issues like tear staining.Easy to use, simply open the capsule and sprinkle over kibble, my dogs love the taste.My next article will address the best options to add to your arsenal of weapons to return your pet to his beautiful best. My hope is that your dog will benefit and be helped by the recommendations in this series on helping your dog live a better life naturally!Pet Safety First: Always check with your veterinarian before making changes in your dog’s routine or diet. These suggestions are not intended to replace routine veterinary care for your pets.