Clear the Air Testimonials

Nothing is stronger than a positive testimonial about a business’s product.

We thought we’d compile a bunch of our testimonials so you can see the various odors Clear the Air will successfully eliminate!

Testimonial on Cat Urine Odor:

The product is amazing. I have tried so many other products and companies. I recently spent over $300 for someone to clean the carpets and use a secret “proprietary” formula that didn’t work. We have five cats, and if one is sick or has an accident, the others will quickly follow suit. Right now, with the product working on a couple of areas, there is no odor in the house. That is just amazing.

Thank you, Lynn

Testimonial on Doggie Odor in the basement:

No THANK YOU! This stuff is amazing! It saved me a bundle by not having to replace the basement carpet because of the strong “doggie” odor. Now it’s like there never was a dog in my new home. Thanks so much for making this available. I’ve already recmmended it to several friends.

DH

Testimonial on Dead Animal Odor:

We’ve spent the weekend trying to eliminate a “dead animal” smell from our upstairs bedroom in our three year old home (something got into the walls and died). My little doxie Milo alerted me to the problem and has been going crazy, sniffing and trying to show me that there is something in there.

We tried everything – vinegar, baking soda, ionizer, etc; nothing helped and the 90 plus degree heat today made it really awful! I was ready to call a disaster restoration service or critter control to address the odor.

In desperation, we searched the web and found Clear the Air information; we took your advice to go to Petco and make our own bags.  I made two bags from nylon hose and hung them around the closet and room. It’s only been a few hours and the difference is already unbelievable! Even Milo isn’t interested in sniffing it out anymore.  I anticipate that tomorrow will be even better.

What a great product – we will definitely use Clear the Air for  the garage, dog crate, etc. –hopefully we won’t run into any  more dead critters in our walls.

Sincerely, Lynne P. in Valencia, PA

Testimonial on Vacuum use:

LOVE your stuff! The pellets! A “bonus” is when you vaccuum them up, they stay in the vaccuum and I no longer smell the dog everytime I vaccuum! When dumping filter, I NEVER dump the pellets! Vacuuming is now not a “smelly” job. 🙂

Testimonial on Dead Rodent Odor:

I wanted to write to you to say how impressed I am with your products.

I had a terrible rodent infestation in an entire side of my house.  We had had a pest service come in to rid the house of pests, and I had also been mitigating all points of entry rodents were taking advantage of as they came out of the cold from the surrounding forest, and build nests for the winter.  I discovered the location of the nest by the odor of what smelled like old garbage coming from my 4 year old son’s bedroom wall and also an overpowering smell of urine coming from the basement play room directly underneath his room. After identifying the location of the smell, I completed demolition on a 20 foot by 15 foot area of the exterior wall of my house.  As I had suspected, there was significant rodent damage.

The condition of the wall was horrific: the insulation was all eaten away, and there were enormous rodent nests.  The worst part was there was so much feces and urine that combined with the contents of the nest, insects and bio-matter from decayed rodents, it had all permeated the sheathing, sheetrock, studs, joists, and concrete foundation from the second floor all the way to the sill plate and foundation.

After clearing out all the debris, and pounds of rodent feces and desiccated remains in the basement ceiling,  I spent an entire week, after removing all the exterior sheathing of the effected wall, and leaving the wall exposed to the outside drying out the studs, and cleaning it with industrial grade, scented disinfectant.  After replacing the sheathing that was rotting from the urine, and treating everything I could, multiple times, with disinfectant, I discovered that after sealing it all up I still had a phantom smell of the nest and urine.  It wasn’t as bad, but it was obviously the same smell, especially when there was an increase in humidity and the house was closed up, especially my son’s room.

Out of desperation I began searching the Internet for answers.  I came across Earth Care products when I typed in “how to get rid of dead rodent stink”, and was encouraged when I saw that your products were non-toxic, especially having three kids all 5 and under.

I bought three bags and placed them in the large basement room where the urine smell was the most overwhelming.  In just one day the smell had decreased by at least half.  The second day the small was almost impossible to discern.  By the third day there was no trace. It was incredible!  What was so amazing was that they didn’t need to come in contact with the effected area, just be near it.  That was key, since I had already sealed it up.

This product is amazing.  Despite having done my best to improve the air quality of my home, apart from burning the house down and starting over, I have a significant peace of mind knowing my children are not breathing that wretched air from a rodent’s nest. I am ordering more bags for the rest of the house.  Thank you, is all I can say.  I would be delighted to provide a testimony for the efficacy of your product.  I am a grateful and passionate client!

Jason

First Time Bird Owners

Are you a first time bird owner?

If you are new to bird ownership check out these helpful tips to ensure your new pet bird enjoys a happy and healthy new home.

Remember Clear the Air works wonders in your bird cage to eliminate any and all odors.  It is completely non-toxic and safe around childres and pets.  You can hang on of our Odor Eliminator Bags within the bird cage and sprinkle the Pet Odor Eliminator granules at the bottom of the cage.

Check out our tips:

• Feeding Your Bird – All seed diets are usually not recommended. Pet parrots crack seeds and eat the inside portion. The hulls often remain in the feeding dish giving the appearance that the bird has plenty of food when in reality there are no seeds left. Replace your bird’s food daily.
• Your Bird’s Diet – Seeds lack calcium, protein and many other vitamins and minerals which birds require. Seeds and nuts are also high in fat, which can lead to liver disease. While birds do eat seeds in the wild, they supplement their diet with many other food sources – nuts, berries, fruit, bugs, etc. Like humans, birds require a balanced diet to remain healthy. Birds enjoy veggies, fruits, pasta, sprouts, grains and even cooked meat such as chicken. Pellets are also a good source of nutrients. Many experts recommend pellets should be no more than 50% of the diet, while others feed a higher percentage. Seeds and nuts can be given as treats.
• Toxic Foods – Some foods, safe for humans, are lethal to birds. These include such items as avocados, chocolate, alcohol, caffeine, raw kidney and lima beans, cigarette smoke and pesticides in fruits and vegetables. 
• Don’t use Grit – Most birds don’t need grit and can even get an impacted crop from it. Grit is only recommended for birds who eat whole seeds – shell and all. Most birds crack their seeds, leaving the hulls and so have no need for the grit.
• Your Birds Home – Get a cage which gives your bird plenty of room to spread his wings, climb around, jump, swing and play. Be sure bars are not spaced so that a bird can wedge his head between them and get caught. Since birds tend to favor the higher parts of the cage, get one with the largest width and depth you can. Remember, your bird spends many hours in his cage, so the larger the better. Be sure to place cages away from drafty areas or doors to the outside. Temperature should not vary quickly or go below 55 degrees. 
• Get Your Bird A Perch – Birds spend a lot of time on their perches. They need perches of varying diameters to prevent foot problems such as arthritis and atrophy. Avoid perches made from dowels, which are uniform and don’t exercise feet. Never use sandpaper perches which harm the skin on a bird’s foot. Tree branches are very good for the feet and also help satisfy the chewing urge. A cement perch can help keep nails trimmed. Put a wooden perch high in the cage, which birds prefer. Make sure perches aren’t over bowls or other perches so droppings don’t hit them. Use multiple perches, but leave room for birds to move about in the cage. 
• Bird Feathers– Feathers grow back. If your bird accidentally loses some feathers, don’t panic. They’ll grow back. Bird also molt. It is their way of replacing worn feathers. Different species molt at different times and lose different amounts of feathers. Feathers grow back usually in 2-3 weeks. However, if you see bare patches of skin, this may denote a disease or feather plucking. In this case see your vet.
• Bird Veterinarian – Birds are very different than cats and dogs. Find an avian vet, one who knows about birds. Take your bird for a new bird exam to ensure it is healthy and to establish a baseline in case of illness. And develop a relationship with your vet. Find a vet or hospital that you can contact at night or weekends in an emergency. Birds should also have an annual exam to ensure they are healthy. Be sure to keep your vet’s phone number handy in case of emergency.
• Your Bird Needs Attention – Birds are very intelligent and social animals who require love and attention. Although the amount of attention varies by species, a bird who is ignored or bored can go insane, pluck his feathers or even mutilate himself. Keep your bird in an area where there is family activity, but be sure he has a quiet area to sleep in at night. Talk to your bird during the day. If you work, leave a radio, CD or TV on when you are gone. Take him out for play and cuddling every day. Be sure he has lots of toys and things to play with while in his cage. Give your bird lots of love and it will be returned tenfold.
• Communication – One of the most important aspects in creating and maintaining a successful relationship with your bird is the ability to understand his vocalizations and body language. Birds learn to communicate with us through sounds, behavior and actions. Using their body language and vocalizations they can “tell” us when they are happy, content, frightened, sick, hungry, tired, angry, or ready to be held and cuddled. It is of utmost importance that bird owners learn to interpret the meanings of their birds sounds and behaviors in order to successfully tame, train, and provide them with the very best of care.

Keep Skunks Away From Your Home

If you have ever had an encounter with a skunk and he got the best of you, you know how difficult it can be to rid the odor.

Thankfully Clear the Air has an easy solution to completely eliminating skunk odor quickly and effectively.  In order to avoid any interactions with skunks in the future, here are some great ways to keep skunks away from your home.

Skunks are scavengers and will eat anything from bugs to garbage. If a skunk finds a tasty morsel on your land, chances are good that he’ll start visiting more often. This section will walk you through some steps to repel skunks from your property.

Eliminate enticing meals for skunks. Skunks are nocturnal, so you’re most likely to see and/or smell them at night and in the early morning when they’re out scavenging for food. Skunks can and do eat anything; bird eggs, bugs and larvae, human wastes, small rodents, you name it – they’ll eat it. Following is a list of the most common foods that attract skunks onto people’s property:

Unprotected garbage. When you transfer your trash outside for pickup, store it in heavy duty metal or plastic trash cans with lids that will stay on even if the can is knocked over. Never place unprotected bags out on the curb.

Grubs and larvae. Skunks love grubs! Grubs are beetle larvae that live underneath of your lawn. Skunks are known for digging small holes in peoples yards as they hunt for them. Luckily, beneficial nematodes also love to eat grubs, and are easily deployed in your lawn and garden to eliminate this attractant.

Pet food. Never leave unprotected animal food outside at night, it’s akin to setting a place at your dinner table for Pepé le Pew. If you leave out scraps for neighborhood stray cats, you may end up attracting the neighborhood skunks as well.

Nuts, berries, and fruits. If you have bushes or trees that bear fruits, nuts, or berries you should periodically walk your yard and remove any that have fallen to the ground. Skunks will happily feast on them, and so will rodents… which skunks will also happily eat.

Other attractants. While the above food sources are the most common culprits that attract skunks, there are more. If any of these exist on your property, do your best to minimize or eliminate them.

• Compost heaps containing bones, fruit rinds and egg shells.
• Large numbers of ground dwelling insects under dead leaves and foliage.
• Easily accessible water sources.
• Bird feeder spills.

Skunk repellents

Many folks swear by this or that for repelling skunks, but there seems to be little that delivers consistent results across the board. Here’s a list of the most effective skunk repellents:

• Bright light – Skunks are nocturnal and prefer to stay hidden, flooding an area with light can be an effective deterrent. Use flood lights in combination with motion sensors.
• Automated sprinklers
• Spicy pepper solutions – Pepper sprays are reported to work well but must be reapplied every few days to remain effective.
• Commercial repellents – There are many available types, people have also reported success with dog and cat repellents.

Skunks will make homes underneath houses, sheds, decks, and other above-ground structures. Seal them off as well as possible – remember that they can fit through holes as small as 4 inches. Skunks won’t burrow underneath them unless they can see that there is space on the other side. Fill in holes and ditches as well.

Enclose large, open areas with a three-foot high wire mesh fencing like chicken wire and it one foot deep to keep skunks from burrowing underneath.

If you do end up getting sprayed by a skunk, immediately sprinkle Clear the Air’s Skunk Odor Eliminator on your, your pet if they’ve been skunked and anything else that may have been touched by the skunk spray.

Dog Run or Lawn Odors?

Do you have a dog run or an area of the lawn that your dog frequents?

You also may have artificial grass which traps in the odor from urine or feces.  Sometimes, even though the area is outside, the odor is very noticeable.

Clear the Air’s Lawn/Yard Odor Eliminator will eliminate the odors and make hanging out in your yard pleasant once again.  This unique blend will absorb pet urine and feces odors from lawns and garden areas without chemical or fragrances.  No need to worry about harming your lawn or garden as the mineral is completely non toxic and even acts as an excellent time-released nitrogen fertilizer.

This unique form of Earth Care Products Mineral can be sprinkled on your lawn and garden areas as needed to eliminate odors. Odors will be completely eliminated Granules are totally safe for all lawns and vegetation. Clear the Air does not have to come into contact with the odor producer; it will pull the odors from the entire area.

Clear The Air is made from an all natural mineral, is non toxic and biodegradable and safe for Planet Earth. It is also safe around children and pets even if eaten.

During the month of May, we are running a buy two get two free discount!  If you buy two canisters of Lawn Odor Eliminator GET TWO MORE CANISTERS FREE!  Offer good at our online store, click here.  Must have 4 canisters in your cart and enter “lawn” into the redemption code and you will automatically get the price for two canisters off your bill!

Kitty Cool Down Tips for Summertime

With summertime approaching it is important to take extra steps to make sure your pets stay cool.

A cat that becomes overheated in the summer can suffer from dehydration, shallow breathing and can even get heatstroke.

Always provide plenty of clean, fresh water for your fuzzy feline.  Help your kitty enjoy a happy and safe summer this year by following these helpful kitty cool down steps:

• Let Your Cat Decide His Cool Spot – Cats are smart about comfort at all times including during the heat.  Ever notice your cat curling up in the sink or sprawling out on the tile?  Porcelain and tile stay cool even when it’s hot outside providing a great place for your kitty to cool down.
• Calm Kitty – If your cat is running around too much during a really hot day, he will soon become exhausted and dehydrated.  Provide a relaxed, indoor place that is both cool and darkened to allow your kitty to cool down.  Don’t initiate play when he is in an agitated state.
• Create A Hide Out – Use a cardboard box or something else that is out of the way and dark near a cool spot.  You can line it with a terry towel or other type of cotton, breathable natural fabric that isn’t too warm.  Sticking an ice pack inside a sock and placing it in his retreat is also a helpful added cooling affect.
• Shady Garden Area – Make sure your yard has some shady spots for your outdoor cat to enjoy.  If you provide them, your kitty will find them.  It should be somewhere a gentle breeze is available.  If you have outdoor buildings such as greenhouses or sheds, double check you haven’t locked your kitty in there before closing the door.  This could end up killing your cat as temperatures rise in these types of shelters.
• Wet Towels – Most cats don’t like the water however you can help cool your cat down with dampened towels.  If you simply dampen a cloth or paper towel and stroke your cat with it, it can help cool him down.  Good areas to cool down, where cats get warmest, is on their bellies, the pads of their paws, armpits, under their chins and on the outside of their ears.
• Brush Your Cat – This helps take away any matted fur which can trap heat and helps air flow freely through his coat.  This is especially important for long haired breeds of cats.  Do not shave your cat as this can expose your cat to the sun and result in sunburn and skin cancer.
• Always Have Water Available – Dehydration is a real risk for cats during the hot summer months so constant water access is essential. Always, always have water available for your kitty.

Dogs – On the Brink of Sniffing Out Disease?

Dog’s noses are amazing, so much in fact they are able to detect individual scent molecules among thousands; molecules so small that they elude hi-tech sensory equipment.

Dog’s noses are used to rescue people, discover drugs, uncover agricultural contraband, sniff out bombs and detect landmines.

What about disease?  There has been evidence that dogs may be able to give early warning signs of cancer and the onset of epileptic seizures.  In spite of a lot of hype, however, the evidence is far from conclusive.  Researchers have made some progress but the jury is still out on whether dogs will assume a new role in the field of medicine.

Check out some of these scenarios we got from Petplace.com.

Sniffing Out Cancer

In 1989, a woman went to see her doctor about a mole in her left leg. The mole had been there for quite a few months, but she paid it little interest. Her dog, on the other hand, soon became obsessed with it.

At first, the dog – a cross between a border collie and a Doberman – constantly sniffed or licked at the mole, even through clothing. He eventually tried to bite it off, according to the Lancet, a highly respected British medical journal. The 44-year-old woman decided it was time to get this thing checked out. The mole turned out to be malignant melanoma, a life-threatening form of skin cancer, and it was quickly removed. Her dog, by bringing it to her attention, had saved the woman’s life.

Intrigued with persistent reports of such phenomena, Florida dermatologist Armand Cognetta decided to investigate possible medical uses. In 1996, Cognetta borrowed a 7-year-old schnauzer named George, a recently retired bomb-sniffing canine, and asked for help from a veteran dog trainer. The goal was to see if George (who had an uncanny sense of smell, even for a dog) could consistently sniff out melanoma, in both tissue samples and in people.

Normally, a handheld microscope is used to diagnose potential skin cancer, followed by a biopsy. The microscope is about 80 percent effective in early diagnosis, which is why further tests are usually conducted to confirm the diagnosis.

After many hours of training, the gray schnauzer scored nearly 100 percent on identifying melanoma tissue samples. Cognetta then allowed George to “examine” actual patients. He discovered melanoma in four (possibly five, depending on how you look at the results) of seven patients. Cognetta wrote that the results were interesting but far from conclusive. A much larger, more controlled study is necessary to determine if dogs can be trained to reliably detect cancer.

However, if they do have the ability to detect disease, don’t expect dogs in medical practices any time soon. The cost to train a dog would be astronomical – $35,000 per dog, with 1,200 hours of training. That costs way more than even an MRI exam. A biopsy would be necessary in any case, because doctors would never base an opinion on a single diagnosis.

The real promise is to discover how dogs are able to do it, and then build a machine to mimic the skill. Studies are underway in seven institutions across the globe to find out why some dogs have this amazing ability.

Detecting Epilepsy

Dogs also have been reported to be able to detect the onset of epileptic seizures, sometimes 20 minutes prior to an attack. The benefit of this is obvious: a person can be forewarned to find a safe place or get help before being incapacitated.

Unfortunately, in spite of the many anecdotal reports of “seizure alert dogs,” there is no scientific evidence or documented proof that dogs can be reliably trained to detect the onset of a seizure. The seizure itself is a symptom, not a specific disease. Seizures can occur for a variety of reasons, one of which is epilepsy. Regardless of the cause, the electrical activity in the brain is temporarily disrupted during a seizure. Seizures can be hardly noticeable, or they can be incapacitating.

The Epilepsy Institute has been unsuccessful in its attempts to study whether dogs can reliably predict seizures. The institute used EEG machines and video cameras to monitor epileptics with their dogs. Limited funding did not permit 24-hour monitoring, and during the monitoring no seizures took place.

But finding evidence of this ability would only be a first step. Training a dog to recognize and respond appropriately is the greater challenge. If dogs have this ability, there is no way to know if a dog can be trained with this skill.

“There is no guarantee that a dog, if he can detect a seizure, will do so 10 out of 10 times,” explained Beth Rivard, executive director of a nationally recognized service dog program. Rivard heads up the Prison Pet Partnership Program, at Washington Corrections Center for Women, in Washington.

Beginning in 1981, the program has been teaching inmates to care for and train service dogs, which are then placed with recipients suffering from a number of disorders, including epilepsy. When a seizure begins, dogs are trained to stay with the person, and to get a phone or medication if directed to do so. They also know to get help, and may even know to try to roll a person onto his side to prevent choking.

But Rivard said there’s no way to train a dog to detect when a seizure is imminent. “It would be a great thing if they can do it, but how do you prove it every time,” she said. If a dog senses a chemical change prior to a seizure – which they may – the odor would have to be replicated to train the dog to react the right way, every time. That may be difficult because seizures are electrical disturbances within the brain.

The Epilepsy Institute recommends against getting a dog for the purpose of predicting seizures, and does not recommend any trainers for this purpose. After conducting interviews, the institute concluded that despite the publicity, few people have actually reported that their pets have this ability. Half of those who said their pets did show some ability were more likely to identify behavior during or after a seizure – and not before.

However, the institute noted that enough reports sound authentic enough to warrant more scientific research.

The institute is pursuing funding to conduct more extensive research, and has developed a pet profile questionnaire to collect data on the subject. After filling out the form, individuals will be interviewed by phone to the likelihood that their pet can detect seizures prior to human awareness.

Feeding Your Older Cat

Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips on feeding your older cat.

Usually once cats reach age seven, they begin to show visible age-related changes.  There are metabolic, immunologic and body composition changes, too. Some of these are unavoidable. Others can be managed with diet.

The following are some tips to keep your older cat on a healthy diet:

Once your cat reaches seven years of age, start your cat on a senior diet.

The main objectives in the feeding an older cat should be to maintain health and optimum body weight, slow or prevent the development of chronic disease, and minimize or improve clinical signs of diseases that may already be present.

As a cat ages, health issues may arise, including:
– deterioration of skin and coat
– loss of muscle mass
– more frequent intestinal problems
– arthritis
– obesity
– dental problems
– decreased ability to fight off infection

Older cats have been shown to progressively put on body fat in spite of consuming fewer calories. This change in body composition is inevitable and may be aggravated by either reduced energy expenditure or a change in metabolic rate. Either way, it is important to feed a diet with a lower caloric density to avoid weight gain, but with a normal protein level to help maintain muscle mass.

Talk to your veterinarian about increasing your senior cat’s vitamin E intake. Antibody response decreases as cats age. Increasing the intake of vitamin E in cats older than seven years of age can increase their antibody levels back to those seen in younger cats!

Antioxidants such as vitamin E and beta-carotene help eliminate free radical particles that can damage body tissues and cause signs of aging. Senior diets for cats should contain higher levels of these antioxidant compounds. Antioxidants can also increase the effectiveness of the immune system in senior cats.

Routine care for geriatric pets should involve a consistent daily routine and periodic veterinary examinations to assess the presence or progress of chronic disease. Stressful situations and abrupt changes in daily routines should be avoided. If a drastic change must be made to an older pet’s routine, try to minimize stress and to realize the change in a gradual manner.

Your Puppy and House Training

Get Your Puppy House Trained!

If you just got a puppy, it is now time to learn how to potty train him.  If you have accidents, you do not want your puppy to go back to that spot to urinate again.  Use Clear the Air’s Carpet and Furniture Odor Eliminator to completely eliminate the odors.

We found this article from ASPCA’s website and thought there was a lot of valuable information on potty-training your puppy.

Puppies need to be house trained in order to understand that it’s not okay to eliminate in your house. House training is a simple process, but one that must be carried out positively (without punishment that scares the puppy) and consistently, following two main guidelines: 1) prevent indoor accidents through confinement and close supervision, and 2) take the puppy outside on a frequent and regular schedule and reward him for eliminating where you want him to go. House soiling can occur in any location in the home but sometimes pet parents will notice that their puppy soils more in certain locations, such as infrequently used rooms or on a specific kind of surface. Very young pups (under 12 weeks old) don’t have complete bladder control and might not be able to hold it very long. Older puppies who have had accidents might not have been house trained completely.

Why Puppies You Thought Were Housetrained Might Have Accidents

Too Young to Be Fully House Trained – Some puppies, especially those under 12 weeks of age, haven’t developed bladder or bowel control yet.

Incomplete House Training – Many puppies simply haven’t learned where to eliminate—or they haven’t learned a way to tell their people when they need to go out. Some puppies house soil only under specific conditions. For example, your puppy may soil when he’s home alone for long periods of time, first thing in the morning, sometime during the night, only when you’re not watching or only in infrequently used rooms. Other puppies may urinate or defecate whenever they feel the need to go.

Breakdown in House Training – Sometimes puppies who seem to be house trained at one point regress and start soiling in the house again.

Other Reasons Your Puppy Might House Soil

Urine Marking – If your puppy is over three months of age and urinates small amounts on vertical surfaces, he may be urine marking. Young dogs engaging in this behavior often raise their hind legs when urinating.

Separation Anxiety – If your puppy only soils when he’s left alone in your home, even for short periods of time, he may have separation anxiety. If this is the case, you may notice that he appears nervous or upset right before you leave him by himself or after you’ve left (if you can observe him while he’s alone).

Submissive/Excitement Urination – Your puppy may have a submissive/excitement urination problem if he only urinates during greetings, play, physical contact, scolding or punishment. If this is the case, you may notice your puppy displaying submissive postures during interactions. He may cringe or cower, roll over on his belly, tuck or lower his tail, duck his head, avert his eyes, flatten his ears or all of the above.

Medical Causes for House Soiling – It’s always a good idea to visit your puppy’s veterinarian to rule out medical causes for house soiling. Some common medical reasons for inappropriate urination and defecation follow.

Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) – Puppies with urinary tract infections usually urinate frequently and in small amounts. They may also lick their genital areas more than usual.

Gastrointestinal Upset – If your puppy was house trained but now defecates loose stools or diarrhea in your house, he may have gastrointestinal upset for some reason.

Change in Diet – If you’ve recently changed the amount or type of food you give your puppy, he may develop a house soiling problem. Often, after a diet change, a puppy will defecate loose stools or diarrhea. He may also need to eliminate more frequently or on a different schedule than before the diet change.

Miscellaneous Medical Causes – Other medical causes include abnormalities of the genitalia that cause incontinence (loss of bladder control), various diseases that cause frequent elimination and medications that cause frequent elimination.

How to House Train Your Puppy

House training is accomplished by rewarding your puppy for eliminating where you want him to go (outside) AND by preventing him from urinating or defecating in unacceptable places (inside the house). You should keep crating and confinement to a minimum, but some amount of restriction is usually necessary for your puppy to learn to “hold it.”

How Long It Will Take

Some puppies learn where and where not to eliminate at a very young age, while others take longer to understand. Most puppies can be reasonably house trained by four to six months of age. However, some puppies are not 100% reliable until they are eight to twelve months of age. Some puppies seem to catch on early but then regress. This is normal. Keep in mind that it may take a while for your puppy to develop bowel and bladder control. He may be mentally capable of learning to eliminate outdoors instead of inside, but he may not yet be physically capable of controlling his body.

How Often Your Puppy Needs to Go Out

All puppies are different, but a puppy can usually only hold his waste for the same number of hours as his age in months. (In other words, a four-month-old pup should not be left alone for more than four consecutive hours without an opportunity to go outside.) He can last longer at night, however, since he’s inactive (just like we can). By the time your pup is about four months old, he should be able to make it through the night without going outside.

House Training Steps

1. Keep your puppy on a consistent daily feeding schedule and remove food between meals.
2. Take the puppy outside on a consistent schedule. Puppies should be taken out every hour, as well as shortly after meals, play and naps. All puppies should go out first thing in the morning, last thing at night and before being confined or left alone.
3. In between these outings, know where your puppy is at all times. You need to watch for early signs that he needs to eliminate so that you can anticipate and prevent accidents from happening. These signs include pacing, whining, circling, sniffing or leaving the room. If you see any of these, take your puppy outside as quickly as possible. Not all puppies learn to let their caretakers know that they need to go outside by barking or scratching at the door. Some will pace a bit and then just eliminate inside. So watch your puppy carefully.
4. If you can’t watch your puppy, he must be confined to a crate or a small room with the door closed or blocked with a baby gate. Alternatively, you can tether him to you by a leash that does not give him much leeway around you (about a six-foot leash). Gradually, over days or weeks, give your puppy more freedom, starting with freedom a small area, like the kitchen, and gradually increasing it to larger areas, or multiple rooms, in your home. If he eliminates outside, give him some free time in the house (about 15 to 20 minutes to start), and then put him back in his crate or small room. If all goes well, gradually increase the amount of time he can spend out of confinement.
5. Accompany your puppy outside and reward him whenever he eliminates outdoors with praise, treats, play or a walk. It’s best to take your puppy to the same place each time because the smells often prompt puppies to eliminate. Some puppies will eliminate early on in a walk. Others need to move about and play for a bit first.
6. If you catch your puppy in the act of eliminating inside, clap sharply twice, just enough to startle but not scare him. (If your puppy seems upset or scared by your clapping, clap a little softer the next time you catch him in the act.) When startled, the puppy should stop in mid-stream. Immediately run with him outside, encouraging him to come with you the whole way. (If necessary, take your puppy gently by the collar to run him outside.) Allow your pup to finish eliminating outside, and then reward him with happy praise and a small treat. If he has nothing to eliminate when he gets outside, don’t worry. Just try to be more watchful of him in the house in the future. If your puppy has an accident but you don’t catch him in the act and only find the accident afterward, do nothing to your pup. He cannot connect any punishment with something he did hours or even minutes ago.

What NOT to Do

• Do not rub your puppy’s nose in his waste.
• Do not scold your dog for eliminating indoors. Instead, if you catch him in the act, make a noise to startle him and stop him from urinating or defecating. Then immediately show your dog where you want him to go by running with him outside, waiting until he goes, and then praising and rewarding him.
• Do not physically punish your puppy for accidents (hitting with newspaper, spanking, etc.). Realize that if your puppy has accidents in the house, you failed to adequately supervise him, you did not take him outside frequently enough, or you ignored or were unaware of his signals that he needed to go outside.
• Do not confine your puppy to a small area for hours each day, without doing anything else to correct the problem.
• Do not crate your puppy if he’s soiling in the crate.
• If your puppy enjoys being outside, don’t bring him inside right after he eliminates or he may learn to “hold it” so that he can stay outside longer.

For any accidents your puppy makes in the house, make sure to clean the area and sprinkle Clear the Air’s Carpet and Furniture Odor Eliminator over the soiled area.  Let sit for 24-48 hours and vacuum it up.  The odor should be completely eliminated and your pet will no longer associate that area with eliminating.

Chickens

Did you know it is chick season?  For those of you that have chickens as pets, Clear the Air would like to share some helpful tips on caring for your chickens.

Remember, to keep chicken odor down, use Clear the Air’s Odor Eliminator – it is non toxic and completely safe even if consumed by your chickens.

Here are some helpful tips on why, what and how for chickens:

Why Raise Chickens?

• Easy and inexpensive to maintain (when compared to most other pets)
• Eggs that are fresh, great-tasting & nutritious
• Chemical-free bug and weed control
• Fun & friendly pets with personality
  

First make sure you can legally own and raise backyard chickens

• Search local chicken laws & ordinances

How To Care For A Chick – First 60 Days:

• A Young Chick Brooder  can be as simple as a sturdy cardboard box or a small animal cage like one you’d use for rabbits.
• Pine shavings work best for flooring.
• The temperature should be 90 to 100 deg. for the first week, decrease 5 deg. per week.  A 100 watt bulb pointing in one corner (not the whole brooder) works well.
• Chick crumbles / starter & a chick waterer work for food and water.
  
• Play with your chicks when young to get the use to being around people.
• Section off an area in your yard where the chicks can explore, scratch, etc.  Make sure you can catch them when it’s time to come in and make sure it is blocked off well enough to keep predators, especially hawks and coyotes, out!
  

Chicken Care After First 60 Days, General Chicken Care:

• Once feathered out you’ll want to move your chickens into a chicken coop.  Rule of thumb is about 2-3 square feet per chicken inside the henhouse and 4-5 sq/ft per chicken in an outside run. Keep local predators in mind and make a safe home for your flock.
• Pine shavings work best for flooring.
• Most people go with chicken layer feed / pellets – available at the Country Feed Store
  
• Vegetables, bread, bugs, chicken scratch (cracked corn, milo, wheat) are great treats for your chicken

Dead Rodent Odor

If you have had the unfortunate experience of finding rodents dwelling in the walls of your home, you may have taken some steps to eliminate these rodents.  Unfortunately, when poison is placed in the walls for these rodents, the smelly odor of the dead rodent carcass usually follows soon after.  While you no longer have the problem of a rat infestation, you are now faced with an unavoidable odor that is very obvious to your senses until the rat’s body completely decomposes.

Instead of tearing down the walls in  your house to retrieve the dead carcass and get rid of the odor, you can use a much simpler and cost effective solution – Clear the Air Odor Remover Bags.  Clear the Air Bags do not have to come in contact with the dead rodent or odor causing agent.  Simply hang a bag near the odor and in 24 hours the odor will be gone, 100% guaranteed.  Clear the Air is made from an all natural mineral, is non toxic and biodegradable – all safe for Planet Earth!

If you have a strong odor in your house and can not get to the source to remove it, Clear the Air Odor Remover Bags are what you need.  Click Here to order bags and learn how to use them.  We guarantee our product 100% and if you have any questions or concerns, click here to call or email us.