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The holidays mean family, friends, fun and of course, food! For your furry friends, a little too much food can sometimes mean a holiday hangover. But not to worry, one seasonal favorite can be used year-round to help soothe that holiday bellyache – pumpkin!

That’s right, pumpkin is a digestive health lifesaver, the Imodium or Pepto for pets. Packed with both soluble and insoluble fiber content, pumpkin helps to soothe an upset stomach, slows digestion and firms up loose stools.

But that’s not all. The healthy fiber in pumpkin helps your pet feel more satiated so they won’t be hungry if they’re trying to shed a few pounds. Pumpkin is also low in calories and rich in essential nutrients, like vitamins A & C, potassium, antioxidants, fatty acids and beta carotene. Plus, it’s a great source of hydration which can help with a pet’s constipation.

Giving Your Pets Pumpkin Safely

Not sure about the amount of pumpkin to feed your pets? Just a tablespoon per 10 pounds of body weight is all it takes (max out at 5 tablespoons when it comes to the bigger guys). You can add it to your pet’s food, mix with other healthy ingredients & freeze fresh pumpkin, or offer it alone as a tasty treat!

Before you reach into your cupboard for your human-grade canned pumpkin, pumpkin seeds, pureed pumpkin or pumpkin pie filling, check out the special formulations created specifically for your furry friend.

Below are our Noseworthy pumpkin options:

Diggin’ Your Dog Firm Up!

This is a great dehydrated option to keep in the cupboard or take on the road.

Fruitables Pumpkin SuperBlend Digestive Supplement

These yummy pumpkin purees have added digestive herbs like ginger and cinnamon to help reduce gas and settle upset stomachs.

SUPER SNOUTS PUMPKIN LATTE

This is pumpkin with superpowers! Dehydrated pumpkin blended with prebiotics and digestive herbs fixes problems quickly but is tough enough to be a daily digestive supplement in your pet's everyday diet.

Weruva Pumpkin Patch Up!

The small serving size of this yummy pumpkin puree makes it perfect for small pets, travel or a quick fix!

Visit your local Kriser's and talk with a Pet Foodie to find out which option will get you ready to handle the inevitable holiday hangover!

Pet Business magazine has named Independent Pet Partners (IPP) as its 2022 Retailer of the Year.

Founded in 2017, Independent Pet Partners was created to support established neighborhood pet retail banners facing the rapidly changing needs of their customers by leveraging economies of scale to deliver advanced enablers—such as loyalty rewards and omni-channel flexibility—while nurturing the unique characteristics that underpinned the historic success of those retail brands: superior customer education on food and wellness delivered by engaged team members; a deep sense of neighborhood and community; and a high-touch, wellness-focused services model

Following five years of strategic development during in turbulent business environment, IPP now operates 162 stores in 14 states under the Chuck & Don’s, Kriser’s, Loyal Companion and Natural Pawz omni-channel brands.

“Understanding the direction in which the pet care market was going and the challenges a future dominated by e-commerce and big-box competition would hold for independent pet stores, Independent Pet Partners created an incredible blueprint for the next generation of indie chains,” said Mark Kalaygian, publishing director and editor in chief of Pet Business. “Of course, the company owes much of its success to its acquisition of some of the pet industry’s premier independent chains but complementing the sensibilities and reputation of these retail brands with organizational scale and a unique pet wellness solution in the market enables them to remain competitive with larger, national retailers and has set IPP apart as an innovator in the marketplace.”

In 2019 IPP was successful in trademarking its customer engagement philosophy on pet wellness, a pet industry first.

“We wanted to recognize the essence of the experience customers received in their neighborhood pet store, and take it to the next level”, said Tricia Nichols, IPP’s chief marketing officer.

“The Five Pillars of Pet Wellness is a collaboration between IPP, our store teams, the University of Denver’s Institute for Human-Animal Connection and a trans-disciplinary team of behaviorists, veterinarians, and other wellness experts. It bought a unique solution to the pet industry: a first-ever definition of “pet wellness” that could make pet parenting easier to understand and simpler to implement. A win/win for pet parents and their pets.”

The Five Pillars of Pet Wellness establishes a practical guide for pet families in the care and wellbeing of their pets, which is focused on a model of prevention science, wellness needs and overall happiness, helping pets to thrive and live longer: Nourishment, Play, Comfort, Companionship & Purpose.

According to IPP president Brian Murphy, “The Five Pillars of Pet Wellness philosophy underpins the IPP business model with the framework being embedded into every aspect of our business—education, assortment, communications and navigation. Shopping by the pillars makes it clear and easy to be the pet parent you want to be, helping us to fulfill our purpose of supporting the magic of unconditional love”

As the 2022 Retailer of the Year, Independent Pet Partners will be the subject of an in-depth profile in the August issue of Pet Business. The IPP team will also be honored at an invitation-only dinner reception that will be held during SuperZoo in Las Vegas.