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19 Mar 14

Global Pet Expo Top Picks! ...

By Nancy E. Hassel, LIPetPlace.com

Last week was one of the pet industry’s biggest, if not the biggest pet industry trade show, Global Pet Expo held in sunny Orlando, Florida – celebrating their 10th year.   With nearly 3,000 vendor booths, yes 3,000, about 6,000 attendees and FOUR miles of trade show floor to walk – yes it was ‘Too Big To Miss’ as their slogan says.  However, being in the pet industry you tend to see a lot of similar products and I love to see pet products that stand out, and that are new and different.  And while this article could be probably 10 pages long if I posted everything that I really liked, here are some top picks that stood out to me.  From the, ‘duh why didn’t I think of that’ products to the huge amount of new technology pet products, one even invented by a 14 year old girl (love it – you go Brooke – young female entrepreneur!)

Let me know what you think and if you see anything you too like below:

High tech:

The first high tech pet product that stood out to me was Voyce, kind of like a Fitbit for dogs.  At first glance you may think, why does my dogs heart rate, respiratory rate, activity, rest, distance and calories burned need to be monitored.  You can upload all this information to your computre or smart phone, and after speaking with one of their reps, the aha moment came.  What if your dog was sick or having medical issues, you can then bring the information to your vet to show the days your dog wasn’t feeling well and they can look at the info.  It goes beyond that and I emplore you do your research – but seems like a very cool product, and I think great for senior dogs too.

From the Voyce website: Voyce measures key vital signs and other wellness indicators through wearable technology and proprietary algorithms. Using that information, Voyce provides you with trends and valuable insights, helping you stay proactive about your dog’s overall health, behavior, and wellbeing.

This next high tech device was invented by a 14 year old girl Brook Martin, yes folks a very wise young and inspiring entrepreneur.  She came up with the clever idea when she was just 12!  (Love that!) Brooke told me her Golden Retriver Kayla had some serious separation aniexty and she wanted to figure out a way to help.  So she invented iCPooch, which allows you to video chat with your dog and deliver a treat using a tablet, smartphone, or computer from anywhere.  Available for purchase in May 2014, this was Brooke’s first Global Pet Expo, congratulations Brooke! (Brooke’s dad, Chris Martin President and COO of the company, was there with her and he couldn’t be prouder!)

Functional for your pet:

A product that I thought, hmm why didn’t I think of that was the PawPlunger.  Not high tech, but during the muddy winter months, and constantly cleaning my dogs feet with a towel – which never seem to fully do the job – I am looking forward to trying this product out.  (Of course you want to get your dog used to it, and never force your pet’s paw – just another chance to do a little training to help your dog used to this new routine).

For the cat owners, here is a new kitty litter scooper just launched at Global, the KittyScoop.  The scoop, scoop’s your cats waste from the litter box right into a biodegradable bag that is lined inside the scoop so you have less mess when cleaned the box.  You have the option to not use a bag and just scoop and the back of the product has a door you can open to get rid of the waste.  I think using the bag is a great option.  Seems like a great new product for cat owners and will encourage you to keep your cats litter box clean.

Do you keep chickens?  If so, you need to know about these products that at first glance just looks like chicken clothing.  Ok, stop.  It is chicken clothing, but these chickens are not going to be in the NYC Pet Fashion show any time soon.  The are purely functional, and life saving at the same time.  Created by Crazy K Farm Pet and Poultry Products, the little booties pictured below – are not just cute booties but are used when a chicken has an injury to their foot.  It keeps their foot protected from all that they walk in and helps keep a chance of infection out.  The little jacket with eyes on it?  It is used to ward off birds of prey who are not interested in going after a chicken with those big scary eyes staring back at them – pretty ingenious if you ask me, and who knew?

A company that out of the gate has been donating to a bag of food for every bag purchased is Dog for Dog.  They also won an award at Global and it’s a wonderful concept.

Another new pet food company is Caru, who make natural stews and treats for pets, which was born due to their dog Karu’s really bad food allergies.  All their ingredients are sourced from the USA and made in small batches.  The owners are also medical professionals, they are also passionate about using earth and land-fill friendly packaging and do not use cans for their product.  There are four different flavors to choose from.

Petsafe who recently launched a new line of pet treats all made in the USA also are called Indigo.  There are a few different products, dental treats and I can tell you that my Max loves, loves, loves the smokehouse treats.

Pet Products for the Humans!

Giving your friend a present for their pet?  Now you can wrap it in pet safe wrapping paper.  This product I loved because it is different.  Printed with soy-based, non-toxic ink, it comes in all different prints and patterns.  Made by Pet Party Printz and made here in the USA – this is an adogable way to celebrate your pet or friends and families pets with gifts you bought for them.  We all know dogs love to rip open presents (well every dog I have ever had did!).  It also comes with Rip and Stick technology so there is no tape needed to use to wrap the gift, cool.  More pet retailers should be carrying this product!

Dog is Good has a new line of bags and magnets that are hysterical, and every pet parent or rescue person will totally get a kick out of.  I just love this new product line, make a perfect gift to give your favorite pet parent (hint hint!).  For our rescue groups, they would also make fabulous raffle prizes for your next event.

And if you are in your 40’s and up, and you are holding that printed card out further than you used to, you may need some new readers.  The new line of Dog Bone readers may just be what you are searching for.  Normally this is not something I would gravitate too – but they are pretty cute and come in different designs for both dog and cat lovers and different magnification levels.

To see more pictures from Global Pet Expo, CLICK Here!

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