Local vet weighs in on popular pet products

DELMARVA – From automatic feeders to self-cleaning litterboxes, there are many products designed to make things easier for you and your pets.

Dr. Marianne Bailey with the Queenstown Veterinary Hospital knows all of the pet supplies out there can seem a bit overwhelming. One item she recommends is an invisible fence for inside your home.

“They have these disks that you can put in certain places of your house if you don’t want the dog to go. Then they have a collar and it beeps when they got close, it does ramp up to a little shock. It’s not a hard shock.”

Some other popular items tend to be more of a personal choice, Dr. Bailey says. Automatic feeders can be great if you have multiple cats or cats on a social diet. Self-cleaning litterboxes like the Litter Robot can also be useful if you have a busy lifestyle.

When it comes to products Dr. Bailey feels are not worth it, a paw cleaner tops the list.

“I would not buy this. This I think is a waste of money. If you need to wash your dog’s feet or cat’s feet, just hold it under the water.”

Dr. Bailey’s best advice when it comes to purchasing products for your pup or kitty is to think about whether or not you really need it.

“It seems like there’s a ton of products out there but I’m like, why do we need it? Is there actually a problem that we’re trying to fix with that. It’s so easy to just click and buy, but a lot of them are just a waste of money.”

Dr. Bailey also has several lists on Amazon with pet products she recommends, which you can find here.