NASCAR Stars and Their Pets

Keep Your Pets Healthy and Safe in the Toughest Conditions

With an impressive array of products aimed at helping animals find relief and comfort from problematic ear, skin and oral conditions, Pet King Brands’ ZYMOX® Ear and Skin and Oratene® Brushless Oral Care have been making a difference in the lives of pets and pet owners for more than 20 years.

Just ask NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Natalie Decker. Her family has been using Pet King Brands for as long as she can remember — and today, she’s keeping the tradition alive with her own hound mix rescue dog named Cash. Aware of the family connection, representatives from Pet King Brands reached out to Decker a few years back when they saw an Instagram post from her saying she had adopted a pet. From that initial conversation has sprung forth a wonderful partnership that has included Pet King Brands becoming a sponsor of Decker’s Xfinity Series efforts.

“It’s all come full-circle,” Decker said. “I grew up living on the lake and our Lab loved swimming and would dive for rocks. He would go under the water with his head and pick up rocks from the bottom of the lake. And he would get ear infections from swimming all the time, so my mom would always have to clean his ears, and we used Pet Kings’ ZYMOX brand. The ear cleaner really worked on him because he would always try to itch his ears, and it was really uncomfortable for him, and we could just tell it gave him relief.”

Fast-forward to today and Decker’s beloved canine, Cash.

“I use all their products on our dog here at home,” Decker said of Pet King Brands. “I absolutely love using their shampoo and conditioner, especially their conditioner; it’s almost like a lotion for your dog, and that is probably one of my most favorite. But also our dog likes to bury bones or toys in the backyard, and he gets a little sore on his nose. They have a spray or a cream that you can put on their cuts or their wounds to help them heal faster, and that has just helped so much.”

ZYMOX and Oratene, are both veterinarian-recommended, and feature a long established formula based on a shared patented enzyme system that is naturally derived. Each enzyme has benefits on its own, but when combined, they work together to target only harmful bacteria without the need for antibiotics. ZYMOX has gained a reputation for helping pets with allergies who get itchy skin and ear infections. It’s estimated that 75 percent of pets that have allergies also deal with chronic infections of the ears and skin. The products can be used as a preventative and to help manage these common conditions.

“Luckily, our dog Cash hasn’t gotten any infections in his ear yet, but we use the Pet King Brands’ cleaner to help prevent any infections from happening,” Decker said. “They have stuff that you can put right in their water bowl and the dog doesn’t even know they’re getting a clean mouth from that, because they’re just drinking their water like normal. They have a little gel you can put in with just your finger. Cash loves it. He knows as soon as I’m getting it out, and he gets all excited like it’s a treat or something.”

A PERFECT MATCH

Pet King Brands director of marketing Debra Decker (no relation to Natalie) couldn’t be any happier for her company to be involved in NASCAR and partner with Decker, the 23-year-old driver believed to have a bright future in the sport.

“NASCAR fans are dedicated and devoted to their pets just like Pet King Brands is dedicated to pets and helping them lead healthy, happy lives,” she said. “Not only do NASCAR fans and drivers love their pets, but they’re intertwined with their family and everyday life at and off the track.”

Natalie Decker also feels so blessed to have Pet King Brands not only in her personal life but also on her race cars.

“We use the products on all the pets that my parents and I now have,” she said. “It already feels like we’re like family, and it already feels like a long-term relationship. We’ve been working together for a while now, and I hope we can just work together for a lot longer.”

Suarez Is All About Animals

BY JARED TURNER

Born and raised in a family that made a habit of rescuing stray animals – and that does so to this day – NASCAR Cup Series driver Daniel Suarez was practically destined to be a dog and cat lover.

Then, he met his girlfriend, Julia, and if there was ever any doubt that Suarez would be all about animals, her affinity for pets sealed the deal.

“I grew up with a family in Mexico that had animals and that took care of animals like they are people,” Suarez said. “Julia grew up with chickens, cats and dogs sleeping with her. It was crazy. She grew up in France with all kinds of animals. And every chicken had a different name – they were like having a pet.”

Together, Daniel and Julia are raising two animals – a 3.8-pound, 7-year-old Chihuahua named Emma and a one-and-a-half-year-old rescue cat named Nicky that the couple gave a home at the beginning of the year

While some dogs and cats have trouble coexisting under the same roof, this isn’t the case for the Suarez pet clan.

“I think cats and dogs get along well, especially when they’re young,” Suarez said. “It took them probably a week or week-and-a-half to start playing together. It was a process and didn’t happen overnight.”