Chip and Daisy Approved: Vet's Best Flea + Tick spray {review}

These two puppies have had a ball recently. They've been very busy chasing ducks and squirrels. Springtime is in full swing here in southern Georgia, which means that it's also flea season...yuck! And they've returned with a vengeance!

Sometimes we forget to buy their flea medication. Sometimes bills get the priority and, since I won't give them something not sold at vet clinics, we have to wait a few days until we can buy their meds. But after buying from Vet's Best line of products, life has been so much easier.

What I love about Vet's Best Flea + Tick spray is not only that it is all-natural, but it WORKS. The main active ingredients are peppermint oil and clove extract, and that's exactly what the product smells like. You lightly mist your dog's coat all over, then massage into the skin. It will kill flea eggs, fleas, ticks and mosquitoes on contact. Need proof?

Dead flea after direct spritzing with Vet's Best flea + tick spray.

I wish I could say that dark spot is a flaxseed, but it's not. It was a flea I found on Daisy earlier this week. I sprayed the Vet's Best flea + tick spray a few times in the area and--literally--within seconds it was dead. It did not irritate her skin, and she didn't seem to care that she had a wet spot on her. What more can you ask for?

Vet's Best products are made in the USA and their active ingredients are all-natural. This formula also comes in a larger size for your home, and the shampoo version can be used to wash fleas directly out of your dog's coat.

I wish I had heard of this when Daisy weighed less than 2lbs. I couldn't use anything at the vet's clinic because she was too small. She was a little fleabag and I was afraid of using something too strong for her little body. Now I know that even if I cannot run to the vet for a refill on their flea meds, Vet's Best is there for me. Will you try it?

Chip and Daisy Approved - Pet Dental Health Month {review}

Welcome back, dog lovers.  In case you missed it, this series began last week, where we talked about Orijen.  Did you know February is Pet Dental Health Month?  So, even though today's the last day of February (hellooo Spring!) it's never too late to take action on the pearly whites of your furbabies.  No matter whether they have little corn teeth or full fledged meat-tearing jaws.  Here are my youngest monster's baby and adult teeth.

It is estimated that by age four, most cats and dogs have dental disease.  That odor coming from Fido's mouth? It might indicate a serious health risk, with the potential to damage not only his teeth and gums but his internal organs as well.  This video explains it well:

Chip just turned 3 a few days ago, and I haven't yet taken him to get his dental cleaning. I'm afraid of anesthesia in small dogs, but it's becoming clear he needs his teeth cleaned just by looking at the tartar build-up on his molars.  In the meantime, I am taking care of his teeth and Daisy's teeth with the products in this post.
First up is dog toothpaste.  You can't use human toothpaste on your dogs...it can be toxic!  I've tried a few, and the ONLY one they seem to like has been Petrodex enzymatic toothpaste in poultry flavor.  They will lick it right off the opening of the tube!  Daisy will even do a little dance when she sees me reaching for it.  Most times I use a regular toothbrush (pictured on the left), but I've also found luck with using the Arm & Hammer Clinical Pet Care 3-sided toothbrush (pictured right).  This baby will get the sides and surface area of the tooth, making this take even less time.  Chip is much more open to having his teeth brushed with the Petrodex toothpaste.  

Another product we like is Arm & Hammer Tartar Control for dogs.  There's a gel and a spray version, but we prefer the spray.  It claims it's odorless, but it smells a little like peanut butter to me. This is another great way to help cut down on the tartar buildup on teeth.  It contains special enzymes (just like pet toothpaste) to help cut down on tarter buildup.  Chip and Daisy don't seem to mind it and will readily accept a short spray on their teeth and gums.  In conjunction with enzymatic toothpaste, this has helped considerably cut down on visible tarter.  They're not a replacement for veterinary dental care, but it goes great lengths for the oral health of your dog.

Lastly, in addition to smoked bones from the pet boutique we buy Orijen from, we also have found luck in Nylabone Dura Chew Bones for extra scrubbing.  The Nylabones develop little ridges that resemble little toothbrush bristles.  These ridges help remove the loosening tartar as a result of continued use of the enzymatic toothpaste.  I was a little unsure of giving my dogs a plastic product, but as long as I replace them often they're not an issue.  They're about $5 so they're really affordable.

I hope this has helped you find a couple of ways to help keep your pet's oral health in top shape.  For more information on your pet's oral health, visit the American Veterinarian Medical Association.

Chip and Daisy Approved - Orijen {review}

I'm happy to present to you this new series, a collection of reviews of dog products that were pup tested, "mother" approved.  We hope you find this useful!

I am that pet owner who gives unsolicited advice on pet food.  Some would call me a snob.  I call myself well-informed.  Before I had a dog, I thought a friend of mine was crazy for spending $18 on 5.5 lbs of dog food.  Everyone knows that pet food is pretty cheap.  I've seen twenty pounds of dog food for $20 at the big stores.

Then I did some research.

I couldn't believe the amount of fillers in dog (and cat) food I saw on most commercials.  Corn? Corn gluten? Wheat? Animal digest? Is that chicken poop in the making? Gross.  Animal-by-products?  What are those exactly, and why isn't it disclosed what those by-products are?  I looked it up, and it's not pretty.  I'll spare you the gory details, but just know that it's food unfit for human consumption. What's worse, is that pet owners are so pitifully misinformed.  All these commercials depicting happy, healthy pets with tons of protein and veggies...and it's all SO misleading!

Enter Orijen.  Orijen is the only food I feed my fur babies.  The proof is in their mission.  ‘Biologically Appropriate’ means mirroring the foods that Mother Nature evolved the animal to eat. In my case, that means feeding my dogs a diet that is very close to the diet of their ancestor--the wolf.

Orijen has a high inclusion of meat ingredients, and for good reason.  Ask yourself--when was the last time you saw a wolf munching on corn on the cob? Ridiculous, right?  They're carnivores, and although our domesticated pups can and are willing to eat carbs, that doesn't mean that their diets should be primarily composed of cheap carbs (wheat, corn, corn gluten, etc.).  They have a 30-page scholarly document, The White Paper, backing up their research and philosophy for their dog food ingredients.  And yes, this nerd read every single inch of it.

Unlike mass-produced dog and cat foods which are full of fillers, Orijen is produced in small batches from natural, unprocessed ingredients.  Never frozen or exposed to heat or chemical preservatives, their fresh meats arrive daily from local farms in Canada.  (That means their food doesn't travel hundreds or thousands of miles before cooking.  It's FRESH!) The kibble is cooked and packaged in their own processing facilities in Morinville, Alberta, Canada.  Their ingredients and foods are also  ethoxyquin-free.  Ethoxyquin is typically used as a preservative in fish ingredients,  and as a pesticide. Yuck!

Are you sold yet? If not, here's the reason I hold this food close to my heart.  Chip started limping at 4 months of age.  FOUR months!  Being a Maltese-mix, I couldn't understand why such a small and lightweight dog would be limping.  Vets wanted $400+ X-rays, to then tell me that he could possibly need surgery and a lifetime of glucosamine + chondroitin supplements.  I nearly cried.  

Orijen's high meat inclusion also means that their food is naturally high in glucosamine and chondroitin...the stuff people feed senior dogs for their joints.  These natural components lubricate the joints of humans and animals alike.  Within one month of feeding Chip the adult Orijen formula and glucosamine + chondroitin supplements, he stopped limping.  I stopped giving him supplements, and continued to feed him solely Orijen.  He has never limped since.  To be clear, Orijen has NOT claimed their foods are a cure for any health problems.  This is my personal experience and I will share it with anyone willing to give me a few minutes to share it.  I hold Orijen near and dear to my heart.

Orijen and Acana, their other line of pet food, are found in small pet boutiques and in online stores in the United States such as Chewy.com, Canada, and worldwide.  In my opinion, since their foods are hard to find, it is a testament to their philosophy of not compromising their ingredients for mass production.  

Enough about MY approval.  The one that REALLY counts is from the furballs.

I was not paid or compensated for this post.  All opinions expressed are completely my own.

Dog owners: treats recall

Yesterday you were all introduced to my beloved chocolate Chip.  

(Daisy will be on here soon, don't fret)

Today I have another dog-related post, but on a much more serious and grave note.

I talked about this on Facebook before I had a blog.  When you pair some stranger's "ramblings" with personal experience you just don't keep your mouth shut.  Susan Thixton at Truth About Pet Food makes it her job to inform pet parents about what's in their pet's food, in addition to reporting some crap that you wish weren't really true.  I recommend you go there.  Yesterday.

A few years ago Chip and I went to BARCStoberfest in Baltimore hosted by the local animal shelter.  The event had tons of booths with free treats, samples and even other puppies to adopt.  I almost came home with a poodle that day, you all.  Not even kidding.

Who loves to free load?  This dog, especially if they are delicious chicken breast jerky treats.  We went home with almost a pound of these monsters because he LOVES them.  Unfortunately, not to gross you out, he developed bloody and chunky diarrhea.  It was SUPER scary.  I couldn't figure out what was wrong.  I figured he ate something on one of our walks next to the dirty Baltimore Inner Harbor.

I cut out all treats.  I fed him bland chicken with white rice.  It stopped.  Then I started reintroducing his old food and treats (including those free jerky ones) and it started back up again.  This cycle lasted for almost two weeks.  Then I read an article about how people's dogs have died or gotten severely sick (worse than Chip) from eating jerky treats.  I rushed to the vet's office.

They confirmed blood in his stool.  I talked to the vet about the recent news article I came across and he never heard about it.  This is when I knew that when it came to my dog's nutrition, I was his best advocate.  He was given some meds for the diarrhea.  I have NEVER given him chicken jerky treats since then...because everyone I come across is MADE IN CHINA!

Imagine my surprise (sarcasm) when more of these reports came out.  The FDA compiled a public list of over 600 complaints about pet illnesses and deaths attributed to these jerky treats.  They're found at Walmart, Sam's Club, Target, PetSmart, Petco...you name it, they were there.  Yet these companies refused to voluntarily recall.

Well, folks, they finally caved.  These companies have FINALLY recalled their chicken jerky treats.  Here they are:

Milo's Kitchen

 (chicken grillers and chicken jerky)

Waggin' Train

Canyon Creek

For the sake of your loved pets, THROW AWAY THESE TREATS!




Note: I was NOT paid or sponsored for this post.  This was written out of the goodness of my heart and concern for pets everywhere.

For the love of dog...

I love my fur babies.  I really do.  Dog-food-commercial-romping-through-the-fields-in-slow-motion love them.  Then, there are the times that they earn the well-deserved stink eye from yours truly, met by apologetic belly-baring floor poses (you know the ones.)  Today was one of those days.  Enter my tiny terrorist, Daisy.

Normally, I get to sleep in til about 7 am or so before bone-shaped tags chime and the mattress shakes.  The odds were not ever in my favor today, for somewhere in the fifth hour I woke up to the lovely, gutteral sounds of...

"gloop, gloop, gloop..."

Wait, is that sound of a puppy lapping up water? Did they jump off the bed for a sip of water? No.  It's not.  It's the precursor to the bobbing head, and the "splat" on the floor (if you're lucky).  So, did my groggy and pillow-creased self feel lucky at 5 something in the morning today?  No, because you and I both knew what was in store for me.

Only that I didn't, because Daisy was sitting next to me...in the second round of the "glooping." Why hello there nice, little, wet and dark puddle between us!  Fffuuuuuuug me.  I instinctively grabbed her and ran to the bathroom and sat her next to the sink.  She blinked up at me, confused.  Crazy Daisy.  Oh the frustrating irony.

I head back to bed, with Daisy tucked under my arm, and remove the soiled blanket.  Too tired to think, I throw it on the floor and fall back asleep.  An hour later...

"Gloop, gloop, gloop..."

I sit up in bed, grab her, and (cursing this God forsaken hour) hold her head over the edge of the bed and, expecting to hear a splat, I look down and noticed she has an even larger puddle on the jeans I forgot I sleepily threw on the floor at 1 am.  

Ffffffffuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuggggggggg.  My favorite ones!  

At this point I give up on sleep and give her a bath and blow-dry.  Followed by, oh joy, a second bath and a second blow-dry only an hour later.  Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed dawn shows up ready to shine, and I've already given two dog baths to the same 6-pounder.  Lovely.

And Daisy?  Well, you ask her.

Treats to Help Dogs Beat the Heat during Summertime

Hi all,

Wordpress has been  slow lately, severely limiting my posts .  I have more posts coming, don't despair!

I found this information in the drafts folder of my e-mail, and realizing it was a few years old, I wanted to post it on here and share it with you.  If I'm not mistaken (I did not save the link) it is from MMN.  I also included Chip's picture as a treat for you.  Enjoy!

1. Grab a bowl, fill it three-quarters of the way full with water and place it in the freezer overnight. Place it beside his regular water bowl before you leave for work. As the ice melts, your dog will have a second bowl of cool water during the day.

2. Pour chicken or beef broth into ice cube trays. When frozen, place a few of these yummy pooch ice pops in the food bowl with your dog's kibble, or simply add to the water bowl for a flavored beverage.

3. Pera relies on super tough Kong toys to keep her crowd occupied. Kongs feature hollowed centers that can be filled with anything yummy. "I fill them, freeze them and then pull them out when I leave," she says. Seal the small hole of a Kong with peanut butter then add chicken broth and a stick of beef jerky. Freeze for a yummy yet messy outdoor treat.

4. Add water or broth to your dog's kibble then place the moistened mixture inside the hollow portion of a Kong or other hollow chew toy. Freeze overnight.

5. Scrub sweet potatoes, score with a fork and then bake until soft. Add mashed sweet potato, along with the skin, to your dog's kibble for a healthy dose of beta-carotene.

6. Chill a carrot in the fridge and give it to your pooch. It's a super-inexpensive chew toy that works best with indiscriminate puppies. Spoiled pooches like my Lulu are a little more finicky.

7. Mash a ripe banana and mix with one tablespoon of all-natural peanut butter. Stuff the mixture into a Kong and freeze or simply place in ice cube trays and offer one treat a day. "Give this to your dog and you've hit the puppy distraction lotto!" Pera says.

8. Thinly slice apples, bananas, carrots, sweet potatoes or zucchini and place in a food dehydrator for a chewy treat.

9. Stir a tablespoon of plain low-fat Greek yogurt into your dog's kibble. Don't use flavored yogurt, which contains added sugar.

10. Thickly chop carrots and barely cover with beef, chicken or vegetable broth. Cook in the microwave until soft then add to kibble.

11. Wash, core and thinly slice apples with the skin on. Place slices on cooking sheet and bake on low heat until crispy.

12. Mash two ripe bananas and mix with four tablespoons of low-fat Greek yogurt and a few sprigs of chopped parsley or peppermint to aid digestion and promote fresh breath. Freeze and scoop out when your pooch is particularly good.

13. Stock up on tins of sardines in spring water. Mix these oily little fish in with kibble to promote a healthy coat.

14. Buy frozen green beans and use as treats, particularly for portly pooches who need a little calorie reduction. "They have be frozen," Pera warns. "Once they thaw, my dog Shock won't eat them and gives me a look that says, 'What's that slimy green thing on my food?'"

15. Create your own cheese doodles. (Small doses of junk food can be OK in moderation.) Squeeze a little Cheez Whiz onto a cookie sheet and freeze into mini treats. "If you have more than one dog, you are in trouble," Pera says. "Cheez Whiz is expensive unless you buy in bulk!"

16. Low fat cream cheese is your friend, she says. Add a bit to your dog's favorite hollow toy and freeze overnight.

17. Get bone marrow bones from the butcher and freeze them. "One packet of bone marrow bones costs less than an actual Kong toy," she says. "They chew the bone marrow and then you can reuse the bone." Be sure to monitor your dog while it's chewing a bone to prevent any possible choking hazards.

18. Place peanut butter or cream cheese inside a marrow bone and freeze. Again, monitor your dog while it's working on the bone.

19. Steam fresh broccoli florets and use as treats or mix with kibble.

20. Dehydrate slices of cooked chicken for bite-size doggie nuggets. (Here are some good dehydrating instructions.)

Since the Association for Pet Obesity Prevention estimates that more than half the dogs in this country are obese or overweight, use moderation when adding these or any treats to your pet's diet. If your pet is as finicky as mine, trial and error may be part of the process as well.

For those who seek a treat for the feline population, Pera offers one simple solution: "I give the cats peace and quiet ... away from the dogs."

Bon appetit!

[caption id="attachment_244" align="aligncenter" width="295"] My first puppy love[/caption]