💔RIP my love...💔

RIP: We don't overcome the pain of losing someone we love, we just learn to ignore the pain, and keep going, keeping ourselves busy enough not to languish. My entire heart is broken, and my life is definitely empty without the one, who brought me joy, listened to my stories, and brightened my days. I love you baby, and I'll meet you again...💔💔💔

#doglover #rip #betterhalf #doggy #shihtzu

Trending for Dogs Part I - Things you Had No Idea Existed

Every day I learn something new about the pet industry. More than a billionaire segment, this is a very creative segment. Brains and hearts behind new products make our lives so much easier and our fur babies so much happier.
Below I'm going to share with you my pet findings, such as accessories, apparel, food, blog and many more.

Comfy Cone

amazon.com

Comfy cone is a type of e-collar usually for dogs recovering from surgeries or a comfortable way to avoid your fur-baby reaching prohibited parts of his body. It is designed for all sizes of dogs and very easy to handle. I had a great experience with Comfy cone. Chuca was spayed last year (yes I know very late uh?!) and I bought a comfy in order to minimize her suffering. She seemed comfortable and she didn't show any sign of stress when I had to remove it to feed her. My tip is do not feed you baby while he uses the cone otherwise you will have a huge headache trying to keep it clean.
You can find on amazon.com or pet stores. I recommend you ordering online because is likely you won't find variety of sizes in stores.
Check it out.

Comfy Cone

Dog's Best Trend
This item is for you who loves the fashion world and the sky is the limit to keep you four-legged friend elegant and modern. Dog's Best Trend is a e-commerce that sells scarves. Is a based subscription service. You go to their website at https://dogsbesttrend.com/ you sign up choose your plan, starting from $8.25/monthly you can have free shipping a scarf as they claim sometimes seasonable, sometimes fashionable, but every time beautiful and stylish. Currently they are not accepting new subscribers but I suspect is just temporary.

Dog's Best Trend

Dog's Best Trend

Dog's Best Trend

Bark Box

barkbox.com

For some of you bark box is not new anymore but guess what...it is trending. Who doesn't like to pamper your fur baby with toys, treats and thematic products? All of us, I know. I love them so much that I posted an article about their service in September of 2016 and you find here Bark Box.
Again this is a subscription based service. You choose your plan and monthly you receive in your home a box with treats, toys and everything that might get your pup attention. Always good to reinforce that part of their profit go to 3000 animal shelters.


Pet Cube
I looooove technology. There is no reason to be absent from your pets lives anymore. Pet cube has a variety of network cameras you can use to play, Pet Cube Play, give you pets snacks, Pet Cube Bites and watch them live when you are not at home, Pet Cube Care. The price range goes from $199 to $249. Cool. Check their website at https://petcube.com/store/ you might be interested in a trial.

Frolick Dogs Gym for Dogs

Frolick Dogs

No excuses to skip workout. In Virginia there is a gym for dogs. Frolick Dogs is an indoor space where you can bring you dog to get fit. If you can't stay the whole time you can drop your pup off and

he will have a day boarding. This is not all, at the gym your dog can receive a guidance regarding best exercises, equipment based on his age, breed and energy level.
The only downside is for us who don't leave in Virginia don't have access to the gym, too bad. Maybe if you have spare money and don't know what to do, there we go.
Check their website  and also a very nice post on Washington Post I'm sure you'll enjoy: http://www.frolickdogs.com/.

Frolick Dogs

Frolick Dogs

OurPets IQ Treat Ball
I love this functionality from IQ Treat Ball. You give your pet entertainment and he is reward with his favorite treat (you choose). From $10 to $12 I guarantee your pet will have fun. Concerned about cleaning? Don't worry because you can just twist the ball to open so you can clean and add treats as much as you want. Take a look at this type of toy on amazon.com.

IQ Treat Ball

and last but not least...


TruthAboutPetFood Blog

If you love your dog you should know what type of food you feed him. If you check your dog's bag of kibble or even can food you will find so many ingredients that you can't count and this is not the worse, you might see names you've never seem in your life. This is why TruthAboutPetFood exists, to teach you what to offer or avoid offering to your pet in his meals. The creator, Susan Thixton lost her dog Samantha with jus 8 years old due to a bone cancer triggered, most likely by a chemical in her food, according to her vet. This sad fact opened her eyes so she created the blog to fight for our beloved dogs and cats, against big corporations and popular brands, who insist selling to us the worse and marketing as the best pet food . Visit Susan Thixton's blog truthaboutpetfood.com, you will learn everything about pet food and once you start changing your fido's diet you will see the results.

TruthAboutPetFood

What Treats Do you Reward your Dog? They matter.

Jan Fennel The Dog Listener

Disclosure: I'm reviewing treats on this post as nutritionist, and pet mom, so I do not receive any money or incentive to write about the products I cite here.

I've been learning a lot about treats lately and I decided to share with you my findings about them.

If you are a mom or dad of a pet you might ask yourself if all treats available on Internet, pet stores, vet clinics are truly safe for them.

If you take a quick look at Amazon.com you find yourself overwhelmed by the amount of dog treats, dog snacks, dog biscuits, dog jerkies and dog bones. There are about 30,000 products in different shapes, packages, appealed, ingredients...did I say ingredients? Yes these are the number one in your list of priorities when you look for treats to train, reward, or just feed you pup.

Let's talk about the top sellers first. I'll discuss just two main ingredients of each, enough evidence to avoid them:

Pedigree Dentastix Large Dog Treats:

Wheat Flour: lead cause of dog allergies. There is no nutritional values associated to wheat flour.

Glycerine: there are glycerine from animal and plant based but there is also glycerine derived from biofuel. If you don't see on the label vegetable glycerin (the safest) you are free to think that pet food companies may use biofuel source. Methanol is one of the residual substance from this type of glycerine usually used to make formaldehyde.

Milk-Bone:
Wheat Flour: lead cause of dog allergies. There is no nutritional values associated to wheat flour.
BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole): a substance used as preservative. Even though BHA is additive Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by FDA the National Toxicology Program classifies it as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. California's Proposition 65 (NTP 2011; IARC 1986; OEHHA 2014) listed BHA as carcinogen substance.

Pedigree Marrobone
BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole): a substance used as preservative. Even though BHA is additive Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by FDA the National Toxicology Program classifies it as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. California's Proposition 65 (NTP 2011; IARC 1986; OEHHA 2014) listed BHA as carcinogen substance.
BHT (butylated hydroxytoluene): very similar to BHA but not listed as carcinogen even though some studies have shown development of cancer in animals.

Purina Beggin Strips:
Sugar: associated with weight gained, obesity and liver failure in high doses. Diabetic dogs and in treatment to combat cancer should avoid.
BHA (Butylated hydroxyanisole): a substance used as preservative. Even though BHA is additive Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) by FDA the National Toxicology Program classifies it as reasonably anticipated to be a human carcinogen. California's Proposition 65 (NTP 2011; IARC 1986; OEHHA 2014) listed BHA as carcinogen substance.

Alpo Variety Snaps
Wheat Flour: lead cause of dog allergies. There is no nutritional values associated to wheat flour.
Animal Digest: usually a mix of animals from any source (can be even dead, diseased, disabled or dying prior to slaughter) rendered in a broth with no quality control.

You might wonder if there is hope. My answers is YES. Pay attention to the label. Make sure all ingredients are safe and natural for your dog. If there is a grey area and you can't find the meaning for one or more ingredients you already know the answer. Remember also even if it is good for you doesn't mean it is good for your dog. Lets take a look at some healthy option treats so you might consider buying to your best friend.

Full Moon Dog Treat
Human Grade treat, with a few ingredients. Even though there is molasses in its formulation (type of sugar from cane or beets) they are good treats

Full Moon Human Grade Treat

The Honest Kitchen Joyful Jerky
This is a human grade treat, and its ingredients are simple and clear: chicken, salt and celery juice powder.

The Honest Kitchen Joyful Jerky - 100% Human Grade

Vita Life All Natural Dog Treats
Human Grade treats and just chiken. The downside is the smell, but trust me your dog won't care.

VitaLife All Natural Dog Treats - Human Grade Ingredients

Spot Farms
Human Grade quality as all of the above. As Full Moon treats even though one of the ingredients is molasses there are ingredients such glucosamine and chondroitin known as good nutrients for joins and hips treatment . I recommend for senior dogs

Spot Farms Human Grade Dog Treats

Links

http://www.ewg.org/research/ewg-s-dirty-dozen-guide-food-additives/generally-recognized-as-safe-but-is-it
amazon.com
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2017/01/16/molasses-pet-food.aspx

Stunning Dog Pictures

Joining two passions, photography and dogs resulted in the stunning photos of the artist Anne Geier.
Anne lives in Austria, where she magically captures the souls of dogs.
Follow the link of this talented artist. Check it out.

http://www.annegeier.com/

Happy National Pet Week

Happy National Pet Week. Celebrate with you pet his/her national week from May 7th to May 13th.

Thank your pet for making your life so much fun.

Don't you know what to do?

With my tips and your creativity I'm sure you both will have a good time. Let's go:

1) Why not a special meal? Show your love offering a nutritious and delicious meal to your dog. Please don't forget THE desert, you might know your's best friend favorite treat.

Dogs Naturally Magazine

2) Forget the pee and poop walk around the block, bring your furry one to a dog park, spend some time there with him and his toys. Take many pictures, trust me one day you will miss this time.

istock.com

3) A spa day operates miracles. You don't need to choose an expensive groomer to give your pup a royal treatment. Even if you don't want to spend some money, you can give him a bath, but please do not use human shampoo, go to a pet store and buy a shampoo specific for canines you like and have fun.

muttsblog.wordexpress.com

4) Watch a "dog movie" with your four-legged friend. Besides learning about your dog's way to see the world you will strengthen the bond between you both. You can find many documentaries about dogs on Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Youtube. 

Three Dog Bakery

5) Last but not least, give your dog lots of love, there is no better way to show him how important he is in your life.

Rebbloggy

Share with us your tips about how you are going to celebrate the National Pet Week this year.

Cheers!!!!

Adopt a Shelter Pet Day

http://www.azrescue.org/uploads/homepage-slides/2_2adopt.jpg

Today, April 30th is the Adopt a Shelter Pet Day and makes me wonder how much we know about this kind of facility.

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) was founded in 1866 focusing on mistreated horses. Until 1970s shelters managed their facilities around providing a humane death to many animals who weren't adopted or claimed. In the end of that decade treatment and welfare became the main focus of animal shelters.

The Odissey Online

According to the ASPCA there are around 5,000 animal shelters in the US and there isn't a tabulation regarding the animal protection. There are two types of animals shelters: kill shelters and no kill shelters. The first one takes every stray that arrives and are forced to euthanize once the space is too full. The second type of animal shelters accepts only a limited number of dogs and despite the name animals who are too old or too ill to care for are euthanized.

Each year 6.2 millions of dogs enter animals shelters and just 3.2 millions are adopted.
Think about this math and adopt a shelter today. There are many ways to help an animal shelter, be a volunteer, donate pet food, post on your social media pets for adoption, participate in fundraising events to support animal shelters or even write about them, make people aware that help is needed. Together we are stronger.

Humane Society of Catawba County

Links:

http://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/animal-shelters2.htm

https://www.aspca.org/animal-homelessness/shelter-intake-and-surrender/pet-statistics

http://veterinarymedicine.dvm360.com/animal-sheltering-united-states-yesterday-today-and-tomorrow

https://www.petfinder.com/pro/for-shelters/facts-about-animal-sheltering/

Pet Fooled, a Netflix Documentary You Can't Miss

Petfooled.com

Pet Fooled is the best surprise on Netflix lately. Would you have thought about someone producing a documentary about pet food 11 years ago? We wouldn't have. Pet food companies have been in the spotlight since 2007 when thousands of dogs died or got sick due to kidney failure provoked by the accumulation of melamine residue.

Melamine is a high-nitrogen substance used as a colorant in inks and plastics.
Nitrogen levels are often used an indicator of protein content; however, it is only an indicator, and a product can be rich in nitrogen but still low in protein.

The deal is protein is expensive so pet food suppliers added melamine to raise nitrogen levels in the product and fool tests looking for protein content. Most tests assumes a high amount of nitrogen equals a high amount of protein, so the tests were easily tricked by boosting nitrogen content with melamine. Seems evil right? It is.  

Years passed, new companies were founded in order to give to dog owners more healthy options besides processed food. 

Nowadays there are hundreds of companies selling human-grade quality, raw, fresh and organic food, but with so many options there are more questions then answers. This is why Pet Fooled is a documentary you can't miss. 

 Professionals who advocate for pet welfare, such as Dr. Karen Becker and Dr. Barbara Royal, explain how we ended up here, the options available to feed our fur babies a healthy and species-appropriate food, tricks pet food companies use to fool you into thinking they really care about your pet.

As a pet parent and nutritionist, I believe it is time to take responsibility back and choose what we want to feed our pets. Don't give to pet food companies the power of choosing for you.

Enjoy.

Link
petfooled.com