A very happy monday to you all! Here's Leo taking a nap after an exciting day at the Park!
x Leo
All things dog related! Pet food review, DIYs, Treats review and the daily life of the adorable chihuahua, Leo!
Monday, 30 May 2016
HAPPY MONDAY! (Instagram Monday)
A very happy monday to you all! Here's Leo taking a nap after an exciting day at the Park!
x Leo
Sunday, 29 May 2016
SUPPLEMENT SUNDAY - SPARK FROM PET WELLBEING REVIEW
Hello everyone! Welcome back to Supplement Sunday. Today, I'm going to review, SPARK, from Pet Wellbeing essentially a multivitamin and nutritional supplement for your pets (works for cats too)!
Some of the benefits of SPARK are:
- Healthy bones, teeth and coat
- Good digestion and nutrient absorption
- Joint and muscle health
- Immune system and normal recovery
- Healthy hormone levels
- Fighting free radical damage (anti-oxidant)
- Important vitamins & minerals for growth, aging and normal cell repair
The ones I am most interested in are - Immune system and good digestion.
(Spoon not included haha)
5/5
SPARK is a dark green powder that reminds me of spirulina (which IS one of the ingredients). Click the ingredient list.I first tried gave it to him in powder form and he licked most of it up. I have also tried adding a little water and giving to him in a paste, which he liked as well. But what I enjoy most is putting a dollop of greek yougurt and this powder on top, before his breakfast.
I have noticed that his poops look more Ahem, "well rounded" and more structured with SPARK and he seems to have more energy as well. Especially for allergy season like now, I think it's absolutely vital for him to keep his immune system strong. His coat also feels soft.
Raw feeding is all the rage right now. I personally am not doing raw feeding just yet BUT I do feed him an variety of stuff (raw bones, vegetables) so there is definitely a possibility that his diet is unbalanced, so this supplement is a great add on. I do absolutely recommend this for people who are doing raw feeding.
UPDATE: on agile joints. (Click me to read the review of Agile joints) Leo seems to have a fuller range of movement now, before, he never used to lie with his hips on the ground, now he does it effortlessly. WOOHOO!!! He also continues to do great at stairs.
Pet wellbeing is a fantastic website and a Canadian company that I trust. They not only have great customer service, swift shipping time but also quality products.
You can also purchase it from Amazon by clicking down below as well.
Pet Wellbeing - SPARK - for Dogs (Disclaimer, this is an affiliated link. You will not pay more when purchasing from my link.)
Leo & Angel
Wednesday, 25 May 2016
PET FOOD REVIEW - CaniSource Grand Cru Dog Food (Dehydrated) (ALS)
My review - 3.5/5 Leo's review - 3/5
On a nice saturday, the fam popped over to our favorite pet food shop, My Fluffy Friends to check out a food demo!
On a nice saturday, the fam popped over to our favorite pet food shop, My Fluffy Friends to check out a food demo!
On top, it says 100% ingredients approved for human consumption(impressive)but honestly I had 0 urges to taste it. The food looked very bland.
This is definitely a gourmet food, I love the whole design of the labels - very chic. But is Leo chomping down on the the label designs? Noooo... In the information package, there are 6 things their customers have claimed (I like science, but you know, we will work with what we've got)
- No more allergies
- Disappearance of tartar (This is possible since the food is quite hard)
- Improved joint mobility
- Improved digestion
- Shinier coat
- No more burnt grass
The food smelled like nothing, which concerns me a little. Where's the smell? Where is that FLAVORTOWN I love so much? Also they say I could rehydrate (which I regret not trying) but it just seems like another extra step.
I received a generous sample from a demo event at a local pet food shop. Noticed right away that while Leo was eating the food, he wasn't wolfing it down like when I feed him his normal petfood (Currently Petcurean). I also noticed that he had a little difficulty breaking the food into smaller pieces (If I am correct, they are about the same size as these marrow bones and also kind of looked like them)
With the leftovers, I just toss 3 or 4 into his regular food, and use it as treats. He does a moderate tail wag for them but no EXCITEMENT EXCITEMENT he gets with other treats. I am very interested in dehydrated foods (which is a nice in between raw and kibble) But this one just seemed... brittle.
While the ingredients actually look pretty good (First few are Deboned-chicken, Green Lentil, Chicken Liver) the protein content (24%) is not as high as I'd like it to be.
All in all, Leo with Canisource is like me with Kale - I'll eat it, but I'm not going to be ecstatic about it unless you put on a delicious sauce.
Again, another Canadian company. I do trust that their ingredients are good, but perhaps a little less animal protein as I'd prefer. This also seems like if you dehydrated it, would make a decent topper.
x
Angel & Leo
Sunday, 22 May 2016
SUPPLEMENT SUNDAY - AGILE JOINTS FROM PET WELLBEING REVIEW
Hello readers!
This is a new exciting segment I am starting today. Supplement Sunday aims to help give you in depth information and my personal review of the pet supplements that are on the market.
Today, I will be reviewing Agile Joints by Pet Wellbeing. A wonderful Vet approved preventative product that can also be used for post surgery recovery for your older pets.
Leo may still look like a puppy (I get stopped on walks by people asking how many months he is!) but he is already in his fiftys in human years. I noticed that almost every time he sits down, his knees crack, so I was looking for a joint medicine that would alleviate this problem. Additionally, I take him stair walking sometimes and just really want to take care of his joints.
After using Agile joints for a week, I'm happy to say that his knees crack considerably less.
Agile Joints is super easy to use and Leo eats it like normal. One way you can administer it is simply drop it into his mouth, but Leo is a little squirmy when we try to open his mouth so I usually JUST drop 2 to 3 drops onto his breakfast kibble and he eats it like normal.
This is can used in conjunction with with Glucosamine and chondroitin which I believe is an ingredient in his kibble so it was perfect.
The bottle itself is shelf stable (you don't need to put it in the fridge) and The dropper has the ml written on it already.
We will continue to use this and check up with you next week (along with an review of a new product!)
So, a TLDR for those who hasn't got any time for reading:
- Agile Joints is an anti inflammatory supplement for your older cats and dogs.
- It's herbal and tastes like bacon
- Leo has had less joint cracking since using this product
Click here if you'd like more information, see other people's reviews and purchase this product for your fur baby!
You can also purchase it from Amazon by clicking down below as well.
You can also purchase it from Amazon by clicking down below as well.
Pet Wellbeing - Agile Joints for Dogs
(Disclaimer, this is an affiliated link. You will not pay more when purchasing from my link.)
(Disclaimer, this is an affiliated link. You will not pay more when purchasing from my link.)
X
Leo & Angel
Friday, 20 May 2016
BULLYSTICK / TREAT REVIEW - OPEN RANGE WATER BUFFALO BULLY STICK
4.5/5 Leo gives it a 4/5. (He can get distracted)As mentioned in a previous post, we bought this after the huge success with the other open range treat. This one takes significant longer time to finish since it's harder.
We got him a very long one and hacked it into 1/3 s with a butchers knife. It took a considerable amount of effort.
Below is where you can see more information about this bully stick
http://openrangepettreats.com/portfolio-items/bully-sticks-2/?portfolioID=11254
Since it's a Canadian company, I'm not sure you can get it from the US. Please let me know!
If only we all had a Cap America in our lives.
Leo does like to chew on this as well BUT one warning is that with any bullystick, you MUST be present because when they are small enough, your fido CAN and might try to swallow it and it's a chocking hazard.
WHAT TO DO WITH LEFTOVER BULLYSTICK
The first one third, we would give him the bullystick until he drops it to go look for other food. Then I pick it up and put it in a ziplock bag and put in the freezer.
1 this keeps it fresh
2 it kills bacteria.
When we want to give him the bully-stick again, I just take it out from the freezer and throw it on the ground.
In Our recent vet visit, I was told that his teeth is okay for now and a small reason could be that we are using bully sticks. I also brush his teeth, which will be in a future post!
Do you feed your dogs bullysticks? If so, which kind?
x
Leo & Angel
Wednesday, 18 May 2016
VETERINARIAN VISIT (Leo's first trip to the vet!)
We have a family friend who is a fantastic vet so of course we went to her Capitol Hill Animal Hospital which was a really positive experience.
The annual exam and vaccines took about 30 minutes and she answered many of my questions and concerns.
TIPS FOR GOING TO THE VET
- If it's your first time with your adopted/rescue pet, IF you do have any documents, bring a copy of them so they can put it on file. If not, then it's okay.
- Have a list of questions either written down or in your mind
- Have the pet on leash since there is a high chance there are other animals and dogs at the vet.
- Let the dog pee before hand.
- Book your appointment in advance
DOGGO GOT -
Lyme Vaccination (needs a booster shot in a month) - We got this for him because I found a tick in my front yard. Also ticks love shrubby areas which we frequent.
Leptospirosis (Found in Raccoon and Skunk Urine). Although my doggo does actively avoid waters, he also steps in puddles with full confidence. And I do want to take him swimming sometime. However, I read afterwards that Lepto is only effective for 30% of dogs, so this is one I need to research more.
IN ADDITION,
Our Chi likes to scoot on the carpet. And this is usually a sign that his anal glands are filed up.
So we got his anal glands expressed (they were pretty big.)
We are going to add more fiber into his diet. Metamucil and pumpkin was recommended.
Leo was super good at the doctors. Yay!
Hope you found this helpful!
x
Leo & Angel
Saturday, 14 May 2016
PET FOOD REVIEW (PETCUREAN DOG) PUPPY FOOD
LEO is an active senior dog that is around 4kg and I fed 1/3 of a cup of this food a day + snacks such as veggies and a spoon of yougurt. He walks average an hour a day.
4.75/5 Leo gives it a 100% amazing delicious wow gimme more.
You know, sometimes I make mistakes. I read ingredients and percentages so diligently I forget to look at the label on the front. Definitely saw that this had fish meal and a significant amount of protein got too excited.
So I got a sample bag. Leo adores this food. The small kibble size is fairly easy for him to gobble up, I noticed that the kibble itself is quite shiny (It is high in fat and protein to promote the growth of a puppy). And of course, there are many arguments on the internet about if a senior dog needs as much protein (I personally believe so). All in all, this, on top of many other factors, Leo gained a tiny bit of weight. (half a pound) But generally speaking, he maintained his weight and honestly, everything is pretty good and I would recommend this food. One thing I'd like to add is that due to it being quite oily, one should add a little more fibre into their puppy's diet such as Steamed pumpkin and Yams.
A personal preference thing is that his breath smells quite fishy since it's got trout in it. One way to counter this, is with a minty gum supplement called Healthy Gums which I will do a complete separate post about soon. I've tried the home remedy of Cilantro but it didn't make much of a difference. Fish is one of the best proteins and other minerals for canine health.
He digests this food well and his poos are looking good on this puppy food.
I love this brand because it's Canadian and their ingredients are quite good. On active online communities, it has always been held in high regard.
Let me know what kind of main dish you feed your Fido in a comment below!
Just thought I'd share, I am not being compensated for this review (I wish lol call me Petcurean)
x
Angel & Leo
Sunday, 8 May 2016
BULLY STICK/ TREAT REVIEW - OPEN RANGE PET TREATS (BEEF)
Just some background information. Leo is an active 8 or 9 years old chihuahua that currently weights 4kg or 8.8 pounds. This is the beef chomper, I got the 4 inch.
Open range farm is a Canadian owned company and I appreciate that their products have minimal packaging. I personally bought this bully stick from Tisol but many other pet stores carry it.
I was looking around for a good bully stick and honestly thought this looked a little too hard. Little did I know, he devoured it in 20 minutes - the entire thing!!! I tried to take it away from him at one point and he just started to pretty much gulp it.
So in retrospect, I would recommend this as a treat (especially for medium sized and large dogs)
but for chihuahuas, I would saw it in half so he can enjoy it two times.
However, seeing this is beef esophagus, it actually looked quite high in fat content, so I would recommend lowering his calorie intake in other foods and/or taking him on extra long walks the next few days.
Leo gives this a 5/5 (I LOVE THIS WOULD INHALE AGAIN)
I give it a 4.5/5 because I doubt it's teeth cleaning properties and also the need to portion it out for him for next time. Would repurchase.
We recently bought the water buffalo stick from the same company, so look out for that review soon!
x
Angel & Leo
Monday, 2 May 2016
GLOBAL PET FOOD TRENDS 2016 [Freeze dried food, aging and overweight pets]
The trendy girl in me (although this may not be reflected upon how I dress) is always looking at the global trends of things. Whether it is cars, technology, entertainment, or food. Of course, I saw a couple interesting pet food articles that presented the global pet food trends of late 2015 early 2016.
Here are some notable quotes I pulled from the articles.
- Aging animals suffer from age-related conditions such as joint, coronary, cognitive, and immune-system issues, and even diabetes and cancer.
- The pet industry saw a wave of premiumization in 2014, such as organic and natural treats, food, and toys, as well as high-tech medical therapies, prescription medications, and luxury services.
- Many companies and brands still push the human/pet bond theme...
- A survey conducted in January 2015 found that only 11 percent of dog owners say they have an overweight dog and 20 percent of cat owners say they have an overweight cat. When in reality, just over half of American dogs are overweight, and 58 percent of cats are overweight.
Read more at:
- Freeze-dried petfood
- While still a small category at only US$74 million in 2014 (just 1% of the petfood market in that channel), sales of freeze-dried petfoods and treats increased 43.7% from 2013.
- Grain-free petfood sales reached US$2.2 billion in 2014—a 30% petfood market share in US pet specialty—and accounted for four of every 10 new items.
- Nestle Purina PetCare launched Pro Plan Bright Mind, a food touting medium-chain triglycerides from botanical oils to help senior dogs stay alert and mentally sharp.
- Another major petfood launch announced at GPE came from Nutram, a division of Canada-based, private label manufacturer Elmira Pet Products.
- more than 10% of US pet owners are new pet owners, equating to nearly eight million new pet owners within the last year, the majority of which are Gen Y and Gen X.
Read More at:
x
Angel
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)