Its hard to believe it has been a whole year since DogSplendor.com began on May 1, 2012. It seems weird to call it an anniversary, so we’re going with Blogiversary. We’ve gone through some changes, and hopefully some improvements, we’ve changed our look, but at the core, we’re still about the splendor of dogs.
Here’s to many more years to come!
Turns out at Monday’s routine annual vet visit, the doctor informed me that Izzie, who turned seven years old in March, is now considered a SENIOR dog. Don’t know how that happened when I haven’t aged a day since she was a pup.
This post is part of a Wordless Wednesday blog hop via BlogPaws, a community for pet bloggers. Take a look around at the entries shown below, and have fun!
When given the opportunity to try new treats, my two dogs are always game. Always game. And although they would eat practically anything, I stay pretty conscious of what I give them for treats and how those treats fit into their normally healthy diet. That said, Dogswell Jerky Bars are a high protein, low glycemic treat you can feel good about. They advertise their bars contain 85% animal protein, 15% good stuff (fruits and veggies), and 0% bad stuff (corn, wheat, soy).
We tried the following two combinations:
The bars have a texture similar to a protein bar, are about two inches square, and can be broken in smaller pieces, or given to your pet whole, depending on your dog’s size. I gave my dogs a whole bar and they broke them in to pieces on their own. From the picture below, you can see the healthy ingredients in the bars.
Because the bars contain high protein and no potato, corn, rice, etc. they are considered low glycemic. I’ve seen human foods referred to as low glycemic, but not really pet foods. What is the benefit of low glycemic foods for your pet?
“The Glycemic Impact™ of a canine and/or feline food is extremely important in their lifespan and health status…High Glycemic pet foods, and High Glycemic diets high in sugars and carbohydrates accelerate the aging process, reduce lifespan, exacerbate cancer, diabetes, and other disease states.” – Glycemic Research Institute, Pet Food Division
In addition, the Dogswell jerky bars are made from carefully crafted recipes that feature:
As you can see, Maddie was quite fond of the treats. As I tried to snap a few pictures, she tried to help herself to the open bag of turkey and veggie bars. Later when I would put the bag on the counter, she sat by the counter for a bit, which I’m thinking is a sign that she enjoyed her treats immensely, as she was not starving.
From my perspective, as a discerning dog parent, I was happy to see that these were low glycemic, high protein and not chock full of empty carbohydrates. Additionally, the turkey and salmon products we tried have ingredients 100% sourced in the U.S., which gives me an added sense of comfort when choosing a pet food product.
You can purchase Dogswell treats from many trusted retailers both online and locally. Please check out the Dogswell webpage for more information on various combinations of nutritious treats for your pup!
This post has a Disclosure Level of 2. Products were provided to DogSplendor.com for our own use and for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are our own.
There are a plethora of options out there but finding the right bed for your canine is an enormous step that you shouldn’t take lightly. Every dog needs his own space and with the amount of options available these days it can be hard to choose. Your choices are so varied that theirs can become less important in making your bed fit with the décor of your home. Dog beds can last to accommodate your canine for the rest of their life if maintained correctly and kept clean.
Remember, some dogs sleep up to 16 hours a day so their bed can be a massive part of their life.
First of all, evaluate your pooch, his/her size, age, health and needs. Understanding your dog is the fundamental goal in getting the bed correct; smaller dogs and toy breeds prefer beds that they can snuggle into and keep warm such as wool and faux suede fabrics. Fabrics are much more basic in cheaper beds but are much more suited if your dog malts/sheds an awful lot or gets wet or has a tendency to chew and rip.
Getting a bed with a good pillow and cushioning is another superb addition especially for smaller and older breeds that will enjoy the comfort. Check to see if the coverings are removable and you can wash them; some cheaper beds may be made of poor material that cannot be washed or risks damage from regular washing. Note that these cushioned beds can be a little warm in the summer and your dog may opt for another place to sleep, even on the cold floor.
Waterproof bedding is a great idea if your older dog is suffering from incontinence or they spend a lot of time outside, or if you want an outdoor bed for the summer. Usually waterproof beds are easier to clean and maintain.
Consider your budget, bedding prices can range from £20 – £200+ ($25-$250). There are many points for pricing including quality of the material, size and requirements for your canine. Wool and faux suede and sherpa fleece are always much more expensive, but are not suitable for chewers or for some younger and older breeds. Nothing grows faster than a puppy, so remember buy a bed to accommodate your dog in the long run. Something we have done is buy a smaller bed for a puppy and then buy a more expensive luxury bed when our puppy is getting towards full size.
Chewers and very active dog owners may prefer beds without sides, so a large cushion or memory foam, and flat beds, are a better choice. Is your bed going in a dog crate? If so, look for rectangular dog beds that fit the shape of your crate, maximizing the space for your dog.
Using your dog bed for training, or using it as a reference for bedtime is a great tip. Allowing your dog to sleep in your bed can get them into bad habits and output bad, sometimes dominating behaviour, and often give you a bad nights sleep. Finding a good quality dog bed is easy with Kennelstore.
Chris Turton woks for Kennelstore, the UK’s biggest provider of dog kennels, housing and runs.
Last Fall I worked for a dog food manufacturer for a few months as an event and demo person. My goal was to earn a little change while hanging around dogs. I accomplished both. I also got many interesting insights into how some dog parents pick the brand of food they feed their pup. Below are four of the most common myths I found out there regarding dog nutrition.
Some dogs are just happy for any food…really, any food.
Yes, while you often will pay more for higher quality, just because it is expensive, isn’t reason in and of itself that the product is good – or the right choice for your dog. Not all forms of dog nutrion, even if expensive, are created equal.
Because the product I was working with was a higher-end pet food, I had the luxury of working only in higher-end, small, boutique type stores. Originally I made the assumption that if people were buying their dog food at a higher-end store, they must know a ton about pet nutrition. Nope. While this was the case in maybe 1 out of 10 shoppers I came across, the remaining 9 out of 10 people I met were of the mindset “if it costs more, it must be good.” These folks just knew they didn’t want any brand that was considered “cheap” because they associated those brands with recalls.
If the consumer bothered to look at the ingredients, they often stopped after the protein content. Everyone wants high protein, which is good, but I’d come to find out many owners didn’t know what that meant. I often heard people say “why isn’t the protein percentage higher?” or “is there one with 100% protein?”
In fact, according to the FDA, most meat is only about 25% protein, by weight, when you factor in water and fat content. Of course protein sources can vary; steak is about 26% protein, by weight, an egg is about 12% protein by weight. If you see a label with greater than about 25% protein, the product most likely contains a “meal” such as chicken meal or bone meal; and those protein sources have had the water and most of the fat removed, so the protein is more concentrated.
Often you’d see pet parents in the store buying their dogs some treats or toys. If you engaged them in a conversation about what they feed their pet, you’d hear “my veterinarian said only to feed my dog ________.” I won’t mention the brands, because most of you know which brands I’m speaking of; the ones highly visible at your vet’s office, the ones that are highly marketed to your vet. These are also the brands you won’t find at a higher-end pet store. You know why? Because for the most part they aren’t healthy for your dog, and are filled with cheap fillers that provide little or no nutritional value. A general statement about veterinarians is that they get very little nutrition training. This is not true of all vets (many pursue nutrition training on their own), but the vets that tell you to only feed your dog the common brands that are heavily marketed to vet’s offices, that vet is not doing your dog any favors. If you only feed your dog those brands, chances are you are going to be seeing more of your vet for your dog’s health ailments that might otherwise be avoided.
photo credit: StarsApart via photopin cc
I can’t tell you how many times I saw a consumer enter a pet store and not be sure what kind of dog food they were looking for. They made a bee-line to the largest display, the cutest packaging, the bags with the most key words, the heart-shaped kibble, etc. In other words, marketing works, folks.
Often, a clerk at a small store that is well-educated in dog nutrition can help answer a bunch of your questions, but often you will be steered towards their preferences, or what the store has been encouraged/rewarded to sell that month.
What do I think you should think about or research before you enter the pet store?
Obviously, these questions are just a starting point, and depending on how finicky your dog is, or any health issues they may have, there may be many, many more questions to ask yourself.
Another item to note about doing your research is that a pet food company can change ingredients in its formulation, and as long as they have the correct ingredients for a product listed on their website, by law they have up to six months to use their stock of pre-printed bags. If your dog has concerns with a specific ingredient, check the food label on the website!
I hope these tips and insights helped. As all dogs are different, so to are their nutritional requirements, preferences, and tolerances. Sometimes finding the perfect food for your dog is an experiment in weeding out what doesn’t work before narrowing in on what works well.
Congrats lil buddy!
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Washed and folded.
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**INCOMING!!** (Hope he nailed the landing!)
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Stop what you're doing! It's a corgi in a kayak!! #corgi
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