Good Pet Parenting 101

Staff Brainstorming Meeting

It’s been a long time since I’ve had time to write in my blog.  Since summer finally arrived we have been really busy.

Anyway, I’m back.  The other day while Mom and Dad were working on the yard, I got to thinking what a nice home we have and how lucky we are to have a good Mom and Dad. Most of our friends have good pet parents too but there are some dogs that don’t.  It makes me very sad.

I got to thinking about what makes a good pet parent.  DixieLee and I came up with lots of things so we thought we share a few here. 

We first thought of things like making sure we got lots of treats and toys but then we thought about some other really important things.

1      Getting treats is fine but getting nutritious treats is better.  In our house Mom makes sure we get quality treats and the bestest food. She also makes sure we have plenty of fresh water all the time. 

2     We don’t really like it but Mom makes sure we get regular vet visits. We get vitamins and stuff like coconut oil to keep us healthy.  We aren’t allowed much peoples food but when Dad makes soup or a roast, we always get some carrots.

3      Going for walks and making time to play games with us it important but giving us a space all our own and allowing us time to just sit and enjoy some quite time is nice. We each have our own crate where we can go when we don’t want to be bothered. I like to sit alone on the screened in porch while DixieLee likes the outside deck for chillin’.

4     Mom and Dad consider our feelings.  Sometimes Dad expects too much and Mom reminds him that we are dogs and we think like dogs.  We like when they talk to us, and not baby talk, after all we are adults.  We ‘specially like when they tell us we are good girls and that they love us.

5      DixieLee is still a trouble magnet.  The other day she shredded a paper towel, which was bad enough, but this one was used to wipe up some oil!  Luckily it was a tiny spot or she could have gotten really sick. Even though Mom was angry, she was understanding and told Dad he was bad for leaving it around and not DixieLee for chewing it..

6      Keeping us safe is a big job too.  Never leaving us in the car alone, especially in hot weather.  Making sure that the sidewalk is not too hot when we go for walks and not letting us stay outside too long when it is hot or cold. Making sure that we have a good fenced in yard and keeping our tags up to date, just in case.

I think being mindful of all of our needs and being understanding is what being a good dog parent is all about.

What does your Mom or Dad do that you think makes them a super good dog parent?

Be safe and be good,

Love,

Zeva

P.S. For the bestest pet gift baskets in the universe check out pawpalsboutique.com

Be A Picky Eater

It seems like every day there is another recall of pet food or treats but did you know that it is okay to sell pet food with stuff in it that is not all that good for you.  My friend Eric, The Amazing Dog Training Man, showed me what to look for and what to look out for when choosing food.

Here are the ingredients on two different bags of dry dog food.  Which one would you choose?

Ground yellow corn, chicken by-product meal, corn gluten meal, whole wheat flour, animal fat preserved with mixed-tocopherols (form of Vitamin E), rice flour, beef, soy flour, sugar, propylene glycol, meat and bone meal, tricalcium phosphate, phosphoric acid, salt, water, animal digest, sorbic acid (a preservative), potassium chloride, dried carrots, dried peas, calcium propionate (a preservative), L-Lysine monohydrochloride, choline chloride, added color (Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, Blue 2), DL-Methionine.

Or:

Whitefish, Herring Meal, Salmon Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal, Peas, Potatoes, Canola oil (preserved with Mixed Tocapherols) Pea fiber, Tomato Pomace, Natural Fish Flavor, Ground Flaxseed, Carrots, Sweet Potatoes, Kale, Broccoli, Spinach, Parsley, Apples, Blueberries,

Vitamins (E supplement, Beta Carotene, Nicacin, d-Calcium. Pantothenate, A supplement, Riboflavin, D3 supplement Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrae, Ascorbic Acid, Biotin, Folic Acid)

Minerals (Zinc Proteinate, Zinc Sulfte, Iron Proteinate, Ferrou Sulfate, copper Sulfate, Copper Proteinate, Maganese Proteinate, Manganese Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Calcium Iodate)

Choline Cloride, Mixed Tocopherols added to preserve freshness, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondroitin Sulfate, Taurine, Chicory Root Extract, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Dried Lactobacillus plantarum Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus casei Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus acidophilus Fermentation product, Rosemary extract.

I know, the second one has lots of weird sounding stuff in it, but the weird stuff is mostly vitamins, minerals and probiotics which are good for you.  The second one also has many more good for you foods like different fish and lots of veggies.  Corn, rice, soy, sugar and animal by-products will fill you up but they aren’t all that nutritious.  Red 40, Yellow 5, Yellow 6 and Blue 2 are actually pretty bad for you.

I think the best food to eat is raw but making raw food takes time and you need to make sure you are getting the right mix of good for you stuff.  Me, I’d love a whole chicken (raw) or a nice chunk of beef (raw) with a side of mashed sweet potato and carrots.  And for desert, I would love a big Frosty Paws!

Now I’ve done, it.  I am starving.  Think Dixie and I will see if Mom will give us a cookie.

Bone Appetite,

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S.  Blatant Self-promotion. My Own Cookie Tin Gift Basket.

To Your Health!

I'm used to getting emails, after all, I am a very savvy dog when it comes to the internet, but today when we opened the mail box, there was a post card for me.  It was from my vet. 

It's time for my annual physical.  I'm going to get to stand on the scale and show Mom I'm not gaining weight.  Then Dr. Nancy will look in my eyes and ears with that funny light.  She said I'm also going to have a test.  I don't think it is the kind I can study for.  It's a test to check for heartworm and other nasty things that could make me sick.

Then, if all the tests come back saying I'm good to go, I will have to get some shots.  I don't mind shots but my Mom wonders sometimes if I get too many shots.  We have to have rabies shots.  It's the law.

I also get a Lyme shot cuz, even though this year hasn't been bad, we have those nasty ticks near our house.   My Mom and one of the dogs who lived here before both got Lyme disease so we are very careful.  We do buggy checks whenever we walk in the woods and when we work in the yard and I get my FrontLine every month.

Mom says she would prefer not to put chemicals on me but until she can find something that works just as good and is easy to use, we need to. If you know a better way, we'd be interested.

I'm looking forward to my having my check up because everyone at the office is so nice and they all tell me how good I am.  Visiting the doctor when you're not sick is not so bad and regular check ups are very important to staying healthy.

If you haven't had a annual physical yet this year, make an appointment soon so you can stay healthy too.

Your friend,

Zeva

P.S. Shameless self promotion.  I'm very excited that one of my Dog Gone It! gift baskets is going to go to another country.

Hazardous Waste Material

I love going for walks on the Manhan Rail Trail with my Mom. The Rail Trail is a beautiful paved trail near our house where people ride their bikes, roller blade or just walk with their dogs. Walking the trail is so much fun. You get to meet lots of people and dogs and there are so many interesting smells. Like I said, dogs get to walk on the trail and some days there are lots of marking to explore.
Mom doesn't mind too much when I sniff a post or tree but when I get too close to a pile of poop she reminds me with a gentle tug on my lease to keep walking. I guess in the human world dog poop is something bad.
Mom read that, according to Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dog poop is a dangerous pollutant like toxic chemicals. If it gets into drinking water or even if humans get some on their feet when walking barefoot, it can make them sick. Really sick. They could get tummy hurts like cramps or diarrhea or really bad things like blindness, kidney disorders, intestinal illnesses. Lung, brain, liver or heart disease could happen because of some of the things that are in dog poop.
Dog poop can have worms like ringworms, whipworms and tapeworms and evil viruses like Salmonella or E Coli.
Dogs can get sick too. They can get Parvovirus, Distemper or Giardia.
So, it's very important for humans to make sure to clean up after their dogs. Mom keeps a rake and shovel handy so my pen at home is always clear of poop and when we go anywhere her pockets are filled with little poop bags. We even keep an extra box in the glove compartment of our car.
Our company promotes responsible dog ownership so we include a big box of poop bags in many of our dog gift baskets like our Dog Gone It! gift baskets .
So humans, please pick up after your dog so we can all be safe.
Your friend,
Zeva

Drop It!

Hey Everyone, it’s me, Zeva!

Our friend Jim Helems and Jake came in to visit us at the Laurel Mountain Basket Co Studios the other day. Jim is a dog trainer and Jake is one of his Aussies. Jim and Jake teach lots of things including Pet Health and First Aid.

I was really surprised to learn that the ASPCA Poison Control Center received over 167,000 calls last year. That’s a lot of calls about pets getting into things that can make them very sick and even make them die. The most common calls were about pets that got into over-the-counter and prescription medicines. There are so many things around every house that are poison. Much of the stuff used to clean the house or take care of the car are poisonous. Antifreeze is really, really bad. I don’t know from experience but it’s supposed to taste sweet so dogs and cats don’t know it is bad.

Lots of household plants like Aloe and Jade and garden plants like many type of holly are very bad for dogs. We have Aloe and Jade in our house and Mom makes sure they are way out of my reach like on top of the refrigerator.

People food can be bad for pets. I know I’m not supposed to beg but I love pizza. I only get the crust, if I get anything at all, because onions and garlic are two people foods that are very bad for dogs.

Even if your humans are careful and keep all the bad poison stuff on high shelves or in cabinets, curious or bored pets can get into lots of trouble. I learned from The Preventive Vet that Mom’s purse has lots of things in it that can make me sick, like aspirin and sugarless gum with stuff called Xylitol in it. So Moms, don’t hang your purses over the back of a chair or on a door knob where we can get to them.

If you know of other stuff that is bad for us, I'd like to know cuz I want to have my house be as dog safe as we can make it.

And remember, when your human says "drop it!" you need to let go of whatever is in your mouth because it could be very bad for you.

Until next time, be safe

Your friend,

Zeva

My Own Credit Card

Hi Everyone,
I have my very own credit card.  It's a special credit card that takes care of me when I have to visit the vet.  I don't go have to go to the vet often because I try to be healthy.  My humans help out by making sure I get good food, lots of exercise and enough rest.  That's all good stuff but I still need to get regular check ups at the vet's and I could get sick.  Like last Thanksgiving Eve. I had a bad tummy for a couple of days and kept being sick.  When we called my vet's office, we found out they were closed for the holiday, so my mom took me to the Emergency Hospital.
The doctor at the hospital said I was sick because I was stressed out and acid was making me sick.  She was supposed to make sure I had food in my tummy when I went to bed and that would help.  It was good that we didn't have to do any big tests or get a prescription for medicine but just a visit to an Emergency Hospital can be very expensive.  So I'm glad I've got me my own credit card.
My friend Honey hurt her legs and not only did she have to go to her vet and the Emergency Hospital, she had to go to Tufts Veterinary Hospital which is far away.  She had to go stay at Tufts for a couple of days and even when she came home, it took her a long time to get better.
Being sick is no fun.  When any of my friends gets sick I send them lots of hugs and sometimes I send them one of my Best In Show or other pet gift baskets from my design collection.
After my visit to the hospital and Honey's scary story, I'm beginning to wonder if I should get pet insurance.  I've been doing some checking and have talked to some of the dogs at the day care but I'm not sure it's right for me.  Do you have pet insurance?  Do you think it's a good investment? Let me know what your think.
Hope you all have a happy and HEALTHY New Year!
Your friend,
Zeva