As pet owners continue to feed their dogs from the table, a drastic rise in the number of human illnesses in dogs is being seen.
More dogs than people (11%) suffer from heart disease. In fact, nearly 8 million dogs are afflicted with heart disease – 20 million more are overweight and millions more are diabetic.
It is a commonly accepted belief that dogs physically resemble their owners and, more and more, follow their every move…including diet. And, just as the "humanization" of pets continues to grow, some of the health problems that plague Americans—namely, obesity and diabetes—are trickling down to the canine world. As Americans gain more weight and the numbers of cases of heart disease and diabetes rises, so does it follow with their pets.
"Similar to dieticians, most veterinarians now recommend more frequent meals with smaller portions for pets," says Barry Schwartz, CEO and Director of All American Pet Brands, a California-based business that has made it its mission to make dog food healthy. "As people learn more about nutrition and the importance of healthy eating, and come to consider pets as part of the family, there's been an increased demand for better pet nutrition and wellness."
All American Pet Brands. has created the first and only dog food to be concocted and endorsed by Cardiac Veterinarians. With a premium blend of natural ingredients providing essential nutrients optimized to promote your dogs nutrition, health and vitality, All American Pet’s “Bow Wow Breakfast” is the paramount way to combat future health problems for your pet.
Bow Wow breakfast comes in a variety of flavors and textures, including: Chompions, Barkfast Squares, Chewa-Bunga, Fido Flakes, Pooch-Cheeze. Also, All American Pet Brands recently launched its newest product, Grrr-nola, heart healthy dog food. The first ever product to be endorsed by a Cardiac Veterinarian.
All American Pet Company Brands, Inc. All American Pet Company produces healthy products for dogs, with the core product being super premium dog food. With the addition of chewable nutraceuticals, electrolyte and rehydration products, the core product categories are super premium dog food and pet wellness. All American Pet's products are manufactured in the U.S. under strict manufacturing guidelines and contain 100% American made ingredients. The expansion of the product offerings to include pet wellness products is targeted at taking advantage of a much wider approach to pet health trends which are being driven by the humanization of dogs. More than just the need for good nutrition, APPT is focused on complete “Pet Wellness”.
Pet owners, please be aware that Mars Petcare US has issued a voluntary recall of Everson, PA Plant Dry Pet Food Product due to potential salmonella contamination.
Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Animals can be carriers with no visible symptoms and can potentially infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.
Affected foods include Pedigree, Wegmans, Ol' Roy, Country Acres and many more. For the Mars company's press release and a detailed listing of all affected foods, please click here.
We all remember the horrible pet food recall fiasco that occured last year. Thankfully, I was not feeding Axel any of the affected foods, but nevertheless, the recall was a wake up call for me. I started looking at WHERE dog food was manufactured and what the ingredients were. I then started researching dog food companies and their products. My search ended with Dick Van Patten's Natural Balance® Dog Food. I have fed Axel Natural Balance® for over a year now and not only does he eat his food with relish, his coat is shiny and he is the picture of good health.
Natural Balance® products provide all natural complete and balanced nutrition in a variety of foods, from dry, canned, dog food rolls, frozen loaves and treats. Axel suffers from seasonal skin allergies so we feed him Natural Balance's® Allergy Formulas over spring and summer when his allergies are at their worst. In winter and fall, he gets the regular kibble or the Reduced Calorie kibble because he is little "too substantial." In addition to the kibble, Axel loves Natural Balance's® Dog Food Rolls which to the uninitiated, look like big baloney rolls. We slice them, grind them up in the food processor or just break off pieces and mix it in with kibble. They come in different sizes and are perfect for travel or meals on the go. Axel loves it!
Our household is so keen on Natural Balance® that we buy their treats too. Before my awakening, we used to buy supermarket brand treats such as Pupperoni, Snausages, Milkbones etc. So Axel is how should I put it, used to treat junk food. I was thus highly skeptical that he'd enjoy healthy treats such as Turkey, Oatmeal & Cranberry biscuits. But, he gobbled them up and we've never looked back. With seven different treat formulas, Axel is never bored. Plus, they have no artificial preservatives, flavors or colors.
To find out more, check out their Web site. Sign up for their Great American Dog Sweepstakes and win a trip to California for you and your pooch plus Natural Balance® food for a year.
Handmade, Organic Dog Cuisine Fit to your Dogs Needs
Over the past few years, I have made the transition from "regular" food to all organic food for my family (as many people have done). This trend to more natural, wholesome and organic foods has also taken hold of the pet food market.
I was recently introduced to eModernDog -- a very unique and cutting-edge organization -- that combines modern technology, leading research, and old-world craftmanship to feed our dogs. Their latest program, Organic Nutrition Express (O.N.E) is a quick and easy way to get homemade, organic, nutritious meals directly to your pet.
The food consists of organic and naturally raised bison, chicken and/or turkey and is blended by hand with locally farmed organic vegetables and seasoned with anti-oxidant herbs and oils.
What's so amazing about this program is that the food and diet is customized specifically for your dog. Should your dog have specific allergies, a condition requiring certain foods or food avoidance, or weight issues, you can be confidant that your dog will be eating healthy, appropriate meals for their breed, body type, and conditions.
Getting involved in this program is simple. Check out the website and review the various programs. Complete a form to help determine which food and recipies would be best for your dog. Then email owner Daryll (very hands on and so nice!) with the form, any questions and to get involved. Once you place your order, your dogs meals will be made and then frozen, and shipped to you within 48 hours. (If you live in the LA area, you can have your meals delivered or can pick them up.)
Take advantage of a fabulous 20% discount with code TSP-517123 on all first orders. Your dog will love you for it!
You’re probably thinking Kong toys? Old news. Every dog owner has one. They’ve been around since the 70’s. So why am I taking up space on this trendy dog site with yesterday’s news? Because the Kong toy has saved me from insanity on more than one occasion.
I have two high-energy dogs, one of which hasn’t yet reached her first birthday and whose puppy power oftentimes spins her way out of control. She can turn a quiet movie night into puppy-palooza, and if my boyfriend and I aren’t feeling her vibe she begins to bark and playfully-yet-painfully bite at any appendage she can get her little teeth on.
But these outbursts don’t always occur during leisure time. Sleep is a necessity, but my dog is up and ready to party at 5:00am, cutting at least 2 hours out of my beauty rest. Perhaps the biggest dilemma here is that, as a writer, I need a quiet workspace, but when my dog begins her rambunctious barking, jumping, nipping, biting etc., she scares my muse right back to her secret-muse hiding spot.
Then, one day, during a rare cleaning frenzy, I was sweeping under the couch and out rolled the little red Kong toy we used to coax our 1st dog into her crate. I filled it with peanut-butter and stuck it in the freezer in preparation for the next puppy explosion. When the opportunity presented itself, I surprised my dog with the stuffed, frozen Kong, which calmed her down and kept her occupied for at least an hour.
These toys are so versatile, and are practically indestructible (there’s always an exception, but mine have endured the jaws of Pit Bulls and are still intact). They can be used simply as chew-and-fetch toys, or work as a kind of dog treat dispenser. The Kong company makes many treats that fit snugly into the toy so that your dog has to really work to get them out, but there are also numerous ingredients and recipes you can make at home to keep your dog both occupied and interested (see end of blog for recipes).
Stuffed Kong toys, however, can be messy. Whatever ingredients you stuff them with can certainly get into carpets, furniture, etc. Here’s a tip: tie a piece of string through the Kong and loop it under the leg of a chair in an easy-clean-up location. This also keeps your dog within your sight and stabilizes the toy so that your dog doesn’t end up licking it around the house and into a hard-to-reach place (like under the couch).
Some of these recipes are runny, so tape up the top (small hole) of Kong to avoid leakage. Remove the tape before giving Kong to your dog.
RECIPES
Peanut Butter Crunch: Mix some peanut-butter with dry cereal and freeze.
Kong Mash: Mix instant mashed potatoes with your dog’s kibble and freeze
Banana Cream Kong: Mix mashed bananas with plain yogurt and freeze.
Tuna Delight: Mix canned tuna with yogurt and freeze.
Honey Nut: Mix honey and peanut butter and freeze. You can also add banana or cereal.
Cheese Pleaser:Melt some cheese and mix with your dog’s kibble. Pour mixture into Kong and freeze.
Cheesecake Kong:Mix together cream cheese and graham or animal crackers and freeze.
Meat & Potatoes:Take leftover meats and mix with mashed potatoes or rice. Add melted cheese and freeze.
Bagel with Lox:Mix cream cheese and salmon (or any other fish) and freeze.
Komelet:Mix scrambled eggs, bread, meat and cheese and freeze.
A Holistic, Natural Dog Supplement (and it's tasty too!)
An impressive intelligence, a striking physique, and an utter fondness and devotion toward his or her person make the Pit Bull Terrier a perfect companion. But there are also a few minor ailments characteristic to this breed: My dog Ruby, a Pit mix, has some dry skin issues and a very weak stomach.
Last winter I noticed that Ruby’s ID collar was rubbing against her skin and causing the hair around her neck to fall out. I went to my local pet store looking for a “skin and coat” formula of some sort and found exactly what I needed: Nupro All Natural Dog Supplement.
Nupro is a holistic powder that, when added to your dog’s food with a bit of water, creates a tasty gravy. One of the ingredients is desiccated (dried) liver, a flavor that is very palatable to dogs, so even the most picky eaters are sure to enjoy it. The liver also works to supply your dog with Iron and Vitamin B.
Other ingredients include Norwegian Kelp, which is a great natural source of minerals and vitamins that work to benefit your dog's overall health, specifically aiding in bone strength and growth, a strong heart rate, and a sound nervous system. Norwegian Kelp will also sustain muscular strength, and is great for your dog’s coat.
Micro-pulverized Bee Pollen, considered a natural “superfood,” supports a healthy immune system, and also helps to control any allergies your dog may have.
Imported Yeast Culture is another awesome ingredient included in a dose of Nupro. Not only does it support a healthy coat, but also may control excessive shedding, hot spots, and dry skin. This ingredient makes Nupro especially superior to other brands, as most use cheaper yeasts made from grains in which many animals are highly allergic. Yeast Culture is grown on sugar beets, without the use of grains, eliminating the possibility of an allergic reaction.
Nupro also provides your pet with essential Omega 3 fatty acids, a healthy does of fiber, and works to ward off possible types of infection. Lactobacillus Acidophilus aides in digestion and produces healthy intestinal bacteria.
All of the all natural ingredients in Nupro are raw and human grade, and Nupro contains no Sugar, Filler, Preservatives, or By-Products. By adding this supplement to Ruby’s food every morning and evening, I not only made her meals more enjoyable, but I also helped control her dry skin and made her a more overall healthy canine in the process. For more information or a sample of the product call 1-800-360-3300.
Rarely am I at a loss for words. Even rarer do I have so much to say I don't know where to start.
In this case, both are true. I am speechless at the idea behind Smartpaks and I have so much to say about it, I'm totally tongue (or in this case, finger) tied.
First, I'll try to explain what the heck I'm talking about.
It's all about portions. I have a seven pound toy poodle. (see below in his nice Smartpak bandana)
I have had to buy his food in bags that weigh as much as , if not more than, he does. See?
(the poodle is very photogenic, donchathink?)
Once that bag is open, the freshness seeps out. It takes TWO MONTHS for my little guy to consume a 6 pound bag of dry food. Needless to say, that bag is pretty much stale halfway through. I have tried keeping it in the freezer in plastic quart size bags, but I always end up muttering bad words because I have to keep moving these aside to fit other things (a little matter of people food) in there. What's a poodle mom to do?
Find a solution, that's what. But in this instance the solution found me - in the person of Rebecca Hall, representative of Rebecca Minard, founder of a company called SMARTPAK.
Rebecca's company offers a variety of solutions for the care and feeding of your canine kiddies. So, what was her life saving solution that has me foaming at the mouth with her prase?
Pre-portioned, individually packaged, completely affordable pet food!
I spoke with Rebecca on the phone and gave her the breed, age, weight, energy level, food and treat preferences of my little guy and any special medications and/or supplements he takes.
Within a few days, I received a package from SMARTPAK that contained individual 3/8 cup packages of the type of food my dog eats (in our case it's Wellness brand, but the company can package whatever brand your dog prefers), all hermetically sealed, fresh and ready to be ripped open and poured into the bowl. No stale food, no freezer stuffed with baggies, no two month old chicken mix! I cannot overstate how convenient this has been for me! Bags of food that are big enough to hide a mountain lion in have always been a concern for me. Not any longer!
These little blue packages have made buying and storing food for my dog easier than I ever thought possible. Smartpak can portion food in whatever amounts you dog needs, whether it's 3/8 of a cup or a whole cup. Here's how it works (not word for word, but taken from the catalog directions):
You select the food and daily portion that's right for your dog. If you're not sure call them at 1-800-326-0282. They have product specialists - most of whom have animal science degrees- ready to help you.
They create individual serving pouches in the exact portion that you request.
They ship them to your door every month in 28 day supplies -56 total packs, enough for twice a day feeding, so you won't run out of food or have to lug those big bags around with you anymore.
And you get a free storage drawer with your first order to keep those individual packs in.
In addition to the food, I received some pre-packed treats to sample (no pics of the treats, Poodleboy ate them all before I got the camera out), as well as medications and supplements. They are labeled with your dog's name and complete ingredient listings and are measured in daily doses. What could make your life any easier? Forget that. Johnny Depp is not coming over to wash your windows. The Smartpak Feeding System is as good as it gets! Shipping is a fixed total of $6.95, no matter how much you're having shipped. So go heavy, it will be a savings in the long run.
And if you're traveling with your dog, you are going to bless the day you found this blog! Traveling with the furkids has been made so much better for you by Smartpak. Sorry, I don't know any products that make traveling with children any easier. (Rope and some duct tape, maybe?)
Now, I'm going to continue to peruse the magnificient catalog I received with my food order. It offers everything from the Smartpak System to doggie clothes, beds, furniture, toys, all things fun and functional as well as medications like Frontline Flea and Tick Control and Sentinel Heart Worm Preventative, to name a couple (all at discounted prices). I'm trying to pick out a nice new coat for the poodle. For some reason, he doesn't seem too happy with the one I picked out for him last year.
Don't hesitate! Point your browser here: http://www.smartpakcanine.com/ and make buying, storing and feeding your dog easier and more pleasant for you both!
These little blue packages have made buying and storing food for my dog easier than I ever thought possible. Smartpak can portion food in whatever amounts you dog needs, whether it's 3/8 of a cup or a whole cup. Here's how it works (not word for word, but taken from the catalog directions):
Don't hesitate! Point your browser here: 
