Review: PureVita Beef Liver & Sweet Potato Freeze-Dried Dog Treats Sandie

Sandie and her treats to review!

The makers of NutriSource proudly bring you PureVita Brand Pet Foods. PureVita's select pet formulas are carefully prepared using only the purest, all natural, holistic ingredients to support your pet's overall physical and emotional well-being and to maintain health and longevity. PureVita Beef Liver & Sweet Potato Freeze-Dried Treats are a deliciously healthy, nutritious reward with a taste your dog will love!
Key Benefits

• Made with only two ingredients: beef liver & sweet potato
• Great for dogs of all life stages
• Grain-free, freeze-dried treats
• Reclosable bag to lock in the freshness
• Made in the USA!

I was fortunate to been given the opportunity to test this product for free.  My opinion is my own and not influenced by anyone except my dog's reaction to eating the product.

Sandie really enjoys the freeze dried products that we buy.  She has lost a lot of weight now that we have limited her diet to certain treats.  This one I could hardly open fast enough for Sandie to try.  She loved it immediately!

AUGUST: Senior Dogs Month Our Sandie lost her first tooth!

<image source: Blog Paws>

It’s Senior Pet month and Blog Paws will be celebrating senior pets and the pet parents who love them.  I will be joining in a writing challenge that Blog Paws Blog Manager, Robbi Hess gave to us.  I will *try* to write something for nearly every day of the month.  I thank Robbi for writing this for this month, because this is just the kind of thing I needed to get me writing here!

1. • ean.
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     Put the tooth in a sealed plastic bag for safe keeping and transportation if need be to the veterinarian's office. Saving the tooth helps the doctor make a diagnosis.
     
   • 4
     Take a digital picture of your dog's tooth and of his or her mouth. It may be difficult to take a picture of your dog's mouth. If your dog is in pain, leave the dog alone so you do not get bit. Even the best dogs bite when they are hurt.
     
   • 5
     If your veterinarian is high-tech, he or she may be able to answer your questions through email pictures without ever visiting the office. How did we ever live without our digital cameras and computers?
     
   • 6
     If any part of the tooth has broken off inside the mouth, your dog will need to be seen by the veterinarian. A piece left inside the dogs mouth may cause a terrible abscess infection that will make your dog very sick and possibly cause death.
     
   • 7
     Sometimes a dog's tooth falls out eating hard dog food, rocks and other hard substances. Did your dog bite something hard to cause the tooth to fall out? This type of tooth loss to a young healthy dog may actually cause a piece to be left behind.
     
   • 8

     

     If the tooth came out entirely clean of blood or anything else and the tooth is entirely intact, your dog will probably be just fine. This type of tooth loss is fairly common in old dogs. It does not mean you should not call your veterinarian.
     
   • 9
     Puppies loose milk teeth. This is perfectly normal and natural. If your dog is a puppy, get use to the idea of stepping on those tiny little teeth all over your house until they all fall out. It might be a good time to invest in some really good slippers.
     
   • 10
     If your doctor was able to help you with pictures over the computer, chances are your credit card will never be charged! Just another great thing about computers!

Read more : http://www.ehow.com/how_4752600_determine-do-dog-lost-tooth.html

Today we noticed that Sandie lost her first tooth!  Sudden panic sets in with me because now the vet's office is closed.  The earliest we can go in therehttp://www.pets.ca/dogs/encyclopedia/dental-disease/ with her is Wed. when we get paid. 

So we talked and said that we would make a Wednesday appointment as soon as the vet opens in the morning.  And then I went on a search on the Internet and found the following helpful information:

http://www.ehow.com/how_4752600_determine-do-dog-lost-tooth.html

http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-experts/doggy-dental-care-5-steps-every-pet-owner-should-take


http://www.pets.ca/dogs/encyclopedia/dental-disease/

We have maintained a healthy diet for Sandie, teeth brushing, and using the black light we have to check for tartar.  So I have no idea why she lost this tooth, but I will be back to update this blog article after she is home from her appointment.

Guest post: What Can I Put in my Dog's Kong Toy?

Sandie and the Kong with fat free organic Peanut Butter, standing up

Sandie and the Kong with fat free organic Peanut Butter, lying down

What Can I Put in My Dog’s Kong Toy?

May 12, 2011

Kristin S Moran  

 

“What should I put in my dog’s Kong toy?” This is a question we hear often at our stores. Kongs are fantastic toys for heavy chewers, and with nearly endless combinations of fillings to keep them entertained, dogs may never tire of these rubber workhorses.

If you’ve tried filling a Kong with peanut butter, you may have found that your dog licks it clean in a very short period of time. Filling the toy with treats can be tricky – you want something large enough to stay in as he rolls the Kong about, but not so large that it never comes out again.
What we’ve found works well is using a combination of ingredients: small pieces of varied sizes and flavors for interest, with a “mortar” to help hold the pieces in place.
The first component is small pieces of food or treats:

• Kibble
• Treats
  • Biscuits
  • Jerky
  • Dried meat strips
• Fruits & Vegetables (fresh or frozen, not canned)
  • apples, berries, pears, etc.
  • carrots, sweet potatoes, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower
  • AVOID: grapes, garlic, onions, lettuce,

Add to that something tasty with a paste-like consistency, to help keep all the small pieces in place:

• peanut butter –
  • organic, without  hydrogenated oils, added salt or sugar is preferable
• canned pumpkin or sweet potatoes-
  • excellent source of fiber
  • be sure it is not pie filling
• plain yogurt -
• great source of digestive enzymes, calcium, etc.
• all natural canned dog food –  smooth textured formulas are ideal

Be sure to try the individual ingredients as treats, to see if s/he likes them, before assembling the Kong treat filling.
To keep everything in place longer, and increase the play time for your pup, you can put the Kong in the freezer (wrap the end in saran wrap, with a rubber band, to keep anything from leaking out the bottom until it solidifies.
If your dog doesn’t manage to get everything out of the Kong, you can use a bottle brush, or simply place it in the dishwasher, to get it ready for its next use.

What are your favorite treats to use in a Kong, or similar treat-dispensing toy?

Source:
 http://wholepetcentral.wordpress.com/2011/05/12/what-can-i-put-in-my-dogs-kong-toy/

Sandie is my best friend and therapeutic

Sandie is getting her AKC Canine Citizenship Award

I’m so very thankful for my present dog, Sandie, who is 12 years young because I was able to rescue her on her last day alive at the dog pound and she’s become the dog I could not live without.  She spent 7 years at my side in bed (when I was totally disabled) and seemed to know  exactly what I needed and when.  
 

Sandie in her harness!

I wish I could just give her the title of Therapy Dog because on her visits to the nursing home to be with my Mother In Law, she would know exactly how to behave and how to cheer her up on any given day!  Even up until the last day that Sandie saw my MIL alive, she jumped up on her bed and Mom would pet her.

 

My Mother In Law, Shirley.

Residents of the facility would be in the hallway in the their wheelchairs for lunch and asking (louder than the person next to the them,) to please let Sandie come to them so that they could pet her!  This went on for 3 years.  We were able to do this at the onset because her door was the first one in the corridor.  Then when she needed more nursing care and moved, they said to please continue doing this because of the way that Sandie behaved herself so well in the facility!

Sandie, my husband and I for a family shot!

Sandie is really the best dog I could ever have.  She and I have a relationship which includes best friend, soul mate, and so many other relationships that are genuinely close including mother and daughter!

Halo's Liv-A-Littles Freeze-Dried Salmon Product Review

Sandie (my 12 year old Sharpei Mix dog) loves loves loves SALMON.  I was given a free treat container of the freeze-dried salmon by Halo!  My dog could smell that salmon on the outside of the shipping box, she knew it was for her!

I like the small treat because it is perfect for treating her while we are eating dinner (to keep from giving her food we are eating which is a big NO) and she definitely wants MORE.

I would order this all the time but the cost is ineffective for me.  I realize that this cost is very good for this product considering what other places are charging for it.  It's something I would consider for a birthday gift, the day she was adopted, Christmas gift.  And I will buy it again!

I decided that I will buy this again for the mere reason that I learned on the directions that you can push the treat (dehydrated salmon) between your fingers and add it to the meal to encourage eating.  Sandie needs this right now because as a Senior she had blood work done and a urine pull.  They have her on a special dog food to treat the crystals in her urine.
I did that today and she ate all her breakfast! 

I would highly recommend this treat to other dog companions (aka "owners").  I think if Sandie could talk she would recommend it to others too as long as they aren't taking from her supply!

ps... TO THE CAT PEOPLE: This product is for cats too!  Meow!

February: Spoil your pet month!

Sandie and her parents will definitely be taking part in this BlogPaws month event!

I love this:

14 Point Checklist: Is Your Dog Spoiled