Wet Food, Dry Food and Recalls, Oh My!

What do you feed your dog, wet food, dry food, or both? Awhile back, we decided to start supplementing his food with wet food. Here's how it goes: Louie has never refused any food (he even likes to lick lemons & limes!) so the interest in switching foods wasn't an issue of him not eating or not eating enough for nutritional reasons. I am more interested in giving him the best quality ingredients and nutrition without breaking the bank or giving him anything unneccesarily. His poop can be rather dry which I'm still not certain as to why. I've never asked the vet about it as it has been that way his whole life and his stool has been bio-tested and they've never mentioned anything about its consistency (yuck, sorry!). From what I gather, it really comes down to the personal preference of the human and the nutritional needs of the dog. Dogs can have just as many health issues as humans do so getting to the root problem is key to living a normal life. Knowing and understanding if your dog has allergies or health problems is probably the best way to determine if you should be feeding them wet or dry food. There are health benefits to both dry and wet food along with and pros and cons. I suggest doing some research of your own and talking to your vet if you have more questions. While I don't intend to sway you in either way, I think it's a good idea to get nutrition from all kinds of natural sources so this is just another way for me to do so. Sometime in November, after looking into the 'best', most natural foods, we decided to supplement Louie's dinner kibble with wet food. He would get about 3/4 of a scoop dry food mixed with a 1/2 can of wet food. I started doing it only at night because I didn't know if he'd get sick from it at first and I'd rather not come home to a mess if he did end up having any tummy troubles! He loved it! He ate slower (which is a good thing) as it was a bit more difficult for him to eat something soft since he has such a flat face (poor guy!). The food I found is all natural and grain free. While it is not the most cost efficient way to feed him, it sees to make him the happiest and keeps his weight in a good place. Around April, the dog food that Louie has been on since he was about 1 year old, was voluntarily recalled due to possible salmonella contamination. I did not know about the recall until I went to pick up a bag at our local pet shop and the clerk told me "You can be assured that all products that were recalled have been replaced with new stock so this bag is not part of that recall." Ok, thanks for the info & reassurance! Fast forward to June when I went to get another bag for him at a different pet food store once I lugged the 35lb bag to the register, the clerk told me "that food is part of a recall". Surely it was the same recall from a month ago, right? Nope!! It had been recalled again, that same day and they had just been notified so there hadn't been enough time to even label the shelves or remove the products. Sigh... So we have switched him to another brand of all natural food and I am very pleased with it. His weight is steady, he had no issues transitioning to the new food, and his poop seems to be more natural and normal. We don't supplement his dry food regularly any more because the brand we were using was the brand that had the recalls. While only the dry food was recalled, I just don't feel like running the risk of having a problem and I don't think the wet food mix is necessary anymore. Here are some links to the websites I did research on about the wet vs dry food. There's also a link to subscribe to recall emails so you are notified when there is a notice. Wet Food vs. Dry Food for Dogs: http://www.doghealth.com/nutrition/wet-food-vs-dry-food-for-dogs Pet Food Safety Recalls and Alerts: https://www.avma.org/news/issues/recalls-alerts/pages/pet-food-safety-recalls-alerts.aspx Dry vs Wet Foods: Which is the Best for your Pet: http://www.petmd.com/dog/nutrition/evr_multi_dry_versus_wet_food#.Ug1jBOA5u-8

We're Baaaaaaaackk!!!

Hello dogs & dog lovers! We are back...again! It's been a whirlwind last few months but we are ready to get this up & going...again! We moved in to a new place with LOTS of yard space for Louie to run wild and free! He is thoroughly enjoying his "park" in the backyard. With a new yard, comes new adventure and more space to test out dog toys, right? Right! We are always looking for new products, toys, ideas, etc to help us keep this blog going. If you have anything you'd like Louie to test or check out, please send me an email or leave a comment with the information! Stay tuned... We have quite a few new toys and stories to share with you all. I'll be updating this page WEEKLY! Cheers!

JW Pet Hol-ee Roller Dog Toy

Have you seen this toy in the store and thought, "with all those holes & stretchy rubber, there's no way that'll last"? Think again! We tried this toy out as an alternative lake toy during the summer. It floats (yay!), it's stretchy (woo hoo!) & the best part - it's durable!! He JUST broke one of the connectors but it is still in one piece.

It's one of his favorite toys and has access to it at all times. He likes to chew on it and loves to chase it down the hall. It bounces and rolls really well considering it's full of holes.

PetSmart sells a range of sizes from $7.99-$15.99. I suggest getting the medium size as the large is really big. I didn't see it as necessary to get the largest ball since it did have a lot of give and could squish down when bitten. Try it out & let me know what you (and your dog) thinks!

We're back!

Looks like it has been quite some time since I had posted anything... Like over 2 years!! Oops! Anyways... We are back & have lots to catch-up on (if we can remember everything!). I will be posting something new every week & reviewing at least one toy or item a month. Thanks for your patience as I get things back on track. Keep your eyes peeled for a new post in the coming week. ;) PS If you have any ideas, products, links, toys, etc. you'd like Louie to pay attention to, let me know!

Warm Clothing for Dogs

Ok, here's a question post... Do dogs need a coat or jacket in the winter?

Louie is an Olde English Bulldog who has a thin coat and very little fur on his belly. I get worried in the snow and on rainy day walks that he gets cold. The only time I've seen him shiver is in the middle of night when he wakes us up by burying himself under the covers (yes, he sleeps on the bed with us!).

Louie doesn't like the rain and when we take him outside in the rain, he just shakes constantly to get the water off. If we take him for a walk in the rain, he doesn't make it very far around the block before I feel bad and head back home. Even when he goes in the backyard to potty, he's hesitant to go out and immediately runs back in when he's done.

In Tahoe, he was plowing through the snow and didn't seem to mind being cold. His under belly was quite red, possibly from the snow pounding against him as he ran around but definitely from the cold. He didn't seem to be bothered by it one bit but it worried me a little to see his color change.

While I think getting him a jacket or coat to keep him warm is more for my peace of mind, I think he might actually like going out in the rain... Well, maybe not since his head will still be exposed! What's your opinion on jackets for dogs? Yea or Nay?!

JW Pet Invincible Chains Dog Toys

Louie loves this toy!! It's the second JW toy we've purchased (see JW Ruffians Dog Toys - Fish posting). We wanted to get a durable tug-of-war toy for Louie and this looked promising. We got the large size at PetSmart for $11.99 and there's also a small size for $9.99.

It's a great toss around the house toy as it is soft and light. Louie is exceptionally strong (if you haven't gathered that already!) and to have a toy stand-up to his harsh pulls and strong jaws is almost like hitting the jackpot! Each ring/link is made of 4 parts which stretch when pulled so not one area is bearing the weight. It does get hard to hold onto when he slobbers all over it but it is comfortable to play with. He does have access to it at all times but doesn't take it out to chew on. He basically brings it to us when he wants to play.

Every dog and human need a toy that is meant to be used together and this is a great one for that. Interaction with your dog improves the bond between the two of you and is essential when training. I would highly recommend this as a tug-of-war toy for any dog. It's proven to be very durable and I am excited to see how long it lasts.

Bamboo Combat Dog Toys

We decided to get Louie a new toy before we went to the snow this year. We found this one at PetSmart and got the 'Tug N Toss with Rope' for $9.99 (featured in the middle of the picture). Had I read the reviews for it online at petsmart.com, I wouldn't have purchased it. The reviews say that it is not durable and their dogs have gone through it very quickly. Not sure which style they purchased but so far this one is holding up nicely.

It was a perfect in the snow toy as it was easy to throw, easy to see and easy for him to retrieve even when it had fallen into deep snow. While we didn't allow him to chew on it inside, he played with it for 2 days outside with no major wear or tear showing. When we brought it home from the snow however, he did have open access to it and so began his quest to untie the rope. After a few hours he was able to undo the rope and there is a small hole where it was tied-in. Otherwise, it's still in one piece with no stuffing having been removed. While it is durable, it doesn't dry-out very well. Between being in the snow for 2 days and being slobbered on inside, the smell became off-putting. It is now an outdoor toy only and is holding up well.

My only suggestion would be for it to have a larger rope attached to it. I don't think it would've deterred Louie from undoing any quicker but I think it would be nice to have it be a bit more solid. While adding a squeaker probably would have caused him to destroy it even quicker, it might've been a good feature. All in all, it served it's purpose in Tahoe and is still going strong in our backyard. It's a product I'd purchase again.

Coming Soon!

Wow, I am really far behind on this!! I am working on a few new posts (and a new blog!) so I can hit the ground running. I expect to not just post toy trials but also fun dog tips and facts to keep the blog fresh and up-to-date. Please feel free to email me any news articles or ideas that you have so I can get them up on the blog. stephanie.johanna@yahoo.com

Stay tuned as I get a post up... SOON!

New Home = New Toys (eventually!)

After 3 years, we moved from our cozy apartment into a cottage with a yard. Change is good! While we have downsized in terms of living space, Louie's space has definitely been upgraded! He has a yard all to himself or a easy to open barn gate which opens up to a larger yard and 2 wonderful golden retriever neighbor dogs (which are also Dan's mom's doggies!). With this new move comes lots of improvements - inside and out. The excitement of having a yard and friends in such close proximity leaves him exhausted every night but he is definitely loving life!

Currently, our backyard is being redone and is basically a pile of dirt so no new toy experiments are in progress at this time. I have a list of toys that I'd like to try-out once our yard is less much less accident and dust prone. I welcome any suggestions you may have and am really looking forward to new toy trials (& errors).

Stay tuned for those new ventures (& maybe even a backyard renovation pic or two!)... Thanks!

Tuffy Ultimate Bone

After many passes-by, I decided to purchase this dog toy that claims to be the "world's most durable soft dog toy". I have purchased many 'indestructible' hard toys for Louie but have been skeptical of the soft ones so I took a chance on this one. It has 3 squeakers which are "attached to the toy with protective pouches". They say that it is to "provide a safe window to remove the toy from your pet should it reach the core" and "if your pet reaches the white stuffed core of the toy discard immediately", so we did!

I am amazed at how long this 'soft toy' lasted (about 2 months) and give Tuffy a big thumbs up for being honest about what they're trying to accomplish with their toys. They rank their toys on a Tuff Scale to give consumers insight as to how durable their toys are compared to another. The scale starts a 1 which is designated as 'the cheap plush toy' and ends at 10 which is 'mega strong - the Tuffest'! Their toys begin at 5 on the scale which they say is suited for a small dog (this toy is rated a 9 which they say is extremely strong - extremely durable). I greatly appreciate their honesty in that their toys are "Built to Last" but to remember that no toy will last forever. I just wish they lasted a wee bit longer considering they're about $15/each. In all fairness, their packaging does state that "this toy is designed as a 'play' toy and is not a 'bone'" but Louie just can't grasp that notion!

It is a great toy and considering Louie chewed the toy so hard that 2 of the 3 squeakers stopped working on day 1. Although he then proceeded to gnaw the corners in order to get to the stuffing, which he politely pulled out and continued to chew the outside, it stood-up pretty darn well. I would buy this toy again but may have to hide it and use it for the park only since it's meant to be a fetch toy, not a chew toy.

Good job, Tuffy! I'll be looking for more of their products at the dog store.