HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY!!!
WITH DEEPEST GRATITUDE FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE SERVED TO PROTECT OUR FREEDOM
HAVE FUN & STAY SAFE TODAY!
Lizards In The Lap Of Luxury
We went to the beautiful Phoenician Resort Hotel the other day. While strolling through one of the beautiful cactus gardens we spotted this little guy:
He's living it up in the lap of luxury at the Phoenician!
He's the prettiest lizard I've ever seen! I'm not sure what kind of lizard he is - any Lizard Aficionados out there?
He's living it up in the lap of luxury at the Phoenician!
He's the prettiest lizard I've ever seen! I'm not sure what kind of lizard he is - any Lizard Aficionados out there?
JOIN US ON THE BLOGPAWS WORDLESS WEDNESDAY BLOG HOP!
Blog Contest Fever!
Winner, Winner Chicken Dinner! Who needs chicken when you can WIN great pet inspired products!?
I love entering contests on my favorite pet blogs, you win the coolest stuff! The kind of stuff that pet lovers really want. Today I'm sharing a few of the great products I've won entering contests on some of my favorite blogs.
I won this beautiful tote bag on the awesome pet travel site GoPetFriendly.Com. This site is a great resource for pet friendly trips. You can find pet friendly hotels, campgrounds, beaches, dog parks, restaurants and more. Check out Go Pet Friendly to plan your next pet friendly get away!
I won this great book by dog behavioral expert Steve Brooks, on one of THE best pet blogs out there, FIDOSE OF REALITY. Carol Bryant, the author of Fidose of Reality, is a true pet expert. Carol provides vital information for dog parents on canine health, wellness and safety. Carol is not only the author of Fidose of Reality, she's also a member of the BlogPaws Executive Team, where she generously shares loads of information to help other bloggers learn and grow their own blogs!
I won some great Wondercide products, including this Skin Tonic Itch & Allergy spray on the blog OZ THE TERRIER. I love that Wondercide products are all natural. This spray will be great for Phoebe's dry, itchy skin and occasional "hot spots". Gina Caballero, author of Oz The Terrier, shares canine health & wellness information and the many dog friendly adventures she has with Oz, her adorable Terrier. Gina is also very involved in Habitat for Humanity!
I won these natural, plant based products by PL360 on Nichole Burke's LAPDOG CREATIONS. I'm most excited about the grooming wipes and the cleaning wipes. We are BIG on wipes in our house! Nichole shares a lot of creative and unique pet products on her pet lifestyle blog. I love that she is also a big animal welfare supporter, sharing about products and organizations that help pets in need. Visit Nichole and her adorable dog Penny on Lapdog Creations!
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| We love to WIN! |
There are lots of other good reasons to enter Blog contests. Check out my friend M.K. Clinton's blog post on Why You Should Enter Blog Contests.
Add The Health Benefits Of Pumpkin to Your Dog's Diet
I've been adding healthy pumpkin to my dogs' diets for quite some time. In the Fall, when I'm feeling particularly ambitious, I make pumpkin mush from Halloween pumpkins for Icy and Phoebe. Through most of the year however, I buy canned pumpkin at the pet store or grocery store for them.
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| My dog with a pumpkin! Pumpkin is beneficial to both dogs and cats |
The canned pumpkin you find at the grocery store usually contains sodium and sugar, even the organic brands, often up to 10 grams of it! My dogs love pumpkin and I want the health benefits associated with pumpkin, but I don't like adding extra salt or sugar to my dogs' diets if I can help it.
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| My dogs love pumpkin! I love the health benefits it provides for them. |
I've never had any luck finding pure canned pumpkin with no added salt or sugar at the grocery store, so I was thrilled when I found canned pure pumpkin at PetSmart! It's made by Authority, which is PetSmart's own brand of pet food, so I trust it for my dogs.
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| Dog Pumpkin in a can |
When I first spotted it on the shelf at PetSmart, I turned over the can expecting to see sugar and salt in the ingredients list like the brands I've seen at the grocery store. To my delight, there is just ONE ingredient listed - PUMPKIN!! Finally, I found pure, unadulterated pumpkin in a can! I don't know how I missed this in all my weekly trips to PetSmart!? Later on I found cans of pure pumpkin at Target as well, by Market Pantry which is Target's food brand. We like that brand of pure pumpkin too.
I started giving Phoebe pumpkin because she was often constipated. She would strain while defecating and scoot on the rug afterwards. I was looking for a natural source of extra fiber for her rather than other types of stool softeners for pets. Pumpkin was the perfect choice because it's high in fiber, it's healthy, and she loves the taste. It helps her tremendously. Icy loves pumpkin too, although she doesn't need the extra fiber like Phoebe does. Pumpkin provides these added health benefits for both of them:
** Low in fat and cholesterol
** Helps calm an upset stomach and provide an immune system boost
** Contains beta-carotene, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C
** Made up largely of water so it’s a great way to provide extra moisture as well as fiber.
ACCORDING TO PETMD:
** The oils in both the flesh and seeds of pumpkin can help support urinary health in dogs (and cats too according to PET360).
** The fiber contained in pumpkin can also help move furballs along a cat’s digestive tract and into the litter box. Small amounts of canned pumpkin, about a teaspoon a day, given to cats can help prevent furballs from forming as well.
I started giving Phoebe pumpkin because she was often constipated. She would strain while defecating and scoot on the rug afterwards. I was looking for a natural source of extra fiber for her rather than other types of stool softeners for pets. Pumpkin was the perfect choice because it's high in fiber, it's healthy, and she loves the taste. It helps her tremendously. Icy loves pumpkin too, although she doesn't need the extra fiber like Phoebe does. Pumpkin provides these added health benefits for both of them:
** Low in fat and cholesterol
** Helps calm an upset stomach and provide an immune system boost
** Contains beta-carotene, Vitamin A, and Vitamin C
** Made up largely of water so it’s a great way to provide extra moisture as well as fiber.
ACCORDING TO PETMD:
** The oils in both the flesh and seeds of pumpkin can help support urinary health in dogs (and cats too according to PET360).
** A great
source of fiber, pumpkin can help with digestive regularity. If your dog is either constipated OR has
diarrhea adding pumpkin to their food can be beneficial. I add 1 to 2 tablespoons to Icy and Phoebe’s
food, but consult your Veterinarian about amount and frequency of adding
pumpkin to your pet’s diet.
** Canned
pumpkin is low in calories, so if your dog needs to lose weight
replacing some of their food with pumpkin may help your pooch slim down. I've read that it’s recommended not to replace more
than 10% of your pets diet with pumpkin.
Don’t give your dog too much pumpkin, too much could have negative effects!
** The fiber contained in pumpkin can also help move furballs along a cat’s digestive tract and into the litter box. Small amounts of canned pumpkin, about a teaspoon a day, given to cats can help prevent furballs from forming as well.
** The antioxidants and essential fatty acids contained in pumpkin seeds help moisturize your pet's skin and fur from the inside out.
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| A tablespoon of canned pumpkin added to my dog's food daily keeps their digestion regular |
I like to either mix pumpkin directly in with my dogs regular food or give it to them stuffed in a Kong toy. Sometimes I mix the pumpkin with banana, stuff it into a Kong, and freeze it as a special treat on a hot day. Icy and Phoebe love that!
IMPORTANT:
Raw pumpkin is not healthy, it should be canned or cooked. ALWAYS consult your Vet before adding any new food to your pet’s diet, even foods labeled as "natural" or "organic".
Authority canned pumpkin is made in the USA. No foreign Jack - O' - Lanterns in this can!
IMPORTANT:
Raw pumpkin is not healthy, it should be canned or cooked. ALWAYS consult your Vet before adding any new food to your pet’s diet, even foods labeled as "natural" or "organic".
Authority canned pumpkin is made in the USA. No foreign Jack - O' - Lanterns in this can!
NOTE: I was not compensated by anyone in any way for writing this post, I am sharing my own experience and opinions. I am not a Veterinarian or Vet Tech, nor do I play one online! I am sharing what I have learned on my own and what my own experience has been in adding pumpkin to my dogs' diets.
Interested in more pet health articles?
Interested in more pet health articles?
Check out some of my other Pet Health and Wellness blog posts.
Follow my Pinterest board, Pet Health, Safety and Well Being. I share informative Pins from some of the most knowledgeable sources!
What do you think about feeding pets canned or cooked pumpkin? Leave us a comment and share your thoughts. We LOVE hearing from you!
Follow my Pinterest board, Pet Health, Safety and Well Being. I share informative Pins from some of the most knowledgeable sources!
What do you think about feeding pets canned or cooked pumpkin? Leave us a comment and share your thoughts. We LOVE hearing from you!
Riding On Bikes With Dogs
It was such a beautiful weekend, perfect for a bike ride with my dog!
This fabulous trail is at the Dreamy Draw Recreation area in Phoenix, AZ.
Did you get outside with your pet this weekend? Leave us a comment & tell us about it!
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
6 Reasons to bike ride with your dog.
My Husky Loves to Bike Ride!
INCLUDE PETS IN FAMILY DISASTER PREPAREDNESS PLANS #PetPrepared
Including pets in the family Disaster Preparedness Plan is essential!
Disaster can strike at a moment's notice. Hurricanes, floods, mud slides, wildfires, earthquakes, and tornadoes are all events that can seriously impact families and their pets!
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| Hill's Disaster Relief Network® provides emergency pet food to animal shelters. Photo Credit: Hill's Pet Nutrition |
Pets can easily get separated from their owners during the chaos of a disaster. Many emergency shelters do not accept pets, forcing owners to leave pets behind or bring them to an animal shelter. Investigate which hotels in the region are pet friendly and keep a list of several in case you are unable to bring pets to an emergency shelter.
During disasters so many animals need to be rescued, transported, and sheltered. Sadly, a large number of these pets may never be reunited with their families and will eventually be put up for adoption.
This post is sponsored by Hill’s Food, Shelter, & Love® Initiative and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping Promote National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day, but Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.
Animal shelters can quickly become overwhelmed with the amount of pets they take in during a disaster. That's why the Hill's Disaster Relief Network, an extension of the Hill's Food, Shelter & Love® program, was created. They are able to respond quickly with delivery of pet food to communities impacted by disaster. This helps ensure shelters have enough food to care for the many animals impacted by the disaster. It also ensures that shelter animals will continue to receive healthy, balanced nutrition until they can be reunited with their families.
During disasters so many animals need to be rescued, transported, and sheltered. Sadly, a large number of these pets may never be reunited with their families and will eventually be put up for adoption.
This post is sponsored by Hill’s Food, Shelter, & Love® Initiative and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I am being compensated for helping Promote National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day, but Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.
Animal shelters can quickly become overwhelmed with the amount of pets they take in during a disaster. That's why the Hill's Disaster Relief Network, an extension of the Hill's Food, Shelter & Love® program, was created. They are able to respond quickly with delivery of pet food to communities impacted by disaster. This helps ensure shelters have enough food to care for the many animals impacted by the disaster. It also ensures that shelter animals will continue to receive healthy, balanced nutrition until they can be reunited with their families.
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| Photo Credit: Hill's Pet Nutrition |
😺 Since 2013, the Hill's Disaster Relief Network has delivered free pet food to over 1,000 shelters and veterinary clinics across the U. S.
😺 The Hills Disaster Relief Network has donated over $300 million worth of Hill's Science Diet brand pet food to communities in need, and helped over 8 million pets find new homes!
They have responded to shelters impacted by floods in Colorado, fires in Idaho and Arizona, the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas, the mudslide in Washington and tornadoes in several areas across the country. The Hill's Disaster Relief Network has donated more than 1.1 million pounds of food to those impacted by disasters over the last 8 years!
It's important to have a PET EMERGENCY GO-KIT of pet supplies ready to go in the event of an emergency. In recognition of FEMA's National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day, Hill's Food, Shelter, & Love is sharing this valuable Info-Graphic with tips to help you keep your pet safe in an emergency; You can Download in PDF format Here.
We are ready for an emergency with our PET EMERGENCY GO KIT for Icy and Phoebe:
Here are the items in our PET EMERGENCY GO KIT:
Both Icy and Phoebe are microchipped and always wear their collars and ID tags. Collars can easily get lost or break off, especially in the midst of the chaos of a disaster so a microchip is an additional vital safety measure. Any shelter or Veterinarian should be able to scan for a microchip. We make sure to keep the information updated on their microchips and ID tags. We moved several times in the last few years, and it's one of the first address changes I make.
Families can view the entire Pet Emergency Go-Kit and learn more tips about disaster preparedness and safety at HillsPet.com/PetPrepared. Shelters in need of assistance can contact Hills Disaster Relief Network for Pets
😺 The Hills Disaster Relief Network has donated over $300 million worth of Hill's Science Diet brand pet food to communities in need, and helped over 8 million pets find new homes!
They have responded to shelters impacted by floods in Colorado, fires in Idaho and Arizona, the fertilizer plant explosion in Texas, the mudslide in Washington and tornadoes in several areas across the country. The Hill's Disaster Relief Network has donated more than 1.1 million pounds of food to those impacted by disasters over the last 8 years!
FEMA, the U.S. Federal Emergency Management Agency, has designated May 14th as
NATIONAL ANIMAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS DAY.
NATIONAL ANIMAL DISASTER PREPAREDNESS DAY.
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| Emergency alerts can happen FAST, giving you little time to prepare! |
It's important to have a PET EMERGENCY GO-KIT of pet supplies ready to go in the event of an emergency. In recognition of FEMA's National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day, Hill's Food, Shelter, & Love is sharing this valuable Info-Graphic with tips to help you keep your pet safe in an emergency; You can Download in PDF format Here.
We are ready for an emergency with our PET EMERGENCY GO KIT for Icy and Phoebe:
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| It's GO TIME! We are prepared for an Evacuation. |
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| Essential items in our Pet Emergency Go Kit. We always have these items on hand in case of emergency. |
Both Icy and Phoebe are microchipped and always wear their collars and ID tags. Collars can easily get lost or break off, especially in the midst of the chaos of a disaster so a microchip is an additional vital safety measure. Any shelter or Veterinarian should be able to scan for a microchip. We make sure to keep the information updated on their microchips and ID tags. We moved several times in the last few years, and it's one of the first address changes I make.
LEARN MORE!
Families can view the entire Pet Emergency Go-Kit and learn more tips about disaster preparedness and safety at HillsPet.com/PetPrepared. Shelters in need of assistance can contact Hills Disaster Relief Network for Pets
Are your pets included in the family's disaster preparedness plan? Leave us a comment and tell us how you include your pets in the family disaster preparedness plan.
FOLLOW HILL'S PET ON SOCIAL MEDIA:
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Hill’s® Pet Nutrition, Inc. The opinions and text are all mine.
Wordless Wednesday; Handmade Greeting Cards
Ma has had a difficult and heartbreaking week because Grandma passed away, so I'm taking over today's Wordless Wednesday for her.
Ma's Niece is getting married next month so Ma asked her good friend Paulette to make a special wedding card for her. Paulette makes beautiful cards by hand. She doesn't sell them, she just makes them for family and special friends as a hobby. Aren't they lovely?
Paulette made the yellow card in the middle for Ma's birthday last month. She wrote a really sweet message inside.
Paulette made the other two as wedding cards for Ma's niece. Ma loved them so much she couldn't choose just one, she wanted both of them! So she decided to use one as the Bridal Shower card and the other as the Wedding card.
It was not easy to decide which one to use as the wedding card and which one for the bridal shower. These may seem like unusual cards for a Bridal Shower and a Wedding but you see, Ma's Niece is a Marine Scientist - aren't these two cards just perfect for her, with these adorable little sea creatures on them?
Ma remembers when her niece was a little girl. She loved sitting in front of Ma's salt water fish tank, staring at the seahorses, star fish, and other critters in the tank. Ma's Niece became a certified Scuba diver by age 13 and well, the rest is history. Ma is so proud of her beautiful Niece!
Which card would you choose for the Bridal Shower, and which one for the wedding? Leave us a comment and tell us your choice, we always love hearing from you!
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
Make a DIY Treat Jar for Pets, for the holidays or any occasion.
Simple DIY projects for your pet.
Adorable Disney's FROZEN themed Halloween for my dogs.
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| Phoebe takes over this week's Wordless Wednesday |
Paulette made the yellow card in the middle for Ma's birthday last month. She wrote a really sweet message inside.
Paulette made the other two as wedding cards for Ma's niece. Ma loved them so much she couldn't choose just one, she wanted both of them! So she decided to use one as the Bridal Shower card and the other as the Wedding card.
It was not easy to decide which one to use as the wedding card and which one for the bridal shower. These may seem like unusual cards for a Bridal Shower and a Wedding but you see, Ma's Niece is a Marine Scientist - aren't these two cards just perfect for her, with these adorable little sea creatures on them?
Ma remembers when her niece was a little girl. She loved sitting in front of Ma's salt water fish tank, staring at the seahorses, star fish, and other critters in the tank. Ma's Niece became a certified Scuba diver by age 13 and well, the rest is history. Ma is so proud of her beautiful Niece!
Which card would you choose for the Bridal Shower, and which one for the wedding? Leave us a comment and tell us your choice, we always love hearing from you!
If you enjoyed this post, you may also like:
Make a DIY Treat Jar for Pets, for the holidays or any occasion.
Simple DIY projects for your pet.
Adorable Disney's FROZEN themed Halloween for my dogs.
Celebrating National Pet Week
We've been celebrating NATIONAL PET WEEK! National Pet Week® celebrates the bond we have with our pets, and all they give to us. It encourages pet owners to be certain they provide their best friends with all they need for a happy, healthy life every week of the year!
NATIONAL PET WEEK was Created in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Auxiliary to the AVMA. The first week of May is designated as National Pet Week, and is dedicated to celebrating America's more than 200 million pets.
Bil-Jac® pet food company is supporting National Pet Week by sharing 8 Ways You Can Be a Better Pet Parent with dedicated pet parents everywhere! Keep these important tips in mind all year long.
ABOUT BIL-JAC
Bil-Jac is a family brand that has been in business for over 60 years. In the early 1940's two brothers, Bill and Jack, were in the armed forces serving in World War II. After returning home, they set out to fill a gap in pet food nutrition by creating what they felt was a much needed "great improvement" in the pet food that was being offered to the consumer. It's easy to see how they came up with the company name, they simply combined their first names, dropping the last letter off each name, and in 1947 the pet food company Bil-Jac was born!
NOTE: In exchange for sharing their 8 Ways To Be A Better Pet Parent with my readers, Bil-Jac offered me a bag of delicious Bil-Jac treats.
NATIONAL PET WEEK was Created in 1981 by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Auxiliary to the AVMA. The first week of May is designated as National Pet Week, and is dedicated to celebrating America's more than 200 million pets.
Bil-Jac® pet food company is supporting National Pet Week by sharing 8 Ways You Can Be a Better Pet Parent with dedicated pet parents everywhere! Keep these important tips in mind all year long.
Our pets enrich our lives in so many ways, every day of the year.
NATIONAL PET WEEK reminds us to celebrate our animal companions and encourages responsible pet care.
Bil-Jac is a family brand that has been in business for over 60 years. In the early 1940's two brothers, Bill and Jack, were in the armed forces serving in World War II. After returning home, they set out to fill a gap in pet food nutrition by creating what they felt was a much needed "great improvement" in the pet food that was being offered to the consumer. It's easy to see how they came up with the company name, they simply combined their first names, dropping the last letter off each name, and in 1947 the pet food company Bil-Jac was born!
NOTE: In exchange for sharing their 8 Ways To Be A Better Pet Parent with my readers, Bil-Jac offered me a bag of delicious Bil-Jac treats.
Weekend Fun With The Dogs
We started our weekend fun early with a nice long walk on Friday.
I got my favorite pink hat when we met the stars of the Animal Planet show TANKED, at a Pet Expo in Phoenix.
I'm jumping in on the weekly Black and White Sunday blog hop today as well - scroll down and join us on the hop!
The wonderful stars of TANKED, Brett Raymer and Wayde King, signed the hat for me and posed for photos with us. Their Dad was with them and he signed it too! Brett told me he once had a Husky name Ice, so of course he loved my Husky, Icy! In an earlier blog post I wrote about meeting the TANKED stars at the Pet Expo and how their family run business creates exquisite fish tanks that stretch the imagination. Brett and Wayde are so sweet, we love these guys!
What are you up to this weekend? Leave us a comment & share!
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| I'm wearing my favorite hat, which isn't black & white.... |
I got my favorite pink hat when we met the stars of the Animal Planet show TANKED, at a Pet Expo in Phoenix.
The wonderful stars of TANKED, Brett Raymer and Wayde King, signed the hat for me and posed for photos with us. Their Dad was with them and he signed it too! Brett told me he once had a Husky name Ice, so of course he loved my Husky, Icy! In an earlier blog post I wrote about meeting the TANKED stars at the Pet Expo and how their family run business creates exquisite fish tanks that stretch the imagination. Brett and Wayde are so sweet, we love these guys!
What are you up to this weekend? Leave us a comment & share!
POST A BLACK & WHITE PHOTO AND JOIN US ON THE BLACK AND WHITE SUNDAY BLOG HOP!!