A NEW Flavor

Hey all you Small Dog Lovers!

So I've been searching for something a little lighter for the kids to have for breakfast and I recently found a great product that they and I really enjoy.  It's called Stella and Chewy's and they are like freeze dried raw beef patties (they don't look raw at all though).  I have never been a fan of the raw diet and neither have my kids, but these are totally awesome!

So the kids especially like the beef flavor.  I have also tried the surf and turf but they seem to prefer these.  They sell these bad boys at both holistic stores in the area.  They come in two different sizes a 6oz and 16oz, and range in price depending on where you get them.  An average for my area is about $26-$30 for the larger bag and about $12 for the smaller.  If you're good at planning ahead they sell them on Amazon for the $20-$30 range as well.  They also have a duck and chicken flavor, but I like to stay in the zone of what my kids like since I try not to jinx it!

The patties are definitely not pretty to look at, but they really do the trick!  There is a "how much to feed based on size" chart on each bag and since mine only get half of one for breakfast they last a lot longer than if it was their main food source.  I could see how they could go quick if this was for breakfast and dinner.  Overall a great new product which I highly recommend!  Baby Gurl is super excited to get her breakfast in the morning!

I hope your babies enjoy these as much as mine do!

Good night and warm noses!

-Hilary Chan

Check them out today!

Calcium is nutritious

Hey there Small Dog Lovers!


Well I have some news everyone, I recently found out that my babes aren't getting enough calcium in their diet!  Even though they get plenty of kale in their diet AND cheese it's just not enough.  How did I find out you ask?
Well...
Beans has been eating dirt.  I took them to the vet to make sure that everything was good and she told me that it is very common for dogs who have home cooked meals.  Now, I KNOW what you're thinking, this does NOT mean that I am going to give up cooking for them.  As well with being great for their diet I do enjoy cooking for them.  It's very therapeutic and makes me happy to see them porking away on my creations.  So here's how we fix it!


Eggshells!


You can buy bone meal or a vitamen supplement if you want to go that route as well.  I am trying this method out.  According to several sources the measurements to use are 1/2 tsp ground eggshells per pound of cooked food.  You empty the eggs and dry out the shells in the oven for a little while.

Then you grind them up either in a mortar and pestal, blender, coffee grinder, into a fine dust.  Add to the food and save the rest of the shells in a tupperware for later.

Here is a great site if you want to learn more about this supplement in your dogs diet.

http://dogaware.com/articles/dwcalcium.html

Check with your vet if your dog is having strange behaviors before you change their diet!

The next batch of food I will record the progress of this new endeavor!  Until next time.


Good night and warm noses.
-Hilary Chan

A Quick Fix

Hey there Small Dog Lovers!


I wanted to just give a quick update on this awesome product that I feel like sharing with the world (that means all of you)! I've gotten these a couple times now and everytime I give them out I'm always happy that I stocked up on these bad boys. They're called Get Naked Dog Chews. They have great review online and with my kids!

They have several flavors but I like to stick with the Super Antioxidant and Gut Health. They are chews but they don't last as long as you hope. I like to buy the smalls and cut them in half to make sure I'm watching their calories.

The Super Antioxidant is great and has ingredients like:
Organic brown rice flour, chicken, natural chicken flavor, organic oat fiber, organic flaxseed, dehydrated carrots, cranberries, parsley, chia seed, carrageenan (natural seaweed extract), blueberry pomace, and pomegranate, among others. It's getting the veggie bonus in when it's snack time! It's running about $6.50 right now on Amazon, but the price changes depending on who you get them from.

The Gut Health is also great with ingredients like:
Organic brown rice powder, oat fiber, chicken, natural chicken flavor, organic flaxseed, parsley, chia seed, cinnamon, ginger, peppermint, bacillus coagulans, among others. I am a big fan of probiotics and these chews are great for the kids. I like to hand them out especially if I can tell their tummies are upset or just for a healthy bacteria refresher. A probiotic gut is a happy gut! These ones are a little more expensive (not sure why) but as of right now they are running about $7.50 on Amazon depending where you get them.

I have seen these locally, they sell them at Pet People stores, but I have found that they only carry the large size and they are harder to break up to hand out. Someday I hope they will stock up for smaller mouths but until then, online ordering is my friend.

I hope your kids enjoy these as much as mine! I'll catch up on Heartworm medication next update, I want to get some good pictures together. Thanks guys!

Good night and warm noses!

-Hilary Chan

Turkey TIME!!!

Hey there Small Dog Lovers!


I know what you're thinking...
   "My dog is all ready bored with the Chicken Fantasy Stew!"
Well here is another twisted version of a recipe just for pups!  It involves some ground turkey and a few other surprises, let's get a gobble-gobblen'!


Step one: Ingredients

We've included some great items here: Turkey, Kale, Sweet Potatoes, Peas, Olive oil, Carrots, Salt, Parsley, Blueberries, Kelp Powder, Rosemary, and Oats.

First we brown the meat and herbs together.

Then we add the veggies.

Cook it down for a while.

Add the secret ingredient, a fresh slice of Roast Beef.

Then the oats.

A couple more minutes covered and...VIOLA!

Serve it up (I add the cheese)

Dish it out.

And repeat!

I hope that gives you some more options for your furry friends and your freezer.  I usually stick wit the chicken but when I notice that they get bored with it I switch to the turkey (which is fattier).  Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this episode and good night and warm noses!


-Hilary Chan


Coming Up: Heartworm medication, what to do?!

Snacks - Cheap and Easy

Hey there Small Dog Lovers!


I know that it has been a while but I just wanted to throw a quick update out there to give ya'll some new things to ponder.  Here we will take about doggie snacks.  There are two in particular that are my favorites, and the crew enjoys as well.


Here we go...


So you know how you are always looking for cheap, natural, healthy chews to keep your little tikes busy while you are away or trying to get some work done? Well, I feel the same way!  There is a newer product on the market that I (and the kids) love!  DUCK FEET!  It might sound gross but really they are great!  They are full of chondroitin and are super cheap!  You can find them at your local holistic pet store, or if need be, Amazon has some as well.  The great thing about buying them in the store is you don't have to buy a bag full you can pick out the ones you want.  They usually sell them in bulk, which is great if you have an odd number of puppies.  Check out this box of deliciousness!

That's right that says $.75!

Next, if you're at home here's a simple snack for you and the puppies.  Celery and peanut butter (NO RAISINS - these are poisonous to dogs)!  This is a good snack to take the some-for-you, some-for-me approach.  

Delish!

Baby Gurl enjoys the peanuts and I enjoy her having a low-cal snack with fiber!

Thanks for joining me on this episode, I will be back with even more updates!

Good night and warm noses!

-Hilary Chan

Keep it Clean

Here on the keep it clean post we will be talking about all things teeth.  Now I know that the thought of taking care of your little ones teeth at night might not be the most thrilling thing in the world, but it really should be!  Making sure that your babies teeth care clean and plaque free is one thing that you can do to help your babe live a longer and healthier life.  Think of your own dental visits throughout the years, your dentist always tells you that talking better care of your teeth will help you reduce the risk of heart disease, and not to mention, allow you consume your own food without needing a blender!  Well, I know this might come as a shock, but, the same is true for your pet!  So here's the thing, before you go to bed try to help your puppy out with a little teeth cleansing.  There are many different ways you can accomplish this task, I'm going to show you three of my favorites.


So the first thing that everyone thinks of when they think of getting teeth clean is...BRUSHING!  Depending on your toothpaste choice, your dog might actually enjoy this.  Baby Gurl loves the taste of the toothpaste and it is actually her preferred method of cleansing.  There are a lot of toothpastes out there and usually I end up buying the same one at my vet's when I run out at home (you can also get all of these products online).  They sell CET toothpaste at my vet's and usually we get poultry flavor, but my guys also enjoy some vanilla mint!  Everyone gets a smear of toothpaste and then some teeth love every other day.

Baby Gurl getting some brushing on.

Now I know what you're thinking, "You said to take care of their teeth every night!"  Don't worry!  I like to alternate our methods.  Next up we have the teeth goo night.  I like to use two products, PetzLife and new one I'm going to try out called Fresh Dental.

These products are applied directly to the teeth (I use my finger).

Just a little dab will take care of their whole mouth.  There are directions on the bottles.

Then last my vet gave me a free sample of some teeth wipes to try out.  I really like them, except they smell a little like cloves.

You take the wipe and, yes you guessed it, wipe it around on their teeth!

Then of course after everyone has had their teeth cleaned they get a Senior Greenie treat.  This continues the teeth cleaning and also gives them some glucosamine.

So the last thing that you should know about teeth is that you should have routine dentals at your vets office. This way your vet can get up and close with your pets teeth and can check for breaks and abscesses.  Your dog is knocked out for this procedure so it is pricey.  I try to alternate someone every two years.  Since they all were adopted at different times this schedule works for us.  Figure out what you can afford and talk to your vet to see what their thoughts are.  The plus is, if you keep up with your pets teeth nightly at home you'll most likely have less teeth pulled from Fido when he does go in for the dental.

Thanks all!

Good night and white teef-ers!

-Hilary Chan

Daintier, Smarter, Better Dressed.

Well hello there Small Dog Lovers!


This entry is an update for all some dogs, but especially those of you who own little girl princesses!  Today we're going to be talking about clothing.  So whatever your opinion on the subject; anti-clothing, clothing for warmth or clothing for style we're going to be talking about it.  So here's the scoop, I like to dress up my Baby Gurl.  She's adorable and I try to make sure its not excessive and she doesn't mind.  I know, I know Cesar Millan would not approve of me treating her like the princess she is, as long as we're both happy I don't really care.  (No offense Cesar I think you're brilliant in so many ways)


So here's the scoop.  While a little more tricky to find a decent outfit for your man-ly pooch.  I have had some luck at stores like Target in their el-cheapo dollar bin sections.  Here they usually have some mighty fine tee's for your lads and ladies.  PetsMart is also great for men, but ONLY when their clothes are on clearance, otherwise WHOOOA nelly!  Too Expensive!


If you really want to diva up your lady I totally suggest these two arenas, Walmart and eBay.  Although I can't personally recommend any of the pet food they sell at Walmart, their doggy threads are awesome, especially the Lulu pink line.  This is one of my favorites, and if you're lucky enough to have a store that carries it, STOCK UP!  These outfits go fast and by the time you are finally ready to cough up the $8 for that dress you were dreaming about all day it will be sold out online in all the good sizes.

Here's a shot of whatever was left at the store by me.  You can see there are a few boy outfits as well.

I was trying to go for the green striped dress with the sparkly pink flower, but alas her size was already gone!  It was a nice outfit and made of cotton, perfect for summer.  Well, should have moved faster.  NEXT TIME.  So what are you to do when you've stocked yourself up at Walmart and you need EVEN MORE?! Well, my next word of advice is, eBay.  Since I couldn't get my hands on the green dress I waited to long to purchase I moved my search to the land of Buy-It-Now.  I ended up buying two new Cotton dresses, both for $5.99, one with free shipping.

They are both cotton so they will be great in warmer weather.

Check out this little number Baby Gurl sported for Easter Sunday.  I like to dress her up for holidays and special occasions.  Most of the time she's running around here naked!

This little number I actually got from a Tuesday Morning Store.  Discount stores are great too! TjMaxx, Marshalls, you just have to check it out!  There is the possibility that it's been picked over, but you could get the last awesome outfit!

Now I've given you all of my tips for searching for some awesome threads, I hope you enjoy as much as I do!  Happy shopping!  Good night and wet noses!

-Hilary Chan

A Delicious Fish Dish

Hey Small Dog Lovers!


I'm back with an interested White Fish recipe for your small furry friends!
So I was looking around the other day and came across a white fish recipe for dogs.  I changed it a little bit and added my own spin on the recipe.  Here's what I came up with...

First start out with any white fish or salmon (my babies love salmon) I had a freezer full of catfish so that's 

what I used.

Then I threw together the regular vegetables, sweet potatoes, carrots, celery, apples, kale, rosemary, flax seed, kelp powder and a touch of salt.  Started to cook them down a little bit...

On another burner I started my organic Quinoa. 1/2 cup grain, 1 cup water, and a touch of butter.

 When the vegetables were cooked down a little bit I added the catfish to the pan and put a lid on it for about 1-1 1/2.

When the fish was halfway cooked I added the finished Quinoa. 

 Then I added the secret ingredient, fresh ham slice.

 Cooked it down for about another 1/2 hour and then broke up the fish.

 Plated up three servings with the usual cheese spread.

 It seemed to go over well!  Good protein, full of Omega 3's!

Some for later, freeze it and mix up your routine!

I hope you guys' guys enjoy this recipe.  Catfish has an interesting taste, I think next time I will use Salmon or Cod.  The kids did enjoy it but adding a different fish will be a whole new and exciting meal!  Thanks guys and until next time, good night and warm noses!


-Hilary Chan


Coming Up Next: Where to find the cutest, cheapest girl clothes!

There is hope outside of the kitchen!!!

Hello Small Dog Lovers!


I know what you're thinking...


"I thought I had more dog food made!?"
"I got home too late tonight to make dog food from scratch!"
"The last time I tried to use the kitchen it burst into flames!"
"I just don't want to make my own dog food!"


Well here's the story, while it is great if you can make your own dog food there is hope for those of you who can't ever or just sometimes.  There are good dog foods out there!  This is a guide to your local holistic pet food store.  There are other good dog foods out there than the ones that I am going to show you take your time and do some research before you buy it.  I'm NOT saying that you need to take weeks to pick a dog food, but it can't hurt to do a quick look online and see what's out there.  Also you might not have a holistic dog food store around you, while I'm all about supporting local businesses, you can find a lot of this goodness online.  Here's a simple rule that you should follow, if you can buy it at the grocery store, its not the best thing for your dog.  Remember that cancer fact from the last post?  If you do decide to switch to a Holistic dog food your dog may not be interested in it at first.  Try some things, try different kinds, and keep at it!  If you're currently buying dog food from the grocery store then your dog may not like this new stuff right away.  There are a lot of additives in some dog food, like animal fat, salt and other goodies.  It's like eating McDonald's everyday, could you go back to eating salad and veggies right away instead?


First of all what you should do is look around your community for a Holistic Pet Food Store.  There are several in the Cleveland area where I live but only a few that I frequent regularly and exciting-ly.  So our first stop is a little place named, The Furry Nation. 

This is a great store in Lakewood, OH that always has a great selection and I really believe they know their products.  So let's venture in...


Now I know that even I sometimes need a quick fix for dinner for the kids.  Sometimes you just run out of time or start to late, etc.  What matters is no matter what the situation the puppies in your life have a good quality meal.  Unlike you and me they don't have much of a choice in what they eat, it's up to you!  So between, you, me, and the our local Holistic Pet Store let's find out what works.  


First I'll introduce you to what I feed my babies as a snack throughout the day.  I leave this dry dog food out everyday in case they want to snack or have a little something extra.  It's Nature's Logic brand.  I stick with the Natural Chicken Meal myself.  

There are also several other great brands of dog food.  I have not personally used them but several people that I know do.  It just depends on your dog and what they like.  Some dogs don't like some dog food flavors, but there are tons of good dog foods out there to try!  Some that I know of are EVO, Grain Free for Dogs, Dr. Harvey's Canine Health.  The last one is interesting because you need to re-hydrate it and add protein.  It's faster than all homemade and still good food.  EVO has several different flavors to choose from in case your dog is not a big fan of fish.

Stores usually offer free samples of the dog foods that they carry in order to make sure that you don't buy a giant bag of new dog food only to find out that your dog is not big on the flavor.  In order to save some time and throwing away pounds of food get a few sample bags and see what your dog gravitates towards. 

 The Furry Nation has several sample options at their store.  I recently picked up a few myself to give to a fellow co-worker who's thinking of switching their dog food.

There are also wet food options that are awesome!  If you go with wet food it is important for your pups teeth to get some hard chewy stuff.  Here are two great wet foods that my kids both like:

Party Animal Organics

Tiki Dog Food

Tonight, infact, was one of those nights that I needed to substitute my homemade food while I brewed up another batch.  Tonight we went with:

Party Animal Jammin' Salmon Recipe

This was the first time they had, had this flavor.  My mom actually feeds her dogs Party Animal Dry Food so I know that they enjoyed that.

So I of course dressed it up and made it fancy for them:

Some Ezekiel Toast, and of course some cut up cheese.

Let me tell you, my kids are P-I-C-K-Y eaters and they were very excited about this dinner!

With things like: Wild caught salmon, organic sweet potatoes and blueberries, what could go wrong?!

And with all good stories, there was a happy ending!

Well everyone, it's been a great adventure.  I'm thinking that next time we'll go over another homemade recipe.  They need a little variation to keep things exciting.  Until then, good night and of course warm noses!

-Hilary Chan