Category Archives: Pet News

Is your Paint Pet Safe?

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Guest Blogger:  Aedan Kiernan

As pet owners we are all very careful about the food and toys we give to our pets, and what we do around them, which could be detrimental to their health. We are all aware of the dangers of things like chocolate, not many pet owners are aware of health implications that domestic decorating products like paints can have on our furry friends.

The Danger of Paints

Paint might not seem like the most dangerous household substances, but some domestic paints can have serious implications on the health and wellbeing of our pets. These paints are so harmful due to the harsh chemicals that they contain, which includes solvents, heavy metals and VOC’s (Volatile Organic Compounds). These chemicals release gases which can cause serious harm to our pets when they are inhaled. Although these gases are most potent while paints are drying, fumes can still be released long after the paint has dried. While the full extent of the damage caused by these chemicals is unknown, symptoms include dizziness, irritation to skin, eyes and air ways and in extreme cases full bodily hair loss.

Paints are not the only decorating product which can cause harm to our pets. Some other hazardous products include varnishes, paint removers and white spirits. The dangers are not just limited to inhalation of these gases and pets can suffer from the same symptoms if they ingest paints or other decorating products. Continue reading →

Collar Safety Awareness Week

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Dog’s Speak Up for Collar Safety

By: Blue Belle Walton, Canine Contributor
DogBlog: A Dog’s Eye View

Dog Collar Safety

Hi there dog lovers, Blue Belle here, canine dog blog contributor, grateful rescued dog, and tail wagging happy member of a furever family.

My family wanted me to talk to you about a very serious issue. Today my mom gave me a new collar. She said that this could actually save my life. What is so special about my new collar? It has a feature that makes it come apart if I get my collar caught, so I don’t get strangled. My new collar is a PetSafe® KeepSafe® Break-Away Collar.  Isn’t it pretty.  I really like it.  My mom listened to a video interview from the women who created it.  She invented this collar after she lost her dog Chinook, to a collar strangulation accident.  How terrible!  You can see the video below.

Information about the PetSafe® KeepSafe® Break-Away Collar

The collar features a patented break-away safety buckle that releases when pressure is applied or it gets caught on something, allowing it to fall off harmlessly and reduce the risk of strangulation or injury to the pet. The KeepSafe collar also has a metal D-ring on each side of the breakaway buckle, which can be used to attach ID tags and can also be clipped together with a leash so pet parents can safely walk their dogs using the collar.

We didn’t even know that this was a risk, but my mom heard about the Educational Campaign to Protect Pets from Collar Strangulation Accidents . They call it Collar Safety Awareness Week. We think everyone should help get out the word. Mom said it is urgent to make everyone aware of this safety issue. So listen up, people. Please pass this along. I know your dog will thank you.

Collar Related Injuries

  • Over 19 million dogs wear collars everyday
  • More than 26,000 collar related injuries happen each year
  • 71 incidents per day
  • More than 50% of pet professionals have experienced a collar related incident in pets

Common Causes of Dog Collar Incidents

  • Play Biting
  • Deck Slats
  • Fences
  • Crates
  • Heating/Cooling Vents
  • Shrubs/Bushes

The first annual Collar Safety Awareness Week, October 18-24, 2015, is being launched to educate the public about the risks of strangulation and dangers of traditional collars as part of National Animal Safety and Protection Month.

PetSafe® Interviews Tenney Mudge, Inventor of KeepSafe Collar

PetSafe® Collar Safety Awareness

Blue Belle’s Message to All Dogs and Their Family’s PROTECT YOUR PET WITH A SAFE COLLAR.

Petsafe Collar Safety Awareness Week Infographic

Petsafe Collar Safety Awareness Week Infographic

Assistance Dog Week (Aug 2nd – Aug 8th)

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Put your hands (or paws) together for assistance dogs.  International Assistance Dog Week is August 2-8.

There are three primary types of assistance dogs.

  1. Guide Dogs – help people with vision issues
  2. Hearing Dogs –  help people with hearing issues
  3. Service Dogs –  help people with other disabilities.

I have a great love for dogs and really appreciate their intelligence.  I happen to have epilepsy.  Even though my dogs have not been trained to be service dogs, I do notice that they stay very close to my side when I am feeling like I could have a seizure.

Please let us know about your experiences with service dogs.  Thanks to After Hours Veterinary Emergency Clinic for the awesome infographic helping to  spread some knowledge on assistance dogs.

Assistance Dog Week Infographic

Assistance Dog Week Infographic

New Innovative Dog Toy – The Odin

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DogBlog: A Dog’s Eye View Recommends New Innovative Dog Toy – The Odin

Project by: Up Dog Toys, Seattle, WA

The Odin - Innovative Dog Toy

Kickstarter Campaign:

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/updogtoys/the-odin-a-puzzle-dog-toy-with-a-modern-modular-de

We are pleased to tell our readers about the launch of a Kickstarter campaign for an innovative new toy for your dogs. The Odin is a toy that engages your dog physically and cognitively, challenging your dog’s brain to earn a treat. The modular design allows for multiple Odin toys to be attached, reshaping the toy and providing an even more challenging experience. The Odin is dishwasher friendly and constructed with tough non-toxic materials.

” Dogs don’t care how their toys look, they just want to play. So why not make a beautiful dog toy, something that complements your home? With this in mind and other ideas on improving our dog’s favorite toys, we created The Odin, a puzzle treat toy that is beautiful for your home and fun for your dog.

The Odin is the first in a series of toys we hope to make to keep your dog happy and your home looking great. “

The Odin is a dog toy designed to look great in your home, while being a full featured puzzle toy. A puzzle toy is a dog toy where the owner puts dog treats into the toy and then the dog tries to get the treats out by playing with the toy. It gives dogs both the mental and physical stimulation they need and stays interesting to any dog who loves food. Continue reading →

American Made Dog Treats – Beastie Bars

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We have always tried to be careful about the type of dog food we feed our dog, but ever since our dog, Maggie, suddenly got violently ill and died, we have been suspicious and wondered if she got sick from the jerky she ate that was made in China.  The other day I received an email from Matt Goldman who told me about his Kickstarter campaign for Beastie Bars, healthy, ALL NATURAL, on-the-go dog treats. The bars have a protein meat base and select fruits, veggies & honey.  Looks like a great idea to me.  Check out their Kickstarter Project.

 

I told Matt we had concerns about dog treats from China, and he told me they have concerns about product made in China too! That concern is what led him and his father to create the dog treat line Kettle Creek Farms.

More of what Matt had to say:

“We found that the most popular treat with both our taste tester Homer, and the customers was the fruit & veggies blend. We took that feedback and created what became The Beastie Bar.

Beastie Bars are individually wrapped, protein based dog treats, made here in America. Each bar is formulated with either chicken, turkey or beef, and includes our blend of strategic fruits and veggies to compliment a healthy diet.

We use ALL NATURAL ingredients and NO CHEMICAL PRESERVATIVES. Thanks to a special cooking process, and our proprietary cider vinegar preservative, Beastie Bars have a shelf life of 18 months.

There has been incredible growth in the human food bar market over the past decade. More and more people are eating on the go, and demanding a healthy option while they are at it.

Think about this: The US Food Bar Market (for humans) is expected to grow to over $8 billion by 2016

And this: Sales of “Natural” pet food is expected to surpass overall pet food sales by 2016

While there are many healthy dog food options to choose from, we haven’t found a meat based, individually wrapped doggy snack bar anywhere! So we set out to create one, and The Beastie Bar is the result of those efforts.”