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 →
By: Blue Belle Walton, Canine Contributor
DogBlog: A Dog’s Eye View
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.
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.
Product: Zuke’s Mini Naturals Received from: Chewy.com
Blue Belle loves to do tricks and one of the best treats for rewarding our dog are small treats like these little mini treats from Zuke’s. We received the Zuke’s Mini Naturals Fresh Peanut Butter Formula from Chewy.com to review.
The 6 oz. package is actually a pretty large package. And I see that they are on sale at Chewy right now.
These treats are wheat, corn and soy free and there are less than 3 1/2 calories per treat.
Blue Belle really likes these tasty treats, in addition to using them for training purposes, we also use them inside her Odin Toy.
Product: Orijen Free Run Duck Freeze Dried Dog Treats Received from: Chewy.com
We received a 2 oz. package (approximately 55 treats) of freeze dried dog treats made from duck and duck liver. The treats are proudly made in Canada. The package indicates they use regional ingredients delivered fresh. The founder says the quality is never outsourced, preparing Orijen treats in their own kitchens, where they freeze-dry fresh local ingredients and control every detail of preparation. They are freeze-dried to lock in flavor and nutrition.
The first thing I noticed about the treats is the fact that they are very light in weight. The first thing my granddaughter noticed, is the smell. But Blue Belle loved the smell. We are very careful to feed our special loved one only the best dog food and treats. This product by Orijen qualifies as a healthy good snack which we feel we can trust.
We were so excited to wake up early in the morning with our car jam-packed with luggage, sleeping bags, a cooler full of drinks and lunch, an audio book for our listening pleasure, snacks, and of course the BEST DOG IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD, Blue Belle, who joined us on our road trip to to the great Northwest. We traveled from Boise, Idaho on the interstate freeway system through Oregon, over the Columbia River to Washington State, through scenic wine country and finally to venture through the picturesque cascade mountains and Kittitas County. We truly love to travel the state highways through the beautiful small communities. As soon as we could, we hopped off the interstate to relax on the slower pace of the Washington state highway.
Shortly after leaving our home in Boise I realized that I should have given Blue Belle a bath the day before we left. Riding in our small car, with Blue Belle snuggling up between us, caused some discussion about the unpleasant odor we would have to endure for several days. It didn’t seem to bother Murry much, but I do have a very good sense of smell. So we looked online to see if there was a self service dog wash somewhere on our route. We knew we would be spending the night in Cle Elum, WA, and the next day stopping to take Blue Belle for a walk and enjoy the awesome view of Snoqualmie Falls, so we searched google for a self serve dog wash near Snoqualmie.
Our search brought us to a fantastic jewel of a find, Pet Place Market, located in North Bend, WA. We sent an online message to let them know that we would be traveling through North Bend the next day and would be so happy to give Blue Belle a bath in their self serve dog wash. When we arrived we were pleasantly surprised when we stepped inside to say we were traveling and needed to use their self serve dog wash. The nice lady said “this must be Blue Belle”. Yah! They read our message. We were greeted by the Manager, Amanda, and a nice young man named Zack.
Amanda showed us into the back room where the doggie spa was located. A nice sized room that was very nicely decorated with several bath stations. She gave us a tour and explained how everything worked. First we put on some stylish blue (Boise State Colors, by the way) rubber aprons and took Blue Belle to a table where we brushed her. If we wanted we could do a few other grooming things like clip her nails. Then we took her to the bathing station. The water was already set to the proper temperature and ready to go. Amanda showed us how to use the shampoo and conditioner, how to hold the sprayer for the water and how to use the blow dryer. We even had scented spray to use after she was all cleaned up. We chose the lavender spray. She smelled so good.
After her bath we looked through the pet store and found a product to add to our purchase – an organic dog treat made with real berries produced locally. Wet Noses grain free dog treats are USDA organic Non-GMO and made nearby in Monroe, Washington. I found this information about their facility on their website: “Every single one of our treats are produced at our facility in Monroe, Washington – about 30 minutes north of Seattle. Wet Noses has called the beautiful Pacific Northwest home for nearly 20 years, since our beginnings in a Seattle kitchen in the late 1990s”. They also say “Our company is founded on one very basic philosophy, if you wouldn’t eat it – don’t give it to your pet”. What a great attitude!
We were so thrilled to find this super duper pet place with such a friendly staff. We plan to stop in again when we take another road trip with the BEST SMELLING DOG IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD.
Product Review by: Julie and Blue Belle Walton DogBlog: A Dog’s Eye View
Product: DOGSTERS Ice Cream Style Treats for Dogs
Dogsters Frozen Dog Treats
We received a request to review a treat for our dog, Blue Belle, DOGSTERS ice cream style treats for dogs. They are made in the USA (a key to this dog loving family) all natural, low fat and low calories. Dogsters says man’s best friend deserves healthy and delicious treats, too.
Who doesn’t love a good treat. BUT, the question on this beautiful fall day is will Blue Belle, the rescue dog, agree that a frozen treat is cool and refreshing and much better than staying under the tree to keep the pesky squirrels out of our yard.
The frozen treats are found in your grocery store alongside the frozen novelties. But because we are special (ok, we are just dog blogging reviewers, but we think we are special) we received ours at our front door packed on ice. We received two boxes of these delicious flavors:
Mint
Peanut Butter and Cheese
Each treat comes in a plastic container with a paper lid, so obviously you will want to keep an eye on your dog and throw the trash away, so they don’t eat up the container.
I think you will agree when you see Blue Belle’s reaction that she thinks they truly are DELICIOUS!
