good deal | merrick's hungry dog

Our former foster dog was a seriously aggressive chewer.... he could get through most bones within an hour.


So, I thought I'd try Merrick's Hungry Dog grab bag to see if it would last us longer than investing in a handful of bully sticks/rawhides/chews.

It is considered a "grab bag" so you'll never get the same mix twice. Our bag was a pretty good mix of one snoozle, tons of texas toothpicks, one small flossie, two corporal caps, and what looked to be ears  :


It wasn't a great deal, but it was a good deal at $9 via heartypet. Bestbullysticks also has them at $10.

fun find | ethnic markets

Ethnic markets can sometimes be a conscious pet feeder's best friend (especially if you feed raw!)

A mere 6 blocks from my door is an Asian market that sells a plethora of fantastically fun items that I like to eat, and some that I can feed my dogs. No where else can I find CHEAP fresh, frozen prawns, frozen anchovies and frozen duck necks!

I've started to utilize everything I've learned about my dogs and their nutritional needs - and I'm finding things that maybe a few years ago I would have never fed that I do now.

For example : Dried, lightly salted fish snacks


It's actually a fairly large bag and would last a while as a once in a while snack (due to salt content)


And they don't smell that bad, but just enough to entice the dogs


(p.s. this is the last pic you will see of Vander the pibble sampling my food discoveries. He got adopted!) 

treats | instinct grain free

very cool!

my local feed store just introduced Nature's Variety Instinct Grain Free (guilt free) biscuits!

We grabbed two boxes, duck and rabbit. Many are alarmed that the rabbit source in Nature's Variety comes from China, which they are up front about, so feed only what you are comfortable with.





Duck Ingredients:
duck meal, tapioca, garbanzo bean flour, sweet potatoes, pork fat, pumpkinseeds, montmorillonite clay, natural vegetable flavor, dried egg whites, cinnamon, guar gum, inulin, mixed tocopherols with citric acid (a natural preservative), rosemary extract, direct-fed microorganisms (dried bacillus coagulans fermentation product)

Shop at Petsmart?

I was on a mission last week to find decent treats and/or chews at Petsmart.

I don't know why the disconnect - but of the chain stores, it seems that Petco has embraced more of the natural/grain free way of feeding dogs and cats when compared to Petsmart.
(where natural means less corn, wheat, soy, salt, corn syrup, etc)

I find, however, you'll always win at a local specialty dog boutique. But, if all you can find is a Petsmart - here are two suggestions.

1. Treat - So Natural Bison. Made in the USA
Ingredients: Bison Recipe: Barley, bison, oat flour, peas, rye, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols), cranberry, carrots, apples, tomato pomace, celery, beets, parsley, lettuce, watercress.



2. Chew - Health Smart Dog
They were almost identical to Health Bones/Berry, but smaller. Here's a link to the ingredients - our dogs enjoyed both the super berry & the pumpkin/carrot.

Treats | Milkbone Alternatives

cheap. $2.50 each at big lots.

easy. open box and hand to dog.

just like a milkbone, but better.

Ingredient comparison:
Milkbones Crunchy Treat - Wheat flour, beef meal and beef bone meal, corn flour, sugar, dried digest of poultry by-products, cooked bone marrow preserved with BHA, BHT and citric acid, beef fat preserved with tocopherols, salt, brewers dried yeast, artificial color (includes red 40), iron oxide, sodium metabisulfite (dough conditioner), natural flavor.

Cloud Star Muttos (duck/sweet potato) - Whole Wheat Flour, Ground Oats, Duck, Chicken Fat, Sweet Potato, Caramel Color (natural coloring agent), Salt, mixed tocopherols (natural preservative). 
- - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Milkbones Biscuits - Wheat flour, wheat bran, beef meal and beef bone meal, beef fat preserved with tocopherols, wheat germ, poultry by-product meal, dried vegetable pomace, salt, lamb meal, chicken meal, turkey meal, minerals (dicalcium phosphate, iron oxide, zinc sulfate, calcium carbonate, copper sulfate, ethylenediamine dihydriodide (source of iodine)), artificial color (includes yellow 5, red 40, blue 1), brewers dried yeast, malted barley flour, vitamins (choline chloride, dl-alpha tocopheryl acetate (vitamin E), vitamin A acetate, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, vitamin B12 supplement, d-activated animal sterol (source of vitamin D3)), sodium metabisulfite (dough conditioner), whey casein (a milk protein).


Cloud Star Trail Hound (peanut butter) - Whole Wheat Flour, Ground Whole Oats, Peanut Butter, Rolled Oats, Amaranth, Sunflower Hearts, Apples, Carrots, Flax Seed, Kelp, Beta-Carotene, Green Tea Extract, L-Carnitine, Mixed Tocopherols (natural preservative).

sweet potato chews

There are a few companies (like this one, and this one) that make sweet potato chews for your dog.
Or you can buy a bag of um fresh, get a really nice slicer cheap on ebay, bake in your oven, and make your own sweet potato chews!

Foster dog Vander likes um, even if they do only last 45 seconds!

treats | fruitables

Fruitables - these things smell so good, that you can eat them (I didn't... but I'm just sayin). And they're an adorable flower shape.

I got these as a buffer for when we do longer hikes between meals.You will see they are packed with carbs -

Ingredients:
Pumpkin, Organic oatmeal, Pearled barley, Whole ground potatoes, Oat fiber, Canola Oil (with mixed tocorpherols, a natural preservative), Organic cane molasses, Blueberries, Cinnamon, Vanilla

You can now get a bag from bestbullysticks! Tell um shibaslave@gmail.com sent ya!

treats | evanger's nothing but natural

Evanger's Nothing but Natural Buffalo with Fruits & Vegetable Treats were a big hit in our house!


Ingredients:
Natural Buffalo, Oat Flour, Potato Flour, Dried Chicory Root, Gelatin, Vegetable Glycerin, Cultured Whey, Fruits and Vegetables (Blueberries, Cranberries, Carrots, Peas), Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Oil of Garlic, Tocopherols (Vitamin E).

Super helpful in training 'sit-stay' by paradigm for the puppy!

Treat | for adult dogs only!

I say for adult's only because these come out thick and hard, and require adult teeth to chew them down.

Chicken Gizzards are a great muscle meat when served raw. Check out nutritiondata.com for the nutrient breakdown.

I thought it would be a great treat for the puppy (who is teething) but he couldn't get through the raw form. It is really elastic and chewy, and he had a tough time. 

So, I sliced them in half, put them on a tin covered baking tray on broil and let them sizzle for about 45 minutes.
They came out looking a bit like chewy beef jerky:


My adult dogs LOVE them, but still the puppy had a tough time with them! He did manage to "num" it down a bit, just chewing it and chewing it. I think it did the trick and he ended up eating two in one sitting.


In retrospect, I think sticking with the raw version would have been easier on us all!

treats | nature's logic venison

I've always said that I pick out treats based on their ingredient list, and for me - named products and a super short ingredient list are the best. I love picking up something like wagger's champion chips where the ingredient is simply "100% beef lung".

However. We are now raising a puppy. Who is picky when eating. And needs to be trained, socialized.

So I went out to find a treat that was like a meal (think protein bar) but was also nutritious and its protein source named. I found Nature's Logic Venison Treats.


It has a monster list of ingredients, but all of them pretty good (yes, there is a grain - millet):
NGREDIENTS: Venison Meal, Lamb Meal, Millet, Chicken Fat, Montmorillonite, Brewer's Yeast, Flaxseed, Dried Egg Product, Spray Dried Chicken Liver, Pumpkin Seed, Animal Plasma, Kelp, Natural Flavoring, Cottage Cheese, Suncured Alfalfa Meal, Egg Shell Meal, Avocado, Chicory Root, Tomato Powder, Almonds, Spray Dried Cod Liver Oil, Apple Powder, Blueberry Powder, Apricot Powder, Carrot Powder, Pumpkin Powder, Cranberry Powder, Broccoli Powder, Spinach Powder, Parsley, Artichoke, Rosemary, Dried Lactobacillus Acidophilus Fermentation Product, Dried Lactobacillus Casei Fermentation Product, Dried Bifidobacterium Bifidium Fermentation Product, Dried Enterococcus Faecium Fermentation Product, Dried Bacillus Coagulans Fermentation Product, Dried Pineapple Extract, Dried Aspergillus Niger Fermentation Extract, Dried Aspergillus Oryzae Fermentation Extract, Dried Trichoderma Longibrachtium Fermentation Extract, Mixed Tocopherols.
Nature's Logic Natural Venison Meal Snack Recipe Canine Treats are intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding only. 

For my purposes, feeding puppy while training throughout the day, this treat will do. If I were feeding him raw, perhaps I wouldn't use this treat because of the grain and extensive list of ingredients - but most are what some raw feeders supplement anyway (like alfalfa, brewer's yeast, spinach, etc).
Plus, they look decent in our 'doggie treat' jar:

Salmon Paws

best. training. treat. ever.



Salmon Paws Omega Stix , as described by Best Bully Sticks:

These jerky treats are made from 100% wild caught Alaskan Sockeye Salmon and contain no fillers, bones, or other salmon by-products. These treats come in a two pack of stix which are each about 6-7 inches in length.

Many of the other salmon treats out there are made from farm raised salmon, which contain lower levels of nutrients and higher levels of fat Farm raised salmon is also very oily in nature and can lead to loose stools. Many fish dog treats also contain bone and other unwanted by-products. These do not!

Besides being a great low fat protein source for pups, these treats also contain high levels of omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. These omega acids are great for maintaining a healthy skin and coat, and help to promote cardiovascular and joint health.

And I do cut them small to use as training treats!


They last longer than a bag of pre-portioned training treats if you cut them small enough. They are stinky, but therefore incredibly enticing for most dogs.

The puppy got some and learned to sit and down!

Rabbit Feet, v 2.0

I have blogged about dehydrated rabbit feet as a treat before, but wanted to highlight a new company's dehydrated rabbit feet that we tried recently.

Aunt Jeni's Rabbit Feet.
The ingredients listed are just that simple: Rabbit Feet: rabbit feet (furry)

The feet were just right for my adult 18 & 24lb shiba inus. 
However, I chose the smallest foot in the bag for our foster puppy, and I think it was a little too much for him (he was unable to chew it/crunch it)

RECALL - Merrick Beef Filet Dog Treats

The FDA issued a warning about Merrick Beef Filet Squares. If you still have the resealable package, check for a "Best By 11/19/11" date — those batches may be contaminated with Salmonella. To be on the safe side, if you're not sure when you bought the treats, discard!


Luckily no illnesses have been reported yet — the bacteria was caught in a routine inspection in December — but be careful when handling the treats (to discard them), remove anything else they could have contaminated, and thoroughly clean any containers, too.

Purebites

Yes, that is a cat treat bag. No, I do not have a cat :)

I often buy Purebites Dehydrated Beef Liver treats for the dogs when on sale. I love these treats because
1. The dogs cannot resist them, and Kitsu learned to "touch" for them.
2. They are single ingredient treats.
3. They market them for dogs AND cats. I think too often cats get the shaft on healthy treats, and these help bridge that gap.

I think the in-law's cat will enjoy his Christmas present!

Ostrich Medley

A super cool fellow raw feeder sent me these. They are perfect! The dogs love um!

Aunt Jeni's Ostrich Medley. I'll let Best Bully Sticks say in their words, because every word is true:

This Ostrich Medley contains dehydrated ostrich liver, ostrich heart, ostrich lung, and ostrich trachea. It comes in a 10 ounce re-sealable container and is made in our own backyard, the USA! These treats are single protein sources, and contain no additives or preservatives. They are also great for raw feeders because most of the treats are organ meat!

Mmmmm.

Inu Treats | noribone

We had the dogs try a new treat today : INU TREATS!

When I saw the name of the treats, of course I had to pick it up and look at the ingredients.
And, we took a chance... as they do contain grains and have more ingredients than the treats I tend to buy.

Ingredients for noribone (list on packaging) are:
Brown Rice Flour, Whole Oats, Oat Flour, Wild Salmon Meat, Fish Broth, Canola Oil, Seaweed, Salmon Oil, Marjoram, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage & Basil

So far, no allergic reaction to the rice or oats, and it is "inu" approved!

Herring by Snacks 21

A super healthy, tasty (& albeit stinky) dog treat! ^Shiba approved^
From Petfooddirect.com:

Snack 21 Herring Strips for Dogs

100% Natural treats made only from dried Pacific Herring with no by-products fillers or rendered materials. Ideal for pets with allergies to meat products and chemical additives.

Update on 'Easy Summer Treat'

Last week I posted about an Easy Summer Treat, freezing baby food and letting your dog lick it out of the jar.

I tried this over the weekend, previous to this I emptied the contents of the jar into a kong and let my dogs go to town, but this time I just froze the glass container:

The dogs were doing GREAT with them, no attempts at chewing the glass, no tongue-to-pole situations... and yet still my husband freaked out because of how dangerous it could be.

While I'm not seeing the danger here, I've agreed to post a semi-retraction of the claim that you should remove lid, freeze in jar then serve. As a precaution, stick to pouring baby food in a Kong then freezing, or do what I did after my husband's tantrum - pour the baby food into an ice cube tray for fun after-humid-summer-walks-treats!

Super Easy Summer Treat!

This is so simple you are going to slap yourself for not thinking of it first.
I know I did!

Ok, ready?

1. Go to the market, and pick up some organic baby foods with simple ingredients like Sweet Potato, Apple, Peas, Banana...

2. Remove lid and empty into Kong (or if you trust your dog, just freeze in the glass jar)

3. Freeze for 8-12 hours

4. Give to your dog

How much do I love tripe?

This much!

I just can't seem to stop buying it for my dogs...

Our latest "find" is Dr. Harvey's Power Patties


Trust me on this - if you haven't fed raw green tripe yet, this is the way to start. They do not smell nearly as bad - and I'm not afraid to touch these without gloves!

Per their website:

Why Tripe is So Beneficial

• Easily digestible, so fewer stomach upsets
• Beautiful, shiny, cleaning smelling coat
• Adds needed Vitamins and Minerals
• Adds beneficial digestive enzymes
• Adds good usable protein-consisting of balanced amino acids
• Adds essential fatty acids
• Has proper calcium/phosphorus balance

Warning

Dogs love Power Patties so much that they are apt to steal the whole bag. Power Patties should be placed in a carefully chosen and concealed place. Dr. Harvey’s will not be responsible for stolen or captured Power Patties. Also, please be aware that giving Power Patties may result in overwhelming amounts of joy and kisses. Now you can’t say we didn’t warn you!