KMS Hayloft & Oxbow Review - Guinea Pig Products

Tails wagging from Texas! Our blog is mostly about dog stuff, but we have lots of other animals in the house, and occasionally we just have to talk about them. Today we're going to review my first KMS Hayloft order and some products we use from Oxbow - all for our guinea pig Bramble.

Bramble trying out the new foods!

KMS Hayloft Order Summary
What we Bought:
- 10 lbs Timothy Choice Pellets: $12.00
- 25 lbs 3rd Cut Timothy Hay: $20.00
- Shipping: $30.92
Total: $62.92

Everything packed in the box! 35 lbs of goodness

Previously we have been using Oxbow hay and pellets for Bramble. I'm going to look individually at pellets and hay, compare prices and tell you whether I think KMS products are worthwhile!

KMS Pellets
*KMS Hayloft TC: $1.20 per lb + Shipping
*Oxbow Essentials: $3.30 per lb

KMS Hayloft Timothy Complete Pellets

Bramble has been eating Oxbow pellets since we took him home, and he seems to be doing well on them. They are significantly more expensive than KMS Hayloft's pellets, but are about the same quality of ingredients. Even with shipping, there is a significant savings, especially since we ordered our hay and pellets together.

The timothy complete pellets we received are extremely green and smell like sweet, fresh timothy hay. Normally Bramble is unenthusiastic about pellets, but he wheeked for these and emptied his bowl quickly. He's never been this excited about his Oxbow pellets in the past. I love both brands, but I think we're permanently switching to KMS pellets.

Hay
*KMS Hayloft 3rd Cut Timothy: $0.80 per lb + Shipping
*Oxbow Timothy Hay: $4.50 per lb

25 lbs filled our hay box and there's plenty more too!

KMS hay is significantly cheaper than Oxbow. Honestly, Oxbow hay sits on a shelf at a pet store for an unknown period of time before you bring it home, and in our experience it just doesn't seem nearly as fresh. I'd rather spend my money on the freshest hay around, especially when it's also cheaper! Don't get me wrong, Oxbow is nicer than other brands we've seen at the pet store, but it certainly comes with a premium price.

The 3rd cut timothy hay we received from KMS lives up to its reputation! It is so amazingly soft and sweet-smelling with no weeds or brittle stems. We were hoping the famed KMS bluegrass hay would be in stock, but are not disappointed in any way with this timothy. Bramble absolutely loves it, although he is not picky about his hay. It's so fragrant and fresh that our whole house smelled like fresh hay after opening the box!

Oxbow Products
There are some Oxbow products we still use and highly recommend. Even if you use KMS or other products for hay and pellets, Oxbow has a lot of unique hay blends and healthy treat options to provide variety for your guinea pigs. Here are three Oxbow "treats" Bramble adores:

*Oxbow Alfalfa Hay:
15 oz for $4.99 at Dr. Foster Smith

Alfalfa hay is intended for juvenile guinea pigs and nursing sows, but you can occasionally give small amounts to adult pigs as treats. Use sparingly, as it is high in calcium and richer than timothy hay. Bramble loves alfalfa, so we keep some around and use it on special occasions.

*Oxbow Orchard Grass Hay:
15 oz for $4.69 at Dr. Foster Smith

This hay is very soft and sweet, a lot like 3rd cut timothy. We use orchard grass on occasion to add variety to Bramble's hay rack. Orchard hay is a safe blend for adult guinea pigs and could also be fed as a staple hay.

*Oxbow Simple Rewards Baked Treats:
2 oz for $3.99 at Dr. Foster Smith

Bramble adores these treats. I only offer about 1/4-1/2 treat per day, but they are a species appropriate treat that's a much healthier alternative to sugary or seed-based treats. They come in five flavors (Apple & Banana, Cranberry, Bell Pepper, Peppermint, Carrot & Dill) and Bramble has tried and enjoys all of them.

If you're wondering how we feed Bramble...daily we use 1/8 cup pellets, 1 cup of mixed fresh salad greens and veggies and unlimited hay. We'll go through more detailed care information for guinea pigs and all of our other animals in future posts!

Those are the basic guinea pig foods and treats we use for Bramble. I will definitely be ordering from KMS Hayloft for our hay and pellet needs in the future, and I will continue to use Oxbow products  for variety and treats!


*Full Disclosure: We paid real money for all of the above products. We were not paid or given products in exchange for these reviews, and we only review products that our herd believes in.

Managing Separation Anxiety in Dogs - Are They Ever Coming Back?

Tails wagging from Texas! Today we're going to talk about a serious issue, one that our household has personally experienced.

Katara has severe separation anxiety. Now, some of you - like me - might automatically roll your eyes when you hear that term. It gets thrown around a lot. In fact, you will usually hear it any time a dog acts out while alone, but many times behaviors that seem like separation anxiety are caused by something else entirely! Let's talk about how to identify and defeat this problem.

What Separation Anxiety Is and Isn't
Separation anxiety in dogs is a panic reaction triggered by being left alone. Signs include destructive behavior, howling, escaping confinement, excessive drooling, panting, urinating or defecating. True separation anxiety is believed to be at least partially genetic.

The same behaviors triggered by separation anxiety - digging out of fences, tearing up furniture, howling, etc. - are behaviors bored dogs may display when left alone. These dogs just want a job, and often tiring them out beforehand and leaving them with a frozen kong or other lasting food puzzle is enough to calm them.

Bored dogs can also be extremely destructive, but it's important to distinguish the difference. A bored dog can usually be managed through crate training, exercise and enrichment. A separation anxious dog will continue to act out when left alone despite these changes and will often grow worse over time.

Many dogs with true separation issues will display agitation or anxiety as you prepare to leave. Things like putting on shoes or holding your car keys can trigger anxiety even before you are gone. Dogs with separation anxiety often also act overly excited upon your return.

Let's talk about some ways you can manage and ultimately overcome separation anxiety. It will take a lot of patience and some sacrifice on your part, but we promise even the most severe cases can improve!

Katara's Case
I'm going to talk about our specific experience throughout this post. Katara has true separation anxiety. As a puppy, she was crate trained and gradually acclimated to time alone, but she developed this issue regardless. How do we know Katara has separation anxiety and isn't just bored?

When Katara reaches her threshold, she will have a panic attack - screaming and putting all of her energy into trying to escape wherever she is to get to us. At this point she is beyond rational decision-making. She has hurt her mouth and legs attempting to break out of kennels before, and when her problems first began she did damage to carpets and doors when alone for small periods of time.

Even though she is extremely food-motivated, when left alone Katara would not touch any kind of food. She became visibly anxious when we prepared to leave the house and showed other obvious signs. Furthermore, no amount of exercise could tire her out and prevent these attacks, and she never acted out when bored while we were home.

Managing Time Away
The first step of managing true separation anxiety is the hardest. Every time you hit your dog's threshold - that is the amount of time they can stand being alone before beginning to panic - you reinforce the anxious behavior. Even though there is no true threat, whenever they panic they are reinforcing their fear of time spent alone.

Knowing this, your first and most important job is preventing your dog from hitting that threshold. At first, this can be tough! But if you follow this step and others, soon your dog will improve and be able to handle much longer periods alone.

Management Ideas (eventually you do have to leave the house)
-  Keep one member of the household home with your dog
- Doggy daycare
- Hire a dog-walker to break up the separation
- Leave your dog with a friend
- Crate your dog
- Exercise your dog beforehand
- Frozen kongs
- Leave the TV/radio on

The first four ideas are ways to minimize the actual alone time your dog has while you build his tolerance. The other four - the ones in italics - can help stretch the time it takes for your dog to hit his threshold (basically, they keep him calm longer), but if you continue leaving your dog alone past the point of panic he will continue to develop more severe anxiety.

For Katara, we planned our lives so she was never alone more than she could handle. Making this change - and preventing ANY panic attacks - helped her to make quick progress and now she can handle much longer periods alone. She went from maybe 15 minutes of tolerance to 5-6 hours and continues to improve.

Entrances and Exits
Every time you interact with a dog, you are training her. Training isn't just something that happens when you pick up your clicker or put on a training lead. Every interaction you have with your animal teaches her something, and if you're not careful, you can start training bad behaviors without realizing. Keep that in mind as you continue reading.

When you leave the house or return, if you make a huge deal of it, your dog will truly believe these are big events! That creates an animal that begins to anticipate your departure, is worked up before you even leave the house, and then parties upon your return. This is a recipe for separation anxiety!!

Instead, be very calm when leaving or returning. Do not say good-bye to your dog, and definitely do not party when you get home. If your dog wants to celebrate your arrival, ignore her. Once she does calm down, give her praise without working her up. You want your dog thinking that your departures and returns are no big deal.

Building Your Dog's Frustration Tolerance
Just like with separation, dogs have a threshold for frustration, beyond which they will react. For example, if your dog is fence-reactive, he may be calm when another dog is 100 feet from the fence, but as the dog approaches, there is a point when your dog will become visibly upset by that dog's presence. That point is your dog's "threshold", and you can increase or reduce it by building tolerance or by reinforcing your dog's reactive behavior.

Thresholds exist for many different things, not just fence reactivity. Before working on time spent alone, you can build your dog's frustration tolerance with other exercises that have nothing to do with alone time! This is a good way to give your dog the tools to get over separation anxiety.

Teach your dog to "leave it" and pause before eating and before leaving the house when on walks. You can add a release - our dogs respond to "okay" - so you can dictate the moment the "leave it" command ends and your dog is free to act. When playing, ask your dog to sit and wait patiently before throwing his tennis ball. If your dog is leash- or fence-reactive, do training exercises with trusted friends to reduce these behaviors. 

I could write an entire article on each of those exercises, but I'm just giving you ideas here. Any time you teach your dog to be calmer and any time you increase you dog's frustration tolerance, you are preparing him for the next step of training. 

Retraining for Alone Time
This is the really important stuff! We're talking about actually teaching your dog that it's okay to be alone. I start with a "down-stay". Once your dog has a solid "down" as in lie down, teach them to stay in very gradual increments. Start standing next to your dog without moving and reward for 1 second, then 2 seconds, then 3 and so on. Do these exercises at least 3-4 times a day for 5-10 minute sessions.

Make sure you are training with positive reinforcement (treats or a toy your dog loves) and not aversives (training collars or verbal scolding). You want your dog to make a positive association any time you leave, even the few seconds you walk away during a "stay" exercise.

Once your dog will stay right in front of you, begin adding variables. This includes:
- Time (ie. asking for 2 more seconds each time until your dog will "stay" for 5 minutes or more)
- New locations
- Turning your back
- Walking around your dog
- Walking away from your dog
- Walking out of eyesight of your dog

If your dog becomes stressed or breaks the stay, you are moving too fast! Go back a few steps and keep working. Eventually you will have a solid "stay" command. Here are the next steps that start exposing your dog to true alone time:
- Have a trusted friend hold the leash and reward your dog while you walk away and eventually out of eyesight.
- Ask for a "stay" and go into a different room or walk out of the house and shut the door.
- Use the "stay" command while your dog is in its kennel (door open and then door closed) and build up the time your dog stays in its kennel.

These steps can take days to months depending on your dog. At this point, as long as you have moved gradually through the steps and avoided triggering your dog's panic response, you now have a dog that can be alone. Your job from here on out is easy!

Treat leaving the house as a "stay" command for your dog. Every day, add a bit more time away from your dog, always making sure he is remaining calm and always rewarding your dog for good behavior with a treat - but remember not to make your return a party!

Eventually you will go from 5-10 minutes out of the house to 30 minutes, an hour and eventually your dog will be handling time alone like a pro! Most dogs can overcome separation anxiety with enough time and patience, but you have to start by giving them a solid foundation and gradually rebuilding their experience with alone time.

If at any point your dog does panic, it's okay. Just take a step back and don't get discouraged. There were a few times on our journey where an emergency came up and Katara had to be left longer than she could tolerate, but she survived and we did not ruin our progress.

Other Management Ideas
Separation anxiety can be an intense issue, and some dogs need a little extra help beyond training. Here are three things we haven't talked about yet that can help your dog overcome separation anxiety, but also have some downsides to consider.

Adding to the Pack
Some dogs just don't do well alone, period. Katara's one of them. When Apollo died and she was truly alone the first time, her separation anxiety hit an all-time low. We were using every idea we could think of and even talking with our vets about prescription medications, but ultimately we decided the best course of action was to add another dog to the household.

There was a two-month gap between Apollo's death and Luka's homecoming at eight weeks of age. If we had to leave her, Katara had to be kept in a metal kennel with a metal tray and nothing else in reach, or she would tear up and swallow it in panic. Even then, she managed to break out of her kennel at one point - luckily right before we got home. She stopped being able to tolerate tiny absences or even time spent in her kennel while we were home. This was the worst her anxiety has ever been.

By the end of the two months, we were working tirelessly on rebuilding her tolerance and we had already made progress. She was back to tolerating maybe an hour or so alone in her kennel. Even so, there was a dramatic change in her mood when we brought Luka home and her progress rapidly increased with another dog in the house.

That said, adding another dog to the household is a big decision. Please don't run out and get another dog just because your current dog has separation anxiety! There are so many factors - your current dog, emotions, finances, time, etc. - that need to be considered before getting a second dog. If you're already considering it, though, some dogs definitely benefit from having another dog in the house while their humans are gone.

Prescription Medications
I'm not qualified to talk about medications, but your veterinarian is! We haven't tried any prescription medications for Katara's separation anxiety. I think the decision to use these medications is very personal and one that needs a lot of research and discussion with professionals. For some dogs, these medications can truly be lifesaving, so know that the option is out there.

Psychiatric medications are not a "cheat" or a substitute for training your dog. Alone, they will not cure separation anxiety. They are only intended to help stabilize your dog and make it easier for them to learn to tolerate separation. Often they are relatively short-term, but some dogs need to stay on them longer, even for a lifetime.

We have learned two things from our vets' advice and from others' experiences. Sedatives should probably not be used on dogs with separation anxiety except in rare circumstances to keep them from harming themselves, and if your vet mentions Acepromazine, say no - this is a chemical restraint that will physically prevent your dog from reacting but can actually increase their fear of a situation.

Supplements
There are also calming supplements and sprays you can try. Like psychiatric medications, these will not cure separation anxiety on their own, but they can help. Katara currently uses Solliquin, which contains L-theanine, magnolia extract and whey protein concentrate. She started using this supplement at our vet's suggestion after Apollo's death and the bottle has lasted us about 3 months.

Since these past months have brought a lot of changes for Katara (losing Apollo, adding Luka to the pack), it's hard to say if Solliquin specifically has helped her. Regardless, it is a safe supplement intended for short-term use, so we were glad to give it a try. We bought Solliquin - which has a higher concentration of L-theanine than most dog supplements - through our vet's office, but you can find calming supplements and sprays at most pet supply stores.

What about Luka?
Like any puppy, Luka cried a bit when left alone the first few times. Can you blame him? Previously he had a warm mother and litter-mates to snuggle with 24/7, and now he was alone in a crate with bars between himself and Katara. He made a lot of fuss!

This is normal. Puppies cry when they want something, and had we taken him out of his crate and comforted him, we would have reinforced his crying. Instead, we ignored Luka and he quickly learned that crate time was quiet time because crying never got him attention. Now he only whines when he needs to go potty - and he does this outside of his crate too.

With proper crate training, most puppies will learn to tolerate separation in a few weeks or less. Gradually build their tolerance and provide them with lots of attention and appropriate exercise while you are home and you are doing your best to give your puppy the tools to handle alone time.

Subscription Boxes for Your Other Pets

Tails wagging from Texas! We've been so excited about our BarkBox subscription since getting our box last month. The pups can't wait for their June box, and in the meantime we've been wondering if there are subscription boxes for other types of pets. We learned...there sure are!

Let's take a look at some of the available subscription boxes for pets other than dogs and cats. Note that we haven't ordered any of these for ourselves (yet...) but I want to show everyone how many options there are!

 BFF PetPack - For almost ANY pet!
We're talking about BFF PetPack's subscription boxes first because they don't fit into one category below. Why? Because they have boxes for dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, guinea pigs, chinchillas ferrets, rats, hedgehogs and hamsters. They even have an option for "other" where you can fill in your pet's information and they will try to provide the perfect products.

Prices and products vary depending on the animal and length of subscription, and they even offer bundles for multi-species households! The boxes ship free, and BFF PetPack is very accommodating of your pet's species, size and individual needs. Considering how expensive toys for parrots and other "exotics" can be, these boxes seem like a good deal.

Small Mammal Subscription Boxes

RatPak - For Rats
This subscription box is US-based with free US shipping! You can choose an original for $25 with 6-7 items, or a mini for $15 with 2 treats and 1 chew toy. Subscriptions automatically renew, and there doesn't seem to be a discount for multiple months of RatPak.

BunnyBox - For Rabbits & Guinea Pigs
BunnyBox is stationed in England, but will ship to North America. Each box includes at least 6 safe toys and treats for your pet. You can order a 1-month or continuous subscription, although we didn't find a discount for ordering multiple months. Each BunnyBox is about $20 and will ship as soon as you order. Shipping is free in the UK, but about $11 to the US.

Happy Bunny Club - For Rabbits & Guinea Pigs
This is another UK-based subscription box. Each box contains 6-7 safe items for your rabbit. The boxes start at about $18 each, although they do offer discounts for 3- or 6-month subscription plans. Shipping outside of the UK is expensive, but may be worth it if you want to spoil your bun!

DOOK Box - For Ferrets
 This is a 6-month subscription box just for ferrets. It includes bedding, toys and treats although I did not find details about quantity or any preview images of boxes. Still, if you have ferrets you know how much they love getting new toys - and it keeps the troublemakers out of your things!

Bird Subscription Boxes

Polly Wanna Bird Box - For Parrots
As a parrot owner, I know how expensive bird toys are, and you go through a lot of them trying to keep your feathered friends entertained! So a parrot subscription box is a brilliant idea. The boxes have 4 size options based on your budget, and you have the opportunity to describe your birds so the toys inside can be tailored to your specific flock. Shipping is free and the items are guaranteed bird-safe.

Henny & Roo - For Chickens
This box includes chicken treats & supplies, first aid and even chicken-themed gifts. Backyard chickens have become popular, and it's only natural to want to spoil these feathered family members. We think a chicken subscription box is clever! Unfortunately we don't own chickens, but if you do, you can get your own Henny & Roo box for $29.95 per month.

Other Subscription Boxes

My Aquarium Box - For Aquariums
Yep, you read that right! You choose saltwater ($29.99) or freshwater ($24.99) and will receive a box full of aquarium supplies. Right now they only offer single months. They have allied with popular aquarium brands like San Francisco Bay, Marineland and Hikari to offer quality aquarium products.

Honestly this one has me a little stumped. As someone who's worked with fresh- and salt-water setups, I'm not sure how you could ensure your tank would need or even be able to use the products sent in the box? Regardless, if you or a friend is an aquarium hobbyist, it might be a fun monthly surprise.

*I will keep this list up-to-date and continue to add more subscription boxes as I find them. I have not personally used any of these boxes, but I encourage you to read reviews and find a plan that fits your animals, big and small!* 

Charcoal & Parsley Treats for Fresh Breath

Tails wagging from Texas! Let's get our ovens started...

Today we're making some black cookies for our pups! Don't be alarmed by the color though...it's from activated charcoal which boasts benefits for your pups including freshening breath, calming upset tummies and relieving stinky dog gas (we don't have that particular problem). We also added parsley and a kelp supplement for further bad-breath fighting power!

Before we dive into the recipe...bad breath is not normal for dogs. We use treats like these if our dogs have eaten something especially stinky, but if your dog's breath smells constantly, it's time to see the doggie dentist - your veterinarian. We brush our dogs' teeth daily and use raw meaty bones and dental chews, and I highly recommend you come up with an oral hygiene plan for your pups! Now on to the treats...

You Will Need:
- 2 Cups of your favorite flour (I used a mix of whole wheat and millet flour)
- 4 Capsules Activated Charcoal (from any health food store)
- 2 tsp Dried Parsley
- 2 tsp Solid Gold Seameal
- 1 TBSP Coconut Oil
- 1 Large Egg
- 1 Cup Chicken Broth (low sodium)

How They're Made:
- Preheat oven to 350F
- Open the charcoal capsules and empty charcoal into mixing bowl. This step can get messy!
- Combine dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
- Add egg and oil and knead well. Add in chicken broth gradually until dough is perfect. Our dough was smooth and not very sticky. Use a rolling pin and cookie cutter to cut out individual treats.
- Bake for about 35 minutes until dry in the middle.
- Let cookies cool on the counter. Store in the fridge and enjoy!

Our cookie cutter came from IEF Design on Etsy. I covered my rolling pin and cutting board in saran wrap and the cookies came out beautifully! Inga has lots of different cookie cutters on her shop, some of them very detailed - and despite shipping all the way from Latvia ours arrived quickly.

The pups really love these treats and their breath is fresher afterwards. The cookies are huge, which of course depends on the size of cookie cutter you choose. We'll be taking some to the dog park today to share with our friends! Hope y'all have fun with your pups this week.

Review: 5 Food Dispenser Dog Toys

Tails wagging from Texas! Let's review...treat dispensing toys. We're going to go over five treat dispensing toys that have "aged well" and provided our pups lots of entertainment over the years.

 

 As a quick note, the treat dispensers I'm reviewing here are not chew toys, nor should they be used unsupervised. None of these five will hold up to heavy chewers, they are intended to be pushed and flung around by your dog to get the treats to fall out. If your dog is a heavy chewer, toys like a traditional kong might be more appropriate!

Kong Pawzzles

- $15.99 at Petsmart

The Great: Katara loves this toy! In addition to being super cute, it has four separate "chambers" for stuffing treats. Despite the square shape it rolls and bounces easily, and treats stay put long enough to keep our dogs entertained. 

The Meh: I don't really have any complaints about this one! It's probably our most used. The material is not as thick or durable as a traditional kong, so don't let your dogs chew on it. 

PetSafe Busy Buddy Tug-A-Jug

- $12.99 at Dr. Foster Smith

The Great: Our dogs really do enjoy flinging this toy around. At least they did...

The Meh: You'll notice in the picture above that our Tug-a-Jug is missing its rope. Over time, as your dog joyfully bashes this toy against walls and floors, saliva is going to build up on the rope. Since the interior of the bottle is enclosed, this creates a humid environment and eventually the rope and bottle will mold. After a few weeks, our bottle and rope were coated in it!

Our solution was to cut the rope out and thoroughly clean the toy. Unfortunately there's now little challenge. Back when we did have the rope, this toy was crazy loud, so it didn't get that much use regardless. It's also hard to fill without the treats coming out the other end.

PetSafe Busy Buddy Magic Mushroom

- $9.51 at Chewy

The Great: First off, this is probably the cutest treat dispenser ever! It has a convenient adjuster on top and when you slide it you can change the difficulty level by changing the openings' sizes. It also opens from the bottom for easy refilling!

The Meh: The mushroom is a little small, so it doesn't hold too much food at once, and the treats you use have to be tiny. Also over time the openings get stiff and it can be hard to get it apart to refill. We still love it! 

Nina Ottoson Interactive Dog Toy

$22.99 at Petsmart

The Great: This toy is definitely unique looking, and I love the bright colors. Unfortunately the green and turquoise look seems to be discontinued. You can use fairly large treats with this toy - the hole in the top is the "limit" for treat size which accommodates any of our training treats.

The Meh: It can be a little stubborn when releasing treats. It also doesn't hold many treats and can only be filled through the tiny top hole. The biggest "meh" for me is the price - you can get a better treat dispenser for the same or cheaper. We bought this on clearance for maybe $5 though so it was worth it for our pack!

The wobble is the toy in red!

Kong Wobbler
$21.99 at Petsmart

The Great: This toy is huge and really does wobble around! It's adorable to watch our dogs playing with a giant Kong. Of all our treat dispensing toys, the dogs seem to have the most fun with their wobble. It also unscrews at the base, making it easy to fill, and holds a ton of treats! I often put Katara's dry food in here to make her meals last longer.

The Meh: Nothing really. This toy dispenses treats easily and lives up to its name! The price is high but we promise it's worthwhile and really lasts.

*Full Disclosure: We paid real money for these treat dispensers, although most have been at our house for a few years now. We were not paid or given products in exchange for writing these reviews, and we only review products that our pack believes in.

Wordy Wednesday: Busy, Busy!

Tails wagging from Texas! We've had a busy week so far. Normally I'm a big fan of Wordless Wednesdays, but since I haven't gotten the chance to post for a few days this will be more of a catch-up post!

New mosaic 1/4 mile markers on our walking path!

So we've had a busy week. Not just dog stuff, some people stuff too, but we'll talk about the dog stuff here! First of all...we have an Instagram account now: @huskygirlblog. If you want to see more pictures of the pack, check out our Instagram - we'll have dog photos and videos as well as featuring some of the other pets in the family.

Second, we have around 15 new collar designs to put on our Etsy store. We assemble a "model collar" so our customers can see what the finished product will look like, but our store collars are custom made once ordered. Once we have our "model collar" perfected, we get photos of it both on and off the dogs, then organize all our information and the best photos. I have a lot of collars to sew, a big batch of photos to organize and then the new listings should be available! These new designs are super cute.

We've also been working on Luka's socialization. He's a very shy puppy! Although he loves playing with other dogs of all ages and sizes, new people still scare him. We've been going on walks near parks and playgrounds at less busy times so he gets a chance to see people. Giving him chances to watch people without being forced to interact with them is already making a huge difference and we'll continue with these special walks.

Luka especially loves our 30-foot training leads, which give him a chance to be more independent and really explore the environment. Yesterday, before the storms hit, I brought him to a local park with lots of playground equipment. Since there were no families around, Luka and I explored and he had a lot of new experiences! Initially the weird shapes, movable parts and bright colors were scary, but soon enough he was having fun and oblivious to the new things.

Yesterday afternoon the storms hit hard, and it's been raining off and on since. We've managed a few visits to the apartment's dog park between downpours, but mostly the dogs have been stuck indoors. Luckily Luka is easily amused by his toys and Katara's pretty lazy as huskies go, so it hasn't been too rough. Still we've been enlisting the aid of training sessions, food puzzles, frozen kongs and chews to see us through. Yesterday evening Katara devoured the beef trachea from this month's BarkBox - yum!

This week when I'm not working on the Etsy shop, I'll be typing up some new blog posts. I have some informative posts to draft and am also feeling inspired to do a new dog treat recipe post soon. Keep your ears pricked for new content, and I hope your week is as busy-but-fun as ours has been so far.

PS: Eva the hybrid conure has picked up a new phrase - "Gimme kiss!". She even ends it with a little smacking kiss sound! Her other phrase is "Hey bird", and she's working on a few more. Hopefully we'll catch it on video soon. 

BarkBox Unboxing: May 2016

Tails wagging from Texas...Our first ever BarkBox came today!

*Warning! There are BarkBox spoilers ahead. If you're still waiting for this month's box, don't keep reading.*

We wanted to find out what all the fuss was about. Honestly, we spend a lot on spoiling the pups each month, and we absolutely love getting packages in the mail! So a box filled with surprises for our dogs every month sounds awesome, especially when it's cheaper than going to the pet store. Since this is our first BarkBox, I'll go through the contents and the dogs' reactions, and then I'll talk about why I think it's worthwhile for your pack!

First off, the pups were super excited when our box arrived. I think they could smell the treats inside, because they knew it was for them. We purchased just one month's BarkBox in "Big and Bold" (50+ lbs) with an extra toy for $38 total, shipping included. Speaking of shipping, the box got here quickly and the website included a tracker so we weren't too crazy with impatience.

Here's What We Got:
- Large Pizza Plush Toy ($12 value) - this was our extra toy
- Large Lady Liberty Ball ($12 value)
- Large Pretzel Plush Toy ($12 value)
- Large Beef Trachea ($7 value)
- Bixbi Chicken Pocket Trainers Treats ($8 value)
- Caru Duck Recipe Treats ($9 value)
Total Value: $60

So in total, buying these individually from barkshop.com would cost $60, and that's without shipping. This already feels like a good deal, and the cost per box goes down significantly when you sign up for 6- or 12-month subscriptions. Of course looking through the BarkShop, we're tempted by a few things, and even at full price their toys and treats are affordable. We were however hoping for a treat dispensing toy as these are Katara's favorite. Maybe next month!

Luka absolutely loved the pizza toy. By the time we gathered everything to take a group picture, he had gnawed some of the "sauce" from the top. Despite that, these toys seem very sturdy and he's absolutely obsessed with them. Not to mention how cute it is to watch Luka romping around with a giant slice of pizza! Both of our dogs love the treats and are especially excited about the beef trachea. I was nervous with a subscription box that I wouldn't like being unable to pick out my own products, but everything BarkBox picked for us this month was perfect.

In conclusion...I will be signing up for a 6-month BarkBox subscription asap. We'll probably still grab some toys at the pet store occasionally, and we'll definitely continue buying treats and chews, but now the pack will have something extra to look forward to each month. Even though it's a bit of an investment upfront, the box felt like a present when it arrived. We'll keep adding our experiences with future BarkBoxes - we're already excited for next month!

Wordless Wednesday: May 11 2016

Remembering Apollo

Dogs are such an amazing part of our lives! The only downside to dog ownership, and this is true with most pets, is that unlike with children we witness every part of our dog's lives and in a relatively short amount of time. Many of us are there from around 8 weeks of age, fawning and sometimes a little infuriated over the little ball of fuzz brought into our lives. But we're also there for the end. Sometimes it's abrupt and unexpected, other times it's bittersweet. It's always hard.

  

Apollo came into our lives unexpectedly. A friend mentioned picking up a husky from a local road after witnessing someone stop their truck and dump him. The friend couldn't keep him, so I agreed to meet the husky and potentially take him home. An hour later I was loading a massive, excited adolescent dog into my tiny car and wondering what I was going to tell my fiance when he got home from work. The dog was emaciated, full of fleas and needed a lot of care, but he was beautiful. A neighbor asked what his name was, and without hesitation I blurted out, "We're going to call him Apollo!".

We quickly got Apollo vet care and started working on building up his weight. Apollo became like my shadow, always underfoot or lying a few feet away from me. In the car, he was content to lie in the back seat as long as his face was touching my arm. He loved exploring on walks, played with enthusiasm at the dog park and showed us so much love despite an obviously rough beginning. 

But things didn't stay perfect for long. We had trouble getting Apollo on a food his system agreed with, and soon minor tummy troubles turned into chronic diarrhea. This began an endless cycle of trying different antibiotics and treatment plans, countless grain free commercial foods, raw and homemade recipes...everything we could think of. Apollo was given a diagnosis of EPI and for awhile the digestive enzymes and other treatments seemed to stabilize him, but whenever we thought we got a handle on things everything would start going south again.

Apollo was especially fond of puppies, and when we brought Katara home as an 8 week old he immediately adopted the role of big brother. He taught her the house rules, how to play rough, and how to act around big dogs, tiny dogs, puppies and children. Despite bouts of illness, Apollo never acted like he was sick. He always had a positive attitude and a huge appetite. We hoped the digestive issues were just a recurring thing that wouldn't effect him too much, and our vet seemed to agree. He was thin but his weight was holding steady and we sometimes went a month or more without any problems.

Katara grew up, and we came to accept that Apollo would never be "normal", but had no idea how bad things would become. It felt like as long as Apollo kept using his enzymes and avoided any treats he was relatively stable. In late 2015, we were enjoying a calm evening when Apollo projectile-vomited and covered the entire sofa in clear goop. While we were cleaning it up, he started having diarrhea which looked about the same and contained blood. We had another vet trip and some anti-nausea medicine, but had learned nothing new. Just the same confusion and worries about how long he could go on with his problems.

His weight began to dive, and in January 2016 I started to get the gnawing feeling that our now 5-year-old husky was coming to the end of his life. My fiance was in denial. "He's gone on with these problems so far, he's been in worse shape, there's no reason he won't rebound again." Only the diarrhea never resolved and I could tell things were more serious this time. In late January, on a week I will never forget, Apollo began drinking insatiably. He was urinating more frequently and it had an awful smell. Then, for the first time in his life, Apollo refused to eat. That night while I waited for my fiance to get home from work, Apollo put his head on my lap and started crying. Our dog, who had somehow kept strong all these years, was finally falling apart. I cried with him.

Resting on that last day.

I made the appointment the next day. We had just changed vets and our new vet was wonderful. They had some ideas about how we might be able to buy more time, but Apollo was dying. His kidneys were shutting down and his body was in bad shape. His circulation was so poor the vet mistook him for a senior dog before hearing his story. On his last day, Apollo seemed exhausted but still found the energy to enjoy a final walk and play in the park with Katara. He had been deprived of treats for years, but after his walk we brought him to a drive through and ordered him a cheeseburger. We cuddled him a lot and tried to give him the best day possible. It doesn't make up for the ten years of life he should have had before him.

Our vets were extremely compassionate and caring. Katara came along for the appointment - we wanted our whole little family there. I held him in my arms and stayed with him a long time after. There were a lot of tears, but also a sense of relief that Apollo was no longer in pain. I've experienced the loss of a loved one before, but Apollo was the first dog we have lost. The experience makes me feel a lot closer to Katara, because unlike a child who becomes our legacy, our dogs live out their lives in a span of about ten to twenty years. I've realized our dogs are only briefly in our lives. 

Writing this and remembering Apollo still hurts and I doubt it will ever stop hurting. We have received a lot of support from friends and family and it is so appreciated, and we have done a lot to memorialize Apollo and gain closure. Unfortunately I know we will one day lose Katara, Luka and any other animals in our lives. It doesn't make me less likely to continue owning pets - or less attached to the dogs - but I now realize I need to appreciate every moment we spend with them. I hope you remember to appreciate your pets, even when they are troublesome or costly, because they won't be around forever.

Wolf Paw Collars

Tails wagging from Texas! Now open for business.

No really...we have an Etsy shop now: Wolf Paw Collars. We're selling handmade, high quality nylon dog collars. We have some super cute designs up now! They are available in a variety of sizes, patterns and thicknesses. The pack would really love it if you headed over to Etsy and checked out our gear.

We have a limited selection right now, but keep your eye on us because we'll be adding new collars soon! I've also heard rumors about matching leashes and some cat collars in the future, but nothing's for sure yet. And rest assured that these collars are strong and durable - they are the same collars we use and trust for our very own pack, made right here in Texas.

 

 

If you want something special, whether that's a unique color or theme or just a different size than our "standards", feel free to contact us. We don't bite! In fact, we're here to serve and would love to make your pup's dream collar.

Kong Stuffing Mania

Toys & Ingredients

 Tails wagging from Texas! We have stuff to....stuff!

When we want to preoccupy the dogs, food stuffing treats like Kongs are perfect. We've been using Kongs and other food stuffers for years. Today it's time to restock the freezer.

I used to stuff Kongs with lots of peanut butter, dog treats and "people food" stuffing recipes. However, our dogs are extremely food motivated and I found it cheaper, easier and just as rewarding to fill them with a mix of canned dog food, pumpkin and dry dog food. As an added bonus, our dogs don't get the runs from this mix. In this batch, I used the chicken recipe of Blue Buffalo's new Wolf Creek Stew wet food. The dry food our dogs are currently on is Nutro grain free chicken and chickpeas. I gathered up all our empty stuffable toys, washed them, and got to work.

Everything mixed together

After years of Kong stuffing, we've picked up a few tricks to make things go smoothly. The entire process is messy, so throw down some newspaper and get your station prepped.

Prop your Kongs upside-down to make your life easier.

When we stuff our actual kongs, we use yogurt cups and flip the kongs upside-down. A small layer of kibble in the bottom holds everything in. I freeze our Kongs to make them last longer, and to keep things clean I put the Kongs in the freezer inside of these yogurt cups. If you don't happen to eat yogurt or save cups, any drinking glass should work!

Ready for the freezer

We have lots of other stuffable toys too! I put all of these on a plastic plate before stuffing. The plate helps hold the stuffing in place and keeps things clean, and I just transfer the whole plate into the freezer. Tomorrow when the food mix is frozen solid, I will move the stuffed toys to freezer bags to keep them fresh and organized. In this batch I had some extra food left over so I added it to yogurt cups with some water. These will make a nice ice cube treat for the pups now that temperatures are rising.

Keeps puppy occupied!

Of course, always ensure the toys you buy are appropriate for your dogs. The sterilized bones we use are a good example - these are made of beef femur and extremely tough. A dog that attempts to chew through the bone can easily chip a tooth! However, our dogs only lick the filling out and ignore the toy itself, making them an appropriate choice for our pack. The bones and Kongs we use are mostly 2-3 years old and have held up to countless stuffing-freezing-chewing cycles, making Kong stuffing an efficient and affordable way to keep our dogs busy!

Wordless Wednesday: May 4 2016

Review: Nature's Variety Raw Boost Mixers

Tails wagging from Texas! Let's review...

Nature's Variety Instinct Raw Boost Mixers! We're Petco Pals Rewards members, and last month Petco sent us (and I'm assuming all Pals members) a free sample of these mixers. We received 1/2 ounce each of the beef and chicken mixers. Thanks Petco, we appreciate it.

I am a big fan of both raw feeding and Nature's Variety raw foods, but we're busy people with big dogs. It's not always practical or within our budget to feed raw, so when we find a product that combines raw food with convenience, we're interested. Let's dive into the specs of these mixers, and then talk about our experience with them.

Here are the specs of the two formulas:
Beef: Beef, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Pumpkinseeds, Beef Heart, Carrots, Apples, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseed, Montmorillonite Clay, Dried Kelp, Mixed Tocepherols, Broccoli, Rosemary Extract, Salmon Oil, Apple Cider Vinegar, Blueberries, Dried Chickory Root
36% protein, 24% fat, 15% fiber

Chicken: Chicken (including Ground Chicken Bone), Turkey, Turkey Liver, Turkey Heart, Pumpkinseeds, Carrots, Apples, Butternut Squash, Ground Flaxseed, Montmorillonite Clay, Dried Kelp, Broccoli, Apple Cider Vinegar, Salmon Oil, Mixed Tocepherols, Rosemary Extract, Blueberries, Dried Chicory Root
36% protein, 26% fat, 15% fiber

Looking good...but let's go further and talk about what we and our dogs thought about the products.

The Great
- Ingredient quality. We love these ingredient lists, and many of the non-meat ingredients (ex. salmon oil, apple cider vinegar, kelp, flaxseed) are products we already use to supplement our dogs' diets. No filler here.

- Convenience. There's no sourcing ingredients, chopping, mixing or packaging, all the work is done for us. We don't even need a freezer for this raw - the freeze drying process leaves it shelf stable without degrading nutrition.

- Bite sized. The nuggets are perfect for training treats. If you have a tiny dog, they are easy to cut in half or into fourths. If your dog is a picky eater and wants to pick out the raw nuggets, with a little effort you can crush them and sprinkle them over your pet's dry food.

- Dogs love them! This one's pretty important. You might have found the best food in the world, but if your dogs won't touch it, it's worthless. Katara, who is a bit picky, thought they were strange at first but was quickly willing to work for them. Luka smelled them out of the bag and went into a puppy frenzy. He could barely contain himself and lost all memory of manners and training, attempting to jump up and pry the bowl from our hands. We haven't seen him this excited about treats before.

The Meh 
- My only big complaint with these mixers is price. The largest package costs $29.99 at Petco for 14 oz., which means these mixers clock in at just over $34 per pound! I understand these are a supplement, and quality supplements tend to be expensive. Commercial raw itself is high priced, so adding the cost of freeze drying and the fact that these mixers are at most 6% moisture (their raw food is at max 67% moisture), I understand the high price. However, adding 1/8 cup a day to my two dogs' food bowls as recommended on the packaging would cost us over $30 per month. That $30 might be better spent on raw meaty bones or purchasing a higher quality dry food.

Final Verdict - Would buy again, but not as a daily supplement. I love these mixers, but at the current price I can't see myself making them a part of our daily feeding routine. We'll likely buy these for special occasions - things like Luka's birthday or times we need a super-motivating treat. 

*Full Disclosure: We did receive a free sample of this product from Petco, but not in exchange for writing this review. We just felt like sharing our experience! I only post about products I believe in and feel are safe for my pack and yours. 

Parrot Cookies with Nutriberry Crumbs

Tails wagging from Texas! Our puppies aren't the only animals in the family, and we try to spoil our feathered friends too. Our parrots love nutriberries, but when we finish a package we end up with lots of crumbs and seeds at the bottom. Instead of throwing it out, I decided to bake them into cookies. Here's how!

 You Will Need:
- 1 Cup Millet Flour
- 1/2 Cup Coconut Flour
- 1 Cup Nutriberry Crumbs (or a parrot-approved seed mix)
- 1 TBSP Red Palm or Coconut Oil
- 1 Large Egg
- 1/4 Cup Canned Pumpkin or Baked Sweet Potato
- 1/4 Cup Water

We Also Added (optional):
- 1 TBSP Flax Seed
- 1 TBSP Quinoa
- 1 TBSP Herb Salad
*If you have other healthy ingredients on hand, go ahead and throw them in! This is just what we happened to have in stock.

How They're Made:
1. Preheat oven to 350F
2. Combine dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.
3. Add egg, oil and pumpkin and knead well. Add in water gradually until dough is perfect. Our dough was a little crumbly but rolled out nicely without sticking. Use a rolling pin and cookie cutter or roll dough into 1/2 inch balls in your hands.
4. Bake for about 20 minutes until dry in the middle but not browned at the edges.
5. Let cookies cool on the counter. Store in the fridge and enjoy!

Our yellow naped Amazon, Greenleaf, is nervous about new treats, but our hybrid conure Eva took to these right away! Just like with real nutriberries, she enjoys digging through the treat and finding the best morsels. This recipe made about 60 large treats, which will last our little flock a long time!