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Monthly Archives: April 2017

Bonding With Play Time

Dogs bond with their litter mates and other dogs through play, it is no different with their human. Never underestimate the power of play with your pup….

Playing with your pup can do a number of things;

  • Give them much needed exercise,
  • It keeps them busy,
  • Theirs bonding time,
  • You help them learn manners and boundaries,
  • It can help to prep them for training time,
  • And of course just generally make them happy.

Much needed exercise – exercise is so so important for your dogs well being. We usually leave our dogs at home all day while we are at work. A lot of us don’t realize how stressful that can be for them, and how bored then can get. Taking them for a walk or spending some time playing in the backyard in the morning as part of their routine will not only help them relax while you are gone but will also help with how hyper they are when you get home. Not to mention the added bonus of keeping them healthy through a regular exercise routine.

Keep them busy – when your pup has their fill of exercise and engagement through activity, they are less likely to look for things to get into. For example when your pup has their own toys and they are rewarded regularly by you playing with them together, they are more likely to continue to do so on their own time rather then look for things to chew on like your shoes or a couch…

Bonding time – building a relationship with your pet is something we all want, that is why we got the pup in the first place isn’t it? playful interaction is one of the best ways to build that bond.

Learn manners and boundaries – when your pup is with their litter mates their brothers and sister teach them how to interact and play. They learn when they are being to rough, or when they are hurting their siblings. They do this through playing with each other. You are usually bringing your puppy home between 8-10 weeks old, at this age there is still plenty to learn. You can continue this teaching when you bring your pup home, it will help with training and your pup will grow to respect you as well.

Prep them for training time – attempting to train and teach your pup new tricks when they are full of energy will end with you being frustrated. They will spend more time doing everything you don’t want them to do rather then learning. Next time you want to do some training, take your pup for a walk or play a bit first to help reduce some of that excess energy. Then when you go to do some training you will get a much better response, you can also reward the training session with some more play after. Your pup will really feel like they did something right and will be much more interested in doing this process again the next time. The key is consistency.

Happy puppy happy life – this really speaks for itself. Anyone who comes from a pet family has experience those trouble makes that get into things, chew on everything they are not suppose too and generally cause havoc in the house. Most of the time this is a result of a bored dog. Fixing the habits once they have been created is harder, so start with a healthy exercise and interactive routine early and the chances of this behavior developing is way less likely.

The best toys to use for this interaction are ones that involve both you and your pet. A good tennis ball, a Kong, a rope toy, are just a few of the toys you can use to play. The friendship that will evolve from this time you are spending will be really rewarding, your dog will build a bond with you that will help in many ways… I really encourage all pet parents to take the time

Get Top Dog Advice from Cesar Millan- Dog Whisperer

JW Pet Hol-ee Roller Dog Toy Review


 

Toy Name: JW Pet Hol-ee Roller Dog Toy (Color Varies) size: Medium

Review: 4.2 (on the site)

Price: $10.99 USD

Link: JW Pet Hol-ee Roller Dog Toy (Color Varies) size: Medium

Website: Amazon.ca

Description: This toy is made of tough yet flexible rubber that can be twisted and bounced around. This toy comes in small, medium, large and x-large sizes. Colours vary. This toy in intended for play time and fetch, not as a chew toy. It is recommended like all toys that the dog be supervised while playing.

My Review: I am a pet parent to a 145lb Cane Corso puppy. He is an intense chewer and destroys everything I give him to pay with. Im constantly looking for new toy for him to play with since he is a very active and busy puppy and like to have things to do. I have had many people recommend this toy to me but I was really sceptical because it didn’t seem to sturdy.

I Finally decided to give it a try… He absolutely loves it, he loves that he can throw it around in the house and because its not hard rubber it bounces around but doesn’t make a lot of noise or is hard on the floors. He like to play tug a wore with the other mastiff we have in the house, and with me of course.

The shape and style of the toy with the big wholes make it easy for him to play with. Because its soft rubber he can squish it and roll on it.

The only thing I have an issue with, is that it really smells like rubber. When the puppies and I are playing, my hands after smell of rubber and when Im near the toy I can smell it as well.

Durability has been great so far, Bourbon usually demos his news toys within a few hours….

                                         

Recommendations: Based on the price, and the fact that it has really held up to the test of my crazy chewer I would recommend this toy to someone to try. Yes I hate the smell of rubber, but I much rather have a busy puppy playing with his toys then a busy puppy eating my couch… and yes he has done that…

 

PetSmart

Sad Puppies

These two are something else to live with…. Every time I go to clean the floor the puppy tries to chase the swiffer.

Well today was no different. I got mad at him of course, imagine a 145lb dog trying to catch the head of the swiffer as your trying to collect enough hair to make a small poodle.

As I’m telling Bourbon to leave it! I just want to clean, he can see I’m upset, he looks up at me with this sad look on his face like I broke his heart for not wanting to play… Then the older one Couture, like the man of the house he is comes over to give the puppy crap. Well that just turned into a major play thing. Puppy grabbed a toy and the two of them start running around through everything I just gathered…

They drive me nuts sometimes…

I finally got them to calm down and kicked them out of the room. After I was done cleaning I couldn’t find them anywhere. I look to the staircase and see two sad faces staring at me waiting for me to finish so they could come back down… Dogs, what little bums they are.

Petplan Insurance Review

I Would Like to Introduce you to Bourbon.

He is a Cane Corso puppy. Currently he is older and much larger then he is in the picture, but and he hates getting his picture taken so its very hard to get a good one for you. At the time of the review he is 145lbs and 17 months old. He has been fixed already and currently has no previous healthy issues.

Lets take a look at Petplan insurance…

 Coverage and Plans

I Liked that I was able to do an online Quote, its simple and easy. A pop up comes up on the side for a live chat incase you had any questions about what you see. All they needed for the Quote was the Dogs name, Breed, Age and postal code, they asked for my email and if I wanted to get information from their site but I was able to choose no to receive emails. The quote below is in Canadian dollars.

 

I enjoyed navigating through this site, I was colourful and engaging. I’m happy it wasn’t tons of reading to get the info I was looking for. I Find some insurance sites I have been on have tons of tabs and seem like they offer more information when in fact a lot of the tabs are just re stating the same information.

They have a magazine that you can subscribe too as well for $15 a year that is filled with information about your pets needs and many other tips. Or you can subscribe to their free newsletter. The subscription option is on the side of the main page.

The site offers a more detailed comparison to other insurance companies. Always a good sign…

Visit their site to check out your Dogs quote.
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Poisonous Plants For Dogs

It may or may not surprise you to know that there are a lot of plants out there that are really toxic to your dog. The list I am providing will not cover all of them… In this list I’m pointing out the few common ones that most people are concerned about. If you are ever concerned about something your pet has eaten it is always better to be safe then sorry and contact your vet.

The ASPCA and your vet will have tons of information for you about these plants and more if you continue to have concerns.

The following list is in alphabetical order to help with a quicker reference…

A

Plant Name: Adam -and – Eve

Plants Toxic Principles: Insoluble calcium oxalates

Signs of Reaction: If your dog has pain and swelling in the mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing.

Plant Name: African Wonder Tree

Plants Toxic Principles: High toxicity

Signs of Reaction: If you believe your pet has injected this plant contact your vet or poison control immediately, this plant can cause death.

Plant Name: Aloe Vera

Plants Toxic Principles: Saponins

Signs of Reaction: lethargy, diarrhea, the gel however is considered edible, that is something you would have to decide if you still were ok with.

Plant Name: American Holly

Plants Toxic Principles: Sapanins

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, diarrhea and depression

Plant Name: Apple

Plants Toxic Principles: Cyanogenic slycosidos

Signs of Reaction: When dogs ingest stems, leaves, and seed’s. Cyanide toxins increase during the wilting process. Reactions; diluted pupils, difficulty breathing, panting, shock, brick red mucous membrane.

Plant Name: Azalea

Plants Toxic Principles: Grayantoxin

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, weakness, cardiac failure, diarrhea

B

Plant Name: Bird of Paradise

Plants Toxic Principles: GI irritant

Signs of Reaction: Caused mostly from the fruit and seed; mild nausea, vomiting, drowsiness. Another species of plant has the same name and is more toxic

Plant Name: Branching Ivy

Plants Toxic Principles: Triterpenied saponins

Signs of Reaction: For this plant the foliage is more toxic then the berries; abdominal pain, hyper-salvation, diarrhea

Plant Name: Buttercup

Plants Toxic Principles: Irritant

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, diarrhea, depression, anorexia, hyper- salvation, oral ulcers, wobbling gate

Plant Name: Butterfly Iris

Plants Toxic Principles: Pantacylic terpenoids

Signs of Reaction: Salvation, vomiting, drooling, lethargy, diarrhea

C

Plant Name: Calla lilly

Plants Toxic Principles: Insoluble calcium isolates

Signs of Reaction: Intense oral burning and irritation to mouth tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing

Plant Name: Cape Jasmine

Plants Toxic Principles: Gardenoside

Signs of Reaction: Mild vomiting / and or diarrhea, hives

Plant Name: Carnation

Plants Toxic Principles: Unknown irritant

Signs of Reaction: Mild gastrointestinal signs,mild dermatitis

Plant Name: Camomile

Plants Toxic Principles: Volatile oil; bisabolol, anthemic acid, tannic acid

Signs of Reaction: Contact dermatitis, vomiting, diarrhea, anorexia, allergic reactions

Plant Name: Chives

Plants Toxic Principles:  N- propyl disulphide

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, break down of red blood cells, blood in the urine,weakness, high heart rate, panting

Plant Name: Clematic

Plants Toxic Principles: Irritant

Signs of Reaction: Salvation, vomiting, diarrhea

Plant Name: Cyclamen

Plants Toxic Principles: Primulancea

Signs of Reaction: Salivation,vomiting, diarrhea, following large ingestions of tubers; heart rhythm abnormalities, seizures, death

D

Plant Name: Daisy

Plants Toxic Principles: lactones

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, diarrhea, hypersalvation, incoordination, dermatitis

F

Plant Name: Flamingo Flower

Plants Toxic Principles: Insoluble calcium oxalates

Signs of Reaction: Oral irritation, pain and swelling in moth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing

G

Plant Name: Garlic

Plants Toxic Principles: N-propyl disulfide

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, breakdown of red blood cells, blood in urine, weakness, high heart rate, panting

Plant Name: Geranium

Plants Toxic Principles: Geraniol, linalool

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, anorexia, depression, dermatitis

Plant Name: Grapefruit

Plants Toxic Principles: Essential oils

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, diarrhea, depression, potential dermatitis, the fruit is edible, its the skins and plant material that can cause the problem

H

Plant Name: Hashish, Marijuana

Plants Toxic Principles: THC

Signs of Reaction: Prolonged depression, vomiting, incoordination, sleepiness or excitation, hyper-salvation, diluted pupils, low blood pressure, low body temperature, seizure, coma, death (rare)

Plant Name: Helleborne

Plants Toxic Principles: Glycosides

Signs of Reaction: Drooling, abdominal pain and diarrhea, colic, depression

Plant Name: Hops

Plants Toxic Principles: Unknown

Signs of Reaction: Panting, high body temperature, seizures, death

Plant Name: Hosta

Plants Toxic Principles: Saponins

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, diarrhea, depression

Plant Name: Hydrangea

Plants Toxic Principles: Hydrangea arbonescens

Signs of Reaction: Cyanide intoxications are rare; gastrointestinal disturbance,vomiting, depression,diarrhea

J

Plant Name: Japanese Yew

Plants Toxic Principles: Volatile oil

Signs of Reaction: Early signs; muscular tremors, dyspnea, seizures. Can lead to difficulty breathing, vomiting, sudden death from accurate heart attack

L

Plant Name: Lavender

Plants Toxic Principles: Linlool, linalyl acetate

Signs of Reaction: Nausea, vomiting, inappetent

Plant Name: Leek

Plants Toxic Principles: N-propyl disulfide

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, breakdown of red blood cells, blood in urine, weakness, high heart rate, panting

Plant Name: Lemon

Plants Toxic Principles: Essential oils

Signs of Reaction: The fruit itself is edible, the issues come from the skins and plant material. vomiting, diarrhea, depression, and potential dermatitis.

Plant Name: Lily of the valley

Plants Toxic Principles: Cardenolides

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, irregular heart beat, low blood pressure, disorientation, coma, seizures

Plant Name: Lime

Plants Toxic Principles: Essentials oils

Signs of Reaction: Fruit is edible, the issues come from the skin and plant materials. vomiting, diarrhea, depression, potential dermatitis.

M

Plant Name: Macadamia Nut

Plants Toxic Principles: Unknown

Signs of Reaction: Weakness (especially in rear limbs) weakness, vomiting, tremors

Plant Name: Mint

Plants Toxic Principles: Essential oils 

Signs of Reaction: With large ingestions, vomiting and diarrhea

O

Plant Name: Onion

Plants Toxic Principles: N-propyl disulfide

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, breakdown of red blood cells, blood in urine, weakness, high heart rate, panting

Plant Name: Oregano

Plants Toxic Principles: Gastrointestinal disulfide

Signs of Reaction: Mild vomiting, and diarrhea

P

Plant Name: Parsley

Plants Toxic Principles: Furanocoumarins

Signs of Reaction: Large amounts are needed to cause this effect, sunburn dermatitis

Plant Name: Plum

Plants Toxic Principles: Cyanogenic glycosides

Signs of Reaction: Stems, leaves, seeds contain cyanide, particularly toxic in process of wilting; brick red mucous membranes, diluted pupils, difficulty breathing, panting, shock.

Plant Name: Poinsetta

Plants Toxic Principles: Irritant sap

Signs of Reaction: Irritating to the mouth and stomach, sometimes causing vomiting, but generally over-rated in toxicity

R

Plant Name: Rhubarb

Plants Toxic Principles: Soluble calcium oxalates

Signs of Reaction: Kidney failure, tremors,salivation

S

Plant Name: Spanish Thyme

Plants Toxic Principles: Essential oils

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, diarrhea, depression, anorexia, occasionally bloody diarrhea or vomiting

T

Plant Name: Tulip

Plants Toxic Principles: Tulipalin A and B

Signs of Reaction: Vomiting, depression,diarrhea, hyper – salivation, highest concentration of toxin is in the bulb

 

Pictures and info for your reference was taken from the ASPCA website.

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Embrace Pet Insurance Review

Ok so you have decided that you may want to get your puppy insurance, not a bad conclusion to come too. But now you don’t know what company to choose. I have been looking into a lot of different pet insurance companies and I’m hoping that you will find the breakdown below helpful.

Now the important thing to remember is that no insurance company will post prices online because their prices are based mostly on breed, and age, and sometimes where you live.  I so happen to have a breed that most insurance companies consider high risk, so the prices I was given for my quote may be higher, or could also be lower depending on your pet breed and age.

I Would Like to Introduce you to Bourbon.

He is a Cane Corso puppy. Currently he is older and much larger then he is in the picture, but he hates getting his picture taken so its very hard to get a good one for you. At the time of this review he weighed 145lbs at 17 months old. He has been fixed already and currently has no previous healthy issues.

 Coverage and Plans – Puppy / Adult 

Comprehensive Coverage

  • Personalized Policy – You can chose your annul maximum, deductibles, and reimbursement percentage.
  • Breed specific conditions
  • Cancer treatments
  • Diagnostic testing and imaging
  • Prosthetic limbs and devices including mobility aids
  • Surgery, hospitalization, and nursing care
  • Alternative therapies and rehabilitation
  • ER and specialist care
  • Optimal prescription coverage
  • Behavioral Therapy

The fine print: Your pet must be under the age of 14 years to enroll. They offer a customizing option to their plans so you can choose to have a 90% reimbursement and a $5oo deductible, or a 80% reimbursement and a $200 deductible. They want to try and make their plans fit your budget. You can also decide what coverage maximum you want per year ($10,000 for example). Their coverage is only in the US.

  • Illness: 14 days
  • Accidents: 48 hours, or 14 days depending on state
  • Orthopedic conditions (dogs only) 6 months, can be reduced to 14 days by falling the exam and waiver process
  • your pet must have also been to a vet within the past 12 month, if not you can take them during the waiting period and it wont effect your coverage.

Wellness Reward for Routine Care – Something extra, and a great idea

Wellness rewards is an optional plan that can be purchased in addition to your policy. This plan has no per-item limits. This plan includes:

  • Wellness exams
  • Vaccinations and titers
  • Flea, tick, and heartworm medication
  • Spay / neuter surgery
  • Fecal exams
  • Routine blood tests
  • Microchipping
  • Umbilical hernia repair
  • Gastropexy
  • Toe nail trimming
  • Routine anal glan expression
  • Routine chiropractic care, reiki, message therapy, acupuncture
  • Anesthetic teeth cleaning and dental illness
  • Prescription diet food purchased at your veterinarian
  • OFA and PenHIP exams and X-rays
  • Nutritional supplements
  • Medicated Shampoos
  • Behavioral / obedience/specialty training
  • Pet activity monitors
  • Grooming
  • Cremation / burial

The added yearly reimbursement can be $250, $450, or $650. The lifetime maximum for every policy is $50,000, which they report has never been reached.

Things Not Covered

  • Pre- existing conditions
  • Breeding, whelping and pregnancy
  • Injury caused deliberately
  • Injury caused by fighting, racing, cruelty or neglect
  • Cosmetic procedures such as tail docking, ear cropping and dew claw removal
  • DNA testing or cloning
  • Organ transplants
  • Stem cell therapy not deemed medically necessary
  • Avian flu or nuclear war

Online Quote: the online quote for my dog was pretty easy, all they wanted was his name, age, sex, breed, and if he was fixed.

Once I got my quote I was given the basic options and coverage – You can choose which one works best for you and then you can customize it on the quote page. For purposes of this example I changed my yearly deductible to $200, my annual maximum to $10,000 and added the wellness plan that gave me an extra $650 in coverage.

Basic coverage options for my dog are on the left, and my custom price with the changes I made are on the right.

On the site they offer comparison charts to a list of different companies. Below is an example of a few. Not all the insurance companies I have looked into do this, I find the ones that do do this because they believe they have a superior product and have more coverage offered for their plans.

I have had dogs my whole life. I have been lucky enough never to have any major things happen to them that cost me a lot of money, however the preventative things you do for your pet like blood work, poop exams, specialty foods, supplements and shampoos, vet check ups, do really start to add up if done often. And unfortunately we sometimes don’t do them because they are extra costs we didn’t plan for and try to put off. Having insurance will take that thought away and potentially prevent something from happening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Overall I like what the company has to offer in terms of coverage, changing deductible and reimbursement percentage is something a lot of companies do offer. One thing that stands out for me here is the additional wellness package available. I have a list of insurance companies I have looked into for comparison on the Pet Insurance Review Page, you can check them out as well to help you with your decision.

 

Welcome to a World of Furry Friends

Our pets play a big roll in our lives. They become part of the family, they make you laugh, they are there for you when you need a friend, sometimes they make you cry. They impact us in such a big way.

Im a proud owner of a Cane Corso named Bourbon and a Toy Poodle named Sophie, you will see a lot of them on the site. I also have another Mastiff named Couture, for big dogs they are the biggest babies.

Most of us have a little buddy waiting at home for us…

On this site I will do my best to offer a variety of animal stories, some training tips, some great products for your pets… All kinds of fun stuff.

My goal for this site is to give you everything you will need to be great pet parents and give an amazing forever home for your furry friends. 

Whats Your Favourite Breed?

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