Conker has again refused his food. He did his normal act all super excited, attack the Girls, whine and bark thing while I was preparing it but as soon as I put it down? No interest whatsoever. Putting pieces in his mouth only got him to spit them out. He didn't even lick at the food! Just picked around and didn't eat anything.
So he's not going to eat at all today. No more offerings of food, no treats, no chews... and nothing tomorrow either. If he still won't eat after that then I'll wait another couple days to see if he really won't eat or is just being an ass, then off to the vet he goes.
As far as everything else, he is perfectly normal. Just as annoying, just as active, still drinking water, no change with anything but food habits.
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
What just happened
Me: *takes a tupperware of oat mix out of the fridge*
Conker: Oh, is that for me? *sits perfectly* See? I'm sitting, you should give me those oats now.
Me: I don't think you want these.
Conker: Why not? I'm sitting, isn't that what you want?
Me: They are cold.
Conker: I don't care! Can't you see I'm sitting? I thought you liked it when I sit?
Me: Okay fine, you can have the oats. *puts the tupperware on the ground*
Conker: FINALLY! *rushes forwards to eat the oats*
A minute and a half later...
Conker: *burps* Ahh, that was good.
Me: You done already? There's still like, two thirds of that left.
Conker: Well, they are old, and I prefer my oats fresh. Besides, I'm full.
Me: Liar. You love oats, you always finish your oats.
Conker: True, but I don't love these oats.
Me: *points to the tupperware* Eat your damn oats.
Conker: No. *walks away*
Another minute later...
Me: *microwaves oats for 20 seconds*
Conker: They still aren't fresh.
Me: But they're warm. You like warm food.
Conker: I don't care of they're warm old oats, I want fresh oats.
Me: Well too bad, you don't get any fresh oats.
Conker: *sits with his back to the oats*
Me: Juneau! Come over here and eat Conker's oats!
Juneau: Okay. *slurps up the oats*
Conker: What, what are you doing?
Me: That's what happens when you don't eat your food. Juneau gets it.
Juneau: Thank you!
Conker: I really hate you right now.
Conker: Oh, is that for me? *sits perfectly* See? I'm sitting, you should give me those oats now.
Me: I don't think you want these.
Conker: Why not? I'm sitting, isn't that what you want?
Me: They are cold.
Conker: I don't care! Can't you see I'm sitting? I thought you liked it when I sit?
Me: Okay fine, you can have the oats. *puts the tupperware on the ground*
Conker: FINALLY! *rushes forwards to eat the oats*
A minute and a half later...
Conker: *burps* Ahh, that was good.
Me: You done already? There's still like, two thirds of that left.
Conker: Well, they are old, and I prefer my oats fresh. Besides, I'm full.
Me: Liar. You love oats, you always finish your oats.
Conker: True, but I don't love these oats.
Me: *points to the tupperware* Eat your damn oats.
Conker: No. *walks away*
Another minute later...
Me: *microwaves oats for 20 seconds*
Conker: They still aren't fresh.
Me: But they're warm. You like warm food.
Conker: I don't care of they're warm old oats, I want fresh oats.
Me: Well too bad, you don't get any fresh oats.
Conker: *sits with his back to the oats*
Me: Juneau! Come over here and eat Conker's oats!
Juneau: Okay. *slurps up the oats*
Conker: What, what are you doing?
Me: That's what happens when you don't eat your food. Juneau gets it.
Juneau: Thank you!
Conker: I really hate you right now.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Some Pictures of the Hike
Okay so photobucket lied. Yesterday it said I'd reached the picture upload max and today it says I'm good.
Some bigass military helicopter just flew by...
This is what the rim trail looked like. Many of the trees in the area had been burned and killed by a fire that came through in 2002. Despite this the place was still quite green, and the dead trees actually looked really neat.
Here is a Sunday morning view of the rouge River-Siskiyou National Forest from Babyfoot Lake trailhead.
And here is the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. Looks kinda devoid of trees and quite brown, but I think it's very beautiful.
Lastly we have Conker, sitting on a log, in front of the National Forest.
I took some what I think will be good pictures with my Mintola Maxxum but I have yet to use up the rest of that film roll so I won't know until it's developed.
Most of the pictures I took with my digital didn't come out good. As thumbnails they look fine, but when viewed bigger you can see they are horribly out of focus. That stupid point-and-shoot is actually dying now. On the trail it decided to not work and I had to force it shut to get it to restart. I really need to get a new digital, preferably a SLR that can actually take decent photos.
In other news...
Conker still doesn't like chicken for some reason. I had to convince him to eat his chicken last night, and today he hasn't touched it. For some reason he prefers oats over chicken meat... I don't get it.
Some bigass military helicopter just flew by...
I took some what I think will be good pictures with my Mintola Maxxum but I have yet to use up the rest of that film roll so I won't know until it's developed.
Most of the pictures I took with my digital didn't come out good. As thumbnails they look fine, but when viewed bigger you can see they are horribly out of focus. That stupid point-and-shoot is actually dying now. On the trail it decided to not work and I had to force it shut to get it to restart. I really need to get a new digital, preferably a SLR that can actually take decent photos.
In other news...
Conker still doesn't like chicken for some reason. I had to convince him to eat his chicken last night, and today he hasn't touched it. For some reason he prefers oats over chicken meat... I don't get it.
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Babyfoot Lake
So my plans to hike part of the Kalmiopsis Rim Trail kinda failed. We parked at the Babyfoot Lake trailhead and meant to take a connecting trail but missed it (found it later) and ended up at Babyfoot Lake. I am more out of shape than I'd originally thought and decided to camp at the mini lake and go find the trail I wanted to hike and do a bit of it without a 50 pound backpack.
Babyfoot Lake is barely within the border of the Kalmiopsis Wilderness. You basically find a metal sign stating the land behind it is a wilderness blah blah blah, then come to the lake. The lake is only about 9 feet deep, has a few trout in it and has many really big, old trees that have fallen into it over the years. A nice little place to visit.
I dropped off my pack, hoisted any food and smelly items into a tree then grabbed my day-pack and took off to find my trail. At first we tried to find where the #1224A (which is the Babyfoot Lake trail) connected to the #1224 (Kalmiopsis Wilderness Rim Trail) on the northwestern side of the lake. He found bits and pieces of it but it looked like that particular section hadn't been used in years since there was so much stuff grown over it. The underbrush made it very difficult to navigate and I didn't want to get lost so we turned around and headed back down the Babyfoot Lake trail to find the split.
We did find the split, trail #1126 which connected to the #1124 up about three miles. I figured we could do that but I didn't know we'd have to climb a killersteep ridge to get up to it first. We did get to the top of the ridge and hiked out about 1 1/2 - 2 miles along it then stopped for lunch. We could see Babyfoot Lake down below us from up there. In the picture above, look at the rim. Find the highest spot. That's where we were. A good 700 feet higher than Babyfoot, all climbed within that short mile and a half.
Conker decided that he didn't want to be clean anymore and rolled on the trail during lunch. He also decided he wanted to decorate himself with tree sap which was a bad idea since it drove him nuts for the rest of the trip.
The rocks up there on the rim were funny, if you poured water on them they hisses really loudly. I thought there was a snake nearby when I spilled a bit of water and the rocks began to hiss.
After lunch we headed back down to Babyfoot Lake. We discovered that the trees that had fallen into the lake were very stable so I walked out onto one. Conker didn't really want to go with me but followed anyways. I jumped in the lake (Conker stayed on the log) and found it to be quite nice. I figured it'd be cold.
For the next couple hours I let Conker wander around the camp and surrounding section of the lake. I read while he explored and some menacing looking clouds built up above us. I knew what the clouds meant, and when thunder began to roll through the valleys I pitched the tent. I waited until it was actually raining before calling Conker over and introducing him to it. After the first minute he was fine with it and tried to sleep as rain and eventually hail pelted down on my little orange tent.
Conker decided, before and after the storm, that exploring just the lakeside wasn't good enough. Wile I was making some tea I looked out at the lake a spotted something on one of the big logs. It was Conker. He'd gotten up on the log all on his own, walked out a bit then looked at me. He kept looking back as he walked out to the very end then walked back. He turned this into something he did about every 20 minutes. After a bit of exploring, he would go walk out into the lake on a log.
The bugs got a git unbearable as the sun was setting so after dinner we retreated to the tent. We napped, er, Conker napped while I read, then slowly dozed off as the night fell.
I was suddenly reminded why I don't like camping in the woods when I woke to a crashing sound near the tent and Conker's low growl. I don't know what kind of animal it was but it sounded big. Not as big as a bear, maybe a deer, and it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The rest of the night was filled with more crashing, snapping and shrieking as the animals of the wilderness paid their nightly visits to the lake. Conker didn't bark, only growled quietly. I knew none of these visitors were bears, I've heard a bear outside my tent before and these were different sounds.
Deer, raccoons, skunks and what I found out later to be foxes were the main visitors. But one of the last to come definitely was a bear. Heavy yet soft footsteps, snuffing every little scent, scraping it's long claws on random fallen logs as it navigated the area around my tent. This was the only animal Conker barked at, but it was a very restrained bark.
Surprisingly everything up until then scared me. The foxes (which make freaky screaming sounds) were the scariest when I first heard them shrieking and crashing about. Two even got into a fight. The only protection I'd brought with me was that big knife and it stayed right beside me. I'd picked up the knife when the foxes began to fight, and right that after the bear came. For some reason holding the knife made me feel better, and the bear either lost interest in the lake and our camp or Conker scared it off when he barked. It left rather quickly. Not many other animals visited after that, and the big knife spent the rest of the night inside my sleeping bag.
So! That was out little adventure to Babyfoot Lake. I knew already that camping next to a lake, in the wilderness, probably wasn't the greatest idea and paid for it with my sleep, but it was a fun trip anyways and Conker really enjoyed exploring the lake and walking out on the logs. Next time I go out there it will either be just a daytrip or I'll camp somewhere along the trail I originally wanted to and just stop in at Babyfoot Lake on the way in or out.
Sorry for lack of pictures, my photobucket upload limit has been reached.
I dropped off my pack, hoisted any food and smelly items into a tree then grabbed my day-pack and took off to find my trail. At first we tried to find where the #1224A (which is the Babyfoot Lake trail) connected to the #1224 (Kalmiopsis Wilderness Rim Trail) on the northwestern side of the lake. He found bits and pieces of it but it looked like that particular section hadn't been used in years since there was so much stuff grown over it. The underbrush made it very difficult to navigate and I didn't want to get lost so we turned around and headed back down the Babyfoot Lake trail to find the split.
We did find the split, trail #1126 which connected to the #1124 up about three miles. I figured we could do that but I didn't know we'd have to climb a killersteep ridge to get up to it first. We did get to the top of the ridge and hiked out about 1 1/2 - 2 miles along it then stopped for lunch. We could see Babyfoot Lake down below us from up there. In the picture above, look at the rim. Find the highest spot. That's where we were. A good 700 feet higher than Babyfoot, all climbed within that short mile and a half.
The rocks up there on the rim were funny, if you poured water on them they hisses really loudly. I thought there was a snake nearby when I spilled a bit of water and the rocks began to hiss.
After lunch we headed back down to Babyfoot Lake. We discovered that the trees that had fallen into the lake were very stable so I walked out onto one. Conker didn't really want to go with me but followed anyways. I jumped in the lake (Conker stayed on the log) and found it to be quite nice. I figured it'd be cold.
For the next couple hours I let Conker wander around the camp and surrounding section of the lake. I read while he explored and some menacing looking clouds built up above us. I knew what the clouds meant, and when thunder began to roll through the valleys I pitched the tent. I waited until it was actually raining before calling Conker over and introducing him to it. After the first minute he was fine with it and tried to sleep as rain and eventually hail pelted down on my little orange tent.
The bugs got a git unbearable as the sun was setting so after dinner we retreated to the tent. We napped, er, Conker napped while I read, then slowly dozed off as the night fell.
I was suddenly reminded why I don't like camping in the woods when I woke to a crashing sound near the tent and Conker's low growl. I don't know what kind of animal it was but it sounded big. Not as big as a bear, maybe a deer, and it vanished as quickly as it had appeared. The rest of the night was filled with more crashing, snapping and shrieking as the animals of the wilderness paid their nightly visits to the lake. Conker didn't bark, only growled quietly. I knew none of these visitors were bears, I've heard a bear outside my tent before and these were different sounds.
Deer, raccoons, skunks and what I found out later to be foxes were the main visitors. But one of the last to come definitely was a bear. Heavy yet soft footsteps, snuffing every little scent, scraping it's long claws on random fallen logs as it navigated the area around my tent. This was the only animal Conker barked at, but it was a very restrained bark.
Surprisingly everything up until then scared me. The foxes (which make freaky screaming sounds) were the scariest when I first heard them shrieking and crashing about. Two even got into a fight. The only protection I'd brought with me was that big knife and it stayed right beside me. I'd picked up the knife when the foxes began to fight, and right that after the bear came. For some reason holding the knife made me feel better, and the bear either lost interest in the lake and our camp or Conker scared it off when he barked. It left rather quickly. Not many other animals visited after that, and the big knife spent the rest of the night inside my sleeping bag.
So! That was out little adventure to Babyfoot Lake. I knew already that camping next to a lake, in the wilderness, probably wasn't the greatest idea and paid for it with my sleep, but it was a fun trip anyways and Conker really enjoyed exploring the lake and walking out on the logs. Next time I go out there it will either be just a daytrip or I'll camp somewhere along the trail I originally wanted to and just stop in at Babyfoot Lake on the way in or out.
Sorry for lack of pictures, my photobucket upload limit has been reached.
Zuke's Superfood Biscuits: Mean Greenz
I stumbled upon yet another treat made by Zuke's but I normally keep a ton of these around and didn't need more. If it weren't for the price tag of just $5.50 a box, I wouldn't have gotten them.
Here we have the Mean Greenz, the veggie variety of Zuke's Superfood Biscuits line. Normally these go for something like $8.29 per 14 ounce box so don't take my good price as the norm.
Ingredients: Organic Ground Oats, Organic Ground Barley, Spinach, Green Beans, Potatoes, Oat Fiber, Organic Blackstrap Molasses, Oil Blend (sunflower, olive and canola), Broccoli, Peas, Cabbage, Kelp, Asparagus, Kale, Natural Vegetable Flavors, Chlorophyll.
There isn't anything wrong with these really. They do contain grains so you grain-free people should steer clear of these. Some say molasses shouldn't be used but in treats I think it's fine. Other than that the ingredients are good.
Guaranteed Analysis:
The thing I dislike most about these treats is the lack of resealable closure thing. When opened you have to cut or tear the bag. I remedy this by tying them shut with a rubber band so the treats don't go everywhere if one of my dogs knocks them off the shelf. I also stick a variety of treats in a tupperware for easy assess.
As far as taste goes, Conker prefers the Very Berryz and over these. I guess that's because he's not too fond of veggies and there are no fruit or meat sources in these treats. But if you'd like to give your dog a healthy veggie treat then these will work fine. Plus they are organic if you're into that.
Like all baked Zuke's treats these can be busted in half for smaller dogs or training. I normally break them in half, use one piece and stick the other into my pocket. When not broken they hold up well and don't make a lot of crumbs in my pocket. When broken they produce a few but the pocket stays relatively clean. These treats are good for walking or hiking since they hold together and don't crumble easily.
Ingredients: Organic Ground Oats, Organic Ground Barley, Spinach, Green Beans, Potatoes, Oat Fiber, Organic Blackstrap Molasses, Oil Blend (sunflower, olive and canola), Broccoli, Peas, Cabbage, Kelp, Asparagus, Kale, Natural Vegetable Flavors, Chlorophyll.
There isn't anything wrong with these really. They do contain grains so you grain-free people should steer clear of these. Some say molasses shouldn't be used but in treats I think it's fine. Other than that the ingredients are good.
Guaranteed Analysis:
| Protein | not less than 10% |
| Fat | not less than 11% |
| Fiber | not more than 10% |
| Moisture | not more than 10% |
| Calories | Approximately 9 per piece |
As far as taste goes, Conker prefers the Very Berryz and over these. I guess that's because he's not too fond of veggies and there are no fruit or meat sources in these treats. But if you'd like to give your dog a healthy veggie treat then these will work fine. Plus they are organic if you're into that.
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Sasha's Teeth 3
It's been 4 weeks since I began adding the PlaqueOff to Juneau and Sasha's food. If you compare Sasha's teeth at the beginning to now, there is a conciderable difference in buildup.
Anyways, you can see that the upper carnassial teeth have almost no buildup left! I can't give PlaqueOff all the credit since I have given the Girls some beef ribs, but before I began the PlaqueOff even the ribs couldn't get some of that nasty crap off. So I guess it helped to soften the plaque, and the ribs scraped it off.
The only teeth that still have a lot of buildup left are the canines. I think I'm probably going to have to scrape that off for her.
Juneau's teeth are amazing looking, and as usual, no pictures of hers. Even her canines have greatly reduced amounts of plaque.
The pictures are lame since Sasha didn't want me messing with her mouth.
Anyways, you can see that the upper carnassial teeth have almost no buildup left! I can't give PlaqueOff all the credit since I have given the Girls some beef ribs, but before I began the PlaqueOff even the ribs couldn't get some of that nasty crap off. So I guess it helped to soften the plaque, and the ribs scraped it off.
The only teeth that still have a lot of buildup left are the canines. I think I'm probably going to have to scrape that off for her.
Juneau's teeth are amazing looking, and as usual, no pictures of hers. Even her canines have greatly reduced amounts of plaque.
Friday, August 26, 2011
Picky Picky Picky
Conker is turning into a picky eater. He doesn't play favorites, and his item of rejection changes daily. Yesterday it was the chicken neck. Today it was the rice. In the past he's refused liver, turkey neck, chicken meat and a random assortment of other items.
I don't have patience for that. If the dog isn't going to eat it, they are either going to have it shoved down their throat or they aren't going to eat anything for the rest of that day and the next. Today Conker got real pissed at me when I was pointing to the rice in his bowl so he got it force-fed to him.
Yeah, that's kinda mean, and I can be a Nazi at times when it comes to this, but like I said, I have no patience for that sort of thing coming from a healthy dog. I don't do the put it down now, eat a bit, put in the fridge and give later shit. You eat when you're fed or you don't eat at all. Peroid.
Yesterday he ate his rice fine, he really wanted it while I was making it today but now? No rice, I don't want that.
I think it would be neat if I could find a way to dehydrate everything, chop it up superfine then scoop it into the bowl, add water, wait then give to the stupid dog. That way he wouldn't be able to differentiate one item from the other and would have no choice but to friggin eat it or go hungry.
Why the attitude about this? Conker's meals are going to be consisting of very few items during the hike. Oats, sardines, eggs (yes, eggs will be fine without refrigeration) and treats. If he refuses any one of those he'll go hungry and not have enough energy. Plus I'll have this food that I won't want to eat due to yucky ingredients that will stink up my camp and attract critters. Like bears. Can't have that.
I don't have patience for that. If the dog isn't going to eat it, they are either going to have it shoved down their throat or they aren't going to eat anything for the rest of that day and the next. Today Conker got real pissed at me when I was pointing to the rice in his bowl so he got it force-fed to him.
Yeah, that's kinda mean, and I can be a Nazi at times when it comes to this, but like I said, I have no patience for that sort of thing coming from a healthy dog. I don't do the put it down now, eat a bit, put in the fridge and give later shit. You eat when you're fed or you don't eat at all. Peroid.
Yesterday he ate his rice fine, he really wanted it while I was making it today but now? No rice, I don't want that.
I think it would be neat if I could find a way to dehydrate everything, chop it up superfine then scoop it into the bowl, add water, wait then give to the stupid dog. That way he wouldn't be able to differentiate one item from the other and would have no choice but to friggin eat it or go hungry.
Why the attitude about this? Conker's meals are going to be consisting of very few items during the hike. Oats, sardines, eggs (yes, eggs will be fine without refrigeration) and treats. If he refuses any one of those he'll go hungry and not have enough energy. Plus I'll have this food that I won't want to eat due to yucky ingredients that will stink up my camp and attract critters. Like bears. Can't have that.
Liquid Health: K-9 Glucosamine
Since the discovery of Conker's Luxating Patella I have done a lot of reading on the subject and how joint health could play a role in the ordeal. While giving a joint supplement is not a cure for LP, it could possibly help by keeping the joints lubricated so when the patella does slip out of place it is less likely to cause damage that will turn into arthritis further down the road.
I looked into many different supplements, some a combo of sorts, others with only one joint-health ingredient. In the end I decided upon K-9 Glucosamine, a liquid supplement made by a company who also makes stuff for people and horses.
There are three varieties of the dog supplement. I got the regular kind, but there is also a concentrated and vegetarian variety. I avoided the veggie kind since it uses corn as a source for the glucosamine. It comes in 8, 32 and 128 ounce bottles. There is also a formula for small dogs.
Active Ingredients per fluid ounce:
Glucosamine Hcl (shellfish): 1600mg
Chondroitin Sulfate (beef and/or porcine): 1200mg
MSM (Methyl-sulfonylmethane 99.9%) : 1000mg
Manganese Chelate: 7mg
Hyaluronic Acid (as Sodium Hyaluronate): 10mg
Inactive Ingredients: 100% Pure Aloe Vera Juice, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Purified Water, Sodium Benzoate, Vegetable Glycerin.
After opening this product needs to be refrigerated. The people in my household have gotten used to a plastic box sitting on the bottom shelf in the fridge that holds Conker's supplements and food just in case something spills. The bottle also says to shake well before giving to your dog since it can settle/seperate if it sits for long enough.
Directions on the bottle say the dosage is:
Under 10 lbs: 1 teaspoon (1/6th oz)
10-24lbs: 2 teaspoons (1/3rd oz)
25-49lbs: 3 teaspoons, 2 in AM 1 in PM
50-100lbs: 4 teaspoons, 2 in AM 2 in PM
Over 100lbs: 6 teaspoons (1/2 oz), 3 in AM 3 in PM
In order to get the supplement out you have to squeeze the bottle and it will squirt some liquid into a small container that's got 1/2 ounce and 1 ounce measuring lines on one side and 1, 3 and 6 teaspoon lines on the other. Conker gets 2 teaspoons which is about half a cap-full so I don't bother with measuring it out exact every day.
It might just be the increase in exercise (muscle building to help hold the patellas in place) since I found out Conker has LP, or the supplement really is helping in some way. Conker's patellas went from slipping once or more times a day to once a week then finally only about twice a month since I began giving him this. I haven't yet tried to see if it really is helping by not giving it to him. Mainly because I don't want the patellas to slip and have the joint get damaged by the loss of lubrication or something.
Anyways, I bought the 32 ounce bottle for $24.99 and it has lasted quite a while since I only give it to Conker, and I think it is well worth the price. I don't know what the shelf-life is once you open it, but it appears to still be working after having it for more than three months. My bottle is due to run out soon and if I don't test the effectiveness by putting off on buying another one for a bit, I'm going to grab another.
I am a weirdo and tasted this since I'm curious about what my dog's stuff tastes like and frankly I found it to be completely disgusting. Conker though, he loves it and will lick it up as quickly as possible. Due to the odd taste picky dogs may not take to it like Conker did but you can always mix it in with a broth or food. The instructions do say to give it with or after food to avoid digestive upset (Conker hasn't experienced this even when given it without food.)
All in all I find this supplement to be a great product and highly recommend it to anyone with dog who is arthritic, has joint problems, is very active (working/sports) or jog on hard surfaces. Even dogs with LP, like Conker, could benefit from this supplement.
Edit: It's been a couple weeks since I ran out of this and there has been a change in Conker, and not a good one. After he'd been on the supplement for a while his right knee would only go out about once a month, the left hardly ever. Now that he's been off it his right knee goes out more often. He is also less quick to start a game or run. So, my overall conclusion is that this thing definitely works, and I'll be getting Conker back on it or something similar as soon as possible.
I looked into many different supplements, some a combo of sorts, others with only one joint-health ingredient. In the end I decided upon K-9 Glucosamine, a liquid supplement made by a company who also makes stuff for people and horses.
There are three varieties of the dog supplement. I got the regular kind, but there is also a concentrated and vegetarian variety. I avoided the veggie kind since it uses corn as a source for the glucosamine. It comes in 8, 32 and 128 ounce bottles. There is also a formula for small dogs.
Active Ingredients per fluid ounce:
Glucosamine Hcl (shellfish): 1600mg
Chondroitin Sulfate (beef and/or porcine): 1200mg
MSM (Methyl-sulfonylmethane 99.9%) : 1000mg
Manganese Chelate: 7mg
Hyaluronic Acid (as Sodium Hyaluronate): 10mg
Inactive Ingredients: 100% Pure Aloe Vera Juice, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Purified Water, Sodium Benzoate, Vegetable Glycerin.
After opening this product needs to be refrigerated. The people in my household have gotten used to a plastic box sitting on the bottom shelf in the fridge that holds Conker's supplements and food just in case something spills. The bottle also says to shake well before giving to your dog since it can settle/seperate if it sits for long enough.
Directions on the bottle say the dosage is:
Under 10 lbs: 1 teaspoon (1/6th oz)
10-24lbs: 2 teaspoons (1/3rd oz)
25-49lbs: 3 teaspoons, 2 in AM 1 in PM
50-100lbs: 4 teaspoons, 2 in AM 2 in PM
Over 100lbs: 6 teaspoons (1/2 oz), 3 in AM 3 in PM
In order to get the supplement out you have to squeeze the bottle and it will squirt some liquid into a small container that's got 1/2 ounce and 1 ounce measuring lines on one side and 1, 3 and 6 teaspoon lines on the other. Conker gets 2 teaspoons which is about half a cap-full so I don't bother with measuring it out exact every day.
It might just be the increase in exercise (muscle building to help hold the patellas in place) since I found out Conker has LP, or the supplement really is helping in some way. Conker's patellas went from slipping once or more times a day to once a week then finally only about twice a month since I began giving him this. I haven't yet tried to see if it really is helping by not giving it to him. Mainly because I don't want the patellas to slip and have the joint get damaged by the loss of lubrication or something.
Anyways, I bought the 32 ounce bottle for $24.99 and it has lasted quite a while since I only give it to Conker, and I think it is well worth the price. I don't know what the shelf-life is once you open it, but it appears to still be working after having it for more than three months. My bottle is due to run out soon and if I don't test the effectiveness by putting off on buying another one for a bit, I'm going to grab another.
I am a weirdo and tasted this since I'm curious about what my dog's stuff tastes like and frankly I found it to be completely disgusting. Conker though, he loves it and will lick it up as quickly as possible. Due to the odd taste picky dogs may not take to it like Conker did but you can always mix it in with a broth or food. The instructions do say to give it with or after food to avoid digestive upset (Conker hasn't experienced this even when given it without food.)
All in all I find this supplement to be a great product and highly recommend it to anyone with dog who is arthritic, has joint problems, is very active (working/sports) or jog on hard surfaces. Even dogs with LP, like Conker, could benefit from this supplement.
Edit: It's been a couple weeks since I ran out of this and there has been a change in Conker, and not a good one. After he'd been on the supplement for a while his right knee would only go out about once a month, the left hardly ever. Now that he's been off it his right knee goes out more often. He is also less quick to start a game or run. So, my overall conclusion is that this thing definitely works, and I'll be getting Conker back on it or something similar as soon as possible.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
CGC Training: Week 1
My local Kennel Club is holding Canine Good Citizen training at the Riverside Park each Wednesday for four weeks. It's free and open to anyone, so I decided to take Sasha down there and give the training a shot. The test can be taken at a dog even the weekend after the training is done.
I want Conker to get his CGC more than Sasha, but he still has stranger issues while on-leash and I'd like to know what needs to be done in to get the CGC, so I figured I'd take Sasha since she's the most mellow of my three.
There was a good assortment of dogs there, most of them common breeds. Labs, Golden Retrievers, a German Shepherd and a couple mixes, Rottweilers, Dobermans, too many to count Poodle-oodles, some Doxens... And a couple lesser seen breeds, like the Ridgeback I'd met before, a pair of gorgeous Afghans, a long-haired Corgi, a Newfoundland... It was neat seeing all those dogs there in one place.
The class is taught my some really nice older people, the group I was in anyways. They used a combination of negative and positive reinforcement. Meaning, if you dog isn't heeling, give a "pop" so they do, but praise and treat if they listen. If they don't sit, pull up on the collar or lure into a sit with a treat and praise well afterward. I don't have a problem with this kind of training, it's actually almost the same as what I already do with Sasha.
They do want you to use a prong or choke chain until your dog is good, but they let me use Sasha's chain martingale without a problem.
We basically learned what to expect from a CGC test, what they will do with the dogs then learned how to get the dogs to heel, sit and stay. I guess we'll be learning longer stays, long come and laying down next week.
Sasha did great with everything but when I had to tell her to sit. See, whenever I'd get her to move so she would stand she's sit before I even told her to, so I was walking around trying to say "sit!" before she did. The teacher lady laughed and said Sasha was fine, and it was good that she kept sitting automatically this soon in the class.
Anywho, that's all for now. I'm going to work on Sasha's stay and get her to learn "down" before next week so I'm ready for it. Next update on the CGC training will be Wednesday the 31st.
I want Conker to get his CGC more than Sasha, but he still has stranger issues while on-leash and I'd like to know what needs to be done in to get the CGC, so I figured I'd take Sasha since she's the most mellow of my three.
There was a good assortment of dogs there, most of them common breeds. Labs, Golden Retrievers, a German Shepherd and a couple mixes, Rottweilers, Dobermans, too many to count Poodle-oodles, some Doxens... And a couple lesser seen breeds, like the Ridgeback I'd met before, a pair of gorgeous Afghans, a long-haired Corgi, a Newfoundland... It was neat seeing all those dogs there in one place.
The class is taught my some really nice older people, the group I was in anyways. They used a combination of negative and positive reinforcement. Meaning, if you dog isn't heeling, give a "pop" so they do, but praise and treat if they listen. If they don't sit, pull up on the collar or lure into a sit with a treat and praise well afterward. I don't have a problem with this kind of training, it's actually almost the same as what I already do with Sasha.
They do want you to use a prong or choke chain until your dog is good, but they let me use Sasha's chain martingale without a problem.
We basically learned what to expect from a CGC test, what they will do with the dogs then learned how to get the dogs to heel, sit and stay. I guess we'll be learning longer stays, long come and laying down next week.
Sasha did great with everything but when I had to tell her to sit. See, whenever I'd get her to move so she would stand she's sit before I even told her to, so I was walking around trying to say "sit!" before she did. The teacher lady laughed and said Sasha was fine, and it was good that she kept sitting automatically this soon in the class.
Anywho, that's all for now. I'm going to work on Sasha's stay and get her to learn "down" before next week so I'm ready for it. Next update on the CGC training will be Wednesday the 31st.
Dogswell: Breathies
I have never tried anything from the brand Dogswell before. I have heard in the past that they had chicken from China that had some contamination in it or something but that wasn't what stopped me from picking their stuff up. It was the chicken in general. You can read more about that here.
So! I was at Mini Pet Mart and saw little bags of a couple kinds of Dogswell treats. Since I didn't want to spend another $6.99 on a regular bag, these smaller sized bags were perfect for a trial run.
The little 4 ounce bag cost me $2.99, not bad for a try-out. The bigger bags have a fairly normal price.
Ingredients: Oats, Barley, Brown Rice, Chicken, Dried Cane Molasses, Flaxseed, Potato Protein, Sweet Potatoes, Rice Bran, Canola Oil, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Parsley Flakes, Chlorophyll, Vitamin E Supplement
First three ingredients are grains, but high-quality grains. Molasses is often targeted as a bad ingredient by many dog-food review sites but in treats I think it is an okay ingredient. The rest of the ingredients are pretty typical of this sort of treat and unless your dog has allergies or intolerances to certain grains or chicken, these treats look fine.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 15.0% (min)
Crude Fat 7.0% (min)
Crude Fiber 5.0% (max)
Moisture 10.0% (max)
Vitamin E 100 i.u./kg (min)
The treats are about 1 inch long and quite green. This is due to the Chlorophyll which is basically pure plant greenstuff. Conker wasn't nuts for them, instead of his usual scarfing down he sniffed, tasted and crunched slowly. Sasha liked them and will be getting most of them since her teeth are the worst.
As far as their breath-freshening ability, I have yet to notice any difference in all three dogs, but I give these to them as an after-dinner breath freshener and will edit if I find they do anything.
These treats, unlike the chicken jerky kind, are made in the USA. If you are still unsure about the chicken then avoid them, but the bag has a little American flag and Made in the USA printed on it so I'm okay with them.
So! I was at Mini Pet Mart and saw little bags of a couple kinds of Dogswell treats. Since I didn't want to spend another $6.99 on a regular bag, these smaller sized bags were perfect for a trial run.
Ingredients: Oats, Barley, Brown Rice, Chicken, Dried Cane Molasses, Flaxseed, Potato Protein, Sweet Potatoes, Rice Bran, Canola Oil, Brewers Dried Yeast, Natural Flavor, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Rosemary, Parsley Flakes, Chlorophyll, Vitamin E Supplement
First three ingredients are grains, but high-quality grains. Molasses is often targeted as a bad ingredient by many dog-food review sites but in treats I think it is an okay ingredient. The rest of the ingredients are pretty typical of this sort of treat and unless your dog has allergies or intolerances to certain grains or chicken, these treats look fine.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein 15.0% (min)
Crude Fat 7.0% (min)
Crude Fiber 5.0% (max)
Moisture 10.0% (max)
Vitamin E 100 i.u./kg (min)
As far as their breath-freshening ability, I have yet to notice any difference in all three dogs, but I give these to them as an after-dinner breath freshener and will edit if I find they do anything.
These treats, unlike the chicken jerky kind, are made in the USA. If you are still unsure about the chicken then avoid them, but the bag has a little American flag and Made in the USA printed on it so I'm okay with them.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Argh
So yesterday I decided to give that Limpy Creek trail another try since last time I went I didn't have any fun at all due to the poison oak infestation on my legs.
So I get my day-hike gear and Conker into the Jeep and head out. The drive takes a lot longer than I thought and I missed the turn but we finally got there. Only to find there was no parking.
I wouldn't have been as miffed about the parking thing if it were other people who were hiking the trail but no, it wasn't that at all. Some fatass rednecks had parked their giant-ass RV there which took up at least four spots, then an additional four with their two fucking huge and completely illogical trucks. And the only other place to park was also taken up by their buddy's gangsterd out suburban.
Normally I would have waited around to see if anyone was going to come and leave, if the spots were all taken by normal cars, but this time I just turned around (and almost hit one of their trucks) and left. I was so fricking mad that I'd just wasted an hour and more than two gallons of gas on nothing. There was nowhere else to park at all, not even on the road since it was one lane and barely wide enough for my little Jeep.
Okay so why so angry about this? You aren't allowed to camp there. PEROID. There are several signs that state no overnight camping allowed, and those assholes were obviously there to stay for a while since they had a ton of shit lying around the parking lot (also taking up parking space) and were downing six packs like it was going out of style.
I've decided that I'm not going to go back to that stupid Limpy creek place for at least two more weeks. I'm not up for another disappointment and waste of time and gas like this when I could be doing something better.
So I get my day-hike gear and Conker into the Jeep and head out. The drive takes a lot longer than I thought and I missed the turn but we finally got there. Only to find there was no parking.
I wouldn't have been as miffed about the parking thing if it were other people who were hiking the trail but no, it wasn't that at all. Some fatass rednecks had parked their giant-ass RV there which took up at least four spots, then an additional four with their two fucking huge and completely illogical trucks. And the only other place to park was also taken up by their buddy's gangsterd out suburban.
Normally I would have waited around to see if anyone was going to come and leave, if the spots were all taken by normal cars, but this time I just turned around (and almost hit one of their trucks) and left. I was so fricking mad that I'd just wasted an hour and more than two gallons of gas on nothing. There was nowhere else to park at all, not even on the road since it was one lane and barely wide enough for my little Jeep.
Okay so why so angry about this? You aren't allowed to camp there. PEROID. There are several signs that state no overnight camping allowed, and those assholes were obviously there to stay for a while since they had a ton of shit lying around the parking lot (also taking up parking space) and were downing six packs like it was going out of style.
I've decided that I'm not going to go back to that stupid Limpy creek place for at least two more weeks. I'm not up for another disappointment and waste of time and gas like this when I could be doing something better.
Monday, August 22, 2011
Conker's Digestive Problems
When I first got Conker he had all sorts of digestive issues. He didn't have worms so that was ruled out as the cause and had no symptoms of other stomach bugs, it was just plain diarrhea. He has the issues on the Science Diet he was on at first (shelter gave me a bag) and on Orijen, even though I gradually switched him to it over a period of about two weeks since he was so sensitive to new stuff.
He couldn't handle new treats much either. Any treat that contained chicken, wheat, corn or potatoes sent him into explosion mode (chicken, wheat and corn also made him itch like mad.) The only treats that didn't cause problems were the Zuke's Mini and Jerky Naturals. He could only have very small bits of cooked beef, pork or turkey. Anymore than a small bite and he'd have a blow-out. Even most chews causes problems. Bully stick were okay though.
I decided that instead of juggling around different brands of kibble that I was going to try the raw food thing. For the first month it was somewhat unpredictable. His transition wasn't the best, it took him a while to stop having digestive problems. I added in a probiotic and his problems lessened. He would still have occasional diarrhea but it basically went away upon starting that.
I kept Conker on raw foods only for several months with the exception of the Zuke's treats. Anything else I tried to give him would result in more splosions. So I stuck to that very strict diet and would harass anyone I caught attempting to sneak Conker something.
Then something happened. One day I didn't have any food for Conker. I'd miscalculated the amount of food I'd made up and was a day short and nothing I had frozen was small enough to use. Crap, what do I do now? I looked around the house for something he could eat but we had no meat in the fridge, I had no money and I couldn't buy any so I was stuck with a tube of oats, a can of sardines and some eggs.
I had a sudden thought. What if Conker can eat oats? He is fine with sardines and eggs, but those together in such a high amount could cause an issue. But the oats... They are in his Zuke's treats and he's never had a problem with those and if he doesn't they might stop a sardine/egg reaction.
I whipped up a small pot of oats, dumped in the sardines, added an egg, some probiotic powder and his usuals and gave it to Conker. I instantly regretted it, knowing Conker would have an explosion that or the next day. But you know what happened?
Nothing bad.
He was fine, perfectly fine. Better than normal actually. He digested the meal better than most meat/bone/organ-only meals and didn't have any itchy reactions to the meal like he'd had in the past. (chicken, wheat and corn)
I was amazed, and that's when I decided to mix things up and start trying different treats, even some that contained potatoes and chicken, and adding in other grains (rices, barley). I still have yet to test anything with wheat or corn in it, but so far everything has gone very smoothly. I also have yet to give an actual potato or hunk of cooked chicken a try since all attempts in the past were miserable failures.
But this recent development in Conker's digestive system has really caught me off-guard. I was sure he would never be able to eat anything other than raw meat and fruits and knew that the prey-model diet wasn't entirely complete since I cannot find organs other than liver and kidney. I figured I was going to have to start supplementing certain vitamins and minerals, something I really don't want to do, and would have to stick to that for the rest of his life. Unless something like this happened.
I have no idea what made his system decide to work and I'm very glad it did. However, I will not attempt to feed Conker kibble unless it's a dire emergency. I really enjoy making food for him and he will continue to eat raw and now homecooked food for as long as he lives.
He couldn't handle new treats much either. Any treat that contained chicken, wheat, corn or potatoes sent him into explosion mode (chicken, wheat and corn also made him itch like mad.) The only treats that didn't cause problems were the Zuke's Mini and Jerky Naturals. He could only have very small bits of cooked beef, pork or turkey. Anymore than a small bite and he'd have a blow-out. Even most chews causes problems. Bully stick were okay though.
I decided that instead of juggling around different brands of kibble that I was going to try the raw food thing. For the first month it was somewhat unpredictable. His transition wasn't the best, it took him a while to stop having digestive problems. I added in a probiotic and his problems lessened. He would still have occasional diarrhea but it basically went away upon starting that.
I kept Conker on raw foods only for several months with the exception of the Zuke's treats. Anything else I tried to give him would result in more splosions. So I stuck to that very strict diet and would harass anyone I caught attempting to sneak Conker something.
Then something happened. One day I didn't have any food for Conker. I'd miscalculated the amount of food I'd made up and was a day short and nothing I had frozen was small enough to use. Crap, what do I do now? I looked around the house for something he could eat but we had no meat in the fridge, I had no money and I couldn't buy any so I was stuck with a tube of oats, a can of sardines and some eggs.
I had a sudden thought. What if Conker can eat oats? He is fine with sardines and eggs, but those together in such a high amount could cause an issue. But the oats... They are in his Zuke's treats and he's never had a problem with those and if he doesn't they might stop a sardine/egg reaction.
I whipped up a small pot of oats, dumped in the sardines, added an egg, some probiotic powder and his usuals and gave it to Conker. I instantly regretted it, knowing Conker would have an explosion that or the next day. But you know what happened?
Nothing bad.
He was fine, perfectly fine. Better than normal actually. He digested the meal better than most meat/bone/organ-only meals and didn't have any itchy reactions to the meal like he'd had in the past. (chicken, wheat and corn)
I was amazed, and that's when I decided to mix things up and start trying different treats, even some that contained potatoes and chicken, and adding in other grains (rices, barley). I still have yet to test anything with wheat or corn in it, but so far everything has gone very smoothly. I also have yet to give an actual potato or hunk of cooked chicken a try since all attempts in the past were miserable failures.
But this recent development in Conker's digestive system has really caught me off-guard. I was sure he would never be able to eat anything other than raw meat and fruits and knew that the prey-model diet wasn't entirely complete since I cannot find organs other than liver and kidney. I figured I was going to have to start supplementing certain vitamins and minerals, something I really don't want to do, and would have to stick to that for the rest of his life. Unless something like this happened.
I have no idea what made his system decide to work and I'm very glad it did. However, I will not attempt to feed Conker kibble unless it's a dire emergency. I really enjoy making food for him and he will continue to eat raw and now homecooked food for as long as he lives.
EVO Wild Cravings: Herring
I've seen these treats a couple times in the past but for some reason I've never picked them up. I decided today to give them a try. You can read about them on it's website.
The package is actually teal, not blue.
Anyways, I got these for $4.99 and it contains 10 ounces of treats. One thing I liked about these was the fish. They are fish-based treats and fish treats, at least in my area, normally cost a lot more than other treats. They also have glucosamine and chondroitin in them.
Ingredients: Herring, Herring Meal, Peas, Pea Fiber, Pumpkin, Tomatoes, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a Natural source of Vitamin E), Herring Oil, Apples, Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Cottage Cheese, Dried Chicory Root, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondoitin Sulfate, Minerals (Zinc Protoinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Protoinate, Manganese Protoinate, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Absorbic Acid, Vitamin E Supplement,Betaine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Ninacin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Beta Caratone, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Botin, Folic Acid)
I like how there's two fish ingredients, though they are the same, at the beginning of the list. I think all the vitamin and mineral supplements are somewhat unnecessary for a treat however, on the bag it states that: "EVO Wild Cravings Herring Formula Baked Dog Treats are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult dog maintenance. Therefore, you can feed these treats exclusively to your pet as their sole source of nutrition. If you choose to feed a smaller amount, please reduce your pet's meal size by the same amount you're giving your pet in these treats. Always adjust the total amount of food and/or treats to maintain or achieve an ideal body condition."
That's pretty interesting. It's also got this printed below:
Never seen one of those on a bag of treats or food before.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min) 33 %
Crude Fat (min) 13 %
Crude Fiber (max) 3 %
Moisture (max) 10 %
Linoleic Acid (Omega-6 Fatty Acid) (min) 1 %
Carbohydrates NFE (max) 33 %
Vitamin E (min) 250 IU/kg
Vitamin C (min) 250 mg/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) 1.8 %
Glucosamine (min) 689 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate (min) 574 mg/kg
There is a fair amount of glucosamine and chondroitin, more chondroitin (compared to the glucosamine) than I've seen in other joint treats so far. As a food I guess this is okay for somewhat more active dogs but I haven't really looked into that. Also, I think feeding just this to anything bigger than a Papillon would cost a lot.
There are four shapes in the bag. Each one is about 1 1/4 inch long, so they aren't really small but aren't huge either.
Taste wise Conker loved these. They are crunchy but softer than most crunchy treats and are easily crumbled so they may not hold up too well if they are stuck in a pocket. They don't smell horrid like some other fish-based treats so if you aren't into stinky treats, you might like these. As a treat the price is good, as a food not so much but I'm basing the price rating on these being treats.
For those of you who care about this, EVO is owned by Natura who sold out to Proctor and Gamble. If you don't like P&G then ignore these treats but if you don't give a darn then go ahead and buy them. They don't appear to contain any horrible low-quality ingredients so I think they are safe.
Anyways, I got these for $4.99 and it contains 10 ounces of treats. One thing I liked about these was the fish. They are fish-based treats and fish treats, at least in my area, normally cost a lot more than other treats. They also have glucosamine and chondroitin in them.
Ingredients: Herring, Herring Meal, Peas, Pea Fiber, Pumpkin, Tomatoes, Sunflower Oil (Preserved with Mixed Tocopherols, a Natural source of Vitamin E), Herring Oil, Apples, Carrots, Potassium Chloride, Cottage Cheese, Dried Chicory Root, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Chondoitin Sulfate, Minerals (Zinc Protoinate, Iron Proteinate, Copper Protoinate, Manganese Protoinate, Calcium Iodate), Vitamins (Absorbic Acid, Vitamin E Supplement,Betaine Hydrochloride, Vitamin A Supplement, Ninacin Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Beta Caratone, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Botin, Folic Acid)
I like how there's two fish ingredients, though they are the same, at the beginning of the list. I think all the vitamin and mineral supplements are somewhat unnecessary for a treat however, on the bag it states that: "EVO Wild Cravings Herring Formula Baked Dog Treats are formulated to meet the nutritional levels established by the AAFCO Dog Food Nutrient Profiles for adult dog maintenance. Therefore, you can feed these treats exclusively to your pet as their sole source of nutrition. If you choose to feed a smaller amount, please reduce your pet's meal size by the same amount you're giving your pet in these treats. Always adjust the total amount of food and/or treats to maintain or achieve an ideal body condition."
That's pretty interesting. It's also got this printed below:
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein (min) 33 %
Crude Fat (min) 13 %
Crude Fiber (max) 3 %
Moisture (max) 10 %
Linoleic Acid (Omega-6 Fatty Acid) (min) 1 %
Carbohydrates NFE (max) 33 %
Vitamin E (min) 250 IU/kg
Vitamin C (min) 250 mg/kg
Omega-3 Fatty Acids (min) 1.8 %
Glucosamine (min) 689 mg/kg
Chondroitin Sulfate (min) 574 mg/kg
There is a fair amount of glucosamine and chondroitin, more chondroitin (compared to the glucosamine) than I've seen in other joint treats so far. As a food I guess this is okay for somewhat more active dogs but I haven't really looked into that. Also, I think feeding just this to anything bigger than a Papillon would cost a lot.
Taste wise Conker loved these. They are crunchy but softer than most crunchy treats and are easily crumbled so they may not hold up too well if they are stuck in a pocket. They don't smell horrid like some other fish-based treats so if you aren't into stinky treats, you might like these. As a treat the price is good, as a food not so much but I'm basing the price rating on these being treats.
For those of you who care about this, EVO is owned by Natura who sold out to Proctor and Gamble. If you don't like P&G then ignore these treats but if you don't give a darn then go ahead and buy them. They don't appear to contain any horrible low-quality ingredients so I think they are safe.
Sunday, August 21, 2011
Dog Foods
Last night I made up some rices for Conker. I cooked 1/2 cup of white and 1/2 cup of brown to make, somehow, 3 cups total? Okay... He totally thought he was going to get some right then and there and was surely disappointed when I portioned the rice out into tupperwares and stuck it into the fridge.
For today's meal I mixed in about 6 ounces of canned fish (I'm all out now, gotta get more), a spoonful of tomato paste, some canned pumpkin, a bit of liver mix (equal parts beef and chicken livers), an oyster, an egg and a dash of olive oil. He also got a turkey heart, piece of turkey neck and blop of plain yogurt. And his usuals.
The girls got...
TOTW kibble (buffalo) with plain yogurt, half an egg and a random assortment of treats on top.
You know nothing interesting is going on when I write about this stuff.
The girls got...
You know nothing interesting is going on when I write about this stuff.
Saturday, August 20, 2011
Zuke's Hip Action: Peanut Butter
Due to Conker's Luxating Patella I decided to add joint supplements to his diet as a preventive measure against arthritis. This sometimes included treats like these.
The Hip Action treats come in three flavors. Peanut Butter, Chicken and Beef. I got the Peanut Butter flavor to try first.
Ingredients: Ground Rice, Ground Oats, Peanut Butter, Malted Barley, Maple Syrup, Gelatin, Vegetable Glycerin, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Fresh Apples, Fresh Carrots, Ground Flax Seed, Fresh Blueberries, Lecithin, Salt, Phosphoric Acid (a natural acidifier), Garlic Powder, Sorbic Acid (a preservative), Chondroitin Sulfate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Selenite.
The ingredients are similar to the Jerky and Mini Naturals but with a few added things and the Glucosamine and Chondroitin stuffs.
The Hip Action treats are slightly bigger than the Jerky Naturals which are about 1 inch a piece. It's also slightly thicker. There are about 25 per bag and according to Zuke's you should give:
So if you've got a smallish dog these will last about a month.
While Conker's joint health has improved drastically since I began adding things like salmon oil and a Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM supplement to his diet, the joints did not get worse when I ran out of Hip Action treats. My guess is since they weren't adding too much when compared to the G/C/MSM thing that they didn't really make that big of a difference. But if fed alone I imagine you might notice with a dog who had obvious joint problems when you started/ran out.
I mainly use these treats when I go hiking since I can't take my joint supplement with me (needs to be refrigerated) so I give a couple of these treats instead. I also like to use them during or around times of high exercise.
Anyways, I really like these treats since they are so similar to the Jerky Naturals. But with the price increase of $2-3 I don't buy them very often since Conker already gets a joint supplement. However, for this type of treat the increase in price is pretty typical. Either way they are a good choice for older or arthritic dogs if you don't mind paying a bit more for them.
EDIT: I can regularly find these for $6.99 instead of $8.69 but the price is still rated by the higher one since it's more common.
Ingredients: Ground Rice, Ground Oats, Peanut Butter, Malted Barley, Maple Syrup, Gelatin, Vegetable Glycerin, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Fresh Apples, Fresh Carrots, Ground Flax Seed, Fresh Blueberries, Lecithin, Salt, Phosphoric Acid (a natural acidifier), Garlic Powder, Sorbic Acid (a preservative), Chondroitin Sulfate, Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C), Manganese Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Sodium Selenite.
The ingredients are similar to the Jerky and Mini Naturals but with a few added things and the Glucosamine and Chondroitin stuffs.
Guaranteed Analysis – Peanut Butter | |
|---|---|
| Protein | not less than 10% |
| Fat | not less than 8% |
| Fiber | not more than 3% |
| Moisture | not more than 30% |
| Glucosamine HCl* | not less than 300mg |
| Chondroitin Sulfate* | not less than 50mg |
| Calories | Approximately 31 per piece |
| Small dogs (46 lbs. and under) | 1 treat daily |
| Medium/Large dogs (92 lbs. and under) | 2 treats daily |
| Giant dogs (138 lbs. and under) | 3 treats daily |
So if you've got a smallish dog these will last about a month.
While Conker's joint health has improved drastically since I began adding things like salmon oil and a Glucosamine/Chondroitin/MSM supplement to his diet, the joints did not get worse when I ran out of Hip Action treats. My guess is since they weren't adding too much when compared to the G/C/MSM thing that they didn't really make that big of a difference. But if fed alone I imagine you might notice with a dog who had obvious joint problems when you started/ran out.
I mainly use these treats when I go hiking since I can't take my joint supplement with me (needs to be refrigerated) so I give a couple of these treats instead. I also like to use them during or around times of high exercise.
Anyways, I really like these treats since they are so similar to the Jerky Naturals. But with the price increase of $2-3 I don't buy them very often since Conker already gets a joint supplement. However, for this type of treat the increase in price is pretty typical. Either way they are a good choice for older or arthritic dogs if you don't mind paying a bit more for them.
EDIT: I can regularly find these for $6.99 instead of $8.69 but the price is still rated by the higher one since it's more common.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Slow Cooker
Today I decided to make Beef N' Barley soup er, stew. I found some beef in the freezer that had been there for a bit (not too long but long enough that everybody but me forgot it existed) and thawed it last night. I also bought a pound of barley at the grocery the other day and some frozen peas and carrots today.
So I got out the slow cooker thingy, forgot what they're called, and filled it with about 6 cups of water and some beef concentrate (a type of bullion) and let it heat for a bit. I chopped the beef into 1 inch chunks and browned it in some olive oil in a pan then plopped it into the warming beefy water. Next I added a little over a cup of washed barley, dropped in a couple ounces of olive oil, gave it a stir and let it sit for a couple hours. After that couple of hours I added about three cups of frozen peas and carrots (slightly more than I wanted) and one clove of finely minced garlic. Sprinkled in a dash of salt and let it sit for another two or so hours.
Somewhere in the middle of this Younger-taller brother came into my room and asked if the stuff in the cooker was edible. Yes of course it is, it's food you dumbass.
Anyways, I explained to him that the Beef N' Barley soup/stew was for me but I plan on giving some to Conker, and if he wants he can have some since there'll be enough leftovers.
He went off and microwaved some of last night's steak.
So this soup... stew... is so far really good. It's certainly not Progresso Beef N' Barley (which I love) but I prefer homemade to canned anyways. I can control what goes into it, how much of each ingredient and can tailor it to my taste better than you can with a canned soup. Besides, with the homemade stuff I have leftovers and can give some to my dog if I watch what I put into it.
I cooked the soupstew for a little under five hours on my cooker's high setting. I don't have any idea how hot that is, only that it has a 4 and 6 hour time setting for high and a 8 or 10 hour setting for low. After the selected amount of time it'll switch to "warm" mode and won't particularly cook anymore so I had to turn it on again since I was using the 4 hour setting. I think next time I'll set it for 6 instead of 4 and see how that does.
I know I'll get to make it again pretty soon since this batch won't last long.
Conker had been waiting all day for this, and was really miffed when I gave his to him while it was still somewhat hot. He was being very impatient and following me around like mad so I gave him hot food and he'll have to take his time eating it instead of scarfing it down like he always does.
If it hadn't been still fairly hot he would have gone through it in seconds. Maybe I should feed him more hot food to keep him from bolting it all down.
I added a couple things to Conker's food that I personally wouldn't really want in there. His joint supplement, a squirt of salmon oil, the chicory/probiotic blend I made some weeks ago and some of that PlaqueOff stuff. Oh and a bit of powdered eggshell since this meal has no calcium at all.
With the exception of the beef, which was cooked, this entire meal was new to Conker so hopefully he won't have an explosion from it. I doubt it though, since this isn't his first 100% new meal and the last one he had he did fine with.
When compared to the price of canned Beef N' Barley soupstew, I saved a ton of money by doing it this way. A can here, when not on sale, is $2.99. On sale they are $1.99. I buy beef for $1.99 a pound or less, so if I'd bought that beef it'd have cost me about $2. The pound of barley was $1, so were the peas and carrots and I have enough of both to make another batch. Everything else I put in we always have on hand, so I would have spent a grand total of $4 on this meal and it made about 7 servings or so (comes out to under .60 cents a meal!). The same amount in canned soup would have cost me $21.
So I got out the slow cooker thingy, forgot what they're called, and filled it with about 6 cups of water and some beef concentrate (a type of bullion) and let it heat for a bit. I chopped the beef into 1 inch chunks and browned it in some olive oil in a pan then plopped it into the warming beefy water. Next I added a little over a cup of washed barley, dropped in a couple ounces of olive oil, gave it a stir and let it sit for a couple hours. After that couple of hours I added about three cups of frozen peas and carrots (slightly more than I wanted) and one clove of finely minced garlic. Sprinkled in a dash of salt and let it sit for another two or so hours.
Somewhere in the middle of this Younger-taller brother came into my room and asked if the stuff in the cooker was edible. Yes of course it is, it's food you dumbass.
Anyways, I explained to him that the Beef N' Barley soup/stew was for me but I plan on giving some to Conker, and if he wants he can have some since there'll be enough leftovers.
He went off and microwaved some of last night's steak.
So this soup... stew... is so far really good. It's certainly not Progresso Beef N' Barley (which I love) but I prefer homemade to canned anyways. I can control what goes into it, how much of each ingredient and can tailor it to my taste better than you can with a canned soup. Besides, with the homemade stuff I have leftovers and can give some to my dog if I watch what I put into it.
I cooked the soupstew for a little under five hours on my cooker's high setting. I don't have any idea how hot that is, only that it has a 4 and 6 hour time setting for high and a 8 or 10 hour setting for low. After the selected amount of time it'll switch to "warm" mode and won't particularly cook anymore so I had to turn it on again since I was using the 4 hour setting. I think next time I'll set it for 6 instead of 4 and see how that does.
I know I'll get to make it again pretty soon since this batch won't last long.
If it hadn't been still fairly hot he would have gone through it in seconds. Maybe I should feed him more hot food to keep him from bolting it all down.
I added a couple things to Conker's food that I personally wouldn't really want in there. His joint supplement, a squirt of salmon oil, the chicory/probiotic blend I made some weeks ago and some of that PlaqueOff stuff. Oh and a bit of powdered eggshell since this meal has no calcium at all.
With the exception of the beef, which was cooked, this entire meal was new to Conker so hopefully he won't have an explosion from it. I doubt it though, since this isn't his first 100% new meal and the last one he had he did fine with.
When compared to the price of canned Beef N' Barley soupstew, I saved a ton of money by doing it this way. A can here, when not on sale, is $2.99. On sale they are $1.99. I buy beef for $1.99 a pound or less, so if I'd bought that beef it'd have cost me about $2. The pound of barley was $1, so were the peas and carrots and I have enough of both to make another batch. Everything else I put in we always have on hand, so I would have spent a grand total of $4 on this meal and it made about 7 servings or so (comes out to under .60 cents a meal!). The same amount in canned soup would have cost me $21.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Today Conker Got...
The rest of my brown rice. Goshdangit I wanted some of that.
I have been messing around with Conker's meals for the past week or so. Punching ingredient values and numbers into spreadsheets and whatnot to try to find a better way of getting Conker the stuff he needs. I feel that even though the prey-model diet is great, it's not 100% in terms of optimal nutrition and is greatly lacking in some things you don't get from meat-based objects.
Yes, I am not feeding only meat, bones and organs anymore. I never was going to stick to just that anyways, but his meals are still mainly meat and the meat don't get cooked unless it smells like funky.
So! What did Conker get today?
1/2 cup of overcooked brown rice
1 large egg
4 ounces of beef
2 ounces of canned fish
1-2 ounces of turkey neck (meat and bone)
1 ounce canned pumpkin
A dash of olive oil
And his regular supplements for joints and teeth, that kinda crap.
Something I have noticed, since adding grains to Conker's diet.
Increased digestion.
That's right. The grain meals, even those that include meat, digest better and come out smaller than the meat-only meals. If I cook the grains right that is. I tend to like my grains undercooked, so it's incredibly hard for me to cook them "just right" for most people, especially slightly overcooked like how Conker likes them. It drives me nuts having to do that since I don't want to eat any leftovers from Conker's meals (isn't it usually the other way around?) and I don't like to freeze them.
Anywho, I need to go to Rays and get some more stuff, mainly rices and oats. And some barley, I wanna make some beef n' barley soup for me. I love that stuff, so delicious.
I have been messing around with Conker's meals for the past week or so. Punching ingredient values and numbers into spreadsheets and whatnot to try to find a better way of getting Conker the stuff he needs. I feel that even though the prey-model diet is great, it's not 100% in terms of optimal nutrition and is greatly lacking in some things you don't get from meat-based objects.
Yes, I am not feeding only meat, bones and organs anymore. I never was going to stick to just that anyways, but his meals are still mainly meat and the meat don't get cooked unless it smells like funky.
So! What did Conker get today?
1/2 cup of overcooked brown rice
1 large egg
4 ounces of beef
2 ounces of canned fish
1-2 ounces of turkey neck (meat and bone)
1 ounce canned pumpkin
A dash of olive oil
And his regular supplements for joints and teeth, that kinda crap.
Something I have noticed, since adding grains to Conker's diet.
Increased digestion.
That's right. The grain meals, even those that include meat, digest better and come out smaller than the meat-only meals. If I cook the grains right that is. I tend to like my grains undercooked, so it's incredibly hard for me to cook them "just right" for most people, especially slightly overcooked like how Conker likes them. It drives me nuts having to do that since I don't want to eat any leftovers from Conker's meals (isn't it usually the other way around?) and I don't like to freeze them.
Anywho, I need to go to Rays and get some more stuff, mainly rices and oats. And some barley, I wanna make some beef n' barley soup for me. I love that stuff, so delicious.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
River Day!
Me, Mom and her friend Jill went down to the Rouge River today. We brought the dogs... all five dogs.
Here we have Conker, Sasha and Juneau in the foreground and Lucky and Star in the background. All the dogs got along great, with the exception of one minor scuffle between Juneau and Star.
I didn't bring any balls for Juneau so she had to settle for sticks. Which was fine with her since she can chew on those.
Except when Sasha steals them.
Conker didn't do much, other than try to intercept the stick before Juneau got to it. He was usually beaten to that by Sasha.
When not playing fetch Conker was the only dog out of the five who reliably listened to what I said. Juneau was better than Sasha who were better than Lucky who was better than Star. Figures, the Shiba is the best behaved of the bunch.
Ah, now I remember why I don't use sticks to fetch with anymore. Sasha doesn't bring them back, just takes them.
Eventually Juneau'd had enough of Sasha's stupid and got after her.
We were there for at least five hours. Mom and Jill had a bottle of wine... three bottles of wine, and I broke my soda rule and had a Diet Coke. It was really fun, especially when the Hellgate tour boats came down the river and sent huge waves crashing down on everybody. The dogs all ran for cover when they noticed but sometimes they were caught off guard. The boat driver dudes were fun too, since they would come in real close then swerve quickly and make the waves even bigger than if they'd just stayed in the middle of the river.
Well, that's it for now. I'm off to grill up some shark steaks for Younger-taller brother and I.
Pet Botanics: Omega Treats
Back when I lived in Missouri I bought these for Conker. They are made by a company called Cardinal Pet, or something like that. You can see the page for these treats here. I don't know anything else about the company so I don't have much of an opinion on it.
Ingredients: salmon, sweet potatoes, cod, cane sugar, glycerin, salt, potassium sorbate, mixed tocopherols (vitamin e).
Simple, not too many, good ingredients for the most part. Cane sugar isn't really needed but other than that, I can't find much wrong here.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein...10% (min)
Crude Fat......3.0% (min)
Crude Fiber....1.0% (max)
Moisture......16.0% (max)
Omega 3*......0.15% (min)
Omega 6*......0.40% (min)
Pretty typical of this sort of treat.
The salmon variety sure smell strong when first opened. The smell gets on everything too, so if you stash treats in your pocket like me you might want to put these in a small bag first. They are able to be cut into smaller pieces, about 6 or so for training and smaller dogs. They do get mushy when warm and stick to stuff so again put them in a bag if you stick them in your pocket. They will dry out if they are left out though, so if you let them dry for a bit they won't stick anymore.
Conker really liked these. These are what taught him how to wait and sit. My biggest issue with these treats are that they are made in China. Yes, I'm one of those people who tries to avoid stuff from China BUT they have limited, good ingredients and were loved by every dog I gave one to.
Ingredients: salmon, sweet potatoes, cod, cane sugar, glycerin, salt, potassium sorbate, mixed tocopherols (vitamin e).
Simple, not too many, good ingredients for the most part. Cane sugar isn't really needed but other than that, I can't find much wrong here.
Guaranteed Analysis:
Crude Protein...10% (min)
Crude Fat......3.0% (min)
Crude Fiber....1.0% (max)
Moisture......16.0% (max)
Omega 3*......0.15% (min)
Omega 6*......0.40% (min)
Pretty typical of this sort of treat.
The salmon variety sure smell strong when first opened. The smell gets on everything too, so if you stash treats in your pocket like me you might want to put these in a small bag first. They are able to be cut into smaller pieces, about 6 or so for training and smaller dogs. They do get mushy when warm and stick to stuff so again put them in a bag if you stick them in your pocket. They will dry out if they are left out though, so if you let them dry for a bit they won't stick anymore.
Conker really liked these. These are what taught him how to wait and sit. My biggest issue with these treats are that they are made in China. Yes, I'm one of those people who tries to avoid stuff from China BUT they have limited, good ingredients and were loved by every dog I gave one to.
Monday, August 15, 2011
Sasha's Progress
Sasha is down to 55 pounds! She is looking very good now compared to when I moved back in. She was at about 70 so she's dropped 15 pounds on her new diet!
Here are some "before" shots of Sasha.
And this is Sasha now!
It's somewhat hard in these photos but you can see Sasha's waist and can differentiate her chest from it. When I first moved in she was a big thick log. Not now, she's got a nice hourglass figure coming round. She could stand to lose a couple more pounds to be at a completely ideal weight. She's still got a bit much fat on her ribs and chest.
It's funny, people who haven't come over in a while notice Sasha's weight loss. I'm glad she's at a much heather weight now. I'll have to try to get some better pictures of her.
Here are some "before" shots of Sasha.
 |
| Hardish to see but she has no waist in this shot. |
 |
| Almost no tuck. |
 | ||
| Still almost no waist, and this was a month into the diet. |
 |
| Taken a couple weeks ago. |
 |
| Taken a couple days ago. |
It's funny, people who haven't come over in a while notice Sasha's weight loss. I'm glad she's at a much heather weight now. I'll have to try to get some better pictures of her.
Hydro Bowl
I was given a Hydro Bowl for Christmas last year. I've used it quite a bit since then and find it to be a good thing to have when out and about with a dog.
It can hold up to 5 cups of water so it can be used with large dogs. It folds up when not in use and is easy to carry around. Since I wear cargo shorts often I can put it in a pocket if I don't have a pack with me. It will also easily fit into any standard pocket on men's shorts and pants.
The bowl closes with a snap that can he hooked around a strap but I don't do this since I tend to rub against things and I don't want it to open and drop off my pack. But the snap on mine is pretty strong so I don't think that would happen with normal use.
The bowl is made of thick plastic so you don't need to worry about it springing a leak if you set it on the ground. It does tend to not want to stay open but since it's soft it can be molded in place. The more water in it the better it stays up.
It dries quickly after the water is used or dumped out so you won't get water all over everything in your pack when you put it away.
So far mine has held up to being used like a fetch toy, a game of tug, being put into and taken out of a pack or pocket countless times and has yet to show any signs of wear. It seems to be built pretty well for what it is and can be used for food as well as water.
It can hold up to 5 cups of water so it can be used with large dogs. It folds up when not in use and is easy to carry around. Since I wear cargo shorts often I can put it in a pocket if I don't have a pack with me. It will also easily fit into any standard pocket on men's shorts and pants.
The bowl closes with a snap that can he hooked around a strap but I don't do this since I tend to rub against things and I don't want it to open and drop off my pack. But the snap on mine is pretty strong so I don't think that would happen with normal use.
It dries quickly after the water is used or dumped out so you won't get water all over everything in your pack when you put it away.
So far mine has held up to being used like a fetch toy, a game of tug, being put into and taken out of a pack or pocket countless times and has yet to show any signs of wear. It seems to be built pretty well for what it is and can be used for food as well as water.
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Dollar Hill Hike
Haven't been to the Hill in a while and today was unusually cloudy so I grabbed Conker and went hiking. The poison oak rash is just a mass of flaky itch now and doesn't bug me enough to prevent me from hiking anymore.
I am again out of shape and have decided I'm going to kick myself if I don't get out and hike or walk for at least five miles every day.
Anyways, we ran into something I haven't seen on Dollar hill before. Mountain bikers! The trail strikes me as immensely steep and gouged for that (very washed out in a lot of places) but these guys looked like they knew what they were doing.
The first one was on the rockstop just below the top of the hill. Conker saw him first and went all beserk on him, standing stiffly and baying at him. Since I didn't know he was up there Conker was unleashed but he didn't move after he saw the guy so I was able to get him and leash up as we passed. The second biker passed us on the way down. He was polite enough to announce his presence so I could grab Conker and step off the trail for him. I've had a lot of bikers just blast by without a warning. Conker didn't bark at this guy but wanted to chase him so I had to leash him for a couple minutes until he didn't want to chase anymore.
It was supposedly 84 degrees when we went hiking but the slight cloud cover and wind dropped it down enough that it wasn't too hot for either of us.
Conker is turning out to be very reliable off-leash. Sometimes he will stop to sniff and I'll keep going and he will catch right up again. He is also learning to stop and look back to see where I am or wait for me to catch up. I am also starting to feel more comfortable with letting him get out of sight since every time he has stopped and waited or come back to find me. He hasn't run off after any of the critters we've seen and when there are people he barks instead of running.
I am again out of shape and have decided I'm going to kick myself if I don't get out and hike or walk for at least five miles every day.
Anyways, we ran into something I haven't seen on Dollar hill before. Mountain bikers! The trail strikes me as immensely steep and gouged for that (very washed out in a lot of places) but these guys looked like they knew what they were doing.
The first one was on the rockstop just below the top of the hill. Conker saw him first and went all beserk on him, standing stiffly and baying at him. Since I didn't know he was up there Conker was unleashed but he didn't move after he saw the guy so I was able to get him and leash up as we passed. The second biker passed us on the way down. He was polite enough to announce his presence so I could grab Conker and step off the trail for him. I've had a lot of bikers just blast by without a warning. Conker didn't bark at this guy but wanted to chase him so I had to leash him for a couple minutes until he didn't want to chase anymore.
It was supposedly 84 degrees when we went hiking but the slight cloud cover and wind dropped it down enough that it wasn't too hot for either of us.
Conker is turning out to be very reliable off-leash. Sometimes he will stop to sniff and I'll keep going and he will catch right up again. He is also learning to stop and look back to see where I am or wait for me to catch up. I am also starting to feel more comfortable with letting him get out of sight since every time he has stopped and waited or come back to find me. He hasn't run off after any of the critters we've seen and when there are people he barks instead of running.
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Chuckit! High Bounce Ball
I finally got around to getting a non-tennis ball for Juneau to fetch. I got two Chuckit balls for $7.99 at the Grange, not an excellent price but better than everywhere else I've seen.
They come in dark blue light blue, orange or a combo of colors. I picked out dark blue. I wanted a dark and light blue and could have easily switched one of the light blues out of the light blue/orange pack but I don't like doing that so I just left it as is.
This thing is very simple, it's a ball. Take it out of the package and throw it. Or use it with a Chuckit like I did. It does this to your dog.
EDIT: I've had the Chuckit! High Bounce Balls for more than seven months and I have yet to see any wear on them. Juneau knoshes down on them pretty hard but so far they have held up wonderfully.
This thing is very simple, it's a ball. Take it out of the package and throw it. Or use it with a Chuckit like I did. It does this to your dog.
Juneau thinks this new Chuckit ball is the best. ball. ever.
It's much heavier than a normal tennis ball and takes a bit more power to throw but goes much farther and bounces like a sonofagun. I saw Juneau jump the highest I've ever seen today, nearly six feet in the air. Unfortunately she didn't catch the ball and it bounced off her teeth another twenty feet or so. I'm just glad it landed inside the dog park fence, not outside where the evil blackberry bushes are.
This ball does not float so don't use it around water. It's hollow and has a hole through it, probably to make it bounce like mad. So be careful around water if you are near it. The orange or light blue ball you may be able to retrieve but the dark blue, good luck finding that in a river.
Price-wise it's okay. It makes up for that with it's durability. So far it's held up quite well to Juneau's chewing. I'll update this if she ever destroys it.
EDIT: I've had the Chuckit! High Bounce Balls for more than seven months and I have yet to see any wear on them. Juneau knoshes down on them pretty hard but so far they have held up wonderfully.
Friday, August 12, 2011
Sasha's Teeth 2
Sasha's teeth look ever so slightly better. It's been two weeks since I started the PlaqueOff and it may or may not be helping. I brush the dog's teeth every couple days (should be every day but I'm a lazy person) and today they all got beef ribs to munch on. That might have scraped some of the nasty off.
I've begun to go back to the dog park regularly now. I can finally walk normally, the stupid poison oak rash is just an annoyance now. Some of the dog park regulars were wondering where I went and if something had happened to me. One of them was ready to drop a note off on my door asking why I hadn't shown up in a week and a half.
Zuke's Mini Bakes: Chicken N' Cherryz
I have been trying to find treats that Conker can eat that he won't react to, and since other products made by Zuke's have worked in the past I decided to pick up a box of these.
These normally sell for $6.29 at my local pet store. I haven't found them in big box stores.
Edit: I have found these for $5.50 at a small feedstore but most other stores have them at the first price, so the price rating is not affected.
Ingredients: Ground Oats, Rice Bran, Chicken, Cherries, Potatoes, Oat Fiber, Blackstrap Molasses, Oil Blend (sunflower, olive and canola), Natural Vegetable Flavors.
The ingredients are decent. There aren't many common allergy grains but there is chicken, something Conker has reacted to in the past. He also has issues with potatoes but the content is low enough that I figured I'd try them anyways.
I gave Conker only one at first, then two. He does fine with up to three treats a day but anymore and he begins to get loose poop. So for reactive Shibas and dogs this particular flavor combo might not work out. There are two other flavors of Mini Bakes to try.
Despite this these treats are still quite good. The ingredients are better than many treats, there are a lot of treats per box and they can easily be broken in half. For similar kinds of treats these are a good price. You get one pound per box.
Edit: I have found these for $5.50 at a small feedstore but most other stores have them at the first price, so the price rating is not affected.
Ingredients: Ground Oats, Rice Bran, Chicken, Cherries, Potatoes, Oat Fiber, Blackstrap Molasses, Oil Blend (sunflower, olive and canola), Natural Vegetable Flavors.
| Guaranteed Analysis | |
|---|---|
| Protein | not less than 12% |
| Fat | not less than 7% |
| Fiber | not more than 10% |
| Moisture | not more than 30% |
| Calories | Approximately 5 per piece |
The ingredients are decent. There aren't many common allergy grains but there is chicken, something Conker has reacted to in the past. He also has issues with potatoes but the content is low enough that I figured I'd try them anyways.
I gave Conker only one at first, then two. He does fine with up to three treats a day but anymore and he begins to get loose poop. So for reactive Shibas and dogs this particular flavor combo might not work out. There are two other flavors of Mini Bakes to try.
Despite this these treats are still quite good. The ingredients are better than many treats, there are a lot of treats per box and they can easily be broken in half. For similar kinds of treats these are a good price. You get one pound per box.
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
Helping Koda Heal
One of the members of the Nihon Ken forum has a Kai Ken named Koda who went through surgery today. His ordeal at the vets doesn't sound like it went all to well. The surgery was fine but Koda freaked out afterwards. You can read about him here: Helping Koda Heal
I don't really know what else to say, other than I really hope Koda gets well fast with no further injuries, and that I would have a really tough time going through something like that.
I don't really know what else to say, other than I really hope Koda gets well fast with no further injuries, and that I would have a really tough time going through something like that.
Kibble Topper #2
Ran out of Doggie Mush yesterday so I figured I'd make some more today. I didn't make nearly as much as last time, I want to keep the recipes small until I find something that really sticks. I left out the beef, liver and heart his time since I didn't have any that wasn't frozen solid. Instead I added some tuna.
Today's much consisted of:
1 1/2 cup oats (uncooked, about 3 cups cooked)
2 eggs
1 can of tuna
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp molasses
The honey and molasses were in there for me at first since I was going to eat the oats but when I remembered I was out of dog mush I decdicated it to them. Honey and molasses, in small amounts, is perfectly fine to give to your dogs.
This is what the result looked like.
Cook the oats in a bit more water than normal (if using honey and/or molasses, add when you put oats in the water), let sit until mushy. Add eggs and tuna, stir, cover and let sit for five or so minutes. Stir once more then serve over or mixed into kibble.
Juneau thought this recipe was the BOMB! She is normally a very slow eater but today she finished her food a couple minutes faster than normal. Juneau is also the main reason why I make this stuff. She needs a LOT more kibble than Sasha and though TOTW is a good kibble, Juneau had begun to lose some weight on it. It was either up the amount of kibble or add something else in so I began to make this crap and she's back to her normal weight now. Juneau gets only about a cup or less in her kibble so it doesn't make up any drastic portion of her diet.
Anyways, this recipe is NOT complete, so don't go feeding your dog just this. There is a lot more that needs to be added and right now I'm just looking for something easy to make that the dogs love. Once I find that I'll work on getting it balanced.
Today's much consisted of:
1 1/2 cup oats (uncooked, about 3 cups cooked)
2 eggs
1 can of tuna
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp molasses
The honey and molasses were in there for me at first since I was going to eat the oats but when I remembered I was out of dog mush I decdicated it to them. Honey and molasses, in small amounts, is perfectly fine to give to your dogs.
This is what the result looked like.
Juneau thought this recipe was the BOMB! She is normally a very slow eater but today she finished her food a couple minutes faster than normal. Juneau is also the main reason why I make this stuff. She needs a LOT more kibble than Sasha and though TOTW is a good kibble, Juneau had begun to lose some weight on it. It was either up the amount of kibble or add something else in so I began to make this crap and she's back to her normal weight now. Juneau gets only about a cup or less in her kibble so it doesn't make up any drastic portion of her diet.
Anyways, this recipe is NOT complete, so don't go feeding your dog just this. There is a lot more that needs to be added and right now I'm just looking for something easy to make that the dogs love. Once I find that I'll work on getting it balanced.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Zuke's Jerky Naturals
These are by far both mine and Conker's favorite treats. They are made by Zuke's, a company located in Durango Colorado. They manufacture their stuff in Colorado as well so if you like made in the U.S.A. then you might like these. They also make treats for cats.
The Jerky Naturals come in three flavors. Lamb, Beef and Salmon. The flavor I use most commonly is the lamb. Conker goes nuts for them and if you've never seen a Shiba drool then you haven't found the right treats.
The ingredients are the same for each flavor except for the first slot being used by whatever flavor that particular treat is.
Ingredients: Lamb, Ground Rice, Ground Oats, Malted Barley, Gelatin, Maple Syrup, Vegetable Glycerin, Fresh Apples, Fresh Carrots, Canola Oil, Ground Flax Seed, Fresh Blueberries, Lecithin, Salt, Phosphoric Acid (a natural acidifier), Sorbic Acid (a preservative).
Since Conker hasn't shown any reactions to these they are deemed safe for mildly reactive Shibas and dogs. They do contain some grains but they are much higher quality than some treats and are wheat, corn and soy free.
The treats are soft and roughly 1 inch square that is easily broken and molded into smaller pieces. I use one treat each day I train Conker since I can cut it into several pieces, sometimes as many as 25. Each bag has about 30 or so treats in it so if you only use one a day or one every few days they should last a while. I have found them for as low as $4.99 a bag and Zuke's has a coupon on their website that they will send to you for $1 off. For this type of treat they have a good price.
Overall these are very good treats. They aren't messy like most dry treats and are easily carried around.
The ingredients are the same for each flavor except for the first slot being used by whatever flavor that particular treat is.
Ingredients: Lamb, Ground Rice, Ground Oats, Malted Barley, Gelatin, Maple Syrup, Vegetable Glycerin, Fresh Apples, Fresh Carrots, Canola Oil, Ground Flax Seed, Fresh Blueberries, Lecithin, Salt, Phosphoric Acid (a natural acidifier), Sorbic Acid (a preservative).
| Guaranteed Analysis – Lamb | |
|---|---|
| Protein | not less than 10% |
| Fat | not less than 8% |
| Fiber | not more than 3% |
| Moisture | not more than 30% |
| Calories | Approximately 22 per piece |
Since Conker hasn't shown any reactions to these they are deemed safe for mildly reactive Shibas and dogs. They do contain some grains but they are much higher quality than some treats and are wheat, corn and soy free.
Overall these are very good treats. They aren't messy like most dry treats and are easily carried around.
Sunday, August 7, 2011
Ark Naturals Gentle Digest
When I first began feeding Conker raw food he had frequent bouts of unpredictable poop. This was sometimes remedied by feeding bone-heavy meals but other times I could not get his digestive system to sort itself out. I decided to give a probiotic a try before outright quitting and I am glad I did.
I picked out a probiotic made by Ark Naturals called Gentle Digest since my local petshop had samples that seemed to help Conker out.
Active Ingredients: Bacillus Coagulans (Lactobacillius Sporogenes) and Chicory.
Inactive Ingredients: Dicalcium phosphate, gelatin, magnesium searate and rice flour.
The bottle had 60 capsules that are quite small and very easily hidden in a small chunk of meat, ground meat or a chicken heart. If anything it can be pulled open and sprinkled over the food.
The results were instant. The day Conker had diarrhea I would hold off on his next meal for a couple hours then give him a capsule with the food. The next day's poop would be better or normal than the day before. It really helped him transition to raw and any new foods after that.
My bottle has long since ran out and I switched to a human-grade probiotic. Unfortunately it is nowhere near as good at the Gentle Digest is for Conker. Now I only ever give him probiotics when he gets a new food, has loose poop or eats something he shouldn't have and explodes in the backyard.
Overall Gentle Digest is a good product from my experience. The ingredients are good, the results are quick and it works very well for Conker. It's not the cheapest at around $13 a bottle but if I find it again I'll most likely pick it up.
I picked out a probiotic made by Ark Naturals called Gentle Digest since my local petshop had samples that seemed to help Conker out.
Inactive Ingredients: Dicalcium phosphate, gelatin, magnesium searate and rice flour.
The bottle had 60 capsules that are quite small and very easily hidden in a small chunk of meat, ground meat or a chicken heart. If anything it can be pulled open and sprinkled over the food.
The results were instant. The day Conker had diarrhea I would hold off on his next meal for a couple hours then give him a capsule with the food. The next day's poop would be better or normal than the day before. It really helped him transition to raw and any new foods after that.
My bottle has long since ran out and I switched to a human-grade probiotic. Unfortunately it is nowhere near as good at the Gentle Digest is for Conker. Now I only ever give him probiotics when he gets a new food, has loose poop or eats something he shouldn't have and explodes in the backyard.
Overall Gentle Digest is a good product from my experience. The ingredients are good, the results are quick and it works very well for Conker. It's not the cheapest at around $13 a bottle but if I find it again I'll most likely pick it up.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Trail Fail
So we went to Limpy Creek Waterfall today. We as in Mom, Little-brother + friend, Little-sister + friend, Older-sister + boyfriend and all three dogs. First off, Mom and Little-sister's friend let Sasha and Juneau pull like fucking mad on the leash. Juneau was pulling so hard she was gagging, hacking, barely breathing etc. and Mom didn't think there was an issue.
I tried to explain to her why you shouldn't let her do this but today Mom decided to not to listen.
Plus, if you let Juneau pull even the slightest bit I HAVE TO RETRAIN HER ALL OVER AGAIN! If you can't tell I'm very irate over this.
Anyways, Conker and I hung out at the back of the moron pack and stayed at a small waterfall for bit to let the stupid get ahead of us. I didn't realize that there are like, a fucking million side-trails that all go back to the beginning instead of the waterfall so Conker and I ended back up at the parking lot since I had no idea what trail was the correct one to take. Whatever, I wasn't enjoying the hike anyways (poison oak rash on legs = not fun) and I don't even know why I went in the first place.
So, I plan on going back some other time when no stupid is accompanying me. Maybe just me and Conker, after the damn PO rash is gone. I wanted to see that waterfall and explore the area a bit.
Here's to having a bad day.
I tried to explain to her why you shouldn't let her do this but today Mom decided to not to listen.
Plus, if you let Juneau pull even the slightest bit I HAVE TO RETRAIN HER ALL OVER AGAIN! If you can't tell I'm very irate over this.
Anyways, Conker and I hung out at the back of the moron pack and stayed at a small waterfall for bit to let the stupid get ahead of us. I didn't realize that there are like, a fucking million side-trails that all go back to the beginning instead of the waterfall so Conker and I ended back up at the parking lot since I had no idea what trail was the correct one to take. Whatever, I wasn't enjoying the hike anyways (poison oak rash on legs = not fun) and I don't even know why I went in the first place.
So, I plan on going back some other time when no stupid is accompanying me. Maybe just me and Conker, after the damn PO rash is gone. I wanted to see that waterfall and explore the area a bit.
Today's Meat Mix
I really would like a meat grinder. While Conker has learned how to chew his food a bit he is still a dumbass and tries to swallow giant hunks of things. Plus I've decided that unless he shows otherwise, I just don't want to risk him choking on a piece of meat or whatever.
Tonight I made up 10 days with of food. I magically pulled out just about that much meat from the freezer. I am normally over or under by quite a bit but I was only off by 1/4th of a meal which is easily fixed. Anyways, what I made is this:
This is half of the meat mixture, the rest is in tupperwares. It consists of roughly:
Turkey, 12 ounces
Pork, 10 ounces
Lamb, 6 ounces
Beef trim, 4 ounces
Chicken hearts, 8 ounces
Canned salmon and mackerel, 8 ounces
Liver and kidney, 7-8 ounces
Eggs, 2
Turkey bone, 8 ounces
Not "perfect" but it works. Juneau enjoyed the bits of canned fish I gave her and since Conker loves sardines I don't think he'll object to the salmon and mackerel.
So, can you see why I'd like a meat grinder? Chopping all that meat into non-choking sized pieces takes a while, plus none of the bone is actually chopped. It still needs to be crunched.
Here is Conker's food packaged into 2 day portions. I did have a lot of leftover canned fish but I expected that and stuck the rest in the freezer. Sasha really wanted it though. I kept the "water" from the cans and will pour a bit over the dog's food tomorrow.
Tonight I made up 10 days with of food. I magically pulled out just about that much meat from the freezer. I am normally over or under by quite a bit but I was only off by 1/4th of a meal which is easily fixed. Anyways, what I made is this:
Turkey, 12 ounces
Pork, 10 ounces
Lamb, 6 ounces
Beef trim, 4 ounces
Chicken hearts, 8 ounces
Canned salmon and mackerel, 8 ounces
Liver and kidney, 7-8 ounces
Eggs, 2
Turkey bone, 8 ounces
Not "perfect" but it works. Juneau enjoyed the bits of canned fish I gave her and since Conker loves sardines I don't think he'll object to the salmon and mackerel.
So, can you see why I'd like a meat grinder? Chopping all that meat into non-choking sized pieces takes a while, plus none of the bone is actually chopped. It still needs to be crunched.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Solid Gold: Green Cow
I have been wanting to try out some tripe for a short while. But I haven't been able to find any except for some made by Solid Gold at Petco. I figured I was most likely only going to be buying it once so I went ahead and purchased a $2.99 can there.
Edit: I have found this for $1.69 at the Grange and $1.99 at Rays.
The label is kinda cheesy looking but hey, it's dog food.
Ingredients: Green Beef Tripe, Beef Broth, Potatoes, Potassium Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Garlic, Choline Chloride, dl-methionine, A-Tocopherol, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Calcium Panthothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Vitamin D Supplement, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Selenomethionine, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein, Min 10%
Fat, Min 2.5%
Fiber, Max 1.5%
Moisture, Max 82%
485 kcal / 13.2 oz can
Okay, so it's not what I really wanted. Since it's a complete food I guess they needed to add a bunch of crap instead of just the tripe and one or two other things. But again it's the only tripe that I've been able to find here so far. Anywho, broth and potatoes are up high on the list so there really isn't too much real stuff in there.
When opened it looks and smells like... a can of dog food. I was immensely disappointed when I saw this. I was expecting it to look something like the tripe on this site. I was also thrown off by the chunks of potato that were scattered in the gross after I dumped it into Juneau's bowl.
It looked a bit greener after I added some kibble and Doggie Mush to the bowl and gave it a good stir. Conker did not get any of this, just Juneau and Sasha. They both thought it was great though, but I won't be buying it again unless I can find it for $1.
I am still on the lookout for the brand Tripett. It's supposedly able to be found at the MPM down the street from my house, the Grange and another feedstore I have yet to visit but every time I go into the stores they don't have it. I think tomorrow, if I don't buy something else before then, I'm going to hit up as many of the other pet shops around here that I haven't gone to yet. Most of them are grooming shops, that's why I haven't visited them.
In other news...
I haven't walked any of the dogs for at least 5 days. No actual walks. Just visits to the petstores for Conker. And it's beginning to show with him. He is immensely whiny, wants to play all the time and has insane bouts of running around like mad. The reason for this? I've apparently got poison oak oil (not related to the first time I "met" it) behind my knees and down from my butt all the way to my knee on the back of my right leg. It's insanely painful to walk with that so the poor dogs have been suffering because of my stupid dilemma. I have no honest idea how the hell that crap got there. The first time I got into poison oak it didn't even touch those areas. I'm really confused.
Edit: I have found this for $1.69 at the Grange and $1.99 at Rays.
Ingredients: Green Beef Tripe, Beef Broth, Potatoes, Potassium Chloride, Dicalcium Phosphate, Garlic, Choline Chloride, dl-methionine, A-Tocopherol, Vitamin E Supplement, Zinc Amino Acid Complex, Iron Amino Acid Complex, Copper Amino Acid Complex, Manganese Amino Acid Complex, Calcium Panthothenate, Vitamin A Acetate, Niacin, Vitamin D Supplement, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Ethylenediamine Dihydriodide, Selenomethionine, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Biotin, Thiamine Mononitrate
Guaranteed Analysis
Protein, Min 10%
Fat, Min 2.5%
Fiber, Max 1.5%
Moisture, Max 82%
485 kcal / 13.2 oz can
Okay, so it's not what I really wanted. Since it's a complete food I guess they needed to add a bunch of crap instead of just the tripe and one or two other things. But again it's the only tripe that I've been able to find here so far. Anywho, broth and potatoes are up high on the list so there really isn't too much real stuff in there.
I am still on the lookout for the brand Tripett. It's supposedly able to be found at the MPM down the street from my house, the Grange and another feedstore I have yet to visit but every time I go into the stores they don't have it. I think tomorrow, if I don't buy something else before then, I'm going to hit up as many of the other pet shops around here that I haven't gone to yet. Most of them are grooming shops, that's why I haven't visited them.
In other news...
I haven't walked any of the dogs for at least 5 days. No actual walks. Just visits to the petstores for Conker. And it's beginning to show with him. He is immensely whiny, wants to play all the time and has insane bouts of running around like mad. The reason for this? I've apparently got poison oak oil (not related to the first time I "met" it) behind my knees and down from my butt all the way to my knee on the back of my right leg. It's insanely painful to walk with that so the poor dogs have been suffering because of my stupid dilemma. I have no honest idea how the hell that crap got there. The first time I got into poison oak it didn't even touch those areas. I'm really confused.
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
I have finally found some chicory root. It's taken a long long time to find it. For some reason I never bothered to check the herb shop downtown until today.
Anyways, I bought one ounce of raw dried chicory root to experiment with.
It came coarsely ground with some large and some almost powdered pieces. I separated the smaller stuff from the larger stuff so I could start using it without having to get a coffee grinder.
I will begin the chicory experiment with Conker tomorrow.
Conker is again refusing to eat food. He flat-out refused to eat his food the day before yesterday when I offered it at the normal time but ate it at dinner and today ate everything but the turkey neck chunk. I'm not going to put up with that so if he doesn't want to eat when he gets up he aint gonna and will have to wait until the afternoon/evening when the Girls eat.
Anyways, I bought one ounce of raw dried chicory root to experiment with.
I will begin the chicory experiment with Conker tomorrow.
Conker is again refusing to eat food. He flat-out refused to eat his food the day before yesterday when I offered it at the normal time but ate it at dinner and today ate everything but the turkey neck chunk. I'm not going to put up with that so if he doesn't want to eat when he gets up he aint gonna and will have to wait until the afternoon/evening when the Girls eat.
Doggie Mush
So we had this hunk of steak (1 pound 8 ounces) that I didn't find sitting in the fridge until today. Mom said I could have it, as in give it to the dogs, so I decided to come up with a mixture including the slightly old steak that all three dogs could enjoy.
I didn't want to feed the steak completely raw or as a single meal. I chopped it into small pieces and par-boiled it, not completely but not fully raw anymore. This steak wasn't gone, I would have eaten it, but it made Mom feel better about giving to the pups if I cooked it somewhat first.
So I did that then made up a small pot of oats (so far Conker approved), mixed them together then thought: "What else can I add?" So I cracked a couple eggs into it, emptied a can of sardines in, added a bit if finely chopped raw liver an heart and mixed it up all real good.
It looks like this.
Yumm... I'd made way more than I'd first thought but oh well, I've got three dogs who like odd crap like this.
I gave each of them a spoonful (Juneau got considerably more than Sasha or Conker) and it was an instant hit! Sasha, like usual, was done first with Conker in second and Juneau third, taking her time cleaning her bowl then Sasha and even Conker's bowls of any mushy residue.
This isn't meant to be fed as an entire meal since It's not really complete. I did put a small bit of ground eggshell in there but not enough for it to really count, plus it is missing a couple other vitamins and stuff. Anyways, it's going to be used as a snack and kibble topper mainly for Juneau since I don't want to give too much to Conker who is a solid but borderline chubby Shiba or Sasha who is still fat.
I had a lot of fun making this and plan on making several more snacks/kibble toppers and even complete meals for the dogs in the near-future.
I didn't want to feed the steak completely raw or as a single meal. I chopped it into small pieces and par-boiled it, not completely but not fully raw anymore. This steak wasn't gone, I would have eaten it, but it made Mom feel better about giving to the pups if I cooked it somewhat first.
So I did that then made up a small pot of oats (so far Conker approved), mixed them together then thought: "What else can I add?" So I cracked a couple eggs into it, emptied a can of sardines in, added a bit if finely chopped raw liver an heart and mixed it up all real good.
It looks like this.
I gave each of them a spoonful (Juneau got considerably more than Sasha or Conker) and it was an instant hit! Sasha, like usual, was done first with Conker in second and Juneau third, taking her time cleaning her bowl then Sasha and even Conker's bowls of any mushy residue.
This isn't meant to be fed as an entire meal since It's not really complete. I did put a small bit of ground eggshell in there but not enough for it to really count, plus it is missing a couple other vitamins and stuff. Anyways, it's going to be used as a snack and kibble topper mainly for Juneau since I don't want to give too much to Conker who is a solid but borderline chubby Shiba or Sasha who is still fat.
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