we're finally getting our chew on: C.E.T. chews for dogs from EntirelyPets

N.A.S.H.A. has been on a chewing hiatus for a few years, but thanks to some awesome new dental chews we just discovered, she's back in the game, which is a great thing, because neither she or I is keen on brushing her teeth as regularly as we should. We received a package of C.E.T Home Dental Care Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Chews for Dogs from EntirelyPets.com, and we were anxious to tear it open. Why was N.A.S.H.A. on a chewing hiatus? My sister and her dogs lived with us for a couple of years, and her otherwise-practically-perfect-in-every-way golden retriever had just one flaw: chewie possessiveness/aggression. We had to remove all bone-like substances from the home in order to prevent WWIII and possible slaughter of all things actively chewing. I had not re-introduced dog chews–until now.

I was hopeful that N.A.S.H.A. would take to these new dog chews right away. She did and didn't. I gave her one, and she immediately hid it (under the shoes in my closet or amongst the "friends" in the littles' animal basket are top hiding places). That's a great sign because she only hides things she loves, but I wanted her teeth to get a workout, so I was disappointed. I pulled the bag out again. Opened it. And took out a second chew.

She started jumping around and licking her chops. She could hide one and have one to consume? She didn't know what to do with herself. But she quickly figured it out.

N.A.S.H.A. made her opinion clear:

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I used C.E.T. Home Dental Care Aquadent Drinking Water Additive a couple of years ago when our Corgi/Chihuahua Kermit, who has since passed, was having some mouth problems and was a bit too far gone for a thorough dental cleaning. I was really pleased with the results, so I felt like I could trust C.E.T. Home Dental Care. But when I looked at the ingredients and noticed "dextrose," a red flag went up. I did some research and found that, as the package stated, it is "a substrate necessary for the Enzyme System," which is a fancy way of saying that it's food for the live enzymes in the product that are helping to clean your dog's teeth as he chews. So don't stress. I've been accused of being overly-concerned about wellness, and I'm okay with it. There are so many benefits to these chews, and canine dental health is so important. Positives include:

• coated with enzymes

• abrasive surface scrubs teeth

• highly palatable poultry flavor

• removes plaque and tartar

• freshens your dog's breath (bonus for us dog-kissers)

The chews are digestible, but, as with any pet treat designed for chewing, you should always supervise your dog to be sure choking does not occur. Also be sure to provide access to plenty of fresh drinking water when your dog is chewing, and always.

We haven't been using the chews long enough to see results in N.A.S.H.A.'s teeth, but almost every review I read on the EntirelyPets Web site stated a remarkable positive difference in dogs' dental health after using them. For now, I'm very happy to see that N.A.S.H.A. is taking to them, finally getting her teeth and gums a good workout. And she's happy to take a satisfied siesta after getting her chew on. Always a sign of something good. The only real negative review I could find was about the inconsistent size of the chews, which, to me, means that they are a natural product that didn't come out of a cookie cutter. That's a good thing, in my book. And isn't variety the spice of life? The chews come in small (for dogs under 11 lbs), medium (11-25 lbs), large(26-50 lbs), and x-large (over 51lbs).

EntirelyPets is a vet-operated online retailer that offers a low-price and safe-shopping guarantee. They have the lowest price on the C.E.T. Home Dental Care Enzyme Oral Hygene Chews I could find and provided me with coupon code "ORASPECIAL" to share for a greater discount, $1.50 off single bags or $5.00 off three- and six-packs. Sweet.

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Disclaimer: This is a sponsored post, written on behalf of BlogPaws Pet Blogger Network and I was provided a supply of C.E.T. Home Dental Care Enzymatic Oral Hygiene Chews for Dogs from EntirelyPets.com in exchange for my honest opinion. 

the luxury of a pet room

Perhaps your kid has grown and moved and left you with an empty nest. Maybe you no longer need a home office since that laptop keeps you mobile. Or maybe you just have the extra space. Would you consider a pet room? Sounds like something for nutty animal freaks, right? Well, most of the people who read my blog are nutty animal freaks, so we're safe.

My clients of nearly two years, Matt and Connie,* have just such a room for their two pooches, Sneakers and Lanie.** When I came for the initial consult, Matt and Connie showed me around the house and presented the pet room. I couldn't initially determine if it was odd or fantastic, but as they explained the room's features and I got to know how down-to-earth they are, I settled on fantastic. And now that I've been working in that pet room on a regular basis for so long, I give it a five-woof rating, and not just because it's a cool luxury.

But it is a cool luxury. Let's go over the features of this particular room:

• laminate wood floor: looks great, wears well, and is super easy to clean

• large crate: the door is always open, but it's a small comforting space that the girls mostly use for toy storage

• toys, and lots of them: naturally

• ample food and water in attractive dishes: a must, as food always tastes better on pretty plates

• two custom potty pads: potty pads are held in place by frames and Matt cut a plastic "netted barrier" to place over the pads so that the girls would stop tearing up the pads. Genius.

• nightlight: to scare away monsters

• protective gate secured with bungee cords: to keep the girls from trying on clothes in the closet

• shelves to support small ammenities: help keep cords and things up and away from the girls' reach for safety reasons. Adds convenience for their caretakers.

• treat jar: because the girls are so good

• disinfecting wipes: for those surfaces that need disinfecting

• hand-vac: conveniently located for light vacuuming needs

• boom-box: so the girls can rock out when they get bored. I've caught them a few times.

• blinds and fan: to keep the girls cool in summer and well ventelated

• two video cameras: so Matt and Connie can see me stroll in like a zombie at 5:00 a.m. in my PJs (that uniform is a perk of being a professional pet sitter). And so they can have fun peeking in on their girls when they aren't home.

• doorway baby gate: Matt removed the door to the room and replaced it with a tall baby gate so the girls can see out

Whether you think it's awesome or you're rolling your eyes, you must know how happy these dogs are while their owners are away. They absolutely love that room! Though they are excited to see me when I arrive and we have a lot of fun together, they are happy as clams to go back in their room when it's time for me to leave, and sometimes, if they are really tired, they'll even spend time in the room while I'm there! The pet room provides them with a sense of security. They have plenty of room and more amenities than most animals I know. Lucky, lucky dogs.

Do you have the luxury of a pet room? I'd love to hear about it. I've one-upped the pet room. I have a multi-room pet house. My pets even allow me to share it with them.

*Names have been changed to protect the innocent from tomato-throwing non-animal-freaks.

**Names have been changed so their canine friends don't make fun of them for being spoiled.

Wordless Wednesday: Happy Harley

 




National Geographic Kids goes totally techy

I grew up with a library of National Geographic magazines in my home, so it's only natural that my jr. pet sitters have a subscription to National Geographic Kids magazine (called National Geographic World back when I had a subscription). We love, love, love reading it together! We'll usually read an article or two after our nightly book-reading ritual so we can savor the magazine all month. Since we've been busy with summer activities and slackin' on the reading a wee bit, we were behind on the last issue. We noticed only a couple of days ago that a few of the articles have a new techy feature that blows my mind. There are now "digital extras" in the form of "bonus videos" that you can watch on your phone. No joke!

All I had to do was download the "free NG Kids Scanner" on my iPhone, scan the picture in question, and up popped a totally awesome video that showed footage of what was described in the article. How crazy cool is that?!

Totally simple instructions...

AND we just received the September issue in the mail today! And it has driving dogs. Enough said.

National Geographic Kids magazine was already awesome, but this adds another level of excitement. I'm happy to say that my littles are already really excited about reading, but this takes the magazine-reading experience to a whole new level. And I imagine it might entice children who don't enjoy reading to give it a try. And, again: driving dogs. Yes.

Wordless Wednesday: Benson Winks