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Dogs are awesome companions. They get us up off the couch and enjoying the outdoors, they cheer us up, help us out and improve the quality of our life. In return, all they want is TLC and healthy food & snacks. That's not too muck to ask, is it? 

I was instantly sold when I read about these made in Canada dog treats, "...the benefit of treat giving with the ultimate peace of mind." Perhaps this statement from BioSnax regarding their functional and healthy treats for dogs resonated with me as that is how I feel about feeding myself and my family. Frankly, it shouldn't be anything but the same for our canine family members, should it?

According to Patricia and Nick Grillo, co-founders of Northern Biscuit Bakery, it started with a bag of Canadian flour, fresh beef liver and a real picky dog. They soon discovered that tasty and healthy treats begin with fresh and simple ingredients. They are passionate about finding the freshest ingredients supplied from local mills, growers and suppliers. This company is also committed to their community in another way: they work with their local Community Living Ontario to employ intellectually disabled people to affix the labels onto the bags.

I was the lucky one to receive some samples and even though I have not had a dog in my family for sometime now, I couldn't resist the opportunity to go far and wide to visit with some new and old puppy friends.

Merf is a lab cross who used to be my pup once upon a time. Now she lives happily on a big ol' farm in southern Manitoba with a great family. She chases rabbits, visits neighbors, receives lots of love and hangs out in the shop with the guys. We brought Merf a bag of BioSnax's Shiny Coat, which contains the omega fats from both flax and chia seeds to aid with dry skin and promote a silky smooth coat. I made the mistake of giving the bag of treats to my girls and before I knew it, Merf had eaten the better part of the bag of treats! Probably not a bad thing for a dog who enjoys spending a lot of time out doors in these cold dry winters.

This is Benny and he is a middle-aged city pug. Benny enjoys bones from the butcher, barking at dogs through the window, visiting his beagle cousin and hanging out with his human. I sent Benny the Fresh Breath BioSnax treats a combination that contains parsley, myrtle and Atlantic kelp all of which help with freshing breath, detoxifying and getting rid of bacteria. Benny sniffed and nudged the treat but to no avail, he was simply not interested. I guess we can't win them all, maybe future tries will change Benny's mind.

This is Aksel and he's just an awesome northern elkhound lab cross pup. He is quite affectionate, will jump all over you, adores running and if you open the door he will be gone in a flash! Aksel needed a little Zen in his life so I brought him the Calm treats from Biosnax. Calm is filled with chamomile to soothe as well as the amino acid trypotphan found in turkey. Aksel's human sent me a message stating Aksel loved the treats. He also said that he noticed the calming effect it had on Aksel and will be looking for the product the next time he is at the pet store.

The final bag from BioSnax is the hip and joint treats. This treat features New Zealand green lipped mussels tart cherries and glucosamine all to help build cartilage, reduce inflammation and ease the effects of arthritis. I thought of giving the final bag away to another dog, but l couldn't help but keep it. You see, I keep a few in my bag and when I come across a pup I pull out the treats and the information to share with the owner and pup. I mean, how could I not tell everyone about this great Canadian-made treat from a great Canadian company! 

What kind of treats do you give your dog?

Image credits: Northern Biscuits Bakery, willowcat, Benny's human, Aksel's human

Animals are great companions, guardians and friends. We want the best for them, and we want to spoil them a little over the Holidays. Here's a few gift ideas made in Canada for the furry friends in your life!

1) Holistic dog biscuits slow baked in Ontario with fresh, food-grade meats and vegetables sourced from Canadian growers. Comes in a variety of great flavours including Turkey-Cranberry! ($ 7.99):

2) Essentia Natural Memory Foam Luxury Dog Bed made in Quebec ($ 189.00):

3) How about some bling for that sophisticated feline in your life? Mouse and cheese sterling silver charm made in B.C.             ($ 99.90):

4) Most dogs LOVE water, but it's sometimes hard to keep them safe and within reach. Get peace of mind with this doggy safety vest made in Ontario ($ 79.95):

5) Making natural eco-friendly pet products has never been this easy! A great DIY project to do with the kids, made in Quebec    ($ 12.95):

So go ahead and spoil your pets this Christmas. After all, they're family!

All of my cats have been found treasures in Manitoba, although my dog found me in Wyoming. I have a habit of gathering strays. My latest little vagabond is my Mr. Mitty Kleeberger (after the Canadian lumberjack of rugby Adam Kleeberger ). He was howling in the halls of my apartment block on a rainy October night. I opened my door and gathered him up, I was rewarded with kitty smooches and great big cuddles from a wee little kitten. I knew I was going to keep him from that moment.

Bringing a new pet home isn't a decision one should take lightly. You have to begin by assessing if you are considering the right pet for your family. Some considerations are your family's schedule, activity levels and budget. Do you have a large yard and do you have children? These questions can help you decide the best pet that will fit your family's lifestyle.

Be sure to prepare your new pet's supplies, such as a brand new collar and leash like these leather dog collars  from Buy Canadian First member Roots, prior to bringing her home. Have other necessities prepared such as grooming tools, treats and pet foods like these Canadian-made varieties from Buy Canadian fisrt members Acana , Oven-baked tradition  and Orijen . Finally, for comfort, your new pet may enjoy a great new nap hut from our member Cascades Boutique . 

Having a pet is a delight! Please be sure to have your pets spayed or neutered!

What kind of pet do you have at home? 

 Image source: Andrea Willowcat, Buy Canadian First members Roots and Cascade boutique

It has been just over one month since we brought home our latest addition. A few days before Christmas we added a third dog to our family. We live in the country, so having big dogs is not an issue. All of our dogs are large breed dogs. They are extremely friendly and I love them.  I am happy to share with you my dogs as I write about dog items made-in-Canada.  

When we first brought our black Lab puppy home, my husband instantly bonded with him. I thought for sure that Earl (our dog is named Earl) was his dog. Well, over the last month, I think that he has become mine. We all love him and our youngest thinks he is a toy. We often need to tell her to be gentle. But when Earl gets a chance, he will jump up on my lap or in my bed. These are two habits I want to break him of as he gets bigger.  Our older dogs have large, thick blankets that they lay on. I am thinking about finding Earl a dog bed similar to the Essentia Natural Memory Foam. Then he can be comfy, feel like he is on the bed, yet still not in my bed.  I do not mind spoiling my dogs, but my bed is MY BED. 

I would rather spoil them with treats like  Oven Baked Tradition Pet Food . We actually have a friend who makes dog treats. they look like Timbits and my dogs love them. The kids thought they were for them and tried to eat one.  Quality food is important to maintain good health in our pets. We also give them lots of exercise.  Having a good quality, strong leash is important. My oldest Lab likes to wiggle his way out of his collar often, but when he sees his leash he comes running back. I guess the excitement of going for a walk is better than running off on his own :) Have you seen the Roots leashes ? They are really nice looking. I think they would be the perfect size for my pup. 

 I am also a Macaw owner :) This is our bird, Blu. We rescued him a few months back. He is a very curious little guy.

Are you a pet owner? Are you a cat person or dog person?

Written by Gingermommy

:: images courtesy of Gingermommy

Our dog, Noke, (Princess Mononoke Armstrong Gibson) will eat anything she comes across outside, if it is yucky enough. She is a twelve year old, made in Canada  Shepherd-cross with an indiscriminating palette, to say the least! Inside, though, she is the last to start eating when meals are served. She is forever concerned that Bobby, our eight year old, blind Aussie Shepherd, has better food, different food, more food,  and likes to wait until he is finished so that she can go up and lick out his bowl before starting on her own meal.

She also gets very itchy if she eats certain types of dog food, and she is prone to weight gain. I really have to keep an eye on her, to make sure that she is eating what she should and not just what she wants. Her adorable idiosyncrasies make her a delightful part of our family! 

Bobby doesn't like dry food and prefers his wet food to be 'cuts' and 'chunks' rather than 'pate', and he, like Noke, gets a shot of glucosamine in his supper bowl every evening, to keep his stiffening joints limber. 

Then there is the cat. My dear cat, Aries, friend and companion for fifteen and a half years, has developed a kidney condition, as do many older cats. This is something that silently creeps up on a cat until, before you know it, he is weak, dehydrated and near death! Cats and dogs tend to hide their illnesses for as long as possible. As a matter of fact, two weeks before we took Aries in under somewhat emergency circumstances, he had received a clean bill of health at the vet! None of us suspected that his kidneys were diminishing in any way at that time. The only clue was a slight weight loss that the vet thought might have been a result of worms. So be aware!

I am thrilled to say that Aries is out of the woods and gaining weight every day. His new food is for cats like him who have diminished kidney ability. I feed him small bits often, and stand there while he eats, to make sure that he is getting enough. I also add water to the wet food, as this really helps his kidneys to work. 

Good food really is the preventative key when it comes to healthy pet family members. You know that I would prefer to buy pet food made in Canada because I think that, aside from helping our economy, the food is fresher and takes less toll on the environment to get here, so I took a look at the dog and cat food in the house. We shop at No Frills and, for the most part, I swear by President's Choice and No Name products. I was so happy to see that the No Name and PC canned dog food our pooches get are made in Canada! But the Meow Mix Market Select that Aries was getting is made in Thailand by Del Monte Pet Products. He now eats vet recommended Medi-Cal Reduced Protein. Apparently, this is made for Royal Canin Canada Company by Mars Petcare USA. Not quite what I had in mind, so I checked out the Buy Canadian First catalogue of members and found ACANA , an Alberta company, that makes pet food and Oven-Baked Tradition , another pet food company, based in Quebec. Both are sold in pet stores near us so I'll be sure to check them out!

Remember to watch your pets for changes in their behaviour, keep them supplied with fresh water and feed them the best food that you can. This will save you money down the road, believe me and keep you surrounded by love for as long as possible!

Where does your pet food come from?

:: images courtesy of Buy Canadian First members and Wendy Gibson. 

Each season offers pet owners new challenges, but nothing like the challenges that Spring brings! For better or worse, our pets will be spending a lot more time outside in the coming months! So let's take good care of them.

 

Hello again and welcome to the fourth installment of our series on filling stockings with Canadian-made gifts on a budget. And what better place to shop than at the modern version of the 5 and dime: Dollarama!

On Monday we took care of the kids, on Tuesday it was Mom's turn, on Wednesday we shopped for Dad and today we are focusing on our beloved pets:

  
Clockwise from top:

1) PetStore small animal feed mix, made in Canada: $ 1.00
2) Suet for birds, made in Quebec by My Buddy: $ 1.00
3) Just For Me pepperoni dog treats, made in Quebec by Bio-Biscuit: $ 1.00
4) PetStore chicken dinner for cats, made in Canada: $ 1.00
5) Pedigree DentaStix for dogs, made in Ontario by Mars Canada: $ 2.00
6) REX dog treats (pigs ears), made in Quebec by Les Produits Bellerive: $ 1.00

Total cost (before taxes): $ 7.00

And of course a good belly scratch is free and will go a long way to make your furry friends feel Merry & Bright!

Stay tuned for the last installment tomorrow!

Image courtesy of Isabelle Remy

 

  

 

 

Official website:  Oven-Baked Tradition

:: images courtesy Oven-Baked Tradition

As you know from reading my previous posts, we have a German Shepherd mix, named Noke, a purebred, blind, Aussie Shepherd named Bobby and a lilac-point Siamese, named Aries. Now that Spring is here, there are lots of things to be done to get the pets ready for the season!

As always, the most important thing to remember is that it is getting warmer and warmer. That means no more leaving the dog in the car, even for a few moments, even with the windows down!  And don't play frisbee, or even go for a walk, at the hottest time of the day either! Save playtime for when it is cooler.  Make sure that your dog has lots of fresh water and plenty of shade to relax in, at all times, especially if he likes to be outdoors all day, like our Bobby.

We are very fortunate to have a back yard to let the dogs out into. If you have one too, be sure to use only pet safe plant and lawn care products. Make sure that sharp gardening tools are put away when the dogs come out to play! Keep them inside when you mow the grass!

The mosquitos are coming, the mosquitos are coming! Prevention of heartworm is the best treatment, so get your dogs' their vet appointments early! It's the perfect time for their yearly check-up and updates of their shots. Ticks and fleas affect all our pets, so we take our indoors cat in now, too. Because he doesn't spend much time outside, there is less to do to get him ready but if you have an outdoors cat, now is the time to get them their check-ups and, perhaps, new bells for them to wear on their collars! 

With the heat and burrs to come, get your long-haired dog their Spring trim, to keep them cooler and make getting the burrs and foxtails out of their coats. We love to take our dogs through the bird sanctuary near us and we are always careful to check them after. Foxtails can be very, very hazardous to your dog so really look carefully. Our dog Noke loves to push through the grass and we make a point of looking in her ears, because she often gets foxtails caught there.

Like to barbeque in the back yard? Make sure that your doggies can't get burned or scalded by keeping them at a safe distance. Those yummy smells can make even the best trained dog to forget their good manners!

We live near the water and love to boat. If you and your dog do too, remember to make sure that Fido has his life jacket on at all times! 

                 Dog Collars from Roots Canada

Spring is also a great time to make sure that your dog's leashes and collars are still in good shape. Sometimes a strong, well-made leash is all that is keeping your dog out of trouble!

What do you do to get your dogs and cats ready for Spring?

Image sources: Wendy Gibson, BuyCanadianFirst.ca