Postings by Hazel

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Hazel Noise Police     Barked: Mon Feb 4, '13 5:42pm PST  It depends on your needs. If you NEED grain-free due to allergies, and you can't afford TOTW, then don't feel bad about feeding this 4Health if it is within your budget. Yes, it has an unnamed fish meal, and some of the protein comes from peas - but it is certainly better than some of the big brands that spend most of their money on lots of clever marketing and use more dubious ingredients. On the other hand, if you do not need grain free, you may find that there is a food with slightly higher protein and no unspecified meat meals that is still within your budget. (Grain-free brands tend to be good quality food with higher protein (there are exceptions, however), but potato and peas are still carbs and, in my opinion, probably no better than brown rice or alfalfa for a dog that has no allergies.) Browse through DogFoodAdvisor.com for high-quality foods and then check their prices. For example, there is Whole Earth Farms, Diamond Naturals, Canidae, and others. And, as some people said, sometimes you can get good deals online. Check with your local vendor to see whether they offer sales or loyalty rewards, too. my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Hazel Noise Police     Barked: Sun Feb 3, '13 8:31am PST  Resurrecting this motivational thread ... I just finished making my batch of Kong stuffing for the week: sweet potatoes, tilapia, and eggs. I always fill ~2/3 with kibble, fill the rest with stuffing, and freeze. my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Dog Health > How Cold is Too Cold to Walk?

Hazel Noise Police     Barked: Fri Dec 28, '12 5:58pm PST  You have to watch the dog to see whether they're comfortable. Hazel, for example, will happily go on 30 minute walks in the 30s or even 20s, without any sign of discomfort. But if it's windy, her ears are back and she doesn't sniff as much - she's more on a mission to do her business and get home. If we get into a cold snap in the teens, then I limit her walks to 10-15 minutes at a time. She doesn't wear booties - she would HATE them - but her feet never look irritated, and she chooses to walk on sidewalks when possible (even though I would think the grass would feel less cold). In sum, pay attention to the dog's signs and modify the walks or dress them accordingly. my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Car anxiety always better on the way home?

Hazel Noise Police     Barked: Wed Dec 12, '12 6:55pm PST  It seems believable to me that a dog could learn the pattern - that car rides usually come in pairs (going away, coming home), and he's more anxious on the first leg of the trip because he doesn't know where he's going. Do you often take him in the car besides trips to the vet? Hazel used to have car anxiety - she would salivate as soon as she got in the car, and vomit within 30 minutes. She developed all that anxiety from one bad trip where she happened to get sick from all the stop-and-go traffic, and she remembered it! What eventually solved it was many short trips (sub-vomit distance) to a pet supply store where she got lots of attention and treats. Now she looks forward to car rides. Maybe that will work for Bunny - make sure he doesn't associate car rides exclusively with vet appointments. my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Food & Nutrition > How do I unspoil my boys?

Hazel Noise Police     Barked: Fri Dec 7, '12 5:04pm PST  Hucky, you can very easily and cheaply make a sodium-free broth for them. I know you're trying to wean them off the homecooked in part because you're tired of cooking - but broth is sooo easy, it's almost effortless. Just buy some cheap bones (beef marrow bones, pork necks bones, whatever is cheap), throw them in a pot of water, and boil for a few hours. You can make a big pot of broth and freeze some for later use. my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Hazel Noise Police     Barked: Wed Dec 5, '12 8:14pm PST  Thanks for the ideas. We made some treat dispensing toys by cutting holes into old plastic containers (gallon milk jug and a large yogurt container). They work just as well as the Twist N Treat, Nibble Kibble, etc. that we already had, in fact, I think she likes them better because they're so big and fun to kick around! Now I'm going to keep my eye out for other things around the house that can be used as interactive toys. Also, she has finally graduated to eating frozen Kongs while we're gone - she would never do that before starting anti-anxiety medication (too anxious to put in that level of effort, apparently). Now we're able to stretch her morning meal out to 30-60 minutes. my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Behavior & Training > Separation Anxiety in new dog

Hazel Noise Police     Barked: Tue Dec 4, '12 4:38pm PST  I would treat him as if separation anxiety may be developing - it really can't hurt to teach the dog some independence and calmness. Has he been left alone at all yet? For now, you could simply start by having him eat from treat-dispensing toys (like stuffed Kongs - read about ideas in the Food & Nutrition forum; also interactive toys that require play, like the Kong Wobbler or Premier Twist N Treat) as you practice leaving him behind the gate. The food will give him something to look forward to when you leave, and he will also learn to entertain himself with those toys. my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Dog Health > Frontline Ineffective?

Hazel Noise Police     Barked: Wed Nov 28, '12 5:11pm PST  I do think that Frontline is losing some effectiveness against fleas, as I know of a handful of people who had their pets on Frontline and ended up with fleas - more fleas than could plausibly have just jumped on them in the yard (i.e. they were living and/or breeding on the animals). With that in mind, I switched Hazel to Advantix II. It was definitely effective, but we stopped using it because it is supposed to be applied in 3 spots down the dog's back (unlike Frontline, which is applied in 1 spot between the shoulders), and Hazel was able to reach/lick the lower spot midway down her back. Other than that, she didn't have any major skin irritation - but I'm not comfortable with her ingesting it. So now we're back to Frontline, because at least it will take care of ticks (and thankfully we never got fleas). But if your dog isn't so hyperflexible, I'd suggest giving Advantix a try. Frontline will not repel ticks, it will only kill them when they bite. If you find engorged ticks on your Frontline-treated animals, that would be something to worry about. my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Food & Nutrition > Looking for long-lasting meal/treat ideas

Hazel Noise Police     Barked: Sun Nov 25, '12 6:26pm PST  Hi pups, it's been awhile since I posted here. I'm looking for some fresh ideas to stretch Hazel's meals out as long as possible, as part of her separation anxiety treatment. She does have a Kong, but if I make it too difficult, it just becomes frustrating and she gives up. One thing that has worked well is to put some sticky food into a tupperware container so she has to lick and lick to get it clean - runny fried egg yolks, and peanut butter. She also likes to lick a frozen block of broth. Anybody have more ideas for foods that will take a long time to lick clean? We've also got bully sticks (but she won't eat them when we're gone; too much work, apparently ) and pig ears. She also has several treat-dispensing toys; although though I'd like to add to the repertoire, I need some time to save up for them first. In the meantime, what kind of treat-dispensing toys have you made for your dog with low-cost materials? Thanks! my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

Hazel Noise Police     Barked: Sun Nov 25, '12 5:02pm PST  Also, wanted to add this: I'm glad everybody was okay after the turkey neck incident. Knowledge for future trash situations - we of course know that cooked bones are dangerous, but from personal experience with a cooked chicken breast and ribs (dogonnit, Hazel!), it's not a 100% certain trip to the vet if your dog eats cooked bones - especially if you give him space so he's not tempted to gulp, and let him chew it thoroughly. Worst case scenario, dog stomach surgery is probably cheaper than human arm reconstructive surgery. my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become pals [notify]

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