Summertime Safety for Your Pooch

The dog days of summer are fast approaching!  This means a great deal of opportunities for fun in the sun with your fur-baby and all of his friends will be popping up left, right and center (including the often-dreamed-about Summer Vacation). 

Keep your your faithful Fido safe by arming yourself with knowledge about Summer Pet Safety.

Stay cool this summer, and you and your pooch are sure to have a blast!


Keep your tails wagging
Bear's P4ws

My Daisy-Chain Prince

The pleasure of making a daisy chain

...is always worth the trouble of getting up and picking daisies

=)

Keep your tails wagging

Bear's P4ws

RECALL ALERT: Innova, Evo, California Natural, Healthwise, Karma, and Mother Nature Pet Foods and Treats

Natura Pet Products today announced a voluntary recall of several brands of dog, cat, and ferret dry food and treats due to possible Salmonella contamination. The following brands, in all package sizes, lot codes, and UPC numbers with an expiration date prior to June 10, 2014 are effected by this recall.

These products were packaged in a single production facility. During routine FDA testing, a single lot tested positive for the presence of Salmonella. There have been no reports of pet or human illness associated with this product. In an abundance of caution, Natura is voluntarily recalling all products with expiration dates prior to June 10, 2014.

The following items are being recalled:

Innova Dry dog and cat food and biscuits/bars/treats

All Lot Codes, All UPC’s, All package sizes – With expiration dates prior to 6/10/2014

EVO dry dog, cat and ferret food and biscuits/bars/treats

All Lot Codes, All UPC’s, All package sizes – With expiration dates prior to 6/10/2014

California Natural dry dog and cat foods and biscuits/bars/treats

All Lot Codes, All UPC’s, All package sizes – With expiration dates prior to 6/10/2014

Healthwise dry dog and cat foods

All Lot Codes, All UPC’s, All package sizes – With expiration dates prior to 6/10/2014

Karma dry dog foods
All Lot Codes, All UPC’s, All package sizes – With expiration dates prior to 6/10/2014

Mother Nature biscuits/bars/treats
All Lot Codes, All UPC’s, All package sizes – With expiration dates prior to 6/10/2014

Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet

products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces

exposed to these products.

Healthy people infected with Salmonella should monitor themselves for some or all of the following symptoms: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, abdominal cramping and fever. Rarely, Salmonella can result in more serious ailments, including arterial infections, endocarditis, arthritis, muscle pain, eye irritation, and urinary tract symptoms. Consumers exhibiting these signs after having contact with this product should contact their healthcare providers.

Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian.

Consumers who have purchased the specific dry pet foods listed should discard them.

For further information or a product replacement or refund call Natura toll-free at 800-224-6123. (Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM CST).

sourced by Dogington Post

Keep your tails wagging

Bear's P4ws

Super-Easy ( Super-Tasty) Dog Food Bites

If your dog has ever turned up his nose at the prospect of more of the “same old” dog food, these treats are for you.

I've used them to make sure that Bear keeps his weight up during the summer months (he goes through these fast phases during the summer when it’s super-hot outside).

Ingredients

2 cups of your dog’s dry food

1 ¼ cups water

Instructions

>   Start by taking 2 cups of your dog’s regular (everyday) food.

>   Place dry food into a blender or food processor and grind the kibble into a powder (it’ll be a little grainy, but that’s just fine)

>   Pour the powder into a medium sized mixing bowl and add your water

>   Stir until a dough forms (it’ll be slightly sticky)

>   Using a table spoon or small cookie dropper, drop the dog cookies onto an ungreased cookie sheet

>   Bake at 350 for approximately 30 minutes

>   Cook completely before serving.

* Store in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to one week

These treats are a great way to liven up Fido’s food and inspire his appetite.   They’re also great for pooches who are watching their waistlines (so long as treats are given in moderation and do not exceed your dog’s daily requirement for food).

Keep your tails wagging

Bear’s P4ws

Why Take One and Leave the Other?

Each and every year the Ontario SPCA responds to hundreds of reports of pets being left in hot cars. This is incredibly dangerous as a parked car can quickly reach deadly temperatures. 

A dog's normal body temperature is about 39°C and a temperature of 41°C can be withstood only for a very short time before irreparable brain damage or even death can occur. 

The Ontario SPCA needs your help to remind pet owners to NEVER leave a pet alone in a vehicle, even in the shade. Pledge now not to leave your pet in a hot car! 

Your actions today could save the life of an animal tomorrow. Each Pledge will receive a free No Hot Pets window decal in the mail! (While supplies last)

Bear and I have pledged - will you?

Keep your tails wagging
Bear's P4ws

Yummy Peanut Butter Pumpkin Bites

A happy little mouthful of Peanut Butter bliss for your pooch - accented with the healthiness of a sugar-free pumpkin puree and light touch of cinnamon.

These treats have Bear's very enthusiastic approval - he'd eat them all in one sitting if I let him!
=P

Ingredients

>  1/2 14 oz canned pumpkin

>  3 Tbsp peanut butter

>  4 egg whites or 2 whole eggs

>  1/2 tsp salt  (the salt can be left out - I've done it both ways and it doesn't effect Bear's enjoyment in the slightest.  If you're more health conscious, you may choose to omit this ingredient)

>  1/2 tsp cinnamon

>  1/4 to 1/2 cup water

>  3 cups whole wheat flour

Instructions

1) Preheat oven to 350 (convection)

2) Add pumpkin to your eggs (whites), Peanut Butter, salt, cinnamon and water.  Mix together.

3) Now slowly add your 3 cups of whole wheat flour with the mixer on

** NOTE:  You will need to add a little more water to get all the flour incorporated. For me it was another 1/4 cup. This is a very dry dough

4) Place the dough on a cutting surface and cut it into 4 equal pieces. 

5) Roll into logs of 1 inch diameter - you do not need to let this dough rest

6) Cut into 1/2 inch pieces. I got 61 Bear-Bite-sized pieces

7) Prep 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper and distribute the biscuits evenly

8) Bake for 30 minutes for semi hard bites.  You can bake them a little longer if you want some more crunch.  

Store the way you would store most cookies - in a sealed tin, jar or Tupperware container. 

These cookies do not need to be refrigerated.

Enjoy!!

Keep your tails wagging

Bear's P4ws

Park Benches are Awesome.....

for chilling and relaxing.....

....or to keep a lookout while mom  ties her shoes...

=P

Keep your tails wagging

Bear's P4ws

Bear vs. Erwin > the new Arch Nemesis

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Paws and Pooches of the internet,

and all of our loyal Bear’s P4ws readers,

Meet Erwin. 

MY trees! MINE!

Erwin is a lovely and adorable Ontario Red Squirrel who lives in the trees beside our home.  He is happiest when gathering nuts and branches and enjoys warm sunny days and adores feeling the wind rush through his fur when jumping from branch to branch.

Erwin and Bear have never really met.  For the most part, Bear is happy to mind his own business when walking under trees, but lately we’ve hit a bit of a.....stalemate. 

You see, Erwin does not like Bear.  In fact, he spends most of our walks following us through the tree line and will, whenever it suites his fancy, throw twigs down at us as we walk.

Wha?

Bear is, of course, deeply offended by this and would very much like the opportunity to speak with Erwin, nose-to-nose...alas, that will probably never happen, as Erwin does most of his chattering from as high as he can get. 

Poor Bear

=(

(Although our morning walks are much more interesting now.  I don’t even need to use the magic “W” word anymore.  All I have to say to get Bear’s excitement going is “Let’s go see Erwin” and the tail starts to wag furiously.  It’s adorable!)

Keep your tails wagging

Bear’s P4ws

The Everyday Service Dog....

It's incredible to see just how much our dogs really do for us in return for a little tender love and care.
=P


Keep your tails wagging
Bear's P4ws

Dog Park Bliss...

Staying hydrated is super important....

...Bear keeps his water bowl on a bench to avoid getting dust in it from all the romping puppies

=)

Keep your tails wagging

Bear's P4ws

Super Cool Summer Pupsicles!

A great way to keep your pooch cool this summer and help him beat the heat!

Whip up these quick frozen treats for your dog and his puppy pals with food you have on hand. All you need is 5 minutes, a few ingredients, and a freezer.

THE BASICS

1 ripe banana
4 cups orange juice
1/2 cup plain yogurt

Puree all ingredients in a blender —or simply mash the banana by hand and combine with the juice and yogurt— then pour into a Popsicle mold, freeze, and serve to your favorite overheated pooch.

MIX IT UP

Switch up your fruit. Try subbing in:
Blueberries
Strawberries
Peach
Watermelon
Or mix in some peanut butter.

You can also vary the juice you use. Try pineapple juice or apple juice; just check to be sure the juice you use is all-natural and has no added sugar.

BEAR APPROVED

* watermelon, strawberry, pineapple juice, and yogurt

* peanut butter, banana, apple juice, and yogurt

HOW ‘BOUT A SAVORY MIX?

Had barbequed chicken for dinner? Don’t chuck the carcass! Throw it in a large pot, cover with water, and let it simmer for an hour and a half. Cool, then pick the meat off, discarding the bone but keeping the cartilage, meat, and broth. Leftover cooked carrots and/or peas? Mash them up and mix them in! Pour the chicken broth into your Popsicle mold (save whatever’s leftover as a tasty addition to your dog’s next few meals) and freeze.

Your pup will LOVE them. Guaranteed.  

Keep your tails wagging

Bear's P4ws