PetSugar

Quick Tip: Carrots for Clean Teeth

PetSugar — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 14:00:01 -0800

In the spirit of National Pet Dental Health Month, try a different approach to cleaning a pet's teeth – feed him a carrot instead! Although not meant to eliminate the need to get teeth cleaned professionally or do it yourself, a raw carrot can also help scrub away plaque. Who knew?!

North had never tried a carrot so I was excited to test this out. I washed it off and offered it to him. In typical North fashion (with no trepidation), he snatched the yum right out of my hand and brought it to his bed . . . and I followed to observe. He started out licking and nibbling on it before eventually gnawing off small pieces and eating them. I didn't have any full-sized carrots in my fridge so I gave him a baby carrot and he seemed to get the idea that he was supposed to break off pieces but, as with any edible bone or toy, monitor your pet to make sure he's not biting off more than he can chew (or not chewing at all). I think a larger carrot may work better or even a frozen one – I think it was the gnawing that helped his teeth the most! To learn the other benefits, read more.

After this success, I did a little more research about the crunchy, orange veggies. In addition to helping combat plaque and tarter, carrots are a good source of vitamins A and C and fiber. It's important not to feed them to a pet too often as vitamin A can build up in their system and sometimes cause runny poo – I'd say as a treat no more than once or twice a week.

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Do Tell: What's on the Menu For Your Pets This Thanksgiving?

PetSugar — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 04:00:49 -0800

Introducing large quantities of rich "people food" into a pet's diet on Thanksgiving is bad for their tummies! In fact, some typical holiday fare should never be fed to pets. One sure way to be certain no one slips up is to place the appropriate portion of your furry friend's normal snacks in a convenient location. Point out the healthy treats to your guests and encourage them to pamper your pals with extra petting or playtime . . . not to feed the snacks all at once.

Dog-Approved Snacks:

Small piece of white-meat turkey
A few cooked, unseasoned carrots or green beans
Spoonful of canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
Sweet Potato Dog Chips
Small apple or banana slice

What's on your pet's menu for next week?

Source: Flickr User TheGiantVermin

Yum-o For Canine Carrots-and-Peas Orzo!

PetSugar — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:00:01 -0700

She's done it again – another delish dish for you and a dog from Every Day with Rachael Ray! Giving pups a lil helping of this veggie-laden meal can be a healthy treat for "peas and happiness." Remember, there can be too much of a good thing so be certain to give pets an appropriate portion of this recipe, substituting it for a snack or meal portion, not in addition, to keep pooches slim and trim. To see this yum-o recipe, read more.

Carrots-and-Peas Orzo
Every Day With Rachael Ray (April 2008)

This dish is delish for little ones as well as your pup. Kids will love its sweetness, plus it’s full of yum-o veggie power!

Ingredients

1 cup orzo
1 cup frozen peas
4 carrots, sliced
Drizzle of honey (optional)
½ cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese
Salt and Pepper (for people’s portions only)

Directions
Bring a medium pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the orzo, and cook until just before al dente, about 7 minutes. Add the peas and cook for 1 minute; drain and return the pasta and peas to the pot.
While the pasta is cooking, in a medium saucepan, cover the carrots with water and bring to a boil. Season with salt and cook until tender, about 12 minutes. Drain, reserving about ½ cup cooking water, then transfer the carrots to a food processor. Add the reserved cooking water and honey, if using, and process until smooth.
Stir the carrot puree into the pasta and peas. Stir in the parmigiano-reggiano. Portion out half for the dog and let cool before serving; season the people’s portion with salt and pepper.

Print recipe with images | without images

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Hello There Hungry, Hungry Newborn Hippo!

PetSugar — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 11:00:01 -0700

I spy lettuce, carrots, and cucumber chunks for this baby hippo and proud mama. Did you know that hippos eat just about 1 percent of their total body weight as adults? Don't call them greedy, though - if necessary, the huge mammals can store two days' worth of grass in their tummies and go up to three weeks without eating.

There's a whole buffet laid out here and no need to gorge, so check out one more picture of the grazing babe when you read more.

Say Pretty Peas, Please

PetSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 15:50:02 -0700

With the poison potential packed into some veggies, it's good to keep up on the safe list of human food OKed for pets. Now, I've raved about frozen carrot bits in the past, but equally good are lil frozen peas.

The green circles work well as tiny training treats - they're small and easy to digest, but still better (calorie-wise) than using the same number of most doggie yums. Next time you're getting your dog to sit, lie down, or shake, trying asking with some pretty peas, please.

Results: You Made It Quotable!

PetSugar — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 08:00:55 -0700

Great job captioning this silly photo! You made it quotable with these clever ideas:

"So this is what the world looks outside of the cage." - appleGenius
Dramatic guinea pig is the new dramatic prairie dog. - fuzzles
Uh oh, hawk at twelve o'clock! Abort Mission Retrieve Carrots! - Ellenora

C-Biscuits (Carrot, Corn and Carob Dog Treats)

Angelica — Sun, 11 May 2008 19:44:05 -0700

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Cloud Star Farmstand Slices Send Pups to Cloud Nine

PetSugar — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 12:00:06 -0800

There are so many tempting treats out there for pets, but it's tricky when we're drawn to ones we'd want to eat ourselves based on looks . . . with no clue what's inside. That's not the case with these nutritious treats minus artificial colors or flavors – they're human-grade ingredients meant for healthy pets. Cloud Star Farmstand Slices in Apple ($6) or Carrot ($6) are made from dehydrated fruit and veggies just for furballs – simply offer whole to bigger dogs or break up into tiny training treats, too. Yum!

What's on the Thanksgiving Menu For My Dog?

PetSugar — Wed, 26 Nov 2008 14:00:13 -0800

The following items should never be fed to pets:

Turkey bones
Turkey skin
Stuffing with onions
Salty or spicy veggies
Pumpkin pie
Sweet potato casserole
Any desserts, especially chocolate

What tidbits are North-approved for tomorrow, read more.

Dog-Safe Snacks:

Small piece of white-meat turkey
A few cooked, unseasoned carrots or green beans
Spoonful of canned pumpkin (not pie filling)
Sweet Potato Dog Chips
Small apple or banana slice

Do Tell: What Fresh Fruits or Veggies Do You Give Your Pets?

PetSugar — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:30:27 -0800

I give my pup baby carrots as well as some pumpkin, and these bunnies really seem to enjoy this lettuce treat – what fruits or veggies do you feed your pampered pals?

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