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Say Happy New Year With Homemade Holiday Noshers!

PetSugar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 09:00:14 -0800

North woke up ready to ring in 2009 (OK, maybe he's this excited every morning), but I'm in the mood to bake something yummy like I did last year. Lucy Postins, founder of The Honest Kitchen, shared her own homemade Holiday Noshers recipe with me a while back, and I'm thinking that's what I should bake up for my pooch today. If you want to join me in treating a pal to these fruity treats, get the recipe and read more.

Holiday Noshers
The Honest Kitchen

These gourmet fruity, chewy treats make a great gift for your pup’s friends, too!

Ingredients

½ cup Unsweetened Applesauce
1 Egg
½ cup Almond Butter
1 tsp Vanilla essence (optional)
1 ¼ Cups warm water
½ cup Thrive
1 cup Instant Oats
¼ cup Dried Blueberries

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, combine applesauce, egg, almond butter, vanilla, and water
In a second bowl, combine oats, Thrive and blueberries.
Add dry ingredients to wet and mix well.
Turn dough onto a floured surface, knead until thoroughly mixed together
Roll out dough into ¼ inch thick and cut out shapes
Place on a greased baking sheet and bake 45 minutes.
Cool on a rack before serving.
Store in a sealed container.
Makes 30 chewy treats

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Share Your Animal-Related Resolutions For '09!

PetSugar — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 03:00:00 -0800

From not letting Fido hog the blankets and your side of the bed to not catering to Fluffy's constant desire for your food and not cat food, I want to hear all about your New Year's resolutions involving furry friends.

Personally, I plan to improve North's behavior towards strangers, maybe working his exuberance down to mild excitement! I know this change, as with any resolution, starts with me. What's up first on your to-do (better) list come Jan. 1?

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Tips For a Pet-Safe New Year's Eve Party!

PetSugar — Wed, 31 Dec 2008 04:15:44 -0800

If you're throwing (or attending) a New Year's Eve bash with a furry friend, beware of the dangers of those festive decorations! Even if you wanna take a photo of your pet perhaps wearing a party hat like this fella, take it off immediately afterwards. Not only is it dangerous if he decides to munch on the paper, but the elastic string can choke your pal or lodge in his throat if he decides to eat his entire costume. Please also beware of the following things:

Noisemakers. I don't know about your pet, but North ran away the first (and only) time anyone blew one of these noisemaking horns in my home. I don't know if it was the loud sound, or the popping out, but my pup looked at me like I was crazy and ran into the next room. Never again.

Get the rest of my list when you read more.

Confetti. Just like tree tinsel is dangerous, metallic confetti and other lil bits of paper can still cluster in a pet's throat or tummy. Be on the safe side, and keep this unsafe stuff out of the house!
Hanging Decorations. Streamers and balloons can get stuck in a furry friend's intestinal tract so keep them up high and don't leave an animal unsupervised in a room with these things.
Alcohol. I hope I don't really need to remind you of this, but alcohol is not for pets. While I'm sure no responsible animal owner would offer this substance to a pet, parties can result in spills or left out cups that pets may try to lick. Make sure this liquid (and any poisonous foods like chocolate) is faaar out of the reach of your pet's nose and tongue.

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New Year’s Petsolution: Portion Control

PetSugar — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 10:45:49 -0800

Just because your pet eats it, doesn't mean he's hungry! Many vets will recommend feeding a cat or dog at least twice a day and checking with the label on the packaging for portion guidelines based on your pet's weight. Although my pup scarfs down all his food in seconds, my vet did mention that I should remove any unfinished portions after 20 minutes to prevent him from overeating from the trough.

Now, you usually have a clue if you have an overweight pet (rounded belly, bulging in the back, etc.), but you may not know what to do about it. Check with your vet about weight-loss and fitness regimes to get a healthy start to our final 2008 petsolution. An easy first step is to limit those treats! Consider it like the difference between you eating a slice of pizza . . . and a whole pizza. If the doggie treat is large, break it up to make several different rewards instead of feeding all at once. Or, when training a pet, considering rewarding with a piece of pet food instead. Coupled with a fitness routine and your vet's recommendations, you can have a slim, trim pet by '09!

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New Year’s Petsolution: Get in Shape

PetSugar — Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:00:04 -0800

If you're like me, getting more active is high up on your 2008 to-do list! Many dog owners underestimate the amount of exercise each pooch needs. Even with a fenced-in area for your pup to frolic in, you both can still benefit from a nice walk. Now city pooches will need more exercise than this to simply do their business, their country cousins should also get at least one 20 minute walk a day. It's a good way to guarantee you'll stick to those resolutions because the pooch reinforces your commitment – he's depending on you and adding that doggone variable can make the difference between getting up and going, and skipping it for just one more day. Hopefully over time, walking will become a habit and you'll start choosing to walk places for daily errands . . . with or without the dog.

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New Year’s Petsolution: Improve Manners

PetSugar — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 08:00:19 -0800

Try to get a new start to '08 by focusing on obedience. Having a well-trained pet makes you (and your pet) look good even to those non-animal lovers, and it's always fun to bond with your pal. Oftentimes, manners issues can be helped with proper socialization – if pooch doesn't play well with others yet, consider bringing him to a playgroup to get him used to the sights, smells, and sounds of other dogs and, if he's timid around people, try introducing him to friends in individual and small group settings on his turf. If need be, take it one step further and enlist outside help. For a pet still working through naughty habits like pulling on the leash or jumping on strangers, take the time to enroll him in an obedience class. For those pups already earning gold stars in the manners department, consider an advanced obedience or agility class. It's a great way to learn to work with each other better!

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New Year’s Petsolution: Get a Healthy Start

PetSugar — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 11:00:07 -0800

Nothing begins a new year better than a fresh, healthy start! First off, make sure pets are up-to-date with all their health care needs.

Shots. While rabies vaccinations tend to last longer (North's lasts for three years), other shots need to be administered yearly. If your pooch will be around other dogs a lot (at playgroup or boarding), many locations require their bordatella shot (or nasal spray) to be given every six months to protect pup from kennel cough.
Medications. Be consistent and give pets their prescribed medication as directed. Pets should be on year-round, monthly heartworm preventative – if they aren't, a vet can do a blood test to make sure they are not already infected. Also, all pets (even indoor ones) should still be on flea/tick prevention. Do your part, and make sure you get started (or keep up the good work).
Vet Visits. Like you, doggies and kitties should see a doctor at least once a year for annual checkups, with older pets benefiting from biannual exams. Veterinarians can check for things that you may not notice at home – lumps, bumps, murmurs, and other ailments. They also, of course, make sure you stay on top of your pets' shots and medications, too!

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Have a Barking New Year from North!

PetSugar — Tue, 01 Jan 2008 07:00:33 -0800

Hmmm, although North was perfectly content to be filmed for Christmas, today he had other ideas. I was trying to clean up my apartment which sent him into a fit, part of which I captured here for you. His frantic barking is odd, he is usually so quiet. Maybe he's annoyed that I still insist on playing holiday music . . . or perhaps he just wanted me to tell you to have a barking new year! Cheers!

New Year’s Petsolution: Donate the Clutter

PetSugar — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 11:00:58 -0800

To kick off our week of New Year's Petsolutions, I'm ready to tackle the clutter. Although I like my home to appear clutter-free, at some point along the way, I caught a bug of the just-in-cases. Behind the closed doors of my closet are a myriad of perfectly usable items that I simply don't use. So, as I am ready to ring in the new year, I've decided to tackle my linen closet. In an effort to free up space for more useful items that I'll actually use, I gathered my old sheets, blankets, and towels – sadly enough to open a B&B in my apartment building – and brought these extra linens to my local humane society. Animal shelters can always do with these types of things and check with your local establishment for any additional needs. Now go and let go!

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Bake Up a Doggone Delightful New Year!

PetSugar — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 09:00:23 -0800

I'm ready to ring in the new year, North's ready to ring in the new year . . . but are you ready to ring in the new year? I stumbled upon this fun recipe for doggy muffins called New Year Delights. I'll definitely not be awake in time to bake them up tomorrow morning, but I'm thinking of whipping up a batch tonight before I head out. To get your pooches ready for 2008 with this sweet recipe, read more.

New Year Delights
From PetPlace.com

2 tablespoons honey
2 3/4 cups water
1/4 cup unsweetened chunky applesauce
1/8 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg, slightly beaten
3 cups whole-wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup dried apple chips
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, mix together honey, water, applesauce, vanilla and egg. Add flour, apple chips, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg and mix thoroughly, scraping sides and bottom of bowl to be sure no dry mixture is left. Spoon into greased muffin pans so that each cup is three-quarters full and bake for approximately 1 hour until lightly browned. Cool and store in an airtight container. Makes 12 muffins.

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