Doggie Bok! Bok!: August 2011

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

All Things Dog Blog

Blogpaws Bouncer Home Safely After Brush with Hurricane Irene

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 09:01 PM PDT

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Catch the whole story of Oliver's job at Blogpaws over at his blog, 5 Minutes for Fido.

Dog Collar Sale, Charlee Bear Dog Treats, Pros & Cons Of Pet Insurance

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Dear Friends,

Summer is winding down and that means just thing: it's time for our 8th Annual Labor Day Dog Collar Sale! From now until Tuesday, you can save 15% on ANY DOG COLLAR (even clearance sale collars) when you use promo code SALE15. Update your pet's collar collection for Fall and Winter or just get a jump on holiday shopping.

We have some great New & Woof-tastic items to share with you this week as well as a dog health tip on the Pros And Cons Of Pet Insurance. Enjoy the newsletter and please remember to follow us on Facebook and Twitter.

Words Of Wisdom
"Dogs come when they're called; cats take a message and get back to you later." - Mary Bly

New & Woof-tastic: Designer Collar With Personalized Buckle - CJ

We simply adore the CJ Designer Dog Collar With Personalized Buckle. Handmade right here in the U.S.A., this gorgeous collar comes with up to four lines of free custom engraving. Matching leashes are available to complete the look.

View More Dog Collars | View More New & Woof-Tastic

Deal Of The Week: Charlee Bear Cheese & Egg Treats - 25 % Off
Every Monday morning, we announce a special deal on one PupLife product (while supplies last). Here's this week's deal:

Charlee Bear Cheese & Egg Treats - 25% Off
This week you can buy Charlee Bear Cheese & Egg Dog Treats at 25% off, while supplies last. Your dog will love low calorie Charlee Bear dog treats. These little, round treats are pocket perfect – you can take them with you wherever you and your dog go. Less than 3 calories per treats means that you can treat your dog often without worrying about doggie weight gain. Charlee Bears are great for training or just for fun. Regularly $11.99. Deal Price $8.99. Free shipping is included.

The Pros & Cons Of Pet Insurance

Should you buy pet insurance? With vet bills on the rise, this is a question that dog owners ask themselves at some point. Choosing whether or not to buy pet insurance can be challenging. There are many factors to consider, including which provider and plan is most appropriate for you and your pet. This article examines the benefits and costs of pet insurance with the goal of keeping your pet healthy and happy for life.

Pet Insurance: A Controversial Topic

If you ask ten different pet owners their opinion on pet insurance, you will likely get ten different answers, ranging from "It saved my dog's life" to "Pet insurance is a scam". Pet insurance (like health insurance for humans) is usually a monthly fee that you pay to an insurer, who, when called upon, will re-imburse you for medical fees, or in some cases, pay your vet directly. Options and prices vary by pet health insurance provider.

The goal of insuring yor pet is to take financial considerations off the table should your pet become seriously ill or injured. If your pet needs medical help, with pet insurance, treatment will be affordable, usually just the cost of your deductible and/or co-pay. Emergency surgery for your pet can easily cost more than $5,000, depending on the veterinarian and the procedures required. Having affordable pet insurance that comes through with the payment can obviously be a huge financial benefit.

Raise a Green Dog!

It's National Holistic Pets Day: A great day to help celebrate healthy dogs!

Posted: 30 Aug 2011 05:57 AM PDT

Happy National Holistic Pets Day!

Founded by Colleen Paige of Animal Miracle Foundation, National Holistic Pets Day is a great day to celebrate helping your dog be the healthiest and happiest they can be!

But what is holistic? And how can it help my dog? We believe holistic means caring for and treating the whole living being, their life, their health and their relationship to their environment.

To us that means taking preventative care to help your dog live a healthier, happier life by taking measures of healthy eating and healthy living; and creating a fun, happy, entertaining and engaging life for the mind.

To celebrate this special day, we wanted to share with you some of our most important tips to help your dog have a greener, healthier life and environment; and learn to live holistically like we do:

You are what you eat! And that goes for dogs too. Eating a good healthy, wholesome diet is one of the most important holistic paths you can practice with your dog. Learn more about healthier eating, the food options available and what's right for your dog!

Water is one of the most important elements to your dog's health and life. Learn about how you can keep your dog's water the safest it can be!

Your dog spends a lot of time playing and having fun in your yard. Learn how you can make your dog's domain the safest and healthiest it can be through organic lawn and garden care!

What goes in, must come out! Learn how you can reduce your dog's environmental and carbon pawprint by learning the proper ways to dispose of the doo.

Remember, part of being holistic is having a positive and loving outlook on life; so get out there and celebrate this special day with your dog! Take a nice hike, a fun walk around the park, teach them a trick or two, or play a fun game together; and remember to always have fun with your best friend!

You can learn more about how to help your dog be greener and healthier in the Learn To Be Green Section of our website, as well as sniff out pawsome healthy and green products from our Raise A Green Dog Partners! And don't furget to connect with us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up on updates, discussions, info and more; to help your dog be the healthiest he or she can be!

And have a great National Holistic Pets Day!

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

All Things Dog Blog

Bow Wow Slapstick at its Best!

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 09:16 PM PDT

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

I have to acknowledge my newest blogging compadre, Lauren at Life with Claire, for finding this video gem. I hope you get as good of a laugh from it as I did. I'd like to try Tanner in this same scenario; I'm sure he'd give us a good show. Sit back and enjoy!

Monday, August 29, 2011

All Things Dog Blog

Best Bow Wow News--Big Changes

Posted: 29 Aug 2011 07:00 AM PDT

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

There's nothing like a great networking conference to bring new life to a blog. In the coming weeks, you'll find many positive changes. This morning I'm pleased to announce the removal of captchas as well as the disappearance of comment moderation in current posts. What does that mean for you? Faster commenting and the ability to see your actual comment when published.

While I know you will all be eager to say goodbye to that annoying word verification, I should be clear that this will remain disabled as long as comments continue to be respectful. Disagreement with the material is most certainly acceptable when presented in with a hint of the Golden Rule. If you've read my blog much, you probably know this is a value I place high priority on. My father set the stage in teaching me that I should always look for and focus on the positive in everyone and respect their right to live and let live.

So, let the comments roll, just keep in mind that my team and my other readers will enjoy the banter more when you remain considerate in your offers of divergent views. We look forward to hearing more from you with this change. Happy tails!

Ask the Vet with Dr. Mark: Water Safety for Dogs

Posted: 28 Aug 2011 09:01 PM PDT

by Mark Nunez, DVM

Dear Dr. Mark:

Our dogs love swimming and enjoy boating with us. They are well behaved in the boat and we love taking them out with us. I would like to know if there are any boating safety suggestions you have to make sure our dogs Ringo and George are always safe. We have used ski vests on them at times but they don't need them for swimming; they are good swimmers.

We take our boat out on big lakes where it is very deep. Sometimes I worry about they get tired or swallow too much water. I guess I'm just writing to get any advice you want to pass on about them swimming in the big lake we take the boat to. I read the article about gator safety and started to worry. I do not think we have gators here in Iowa.

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Being from south Louisiana, boating was a way of life for me. It is a wonderful place to be and since dogs were always a part of my life, they were with me to share this wonderful time. There are several things to consider while out on the water with our 4 legged family members. These tips are for dogs that swim in lakes (pools and oceans have there own set of pitfalls).

A serious health risk exists in certain parts of the country at certain times of the year, and that is blue-green algae. Check with your local officials about this.

Be sure your dogs know how to swim. Not all dogs take to the water naturally. They should be introduced to swimming gradually and from the shore. Appropriate canine life-vests/floatation devices are a must when out on open water. Vests that are specifically made for dogs are best.

Something many people forget about is to have plenty of clean water for your dog to drink. Do your best to prevent your dog from drinking lake water by making sure he drinks fresh/clean water before going in and periodically throughout the day. These excursions usually happen in the summer time, and dehydration is a concern. Lake water is not the best to drink, even if algae is not a problem in your area.

Be aware of what's under the surface of the water. If swimming from shore, sharp rocks can injure paws, so be sure to inspect them frequently.

Be sure to rinse or bathe your dog after returning home. Also, be sure to clean and dry their ears.

Apply sunscreen to dogs with thin coats and pay particular attention to white dogs; they get sun burned very easily.

Do not push your dog to swim for prolonged periods of time. Even with a life vest, they will get tired and need to take breaks.

Follow these tips and you will ensure that your dog enjoys his time on the water every bit as much as you do. Thanks for reading and please do not hesitate to ask questions.

Dr. Mark