Recent Raw Meals

Beef heart.



Frozen beef lung.



Beef heart, goat spleen.



Chicken breast.



Chicken leg quarter, chicken hearts and gizzards.



Ground venison.



Lamb hearts, goat spleen.



More beef lung.


Giant Tom turkey drumstick, pork liver.



Pork heart chunks, goat spleen.



Chicken leg quarter, beef heart chunks, Grizzly Wild Pollock Oil.



Pork heart.



Frozen ground venison, turkey hearts, Grizzly Wild Pollock Oil.


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Hiking at Fort Benjamin Harrison-Indy Dog Friendly

Faolan and I met up with my friend Shannon and her dog, Oliver today.  She has seen my many recent posts on Facebook about hiking with Neeko and Faolan, and wanted to do it together.

Shannon is 25 weeks pregnant with she and her husband's first child, but is already a mother to 7 year old Oliver, a Beagle-Basenji mix, and 6 year old Storm, an English Mastiff.

We decided to go to Fort Harrison, an Indiana State Park located on the northeast side of Indianapolis.  It is frequently called "Fort Ben" by locals.  Obviously, it is named for President Benjamin Harrison, and is an Army post that is no longer used as such, but is a very nice park and surrounding area.

The weather today was absolutely perfect for the 7 miles we hiked.  About 70 degrees, with a slight cloud cover.  While completely shaded, I was actually almost chilly.

The pictures are somewhat blurry, as most were taken on the move with my phone.

Part of one the trails we hiked runs adjacent to Fall Creek.  This picture was taken from an observation deck, though we did venture down to water's edge, where Faolan splashed around a bit.

Sweet Oliver

Faolan and Oliver got along well.  Oliver is a nice, mellow guy, who didn't mind Faolan's rude initial greeting-ears and tail up, like a brat.

Shannon was kind enough to snap this picture of Faolan and I.  I am very fortunate that both he and Neeko (and occasionally Bruce) trust me enough to get on things and pose on objects.  He did slip around on this boulder upon getting up, but was able to settle nicely and sit.



 We had a wonderful time with Shannon and Oliver.  Little boy was quite tired and happy to nap once we got home.

Urinalysis Update:  I called the vet's office on our way home, having not heard back from them.  I spoke with a technician, who was surprisingly somewhat short and rude with me.  She simply stated his UA was "fine" and refused to tell me specifics, though I asked twice.  She did state to call if any symptoms return.  He has not had an accident in the house since Saturday, which is when he finished his antibiotics.  So I am hopeful it was an atypical UTI, that is now cleared up and we can move on.

♪ These are a few of my favorite things ♫

While drinking coffee this morning, I decided to blog about some of my, and my dogs', favorite dog-related items.  These are all things I have purchased, and for whatever reason REALLY like or feel that we cannot live without them.  They are in no specific order.

Bil-Jac Liver Treats .  They are not the greatest, but far from the worst.  Even treat-snob Faolan loves these.  The only treats they seem to like more are hot dogs and cheese.

Yum Mist doggie spritzer.  I bought this at the retail pharmacy at work on a whim.  It is purified water and purified essential oils.  If I had to guess, I would guess that there is lavender in there, amongst others.  I do not spray this directly on the woofers, instead I spray it on the floor and laugh at the hilarity that is Bruce and Faolan scent-rolling on it.  As a bonus, they smell pretty once done.

Our 30 foot training lead.  Yes that's a retractable leash behind it.  It rarely gets used, and I am not a fan of them, especially in crowded places.  I bought the training lead after trying Faolan on the retractable the first time I took him swimming.  He and the retractable are not a good combo.  The training leash is excellent, as I feel I have more control with it.  Plus, I am more comfortable with it drying completely after getting wet.  It works perfectly for us when I take Neeko and Faolan swimming.

 

 

Cheese.  Bruce's favorite snack ever.  Enough said.

Pet Supplies Plus.  A smallish pet supply store near us.  They have the best selection of quality kibble in our area, and have some premade raw as well.  Nice selection of supplements, gear, treats and toys.  Their staff is absolutely fabulous.  I take Neeko there for her nail trims, as a groomer comes in on Saturday mornings and does them for $6.

 

Bounty paper towels.  Due to Faolan's recent urinary issues, I have come to appreciate good quality paper towels.  I took a urine specimen to the vet this evening, but no actual vet was present.  I will here from them in the morning.



 

Their Fetching Tags.  I still love these.

Their Lupine leashes.  Neeko and Faolan have collars to match, and I have key rings matching Neeko and Faolan's as well.  This company has fun patterns, and will replace any product for free, even if it's been chewed.  I have taken advantage of that return policy, seeing as how Neeko thought it would be fun to chew through her leash when we took her to the drive-in with us.

 

Bruce's Paco Collar.  I love this, in all its badassery.  

The vet that Neeko and Bruce go to.  Very open-minded, kind, intelligent vets and staff.  Pro raw-feeding, and alternative medicine.  They are awesome.

Ziploc bags, particularly the Perfect Portion bags, and quart and gallon size freezer bags.  When I break down meats, they go into Ziploc bags.  I tried Glad brand bags once, and they became brittle and broke/leaked after being in the freezer.  You get what you pay for, in my opinion.  I put 3-4 pounds of meat in the gallon bags for dinners, and 1-2 pounds of meat in the quart bags for breakfasts.  I like the perfect portions bags for lung and turkey breast chunks.  

 

Koller Craft Googlies Duck toy, which we received in our April Spoiled Rotten Box.  Neeko LOVES this toy, and will woo-woo sing for it.  I need to find/order her a new one, as this one is becoming dangerously chewed.

Antlers.  All three of mine like to chew, with Bruce enjoying it the least.  But they all enjoy their antlers.  I do not leave these, or any other toy/chew out when I am not home, for fear of choking and accidents, or a fight.

Kong.  This is an XL Kong, I believe.  Bruce will happily chew on an empty Kong.  I have stuffed and frozen their Kongs in a while, but in the wintertime they sure come in handy.  I will stuff with raw ground meat, canned dog food, yogurt, pumpkin, mashed banana, cottage cheese, etc and freeze solid.  It's an enjoyable time killer and mental stimulation for them.

Vetericyn.  Bruce recently had a hotspot on his flank that I suspect was caused by an insect bite or sting.  I watched it for a few days, but he would not leave it alone, and it was progressively getting worse.  I went to Pet Supplies Plus, and purchased this.  It completely cleared up his hotspot in a matter of days.  It is safe for a dog to lick, so I was very comfortable spraying it on him.

Lysol Power & Free Multi-Purpose Cleaner.  I like this stuff because it is bleach-free, and the smell of bleach makes me nauseated, along with irritating my eyes. This stuff smells pretty nice.  I wipe down counters after any raw prep or breakdown, and wipe the floors with it if set raw boxes/bags on the floor.  I do not know if it is any "safer" than the regular Lysol kitchen cleaner, but I am a fan of it.

Chuckit! Zipflight .  This is one of or favorite outdoor toys, and it shows.  This is actually our third one of these toys.  Neeko and Bruce love it!!  It is very easy and pleasant to toss back and forth with another person, which Les and I often do, while the pups run back and forth between us.  We do occasionally throw it out for them, but Neeko and Bruce like it too much, and want to chew on it, as opposed to returning it to us.

Swiffer Vacuum.  We have bamboo floors in our front two rooms, and linoleum in the kitchen.  And three northern breed mixes with lots of fur.  This is quick and easy to use, to get rid of pieces of fur before they become tumbleweeds.  It doesn't take up much storage space, either.  I cannot use it on the rugs, so they, along with the hard floors, get a traditional vacuuming about once per week.

These are some of the woofers and my favorite things!  What are some of yours?

Bully Horn Review

While out and about this evening, Les and I stopped in at Pet Supplies Plus.  As always, I had to do a walk-around.  This store is small enough, and I visit it frequently enough, that new products catch my eye.

Tonight, I noticed The Original Bully Horn for the first time.



Of course I had to buy three, so each dog could enjoy one of their own, and avoid the risk of scuffles.

Antlers are a hit here, so I purchased these in hopes that they would be as well.  PSP had them on sale for $9.95 each, so I could not resist.

These bull horns are large, and hollow in the center.  I am considering stuffing them at some point, kind of like an all natural inedible raw "kong"
 

Size comparison.  Thick and heavy, weighing nearly one pound.

I purchased these knowing for a fact that Neeko and Faolan would enjoy them, and they did not let me down.  Faolan's butt hit the ground as soon as he saw/smelled it.  Neeko sang for hers, and then danced around it after I gave it to her.  They both had a good time chewing on theirs, and Faolan and I practiced some trading.  He does resource guard, though not as severely as Bruce. 

Historically, Bruce has not enjoyed chewing or chew toys nearly as much as Neeko or Faolan.  I think very few dogs enjoy chewing as much as Neeko.  This occasion proved no different.  He enjoyed, but grew tired/bored with it after about 15 minutes. 

Bruce being a good boy, waiting on his horn.  Ignore my hand weights by his paw.

After much sniffing and licking, he finally decided to actually chew on it.

One thing I did not notice upon purchasing them-the horn I gave Bruce was noticeably thinner than the other two.  He actually chewed off a couple of quarter-sized pieces.  PSP has a very nice return policy, so I am going to attempt to exchange this one for one that is thicker.

All in all, I am quite impressed with these.  The price could not be beat, at 40 percent the price of a smaller sized antler.  Neeko and Faolan both really enjoyed chewing on theirs, and Bruce liked it okay.  I will be returning the thinner one next week.

Disclaimer-I purchased this product of my own accord, and was not asked to review it.  All opinions are strictly my own.





Recent Raw Meals

Ground venison.



Duck legs, pork heart.



Venison.



Turkey breast chunks, goat spleen.



Frozen beef lung.



Chicken leg quarter, pork liver.



Giant pork tongue, goat spleen.



Beef heart.



ENORMOUS turkey drumstick.



Chicken leg quarter, beef lung.



More beef (or pork) lung.



Pork heart, ground venison, turkey hearts, goat spleen.



Chicken leg quarter, turkey hearts, pork liver.


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone