Take Paws

If you like to make your own dog treats, this is the greatest invention ever! It is a  Multi-Bone Cookie Cutter from www.gooddogexpress.com  and will save lots of time.  It really is easy and quick to whip up a batch of healthy dog treats! My dogs luv the home baked stuff.  I don't even do homemade for me. Go figure!  But homemade treats are so much healthier and you can make everything from peanut butter treats to apple cinnamon to veggie treats.  Give it a try. You and your dogs will get hooked on this.  Saving money AND healthy? What could be better?

A great source for recipes is bullwrinkle.com   or just google for dog treat recipes - there are dozens of sites on the web!  Bon Appetite!

Be very careful if you let your Scots swim. Drowning may not seem like a breed-specific health issue, but pools are a big risk to Scotties – especially Scottie pups. They love the water and they love swimming, but they’re notoriously bad at it. Scots in the water must be closely supervised, and Scots in a pool or other abruptly deep water should be avoided at all costs. If you have a pool or pond, it must be securely fenced in before you get a Scottie, and your family must be committed to keeping things secure.

Paws Aboard Doggy Life Jacket and Designer Doggy Life Jackets

Have a safe and fun summer!

Often dogs experience the most separation anxiety when you first leave.  If you can take up this nervous energy and divert their attention, destructive behavior can be avoided.  Dogs are used to working for their food in the wild and working at getting a reward is why we love dogs so much.

A Kong is a molded rubber dog toy that dogs love to chew on.  It is virtually indestructible and comes in many different sizes and densities to fit your dogs size and chewing style. 

Recipe for a busy dog:

• Simply fill the Kong with canned dog food.  (Use a spoon and cram it full)
• Place the filled Kong in the freezer (should take about two hours to completely freeze)
• Give the Kong to your dog when you leave in the morning.

	You probably don’t realize it, but dogs and cats get cancer at approximately the same rate as people do. Unfortunately, 80%of pet parents know little or nothing about pet cancer.
	That's why it's so important to learn all you can about the disease. The Blue Buffalo Foundation for Pet Cancer Research, through the Pet Cancer Awareness (PCA) program, is devoted to raising awareness about the warning signs of cancer, as well as educating pet parents about ways to minimize the risk.
	With your help, it’s our hope that we can one day find a cure for this devastating disease.

 

I was shocked last summer to find a tick on two of my dogs.  We do live near the woods and often take walks.  The only way to find ticks on your dog is to physically check the skin for any bumps - then check closely to see the cause.  After referral with the Vet, the following worked well in removing the ticks:

At MacTavish Scotties we are always concerned about the quality of the dog food we use and recommend.  We are always reviewing the recalls and stay alert for any problems.  We have found a great website to keep track of information and recalled products: It is The Pet Food Tracker.

Another good source of information is the Food & Drug Admin. Pet food info found at

http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/petfood.html

As pet owners we cannot be too vigilant about the products we purchase for our pets!

 

(from the Pet Food Project)
Have you seen any of new "Pupperoni" commercials yet? No? You can find them here: http://www.pupperoni.com/commercials.html
Not that it's anything new, but I find it disgusting that pet food companies and marketing agencies play on the emotions of pet owners so much for promoting poor quality treats. Here are the ingredients for these "special treats" that lets your dog know "you are listening". Do you really want to feed this junk?
Pup-peroni Original Beef Flavor: Beef, Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Liver, Salt, Propylene Glycol, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract
Pup-peroni Lean Beef Flavor: Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Liver, Beef, Propylene Glycol, Salt, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract
Pup-peroni Original Bacon Flavor: Beef, Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Liver, Bacon, Salt, Propylene Glycol, Garlic Powder, Caramel Color, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract
Pup-peroni Oven Roasted Chicken Flavor: Chicken, Meat Byproducts, Soy Grits, Sugar, Beef Liver, Salt, Gelatin, Propylene Glycol, Flaxseed, Garlic Powder, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Titanium Dioxide, Sodium Nitrite, Onion Extract, BHA
Pup-peroni Ribs: Beef, Beef Byproducts, Soy Grits, Chicken, Soy Flour, Sugar, Corn Starch, Propylene Glycol, Molasses, Beef Liver, Calcium Sulfate, Animal Digest, Salt, Garlic Powder, Phosphoric Acid, Titanium Dioxide, Natural Smoke Flavor, Potassium Sorbate, Caramel Color, Sodium Nitrite, Red 40, BHA, Onion Extract

For your reference, you can find a list of ingredients to avoid here.
 

More and more people are beginning to make their dog's food at home rather than buying commercial formulas. Homemade dog food doesn't contain any substances that could possibly be harmful to your dog's health such as artificial coloring and artificial flavors.

The best way to know what goes into your dog's food is to make it yourself. Try one of these easy dog food recipes and watch your pup smile.  Another useful site is SOJO's (Sojourner Farms)  natural food and treats, The Barkery,  and take a look at Three Dog Bakery.