Search Results for: blog free kibble

Free Kibble

Please help fill my bowl If you’ve been surfing the Internet for any length of time then you probably know about thehungersite.com, the earliest in a chain of websites that ask users to click on banners every day to donate food or other resources to worthy causes. The series of sites now include support for the rainforest, child literacy, shelter animals, women’s health, and more. It’s obvious with the various rescue sites where the money is coming from; once you’ve made a click you’re redirected to a page that’s plastered with ads. Advertisers pay that charitable money for us to … Continue reading →

Grain-Free Food Can Improve Behavior and Allergies

I started an experiment the day I took Chrestomanci to the vet: I put all of the animals on grain-free food. I’ve always wondered about whether or not I ought to take my pets off of corn-filled kibble, but the extra expense has always given me, and especially my husband, pause. When I asked the vet about Chresti’s dandruff problem she said that wetter grain-free food might help. A locally-owned store next to the veterinarian’s office sells a variety of such foods, so I figured it wouldn’t hurt to at least go in and get a bunch of samples. I … Continue reading →

Silly Gourmet Pet Foods

While on a walk with my dog in a nearby town I discovered a doggie cafe. I thought that perhaps this establishment was a cafe that, if it didn’t cater to dogs, at least allowed owners to take their dogs inside. I knew this was unlikely, but I thought it wouldn’t hurt to take a look inside. What I found, to my disappointment (but not to my surprise) was a pet supply store. The reason it called itself a cafe was tucked into a side room. There, stretching along the entire back wall, was a bakery display case filled with … Continue reading →

Wash Those Hands and Paws: More Salmonella Found in Dog Food

I can’t believe I have to take to my keyboard again so soon on this issue, but here I am. More Salmonella-related recalls have been issued for dog food, and once again they’re from parent company Diamond Pet Foods. This is all just getting so confusing and ridiculous. The problem is that several brands with different names are all manufactured at the same plant, so it’s hard to keep track of what’s safe and what might be infected. Eleven different brands of pet food are all under a voluntary recall for potential Salmonella contamination. They are: Chicken Soup for the … Continue reading →

Find A Vet on Pet Advocate

I’ve talked – extensively – about how important it is to find a good veterinarian. I’ve done that, however, without offering much advice about how to do so. Finding a good vet (or doctor, or dentist, or anything) is always tricky if you’re new to an area, or if you’re the only person you know who has pets. I went through it myself. When I first moved here I only knew one other person who had a pet, and she doesn’t take her cat to the vet very often. She’s the one who recommended the low-cost clinic to which I … Continue reading →

Salmonella Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul

Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul: it conjures images of family, warm eyes and wet noses, and heartwarming stories about our furry family members. But right now it’s the opposite of wholesome; last week Diamond Pet Foods issued a recall of certain lots of their Chicken Soup for the Dog Lover’s Soul adult dog food due to a Salmonella infection. The information for the potentially affected bags is as follows, including production codes and expiration dates: * Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul 35 lb. CLF0102B31XCW 27/JAN/2013, CLF0102B32XWR 28/JAN/2013 * Chicken Soup for the Pet Lover’s Soul Adult … Continue reading →

Spending on Pets Skyrockets

Despite our recession (though apparently it’s recovering), some industries are on the rise. One of them, according to BBC News, is the pet industries. That’s right, in a time when pet food banks are growing at Animal Control facilities across the country and some people are still losing/struggling to stay in their homes, Americans are spending more on their pets than ever before. As you might guess, 65% of the overall amount spent is on food and veterinary costs. More people are also buying pet insurance. Maybe this just indicates that more people are looking to own more pets. This … Continue reading →

Taking Pets to Nursing Homes

Life as a blogger can be lonely. I spend a lot of time alone in my house. Sure, I have three pets, but when I start carrying on actual half-conversations with my dog or my cats, then I know perhaps it’s time to get out a bit more. That’s why I started volunteering so much in my area. I visit various organizations multiple times a week, the local rescue included, to get out and interact with people. The very first group with which I looked into volunteering when I first moved to my area three years ago was Pets on … Continue reading →

Do Aquarium Pets Beg?

This past Monday was the tournament for my Monday night volleyball league. Like I did during the tourney for my Thursday night league, I sat around talking to my teammates. And, like what happened then with that conversation leading to blog material (see “Wives Judging Wives”), Monday night’s conversation also provided blog material. (This time for the Pets Blog, though, instead of the Marriage Blog.) It all started once I told two girls on my team, Jennifer and Susan, what exactly it is I do during the day. Susan’s an ardent animal lover. She’s very involved with rescuing dogs. At … Continue reading →

Increasing Demands on Pet Food Banks and Low-Cost Clinics

Financial crises are making the news a lot these days. Homes are in foreclosure, jobs are lost, and debt and cost of living are soaring. Some people are forced to consider giving up family pets in order to keep going. In order to save some money, some pet owners are skipping preventative care like annual exams, vaccinations, and monthly treatments like heartworm and flea/tick prevention. Some people are declining expensive diagnostic tests when a pet is sick. Others are turning to food pantries in the hope of finding kibbles for furry family members. If you’ve never had a pet, it’s … Continue reading →