Himalayan Dog Chews

I am always on the market for good alternatives to rawhide, as you know, I believe rawhide is far too dangerous to feed. I just tried a new chew treat, and I'm pretty happy with the results. Recently, I bought two different brands of himalayan or churpi dog chews. One, was made by the Himalayan Dog Chew company, and the other was made by Churpi Chews and produced by QT Dog Chews. Both brands contain four simple ingredients: yak milk, cow milk, salt, and lime juice. The treats are all natural, and contain no additives or chemicals, which is nice to find in a dog product. Both brands have the exact same guaranteed analysis, same color, same shape, and same scent.

I decided to give this new chew a try after reading about it in a few articles, and it did not disappoint. These treats come from an ancient recipe that the people of the Nepal Himalayas have been making for generations. These chews are actually made for humans from an ancient recipe that locals can use as a snack that they slowly work in their mouths throughout the day while working in the fields. Of course, knowing the origin of the treat, I had to give it a try myself before I gave it to Milly. And, it didn't taste bad, but I don't think I'll be knawing on one myself again. It has a slight parmesean cheese flavor, and a smokey aroma, that smells nice to me, and tastes like Heaven for Milly.



Milly has tried both brands, and she hasn't even made a dent in them after hours of chewing. This is an incredibly long lasting treat, but I do recommend making sure to get a size appropriate for your dog. I went with the Jumbo size, and it is just right. In order to eat the treat, dogs must slowly work the end of the treat for hours, softening it with their mouths before small parts of it can slowly be scraped off and dissolved. This treat is actually a type of Himalayan cheese, that is long lasting and naturally preserved with lime juice and salt.

Milly seems to really love this treat. The process of which the treat is made, and the use of yak milk, makes it easily digestible for dogs. This said, this treat is extremely high in protein, and if you feed it, especially to an older dog, I would recommend limiting the amount of time your dog can chew on it, and then cutting your dog's next meal back in size to prevent diarrhea. I've found Milly can safely enjoy this chew for about an hour and a half, and then I cut her next meal back by 30% without any diarrhea. However, I am not a veterinarian, and this is simply what works for me and my particular dog.

These chew treats are not all cheap, but in the case of Milly, they last a long time. I paid about $15 for each treat, which to me is quite a bit of money. That said, you probably get 10 times the chew time out of these than you would a bully stick. I purchased one of mine from Best Bully Sticks, and the other from Wylie Wagg in Arlington, VA.

All in all, I give this product 4-stars and 4-paws. This might be Milly's new flavorite treat! Just make sure to supervise your dog with this, like you would any chew, and remember, it is very high in protein and can be overdone, especially with older dogs.

Twist 'n Treat

It amazes me how far the pet industry has come in such a small amount of time. Do you remember the options for dog toys 10, 15, or 20 years ago? I remember my childhood dogs practically grew up on rawhide chews (the kind with the knots on both ends) that I would never feed a dog now. Toys were tennis balls, rope, or squeaky toys, and if you wanted to play fetch with your dog you had to be good at throwing a ball… these were the days before the Chuck-It. Back then, if you wanted to leave the house for hours and keep your dog occupied you’d probably leave him with his tennis ball and a rawhide, because you didn’t have a Kong or a bully stick to provide him with. We fed kibble once a day (at 5pm) - canned food was only in the house after Sweetie was hit by a car and had her jaw wired shut for a few months – the dogs spent the day outside - romping around the farm, doing whatever it is that farm dogs do – the ones that did play fetch did so with sticks that I threw. They were all wonderful dogs that were happy, fit, and healthy, but they lacked all of the toys, treats, supplements and advanced holistic diets that Milly has today. Perhaps their massive yard (68 acres) filled the void for them, or perhaps I simply have fallen victim to the pet industry and become a materialistic dog owner.

Have we really gotten so far away from nature that you can now buy FetchStix?!?!

This is one product I will not be purchasing, I'll just pull them off of a low hanging branch as needed.

I’m not going to lie, I sincerely enjoy buying things for Milly, and testing them out. I am intrigued by the variety of products available for pet owners, and I am usually an easy target for a sales person. I even sometimes let Milly go shopping with me and pick out her next toy. But, on my last shopping trip to AKA Spot in Clarendon (Arlington, VA) I was on a mission for two things: Texas Toothpicks and an Everlasting Treat Ball. They had the Texas Toothpicks (which had gone up in price by $2, and now are only a little bit cheaper there than at other stores in the area) and did not have the Everlasting Treat Ball.

Texas Toothpicks are a great alternative to rawhide bones, and are all natural & made in the USA!

Milly goes nuts for them!

Milly has started digging a lot when she is in the yard (she doesn’t dig on grass, but if the soil is loose around plants she loves to dig) and I know this is probably because she is bored, so I wanted to pick up something to keep her occupied. The saleswoman was wonderful, feeding Milly tomato treats (with my permission, of course), asking all about Milly, and making me feel very comfortable and welcome. She showed me the Busy Buddy Twist ‘n Treat and I was sold!

The Twist ‘n Treat is the first and only 2-piece adjustable rubber treat dispensing toy. You can adjust the rate of treat dispersal to suit the interest and ability of your dog by twisting the disks tighter or looser. When I first introduced the Twist ‘n Treat filled with Merrick's Lamb Fillet Squares to Milly, I left enough space in the opening to allow treats to fall out regularly, so she could “win the game.” Once Milly got the hang of it and played successfully with the Twist ‘n Treat, I screwed the opening tighter and this extends the length of play. Because the opening is adjustable you can fill the Twist ‘n Treat with a variety of soft, hard, and smear-able treats. I also love that it is made of natural rubber. Milly got the hang of it pretty quickly, and with in 4 days I was screwing the Twist ‘n Treat to the tightest setting. She’s figured out how to use her front paws and her nose to roll it on its side, and can get the treats out a bit faster than I’d like, but she seems to really love the action of playing with the toy, and having to work at a game.

I would recommend the Twist ‘n Treat to anyone and a bonus is it comes in three sizes, so you are sure to find one that works for your pup!

Abby Enjoying Her Bully Stick

I thought everyone might enjoy seeing photos of Abby enjoying the bully stick she won in The Wet Nose giveaway.

The photo with the cat is actually the cat trying to steal the bully stick from Abby! Katherine wrote to tell me her cat would pick up one end of the stick while Abby was chewing on the other end, and run off with it! That's one docile dog, and one feisty cat if you ask me!

Enjoy these fun pictures! :)

AND THE WINNER IS...

I just put all of the entries into a hat, and with the supervision and assistance of a co-worker we drew the winner of the Bully Stick Giveaway.

Miss Muddy Paws would like to congratulate Katherine for winning the first ever giveaway at The Wet Nose. Katherine is the winner of a 12” all-natural, chemical free, free range, organic bully stick, and we’re sure Abby, Katherine’s lab will love her bully stick!

Katherine writes, “Abby would love a bully stick because a lab never turns down anything edible,” that sounds like so many dogs I know! In the spring and summer Abby’s favorite activities include going to the dog park, hikes through the woods, and swimming, Katherine tells us.

To everyone who entered the giveaway, thank you, because without you this would not have been possible. Please continue to check back as we are currently planning some exciting new giveaways, and there will be more chances to win! I wish that everyone could have won a bully stick, because it was such a pleasure to hear about all of the fun and exciting activities you enjoy with your dogs during the spring and summer!

Katherine, please comment with your email address so we can arrange shipping for Abby’s new all-natural, chemical free, free range, organic bully stick!

Economic Turmoil - There Are Food Options

This economy is crazy! The markets continue to plummet, more and more people are being laid off, companies are enforcing salary freezes and even cost of living raises have been cut from many company budgets. Times are tough for many Americans, to say the least.

If you need to cut back on your dog's food budget (temporarily) or for a few years there are some better cheap foods to consider. Costco Kirkland brand Lamb and Rice dry food sells for $27.63 on their website for a 40 lbs bag! The food isn't the best dry food on the market, but I'd say it is comparable to many Science Diet formulas and Nutro's formula. You can increase protein in your dog's diet by feeding an egg a few times a week (especially on days of heavy exercise) to the dry food. You can either feed raw egg or hard boiled, and if you chose hard boiled you can even feed the shell - extra protein! I'd recommend supervising your dog if you feed shell on for the first time. Hard boiled eggs are great because you can boil a week's supply at the same time and just keep them in the fridge, if you travel or go to dog show's you can simply toss a hard boiled egg in your drink cooler and keep it fresh for your dog's feeding time.

Ok, so you want to find a decent canned food too? One that won't break the bank, and is made in the USA? I suggest hitting up your local Trader Joe's and trying their canned food in Lamb and Rice. It is twice the size of most dog food cans, measuring in at 22 oz, and at $0.99 you can't beat the price! While there are better canned foods on the market, this is a decent option because unlike typical grocery store brand foods Trader Joe's canned food contains no corn (often an allergen in dogs, and a common filler in pet foods). Like many canned dog foods Trader Joe's food is not as meaty as most would like, and contains a high percentage of water. However, without spending double or triple the amount for a canned half the size you'd never be able to find a canned dog food that is at least 90% meat.

Because both of these foods are produced in large facilities I recommend frequently checking petfood recalls. In 2007 Trader Joe's voluntarily recalled all of their canned pet food as a precaution - http://www.itchmo.com/trader-joes-pet-food-recalled-191. While no recalls have occurred in nearly two years regarding either of these foods it is always better safe than sorry.

Before you have to re home your dog because of the economy first look at cheap options that aren't that bad. Both of these foods are better than many, if not all, you'd find on grocery store shelves, and the size is larger and the cost less. You can also look into this service for human groceries, Angel Food Ministries - it's a good deal, and there are no income restrictions or requirements, but you have to be willing to eat what is on the menu for the month. If you need help for you or your pet there are numerous organizations and individuals willing and able to offer you support in these trying economic times.

Don’t forget there is still time to enter the Bully Stick GIVEAWAY!

IT'S TIME FOR YAPPY HOUR!!!

As the trees fill with blossoms, and the sun begins to shine more regularly, I know that all of those April showers have paid off, and my May flowers are just around the corner. With spring, and the onset of summer, I yearn to be outside more and more.

There is a little dive bar in Arlington, VA called “Jays” where my roommates and I love to go during the summer. As all dive bars do, Jays has plenty of character, and it is simply a pleasure to sit outside on a warm afternoon or early evening, and drink some beer while chatting with my friends. While I do enjoy these moments with pals, I cannot help but feel a bit guilty that I am not spending time during the brilliant weather with Milly.

Well, I no longer have to feel guilty, as “Yappy Hours” are popping up all over the place, Jays included. Yappy Hour is a fun social event for our canine companions and their human parents. Yappy Hour is the perfect opportunity for humans to mix and mingle while their dog socializes with their buddies. In fact, some Yappy Hours are even creating a doggie play area for extra play time!

If you aren’t a beer drinker, don’t worry! Many vineyards have caught on to the fun and exciting trend of Yappy Hour, and who wouldn’t want to sip some pinot on a porch, while their pup sits happily at their feet? While Milly has never attended a vineyard sanctioned Yappy Hour, she has gone on numerous wine tasting adventures. I always call ahead to make sure each vineyard is dog friendly (some will require your dog to remain outside while you taste indoors), and pack plenty of water and treats for Milly. It is so much fun to leave the hustle and bustle of urban living behind and head to the countryside (in our case, Middleburg, VA and surrounding areas) and dart through the rows of grapes.

I encourage all of my readers to check in your local area for upcoming Yappy Hours. They are so much fun! If you don’t have a dog, don’t worry – just tag along with a dog owning pal, or “borrow” a dog from a multiple dog owning friend. It’s probably best to leave the treats at home to prevent dog jealousy, and call ahead to see if your Yappy Hour provides water bowls, if not, you’ll want to bring your own. As always, please drink responsibly, and make sure you have a designated driver.

Don’t forget there is still time to enter the Bully Stick GIVEAWAY!

BULLY STICK GIVEAWAY!!!

You’ve asked for it, and now you’ve got it! The Wet Nose’s first ever GIVEAWAY!  Tell Miss Muddy Paws why you think you should win a 12-14 inch all natural, free-range, chemical-free Bully Stick for your pup. Follow these simple steps for the most ways to win:

• One Lick: Leave a comment telling Miss Muddy Paws why your pooch deserves the Bully Stick, and what your favorite springtime activity with your four legged friend is. You will be entered once in the drawing.
• Two Licks: One lick, plus become a follower of The Wet Nose and tell a friend about The Wet Nose (on your honor). You will be entered twice in the drawing.
• Three Licks: One and two licks, plus link to The Wet Nose from your blog, or add The Wet Nose to your blog’s Side Bar. You will be entered three times in the drawing.
• Four Licks: One, two and three licks, plus e-mail multiple friends about The Wet Nose giveaway (you can CC MissMuddyPaws @ gmail.com (no spaces)). You will be entered four times in the drawing.

Unfortunately, this drawing is only offered to followers in the United States. If you live abroad and want to enter if you win you must be willing to send the prize to a U.S. address (of your choosing). For the non-dog-owning followers Miss Muddy Paws is happy to send the Bully Stick to a friend, rescue or shelter of your choosing.

HAVE FUN!!! And remember; if you like what you read here please comment on the blog!

THE DRAWING WILL TAKE PLACE ON 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29, 2009 AT 3:00PM!!!