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Dog Supplies To Make Life Easy

Filed under: Products & ReviewsChantee Hale on November 30th, 2009

If it’s your first dog or your fifteenth there are some innovative new dog supplies every dog owner can use to make Fido’s life, as well as their own, more comfortable.

Dog crates are an essential part of every dog owner’s life. It’s likely the place where your dog spends a lot of their time when you’re at work and where they go when they need a little time away. But what to do when you’re visiting? Port-A-Crate makes travel easy for small and medium dogs with their line of collapsible, ultra-storable, portable crates that range from 15 inches to 31 inches high. For larger dogs Midwest has a similar answer, with their Life Stages travel and training crate’s fold and carry crate design. And there is no longer a need to have an unsightly wire cage in your house, either. Cratewear now produces a line of personalized crate pads and covers, to help your dog’s crate blend into your household as well as feel more comfortable for your favorite pal.

There have been a lot of innovations in dog safety in the last few years, particularly in the area of vehicular safety seating. From auto insurance that covers your pets to safety harnesses, you can rest assured that your dog will be safe in the car. Travelin’ Dog makes a full line of harnesses that work with your car’s seatbelts for small to medium dogs, and booster seats with harnesses for smaller dogs. For larger dogs SolVit makes hammock style seat cover that will keep your pet safely in place while he or she rides in the car, as well as protect your car seats.

Grooming your dog, too, has taken new steps. For finicky dogs who don’t like the scrape of a comb KONG has created the ZoomGroom, a rubber comb which attracts loose hair, dead skin, and dander, whisking them away while giving your pooch a nice massage. For a deeper clean Furminator has created a deShedder shampoo and conditioner line.

Dog training has become easier too, with two exciting new products that help make it easier. Innotek has created the Free Spirit No Bark Collar that helps encourage your dog to not bark with corrective stimulation that is triggered only by the dog’s bark. Dog obedience training is easier now too, with PetSafe’s collarless remote that enables you to train your dog with sound.

To make feeding your pet easier PetSafe has made the 5-Meal Automatic Pet Feeder.  This automatic feeding bowl can contain up to five meals and releases them at a set time, giving you the ability to feed your pet for up to five days without having to think about it. You no longer have to worry about refilling your dog’s water bowl with the Drinkwell Pet Fountain, which purifies and recalculates water in the bowl, acting as a constant fresh water fountain for your pet.

Next time you wish you there were an easier way to travel with your dog or feed your pet, check out what’s new in the pet store. You may be surprised to find that someone has created just the gadget you need to make both your life and your pet’s easier.

Rawhide May not be the Safest Chew Toy

Filed under: Dog Health, Products & ReviewsDoggySpace on June 8th, 2009

Rawhide is a very popular dog toy; what dog wouldn’t love processed cattle skin? It provides dogs with a very satisfying chewing experience. However, what most dog-owners don’t realize is that rawhide may not be the safest toy to purchase. More and more vets are discouraging pet owners from giving rawhide to their dog due to its many dangers.

Rawhide is what it sounds like, raw dried out animal hide that is usually bull or cow. These hides are obtained from slaughter houses and have no nutritional value. Rawhide’s original use was for Native Americans in their construction of boats, making it very strong and durable but not easy to digest. Because of this, ingesting rawhide can cause gastric irritation in dogs.

Something else pet owners don’t realize is that rawhide is usually made in other countries where it can be contaminated with potentially harmful ingredients such as arsenic which is often used as a preservative. Some rawhide toys contain antibiotics, lead, or insecticides that could adversely affect your dog’s digestive system.

Safer options for chewing include large, fresh, meaty bones that you can get from your local butcher. Be sure to supervise your dog when offering these to make sure the bone doesn’t splinter. Also, some companies make hard, bone-shaped treats from food sources, such as soy, rice flour, and potato starch, and these are completely digestible.

By offering your dog alternatives to rawhide, you not only prevent them from choking on them or contracting a stomach virus, but you give them a chance to play for the rest of their long healthy life. You never know, by giving them a choice they may forget about your furniture, your shoes, and your kids’ toys.

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