Wordless Wednesday: Week 14

 

July Pet Expenses

Inspiration for this blog post comes from Dachshund Nola. Her explanation of this post (and probably further months to come) is simply sharing the cost of your dog each month. So, here we go!

July Expenses for Venus and Ocean:

Food: $0 - Between coupons and winning a photo contest from "I and Love and You", I have not paid for any food this month.

Vet/Medical: $0

Treats & Toys: $30 - $13 for an August Pawalla box, the rest were random toys and treats

Gear: $18 for a new Puppia harness for Ocean

Misc: $1 for a pack of poop bags at the Dollar Tree

Total pet cost for July: $49

Not bad! Ocean has been needing a new harness since we brought her home. She's been using an old one of Venus' but it fits a little funny. I bought it with sale money from eBay, so it worked out well!

Care to share how much you spent?

Black & White Sunday: Week 1

Wordless Wednesday: Week 13

PetzLife Oral Care Review

Finally, an alternative to expensive routine dental cleanings and risky anesthesia! Maybe you saw my recent post welcoming Ocean into our family, but also the moment we realized the sad state her teeth were in after we brought her home. Venus was our first "baby" and we were immediately worried from day one about something happening to her. Luckily she's never needed to go under for anything, or ever need her teeth cleaned, but a fear of something happening while in surgery or receiving medications overwhelmed both Jer and I. So when we saw how badly Oceans' teeth needed to be cleaned, I immediately went into a panic. We brought her into a vet who prescribed an antibiotic and we planned to look at cleaning her teeth and extracting the loose ones after she was able to fight off the mild infection she had from the tartar buildup. I got her back home and immediately began looking online for home-remedies to help lessen the tartar on our own. I was brushing her teeth four times a day and adding grapefruit seed extract to the water dish. She was also getting softer chews, but she needed something more. That is when I came across PetzLife.

PetzLife produces safe and natural products to improve and sustain the life of your beloved pets.

PetzLife sent us their Oral Care Spray and the Oral Care Gel, both peppermint flavor. Both the spray and the gel are designed to eliminate plaque, remove tartar, reverse gum disease, and freshen breath. They are both veterinarian recommended products and help eliminate the need for brushing. Helpful and active ingredients include:

• Grape Seed Extract
• Grapefruit Seed Extract
• Grain Alcohol
• Thyme Oil
• Neem Oil
• Peppermint Oil

You can read about these ingredients and general information about the Oral Care Spray here, and the Peppermint Oral Care Gel here.

We started using PetzLife on April 19th. We applied it daily to Oceans' gumline, alternating the use of the spray and the gel. I loved the fresh minty scent, and it immediately made both dogs breath smell wonderful! Both the gel and the spray were easy to apply, but each was easier for one dog or the other. The spray is quick and easy to apply to Venus' teeth as she is used to me brushing her teeth and checking her over. I began using it on her as a preventative and for some mild plaque I noticed in some creases on a couple teeth, and all it took was a quick spray on each side of her mouth. Ocean was a little more difficult. It was obvious she wasn't used to anyone caring for her mouth, and she still fights me, but the gel is much easier to apply to her teeth and gums than trying to hold her mouth open and spray inside.

Here are Venus' teeth:

We've had Venus since she was six weeks old, and we tried to start her off with teeth brushing right away. I admit, I usually forget to brush the dogs' teeth every day, but they do get brushed at least every other day. Usually mid-day since I apply the PetzLife in the morning and at night.

This is Oceans' teeth the day after we brought her home:

 

This is Oceans' teeth one month later:

 These are Oceans' teeth today:

Now I know her teeth still need professional help, but the difference is quite noticeable! Especially considering how awful they were when we brought her home. We have been saving since April to try to get her in for a cleaning and to have her extractions done, and while we've been grateful to PetzLife for allowing us to try their products and give Ocean some help, the financial implication of rescuing Ocean just has not been met yet. 

Overall, I'm very impressed with PetzLife. I would definitely recommend them to anyone with dog or cat. Even if your pet doesn't have bad teeth, I think these are good prodcuts for maintenance. PetzLife also makes products for us humans too!

You can connect with PetzLife on their website, on Facebook, on Twitter, and on their blog.

DISCLAIMER: We were sent the product(s) mentioned in this post for review purposes only. We were not offered monetary compensation for review, and our opinion is 100% our own.

Beware of the New Anallergenic Dog Foods with Feather Meal

Beware of the New Anallergenic Dog Foods with Feather Meal

Has anyone else heard of this new "innovation" in pet food? Thoughts?

 

By Nature Pet Foods: All Natural Dog Biscuits Review

By Nature believes in providing natural and organic food and treats for your pets. Having been around the production of pet food for 140 years, they know a thing or two! I came across their company a few months ago when I was really struggling to find a new food for Venus that she didn't have an allergic reaction to. Both Venus and Ocean have loved both the By Nature organic and grain free kibbles as well as their canned varieties, so I was thrilled when they offered to let me review a product from their All Natural Biscuit line!

I happened to receive the Green Tea & Honey flavor for review, and I loved them from the moment I opened the bag.

Ingredients:

Ground Rice, Ground Flaxseed, Psyllium Seed Husk, Cane Molasses, Vegetable Oil, Green Tea, Parsley, Dried Kelp, Honey, Dried Carrots, Cranberries, Blueberries, Dried Tomatoes, Peppermint Leaf, Natural Flavors, Chlorophyll.

The smell of fresh honey bursts from the bag, and it's simply wonderful. These biscuits are wheat free, eliminating a common allergen and unnecessary filler ingredient. The green tea provides healthy antioxidants, while the flaxseed promotes a healthy coat and skin.

You can see Venus enjoying a couple biscuits in the video below. I apologize for the loud background noise.

Overall, I was really impressed with these particular biscuits. They are healthy, have fantastic ingredients, come from a trustworthy company, and Venus loves them!

You can connect with By Nature to learn more about their natural and organic foods and treats for dogs and cats, as well as read care tips on their website, Facebook, Twitter, Google +, and Pinterest.

DISCLAIMER: We were sent the product(s) mentioned in this post for review purposes only. We were not offered monetary compensation for review, and our opinion is 100% our own.
Baby and the Chi's is not responsible for prize delivery.