Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Product review: Puppia belly band

The owners of Maximus and Annabelle told me that they were considering breeding Maximus and Annabelle at some point so Maximus had not been desexed. They also said that he didn't exhibit very many dominant behaviors though - he didn't mark in the house or hump his sister (yet!).
Unfortunately for me, my apartment has too many fun scents in it. He thinks it's a lot of fun to mark my furniture. I would immediately get after him whenever I witnessed him doing it and spot clean the couch and recliner as needed but by Monday, I knew that there was no way I could handle a week of him marking everything I own. Seriously, he decided that he owned EVERYTHING. A belly band was in order (note: belly bands are also referred to as manner bands).
I stuck him in one of Ares' harnesses and Maximus and I went off to the local pet store for some help. I absolutely adore our pet store and this visit wasn't any different. I told the girl working what I was looking for and she immediately had all of the belly bands out to find the perfect one for him. My favorite design said "buttweiser" on it (!!!) but I decided to stick with the band that I recognized and always heard good things about - Puppia. His is navy blue, green and white with a cute anchor on the side. The plus side? This belly band also has a matching harness available!


I was ignorant of the ways of belly bands, other than they existed so the worker happily explained it to me. She told me to buy a pack of cheap maxi pads. Only the cheap ones will do because the more expensive ones have a waxy coating on them that prevents the pee from soaking up. You put the pad inside the belly band before wrapping it around your dog (it velcros on). 





It's important to note that it doesn't stop the behavior of marking - it only prevents him from actually peeing on anything.
I absolutely adore the belly band. It's machine washable and so easy to use! I change the pad if' it's soiled when I take it off to take him out to pee and it seems to be comfortable on him. He actually doesn't even mess with it as much as I thought he would (I'll occasionally catch him pulling at the edges of the band trying to undo the velcro so he can run free). Our only problem is that even though he was sized for it, I think he probably could have done better with a slightly smaller band (a medium rather than a large). 
Maximus could easily run around and play with Ares, Luna, and Annabelle and also had no problem sleeping at night with it on. It didn't slow him down one bit, even the girls liked to try to yank on it when "fighting" with him!
I absolutely love it and completely recommend it to anyone who is having trouble with dogs who feel the need to mark their territory. 




To buy your own Puppia manner (belly) band, you can visit their website here.

Saturday, March 23, 2013

monthly review: March Pawalla Mini!

Oh, boy were we excited to get our Pawalla Mini! Luna couldn't wait for me to get the box open but I managed to sit them down long enough to get pictures this time.



Right after I took this, Ares snagged the monkey stick and took off running. Note the line of fur behind him. That's where Ginger's cage was while pet sitting. She went home last night and with my work schedule, I haven't had a chance to vacuum yet. It's really attractive, I know.


Their haul! I'm most excited for the shampoo!


We'll start with the Pet Greens Semi-Moist Li'l Treats - Tasty Lamb flavor. Pawalla says "The small size of Li'l treats is great for smaller dogs or when used as a training treat for larger dogs. The vegetable glycerin keeps this treat soft and chewy for fur family members. They also contain wheat grass powder which provides SOD (superoxide dismutase) an anti-aging enzyme, and GAGS (glycosaminoglycans) which are part of joint synovial fluid. This is a good, healthy treat for your fur family." They retail about $7.99 and can be found here.

They're in the shape of hearts! I love hearts! They're full of LOVE! They're also Ares and Luna approved and I'm not ashamed to admit we've already gone through half of the bag with training exercises. Actually, I am ashamed to admit it - we need more! Someone send us some!


The next thing we tried was the Natural Balance Healthy Bones Turkey, Oatmeal and Cranberry treats. As you can tell, Luna was excited for me to open the bag. Pawalla says "Natural Balance has added additional vitamin E and zinc to these tasty treats. Both the E and the zinc are related to coat quality, so there is a definite contribution from these treats. There are no artificial flavorings (rosemary is used as a preservative) or colors added. There are grains in this treat such as oats, barley, rye, which are just fine for pet foods when used in supportive roles to a meat protein." They retail at about $5 and can be found here.


Luna still couldn't resist. These were shaped like bones and had "NB" stamped on them. Ares and Luna found them delicious. Also, Luna stole most of Ares' from him. Poor Ares.


We also got a 2 oz sample bottle of Fresh Dog Oatmeal Shampoo. Pawalla says "This soap free shampoo is great for dogs sensitive to soaps and detergents. Fresh Dog shampoo contains coconut oil, oatmeal and sweet almond oil. These essential oils in this product are also aroma-therapeutic and are very pleasant. Echinacea has been added to naturally disinfect and promote healing. This is safe for kittens and puppies as well as adult dogs and cats. It can also be used by the human members of the pet family." 
I'm really excited for this one because while I don't know if it's just the winter weather or what but Luna suffers from dry skin and dandruff. This will be perfect for her! A full sized bottle retails at $12 and can be found here.

And we have to save best for last: the PetLou Monkey Stick! As I said earlier, Ares was so excited about this, he grabbed it out of the box and ran when I first opened it. Silly boy. Pawalla says "This colorful monkey is sure to please your pup! Made of ultra-thick, durable material, this plush toy stick features a loud squeaker for extra fun. PetLou uses only premium grade fabric and fillers and construction-double stitched seams for durability." They retail about $7 and can be found here.


Ares and Luna loved it! Since the weather was nice, we went out on the balcony to let them play. They ran and played tug of war to their heart's content (and don't forget the tricks for their lamb treats!)


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Overall, not including the shampoo, I received about $20 in products. Pawalla Mini's run between $12-17 a month depending on the length of the subscription so I think we did great! We will definitely happily use everything that came in our box, and probably very quickly at that!

Want your own Pawalla or Pawalla Mini? Clickity-click this link to get $5 off your first subscription!

Tuesday, March 19, 2013

monthly review: March BarkBox!

We got our BarkBox today! As you can see, Ares and Luna have learned that they love this box and I couldn't even get them to sit down for a picture. Ginger, on the other hand, had no idea what was going on.



And their wonderful haul. BarkBox also changed it up by having the advice columnist for Elle magazine do a little advice column for our furry friends! It was a really fun way for them to describe what came in the box!


First up: Feel Good chicken liver treats. BarkBox says "All natural and made with limited ingredients, Feel Good Treats are many a BarkBox subscriber's favorite. We know BarkBoxers want the best for their fur babies, which is why you'll be thrilled to hear that all of Feel Good's meat is human-grade. Moreover, these treats are free of wheat, corn, and soy!" A bag costs $9.95 and their website is here.


Oh man, did Ares and Luna love these! All manners went out the window as they were desperate to be the first to try these scrumptious treats! 

 Even Ginger figured out that there was some yummy goodness going on!



The next treat that came up was the Little Eatz peanut butter cookies. BarkBox says "You pup might have to wait for you to finish your appetizer and entree, but you can certainly split dessert! Little Eatz peanut butter cookies are the first cookie that humans and dogs can enjoy together - we may have gone through a bag at the BarkBox office. Scout loves when they're topped with even more peanut butter!"  These treats are for a great price at $3.99 a bag and can be found here.



These suckers were so good that I couldn't get a picture fast enough of my babies chowing down on them. Poor Luna doesn't do well with peanut butter but I dropped a treat and she snatched it up before I could get it. We'll see what happens tonight! She loved it though. You guys will have to settle for a picture of me trying the treat. Because yes, I did try it. I'm not a fan of peanut butter cookies in general but these weren't bad! I think I'll leave them for Ares and Luna though!


The first toy I gave them to try was the Harry Barker hemp bones (the tag is already removed in the picture because Ginger grabbed it out of the box and ran while I was taking pictures of the treats!) BarkBox says "Harry Barker hemp bones are stuffed with eco-friendly fibers made from 100% recycled post-consumer plastics. They'll entertain four-legged squeaky toy afficionados while catering to the design-minded pet parent - plus, they're green! Everyone wins, including Mother Nature." The bones come in two sizes, we got the small one which retails for $10 and can be found here.


They loved it! The squeaker is JUST barely hard enough to squeak that it doesn't make it incredibly annoying for me to listen to and it squeaks enough to keep them entertained so it's a win-win for me. They did not want to share this toy with each other!




The last toy we got was the LollyCadoodle wool mouse. BarkBox says "If your pup's prey drive is anywhere as strong as the BarkBox office pups', you'll know that the pursuit of mice isn't just for cats. LollyCadoodle mice are handmade by master artisans in Nepal, who in turn source their wool from local vendors." I couldn't find the cute little mouse on their site but most of their toys seem to retail about $12.95. You can visit their site here.


I totally did find it weird that my dogs got a mouse toy but Luna LOVES that tail! I think it'll be put to great use as a tug of war toy!





Finally, we got poop bags. I think BarkBox read my mind because I had JUST run out of poop bags and they were on my list of things to pick up the next time I made a pet store run. I think these were just an extra throw in item (they promote Angie's List, as well as giving me a coupon to sign up for Angie's List at a discounted price).

For the second month in a row, Ares and Luna are absolutely THRILLED with their BarkBox and I love seeing them so happy. Hopefully, in the future, I can teach them to use better manners while waiting for me to give them their goodies but I loved all the "blooper" pictures I snapped today.


Saturday, March 16, 2013

I don't know nothin' 'bout birthin' babies

The question of desexing isn't a question for me. It's incredibly hard to breed pugs and the mothers often have complications with birth that result in c-sections. It's scary and I'd rather leave it to someone who knows what their doing.
Surgery of any kind is scary. That said, I'm glad (now) that I got a male dog first. I was a nervous ball of energy when I scheduled Ares' neuter and took him in last June. He had to go to the vet between 7-9am and I could call after 2pm the same day to find out what time to pick him up. If I recall correctly, we picked him up around 4pm. Mike drove so I was able to cuddle Ares in the passenger seat on the way home while he whimpered to let me know that he hurt. We gave him pain medicine as soon as we were able to and he bounced back quickly. You couldn't have paid me to keep him calm - it was impossible. Within days, he was jumping on and off my bed and running up and down the stairs no matter how hard I tried to stop him. The only thing we could think to do was to watch the area very closely (he had the laser surgery so it healed more quickly and he had no stitches that needed to be removed) and stop the pain medication. As mean as that sounds, we had to know when he over exerted himself and was in pain. Luckily, he was fine. He healed quickly and never messed with his wound (we only made him wear the cone of shame when we were sleeping or weren't home).

I regularly pet sit for one of Mike's old roommate's dog, Ginger. They happened to have to go out of town for work the day before Ginger was scheduled for her spay. Since it took so long for him to schedule her appointment, he did the paperwork for her ahead of time and I took her in for the surgery. Unfortunately for the girlies, spays require a sleepover at the vet. She was a trooper though, especially since she must have been missing her daddy. I set up Ares' old puppy play pen so that she had an area to go in and play while staying relatively calm. (Ares and his super model legs can jump in and out of the pen easily!) It worked out well and I did the same thing for her that I did for Ares - she only wore the collar while sleeping or when I wasn't home. She also had the laser surgery but had stitches that had to be removed after two weeks. I was worried for her during surgery and took extra special care of her while she recovered, but because she wasn't my dog, I didn't have the same nervous energy that I did with Ares and even welcomed the night away so Ares and I could have one-on-one cuddle times (this was shortly before bringing Luna home. I was still pet sitting Ginger when Luna joined us). Ginger healed wonderfully and had absolutely no problems even though I also had a really hard time keeping her calm when all she wanted to do was play with Ares!



Now it's Luna's turn. Last month, when she went in for her final shots, I made sure to request a consult with her regular vet rather than a vet tech who just takes her back for her shot. The vet I met with is amazing and I first met her the very first time I brought in Ares. When I brought in Ares, she mentioned that she had two pugs of her own so I knew that she would be the perfect person to discuss my concerns about Luna with.

The actual spay, while worrying because that's just what I do, was not my major concern. I was mostly concerned about her nose. When I first got her, I noticed that she wheezed while breathing quite a bit and snored A LOT (much more than Ares ever has). During her wellness check, I brought it up to the vet who said that it's something to keep an eye on because it's common for pugs to suffer from stenotic nares (teeny tiny nostrils) but that most grow out of it as they get older (usually a combination of their nostrils getting bigger and them learning how to compensate with breathing through the mouth). It's almost always corrected during the desexing surgery so I wanted to meet with a vet to find out what she thought we should do.


Luna had a slightly unique case though (which you can see in the above picture). While her nostrils are really tiny, at the base, she has what can only be described as "notches". The vet told me that these notches are helping her breathe and because of them, she wasn't sure if Luna really did need the procedure. She asked me if I could wait a month to bring Luna in for the spay. This would allow her and her nostrils more time to grow so they could see what would happen. They would wait and determine at the time of surgery what they wanted to do. This was fine by me because I'm not trying to push unnecessary procedures on my baby girl - the less pain for her the better.
I honestly didn't think that they would do the procedure. When I dropped her off the morning of March 14th, I talked to the vet tech who said it was up to me whether or not I wanted to push for the procedure. Most times, pugs with this problem get better as they get older. Sometimes though, it backfires and they get much worse, causing them to have the procedure done later in life. I'm not an expert on this though. I wasn't even going to try to say I knew more than the vet about what was best for her. I told the tech that Luna runs and plays really hard outside and while she pants more than Ares, she doesn't wheeze anymore and doesn't snore nearly as much at night. I told the tech that I would let them decide what they wanted to do.
I was able to call the afternoon of the surgery to see how she was doing. I talked to a vet who told me that Luna is happily snoozing in the back and did really well. They ended up deciding that the widening procedure would be best for her. It breaks my heart to know that she's in more pain because of this but I know it's for the best so I'm trying to make peace with it.
When I called the vet on Friday morning to see when I could get her, they told me that she was absolutely crazy and more than ready to go home. I was thrilled! She's been a monster since coming home (the spay and nose procedure hasn't slowed her down a bit)! Thankfully, she doesn't have stitches or anything in her nose to worry about.
This is her nose now.



And her in her cone (before switching to a much more comfortable inflatable collar).



Thursday, March 14, 2013

Pugsitting picture overload

Mike gets so mad at how many pictures I take regularly of Ares and Luna. I do it because I don't want to forget anything that they do. The week of petsitting was no different with Annabelle and Maximus around. I tried to send their owners regular updates with pictures of Annabelle and Maximus because I knew that I would want that if I was on vacation. (When I went to Arkansas to meet Mike's parents last August, my sister sent me a daily Ares picture upon my request.) They went home on March 9th but I miss them oh-so-much! (That is, until Sunday when I'll be petsitting a little French Bulldog for 6 days! Her name is Ginger and she is best friends with Ares and Luna).
Here's just a small snippet of all of the pictures that I took while I had these crazy dogs.















And of course, life isn't complete without a video of their antics. (Again, look for the collars to tell whether it's my pug or not! Ares and Luna aren't wearing their collars)