Saturday, July 23, 2016

Daisy-Care July 2016 Review

Happy Saturday! Meadow's here with a review of her July 2016 Daisy-Care Subscription Box. Once again, Daisy-Care did a great job picking appropriate items for Meadow. This is one of our favorite subscription boxes for dogs. 

Orbee-Tuff Mazee filled with Polkadog Wonder Nuggets. 
Meadow's bandana is from the Inner Sparkle Shoppe.
This month, the toy included in Meadow's box was a Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Mazee (approx. $20.95). Despite the fact that we buy everything else Meadow could possibly want or need, we haven't ever tried any treat puzzles with her. This is a great toy! It's approximately 5 inches in diameter, and is made of a clear rubber outer shell with a hole, and inside, there is a harder plastic maze. The translucent and pliable Orbee-Tuff outer shell combined with the harder inner maze activates several of the dog's senses - they can hear, see and smell the treats while they solve the puzzle. This toy is not meant as a chew toy, and I'm sure Meadow could destroy the rubber outer shell if she were allowed to chew on it. Since there were treats inside, Meadow wasn't interested in destroying the toy - she was focused on getting the treats out. When you place treats inside, they don't simply fall out the hole - they bounce around inside the maze inside. Meadow was fascinated. She first tried to stick her nose in the hole, and then her tongue. Eventually, she figured out that rolling the ball around would produce treats. This was a great pick for Meadow! It can be purchased directly from Planet Dog, or at Amazon.

Meadow also received a Barkworthies Beef Trachea, 6 inch. (approx.  $4.99). I love getting chews in Meadow's boxes, as it's a nice treat for her, and it's a good opportunity to try new products. Meadow's had Barkworthies products in the past, and they're a brand I trust, but we've not had a Barkworthies trachea before. She loves tracheas! They are crunchier than rawhide, but still tough enough that it takes her a little time to eat them, so they keep her busy for a while. Barkworthies tracheas come from grass-fed beef raised in South America  This particular trachea was a little greasy (I try not to think about it as I'm handling chews made of animal parts). I gave her the trachea and she sat down and quietly ate it over the course of about half an hour. Barkworthies products can be purchased at Chewy.com or at Amazon.

Meadow also received a Puppy Scoops Peanut Butter Flavor Doggie Ice Cream Mix by Puppy Cake, 6 oz. (approx. $6.99). Daisy-Care nailed it by sending peanut butter flavored doggie ice cream - two of Meadow's favorite things. This is powdered mix that you add water to, and freeze until solid. Now your dog can enjoy real ice cream for dogs at home! Puppy Scoops are smooth and creamy, just like ice cream, but with a fraction of the fat and calories and formulated for your dog’s digestion. Puppy Scoops are made in the USA. Meadow sampled her ice cream tonight, and she loved it! The ingredients include whole milk (lactose free), peanut, evaporated cane juice, gelatin, salt. Puppy Scoops can be purchased in the Daisy-Care shop, or at Amazon.com. 

She also got a bottle of Bark-B-Q Pork Flavored Petchup Nutritional Condiment, 16 oz. (approx. $7.95). Daisy-Care must have read my mind - Meadow's been extraordinarily picky about her kibble lately. She will eat her kibble for a few days, then turn her nose up, and won't touch it. Then we try a different kind - she eats it for a few days, then decides she doesn't like it anymore. And around we go. The day we got Meadow's July Daisy-Care box, she was turning her nose up at her kibble at supper time. I gave it a shot, and put some of this Bark-B-Q sauce on her kibble, and wouldn't you know it, she actually ate some. I think this product will come in very handy. She definitely likes the flavor on it's own. This Bark-B-Q sauce also contains lots of vitamins and minerals. The ingredients include water, pork broth, dried sweet potato, sunflower oil, dried tomato, dried yeast, xanthan gum, citric acid (preservative), apple cider vinegar, natural smoke flavor, potassium sorbate, glucosamine hydrochloride (from shellfish) tricalcium phosphate, fish oil (source of omega 3 fatty acids), magnesium oxide, ascorbic acid, inulin, sodium selenite, manganese citrate, maltodextrine, alph-tocopherol acetate, inositol, niacinamide, Vitamin A palmitate, Vitamin B12 supplement, pyridoxine hydrochloride, zinc oxide, riboflavin, potassium citrate, cholecalciferol and folic acid. This Bark-B-Q sauce and other condiments from the Petchup line can be purchased at the Daisy-Care shop or at Amazon.com.

Drool-worthy! Meadow's bandana is from
 the Inner Sparkle Shoppe.




























































































































Meadow also received a package of Bow-Wow Snicker Doodles from Paws Bakery, 8 oz. (approx. $6.99). These cookies are adorable! They look and smell just like snickerdoodles for humans. They are made in the USA from ingredients sourced in the USA. I was extremely tempted to taste one of these soft cookies myself. Needless to say, Little Miss Cookie Monster herself loved these! These cookies have 60 calories each, so they should definitely be fed in moderation! These are special cookies that Meadow will get at bedtime or when she's crated. The ingredients include wheat flour, honey, vegetable fat, egg, potassium bitartrate ("cream of tartar"), cinnamon, baking soda, and vanilla. Just add sugar, and these could be human cookies! They can be purchased directly from Paws Bakery. 

Patience practice. Meadow's bandana is fromthe Inner Sparkle Shoppe.
Last but not least, Meadow received a package of Polkadog Wonder Nuggets, 8 oz. (approx. $12.99). These training-size treats are soft and crumbly and stinky. These treats are made in the USA from ingredients sourced in the at the Polkadog bakery in Boston. Polkadog makes and packages all their treats in their shop in Boston in small batches. These treats contain only rolled oats, vegetable glycerin, barley flour, apples, and beef liver. Meadow thought these were delicious! They're the perfect size for training treats, but they do tend to crumble, so they may not hold up in a treat bag during vigorous exercise. They worked well inside Meadow's new Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Maze. These treats can be purchased directly from Polkadog or at Amazon

Overall Impressions

This is Meadow's fourth box from Daisy-Care, and I continue to be impressed with the selection of items that are perfect for Meadow. Other pet subscription boxes might have cute themes, but what really makes Daisy-Care stand out is the thoughtful selection of items suited for your pet. This month I calculated the value of the items to be over $60.00 - which is well over the cost of the box. In terms of quality and thoughtful selection of items, Daisy-Care is at the top of the field when it comes to pet subscription boxes. 

About Daisy-Care

Daisy-Care is a subscription service that delivers package of treats and toys for your dog each month. There are number of different subscription package options ~

The Everyday Subscription package is a surprise package of toys and/or treats for your dog. You can purchase a "Treats Only" Everyday Care Package Subscription which includes several made-in-the-USA goodies for your pooch, and this subscription is available as a 1-Month Subscription ($37.95), a 3-Month Subscription ($110.85 or $36.95/box), 6-Month Subscription ($215.70 or $35.95/box), or 12-Month Subscription ($419.40 or $34.95/box). You can also subscribe to a Toy and Treat Everyday Care Package, which includes a combination of toys and treats. The packages are available as a 1-Month Subscription ($47.95), a 3-Month Subscription ($140.85 or $46.95/box), a 6-Month Subscription ($275.70 or $45.95/box), or a 12-Month Subscription ($539.40 or $44.95/box).

Daisy-Care also has an Annual Holiday Care Package Subscription that includes twelve (12) packages with Holiday-themed items. The cost for the annual Holiday Care Package Subscription is $239.88 or $19.99/box. Daisy-Care also has special occasion packages, and you can also create your own custom care package by purchasing items from Daisy-Care's shop.

Saturday, July 16, 2016

Orijen Alberta Bison Treats from Chewy.com Review


Happy Caturday everyone! Meadow and her Kitties recently became Chewy.com Influencers,
and we received our first item to review - Orijen Alberta Bison Treats, 2 oz. (approx. $9.49). 

Disclaimer ~ we received this item for free as part of the Chewy.com Influencer program in exchange for our honest opinion. 

We have had Orijen treats in the past ~ we love the fact that they are 100% protein and sourced from meat raised in Canada and the USA. Their line of 100% protein treats are great for both dogs and cats! Our diabetic cat Eddie can even have these 100% protein treats!

Orijen is a Canadian company that makes biologically appropriate food and treats for dogs and cats. All of Orijen's products are made from locally sourced ingredients, including free range poultry, whole nest-laid eggs, whole wild-caught fish, and ranch-raised meats.

These Alberta Bison treats are 100% protein - made only from freeze-dried bison, bison liver, and bison tripe. The bison meat is sourced from bison that are raised free-range on Alberta's Rolling Foothill Farms.  The treats themselves are a good size for training treats. They are not super dense or hard, but they are firm enough that they don't crumble or turn to dust in a training treat bag. They are crunchy but soft enough for Eddie, our diabetic cat, who has had several teeth removed, to eat, and enjoy! There's about 45 treats in the bag, and each treat is 7 calories. For dogs or cats with sensitivities to grains, poultry, fish or other ingredients, these are a great choice! Bison is also a "novel protein" for most pets, meaning that they probably have not eaten that protein in the past which can be an option for dogs or cats with digestive problems.

Eddie trying Orijen Alberta Bison Treats
Orijen is a brand I trust! While there's lots of options for healthy treats out there for dogs, one of the reasons I love Orijen is their variety of 100% protein treats that are healthy, and sourced in North America - that our cats can enjoy, too! Both Meadow and Eddie sampled these treats, and both of them enjoyed them! Orijen Alberta Bison Treats can be purchased at Chewy.com. The only downside to Orijen is that they are a little spendy as far as pet treats go. But, I'm happy to splurge on an item like this, knowing that I'm getting a very healthy, high quality product that my pets will love.
Meadow patiently waiting for "OK" to try her Orijen Alberta Bison Treats. Her beautiful bandana is from Hoot & Co. Click here to get 10% off your first order from Hoot & Co. 
Chewy.com is a great place to purchase pet products online. They have a huge selection of high quality foods, treats, and other pet products, including Orijen brand products. To learn how to become a Chewy.com  influencer, email svillegas(@)chewy.com for more information.

http://www.sugarthegoldenretriever.com/2016/01/chewy-com-blog-hop/




Sunday, July 10, 2016

Cavies in Cozies Fourth of July Reversible Dog Bandana Review

Hi friends! Meadow (and the person who pays her bills and buys her stuff) have discovered the amazing world of Etsy, and handmade toys, treats, and accessories for dogs and cats. In the past few weeks, Meadow's received several handmade items made by small businesses located throughout the US and abroad. We are big fans of supporting small businesses and getting unique, quality items!

Check out Meadow's Fourth of July Reversible Bandana by Cavies in Cozies (approx. $5.50). Before the Fourth of July, I decided Meadow needed a red, white, and blue bandana to sport while we visited the lake over the long weekend. I chose a lovely reversible tie-on bandana, with one side being blue with white stars, and the other side being red and white stripes, from Cavies in Cozies. I ordered three extra bandanas of the same style so Meadow's doggie cousins could have matching bandanas. I contacted the seller about ordering multiple bandanas of the same size, and she immediately responded that she was short on the fabric. Within a few hours, she contacted me again to send a picture of a slightly different fabric that she found, to confirm that the slightly different fabric was acceptable (it was!). She set up a custom listing in the Cavies in Cozies shop for me for my order, and she shipped my order by the next morning. The pricing on the items in the Cavies in Cozies shop is also very reasonable, particularly in comparison to some other dog bandana retailers. We received our bandanas in plenty of time before leaving town for the long holiday. Meadow wore her Cavies in Cozies Fourth of July bandana almost non-stop for the entire long weekend.


I was really, really impressed with the communication with the owner of Cavies in Cozies, and she went out of her way to ensure I was satisfied. The bandana is very nice quality, and its held up to lots of wear and tear playing fetch, running through fields, and even swimming in the lake. Cavies in Cozies has lots of adorable dog bandanas for sale, and they also sell "cozies" for guinea pigs and other small pets. I definitely recommend checking this shop out. I know Meadow will be a repeat customer.

Saturday, July 9, 2016

Leaps and Bounds S'More Stuffy Dog Toy Review

Hello! We hope everyone is enjoying the summer! We were out of town several days over the holiday weekend, and we've been taking the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful, sunny weather we've been having.

Meadow is here today with a review of her Leaps and Bounds S'More Stuffy Dog Toy (approx. $12.99), which we purchased for her at Petco several weeks ago weeks ago. It appears that this toy is no longer available on Petco.com, but you may still be able to find it in your local Petco store.

I spotted this adorable toy, and immediately began envisioning Meadow running around with a giant smiling s'more in her mouth, so I had to purchase it. The "graham cracker" top and bottom of the toy are crinkly, and the plush center contains a squeaker.

This was a hit! Meadow loved the crinkle and the squeak, and ran around tossing this toy in the air, and squeaking it. Adorable! I knew that it was destined to get destroyed at some point, as almost all stuffies do in our house. It did last through several days of heavy playtime, so it was actually more durable than I expected. Eventually, Meadow got a small hole in a seam in the plush "marshmallow" part and the toy was doomed. Be forewarned, if you have a stuffy killer, this toy has a TON of stuffing.