Canidae Large Breed Dog Food – It's a Big Deal!

The sponsor of this blog, Canidae Natural Pet Foods, announced its new Large Breed formulas for adults and puppies just last month. They report that the response from both large breed pet owners and retailers across the country has been tremendous. In fact, Frank Hon, the company's Vice President of Global Sales (and large breed dog owner) said, "It may be the most successful new formula we have ever launched!"

What is all the fuss about? Well, there are several things that make Canidae's new large breed formulas different from anything else out there – features that really hit home for large breed dog owners. Let's take a look.

First, the Canidae Large Breed dry formula for adults and Large Breed dry formula for puppies both feature delicious duck meal. What's so special about that? Duck has higher levels of Omega 3 fatty acids compared to chicken alone. (Chicken is the primary protein in most other large breed formulas on the market.) These high levels of Omega 3 play an important role in reducing inflammation within the body, including within the joints. Good joint health is very important when it comes to these large breeds.

These formulas also contain yummy lentils! Lentils are a great non-grain source of carbs which help satisfy the big appetites of large breeds who sometimes want to eat too much. Lentils are so satisfying because they are low-glycemic, releasing energy into your dog's body more slowly than some other ingredients. This "slower release" helps to satiate big appetites and provide healthy all-day energy.

The Pongo Fund Saves Lives and Keeps Families Together

CANIDAE partnered with The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank 3½ years ago to help feed the hungry pets in Portland, Oregon and surrounding areas. They helped its founder, Larry Chusid, stock the shelves by donating a massive amount of their premium quality dog food and cat food.

Although that initial shipment of pet food is long gone, CANIDAE continues to support this worthwhile charity because they know it is saving many animals’ lives. Since opening their doors in November 2009, The Pongo Fund has served millions of quality meals and more importantly, has enabled countless dogs and cats to remain in their home with the people they love.

We wanted to share this touching note from The Pongo Fund with our readers. It’s just one example of many, of how this pet food bank is making a difference in the lives of animals and families, but it’s a beautiful thing.

***

A 14 year-old Boston Terrier. A 12 year-old Lab. A 7 year-old Pit Bull. And two kitties. What do they all have in common? They all belong to a family that has endured a run of incredibly bad luck. Desperate and heartbroken, they called the shelter to find out about giving their animals up. What did the shelter say?

Call The Pongo Fund.

Say Cheese! Your Dog’s Smile Could Win FREE CANIDAE!

Does your dog’s beautiful smile melt your heart? Does your pooch grin wide enough to eat a banana sideways? And do they like to eat paw-licking-good dog food? Well then, fetch your camera and get ready to capture those dazzling doggie smiles!

Why? So you can enter your fabulous photo(s) in our new contest for a chance to win some FREE dog food! Is that BOL (bark-out-loud) awesome, or what?

The Grand Prize Winner will receive 6 months of premium quality CANIDAE pet food and a chance to be featured on the CANIDAE website or Facebook page!  Ten runners-up receive a 5lb bag of their dog’s favorite CANIDAE Life Stages formula.

Could Your Dog Be the Next CANIDAE Star?

Wanted: Dogs with winning smiles, happy expressions or gloriously goofy grins. Must be willing to work for pet food. Amateurs encouraged to apply.

Ethos Pet Nutrition - Our Advanced Research and Development Center and Manufacturing Facility

All of us at CANIDAE are proud to share with you a milestone event. This November every CANIDAE and Ethos team member came together in Brownwood, Texas for a company tour of our recently finished facility.

This new facility -- named Ethos Pet Nutrition -- is our advanced research and development center as well as our pet food manufacturing facility.

Here at CANIDAE Pet Foods and Ethos Pet Nutrition we are committed to all of your families enjoying long, happy and healthy lives together. And that is why the foundation of the CANIDAE culture will always be to provide the best in pet and equine foods and treats so that your pets can enjoy A Healthier Today for a Longer Tomorrow™.

Please enjoy these pictures of our team standing in front of our facility and a few photographs from inside our research and development center and manufacturing facility. To see more, visit EthosPet.com

Automation –
Total process and formulation monitoring throughout the facility allows for quality control during the entire manufacturing cycle… From the delivery of ingredients, to the cooking, adding of nutrients, extrusion, the addition of probiotics and fats, last stage finishing and bagging – the final pet or equine product being manufactured is exactly what was intended.

Extrusion –
Once our natural ingredients have been carefully blended to our specific formula, they are conveyed into the extruder.  Here the ingredients are carefully cooked through the process of controlled steam and pressure.  This process of both art and science also changes the texture of the food mixture so as to allow it to be formed into the desired kibble size.  The result – a superior tasting kibble that is both more nutritious and more highly digestible.

Life-Saving Service Dog Wins Free CANIDAE!

By Julia Williams

Where else can you win a stockpile of premium-quality pet food just by subscribing to a blog? I don’t know, but I love that the sponsor of this blog, CANIDAE Natural Pet Foods, awards one new reader every quarter with their choice of a six-month supply of CANIDAE dog food or FELIDAE cat food. I can only imagine how exciting it would be to get THAT email!  I’d probably fall off my chair…wouldn’t you?

I always enjoy getting to know the winners and finding out their unique story. Our latest lucky winner was Deborah Van Gelder, who lives in California with her canine friend Denver, a purebred Australian Shepherd. Denver is both a Service Dog and a Therapy Dog, and he and Deborah go to visit the veterans every Friday at the VA Hospital in Loma Linda, California. “Denver and I LOVE going to the VA hospital,” said Deborah. “He will pull me down a certain hallway so that he can visit his favorite patients.”

Deborah and Denver also participate in a fun reading program at local libraries called “Sit, Stay and Read,” which is very popular with both children AND adults. During the summer, they volunteer at a special Kids Kamp helping children who have been abused or neglected. Deborah is a K9 Specialist who trains Service Dogs and Therapy Dogs, and has been doing this for several years.

Since Deborah and Denver do so much for others, I was particularly pleased they won this fantastic prize. I was also happy to find out that Denver has been a “CANIDAE dog” for about three years, and that Deborah credits the food with helping to save Denver’s life!

As Deborah told me, “A while back, Denver suffered from intestinal shutdown (I almost lost him) and had to be placed on bedrest. During that time, I gave him the CANIDAE grain free pureSKY formula. That's what kept him from being sicker, and it stabilized his system. Since then he’s been doing great!”

Meet the Pets of CANIDAE Staff Members

By Julia Williams

Two animal loving friends, John Gordon and Scott Whipple, started the CANIDAE Natural Pet Food Company in 1996. These “ordinary guys” and their families founded CANIDAE with a desire and a plan to make the finest natural pet food products possible. Today, the company is still family owned and operated, and still very much committed to providing dogs, cats and horses with premium quality pet food. It stands to reason, then, that everyone who works at CANIDAE is also an animal lover. Many employees even bring their dogs to work with them – because any task becomes infinitely more enjoyable with a canine friend by your side! We thought you might enjoy getting to know some of the “Pets of the CANIDAE staff,” so here they are:

Greg Henley: Max, 4 year old Maltese
What do you love most about your pet?  I love everything about him – he loves me unconditionally.
Does your pet have any quirks?  He is grouchy in the morning – don’t try to get him out of bed before he is ready.
What are your pet’s favorite activities?  He loves to play with his rope tug toy.
What one word best describes your pet’s personality? Playful
If your pet could talk, what would they say about their CANIDAE food? “More canned food and TidNips please!!”



Kristine Matsuura: Hailey, 3 year old yellow Labrador

What do you love most about your pet? She is the sister I never had.
Does your pet have any quirks? She is a Princess and all the toys are hers.
What are your pet’s favorite activities? Going jogging with me, and going with me wherever I go.
What one word best describes your pet’s personality? Princess
If your pet could talk, what would they say about their CANIDAE food? “May the bag never go empty!”

Diane Matsuura: Breezie, 6 year old yellow Labrador

What do you love most about your pet? She gives the best hugs.
Does your pet have any quirks? She hogs the bed or couch.
What are your pet’s favorite activities? She loves Splash Dogs Dock Diving.  Right now she is on maternity leave from sports and is home taking care of 6 puppies.
What one word best describes your pet’s personality? Mushy
If your pet could talk, what would they say about their CANIDAE food? “The best food ever!”

Scott Whipple: Koda, 1 year old Yorkshire terrier

What do you love most about your pet? She cuddles with me on the couch.
Does your pet have any quirks? She doesn’t like baths and brushing.
What are your pet’s favorite activities? She loves to chase squirrels and lizards in the back yard.
What one word best describes your pet’s personality? Cuddly
If your pet could talk, what would they say about their CANIDAE food? “Treats are my favorite!”

Can Quality Pet Food Curb Misbehavior?

By Linda Cole

When training for a marathon or any other sporting event, a human athlete won't get very far if all he or she eats is junk food. Diet is so important to keep the body working smoothly, and what we feed our pets matters just as much as what we eat. A poor diet can seriously affect a pet's health, and can also be a reason for your pet's bad behavior. Dog training, housebreaking, hyperactivity and aggression issues are some of the things that may be affected by the food your pet eats.

Dog Training 

If you don't have your dog's attention, you aren't going to be able to teach him. Lower quality pet food makes training a puppy or dog harder if they are hungry all the time and have no energy. Training requires a dog to focus, and if he's hungry or feels sluggish, learning a command is more difficult. Cheaper food may actually require a pet to eat more to feel full, and with lower quality nutrients, he may struggle with his learning. A dog that doesn't understand basic commands can be harder to control.

Housebreaking

It's harder to housebreak a puppy or dog if they need to go more because they have to eat more. Fillers in lower quality pet foods are there to help fill pets up. In order for food to be effective, it needs to be absorbed into the body. Poorer quality foods aren't absorbed as well, and the end result is that a puppy or dog needs to “go” more often. On average, adult dogs should only have one to two bowel movements each day, and puppies are old enough to control their bladder and bowels by the age of six months. If they are going more than that but have no health issues which could cause this, it’s wise to evaluate the food your pet is eating.

Cats eating a lower quality pet food may stop using the litter box if they are using it more often and you find it hard to keep it clean because of more frequent use. Like dogs, a healthy cat should have a bowel movement one or two times a day. Diet can affect a pet's coat, skin, eyes, muscle development, overall health and energy level.

Pica

Pica is a compulsive eating disorder, and it can be due to a poor diet. A hungry pet may try to satisfy their hunger by eating non food items like rocks, socks, plastic bags, dirt or anything they can find to munch on. A pet that eats non food items should be checked out by a vet to make sure there are no medical problems.

Your Photo Could Win Free CANIDAE for a Year!

Wouldn’t it be cool to see your favorite canine featured on a bag or can of CANIDAE Natural Pet Food? Well, now’s your chance!

Yesterday, CANIDAE announced an exciting new photo contest for dog owners. If your photo is selected as the winner, you might get to see your four legged friend on a CANIDAE pet food package.

That would certainly be something to brag about, right? But wait, there’s more! The winner will receive a one year free supply of CANIDAE dog food, too!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

Submit your best photos of your dog. CANIDAE is looking for only high quality photos with your dog looking directly into the camera. Large file sizes preferred with 5MB as the maximum size. You can submit as many photos as you like until the contest closes on October 31, 2012. During the contest you and everyone else can vote for your favorite entries. CANIDAE staff will select the final grand prize winner.

THE PRIZE

The grand prize winner receives FREE Pet Food for One Year!! All photos submitted become property of CANIDAE and may be used for commercial purposes including packaging, websites and any type of marketing or advertising material.

What are you waiting for? Submit your best photo today via the CANIDAE Facebook page.

Terms and conditions apply. See contest for details.

URGENT! The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank Needs Help

By Linda Cole

CANIDAE has been a huge supporter of The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank since 2009, when their initial donation of $125,000 worth of premium pet food helped this very important charity open their doors. Larry Chusid founded The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank to help people feed their beloved pets, so the animals can remain with the family instead of being surrendered to a shelter. Although many who receive the lifesaving pet food from The Pongo Fund never imagined they’d ever be unable to feed their pet without help, it can and does happen to all walks of life.

To date, The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank has provided meals for over 50,000 hungry animals throughout Oregon & Southwest Washington. Now it's our turn to give back to Larry and The Pongo Fund, and I'm asking for your help.

The Pongo Fund is entered in the Chase Community Giving contest for a share of $5 million in grants to the winning charities. A win for The Pongo Fund would come at a very good time, because the charity was recently forced out of their building after it was severely damaged by rain and slated for demolition. The pet food bank has located a new home, but will now have to pay rent and restock the warehouse.

CANIDAE will continue to lend a hand with donations of their premium pet food and treats, but it takes more than one company to keep Larry's lifesaving work going. Winning $50,000 would go a long way in helping The Pongo Fund get back on their feet so they can continue to feed pets in need.

How EQUIDAE Helped a Hyper Horse Become a Champion

By Linda Cole

Felicia Harrison just turned 16 in June, but don't let her young years fool you. She's already an accomplished horsewoman with an impressive collection of medals and buckles. Her passion for riding and love of riding and horses, however, is even more impressive.

Felicia lives in Washington State in a small community that sits on the northern bank of the Columbia River, in an area described as “the crossroads to discovery” in the Pacific Northwest. It took me a few tries before I was able to get Felicia on the phone, because she's a teenager more dedicated to her horses and riding than she is to her cell phone!

In April, Felicia's family bought a 17 year old horse, Hollie Mae, from a friend. Hollie had been living in a cramped paddock (a small enclosure used for pasturing or exercising). When they brought her home, Hollie was hyper and wore herself down quickly. Her muscle tone was poor and she was sluggish when she ran. She hadn't been getting very much exercise.

Diet plays such an important role in temperament and physical health for humans and animals. Weighing only 990 pounds, Hollie was 160 pounds underweight. To add on pounds and give Hollie a healthier diet, Felicia started her on the CANIDAE Pet Foods line of horse feed, EQUIDAE, a few months ago. I asked Felicia if she noticed a difference when they switched Hollie to EQUIDAE. “It's actually a lot. Now she has much more energy. We can tell a big difference between the grain we were feeding her and the EQUIDAE. On the other feed, she was hyper and when we switched, her attitude became mellow. On a trail ride, she would be prancing or dancing in place, and now she walks with her head down, she looks around, and she's very serious.”

Felicia also said that her horse “has more muscle tone in her butt and neck, and her flanks have gotten a lot more muscular. Now she is kinda like a mini tank – she's gained about 150 pounds and her coat is very shiny and soft! Before it was really long and shaggy, and she had a dull look to her and appeared sad and miserable all the time. Now she's perky and happy! Her previous feed had a lot of molasses in high concentrations to quickly put weight on her. It was more like feeding her coffee and the EQUIDAE is like feeding her a tea; she doesn't get hyper eating it. It has a lot of natural ingredients and she doesn't have to eat as much to get full.”

How to Help Your Dog or Cat Lose Weight

By Linda Cole

An overweight dog or cat can struggle with many of the same health concerns overweight people have to deal with. There's nothing wrong with giving your pet a few TidNips treats now and then, especially when training, but we need to understand the importance of exercise and maintaining a proper and healthy weight for our pets just as much as we do with our own weight. An obese pet is no laughing matter.

It's not as easy as you might think to help your dog or cat lose weight. Let's face it, cats spend a good deal of their time sleeping, which is normal for them. Trying to get a cat motivated to exercise will mean you need to play with her. You have to be careful, however, and not allow her to lose weight too quickly because cats can easily develop a very serious disease called Fatty Liver Disease that's hard to treat and can be life threatening. The cause is unknown, but obesity is suspected to play a role.

One out of every four dogs and cats are overweight. Here's a simple way to help you determine if your pet is too heavy. Rub your hand down along your pet's side, under the hair. If you can feel their ribs, they aren't overweight. However, if you can't feel their ribs it's time to consider a weight loss program, but only after your vet has had a chance to give them a checkup. Weight issues in dogs can be associated with Cushing's disease or hypothyroidism. A checkup is a must to make sure your pet is healthy enough for an increase in exercise and to discuss a proper feeding schedule.

Overweight dogs and cats don’t deserve lower quality ingredients to lose weight; they simply need your help in providing them with the proper amount of high quality food. If you're already feeding your pet CANIDAE or FELIDAE, you know the benefits of providing a well balanced, natural and healthy diet. Pets that eat a premium quality food like CANIDAE or FELIDAE don't have to eat as much in order to feel full. Along with proper exercise, a high quality food can help keep your pet at their recommended weight.

Pet Sitter Wins Six Months of Free CANIDAE Dog Food

The sponsor of this blog, CANIDAE Natural Pet Foods, selects one reader every three months to receive a FREE six month supply of their premium quality pet food. The winner is chosen at random from every new reader who subscribed via email during the past quarter. The lucky winner gets to pick any formula of CANIDAE dog food or FELIDAE cat food.

The most recent winner is Toni G. of Orange, California. Toni is already a CANIDAE fan – she’s been feeding it to her rescue dog Roxy for a few years, and now she’ll get to chow down on a free six-month supply of the food she loves! Toni chose to receive the CANIDAE Chicken & Rice formula.

Here’s what Toni said about herself and her four-legged family members:

“We have one dog and two cats in our family. Our rescue dog, Roxy, is a sweet Aussie-Border Collie mix and she is 6 years old. Roxy has been eating CANIDAE for a few years now and loves it! She gets both dry and canned. I find it keeps her in great health and her coat shiny and thick.

What Does Your Pet Food Really Cost?

By Julia Williams

If a bag of pet food (let’s call it Brand A) sells for $20, and Brand B sells for $26, which one actually costs more? Most people are going to say the obvious answer is Brand B, right? Not necessarily! Now, we all know that $26 is more than $20, so how can that be? It’s because there is more to figuring out how much your pet food really costs than just the price of the bag or can.

One of the most common misconceptions about pet food is that it costs more to feed a high quality food like CANIDAE. People come to this conclusion because they are only comparing what one bag of pet food costs versus another brand of similar weight. I have seen this time and again, most recently when a pet owner reviewed CANIDAE dog food on their blog. Their dog did really well on the food, and both owner and dog were very pleased with the food. However, she said it wasn’t something she could afford to purchase to keep her dog on. A reader commented, “It's a shame that it's too expensive for you to buy all the time.”

It makes me sad to know she found a food her dog loves, but she didn’t keep her dog on it because she thought she couldn’t afford it. Moreover, that food was helping the dog with its sensitive stomach issues, but now it would be going back to eating an inferior pet food solely based on the price of Brand A versus Brand B.

Instead of looking at the cost of each bag, a better way is to consider how much it costs to feed your dog or cat per day. This is a real eye-opener for many pet owners. A bag of lower-quality food will obviously cost less by the pound, but here’s the catch – you will have to feed *much* more of it every day! Better quality foods like CANIDAE don't include all of the fillers, so what you're buying is just the good stuff. This means you feed your pet much less food than lower quality brands. The end result is that a bag that costs more per pound is actually less expensive to feed!

Benny Wong and His 5 Disc Dogs Win Free CANIDAE!

The sponsor of this blog, CANIDAE Natural Pet Foods, selects one reader every three months to receive a free six month supply of their premium quality pet food. The winner is chosen at random from every new reader who subscribed via email during the past quarter. The winner gets to pick any formula of CANIDAE dog food or FELIDAE cat food.

The most recent winner is Benny Wong from Pasadena, California. Benny is very familiar with the CANIDAE brand and has chosen to receive free dog food. “We definitely feed our dogs CANIDAE! We use both the All Life Stages and Grain Free pureELEMENTS™ formulas,” said Benny. A longtime dog lover, Benny is also an active member of a Disc Dog club and competes regularly with his crew of canine athletes. “With 5 dogs, we sure can use this free food,” said Benny.

Here’s what Benny told us about himself and his canine family:

“I have been in the disc dog community since 1991. I belong to a disc dog club called Disc Dogs in Southern California. I’ve been president off and on for 4 years, and currently I’m the clinic and competition coordinator for the club.

My first dog Sammy, a poodle-terrier mix, started my addiction on wanting more dogs. He was my wife's lap dog that I converted into a disc dog. We adopted him in 1990 at 8 weeks and he was so perfect for us. We took him everywhere, and he took our heart at the age of 15 1/2.

Why I Feed My Cats FELIDAE

By Julia Williams

Many years ago, long before CANIDAE started this blog, I became a fan of their FELIDAE cat food. And nearly a decade later, I’m still a fan. I mention FELIDAE in some of my posts because it is, after all, the food my three cats eat. I realized some people might think, “Well of course she recommends this food since she writes for their blog!” It’s actually the opposite – I became a contributor for the Responsible Pet Ownership blog in 2009 because I already had a positive experience with the FELIDAE brand, and I had published an unsolicited review of the food on another website. But I’m getting ahead of myself here. I want to share the tale of how and why this food became the only one I feed to my cats.

I’ve loved cats forever, and I'd never knowingly do anything that would harm them. From my very first cat to my current three, I have promised to not only love and cherish them, but to do my best to keep them healthy. To that end, my cats always get regular vet checkups and also go in whenever there’s even a whiff of trouble.

I thought I was a responsible pet owner and was doing everything I could to keep them healthy. But here’s the thing – I was feeding them sub-par supermarket cat food because I didn’t know any better. I bought the cheapest food too, usually whatever was on sale that week. I bought my own food at the supermarket, so why wouldn’t I buy my cat food there too? It’s safe to say I didn’t know a thing about what might make one cat food better than another. Mind you, this was also before many, if any, premium quality foods like FELIDAE even existed. Still, cat food was just something I didn’t give a lot of thought to, other than buying more when I was running low.

The turning point for me as a cat food consumer came in the late 90s, when I read a book called Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard Pitcairn, a noted holistic veterinarian from Oregon. I bought this book primarily for its holistic approach to cat care and its comprehensive section on pet ailments and treatments. Little did I know, Dr. Pitcairn also addressed nutritional issues I had never even thought about before, and it forever changed the way I looked at pet food.

Win Six Free Months of EQUIDAE Horse Feed!

CANIDAE is best known for its premium quality food for dogs and cats, but what many don’t know is that they also have a line of horse feed called EQUIDAE. Now, I know that most of our readers have dogs or cats (and some of you have both!)... but if you happen to have a horse, read on, because you could win six free months of EQUIDAE feed for them!

EQUIDAE Photo Contest

Are you proud of your horse? Do you take first prize when it comes to giving your Equine friend everything it needs to be healthy? Now is your chance to show off how beautiful your horse is!

First, take a photo of your horse and then submit it on the EQUIDAE Facebook Photo Contest page. Entries may be color or black-and-white digital images, and less than 5 megabytes in size. You can even submit more than one horse if you'd like. Then you and everyone else can vote for your favorite entries until February 1, 2012.

From those photos that receive the most votes, CANIDAE will pick a final winner. Entries will be judged on the basis of creativity, visual appeal, and effectiveness in conveying the unique character of the horse.

The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank, 2.5 Million Meals Later

By Julia Williams

Years ago, a kind-hearted pet lover had a dream. Where some might hope to strike it rich or “make it big,” Larry Chusid’s dream was more altruistic – he wanted to help the needy feed their pets. He wanted to make a difference in their lives by helping them keep the animals they dearly loved.

In November of 2009, Larry’s dream became a reality when The Pongo Fund Pet Food Bank opened in Portland, Oregon. I’ve written about it here before, because were it not for CANIDAE and their initial $125,000 donation of pet food, Larry might still be in dreaming mode. But he isn’t, and it warms my heart to know that many, many people and their pets have benefitted because one man dared to dream, and a caring company generously gave what was needed to get this pet food bank going.

As often happens in life, seemingly chance events are life-changing moments. So it was with Larry when he met some CANIDAE folks at a pet-product trade show. The decision CANIDAE made to support The Pongo Fund has greatly impacted not only Larry’s life, but countless thousands of people and pets in their time of need. Now, just two years later, The Pongo Fund partners with more than 100 emergency food agencies, shelters and rescues in Oregon and SW Washington. By providing pet food to anyone with an honest need, Pongo succeeds in both reducing shelter populations and keeping people and their pets together.

I recently caught up with Larry to ask how things have been going.

Me: How many pounds of pet food have been distributed since opening day? 

Larry: We focus on individual quality meals, because each meal is a lifeline. In total we’ve provided more than 2,500,000 quality meals for approximately 42,000 animals belonging to nearly 19,000 families.

CANIDAE has been our primary partner since Day One. We could not do what we do without their consistent generosity and support. Our relationship goes well beyond simply donating food. They are our partner in the fight against hunger.

Ways to Save on Pet Food and Treats

By Julia Williams

Finding ways to save money is on a lot of people’s minds nowadays. Tough economic times call for figuring out how to stretch the budget. We all need to eat though, and so do our pets. With that in mind, here are a few ways to save on dog food, cat food, pet treats and even horse feed!

Coupons

Until recently, I wasn’t much of a couponer because it didn’t seem worth the trouble. TLC’s Extreme Couponing show sparked my desire to begin using coupons, and once I saw how much I could actually save, couponing has become a way of life. Some people think you can only buy junk with coupons, but it’s not true. You can find coupons for just about anything – including healthy pet food.

Many pet food companies have coupons for dog food, cat food and pet treats on their website and/or their Facebook page. CANIDAE Natural Pet Food Company has several different high value coupons on their website that anyone can request. You can save up to $4 off FELIDAE pureELEMENTS or pureSEA dry cat food, and up to $5 off CANIDAE pureSKY or pureLAND dry dog food.

The CANIDAE website also has coupons for TidNips™ treats for both dogs and cats. These coupons are even better because they are BOGO (in couponing lingo, that means buy one get one). So, you buy one package of Tidnips treats (which my cats ecstatically endorse) and you get one free! If you happen to have a horse, CANIDAE even has a BOGO coupon for its line of horse feed called EQUIDAE. In a couponer’s world, free is the magic word. Don’t ever let someone tell you that you can’t get something good for free, because it’s simply not true!

Meet the Latest RPO Winner - Sadie of Beaded Tail Fame!

The sponsor of this blog, CANIDAE Natural Pet Foods, selects one reader every three months to receive a free six month supply of their premium quality pet food. The winner is chosen at random from every new reader who subscribed to the blog via email during the past quarter. The winner gets to pick any formula of CANIDAE dog food or FELIDAE cat food.

The lucky winner from last quarter is Sharla V. of Corvallis, Oregon. Sharla has a beautiful Alaskan Husky named Sadie who will be 11 years old in December. Sharla also has two cats, but has decided that Sadie should be the one to try the CANIDAE food, and has chosen to receive 3 bags of All Life Stages (ALS) and 3 Bags of CANIDAE Beef and Fish.

Some of you may recognize the dog in these photos. That’s because Sadie is often featured on Sharla’s wonderful pet blog called Beaded Tail! I asked Sharla to tell us a little about Sadie, and here is what she said:

“Sadie was rescued by the humane society from a puppy mill in Nebraska when she was just a month old, along with 40 adult dogs and 6 litters of puppies. When my mom heard about these dogs, she went straight to the humane society and put our names on the list of people who wanted to adopt. When the courts finally said the huskies could be adopted, the humane society had raided a Yorkie puppy mill so the huskies were being sent to other shelters to make room. Only two husky puppies stayed behind; one went to a shelter employee and we got Sadie!  

The Role of Nutrition When Rehabilitating a Neglected Dog

By Langley Cornwell

It’s an obvious and sad fact that millions of homeless dogs suffer from malnutrition.

Neglected dogs often do not get enough food. When they do get food, it’s usually lacking in basic nutrients. Therefore, their inconsistent food source coupled with unreliable nourishment leads to malnutrition. Canine malnutrition is serious and, for rescue dogs, it’s a way of life due to their incomplete and unbalanced diet.

The Dog Channel outlines the price of poor canine nutrition in helpful detail. It’s clear that without a proper diet, dogs can suffer multiple physical and behavioral problems including allergies, kidney problems, bone problems, skin and coat complications and aggression.

Sure, nutrition-related problems can affect any dog regardless of background, size, or breed. But it’s seen most commonly in neglected dogs. And when it comes to rescuing a homeless animal, sound canine nutrition plays a large role in rehabilitating a previously unloved animal.

Signs of aggression caused by poor nutrition

If a dog has been eating a low-quality diet, there are several reasons he may act in an aggressive manner. One reason is a physical reaction; a dog that experiences pain or illness tends to act hostile if he is in severe discomfort. If an ailment causes a dog pain when he’s touched, he will act inappropriately. The Natural Dog Health Remedies website indicates that another reason a dog may show aggression is because he is not getting the proper nutrition required for his brain to function correctly, so his actions and reactions are unpredictable.