What I bought at Pet Pros with a coupon

The other day when I opened my blue Value Pack (mailed monthly), I was hoping for a Goodwill coupon (I have heard they are in there sometimes) they didn't have it this month. Instead they had a coupon for $5 off $25 of product at Pet Pros.

I stepped into a Pet Pros this past week and they had a special on canned grain free dog food. My Cocker Spaniel has rotten teeth (former owner let him chew on rocks - poor guy), so I decided to start putting some soft food into his food to help him eat and stay healthy. I started putting 1/4 of the can mixed in with part of his dry food and Buddy snarfed it down and of course Mittens the kitty had to help herself to it also. Then I realized I didn't need to put as much of the wet food in each time (this way I could stretch the wet food even more) - Now I put just a Tablespoon + of the wet food and he still loves it and has a clean plate or dish every day.

A couple of their brands of food were on sale at buy 2 cans get 1 free, until September 9th. So I thought what the heck and got 3 cans to try. Buddy loves it and he even eats his dry food to boot.

My idea is buy 10 cans and get 5 cans free and spend $20 after the $5 coupon. This should last around 1-1/2 months. 

Also if you go here you can receive a $5 coupon on your next bag of dry Avoderm. 

Free Calcium for Dogs

What to do with eggshells?



I take the empty eggshells, dry them, bake them for about 1 hour in a low oven.

Wait till they cool and crumble them up. After this I place them in my food grinder and pulverize them into a powder.

Next I take the powder and put it into an airtight container.

I have just created FREE calcium powder for my dog. Did you know eggshells are very high in calcium carbonate? Each whole eggshell makes about a teaspoon of powder, which equals about 1,800 milligrams of calcium. (Source: Dr. Pitcairn's Complete guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats by Richard H. Pitcairn)

I add about a Tablespoon of this calcium powder to each dog meal to provide needed calcium for my dog. I like that it helps provide the nutrients to the meal and it’s FREE!



Alternative to commercial dog food

My animals are very much a part of my family. Currently we have 2 dogs (Jack is a black Labrador and Stella is a yellow Labrador) and 4 cats (2 are outside - Mister and Zoe and 2 are inside - Olivia and Mittens). When Jack started developing skin problems, I started looking for alternative ways of feeding my dog. Since I believed it had something to do with all the recalls regarding processed dog kibble,  I began researching the internet for homemade dog recipes. This site ilovedogs seemed to have a variety of recipes. So I tried them. Now I have created my own dog food and will be on the look out for more adaptive food. 

Here is what I currently do to feed Jack. Every 3 weeks I soak a bag of each: dried black beans, dried red kidney beans, dried split peas, dried lentils, dried barley in a giant bowl.

After it has been soaking for at least 12 hours, I rinse it off and put it in a big soup pot with more water (cover the beans) after a couple of hours I either add white rice or quinoa, stir and cook some more. I probably cook it for a total of 3 to 4 hours. I make sure everything is cooked through and through, it will look like a gray smush. Jack loves it. I add about 1-1/2 to 2 cups of the bean/rice mix, add left over veggies (carrots, sweet potatoes, kale, etc). If I have left over smoothie I add that to the top or like below, a sliced banana. Drizzle a little olive oil. Feed him.