I’ve Got A Beef With Chicken Jerkey Part II

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Chicken Jerky Alternatives
Last week I brought you information about the growing concern of feeding your pets chicken jerky made in China. This “treat” has been linked to over two thousand illnesses and deaths of both dogs and cats. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has been warning of the possible danger of chicken jerky made in China since 2007, yet it can still be found on store shelves.
(Review the U.S. Food and Drug Adminstration consumer advisory here.)
As a follow up to my last post, this week I bring you recommendations on some of my most loved dog treats. There are many alternatives to chicken jerky and other pet treats made in China. Here a few of my favorites:
• Beef neck bones: You can find these in the meat section at Publix or your local grocery store. Ask the butcher about purchasing beef neck bones to be used as dog treats. For my dogs, I request they be cut two to two and a half inches thick and usually buy a whole case at a time. This is a very fresh, natural and easy way to provide your dog with a delicious treat. The bones should never be cooked, as that can cause them to become brittle, just pop them in the freezer and take out as needed.
• Kongs: A kong is a great treat and toy for your dog, especially those with tons of energy! Fill and freeze for long lasting entertainment. I personally like to make mine with yogurt or peanut butter, but the possibilities are endless.
• Kona’s Chips: If homemade dog treats don’t fit into your busy schedule, there are also excellent store bought choices. Kona’s Chips is a great brand that offers a variety of different treats that are made in America (my dog Suzy is a big fan of their Chicken Jerky).
• Three Dog Bakery: The “Woof”ers from Three Dog Bakery are always a big hit, but I don’t give them out as often as the others. Although their ingredients are very wholesome and natural, these cookies do contain wheat, which I try to avoid.
I hope you enjoy my suggestions. If you have any questions or other recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comments below.

Things To Do With Your Dog In and Around Atlanta

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Things to do with Your Dog
Week of 10/17-10/23/2012

 

The Humane Event
Thursday, Oct 18 7:00p
at Summerour Studio, Atlanta, GA
Join Atlanta Humane Society’s Junior Board, the 1873 Society Club, for the 3rd annual Humane Event. Guests will enjoy cocktails and bites from favorite Atlanta restaurants including Aja, Cruzado, D.B.A. Barbeque, JCT Kitchen, Miso Izakaya, The Optimist, The Shed at Glenwood, Spice Market, Tantra, Yum Bunz and Whiskey Park, then dance the night away with a live performance by Kidd Koby Roc. read more

Creator: LizLapidusPR

 

Atlanta Beagle Rescue Bowling for Beagles
Friday, Oct 19 8:00p to 10:00p
at 300 Atlanta, Atlanta, GA
Price: $25 per adult $18 per child under 18 $85 for a team of 4
Phone: (404) 273-6297
Age Suitability: All Ages

Come out and support Atlanta Beagle Rescue next Friday, October 19!. Come by yourself or create a group to celebrate Friday night, beagles, and bowling!
It’s at 300 Atlanta – bowling with everything entertainment under one roof: state-of-the-art lanes, floor to ceiling video screens, dining and friendly servers. Registration includes bowling fees, shoes, pizza and unlimited soft drinks.
Register online at http://www.atlantabeaglerescue.org/upcoming-events/event/2-bowling-for-beagles.html.
Event Website
Categories: Charity & Volunteer, Pets
Creator: Roxie Beagle

 

Fall Pet Photo Shoot
Saturday, Oct 20 12:00p to 4:00p
at City Dog Market, Atlanta, GA
Price: $25
Age Suitability: All Ages

Please join us on Oct. 20th from 12-4 and on Oct. 21st from 1-4 at City Dog Market for photos taken by Jane Davis Photography to benefit Ahimsa House.
Donate $25 to Ahimsa House and receive a mini photo session of your canine ghost or human goblin (costumes welcome!), with a complimentary 4×6 print.
Proceeds will help provide a safe haven for the animal victims of domestic violence.
To make a appointment, sign-up at http://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C084FAEAD2FA75-fall
Event Website
Creator: ahimsahouse
Atlanta Kennel Club’s 113th Anniversary Dog Show
Saturday, Oct 20 8:30a to 6:00p
at Atlanta Expo Centers, Atlanta, GA
Love dogs? Bring your family & friends to the Atlanta Kennel Club dog show, obedience and Rally obedience trail. Watch the regions best Junior Handlers vie for a $1,000 scholarship from Atlanta Kennel Club, meet dogs you’ll see on TV at the Westminster Kennel Club show, visit with nearly 2,000 dogs of all breeds, learn grooming tips for your best furry friend, and shop great pet supply vendors. read more
Creator: Kachme27
Strut Your Mutt, Picnic and Party
Sunday, Oct 21 12:00p to 4:00p
at Heritage Green, Sandy Springs, GA
Price: FREE
Phone: (770) 613-0880
Age Suitability: All Ages
Tags: music, park, party, pets, dog, animal, rescue, shelter
Furkids Strut Your Mutt, Picnic and Party is going to be a blast for the whole family! Come participate in our dog costume contest, visit adoptable dogs, enjoy a BBQ lunch, acoustic entertainment, and much more. All proceeds benefit a Georgia’s largest animal shelter!
We hope to have a great time while enjoying the setting at this beautiful park conveniently located directly across from our Petco in Sandy Springs!
Enter in a 50/50 Cash Raffle too! See website for details.

Good Mews Animal Foundation Holiday Sale
Saturday, Oct 20 9:00a to 5:00p
at Sandy Plains (Publix) Shopping Center, Marietta, GA
Price: FREE Admission
Phone: 770-499-CATS (2287)
Age Suitability: All Ages

Good Mews Animal Foundation will be having a Holiday Sale this year so mark your calendars! We will be selling all holiday items, so you will be sure to find a lot of great things! The sale starts Friday October 12th (9-5)and will run every Saturday 9-5) and Sunday (Noon-5) thru the first weekend of November.
The sale will be located at the Sandy Plains (Publix) Shopping Center:
1860 Sandy Plains Rd at Scufflegrit Rd. Marietta (2 doors down from Publix)
For information, viisit www.goodmews.org
Event Website
Categories: Charity & Volunteer, Pets
Creator: goodmews

Another reason I love my dogs!

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Miss Jennifer is back from vacation this morning and has taken over her accounts. That means I only have one kitty cat sit today and one meeting with a new client.
The house is a wreck as you can imagine after a week of 14 and 16 hour days. My office looks like a hurricane has gone through, with files stacked here and there, and the inbox, well we won’t even talk about that. But as I look around trying to come up with a game plan to dig out, I see five beautiful faces, saying “Mom, please we have missed spending time with you, we have missed our nice long walks, and when was the last time we went to the dog park together. The dirt will be here when we get back and really we don’t care, we just care about being with you and having some fun!”
Just another reason I love my dogs, they help keep me grounded, they remind me of what is really important and today that is spending time with my pets and visiting my mother, everything else is just noise. So with that said we are off to the park …

I’ve got a beef with chicken jerky

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I’ve got a beef with chicken jerky
This summer more shocking news flooded in that seemingly innocent dog treats were causing more harm than happiness. Complaints surfaced from pet owners with reason to believe their pets died shortly after eating certain brands of chicken jerky. These new cases added to over two thousand illnesses and deaths that had previously been reported.
So what’s the jury on this jerky? Speculations have been made about the treats’ origin. The product in question, Nestle Purina’s Waggin’ Train Yam Good, is made in China despite misleading packaging that reads, “Waggin’ Train of St Louis Missouri.”
An April investigation by the FDA, which attempted to produce samples from plants in China, was less than successful. No samples were permitted to be released for U.S. testing and it was also discovered by investigators that the number of previous routine tests that were conducted on the meat in question ranged from few to none.
But this news is far from new. The first warning about chicken jerky was released back in 2007. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration released a caution to pet owners in regard to chicken jerky products imported from China. That warning has since been updated in late 2011 and can be reviewed here. However, no proof has yet to be established that these sicknesses and deaths are directly related to the consumption of chicken jerky from China, which is why the treats can still be found on shelves.
Aside from the fact that the U.S. permits pet food to be irradiated at almost twice the limit considered safe for human consumption, this particular case is more likely related to the meat and other specific ingredients that are found in the chicken jerky.
Since the product has yet to be recalled it up to you to protect your pets. We recommended avoiding chicken jerky until further information is provided explaining the exact cause of these unnatural deaths. Many safe alternatives are available, as well as more natural options.
Check back next week for more information on this issue as well as recommendations on some of our most loved dog treats.

Sponsor a Pet Friday

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Let’s make today Sponsor a Pet Friday!!! Here is just a couple you could choose from. Please send the money you would spend on a cup of coffee or a sandwich it would make such a difference to these animals in need.

Angels Among Us Pet Rescue
It is me Weddles presenting my 5 remaining babies. I gave birth to 11. I grieve for them but know I will see them at the rainbow bridge. I was very sick and my babies needed help. We had to be at a vet. If you can please help with my big vet bills. I didn’t want poor Angels to have to spend so much on me but they tell me I am worth it. All of us will be grateful to all of you who prayed, shared and donated to us. More doggies like me could be saved if fosters could be found for mom and babies. Sweet Andria Levine took my picture!!!! Angels will post her site. God bless and please donate to that bill. www.angelsrescue.org
IMOM (In Memory of Magic)
Sirocko is a 19 month old Persian cat sick with a partial urinary blockage. Sirocko is currently at home with his owner and is losing a lot of weight. He needs a perineal urethrostomy, to allow him to urinate on his own. He has had several obstructions and has been treated for this already. We are trying to raise $1359.80 before he blocks again. To donate, please visit http://tinyurl.com/79og6jd and mark your gift “Sirocko Adkins” or we also have paypal, our address is paypal@imom.org. To read more about Sirocko, visit his topic in our online community at http://bit.ly/Q6b0p8.
Angels Among Us Pet Rescue
These little Angels desperately need your help!!! Poor Momma Winnie developed mastitis and an awful ear infection 10 days ago and stopped nursing her babies. A wonderful foster has been bottle feeding the babies, but they have coccidia and are not absorbing nutrients, as they diarrhea continuously. If the foster falls asleep and doesn’t feed/medicate them every 2 hours, they will literally start dying and she has to revive them. They are so tiny and fragile and we are so afraid of losing them. We are wanting to take them to a 24 hour vet so that they can be monitored, medicated, and fed every 2 hours, but their care is going to be sooo expensive 🙁 Poor Momma Winnie needs to go to the vet too, as she hates getting her medication so much she spits out most of it and has basically stopped eating and drinking. We are begging you to help us pay for their care, they are all very pitiful and sick, when just 10 days ago they were happy healthy kitties. It’s so sad to see. Please donate at www.angelsrescue.org with Winnie and Sick Babies as subject line. We desperately need your help! Thank you and God Bless! ♥ ~R — Please Help Us Save Poor Winnie & Her Sick Babies!!
Angels Among Us Pet Rescue
Hi! I’m Flip Flop and I am so worried. I urgently need a foster or adoptive home. Yes, I know I am a pit mix, but I never asked to be born. I’m just a baby. Maybe 6-8 mos. I don’t deserve to die because my mom wasn’t spayed and because my owner didn’t love me and my sister, Mittie. Our time is up and luckily the shelter gave us a bit more time over the weekend . They believe in us despite our breed mix, but every day, dogs like me get dumped here at the pound or picked up as strays. Please sponsor me and Mittie, my twin sister, and most importantly consider fostering me to save my life. $150 each is needed for our vetting. Anything not needed goes to help another dog or cat in need. Please hurry. Applications and PayPal at www.angelsrescue.org
Foster@angelsrescue.org

Fun things to do this weekend with your dog.

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Looking for something to do with you best friend this weekend? How about the Piedmont Park Art Festival. August 18 -19 . This is a dog friendly event. Sounds like a good time for all.
http://www.piedmontparkartsfestival.com/index.html

Dog Food Avalible at WalMart

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Feeding five dogs a good diet can be  expensive, so when I find a good deal I like to share it with my dog lover friends.
I was at Wal-Mart the other day picking up medication for my mother and I needed some canned dog food to add to my crew’s kibble.
I found Grandma’s Casserole made by Variety. I read the label and it looked good, so I looked it up on my favorite website when choosing dog food DogFoodAdvisor , and I see it has a for star rating. After reading there review I decided to give it a try. Well let me tell you it gets four paws up at my house, the pup’s love it, and it is only $1.50 a can, so I love it too!
Let me know if your dogs like it as much as mine.

Gas Prices Poll

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When Gwinnett Pet Watchers was started, gas prices were on average $2.64/gallon. We have tried to keep the prices of our services down, but if prices keep rising and reach the $4.00 mark, we’ll be forced to increase prices. So, since this decision affects our clients, we want to hear from YOU on how we should charge for gas. We’d like for you to tell us whether you would rather us put in a gas surcharge per visit, or just give ourselves a cost of living raise? Take the poll below to give us your preference!

[poll id=”2″]

December Newsletter

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logo
IN THIS ISSUE
Holiday Donations to Pet Orgs
Last minute holiday sitting
Dirty Muttini Recipe
Pet Sitting with Latrece

FEATURED ARTICLE

We encourage you to make a donation to your favorite rescue group or animal non-profit organization this holiday!

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RECENTLY ON THE GPW BLOG

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LAST MINUTE HOLIDAY SITTERS

Forgot to book your sitter for the holidays? Though limited, we still have availability this season.

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Winter 2011

First and foremost we want to express our gratitude to all of you for a wonderful 2011. Working with you and your pets has made this past year  so wonderful for us! It is hard to believe that the year is almost over. Everyone at Gwinnett Pet Watchers is incredibly grateful that we are able to do what we love while working with such great people (and animals!)

 

Although 2011 has been a successful year for Gwinnett Pet Watchers, we want to acknowledge that there are many who are not so fortunate and have had a rough year, which also means a rough year for their pets. Donations to shelters and non-profit animal organizations have decreased and they are not getting the help they need. Because of this, Gwinnett Pet Watchers will be making donations to two of our favorite animal organizations, Daffy’s Pet Soup Kitchen and Mostly Mutts, in lieu of giving gifts this year. We want to encourage you to do the same by donating to your favorite pet charity; instead of giving your sitter a gift, consider making a small donation in their name. Together we can make a difference!

 

Not sure what organization to donate to? Visit our Links Page for a list of our favorite Rescue Groups and Pet Charities!

 

Happy Holidays!

Dirty Muttini Recipe
 At the end of a rough day, Vinny likes to unwind with a little something for the discerning dog. A Dirty Muttini will do the trick.Ingredients:

  • 1/2 water
  • 1/2 chicken broth with NO onions (onions are toxic to dogs)
  • Chicken jerky strip

Directions:

  1. Be sure to use chicken broth with no additives, especially no onions.
  2. Mix with broth and water. Serve in your mutt’s favorite dish.
  3. Garnish with a chicken jerky strip.
  4. NEVER give alcohol to your pet!
 Do you ever make a special drink for your pooch? Maybe something warm on a cold day or a cool treat in the summer. If so,email it to us with a picture of your pal (preferably enjoying his libation) and we’ll feature it on Facebook and in our next newsletter!

Pet Sitting with Latrece
   Latrece Barcik, one of Gwinnett Pet Watchers newest sitters, has really wowed us all with her love of animals and the bond that she shares with them. We wanted to highlight her this month by letting her share some heartwarming stories from her pet sitting!     Each pet I have sat for throughout the years has given me a very special and unique experience. Not that we don’t have favorites, but I consider it a privilege that I am able to be a part of an animal’s life for any length of time, whether it is for a few days, a week, or longer. Here are a couple of fun, extra-special moments I’ve experienced in the recent months…A Springer Spaniel I sit for loves to take me to the stream behind her house. She always wades in for just a minute or two, but one day she seemed like she wanted to stay longer. I waded in with her and we ended up walking further down the stream. She was so happy, how could I say no? Obviously, it was warmer then!There was a Chihuahua that was such a bundle of energy that I thought he needed more exercise. Apparently that wasn’t the case because he didn’t go for any of it. He just kept jumping up and nipping at my hands and shirt – I couldn’t make him stop! Finally, I sat down (since walking and playing wasn’t his thing) and he jumped up in my lap, leaned against me and laid his little head on my chest, looking at me like I was the best thing since sliced bread. All he really needed were some extra snuggles! We sat that way for 20 minutes and he was calm and happy as a clam after that.

 

I try to figure out what a pet needs and deliver it. Does a dog seem a little bored? I’ll introduce them to the wonders of a peanut butter-filled Kong. Extra snuggles? Always welcome. An elderly kitty that is content to stay on her heating pad? No problem. I’ll try to be as quiet as possible to not disturb her. I’m almost always at a visit longer than I’m scheduled to be and 9 times out of 10, it’s purely by choice. I don’t set a timer; pets aren’t a meatloaf where it’s Ding!and they’re done. I just want to make sure a pet’s time away from their family is as comfortable and stress-free as possible.-LatreceSee below for details on discounted pet sitting from Latrece! 
Thank you for using Gwinnett Pet Watchers for your pet sitting needs and happy holidays!

 

Sincerely,
Robin Taylor
Gwinnett Pet Watchers
Save on pet sitting!  
For the month of January, we are offering a 10% discount on pet sitting when you mention the

“Welcome Latrece Special!”

The Cat that Spooked the Pet Sitter

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The Cat that Spooked the Pet Sitter

Before my client left on her trip, she took me through her house to show me how she would put boxes and tables in front of doors so I would know if someone had been in the house. She was concerned about my safety and said, “If anything is moved, you just get out of the house.” I chuckled to myself but thought she was very sweet.

On my second visit, I noticed that the box she had put in front of the door leading to the dining room was no longer up against the door, but at an angle several inches away. I was concerned and moved very carefully into the living room, where the owner had put a table up against the door leading to the deck. The table was just as she had left it. I let out the breath I did not realize I was holding, but as I turned back toward the kitchen I noticed the magazine rack that had been up against the door leading into the foyer had been moved as well. Now that took my breath away. I quickly left the house. As I walked around the outside of the house looking for any signs of forced entry, I called the clients on their cell phone. I explained to the client what was going on, but that I could not see anything amiss on the outside; nothing else was out of place, no screens cut, or any broken windows. The client had me move a table in front of the front door so that I would know if someone had been in the house and that I could also check in with a neighbor who had a key.

A little later in the afternoon the client calls to tell me she thinks she has solved the mystery. She goes on to tell me how one of her cats gets very upset when she is confined in an area. My client tells me several stories about items the cat has moved when trying to escape and that she thinks it is the cat moving the box and magazine rack.

Sure enough when I went back the next day the box and the magazine rack were moved again. The table was still in against the front door, so no one came in from the outside. It was just one little kitty spooking the pet sitter!