Oops! Dentastix cleaned out my dog's teeth - and GI tract

I might have a bone to pick with this canine snack. Dentastix, marketed as a healthy dog treat that cleans dogs’ teeth, gave my pup an added bonus. Actually, it gave my backyard a few extra bonuses as well.

Dentastix are X-shaped solid dog bone treats. According to the manufacturer’s statements on the product packaging and online advertisements, Dentastix can cut up to 80% of regular tartar build-up in a dog’s mouth, if regularly used. Tartar is a known contributor to gum disease.

My dog went wild for a Dentastix treat. She finished it in nothing flat. Then she had to go outside – again and again and again.

I gave the $8 package of Dentastix away to a friend with a dog who eats anything with impunity.

Granted, my pup is on a dog-food-only diet. 

She receives no table scraps, and she eats a high-quality organic dry dog food. She enjoys an occasional small Milk Bone as well.

So her gut has not been exposed to all sorts of potential stimuli from unusual foods.

I examined the ingredient list for Dentastix, and I’m not sure what set her off. The roster includes (quoting verbatim): 

Rice Flour, Wheat Starch, Glycerin, Gelatin, Gum Arabic, Calcium Carbonate, Natural Poultry Flavor, Powdered Cellulose, Sodium Tripolyphosphate, Iodized Salt, Potassium Chloride, Vitamins (Choline Chloride, L-Ascorbyl-2-Polyphosphate [Source of Vitamin C], Vitamin A Supplement, Niacin, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin [Vitamin B2], Pyridoxine Hydrochloride [Vitamin B6], dl-Alpha Tocopherol Acetate [Source of Vitamin E], Thiamine Mononitrate [Vitamin B1]), Potassium Sorbate (A Preservative), Smoke Flavor, Zinc Sulfate, Green Tea Extract, Turmeric, Iron Oxide, Copper Sulfate.

NOTE: This blogger has no affiliation with the manufacturer or marketers of this product and received no remuneration or reward for this post.

For whatever reason, I’m pretty sure we’re gonna stick to Milk Bones, brushing, and annual veterinary dental cleanings. My backyard gets enough fertilizer as it is, and my puppy would rather be regular. Just ask her.

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Product promotional photo –

Fair use

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Please don’t feed my dog without asking

Thanks for the sweet thought and your generosity, leading you to want to offer a treat or table morsel to my dog. But, please, no.

Don’t do it!

My dog is adorable and sweet, and I want her to stay that way.

She doesn’t nip or beg. She doesn’t eat people food. She’s on a regular schedule for meals and potty breaks. And she eats a special and extra-healthy canine diet. We’ve tried other dog foods, and the result is not pretty. (Trust me on this one. You don’t wanna know.)

Sure, sometimes I will use treats to reward my dog for tricks and training successes. But I choose these morsels carefully. And she has to earn them.

Freebies, even offered with the best of intentions, can dilute the importance of these rewards.

People who do not have dogs (or people who have outside-only dogs) perhaps don’t understand the importance of this.

When someone gives another person’s dog a handout, it may be intended as a kind gesture. And maybe it is. But it can upset a dog’s diet, digestive system, demeanor, and daily habits.

And God forbid a pet has some sort of food allergies or sensitivities.

I don’t want my dog to learn to beg or nip. I don’t want her to start having accidents in the house, simply because her system has forgotten when mealtimes and walk times occur.

So, please. Don’t feed my dog anything without asking me first.

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Created by this user

with public domain artwork

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Outdoor Products' Collapsible Dog Bowl does the trick for dog walks

Hikers, joggers, and long-distance dog walkers frequently seek convenient ways to give their canine companions drinks along the way. But lugging cumbersome dog dishes along is simply not an option.

And some of us don’t really want to teach our dogs to drink from our own water bottles.

Facing this dilemma, I searched high and low for a solution. At last, Amazon had the answer – with the Collapsible Dog Bowl from Outdoor Products.

I purchased the small version of the Outdoor Products’ Collapsible Dog Bowl, even though I have a medium-sized dog (who’s not yet finished growing). The soft-sided rubbery bowl (measuring 2.87” x 5” x 4.65”) is more than ample for our hikes, jogs, and walks and is easily refillable from my own water bottles.

The small Collapsible Dog Bowl comes with a handy caribiner clip, which fastens easily to a belt, pocket, or dog leash handle. The pleat-folded dish crushes for storage and pops up to hold dog food or water.

Constructed of silicon and nylon, it’s top-shelf dishwasher safe and weighs about 0.3 ounces.

I found the Collapsible Dog Bowl on Amazon for about $10. It can be also purchased from Blain’s Farm & Fleet, Cabela’s, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dunham’s Sports, Kmart, Mills Fleet Farm, Meijer, REI, Shopko, Sierra Trading Post, Sports Authority, Walmart, and more vendors.

NOTE: This blogger has no affiliation with the manufacturer or marketers of this product and received no remuneration or reward for this post.

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Product promotion photo/s – fair use

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Canine Carry Outs are cool with the Kong

Sometimes stuff just works.

My puppy loves working dog treats out of her Kong toy. And the process usually buys me just enough time to creep out of the room, while she settles in her crate for puppy nap-time.

Of course, the Kong has to contain the right size and shape of treat to make it challenging. I’ve tried all kinds of dog cookies and meaty morsels. Some simply fall out of the Kong.

What fun is that?

Finally, I found treats that do the trick.

Canine Carry Outs are just the right fit for the Kong. And they come in a bunch of savory flavors, like bacon, beef, and chicken.

My puppy’s pretty much got this game down. When she hears the zipper-sealed pouch crinkling, she stands eagerly by her crate, ready to duck in, as soon as I toss in the filled Kong.

Call it a winner.

NOTE: This blogger has no affiliation with the manufacturer or marketers of this product and received no remuneration or reward for this post.

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Product promotion photo/s – fair use

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Does Petchup cater to dogs' picky palates?

Petchup is billed as a “nutritional condiment edible pet treat.”

OK, sometimes we just gotta ask:  “Are they kidding?”

What is Petchup?

According to the product label and company website, The Original Petchup Condiment for Dogs contains some 22 minerals, vitamins, and other goodies for canine health. It’s low-calorie, gluten-free, and sugar-free. It also has glucosamine and Omega 3, 6, and 9.

That’s all good, right?.

Plus, Petchup is beef-flavored. 

Take a look at the company's own promotional video for Petchup:

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This begs a question … or two.

“Pardon me. Have you any Grey Poupon?”

“Nope. But would you like some Petchup with that?”

Perhaps Petchup is a helpful product for coaxing older, underweight, picky palate, or appetite-challenged dogs to eat.

“Here, Old Doggy. Let me spurt some of this stuff on your kibbles. C’mon, now. You know you want to chow down now.”

Maybe that works.

But for the vast majority of the canine population, which tends to be food-motivated as a general rule, it seems somewhat superfluous to drop $7 to $12 (plus tax) on a condiment for dog food.

That’s a lot of kibbles.

We have a couple of dogs who are absolutely, positively, and decidedly NOT picky eaters. And we sure don’t want to coax them in that direction by dressing up their food these days. If the time should ever come when they need a bit of extra motivation to consume their canine chows, then we might reach for something like Petchup. In the meantime, we’ll probably pass.

But for those who love it, the company also offers turkey-flavored Muttstard for dogs, as well as salmon-flavored Catchup and turkey-flavored Meowstard for cats. And apparently a Woofteshire sauce is also in the works.

Hot dog! And pass the Petchup.

NOTE: This blogger has no affiliation with the manufacturer or marketers of this product and received no remuneration or reward for this post.

Image/s:

Petchup

Product photo by LAN/Nickers and Ink Creative Communications

Used by permission.

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