FDA Answers Questions on Chicken Jerky Treats

FDA Answers Questions on Chicken Jerky Treats.

Petrus Feed & Seed Recalls Dry Protein Dog Food

Recalls, Market Withdrawals, & Safety Alerts Updated New Release With Corrected Lot Numbers Petrus Feed and Seed Stores, Inc. recalls its 21% Dog Food.

Popware Collapsible Travel Cup with Bottle Holder

Popware With Water Bottle

This is a must have for active pet owners who are on the go traveling, hiking or just walking with their pet. This ever-so-cool product is a Popware Collapsible Travel Cup from our friends at Dexas International.  They sent us one to test out, and we really, really like this beauty!

It features a carabineer to attach to your belt loop, backpack, leash, stroller or purse.  There is a cut-out that easily slips over & holds a standard plastic water bottle to which a collapsible cup/bowl is attached.  You merely pop it open and hydrate (or feed) your pet.  When you’re done, collapse it flat and your good to go!  It’s the perfect solution for thirsty or hungry dogs, and it’s as light as a feather.

Like the collapsible kennel bowl we wrote about, the cup/bowl is dishwasher safe.   It’s made of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), which are BPA and phthalate-free and are also used in many of the products that the manufacturer uses in household products for humans. TPE is FDA-approved and is used in medical products like catheters and blood bags. Being 100% recyclable, TPE is more environmentally friendly than PVC. It has the positive properties of plastics but with the soft touch of rubber.
The cup/bowl measures 5.25″ x 4.5″ x.05″ and holds 1 cup (or 8oz).  It comes in blue, green and pink and retails for approximately $10.
This is a total hydrating solution for you and your pet. Take Popware for your day at the dog park, a hike, or just a stroll through the neighborhood.  It’s the ultimate in practicality!

Popware Travel Cup

Colors AvailablePopware Travel Cup

Popware Collapsible Kennel Bowls by Dexas International Ltd.

On Kennel Side

Folded & Stowed

We received two products from Dexas International to test.  One was their Popware Collapsible Kennel Bowl.  Now this is one nifty gadget for all pet owners who use a metal crate for their pet!

These collapsible/expandable food and water kennel bowls are really convenient, whether at home or on the go.  The plastic screw-on bracket assembly fastens to a wire crate door or to a kennel wall. The collapsible/expandable bowl sets inside the bracket opening and twists to lock it securely in place so your dog can’t knock the bowl out of the holder and spill anything.

The bowl is collapsible, so you pop it out to expand it when you’re ready to give your dog food or water. When you’re done, collapse it down and press the release button on top of the mounting bracket.  This lets you flip the collapsed bowl up and out of the way so your dog has all his/her crate or kennel space back.

Cleaning is a breeze, too.  Just pop it in the dishwasher for a thorough cleaning.

The bowl as it sits in the bracket is 6″ wide measured from the outside edges.  The water reservoir measures 4” in diameter and 4″ in depth fully expanded and holds 1 cup/8 oz. of liquid.  It collapses to less than 0.5″ high, so it is only taking up a 1/2” of space inside the kennel when flipped up/not in use.

Additionally, when fully collapsed it’s ideal for kibble (or water) for a small/toy dog or cat.  No need to open it up to its full size.  The available space measures ½” deep, 3 ¼” in diameter with a capacity of about 1/3 cup.

Popware Collapsible Kennel Bowls are made of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE), which are BPA and phthalate-free and are also used in many of the products that the manufacturer uses in household products for humans. TPE is FDA-approved and is used in medical products like catheters and blood bags. Being 100% recyclable, TPE is more environmentally friendly than PVC. It has the positive properties of plastics but with the soft touch of rubber.

They come in purple and green and retail for around $12.  They are really well made and just the coolest things I’ve seen in a while!  If you crate your pet, you need one of these little marvels!  They’re well suited to the needs of rescue groups and are perfect for travel!  Check them out for yourself.  We think you’ll be as impressed as we were.

HozeAround Garden Hose Guide

HozeAround Garden Hose Guide

Because we sell lawn & garden items on our website, we get a lot of email and snail mail from manufacturers & distributors about new products. When we received the HozeAround brochure, it peaked our curiousity. I am a Master Gardener and have numerous flower beds around my house. Getting a hose around the beds without destroying the edges of some of them is virtually impossible, particularly beds where there is a 90 degree turn. I’ve used hose guides, but it seems they are never quite positioned correctly or they don’t stay in the ground.

The HozeAround is simplistic. One set gives you three heavy duty, powder-coated spring steel stakes, each 28 inches in height and looped at one end. For larger areas, order more than one set. You insert the stake into the ground (the manufacturer recommends 18 inches go into the ground, leaving 10 inches above ground, including the loop) and thread the hose through the loop guides. The loop guides elevate your hose so it doesn’t rest on plants or drag mulch out of your garden beds. The black color almost becomes invisible in the garden beds.

I have a lot of hose because I drag it from the center of the house all the way to the middle of the front & back yards. The weight of three hoses made the task a bit cumbersome. I first attempted to pull all three hose lengths through the loops (duh!). I found it’s easier if I pull all of the hose up the driveway, unscrew the last hose, then feed the last hose through the loops before re-attaching the other hoses. The hose I actually laced through the loops was the heaviest one, but the loops and stakes remained upright, even when the hose tugged on them as I moved around the yard. The flower beds were unharmed and I didn’t have to sweep my sidewalk or driveway clean of stray mulch.

All in all, these are great gadgets! I was impressed that I could pull on the hose and the stakes remained in the ground. They can be positioned so you don’t have to remove them before mowing or trim around them after mowing, which is another benefit.

I’m going to order more sets since I have so many garden beds to work around. I also think they will be serving double-duty in my yard, as they are sturdy enough & tall enough to use as plant stakes. I LOVE IT when garden items have more than one use!

HozeAround is made by Cooley Wire Product Manufacturing Company in Illinois. American made – that’s another reason to love these! To purchase these products, visit their website

Trimline Veterinary Recovery Collar: Product Review

Trimline Veterinary Recovery Collar

I received two Trimline Veterinary Recovery Collars to test and review. The collars are a soft alternative to the hard plastic collars many Vets provide after certain dog & cat surgeries. They are flexible, allowing total movement of the body, head and neck. They are also soft, durable & washable. The samples are a medium blue with white edging and drawstring tie cords. They lack the stiffness of the plastic cones because they don’t have stiff supports sewn into them.

The design is a far cry from the hard plastic collars we’ve come to know. They slip over the pets head and then fasten by cinching the drawstring cords. They are light as air, affordably priced and fold flat for storage. The information I received says they are non allergenic, non-toxic, water resistant and withstand chewing & clawing.

I put one on our resident tester, Bentley. His first inclination was to try shaking it off. When that didn’t work, he resorted to trying to scratch it off. When that didn’t work, he decided he’d just lay down, and when he did the collar allowed him to lay comfortably because of its soft design.

The collar I used was a bit too large for him, so he wouldn’t have been able to eat or drink with it on because it was too wide for him to reach his dishes. In theory, if he’d had the right size he would have been able to eat & drink with no interference.

A friend of mine had a dog who needed major eye surgery, so I gave the collars to her to test. She took them along to the Vet school where the surgery was being performed. It was immediately decided that this collar was not going to work for this particular procedure. The dog needed total protection for his eye, and the flexibility of this collar would not provide that protection. If the dog bumped into a wall, this collar might collapse into the surgical area. Joey was relegated to the standard plastic cone for after surgery protection.

I can see benefits to this collar. If you are trying to keep a dog or cat from scratching their ears, head or neck area, this would be an effective deterrent. If you needed to protect from a pet biting at their legs, abdomen or torso, this would also work. Protecting from licking and suture removal would be a good use for this collar, as well.

It comes in five sizes from kittens & puppies to big dogs. Prices range from $11 to $24 depending on size. Given the fact that it folds flat for storage, is washable and practically indestructible, it’s probably worth having one.

Cross Training for Dog Sports

Well, I think I’ve heard it all in the pet product realm! Who would have thought someone would come up with an idea for cross-training for dog sports? They’ve put a pulling animal behind a steering wheel. What were they thinking, the Iditarod?

The company is out of Oregon and offer several dog/human powered rigs for the ultimate dog exercise workout! They have a dog powered scooter, two types of trikes, and even a skateboard……….yep, you read that right, a skateboard!

It’s an interesting concept and I suppose a great thing to have if you have active dogs who love to run or need a lot of exercise. Leash up a couple of Greyhounds on one of these and you might be in for the ride of your life, particularly if a rabbit runs in front of them!

The dog is clipped to the outrigger bar so it can only go forward. The dog cannot turn its body and cannot turn to pull you over to the side like other methods of pulling/mushing. With the low center of gravity of the scooter, it’s reported to be easy to ride & stable.

If your curiosity is getting the best of you, take a look at their website at www.dogpoweredscooter.com.

Here’s a video showing it in action on You Tube: “Sally and the Dog powered scooter”, and there are others to see, as well. Enjoy!