It’s one of the brightest and sweetest times of the year. Spring is here and that’s a fantastic reason to celebrate surrounded by delicious food, fresh flowers and the (furry) family you care about most!
But some of the things that make Easter so great for many of us can be very dangerous for our pets. Here are some tips to keeping your furbabies safely well fed this holiday weekend.
Hunting for hidden chocolate Easter eggs around your house can be so much fun for kids. But it could be a recipe for disaster for your pets.
Chocolate contains theobromine, a chemical that’s toxic to dogs and cats.
If you’re doing a chocolate Easter egg hunt, be sure to hide them where your pets can’t reach them. If you're concerned your dog or cat did manage to get his paws on some chocolate, watch for these signs of chocolate poisoning:
Worsening symptoms may progress to:
In severe cases, pets may experience:
Chocolate toxicity can be fatal to your pets. Keep those treats up and out of reach!
Sometimes called sugar alcohol, xylitol is a natural, sugar-free sweetener found in candies, mints, gum, baked goods, and some brands of peanut butter and other sweets.
It’s also used as a sweetener or emulsifier in non-food products like mouthwash, toothpaste, cough syrup, shaving creams and lotions.
While xylitol may be not dangerous for cats, it can cause severe damage to your dog’s liver or kidneys. It can also cause organ failure or death when consumed in even the smallest doses.
The signs of xylitol poisoning may include:
Read the list of ingredients in food products, especially peanut butter and other items that claim to be sugar-free. Keep an eye out for xylitol or sugar alcohol. If it’s on the label, do not feed it to your pets.
While they may be an Easter staple in many households, hot cross buns often contain sultanas, raisins and/or currants, all of which are highly toxic to dogs and may also be toxic to cats.
Unfortunately, research isn't clear on what it is about these fruits that make pets sick. And there isn’t any data that tells us how much is too much. To keep your pets safe, we recommend avoiding these fruits altogether.
You know spring has sprung when you see these beautiful flowers in bloom. Try to keep your pets away, though.
Tulips contain glycosides, which are toxic to both cats and dogs.
Tulip bulbs are particularly poisonous because they contain the highest concentration of glycosides.
Signs of glycoside poisoning may include:
If your furry friends like to stop and smell the flowers, consider gerber daisies as a safe and pretty alternative.
You might find yourself wanting to share a bite or two of your Easter dinner with Fluffy and Fido, but try to resist the temptation. If you feed your pets something that contains onions, garlic or leeks, your positive gesture may cause a negative reaction.
Onions, garlic and leeks contain compounds called disulphides and thiosulphates.
When consumed, your pet may develop a condition that destroy’s their red blood cells, such as:
Signs of poisoning may include:
Don’t worry—just because people food isn’t always good for our pets, doesn’t mean there aren’t lots of other delicious, healthy treats we can give them!
Try these pet-friendly Easter treat recipes ...
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Freeze Time: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
Prep time: 10 minutes | Cook time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
Refridgerate in an airtight container for 3 - 4 days.
Prep time: 3 minutes | Freeze time: 2 hours
INGREDIENTS
INSTRUCTIONS
Yumm-o!
Now that everyone has their own tasty treats, you can rest easy and enjoy a safe, healthy Easter weekend.
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Hello, Pet Parents!
Today we're sharing with you how Jessie's breakfast is prepared. So come along with us and we'll crack an egg together.
You can get your raw food in patties. We have one that's formulated for dogs and cats, but today we're using the Bramble Hills raw food for Jessie the dog.
Pi the cat alternates between the beef Bramble Hills and the freeze-dried chicken. Today he's having freeze-dried chicken.
Most animals will eat the freeze-dried by itself, but it depends on their water intake for the rest of the day. Sometimes you want to add water, so that's what we're doing today.
For Pi the cat:
1. Add lots of powder
2. Add 1/2 teaspoon of Essentials
3. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspon of Omega3 Golden Milled Flax
3. Give it a stir and set it aside to soak for a few minutes
For Jessie the dog:
We get a nice plate for her, and she gets a quarter of the Bramble Hills beef for her size. She's about 25 lbs.
1. Spread out the beef
2. Add 1/2 a teaspoon of Essentials twice a day (she'll get this in the evening as well)
3. Break up the raw food just so she doesn't scarf it all down in one bite!
4. Add an egg (twice a week), shell and all
5. Add 1/2 to one teaspoon of Omega3 Golden Milled Flax day
Note: For dogs that are under 25 lbs, you can grind up the egg shells in a blender or mixer to make it easier for them to eat. That works for large, fussy dogs, too, who just don’t like the feel of the egg shell.
If we don't add the egg, we do add a little bit more water so that the flax has some more moisture. And sometimes we add blueberries and some other things.
Pi's is ready! Now that the freeze-dried food is ready, mush it up or just leave it as is.
Jessie's is ready to eat!
If you're interested in raw food recipes, stay tuned! We will be filming some hot new recipes soon, so stay tuned ... and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel so you don't miss out!
Why You Should Feed Your Pet a Raw Diet (Part 1 of 3)
]]>Pumpkin puree (NOT pumpkin pie filling) is jam-packed full of delicious, healthy benefits for your dog. Not only is it low in calories for your chunky little monkey, but it also has loads of essential vitamins and minerals, including:
And that’s not all. Pumpkins pack even more of a punch for your pooch ...
When vitamins C, A and E combine with other antioxidants found in pumpkin, it may help to ward off certain cancers. That’s because antioxidants aid in the destruction of free radicals in your dog’s system.
Yours, too, btw!
And sure, some oxidants are normal in the immune system, but everything in moderation. Too many oxidants can be harmful to your furriend’s immune system. So go ahead, serve some pumpkin puree for an added boost.
Food goes in one end, and … well ... you know what comes out the other end.
If your pup’s poop is too hard, it can be difficult to pass. It can also put pressure on his intestines. Fortunately, pumpkin is filled with fibre. And we all know what fibre is good for!
Pumpkin is an all-natural stool softener and it helps cure constipation.
What if my dog isn’t constipated. What if my dog has diarrhea?
Pumpkins are really good at solving the problem at hand. If constipation isn’t the issue, a little pumpkin can also help firm things up when your doggo has diarrhea.
We already mentioned that pumpkin is low-cal. That’s good for the waistline. And we talked about it being full of fibre, too. That makes him feel full. Satiating and slimming! Who knew?
Tapeworms and other nasty parasites can do a lot of damage to your dog’s digestive tract, causing unwanted weight loss, dry skin, lacklustre fur, and serious nutrient deficiency. Fortunately, pumpkin is rich with cucurbitacin, an amino acid that attacks and kills many dog parasites.
Hydration is particularly important for dogs who eat kibble. Dry dog food is just that -- dry. It lacks moisture, which can lead to chronic (albeit mild) dehydration.
You can lead your dog to water but you can’t make him drink.
What you can do is add pumpkin to his diet. It’s super high moisture content is an all-natural way to keep your pup healthy and hydrated.
It’s clear why pumpkin puree is such a regular staple in many puppy pantries. In fact, our very own Lindsay Saggu found this tasty pumpkin puree tart recipe we just had to share. The really cool thing about this recipe is that you can adjust one or two ingredients to make one batch for your doggo and one batch for yourself!
Give it a try then tell us how you liked it by dropping a comment below.
We cut this recipe in half to make 6 tarts. For the full recipe, check out the Minimalist Baker!
Filling:
Crust:
Hey Pack!
I love the idea of treating my pets to something nutritious. And being able to use my own hands to make that something with ingredients I already have in my kitchen, well that’s what I call a win-win!
So, today we’re making No-Bake Nutrabites!
They’re soft, chewy, and full of vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. The best part is you can make half for your dogs, add some sweetener and make some for yourself, too (if you’re into sharing *snicker*) ...
The original recipe uses 1 cup of peanut butter, but we’ve split the amount with tahini (sesame seed butter) for a nutra-kick!
Sesame seeds are packed with protein and are a good source of calcium, vitamin B1, manganese, and copper. They have also been proven to help lower cholesterol and blood pressure. However, they are calorie-dense, so we recommend some exercise or play-time as well.
Because of their outer shell, sesame seeds aren’t digested until ground, so tahini is a safe and effective way to get the benefits of sesame seeds into your dog’s diet.
We’re also using PureForm Omega3 Golden Milled Flax to bind our ingredients. Unlike whole flax seeds, milled flax is easily digestible and is easily absorbed through the stomach and intestines.
Highly bioavailable, our flax seeds are micro-chopped to naturally preserve and stabilize the oils, while the fibre remains fine and fluffy for easy digestion.
There are three types of Omega-3 fats:
ALA is called an essential fat because it must be consumed in the diet.
It is important to note the ratio of Omega-3s in the diet compared to Omega-6s and Omega-9s. Omega-3 levels should be twice the amount as the others to promote optimum health.
Benefits of taking Omega3 Milled Flax include:
Oats are the final ingredient in our Nutrabites. They are relatively high in proteins and fats, and are a good source of amino acids.
Oats contain a lot of fibre and antioxidants, such as linoleic acid and vitamin E, which can supplement your pet’s liver, skin and fur. Vitamins and minerals (including vitamin E, B vitamins, zinc, iron, and selenium), all play an important role in maintaining and improving overall health.
So, without further ado ... here’s our recipe for No-Bake Nutrabites
Additional ingredients for your consumption (to add after your dog’s Nutrabites have been rolled):
Follow along with the video below & thanks for joining us in the kitchen! I hope you enjoy these as much as we did.
Lindsay
PureForm Pack Leader