Balancing Corporate & Homesteading Lifestyles
Today’s Deals (8.30.2022)
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Pawsome Deals (08.29.2022)
Check out today's special deals available for a limited time or while supplies last. From children, toys, household products, and more, we will share some great deals daily. Please note these are affiliate links and if you choose to purchase a product, we may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. (Yesterday's deals)
Today’s Deals (8.28.22)
Check out today's special deals available for a limited time or while supplies last. From children, toys, household products, and more, we will share some great deals daily. Please note these are affiliate links and if you choose to purchase a product, we may make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Healthy Flours For Dogs
Making treats for your dog is an easy and healthy option when compared to many of the commercial treats available on the market. Best of all, this allows you to choose the best ingredients that are right for your dog.
Just some key things to remember when making your dog treats
- Always use moderation when feeding treats.
- Possible allergies: Some dogs may be allergic to some flours like pea or wheat.
- Buy organic: Many of the flours are simple to make at home but if you choose to purchase then best to choose organic flours.
- Meal replacement: Treats are not meal replacements.
- Consultation: Always consult with your veterinarian for questions or concerns.
- Mixing: I find mixing different flours to achieve the benefits and consistency is your best option. We do this all the time.
- Feed any treat sparingly: too much of anything is not a good thing.
Grain-Free Flours
- Almond Flour: packed with nutrients and can make at home but use in moderation because of the high calorie content.
- Quinoa Flour: a great source of fiber and iron but doesn't hold it's shape well and not the best choice if using with a cookie cutter.
- Coconut Flour: high in fiber and not the best choice for dogs with allergies or IBS and can be sometimes hard to digest. It's heavier than some flours so you may need to add extra water to your recipe.
- Arrowroot Flour: rich in iron, B vitamins and potassium. Used alone it does not make a good dough but is best mixed with other flours. Many have found that it helps with upset stomach, diarrhea, and constipation.
- Tapioca Flour: easy to work with and a nice texture but contains little nutrients and is primarily used as a filler mixed with other flours.
- Potato Flour: a natural source of iron, B vitamins and fiber, it is a good thickening agent but it's high in carbs and not the best choice for overweight dogs. Potato starch is a lighter option.
- Chia Flour: is a great egg substitute and packed with nutrients but can be extremely drying and expand when wet. Provide plenty of water because it can cause bloating.
Pulse/Legume Flours
- Chickpea Flour: high in fiber and protein, often used in gluten-free recipes. It's great for constipation or firming up diarrhea but has a nutty taste and not loved by all dogs. It's a heavier flour so best to mix with another flour, like almond flour.
- Lentil Flour: is nutrient dense full of fiber and protein, a great source of iron with a low glycemic index so it's good for dogs trying to lose weight. As with anything, too much can upset your dog's stomach.
- Pea Flour: a rich plant-based protein, iron, calcium and protein. It's easy to use and most dogs like the taste but do not use if your dog is allergic to peas.
Pseudo Grain Flour
- Teff Flour: is rich in fiber and protein and can be easily mixed with other gluten-free flours. It is a great choice for dogs that have sensitive stomachs since it is high in fiber and gluten-free.
- Millet Flour: is not the highest in fiber or protein but has a great consistency to work with. It is a source of carbohydrates and is high in B-vitamins, phosphorus, and iron, and easier to digest than whole wheat. It is mostly a filler because of the lower nutritional values.
- Buckwheat Flour: is a great source of dietary fiber, carbohydrates, and plant proteins. It has been shown to lower blood sugar levels by 12-29% and could be beneficial when included in treats for dogs that have diabetes.
- Amaranth Flour: is rich in vitamins and fiber with many micronutrients and is gluten-free. This flour is expensive with a high glycemic index so not a good choice for dogs with diabetes. This flour has a grassy earthy taste. It's a heavier flour and best mixed with another flour.
Grain Flours
- Brown Rice Flour: is easy to work with and may give similar results as regular white flour when baking. There is also not a strong taste to deter picky eaters.
- Oat Flour: has protein and fiber which makes it good for dogs that may have digestive upset with other flours. It has zero calories making it a great choice for pups on a diet. Don't use if your dog is allergic to oats.
- Sorghum Flour: is an ancient grain and is a good source of vitamins, minerals, plant-based proteins, and antioxidants. It has a super-fine texture and best used with other flours.
- Whole Grain Wheat Flour: is cost-effective and excellent for baking because it holds shapes well and is easy to work with. There is little taste so most dogs like it.
Flours To Avoid
- White Flour: no nutrient value for dogs.
- Soy Flour: processing not safe for dogs.
- Corn Flour: no nutrient value for dogs.
Check out some of our previous posts:
- Easter Treats For Your Pup :Treats for any occasion.
- Ingredient Splitting: What you need to know.
- Delight Your Dog With A Natural Treat
If you are looking for more information on feeding your dog, healthy dog foods and treats you can make and what to look for if you are using commercial dog food, then you will want to check this out.
Benefits of Water
Keeping hydrated is very important for a person's good health and well-being, but many people do not consume enough fluids each day.
For many, drinking enough each day is not at the top of priorities but it should be. Many of the benefits are often overlooked.
Dehydration and Its Effects:
- Dehydration affects your mood.
- Dehydration reduces your cognitive and motor skills.
- Dehydration makes you more sensitive to pain.
- Dehydration affects your memory.
Facts on drinking water
- Adult humans are 60 percent water, and our blood is 90 percent water.
- There is no universally agreed quantity of water that must be consumed daily.
- Water is essential for the kidneys and other bodily functions.
- When dehydrated, the skin can become more vulnerable to skin disorders and wrinkling.
- Drinking water instead of soda can help with weight loss.
Here is an easy calculator that you can use to determine your daily water requirements (if you don't want to do the math)
This page contains affiliate links meaning I get a commission if you decide to purchase something through my link (at no extra cost to you.)
A fruit infusion water bottle is one suggestion for creating healthy infused waters to keep you hydrated. We recommend this bottle from Amazon.
Tracking Your Water
I have found tracking my water is necessary and helps me to meet my daily goal.
There are many apps available that you can use to track yours.
I use Carb Manager because it helps me track my diet, macros, and water. Available in your app store, this has a "free" and "premium" version. I use the free version and it does everything that I need.
If you prefer to track your water with a chart, here is a free downloadable tracker.
Start today and drink your water!
Ingredient Splitting
Finding the right food for your dog is difficult enough, if all foods were created equal, but they aren't. In fact, some dog food companies spend a disproportionate amount on branding and marketing then the actual product that they are selling.
Ingredient splitting is one practice that companies use to make their product appear more appealing to the consumer (you and me). Add that to a well-designed package and you think you think you are buying a quality food for your dog but its really just smoke and mirrors.
What is ingredient splitting?
Ingredient splitting is the misleading practice of dividing a more abundant (inferior) ingredient into smaller portions of similar items. In other words, it's a sneaky way to elevate a more desirable ingredient, like meat, to a higher spot on the ingredient list, while lowering the spot of a less desirable ingredient like rice or corn.
Obviously, if you glanced at both labels, you would choose the bag with chicken meal ranked number one, not realizing both bags contain exactly the same product.
Keeping this in mind, don't rely on packaging claims that meat is the first ingredient. The ingredients can be manipulated to change their order.
Don’t place excessive value on claims that meat is the first ingredient. Keep in mind, the ingredients can be manipulated to change their order.
What to Look for?
When reading a label, here are some suggestions to identify ingredient splitting:
Ingredients matter. Beautiful packaging is always appealing, but it's the ingredients that matter most. Always check the ingredient list.
Don’t put too much value in the first ingredient but look at the first 5 ingredients to determine the most abundant items in any dog food formula.
Look for evidence of ingredient splitting. Be skeptical when you find multiple versions of similar ingredients clustered together near the top of the list. For example, if you find corn meal, and corn flour included in the first 5 items of a recipe, you can be fairly certain the main ingredient in the food is not meat.
Some other examples to look for when ingredient splitting can occur:
Corn: Corn gluten meal, corn flour, and whole ground corn
Rice: whole rice, white rice, rice flour, and rice bran
Potatoes: dried potatoes, potato starch, potato protein, and potato flour
For reviews on many dog foods, visit the Dog Food Advisor site. They have over 5,700 reviews.
To find out more about healthy feeding, here are some of our previous posts:
The History of Pet Grooming
Pet grooming is a common practice in our society. People don't even think twice about spending hundreds of dollars having their pets groomed and bathed by a pet grooming professional. It is such common convenience that many people forget the history of what made this profession what it is. If you look at the paintings of the Elizabethan era you will see pets portrayed in paintings that are well-groomed and clean. Who did the grooming? Was grooming a pet an actual profession back then? Was the local barber responsible for pet care as well as cutting hair and medical responsibilities? Did the local Lord or Lady have their hair cut alongside their pet There are actually paintings from that era that depict a dog being sheared while sitting on his ladies lap.
As breeds became popular in the 17th century, poodles in France received recognition for being the dog of the court. This entry also records that professional grooming parlors were open for dogs. In 1879 Shaw wrote a book called The Book of the Dog.
This book made references concerning dog grooming in England and gave helpful hints of how to clean, groom, and keep your dog healthy.
As animals became more a part of society, pets and work animals became more important so did how they looked. The animals were groomed, either by their owners or professional pet groomers. Animals such as horses were groomed by stable boys or their owners depending on the owners taste and wealth. As animal labor was replaced by automobiles and machines, the grooming of the animal took on a more personal reflection of the owner, particularly in high society. A well groomed and clean animal was a sign of wealth and prosperity.
In today's perspective of pet grooming, the animal is considered part of the family or something to show as a source of pride. Organizations such as 4H incorporate pet grooming into their program so that not only the health of the animals is displayed but also the owner's attention to the animal. Special events are organized to present current animal grooming techniques and the products of the pet grooming industry. Horses and other livestock are adorned during parades and rodeos making the animals a showpiece to the event. There are even pet grooming conventions that meet periodically around the United States and the world to present the newest techniques and equipment used in the pet grooming industry.
There are thousands of web pages dedicated to the art and fashion of grooming and as with many long-standing professions a rich history of pet grooming dictates pride and self achievement in the professional.
So next time you visit your local pet grooming expert, remember that they are not just a service, but they have been backed with centuries of expertise, refinement, and dedication to the art. The next time you drop off your animal to a pet grooming expert, remember your animal will be taken care of with pride and integrity.
You can check out this page for DIY grooming tips. Looking for a groomer? Then check out the National Association of Dog Groomers.
Choosing Healthy Food For Your Dog
Today's pet food market is larger and more diverse than ever before. While this offers a large number of choices in various types of pet food, it also presents a dilemma in choosing the healthiest food for your dog. Are generic or store brands suitable for a dog? What about familiar name brands like Purina and Alpo? Are the pricier brands that advertise specially formulated ingredients (Science Diet, Eukanuba) really living up to their claims and worth the extra money? All of these are valid questions that loving dog owners deserve to have answered.
Our Story
I'll be honest, I never thought much about dog food before we adopted Finn, our Catahoula. Although we bought the same brand of food, he would often get "sick" after getting a new bag of the food. Frustrated for Finn and having to clean up diarrhea in the house, I looked to solutions and realized that kibble was NOT our best option. I took him off commercial dog foods and starting cooking for both him and Nova, our other rescue. They now are on a raw diet and eat a variety of meats, vegetables, fruits and eggs. And problem solved. Granted, it's a little more time consuming and expensive but balances out AND I have happier and healthier dogs.
Dog Food Considerations
There are several factors to consider when choosing the right food for your dog. Different dogs have different nutritional needs at different stages in their lives. Some things to consider when selecting the food you'll give your dog follow.
The Dog's Age
Puppies have different nutritional requirements than adult dogs just as human children have different needs than adult people. Senior dogs also have different requirements than younger adult dogs. Make sure that you select a food that is appropriate for your dog's stage in life.
The Dog's Health
Does your dog have a specific medical condition? If so, the food you choose may need to be partially dictated by that condition. Diabetic dogs need low-glucose foods and dogs with specific allergies (yes dogs can be allergic to all sorts of things, just like people) may require certain foods as well. Your veterinarian can help you choose foods that are appropriate for a dog with a specific medical condition.
The Dog's Size or Body Type
Some dogs are overweight. Some dogs are underweight. Some have a natural tendency to get lots of exercise while others tend to prefer to lie around a lot.
There are, of course, small, medium, and large dogs as well as the ultra-tiny 'toy' dogs. All of these different types of dogs will have different requirements for the type of food they need as well as how much of it.
Your Budget
Dog food can be expensive, there's no doubt about it. And where dog food is concerned, the rule really is "you get what you pay for." Low cost generics and store brands will lighten the burden on your wallet, but may not be the healthiest choice for your dog as they are made with cheap ingredients and lots of fillers. You should buy the best dog food you can on your budget to help ensure your dog's nutrition.
These are some of our previous posts that you might find helpful in choose the right food:
Easter Treats For Your Pup
We are always on the lookout for fun and healthy dog treats, especially the kind that you can make yourself.
With any holiday or celebration, we always want to include our fur babies in the festivities. There are many ways that they can be included, and food is one. Since "our" food is not always the best choice for our pets, making them their own special meal is a great option.
Check out some of these fun goodies we found!
Woof Loaf for dogs and cats
Ingredients
1 pound lean ground turkey
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1/2 cup peas
1/2 cup oats
2 eggs
3 hard-boiled eggs
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350ºF. In a bowl, mix together turkey, chopped carrots, and peas.
- Add the oats and eggs. Mix until the loaf mixture comes together. Lightly grease a loaf pan with olive oil and then add half the mixture to the pan.
- Place the three hard-boiled eggs along the center of the loaf and then cover with the other half of the ground turkey mixture. Pop in the oven and bake for 45 minutes.
- Once cooled, cut it into slices and feed it to your dog. For cats, chop it up into small pieces before serving.
Source: PopSugar
Carrot Mini Muffins
Ingredients
- 3 medium carrots shredded (approximately 1 1/2 cup)
- 1 cup sugar-free apple sauce
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour*
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 tablespoon baking powder
*I often use sweet potato flour for my dog food recipes and it works just as well.
Directions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees and
- Line mini-muffin pans with paper liners.
- In a medium bowl, mix shredded carrot, apple sauce, eggs, and milk then set aside.
- In a large bowl mix the flour, cinnamon, and baking powder.
- Once well combined add the wet carrot mixture to the flour mixture and stir until mixed.
- Spoon cupcake batter into paper liners until 1/2 to 2/3 full.
- Bake for 10 minutes (until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean).
- Cool 5 minutes in pans then remove and place on wire racks to cool completely. This makes 4 dozen.
Source: Thousand Hills Pet Resort
On Easter morning, you can make it a game and hide your dog's treats around the house, creating a special “egg hunt” for your fur baby. It will be a fun time for everyone! Happy Easter! And remember to keep the candy safely away from your dog or cat.
Dangers of Easter Candy For Our Furry Friends
For millions of families, the celebration of Easter includes Easter baskets filled with sweet treats galore, chocolate bunnies, marshmallow chicks, sugary jelly beans, and snack-size versions of nearly every candy product imaginable.
As parents, we often warn our children, "Don't eat too much or you'll make yourself sick!" At worst, a child who stuffs him or herself with chocolate may develop nausea and a stomachache.
But for our furry friends who get into the Easter goodies, 'getting sick' may be the least of it. Many of the sweet treats mentioned above can be fatal to dogs, cats, and other small animals (such as ferrets.)
As responsible pet owners, it's our job to protect our pets from harm. And though pet owners routinely give their companion animals human food, giving candy to your pet is almost always a big mistake.
Yes, many pets prefer to eat what we eat. Yes, household pets (especially dogs) like sweet, sugary foods. And yes, it feels good to pamper Fido or Fluffy by giving them "just a little taste" of what we're having for supper.
But many of the foods that humans enjoy can not only cause illness for your beloved dog or cat, they can even be fatal. And given how small a cat or dog is compared to a human, sometimes it doesn't take much.
Chocolate
Chocolate is one of the most deadly foods for both cats and dogs. Dark chocolate is worst while white chocolate has the lowest risk. It's not only high in fat, it contains two nervous system stimulants, caffeine, and theobromine. The fat can make your pet vomit or cause diarrhea; unpleasant, but usually not fatal.
If you have reason to think that your pet has gotten into the candy, call your vet and describe the symptoms. (Symptoms of chocolate toxicity are nervousness, vomiting, shaking, and overreacting to noises, touch, lights, etc.)
If your vet is closed, call an emergency vet center. If you don't have one of those in your area you can call one of the national animal poison control lines such as the Pet Poison Helpline: 1-855-764-7661. (There is usually a fee for this service.)
It is up to you to make sure that Easter candy and other dangerous foods are kept securely out of the reach of your household pets ó so your whole family can enjoy the holiday!
But it's the stimulants that sometimes cause death. Theobromine is both a cardiac stimulant and a diuretic. A dog that ingests an overdose of chocolate may be fine at first, but will probably become excited and hyperactive within a few hours. It may pass large quantities of urine and become unusually thirsty. The theobromine will cause your pet's heart rate to accelerate or beat irregularly, either of which can cause death (especially with exercise.)
You can find out more about chocolate and dogs here.
We have a few great Easter treats that you can make for your dog (or cat) and safely include them in the holiday festivities. Check them out here.
Sugary Food
But it's not just chocolate that's the problem. All sugary foods can cause dental problems, lead to obesity, and contribute to diabetes in pets, too. So be sure to keep your stash of chocolate securely out of your pet's reach.
Children are notorious for sorting and trading candy, so make sure they don't leave candy laying around. (or candy wrappers, either, which can cause choking)
And don't forget how flexible and persistent a pet can be when it smells something yummy in a trash bin.
