Like every good pet friendly traveler, I cart way more stuff for the dogs than I do for myself. Being super organized with where all the hit the road items are stored in the house, I still spend a few hours packing up everything all three dogs need for a road trip. The most time consuming of the packing process is preparing dog food especially because I am very careful about what and how much food I pack. Nothing spoils a road trip faster than dogs that won't eat, dogs with upset stomachs or a possibility of running out of dog food. So I have begun a quest to find grain-free, made in the USA, natural dog food in cans that easily toss into a bag for an adventure and, most importantly, that the dogs love to eat.
Dog Friendly Road Trip Ready: Toss Healthy #PawNatural Canine PowerStew Cans In A Bag & Go7/17/2015
This post is sponsored by Only Natural Pet® and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. We are being compensated for helping spread the word about the NEW CaninePowerStew™, but Cascadian Nomads only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Only Natural Pet is not responsible for the content of this article.
Typist: Bethany
Like every good pet friendly traveler, I cart way more stuff for the dogs than I do for myself. Being super organized with where all the hit the road items are stored in the house, I still spend a few hours packing up everything all three dogs need for a road trip. The most time consuming of the packing process is preparing dog food especially because I am very careful about what and how much food I pack. Nothing spoils a road trip faster than dogs that won't eat, dogs with upset stomachs or a possibility of running out of dog food. So I have begun a quest to find grain-free, made in the USA, natural dog food in cans that easily toss into a bag for an adventure and, most importantly, that the dogs love to eat.
I was very pleased to learn that a brand I already trust, Only Natural Pet®, recently launched a new line of holistically formulated, allergy friendly dog food in cans, Canine PowerStew™. This high quality, protein rich meat as the first ingredient canned food lives up to my high standards so the question before packing up PowerStew for our next road trip was whether or not the dogs would like it too. Before feeding an entire meal of PowerStew, I started off by giving the three dogs a sample of each of the three available flavors, Beef & Lamb, Chicken & Liver and Turkey & Duck. Every can of PowerStew is a biologically appropriate diet for dogs of all lifestyles, perfect for my diverse trio. The PowerStew sampling made me and most of all the dogs anxious for PowerStew meal time. The chunky stew style of the Carrageenan free canned food settled well with all three dogs meals and I am appreciative in these hot summer months that they licked up every last bit of the hydrating broth. I always worry about Wilhelm, Brychwyn and Huxley staying hydrated when we travel.
Besides comfort in knowing the dogs get help staying hydrated and will happily eat a complete and balanced meal while traveling with PowerStew, bringing along the wholesome canned food offers many other conveniences. PowerStew cans are easy to pack and I know the dogs will not be able to get into the food before or between meals. While a bit heavier than other traveling food options, I can recycle the cans as I go making space for the inevitable expanding items as a road trip drags on and also for souvenirs along the way. With simple math and without breaking the bank, I can calculate exactly how much food we need, grab the right amount of cans and go. PowerStew is also available in variety packs so I can easily mix up protein sources and flavors as we travel. I always love getting ready for a road trip but as I begin the packing preparations for our next trip, I look forward to the ease of tossing Canine PowerStew into a bag and hitting the road. I get the feeling from the happy, healthy PowerStew meal sated dogs looking at me as if they are ready to go as soon as I close my laptop that they agree.
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This post is sponsored by petMD Reptile Center and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. We are being compensated for helping spread the word about Reptile Ownership, but Cascadian Nomads only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. petMD and PetSmart are not responsible for the content of this article.
Typist: Bethany
The majority of Americans have freshwater fish, dogs and cats as pets and most of those pet owners are knowledgeable about what supplies are needed before bringing one of these new pets. No one would bring home a new dog without a dish, a cat without a litter box or a fish without a bowl or tank. Since reptile ownership is not as widely popular, it is more difficult to know what supplies are necessary for proper reptile care when bringing home a new snake, turtle, bearded dragon, tortoise or lizard. When I stupidly bought my chameleon on impulse, I naively believed that the pet store had sold me a complete habitat as advertised and that the feeding instructions they had given me were all I needed to know about the pet's health. But reptile pets are not that simple. No proper care of a living thing is. I did my best to learn more about caring for the special little reptile I had fallen in love with but I was always a step behind. By the time I learned more about how I needed to do to properly care for my pet, it was too late. Very important things to consider when choosing the right reptile pet and preparing to bring the pet home are appropriate
Current reptile owners and people new to reptile care now have the educational resources of the petMD® Reptile Center and the PetSmart® Reptile Purchase Center available at the click of a button. Both sites are set up to easily help a new reptile hobbyist thoroughly research the best reptile appropriate for their reptile pet ownership level and check each and every essential item of their list. The article on terrarium setup is one that could have saved my chameleons life. Every kind of pet deserves an educated owner and a chance to thrive. Researching just what is needed to bring home a reptile pet is now as easy as knowing a new fish needs treated water, a new dog needs a collar and a new cat needs a scratching toy.
How do you prepare to to bring home a new pet?
What kind of research do you do before choosing a pet or to help the pets you have now thrive?
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This post is sponsored by petMD Reptile Center and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. We are being compensated for helping spread the word about Reptile Ownership, but Cascadian Nomads only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. petMD and PetSmart are not responsible for the content of this article.
Typist: Bethany
On a routine visit to the pet store for the usual pet supplies, I fell in love. Rocking slightly on her branch as she stared at me from her cage on the counter next to the cash register, the perfect spiral of her tail was the same soft green with blue and reddish brown speckles as the rest of her fabulously bumpy skin. The bright red "Sale" sign taped to the cage bars clashed with the peaceful scene of plastic plants, wooden branches, water fountain and viridescent chameleon it contained. I brought this chameleon, her cage and all it's contents home on an impulse. I had cared for dogs, fish, rodents, snails, insects, cats and birds as pets, so I thought to myself, how much different could reptile care be? Yeah. In my defense, I was a young college student just beginning my journey as an adult pet owner. But there is no excuse for taking reptile ownership or any pet care lightly. Everything about this chameleon impulse purchase set me up for failure. Among those was that the pet store sold me the wrong enclosure for the environment this pet needed and I had no idea what I was doing. It is in honor of the chameleon who I failed to properly care for that I am writing about responsibly caring for reptile pets. When I did my best and failed at caring for my chameleon, there was no easy access to information on how to successfully care for a snake, turtle, bearded dragon, lizard, tortoise or chameleon. I want anyone and everyone who falls in love with bumpy skin, beady eyes and cold blood like I did to never have to experience my heartbreak.
With the fantastic information I have found on the petMD® Reptile Center the type of reptile I started with is not an appropriate reptile for a beginner. There are so many things I wish I had known that before that fateful impulse chameleon purchase but that one fact alone would have been extremely helpful. I have always known that taking any pets lifespan, housing, feeding and veterinary needs into consideration are of the utmost importance. But I learned the hard way that reptile care also involves detailed knowledge of the ideal environment for the reptile. All it took was one weekend away from my chameleon for her health to deteriorate beyond repair. The friend who was watching her mixed up which lights were supposed to be on when and my chameleon didn't experience the cold she needed at night. I took her to the vet, followed all instructions and did the best I could for her but it wasn't enough. Even though this chameleon was not the right pet for a new reptile owner, she was a lot of fun. Enjoying her slow, rocking walk up my arm, watching her swing from her tail, her change of skin color for camouflage while hunting worms and crickets and when that tongue came out to eat, oh what a fun pet she was! Maybe someday I will be lucky enough to have reptile pets again. Thanks to petMD I know where I should start and have the resources to properly care for what ever reptile I carefully and thoughtfully choose.
Are you considering a reptile ownership?
Have you had a reptile pets that would have had a better or longer life if you been more informed about proper reptile care?
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A Human, A Dog, A Box & Special Time Together: Human-Canine Bond Enrichment On #BarkBoxDay6/23/2015
This post is sponsored by BarkBox® and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. We are being compensated for helping spread the word about BarkBox but Cascadian Nomads only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. BarkBox is not responsible for the content of this article.
Typist: Bethany
When I was a child, I eagerly watched out the window for the mail truck and skipped excitedly to the mailbox to see what had arrived. That same elation about the mail carriers ascent up our porch steps every day lives on in my dogs. Well, two of my dogs. Wilhelm and Brychwyn love to say hello to the mail carrier and are happy dogs when they see whatever he or she leaves, even if it isn't for pets. Huxley exuberantly greets any delivery person but when it comes to what they have left behind, he is less enthused. Of course, I think it is wonderful that Huxley is such a people puppy but I yearn for him to gain enrichment through the wonder of opening what the delivery people bring. So I seized an opportunity to have a BarkBox® delivered in hopes of teaching Huxley that a box on the porch means more than greeting whoever left it.
As our family shepherd, Huxley gets a little nervous when the entire family is not together. He excels at job of keeping us all safe and together but everyone needs a little time off. After greeting the mail carrier, I sat down on the floor with the box and waited patiently for Huxley to settle down my side. It was finally time to see what was inside the BarkBox but at this point it didn't matter to me what had come. I was elated to be enjoying this one on one time with my youngest dog and that he was allowing himself a break from his family duties.
When given his choice of do with the enrichment items in the box, Huxley began by scooping up, squeaking and shaking one of the toys about joyfully. He then loudly crunched a dog cookie before savoring a turkey chew on his bed across the room. Huxley now knows that a delivery isn't just about greeting the person bringing the box. Pushing myself up off the floor, I noticed that my cheeks were tired from smiling. BarkBox day was not just an enriching experience for Huxley but for me as well. I learned that the different items BarkBox sends each month are often not available in the pet store and if my dogs don't like any item that is inside, the BarkBox team will fetch something else for the pups. Proudly watching handsome collie Huxley relaxing on his bed, surrounded by his new treasures, I found myself wishing a new BarkBox would arrive more often than once a month. BarkBox day was more fun than I had ever imagined and from where I was standing it looked like Huxley agreed.
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