Some Questions For The Ministry Of Defence And The RAF

Photo: Pat Pilon

Recently, Prince William decided to retire from the military so he could devote himself to his wife and his new child. It was a simple choice and a nice change of pace for the prince, who had focused on being a search and rescue helicopter operator for the RAF.

One would think this would be a decision without controversy. However, approximately two days after the prince left the military, two of the guard dogs assigned to protect him, Brus and Blade, were put down. The dogs had been serving in the role since Prince William joined the military in 2010. Brus, a Belgian shepherd was 7 and a half years old and Blade, a German Shepherd was 9 and a half years old. Brus, was known for having behavioral issues and Blade had issues with his spine and hips. Still, that's no reason for euthanization.

Now, the Ministry of Defence says that it's a "coincidence" and that they both had behavioral issues. It has been said that the military tried to rehome them, but it failed.

Harrowing Questions

Which makes me wonder, did they really do everything they could or was it the easy way out? First of all, the dogs were hired to guard the whole military base, not just Prince William. Why couldn't they have been kept on the base till they were ready to retire?

Many dogs are given to one of the soldiers when their military job comes to an end. Did the decision makers at the RAF even consider this?

It has been said that the dogs were stressed out. Well, when I'm stressed out, I take some time and retreat to a peaceful and quiet place to de-stress. Why couldn't that be done for Brus and Blade?

There are so many specially trained dog experts out there. Why couldn't the dogs have been sent to them?

What about approaching animal advocates? Victoria Stilwell is one of the biggest proponents for protecting animals and she is from Great Britain. Why couldn't they ask her for any help?

If that didn't work, then why not put the dogs in a special dog sanctuary, so they could live out their last years in peace? There was a dog retrieved in the Michael Vick debacle named Mabel. Mabel was deemed too dangerous by a court judge to ever live in a household. She was given a pass to live in the Best Friends Animal Sanctuary and has come a long way since 2007. Am I supposed to believe that two highly trainable dogs who were trained to guard, couldn't do the same thing?

This story reeks of laziness and that's why dog lovers around the world are livid. The only thing that the RAF and the Ministry of Defence has proven is that how they have hid behind excuses instead of facing the problem head on and finding a solution. Maybe there's nothing that can be done know but at least, there is something to be learned from this travesty for the future.

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Let's Discuss!

How do you feel about this story? Please share below.

Orijen Freeze-Dried Dog Food Review

Many dog owners these days have switched over to freeze-dried food from commercial food. It's healthier and the ingredients are pure. Dog food that has been freeze-dried is first vaporized and then frozen at a low temperature to keep a bit of moisture in to make the food easy to prepare.

Freeze-dried is preferred over dehydrated food to keep the ultimate amount of nutrition in the food. Today's dog food I'll be talking about is Orijen Adult Freeze-Dried Food in the Adult Dog variety. I chose the Adult Dog variety since it had the best mix of foods which included meat, fish, fresh fruits, berries and grasses. It's a good choice for dogs who are diabetic too. A six-ounce bag was provided to me courtesy of Chewy.com.

Orijen Freeze-Dried Food - Adult Dog

Since I have five dogs, instead of giving the patties as a meal, I used it as a food topper. Using the patties in this method is similar to giving them a nutrition supplement. Instead of mixing their dry food with their usual Mighty dog, I used the patties instead. Because my dogs are different sizes, I gave patties to them as follows:

• Cookie - 2 patties
• Gigi = 1 patty
• Homer - 2 patties
• Harry - 1 patty
• Fancy - 4 patties

With there being 12 patties in a bag, this had two left over. The dogs loved the food. I'm always hesitant to try

new foods because Gigi (pictured with me left) is still battling bladder stones and is sensitive to certain foods. Also Harry is limited with what he can chew.

The Results

It was prepared as directed on the package. I mixed each patty with 1/4 cup of water. I then broke down the patties into small pieces and added both the broken-up patty and its water on top of their food. All of the dogs loved it. Not one wound up lifting their head from their bowl. The only problem I ran into was with Harry. Since Harry doesn't have many teeth, the food once was liquified tended to stick together. So, in order to make it easier for Harry, I mixed it up a little more to make it easier.

Another alternative would have been to give Harry the patty dry. That way, it would still be soft enough to chew without it needing to stick together. All in all, this is a good alternative to those dog owners who don't mind the extra cost that comes with this type of feeding. The dogs all loved it and it didn't last long in my house. It's also nice to give to your dogs when you need a break from the usual routine

Let's Discuss!

Please share below your thoughts on freeze-dried food. What's your favorite brand? How does it work for your dog?

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Halo Healthsome Review

Halo Healthsome Review

Earlier this month, I received a bag of Halo Healthsome dog treats in Beef and Liver from Chewy.com. I am lucky to have the best doggie taste tester in Gigi. She's a girl with a sensitive stomach and is very selective about what she chooses. Also, having five dogs makes it easy to see if a treat will please them all, since they all are very different from each other.

What's Good About This

One thing that stood out on the package was the fact that the biscuits were oven baked. Many biscuits are processed and contain fillers. Healthsome do not. This makes a difference with dogs like my Gigi, who's naturally sensitive to certain treats. They were also easy to break in half for our smaller dogs.

Upon giving this to Gigi, she did her routine sniffing of the biscuits and then proceeded to eat it like usual. It didn't upset her stomach. As for the other dogs, Harry, our Chinese Crested loved it too. Chinese Crested dogs are notorious for having bad teeth. We have to be careful of what we give Harry for treats because of this. He can eat most treats, but not ones similar to bones.

The Final Result

These treats turned out to be very popular with all the dogs. They loved them. I recommend these to dog owners who are looking for a more healthy biscuit than your average commercial fare.

Let's Discuss!

How does your dog like Halo Healthsome?

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My Dogs As My Diet Buddies

Last week, reality hit me. I knew I was gaining weight but I never realized how much. Because pounds can be so intimidating, I'm going to share with you the percentage I gained. Sure enough, when I crunched the numbers, it came out to a 14.7 percent increase. With that bump in weight gain, I have reached the heaviest weight I've ever been.

There's been a lot of reasons on why I gained weight. For one, I was working at a job with no job security and really didn't give us a lunch hour. We would go out and bring our lunch back to the desk. In that environment, nervousness becomes a factor of what you put into your mouth.

Another reason is that my living situation has changed with more people and more pets. With the two extra dogs we have living with us, it's harder to take Cookie, Gigi and Homer for a long walk like I did last summer. Our other dog Fancy loves to go on walks with us, and I enjoy taking her. However, with her massive frame and being overweight, she can only last a short time.

I've also been preoccupied with Gigi's bladder stones. Even though she's slowly improving, it's a situation that you constantly have to be watching. You can't let the medication schedule lapse. As I found out when I went to get more medication, I learned that the stones are solidified forms of the bacteria that built up in her bladder. Many times, Gigi just doesn't want to eat.

Yet, these in the end are just excuses. Sometimes, we push aside things until they snowball out of control. That's when you have to take a step back and say no more. Knowing how to lose weight is easy. You just cut your intake of food and increase your exercise. However, when it comes to putting this into action, that's where it gets tricky. Weight gain doesn't happen overnight unless it's a freak thing. You're therefore not going to lose weight that quickly either.

Strategy For Losing Weight With Dogs As Your Diet Buddy

I've been doing this for only a week. I'm working at a place right now that offers a lunch break which is something I enjoy. It gives me time away from the computer and helps me pay more attention to what I'm eating. I also have the option to take the stairs a couple of flights. I find that taking the stairs over the elevator is much more satisfying because you don't have to wait around. It also strengthens your calf muscles.

Now, even though I'm off to a good start, I need to figure out how I can exercise the dogs and myself so that everyone benefits. Dogs, like their human counterparts need to build up to higher activity levels. So what I'm going to do is try to wake up earlier on weekdays, to take the Cookie, Gigi and Homer on longer walks. Fancy likes to sleep in so she won't feel slighted.

When getting home from work, I wait to walk the dogs so their food can digest. It's also a cooler temperature compared to the middle of the day. Instead of taking the dogs on long walks, I'll be able to take them on shorter walks with more frequency. So my plan is to take them once in the morning and two shorter walks in the evening.

On weekends, I plan to take the dogs to the park in the morning. Since I'm always out doing stuff, I feel like at least one good walk is something, until my schedule becomes more regular.

What This Has Taught Me

Even though I have a long road ahead of me, I look at the situation as more of a challenge than a detriment. This is what I've learned:

• Whatever your eating and activity levels are, it will trickle down to your pets.
• That there's no quick fix for losing weight, no matter what those ads will tell you.
• You have to become focused and don't let the naysayers get the better of you.
• When you truly think healthy you will become healthy.
• Don't let a couple of splurges sway you from your main goal

I do feel fortunate that I have a great support system that includes family, friends and my pets. As much as I need to lose the excess weight, this whole matter is reinventing itself by helping me to look at it as a challenge instead. Sometimes the hardest things we do in life involve taking the first step.

Let's Discuss!

How do you and your dogs stay healthy?

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John Paul Pet Waterless Shampoo Review

Last week, I received the Pet Grooming Pack from John Paul Pet for review. Living with five dogs, this was an ideal opportunity to test this out. It came as a trio in a delightful little box with handles. One bottle contained shampoo, one bottle contained conditioning spray and then we had a brush which is the most important part of the process. It also said that they test the products on humans first which shows that they don't believe in using animals for testing. If any of you have seen typical animal testing stories, the way many animals are treated can be deplorable.

The Difference Between Waterless Shampoo and Traditional Shampoo

I never really used waterless shampoo until I received this package from John Paul Pet. The method is much different than regular shampooing. Here are the main differences:

• The shampoo comes out as a foam
• Instead of using water to rinse, you brush the coat dry

My first part of testing the products was figuring out which dogs to test this product. Cookie and Gigi were out since they have their baths when they go to the groomer. Harry is a Chinese Crested who's hairless. He also has sensitive spots so I was apprehensive about giving him a bath, since his master takes care of things. Homer is the type of dog that runs far, far away when he sees a brush of any kind whether it's a hair brush or tooth brush. In fact, if I can brush Homer with three brush strokes, then that's quite successful. So this left Fancy, our English Mastiff.

Fancy is a good girl for such a big dog. She has no idea how big she is but acts just like a regular dog. She was quite a sport about me applying the foam onto her. She seemed to like it just fine. She went with it.

Then came the brushing. At first, she was a little perplexed wondering why I was doing it. Fancy is a short-haired dog so she's the type that can definitely go without it and look beautiful. She didn't seem to mind. It also removed a lot of her dead hair which will decrease shedding. I had to be careful so I wouldn't brush so hard. It took awhile since Fancy is a big dog but we both hang in there.

After the initial application of shampoo, it's was time for the conditioning. The nice thing about this part is that with the spray it's quick and easy.

The Final Word

Fancy's coat turned out to be soft and silky. I think waterless shampoo is a good alternative to regular shampoo. I feel like this method is a good alternative for those who pets who don't like it wet. It's also a great alternative for cats who usually can't stand baths.

As great as this product is, for dogs like Homer, it may not be the best choice. Also, for dogs with very thin hair or no hair at all, regular pet shampoo may be the more suitable alternative. All in all, this is something to consider for a light maintenance when you need a quick clean in between. If you're looking for an alternative, I highly recommend it.Thanks to the folks at John Paul Pet for making this possible. If you are interested in finding out more, please visit their website.

Let's Discuss!

Please share your funniest moment of bathing your pet below.

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Keep Your Dog Cool And Happy This Summer (Infographic)

Every summer, our furry friend battle the unyielding summer heat. Even though they have a higher internal body temperature than humans (101 degrees compared to 98.6 degrees), with their smaller bodies they heat up much faster than we do. I've included an infographic from the fold at The Uncommon Dog who sent this over.

Let's Discuss!

Please share below how you keep your dogs cool this summer.

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Natural Balance Jerky Bark Review

When I first heard about Jerky Bark I first thought I was getting a type of jerky that's flavored in sweet potato and fish from Chewy.com that's similar to beef jerky. In actuality, when looking at them up close up and I realized that it was anything but a beef jerky replica.

It's much thicker than a regular jerky treat, roughly 1/4 inch. It comes in four flavor varieties which include: fish & sweet potato, chicken & sweet potato, duck & potato and lamb & brown rice. It's also a harder texture than regular jerky. It resembles the bark of a tree. It's easy to break into smaller pieces and having five dogs around, that's not an easy task.

So How Does It Taste?

The dog I was most worried most about was Gigi. With her sensitive stomach, she will turn her head to certain treats. That's why I was happy to see that this was a limited ingredient treat (L.I.T.). With only 10 ingredients, I knew exactly what was in the treat. Sure enough, Gigi loved eating the dog treat.

I was also worried about our Chinese Crested, Harry. Harry is a dog that has very few teeth. It's a common thing in the Chinese Crested breed that those dogs tend to lose their teeth easily. Happily, Harry ate the treat with no difficulty.

As for the other three, they will eat just about anything. Cookie, Homer and Fancy loved it as well. Anytime I pulled them out, all of them sat with excitement in anticipation.

Final Recommendation

I recommend this treat as an alternative to a regular jerky treat. This treat is ideal for helping to keep tartar down and dogs simply love it. Again, I'd like to send a huge thank you to the folks at Chewy.com, for making this review possible.

Let's Discuss!

Have your dogs tried these treats? What limited ingredient treats do you like making for your dogs?

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Too Kool Doggies Traveler Dog Bed Winner

Hi All, I would like to thank all of you for entering the Christmas In July Win A Dog Whisperer Traveler Dog Bed Contest. I loved reading your comments and with all of the responses, I didn't get the opportunity to respond the way I would have liked to respond. I also loved reading your tweets, pins and seeing the newest members on Facebook. There were 135 total entries. What I did was take the numbers and put the range on Random.org. I created a Google Docs Spreadsheet with this link. The range was 2 to 135. As a result, the selected number was number 23 (see below).

Congratulations Lisa M. She will be contacted by email and if successfully contacted, will have a dog bed shipped to her. After a week, if I do not here back from her, another winner will be chosen in her place. For the rest of you, we will be doing future contests here at Too Kool Doggies. I again thank you all.

Win a Free Dog Whisperer Traveling Dog Bed

Welcome to the Christmas in July Giveaway Hop hosted by Just Married with Coupons, Sweep Tight and Matter of Cents! Enter to win hundreds of dollars in prizes by hopping from blog to blog! The grand prize sponsor is Maggie Bags. They take recycled material & give it new life by creating eco-friendly & sophisticated handbags! Other sponsors include SodaTabs and JustSweep!
It's that time of year where Too Kool Doggies are celebrating Christmas in July. I've partnered with a bunch of fabulous bloggers for this event. You can participate in other giveaways by clicking on the picture link below.

To celebrate, I'll be giving one lucky winner a Dog Whisperer Traveling Dog Bed. Made for dogs up to ninety pounds, this is a prize that is ideal for most dogs. Made with a microfiber material, this brown dog bed can go anywhere and is very versatile. Selling at a retail price of $59.99, this is an ideal gift for the busy dog owner.

I am very appreciative for all of your support during this year. So here are the rules for the contest.

Rules for the Dog Whisperer Traveling Dog Getaway

Here are ways you can win (You can do one or all if you like): 1. Enter a comment below. Only one comment per person. Any duplicate comments won't count and the person will be disqualified.
2. Tweet this contest on Twitter. Here's a tweet for you: "I just entered the giveaway for a Dog Whisperer Traveling Dog bed from #TooKoolDoggies. #ChristmasInJuly" and link the tweet in your comment. Again only one tweet per person.
3. Like Too Kool Doggies on Facebook and share that in the comments.
4. Post this contest on Pinterest and share the link in the comments.

Other Rules

1. This contest is only open to people who live in the US and Canada.
2. Contest Ends July 17th at 12pm EST.

Enter to win the grand prize giveaway Follow my blog with Bloglovin

What You Need to Learn About Bladder Stones

Photo: Bob Mills

Types of Bladder Stones

Ever since Gigi was diagnosed with bladder stones, I've been wanting to learn more about these. There are two major types of stones -- struvite and calcium oxalate.The stones in the photo pictured above are the type of stones that Gigi has been fighting. They are called Struvite stones which is an alkaline-based stone. These are the type of stones that can dissolve in type. Struvite is composed of magnesium, phospate and ammonium (which is the main ingredient in ammonia). The bacteria in a dog's bladder will combine with this minerals to form the stones.

As all dogs are different, certain dogs are prone to getting struvite stones.Some of these breeds include: Shih Tzus(Gigi is a Shih Tzu/Poodle mix), Miniature Schnauzer, Yorkshire Terrier, Labrador Retriever, and Dachshund. Females are twice as likely to get this stones than males. The main way we've been treating Gigi's affliction is through giving antibiotics daily and giving her specially prescribed food by Royal Canin (their SO variety). Another good treatment for this which is also prescription is the SD variety by Hill's Prescription Diet.

Calcium Oxalate Stones

Another main type of bladder stone is the calcium oxalate variety. These are brown-colored in contrast to the white struvite variety. They are primarily found in most male dogs and are rarely spotted in females. Breeds who typically get these stones include: Shih Tzus, Miniature Schnauzers, Bichon Frise, Lhasa Apso, and Yorkshire Terrier.

Unlike Struvite stones, these stones have to be surgically removed. It's possible that a dog can pass these through their system, but only if the stone is small enough. It has been said that the commercial foods can speed the formation of Calcium Oxalate stones. With the increase in commercial food over the years, the incidence of bladder stones has increased. Combined with a lack of water, bladder stones can grow at a fast rate.

Life After Bladder Stones.

The funny thing about dogs who get bladder stones, the chance of them recurring is very high. For this reason, it's important to keep your dog on a strict diet, watch the treats, and make sure they don't ingest too much protein.

Let's Discuss!

Has your dog had an incidence with bladder stones? If you are a veterinarian, I'd like to hear your thoughts on this.

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