Please meet Jasmine the super-sweet, white Jack Russell, who is 15 years young, and lives with her Mom Joyce in Warsaw, VA.

Jasmine is this week’s winner of Honorable Mention in the Iams Senior Plus, Play Young, Stay Young Contest which is happening on Facebook right now!

“Jasmine, our 15 year old Jack Russell is always on the go! We recently moved to the country and it didn’t take Jasmine long to inspect her 10 acre property. Our little girl likes to run, bark, dig holes and race up the porch steps for a taste of cat food put out for the ferals. Jasmine loves rolling around in good smells in the grass and always looks for trash bags to get into! Sunning and chewing a good bone are also favorites, but acting her age is not! She just keeps playing young & staying young! “

Congrats to Jasmine!

*** Do you have a cat or dog who refuses to act his age? If you do, enter him/her in the Iams contest!! It’s awesome and you can win premium pet food! ***

IAMS started the contest recently, and it goes ‘til June 3^rd; it’s on their Facebook page.

“Play Young, Stay Young” goes as follows:

1. Each week, until June 3, the Iams team will pick one cat and one dog winner (11 years or older – “super senior pets”) based on a photo and a 100-word essay submission from pet parents.

2. It’s super easy to enter! They’re seeking pets that essentially refuse to act their age – pets that are older but still act younger. (For example, our Benny [Golden Retriever] is over 12 but still roaches around on his back like a puppy after he gets his dinner every night!)

3. Each winning animal will receive a year’s supply of Iams Senior Plus dog food! That is a lot of dog food!

So are you wondering how you can enter the awesome IAMS contest?

It’s easy-go here to the IAMS Facebook page!

Look at those white-gloved paws and that fuzzy belly… this kitty is Klondike. He is 11-years-young and lives with his mom, Brianna in Minong, Wisconsin.

They are the winners of Honorable Mention in the Iams Senior Plus, Play Young, Stay Young Contest which is happening on Facebook right now!

Isn’t Klondike a cutie? Here is the essay that won then the Honorable Mention:

“He loves to run after his little brother Jack. When I put my hand under a blanket he goes nuts. Whenever I open the door to go outside he thinks he can run outside. He is a baby at heart too. He goes nuts on feathers. I have a bird feeder outside the window and his big blue eyes just light up when he sees a bird. He thinks he can get them. After he uses the bathroom he runs around the house and makes weird noises. He is one big weirdo. And that is how my cat Klondike stays young.”

Do you have a cat or dog who refuses to act his age? If you do, enter him/her in the Iams contest!! It’s awesome and you can win premium pet food!

IAMS started the contest recently, and it goes ‘til June 3rd. It’s on their Facebook page.

“Play Young, Stay Young” goes as follows:

* Each week, for 8 weeks, the team at Iams will pick one cat and one dog winner (11 years or older – “super senior pets”) based on a photo and a 100-word essay submission from pet parents.

1. It’s super easy to enter! They’re seeking pets that essentially refuse to act their age – pets who are older but still act younger. For example, Benny is 12 but still roaches around on his back like a puppy after he gets his dinner every night!

2. Each winning animal will receive a year’s supply of Iams Senior Plus dog food! That is a lot of dog food!!

3. So are you stoked about this contest or what? Are you reading this, saying I MUST enter this contest … so how do I do it?

4. It’s easy-go here to the IAMS Facebook page

Hairballs: The Inherent, Ever-Interesting Absurdity.

Your cat wakes you up in the middle of the night retching, perhaps mid-vomit or gag.  What the hell was he doing you ask?  As you fully awake the next day, realizing you weren’t dreaming, unfortunately, you see the answer; a wet hairy gross remnant of his midnight madness, the infamous hairball.

Most cat-owners know by now that hairballs are just common for cats (if you don’t – you do now); they also know that they’re surely an inconvenience for the owners who is now questioning what they just stepped right on… or right in…. or carefully around…

Often new and even some old-hat cat owners turn to our good friend Google, feverishly searching “hairballs,” “long haired cat hairballs,” or even “hairball cat” (yes “hairball cat” gets nearly 15k searches in Google a month!) and the like, seeking answers on fixing this sticky-icky pasty problem.

Fortunately, today, April 27^th, 2012 is National Hairball Awareness Day — and Hill’s wants to help us all increase awareness about this all too common condition.

Hill’s, as you might not know, has foods focused around helping cat owners overcome the difficulty of hairballs. But they also have a plethora of other to offer for National Hairball Awareness Month! More on these things in a minute…

AND WE HAVE A HILL’S HAIRBALL CONTROL BAG of FOOD GIVEAWAY FOR TEN LUCKY READERS TO TOO! (See bottom of post)

First, a few things to point out.

Hill’s offered me these interesting points/facts about cats and hairballs:

• Hairballs are normal for cats – particularly those who have trouble moving hair down the GI tract.
• Cats ingest quite a bit of hair because their tongues are covered in tiny barbs (papillae) that act like brushes when they clean.
• This hair builds up in their system until it is expelled, which is when the owner finds it. May I add that this is usually by hearing it come up or by finding it next to their pillow (ahem, Sasha).
• Indoor cats that get bored may groom themselves more often which can result in morehairballs. (Ahem Tater.)
  

  Kitty Bath {Flickr}

• Hairball activity can be more active in the spring and fall- when shedding is at its peak. (Ahem, Maxwell…)
• Brushing your cat helps remove excess fur, and decrease hairballs: brushing once a day may be often enough for long haired cats, 1-3 times a week for short haired cats.
• When a hairball occurs, hair often does not come up alone; any food in your cat’s system may come up too, causing an even bigger mess. (Many of you have probably realized this “engrossing” [get it?] fact on your own, but thanks Hill’s – we love you.)

Most cats spend up to 30% of their time grooming themselves and in the process up to 2/3 of what a cat sheds can be ingested.  Even though it’s a natural part of your cat’s life, there are still plenty of ways to help minimize hairballs.

Sasha Bathing! LOL

The first way to combat the “hairball battle” is to get in the habit of grooming your kitty daily.  This will remove a majority of the excess fur so what they do ingest will pass through with no problem.

The second is to ensure your cat is eating a food with a perfect balance of fatty acids. Fatty acids are the fundamental building blocks for healthy skin and coat. HILL’S HAS MANY IDEAL FOODS TO TACKLE THIS – I AM GIVING SOME AWAY (see bottom).

With the right nutrition and good grooming habits, your cat can celebrate national hairball day free of the horrible hairball hell we all go through!

Hill’s Specials and Other Fun for Hairball Awareness:

• Hairball Sweepstakes on Hill’s Facebook Page – Monday, April 23 – Friday, May 4, 2012
  • To celebrate National Hairball Awareness Day on April 27, 2012, Hill’s Pet Nutrition, makers of Science Diet® and Prescription Diet® brand pet foods, is giving away terrific prizes between April 23 and May 4^th.
  • Prizes will include a free bag of one of Hill’s® Science Diet® Hairball Control products that can help avoid hairballs in just 30 days and a $20 PETCO gift card.
  • Head over to Hill’s Facebook page at Facebook.com/HillsPetUS to sign up.
  • Deals on ALL Hill’s® Science Diet® Foods for both Dogs and Cats
    • Look for the PETCO banner ad on the Hairball Battle site and click for a $3 coupon good toward any          Hill’s® Science Diet® Hairball Control product.
    • $3 off coupon good on all Science Diet foods for both dogs and cats at http://www.HillsPet.com/UniqueNutrition (Live starting May 1, 2012)
    • Hill’s® Science Diet® and petMD offer cat owners food, nutrition resources and a chance to win $2,500 in pet retailer Gift Cards – see official press release below.  http://www.petmd.com/cat/mybowl
    • Additional Special Offers from Hill’s http://www.hillspet.com/products/products-special-offers.html
    • 30 Days of Hairball Tips starting Monday, April 23 – Wednesday, May 23, 2012
      • Join the fun and ask your readers to submit their own tips for “battling hairballs”! This is sure to be fun and entertaining…and educational for your readers.
      • Here’s a link to our Facebook polling our readers to tell us about their experience and what works for them. http://www.facebook.com/223700263326/posts/10150944999263327

*** Don’t forget to play the funny-as-hell Hill’s Hairball Battle Game on Facebook and invite friends! You can choose from characters like Mattie, Shaggy, Hack, Knotty and Harry and throw furballs at your friends! Hee Hee!

Hairball Battle Creatures!

** AND ENTER THE “HILL’S HAIRBALL HELL HAIRBALL CONTROL FOOD GIVEAWAY” on ThoughtsFurPaws.com RIGHT NOW!

Send me a picture of your kitty pre- and post-brush, OR leave a comment HERE OR on the THOUGHTSFURPAWS FACEBOOK PAGE on why you should get one of TEN BAGS of HILL’S HAIRBALL CONTROL (and there may even be MORE WINNERS!!! It’s a surprise!) ThoughtsFurPaws.com admins, of course, are throwing in kitty toys to this giveaway, so be sure you send your photos to thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com or leave a story/comment here on on our Facebook page.

As I said before, did you know that an average cat will consume over 173 grams of hair a year?

You can help stop this madness – stop the coughing…, the near-choking…, the lovely hair-filled vomit-like residue that comes up, and that horrible gut-wrenching noise that our kittehs make when they are going through such ill norms of kitty-cat life…

…How?

Amy Smart with REAL Cat Hair!

FURMINATE YOUR CAT!

And celebrate National Hairball Awareness Day with me today and take an oath to regularly brush Fluffy and Muffy.

To celebrate today, I made Amy Smart (the actress) out of cat hair for a group contest (I lost but it’s okay b/c it goes to show how much hair comes off one cat in one SWIPE…) See picture to right of Amy Smart…

I also used her because I got to meet her at an ASPCA event  – see picture to left…

Amy Smart and I at ASPCA Event

Furminator teamed up with a bunch of pet bloggers this year to raise awareness of the importance of brushing your cats. And before I share my story or picture, I want to let you know

I’m GIVING AWAY ONE MEDIUM-SIZED CAT FURMINATOR in honor of today!

How do you win?

Well tell me your cat’s craziest, zaniest hairball story; or submit a pic of the most hair you can get off of him OR a pic of what a hairy mess he currently is to thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com (I promise the Furminator will increase that amount of hair…).

Contest runs through NEXT FRIDAY ONLY and entries won’t be accepted after 6 pm EST. ThoughtsFurPaws.com Admins will announce the winner next Friday night around 9 pm EST, maybe a bit earlier! So send us your fur pictures or a picture of the furry mess your cat is in – whatever you think is best. We want to see some cat hair people!!

So anyhow, I ran my own little test with the Furminator tool.

** It increased the hair that I got off Maxwell in one day by half (versus just a joe-average-cat brush bought at PetSmart for $4.99).

Maxwell’s undercoat was coming out with the Furminator, which didn’t happen with the regular brush, and his little behind was SO SO soft after I finished brushing him (which took an hour thank you very much because he kept wanting to bite the tool, or my hand. Finally I subdued him with his Pickle-Tickle toy, which we got courtesy Gracey the Tiniest Tiger – Thanks Grace!)

(Gracey also told us that the #1 condition reported by 35 percent of cat-owning households is hairballs!)

Anyhow, you really gotta see it to believe it so I challenge all of you to purchase your own Furminator.

YOUR CAT WILL LOVE YOU FOR IT.

They are so much lighter, airier, and they breathe easier knowing they’re shedding less and looking better, too!

I swear Mad Maxwell was swaggering around here like a damn cougar after he got brushed – showing off his handsome new self… (even though he almost took my hand off at one point- he LOVED the end result).

Do you know what Maxwell does NOW when he sees the Furminator? He starts his motor up – loud.

And he rubs his face against it and sometimes will start the brushing session FOR me.

Enter the Furminator Giveaway at ThoughtsFurPaws@gmail.com! And don’t forget to brush your kitty to save him from swallowing that unsavory stuff!

The month of April brings lots of fun stuff from Hill’s!

Did you know that National Hairball Awareness Day is…uh hum, “coming up” on April 27???

It’s sure to not only be informational but lots of fun!

Hill’s will be featuring the Hairball Battle Game on their Facebook page, there will be a video that talks about the amount of hair your cat consumes just grooming itself (starring Roady, a Hill’s’ employee kitty) and more!

Enter now online for your chance to win a gift basket for your special cat. **Gift basket will include a free bag of Hill’s® Science Diet® Hairball Control cat food and a $20 Petco gift card!

Roady the Hill's Hairball Spokescat!

Roady is here to help me tell everyone about the amount of cat hair he (as an average cat – albeit, he’s NOT average wink wink) will consume over a year’s time simply grooming himself.

Did you know an average cat will actually consume 173 grams of hair over a year???!!!

Take a peek at the video to see just how much cat hair that is!

Remember to play the Hairball Battle Game and Happy Hairball Awareness Month!

Also, stay tuned on ThoughtsFurPaws for a Hill’s Science Diet pet food giveaway!

In two days, I will be announcing the Hill’s pet food giveaway contest!

MTV’s award-winning documentary series True Life is looking to tell the stories of young pet owners whose lives are being disrupted due to a certain pet that they love…

- Is the problem with the animal… or the human? 

- Who is being affected? 

- What needs to happen moving forward? 

If you appear to be 15-28 years old and have an issue with the pet in your home, MTV wants to hear your story!!!

*** Please email them at pet@mtvn.com and include your name, phone number, location, a recent photo and a brief explanation about how your pet is affecting your life and those around you in a negative manner; and tell them that ThoughtsFurPaws.com sent you. ***

Last Monday, Iams announced their AWESOME new Facebook contest: “Play Young, Stay Young!”

Each week, for eight weeks, the team at Iams will pick one cat and one dog winner based on a photo and 100-word essay submission from pet parents. It’s super-simple to enter!

They’re basically looking for pets that essentially refuse to act their age…!

Each winning animal will receive a year’s supply of Iams Senior Plus! They’ll have a total of 16 winners by June 3!

So to help Iams get their contest started, as an official Iams blogger, I wanted to ask you, my devoted readers, for some help.

-  Do you have tips on how to keep YOUR super-senior (11+) pets staying and feeling young? What do you do to ensure the ongoing health of your super-senior pets?

Please read below for the full press release details of the contest; and look forward to more posts from me on Iams throughout April, May and June! Every couple of Saturdays, I’ll be posting the Honorable Mention photo/essay contest winners for you all to see!

“In honor of their newest formula, Senior Plus, today, IAMS is launching a national contest on its Facebook page (www.facebook.com/IAMS) calling all pet parents of dogs and cats age 11 and older to put their animal’s best paw forward for the chance to win a year’s supply of food. With as many as 33 million pets in the U.S. in the double-digit age bracket, IAMS created this contest as a fun and playful way to shine a spot light on those pets who don’t allow age to get in the way of the games they play, while educating consumers about the unique nutritional needs for pets 11 and older.

Starting today through June 3, each week, based on a photo and brief essay, the team at IAMS will select a dog and cat that exemplify how 11+ pets can play young, to stay young. Interested pet parents should visit www.facebook.com/IAMS to enter their cat or dog into the contest. A total of 16 pets (eight dogs and eight cats) will receive a year’s supply of IAMS Senior Plus and be featured on the IAMS Facebook page.

“On the heels of introducing our new Senior Plus formula, we launched the ‘Play Young, Stay Young’ contest to offer pet parents a fun and unique opportunity to celebrate their 11 and older four-legged family members with the chance to win free food for a year,” said Laura Lewis, external relations manager, IAMS. “We’re all looking forward to reading the many entries that bring to life how cats and dogs can really benefit from a proper diet and active lifestyle.”

 Stay Young, Play Young Contest

Iams Senior Pets Photo Montage

Consumers can enter the contest on the IAMS’ Facebook page April 9 through June 3, 2012 by submitting a current photo of their dog or cat and explaining in 100 words or less how their pet refuses to act his or her age. Each week, IAMS will select and announce a winning cat and dog who will receive a free year’s supply of Senior Plus food. At the end of the eight weeks, a total of 16 pets will be featured on the IAMS Facebook page and all will receive food for a year! For more information, including contest rules and regulations, entry form and more, please visit Facebook.com/IAMS.

Finding the Right Formula for 11+ Pets

It’s more important than ever to ensure pet owners make smart nutritional choices throughout every stage of a dog’s and cat’s life. With this in mind, IAMS introduced Senior Plus diets to specifically address the unique needs of pets age 11 and older.

IAMS Senior Plus is available in the brand’s ProActive Health and Premium Protection formulas for cats and small to medium breed dogs age 11 and older, and ProActive Health for large breed dogs age 9 and older, at pet specialty stores, mass retailers and grocers.

To learn more about IAMS Senior Plus, visit www.IAMS.com.

Did you know that 97% of animal welfare organizations rely on volunteers to help keep administrative costs down year-round?

I didn’t know that either… PetSmart Charities told me.

They polled 750 local animal welfare organizations in 2011, and nearly all (97 percent) said they depend on volunteers to help keep administrative costs down.

The survey also showed where the groups have the greatest need for volunteers:

• 40 % said their greatest need was foster care for pets
• 28 % said they needed assistance with general pet care, including brushing, bathing and walking pets.

*** And now – the person who tells me his or her bestest (yes I know this is not a word), most inspiring volunteer story (that can be backed up by an Admin at the rescue/shelter) is winning a prize worth near $100 from ThoughtsFurPaws.com. ***

Why?

To honor PetSmart Charities and their Volunteer Action Day.

**Here are the details on Volunteer Action Day, first, then we’ll talk contest…

PetSmart Charities has announced that People Saving Pets™ Volunteer Action Day will be Wednesday, April 18.

This day is designated to educate the public about the need for volunteers as well as inspire year-long involvement in the movement to save homeless pets.

Volunteer Action Day falls during PetSmart Charities® National Volunteer Week (April 15-21), which focuses on helping homeless pets – and aims to educate the public about the need for volunteers and mobilize pet lovers to lend a hand at their local animal welfare organizations.

“Volunteers make a huge difference in helping local animal shelters and rescue agencies stretch their limited resources further to care for and adopt more pets,” said Susana Della Maddalena, executive director of PetSmart Charities, Inc.  “Volunteer Action Day is meant to spark year-long involvement in the movement to save homeless pets. Volunteering for just a few hours a month can make a significant difference on the well-being of adoptable pets.”

Anyone can get involved by joining the People Saving Pets Volunteer Network. Simply by entering your ZIP code, you can easily find volunteer opportunities in your area.(It’s really cool; I tried it and like 12 things popped up that sound like so much fun!)

PetSmart Charities would love to hear from you about how you’re sparking action in your local areas!

I’m encouraging you to join the conversation online and share your fave volunteer stories by posting on their social networking pages and by “tagging” PetSmart Charities.

-          People Saving Pets on Facebook

-          PetSmart Charities on Facebook

-          People Saving Pets on Twitter

-          PetSmart Charities on Twitter

You can make a difference in a homeless pet’s life by taking part in the People Saving Pets™ Volunteer Action Day on Wednesday, April 18.

Volunteers free up funds to care for adoptable pets, such as providing low-cost, high-quality spay/neuter surgeries, vaccinations, food and shelter.

How to Get Involved

Anyone can get involved in Volunteer Action Day – whether you’re ready to foster a pet or simply want to spend some play time with cats and dogs in your local shelter.

1. Visit www.PeopleSavingPets.org and click on the Volunteer Network page

2. Enter your ZIP code to find volunteer opportunities near you

3. Register to sign up for an opportunity

4. Spread the word! Tell your friends and followers on Facebook and Twitter about Volunteer Action Day and how they, too, can help save the lives of homeless pets by volunteering

5. Take part in the ThoughtsFurPaws.com contest. Leave me a comment or email me at thoughtsfurpaws@gmail.com and tell me your most inspiring, most blood, sweat and tears, in-the-trenches type of volunteer dedication story. You can win a prize worth $100. The prize is both dog- and cat-themed, but if you have a preference I can swing it so it’s 75% one way…

6. Talk about your own experiences volunteering on your own blog and be sure to link to People Saving Pets and PetSmart Charities Volunteer Action Day on FB and Twitter!

Don’t forget to download the free Volunteer Action Day Infographics online and post them on your blogs, Facebook pages and on Twitter to help spread the word about the benefits of volunteering for local animal rescues, shelters and other welfare organizations.

THOUGHTSFURPAWS.COM CONTEST WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ONLINE on APRIL 25th around 6 pm EST (or after).

You can share your volunteer stories in the comments and stay up-to-date on the latest Volunteer Action Day news by visiting the People Saving Pets Facebook and Twitter pages.

I was lucky enough to receive several  pet supplies and pet products to sample and to give a try from Amplitude Marketing Group, Inc. a few weeks back.

Benson, Franklin, Ramsey (the new addition, if you haven’t heard, check here), & co. got to test out multiple new additions or existing pet supplies to those pet product families, including the following, which we’ve tried and are ready to tell you about:

1. Out!™ Bitter Cherry Spray
2. Out!™ Handle-Tie Pick-Up Bags
3. Vet’s Best™ Calming Aromatherapy Shampoo
4. Simple Solution® Eco-Care Training Pads
5. Simple Solution® Oxy Charged Stain + Odor Remover
6. Bags on Board® Walk-N-Stake™ Portable Stake System
7. Bags on Board® Marble Bone Waste Pick-Up Dispenser & Refill Bags

I guess the easiest way is to go by brand, in order as listed above. So we’ll start with Out!

Out! Bitter Cherry Spray is a safe and alcohol-free taste “deterrent formula used to discourage chewing and licking at skin, hot spots, bandages or stitches.”

It works. It Works Well.

Benson got one taste of this off of his footy-Band-Aid and never returned; hail Mary because we couldn’t get him to stop licking the Band-Aid off his allergy-laden foot sores. I was afraid to smell it at first, but then I read that it smells nice – it just TASTES bad… Benny went up and got a drink and we gave him a bone-y so it wasn’t like it’s mean or something to do this. I don’t think it is.

Trust me; when you have a Golden (or any type of )puppy (which Benny was once) who chews $200 Birkenstocks and even worse, leather furniture or pillows or clothes or anything else, you will not hesitate for a second to use this and even the vet I asked at Avon Lake Animal Clinic said this product is fine to use… In fact, the vet said they recommend bitter cherry products during puppy training phases of biting and nipping and chewing!

Pros of the Out! Bitter Cherry Spray:

-          100% Satisfaction Guaranteed – Money-Back Guarantee

-          Clear, Non-Staining Formula

-          Smells okay or “pleasant” as it says on bottle

-          Safe for use around all pets and children

Cons of the Out! Bitter Cherry Spray:

-          Hard to find detailed info online

-          Couldn’t find price anywhere

Out! Bitter Cherry Spray retails for $5 – $13 online (depending on size of product) at places like Amazon, PetSmart, & other pet supply stores. Just Google it and you can read other reviews, or check out the Out! website here.

Out! Handle-Tie Pick-Up Bags are awesome – they come in a convenient box where you just “punch-and-pull” out – at the perforation – one bag at a time. The bags are dependable, durable yet nice and light; heavy duty and bendy/durable enough for large “loads;” they make cleaning up after Benson easy, plus Ramsey and Franklin at once, too!

It says on the Handle Tie Pick-Up Bags box that there are 100 in there, but the box is small and light, which is nice – it’s not a pain to carry in your jacket pocket.

These, too, have a money-back guarantee and comments/questions are solicited on the packaging.

Again, the con is that I can’t find a price anywhere – online retailers say anywhere from $4 $7 to $7 to $10 for 50 and 100 bags, respectively. Check out the Out! website here to see the full product line, which is extensive; they’ve got everything from cleaning products to training solutions.

Vet’s Best Calming Aromatherapy Shampoo has been the big surprise for us in this package; Benson’s Dad is extremely “picky” (for lack or politeness of choosing a different word) about what Benny is washed with. The Aromatherapy Shampoo smells like Lavender and Aloe; plus it’s infused with B-vitamins, Oatmeal, Allantoin and more.

Benny smells like a salon and feels like a smooth puppy – he looks adorable after his shower with this and he loves the way he smells and feels. We can tell because he roaches differently after his shower with the Vet’s Best – instead of a regular back-scratch ‘I’m trying to dry myself;’ it’s an, ‘I love the way I smell and want to keep smelling myself and pushing my soft face against my legs’ kinda’ thing!

Vet’s Best Calming Aromatherapy Shampoo claims to ease tension during bathing. We noticed this significantly in Benny, too, once it was on him. They also claim on the bottle that it’s moisturizing and anti-itch: Benson has itched less since being bathed with it three times in three weeks. It’s FANTASTIC for dogs with sensitive skin like our little Benny-Boy.

Finally, the lavender oil calms, conditions and invigorates – your dog will thank you, trust me AND it won’t affect topical flea products – HOORAH!!

We will actually be using this product here on forward permanently as the name is widely trusted and has been around for more than 28 years. Plus, all the formulations are vet-created and have natural ingredients and use natural health systems.

Retails for $6 to $12 (depending on size of product) from what I could find online (near me…). Check the Vet’s Best website here for further reviews and details; they also have a ton of other products like conditioners and products for skin types.

Simple Solution® Eco-Care Training Pads

I myself did not try these; my sister, who is fostering a new Basset Hound did. She always has to have potty pads down because many fosters come in not knowing what potty-training is.

Ash simply said that she prefers other brands of potty pads over Eco-Care.

She did say that the Eco-Care Training Pads provided ample coverage, reduce landfill waste, and have an attractant to make the dogs go on them (which works!!), but she said that they cannot be dried and re-used, which is a big draw of the brand if you’re down on funds and into fostering non potty-trained dogs.

** The package says they have “odor control for re-use” so maybe there is just a cap on re-use or something??** I’m not quite sure…

Retails for $7 – $18 (depending on size {L, XL, etc.} of product) online at different sites (PetSmart, Amazon, etc.). Check out the website here for more information or to see what else they offer – like a blog, resource center and a coupon section!

Simple Solution® Oxy Charged Stain + Odor Remover was a BIG hit! It uses oxygen, that wonderful element we all breathe in and out every day, to get rid of poop and pee stains! Amazing! (Works on vomit, hairballs & other gross stuff, too.)

Again, we tested this in the Basset house as there are all kinds of unsavory smells and stains in there from four animals, (mostly from two dogs and some from past house guest dogs who were semi-potty-trained but not really…).  There were even some seriously old mystery (no doubt human-caused) stains in there that we removed with this stuff! It’s awesome!

The triple-oxy driven formulation in Simple Solution Oxy Charged Stain + Odor Remover pierces deep into rugs, carpets, etc. to ‘seek and destroy’ (lol, my terminology, not theirs) stains and odors like some kind of super-powered Jedi stainfighter, even if they’re set in, we discovered.

** This product even eradicated “re-marking” in three of four tested spots in the house.**

Other pros of Simple Solution® Oxy Charged Stain + Odor Remover:

-          It’s quite comparable to a wet vacuum cleaner or carpet/upholstery machine cleaner

-          Removes old and new odors

-          “Only formula with both triple-oxy and double-aldehyde power” according to bottle

-          Safe for bedding, carpet, upholstery, clothing, tile, concrete, brick, and other water-safe surfaces

-          Safe around pets and children

Priced from $12-$25 online (depending on size of product) at different sites (PetSmart, Amazon, etc.). Check out the website here for more details and for a cool Resource Section, which is chockfull of, well… resources and a coupon section!

Bags on Board® Walk-N-Stake™ Portable Stake System is so cool; it lets you place a big fat wooden stake that can hold a medium sized pulling dog in your yard and contain him.

And then you can pick it up and move it to a different part of the yard or somewhere else if you want. It has the “strength of a traditional stake system with the portability of a leash.” And it really does. Franklin could pull a circus train across the yard (or stop one when he stops walking) and he couldn’t budge from the leash with this thing. AWESOME!

Walk-N-Stake has easy to place fold-in handles that you can easily move and transport. It can be used for dogs of any weight it says on the package. Plus, you can put it pretty much anywhere in any ground surface. Pull the ropes up to remove and fold the stakes into the channel to put away. Doubles as a leash handle!

Priced from $12-$25 online at different sites (PetSmart, Amazon, etc.). Check out the website here to see the awesome full suite of products.

Bags on Board® Marble Bone Waste Pick-Up Dispenser & Refill Bags

This thing makes dog clean up easy and I laugh hysterically when I read the company’s motto:

“stop over-poop-ulation.”

I cannot handle myself with that one. Hee hee.

This is an easy-to-carry, lightweight dispenser bag system that you can put on a keychain or toss in your pocket.  Holds 30 hefty duty bags that don’t break and is leak-proof. Has refill area and you can order the coolest bags online for the dispenser!

Retails for around $10. Check out the website here to see the awesome full suite of products.

Overall, I’d venture to say our favorite pet supplies tested were, in order, the Vet’s Best™ Calming Aromatherapy Shampoo, the Simple Solution® Oxy Charged Stain + Odor Remover and the Bags on Board® Walk-N-Stake™ Portable Stake System.

These provided to be the most useful and quite successful in meeting their product claims as made on the packaging. Plus, we now have a new shampoo for Benson for life, which is a feat, and have found a less expensive, less “in the trenches” way to remove stains and odors from the house. Additionally, The Walk-N-Stake System lets Ash take the Bassets (one wanders a lot) wherever she wants without worry.

Thank you so much to Amplitude Marketing for providing us with all the products listed at the top of this article. And thanks to each of the brands mentioned here! Don’t forget to check out their websites – they are all quite fun and interactive, and they all have a useful array of products.

One last FYI, Bags on Board® has a TON of “designer doggie bag dispensers” and bright, colorful refill packs for you to check out and I highly suggest you take a look. Even if you  aren’t planning to buy any, it’s really fun to see what they have come up with to, “Stop Over-Poop-Ulation!”

HA-HA-HA!

Let me know if you have any questions about any of these products!

And FYI, some of these products have already been bought to be given away in future ThoughtsFurPaws contests/giveaways!

The Royal Canin dog food team, like many others, attended the mega-pet conference Global Pet Expo in Orlando in late February.

There, in celebration, the generous dog food company partnered with a local Orlando rescue organization, Florida Little Dog Rescue featuring its small, adoptable dogs, to launch a new product,  Royal Canin X-SMALL BREED dog food formula.

Florida Little Dog Rescue helped Royal Canin at the show by bringing attention to them and their new X-SMALL Breed dog food, made for dogs under eight pounds; Royal Canin, in turn, helped the group by featuring their dogs for adoption.

* If you’re interested, you can see pix (and read about the seven rescue dogs adopted at the Expo) on their Facebook page. * (Here is the Royal Canin USA Facebook page.)

1. Global Pet Expo attendees were asked to participate in short five-minute trainings to learn about the innovation and nutrition behind these new foods.
2. For each training session completed, Royal Canin donated a bag of food to Florida Little Dogs Rescue.
3. The result? In three days, attendees raised a donation of more than 2,500 bowls of food for the rescue! Cool, huh?

So why am I telling you this, besides the facts that this kind-hearted pet food brand is so helpful and generous, and that they’ve launched a new dog food product?

Well, to celebrate the launch of the new X-SMALL dog foods (formulated specifically for dogs weighing less than eight pounds), ThoughtsFurPaws.com is hosting a super-valuable giveaway with them. I’m giving away two “Doggy Day Spa” gift packs specialized, like the brand’s new food, for little dogs.

Each, including the last item that ThoughtsFurPaws added itself, is valued at over $100 and contains:

- A small bag of Royal Canin’s new X-SMALL dog food
- Oatmeal and baking soda shampoo
- Grooming lead (for easier bathing sessions)
- Natural grooming wipes
- Microfiber Pet Towels (pack of 5)
- Grooming brush
- Toothbrush and toothpaste combo pack
- Nail trimmer
… And for good measure and since I’m a proud supporter of PetArmor® and since this fits with the theme, I’m throwing in a pack of PetArmor® so you can properly arm your pet’s cute little rear end (and whole body!) against fleas and ticks this season.

So how do you enter and win?

Well, I’d like you to tell me in the comments below why you think your dog would benefit from this interior and exterior makeover, and/or why he/she needs it most.

You can also write about it on your blog and then come back and leave me a link to your link in the comments…

… Or you can Tweet about it and leave me a link to your Tweet in the comments.

Don’t forget to support Royal Canin!

Results will be posted on ThoughtsFurPaws.com in three weeks on Friday, April 27th.