Win this Bamboo Prize Pack from GoFetchGifts.com

Entries are now closed.  Thanks to all who entered!!

On the road with your pets? Bamboo has some fun and functional travel or day-to-day products for your doggie, and I’m giving them away this week!

One winner will receive a Bamboo product pack valued at $25.00 that includes:

• One Bamboo home Disposable Waste Bags & Dispenser
• One pink Bamboo Silicone Travel Bowl, BPA & PVC free, 3 cup size, and
• One blue Bamboo Silicone Travel Bowl, BPS & PVC free, 1 cup size

Bamboo’s disposable waste bags & dispenser attach right to your dog’s leash, so you’ll never be without a waste bag. This has happened to me and it’s not only embarrassing, but it makes me look like an irresponsible pet owner as there are waste pick-up laws virtually everywhere today.

The waste bags are infused with baking soda and scented to reduce odor! I know sometimes when I walk with the filled waste bags, there is a waft of odor surrounding my dog and I as we walk, making it quite unpleasant for those we pass on our way home! The Bamboo bags smell fresh and delightful (at least for now). They are extra large, with a reinforced seam and can even be used to pick up droppings in the litter box.

Bamboo’s silicone travel bowls collapse to fit in your pocket or purse, and extend to the size of a regular bowl. They are made of non-porous, FDA-compliant materials and are dishwasher safe. The 1 cup (8 oz) bowl is for small to medium sized dogs (or cats!), and the 3 cup (24 oz) bowl is big enough for medium to large size dogs.

The winner must be 18+ and have a US mailing address. The winner will be chosen at random via random.org and be notified via email. Winner will have 3 days to accept their prize. Entries accepted until 12 noon EST on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2010. For up to four entries:

1) Mandatory: Subscribe to this blog via a reader or e-mail (top right corner).

2) Mandatory: Leave a comment on this blog letting me know you subscribed and using which method.

3) If you include in your comment that you now follow me on Twitter and “like” our Facebook page, you then get one more entry for each. Tell me your Twitter name so I can confirm and follow you back!

4) Tweet this for a bonus entry:
@LeighPeterson is giving away pet waste bags & travel bowls at http://www.GoFetchGifts.com/blog/

Good Luck!  Woof!!!

This contest was sponsored by Bamboo, who supplied the prizes stated above.
No compensation was given to GoFetchGifts.com in relation to this giveaway.

Got this in my email today. Watch as these puppies are lulled to sleep with a song almost instantly!

She’s one! She made it through being born into a very weird home to coming to our wonderful home, through pneumonia, staying at the vet overnight and them telling me they didn’t know if she would make it, fleas, worms, various mysterious bouts of stool issues, bottle feeding and hunger strikes…

And now she’s my beautiful, healthy, mischievous, fluffy, soft, sweet voiced Ragdoll who is as of recently *starting to become cuddly, too!!!*

Happy first birthday little Aura Cakes McGee!

Two weeks ago, I spent a lot of time typing “cat ate string” into search engines. Aura, my 10 month old Ragdoll, ate some. A lot of some.

In my 15 years of cat ownership, this is the first time I’ve had to deal with this, other than the time when my late Persian ate about 2 1/2 inches of string and I didn’t know it until I found him running all over the house trying to pass it on the carpet.

Da Bird toy of death

Aura ate the string from her Da Bird toy. I had read about what a great toy this was, and it was for a few months. She loved it. I was always vigilant about putting it away when we were done playing with it, but she’s such a calm kitten in general that this time I didn’t. I was out all Saturday night at a wedding, then came home and went to bed. When I woke up Sunday morning, I went to pick up Da Bird. The pole and the feathers were laying side by side. The two feet of string that connect them was gone. There was about two inches of string left attached to the pole and then attached to the hook that the feathers connected with. The cuts were pretty clean.

I looked everywhere, but I couldn’t find that 2 feet of string. I panicked. I cried. I blamed myself. I deduced that it had to be Aura. My other cat never chews on string, and Aura does at times. My other cat hardly has any teeth left. My dog isn’t the type to chew on string, either. As a test, I picked up the remaining string and showed it to the dog. He sniffed and looked away. Aura sniffed and immediately tried to take a bite! A ha! I watched her like a hawk. I started giving her vaseline twice a day. She wasn’t exhibiting anything odd. She was still passing normal looking stool once a day. But after four days of constant worry, I took her to the vet for an x-ray.

I love striiiiiiiing!

The vet thought she felt something hard in Aura’s tummy, but looking at the x-ray, all looked normal. The danger was, if she hadn’t passed it by then, it could be binding her intestines causing internal damage and bleeding. It could be sitting there gaining bacteria. It could cause blockage. Or it could be wrapped around her tongue, and the rest could be trying to pass through, thus pearling up her intestines (however I think this string is a bit on the thick side for that).

But it is now two weeks later, and had I not known that that 2 feet of string is missing I would be none the wiser. Nothing has changed. I’ve seen no sign of the string. I’ve tried to check every stool, but a new discovery brings to light the fact that I have missed some opportunities. This morning, it was confirmed that the dog does indeed eat out of the litter box at times. Great.

So, besides the fact that my cat eats string and my dog eats cat poo, all is well here!

It’s summertime and allergies are running amuck! I’ve got good news for pet lovers who hate allergies. Bed, Bath & Beyond is sponsoring this blog post by giving away two standard size Allergy-Luxe anti-dander pillow protectors. Value of $30.

I used to work at my local humane society, and most of my co-workers there were allergic to animals or had allergies that were worsened by dogs or cats. And most pet lovers love sleeping with their pets at night! As we age, allergies come and go and our body’s immune response to stimulants waxes and wanes. It can be difficult to get rid of allergies, and then they can come right back. So prevention is important even when we are feeling fine.

That’s why the Allergy-Luxe pillow protectors make a wonderful addition to any pet lover’s home. You just never know when allergies are going to strike!

These two luxurious, ultra hygienic pillow protectors are allergist recommended, physician endorsed, and laboratory tested. They measure 20 inches by 26 inches.

To enter to win both pillow protectors:
- simply post a comment to this blog letting me know about your allergies.

- Bonus 2nd entry for following me on Twitter, and

- bonus 3rd entry for tweeting this: @LeighPeterson is giving away two Bed Bath & Beyond luxury anti-pet dander pillow protectors! http://bit.ly/ah-choo

Must be 18 or older to enter and have a US mailing address. Entries accepted until midnight EST the morning of July 18.

**No Longer Accepting Entries**

I’m a big fan of xylitol in my toothpaste and sugar-free gum. It’s actually good for your teeth. So my ears perked up years ago when I heard that just like chocolate, xylitol is toxic to dogs and cats, and I should never leave my gum or toothpaste lying around where my pets could get at them. Not a problem.

If you've been giving this to your pets, stop today!

Then why on earth is Virbac Animal Health, a so-called “industry leader in the scientific research, development and manufacture of quality, proven pet pharmaceutical products” for OVER TWO DECADES, selling a product for dogs and cats that lists xylitol as the 3rd ingredient after water and glycerine!?  I am shocked.

The product is called CET AquaDent, and it’s a drinking water additive for dogs and cats. It’s supposed to help keep their breath fresh in conjunction with brushing.

The ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center sees over 100 cases of xylitol toxicity annually. According to the center, dogs ingesting significant amounts of items sweetened with xylitol could develop a fairly sudden drop in blood sugar, resulting in depression, loss of coordination and seizures.”

With smaller concentrations of xylitol, the onset of clinical signs could be delayed as much as 12 hours after ingestion,” according to a 2006 press release from the center.

That was four years ago, Virbac. Shame on you.

In September, we’ll be giving away a pet oral health kit from Naturally Green Tropiclean, including a similar water additive and teeth cleaning gel, neither of which contains xylitol. Stay tuned!

Spotted this love fest happening today and quickly got it on film…forever…with my camera phone. I think that’s all that really needs to be said about this photo.

Aura and Mr. Blue, in love.

It’s difficult to feel helpless in situations like the huge offshore oil spill, especially when you love animals and you know that they are now suffering.

Don't throw out that pet hair, donate it!

Here’s something we all can do to help: Donate our pet’s loose fur, horse hair, and our own locks to help soak up the oil!  Hair soaks up oil (which is why we have to wash it), and can be made into mats and poured into nylon tubes to help soak up the oil.

To learn more about how to donate, talk to your local hair salon and groomer, and visit Excess Access.

First of all, congratulations to the winner of the FURminator, Jill of TheCatNetwork. Jill’s #2 was chosen by Random.org. Jill is part of a non-profit cat rescue in Florida, so a lot of hot kitties will be getting rid of their loose fur with the help of the FURminator deLuxe. Your FURminator is on its way, Jill!

Now onto our new giveaway for May, courtesy of WagAndBark.com. They have supplied us with two different safe, humane, pain-free anti-barking and training collars for dogs, as well as a Tic Taser so you never have to touch a tick again! That means with this giveaway, there will be THREE lucky winners!

In the past month, I have found a wonderful training method for my mischievous 8 month old kitten: a blast of cold air on her back from a can of condensed air. She hates the feeling, the sound startles her out of her behavior, and she immediately stops what she is doing. The training collars from WagAndBark.com work the same way. No jolts or painful electric shocks, no smelly sprays, no rolled up newspapers, no more cowering dog, afraid you’re going to reprimand him for something he doesn’t remember doing, whether it was ten minutes or three hours ago.

One lucky reader will win a complete JetCare System remote control training collar suitable for dogs of all sizes, over the age of 8 months. (Retail value $199.95!) One important element of dog training is to remember that dogs want to please us. They learn much better from positive reinforcement from the humans they love. This remote control unit allows you to train your dog without frightening him, and reward her when she stops doing something wrong and comes to you instead!

The JetCare^® System Education Pro Kit with Odorless Refill’s remote control has three buttons: 1) a sound button which alerts the dog it is time to cease his behavior; 2) a button providing a short burst of cold air (one second); 3) a button providing a slightly longer burst of cold air (three seconds). This training collar requires your participation. It is to redirect unwanted behavior and reward your dog when he is acting how you want him to act.

A second lucky reader will win a mini anti-bark collar for dogs under 17 pounds and over 8 months (retail value $119.95). This collar includes a microphone so that the harmless cold air spray will activate upon your dog’s bark.

A third lucky reader will win the very handy The Tic Taser™ with Piezo Electric System, “An effective and ecological method to eradicate ticks.” (Retail value $19.95.) This pen-shaped device uses no batteries. It works via the Faraday cage system of electrical charges. The ball at the end goes around the tick while it is attached to the body of its prey. Closing the “cage” around it creates a charge that destroys the tick’s neurological system. You can read more about the Tic Taser at WagAndBark.com.

Have I seen this Tic Taser in action? Thankfully, I have not as I have not yet seen a tick this year to test it on. But at such a great price, it would certainly be a wonderful gift to your entire family if you live in a wooded area and deal with ticks often.

How to enter:

1) Mandatory: Subscribe to the Go Fetch Gifts Blog via a reader or email (in the top right corner). This way you won’t miss out on all the awesome pet product giveaways coming up this year!

2) Mandatory: Leave a comment on this blog letting me know you subscribed and using which method. You also must include WHICH collar you would like to win: the remote control training collar or the mini anti-bark collar.

3) If you include in your comment that you now follow me on Twitter and “like” our Facebook page, you then get one more entry for each. Tell me your Twitter name so I can follow you back!

4) Tweet this for a bonus entry:
@LeighPeterson is giving away anti-bark & training collars at http://www.GoFetchGifts.com/blog/

Entrants must be 18 and older and items will only be shipped to addresses in the US. You may enter up to midnight Eastern time on May 27, 2010. Winners will be selected using random.org by June 1, 2010 and notified via email. Winners will have three days to claim their prize.

Good Luck!  Woof!!!

Comments & entries are now closed.

April 22nd is Earth Day! It is also the 40th anniversary of the environmental “holiday,” which was founded in 1970 following the grassroots efforts of Senator Gaylord Nelson.

In honor of Mother Earth, I’d like to introduce you to a line of eco-friendly and pet-safe cleaning products: CLEAN + Green.

CLEAN + Green is the only line of eco-friendly aerosol pet cleaning products on this beautiful planet we all share. The developers of these all-natural stain and odor removers, SeaYu (Twitter: @SeaYu), were kind enough to send us some samples so we could see and sniff the results for ourselves. We give it four paws up! Read more…