Friday, August 30, 2013

Beagle of the week: Luna of Beagles and Bargains

 
Time for our Beagle of the Week! This week, we're talking to Jessica Shipman from Beagles and Bargains about her beagle Luna!



1) How old is Luna? 
She is a rescue dog, so we can only guess. We think she is around 2 years old. We picked her birthday to be March 21, 2011, so she can have a day to celebrate! Any day Luna gets her own pupcake is a perfect day. Those days can only be topped by the days she gets two pupcakes.

2) Where did you get Luna? 
Luna was adopted from the Homeless Animals Rescue Team (HART), which is a local no-kill animal rescue organization. Her rescue story was published on I Love Dogs not too long ago.

3) How long have you had her? 
Her Gotcha Day is October 13, 2012, so we are just two months short of a year. That doesn't sound like a long time, but Luna is such a huge part of our family that time doesn't matter. October 13 is also my anniversary with my boyfriend, so it is a day full of celebrations!

4) What's her favorite food? 
This dog will eat anything except lettuce. She loves cheese, peanut butter, pumpkin, and anything with meat. Unfortunately she also thinks a balanced diet includes cardboard, a lot of fluff, a Kindle, and recently an entire tissue box.

5) What's her favorite thing to do? 
As a Beagle, her nose is always working, but sniffing is only her second favorite activity. When I see her in true bliss, she is rolling in the grass on a beautiful summer day. Wiggling away, that is her favorite thing to do.

6) What's her favorite toys? 
She loves anything she can chew, so Nylabones can keep her busy for a while. Squeak toys do not have a very long life span with her. As a result, we have lost many.

7) Does she take part in any special activities (i.e. therapy dog, service dog, spokes dog, etc.) ? 
Not formally. She is my personal therapy dog. Nothing makes you feel better than cuddling with your wiggly Beagle. She is also the spokes Beagle for Beagles and Bargains.

8) What's the best part about owning a beagle? 
You don't need to buy a shredder and you always know when a firetruck is coming. I love her Beagle howl!

She is also the most expressive dog I have ever met. I'm not sure if it is a Beagle thing or just a Luna thing, but I always seem to know when she is frustrated, tired or relaxed. I never knew a little dog could say so much with just a few sighs.

9) What's the worst? 
Your house always seems to be covered in fluff. Always. It is a never ending cycle. Beagles also shed. A lot. Way more than I thought a short haired dog could.

I have also had to learn some crafty ways to hide food and defend my dinner. A hungry Beagle will find food if left unattended and Beagles are always hungry.

10) Anything you'd like to add?
Follow Luna and I at www.beaglesandbargains.com for pet deals, product reviews, and pet parenting tips. You can also find us on Facebook (www.fb.com/beaglesandbargains), Twitter (@beaglesbargains), and Instagram (@beaglesbargains)! 

Also, every Beagle deserves a forever home, so please share the Beagles who are still looking for loving homes!

And speaking of which -- here's this week's beagles who need rescue!

We're checking out beagles from Hillsborough County Animal Services in Tampa.

They have two beagles -- Adria and Smokey Dog.

Adria -- A156-4220
Smokey Dog -- A1564204
 Adria is a girl, and Smokey Dog is male. There's no more info other than the fact that they are adult dogs, and they are fixed.

Please help by sharing this post. Hopefully we will find homes for these beagles.

If you want to check them out, please contact:

Hillsborough County Animal Services, Tampa, FL

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Cold tail, limp tail, beagle tail: What is it? What should you do about it?

Lulu has not been well.

It also started at Barkworld (which was lots of fun and I'll have a recap up soon!). On Friday afternoon, her tail came down, and it hasn't been up right since.

We tried to take some fun Star Wars pics Friday, but she wasn't in the mood.
What's wrong? Well we heard all kinds of ideas from other attendees, especially from veterinarians. The general consensus -- a tail issue. Either she hurt herself at the tail base, or pulled something. That's what my vet thinks as well. She saw the vet Tuesday, and she prescribed anti-inflammatory meds.

Some beagle owners, however, suggested something even my vet didn't know about -- cold tail.

WHAT IS COLD TAIL?

Not a lot of people know about it. It's not even mentioned on PetMD. And we're not even sure how it happens.

Basically, the condition occurs in dogs who are hunting dogs -- that includes beagles. The tail goes numb or limp at the base. It normally happens after a strenuous day of work, or after swimming or bathing in cold water.

The condition is known by many names, such as cold tail, limp tail, broken tail, even beagle tail.

Janet Steiss and JC Wright at the Sports Medicine Program at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Auburn University studied the condition, and I found this article about it AKC Labrador Retriever website. They found many of the dogs who were examined early on had higher levels of serum creatine phosphokinase, which is a muscle enzyme. It's why the muscles around the tail base will seem sore.

But if you don't know to look for that, or catch it early on, there's no way to know that's the cause.

So what can be done? The best medicine is time. But anti-inflammatory meds, according to beagle experts, can also shorten the duration.

Right now, I'm happy to report Lulu's tail has come up every once in a while. She is just not holding it up. But other than this, she is totally fine.

On Saturday at Barkworld, we tried to take a group picture of my #petchat peeps. Mom's dog Cappy accidentally stepped on Lulu's back. Lulu yelped and then snapped at Cappy.


But today I can pick up Lulu's tail without a yelp. So she will be fine. This is not a permanent, dangerous condition. Just give your dog some rest. And get some anti-inflammatories from your vet.

How did it happen to Lulu? We're not sure. The vet thought that maybe her tail was stepped on or something. I'm wondering if she wagged it a little too much during Friday's training session with Petco. She could have gotten waglash! 

I can make jokes now, but I can tell you I was near tears over the weekend.

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

Snoopy a beagle? 5 ways to tell

I love Snoopy.

I've loved Snoopy ever since I was a kid, and I have a small collection of Snoopy memorabilia, including dolls, action figures, ornaments, books and even an uncut sheet of trading cards.

But I admit, I'd never really seen how Snoopy is a beagle. He certainly doesn't look like one.

Courtesy Peanuts Worldwide LLC.
But I made the same mistake many people make -- I went by looks alone.

To begin with, lets look at the background:

We first got an inkling about Snoopy's breed in 1960. In one strip, Charlie Brown makes a comment which leads Snoopy to retort "I ain't no stupid beagle."

But since then Snoopy has embraced his beaglehood. There are a number of beagle comics on the Snoopy Facebook page. Like this one:

Courtesy Peanuts Worldwide LLC.
 So, I had a good long think, and after perusing the web for some comics, I've come up with 5 ways to tell Snoopy is a beagle! All of the following are courtesy of Peanuts Worldwide LLC.

1) He can tell when there's food on the way just by listening.

Lulu can hear me open the fridge to get something out from across the apartment.

2) He is imaginative in play.

Lulu comes up with her own games when I'm not there.

3) His vocalizations are loud and proud!
Yeah this is self-explanatory for anyone who knows beagles.

4) He's a philosophical dog. Beagles are very soulful.
Anyone who has ever looked into a beagle's eyes knows they are deep and sad and beautiful. There is so much in a beagle's eyes.

5) And.. while they are very active, beagles also love to be lazy. And so does Snoopy.

As for how Snoopy looks... believe it or not white beagles are possible. And besides, the colors are so basic in the comic strip. Can you originally imagine Snoopy looking like anything else? What do you think? How else can you tell that Snoopy is a beagle?

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Heading to Atlanta! Georgia beagles up for adoption

I'm heading to Atlanta for Barkworld this week!


We'll be talking about pets, and blogs and companies, and learning more information to bring to you guys!

So, in honor of this, I'm featuring some Georgia beagles who need homes! Please share these beagles with friends, family and other rescue groups, and lets get them adopted!

This is Bella! She's a four years old and pretty thin for a beagle. Her owner turned her in August 15. She's good with kids, and they say she is potty trained. Don't know why the owner turned her in.

Can you help Bella? She's at:

Cobb County Animal Shelter, Marietta, GA • 770-499-4136 • quietzsch@aol.com

If you want to check her out, her Pet ID is 558742 and she is in run 312.

Cobb County Animal Shelter also has April:

April is seven years old, and she came in as a stray. The shelter seems to think she once belonged to someone, but no one has come looking for her. She loves squeaky toys and sits vet well. She did test positive for heartworms.

Her ID is 558137 and she is in cage 13. 

Again, Cobb County Animal Shelter, Marietta, GA • 770-499-4136 • quietzsch@aol.com

Then, Fulton County Animal Services in Atlanta has Candice:

We don't have much info about Candice, according to PetFinder. She's a girl, and she's spayed, and she's an adult beagle. Her ID number is A457537.

You can find Candice at Fulton County Animal Services, Atlanta, GA. The phone number is 404-613-0358.

 Meanwhile, there's a new Facebook campaign to raise money to pay veterinarian bills for sick homeless pets.

Adopt-a-Pet.com is hosting a campaign on its Facebook campaign. For every new "like" they get on their page, a $1 will be added to their veterinary fund -- up to $10,000. All you have to do is go to Adopt-a-Pet.com's Facebook page and click like. That's it.

Helping this campaign will help give sick pets a new lease on life. The campaign goes through August.

Sunday, August 18, 2013

Caturday: Natural Balance Fat Cat or Fat Dog food GIVEAWAY

Hello all, Galadriel here!

I know this post is a bit late. Stupid servant belly-aching about her belly. Oh well, every day should be Caturday anyway.

When Natural Balance began selling Fat Cat and Fat Dog food, the company offered the servant the chance to try the food and giveaway a coupon for a loyal reader.

The beast, the servant says, is in good shape.

I, on the other hand...

I perhaps could lose a bit of weight.

So the servant picked up a bag of this Fat Cat food.

Fat Cat and Fat Dog, I'm told, are designed to help pets specifically to lose weight or maintain it. It has less calories than the reduced calorie food.


I like it because it tastes like chicken and salmon, which I like. Plus, I don't need to eat much to feel food. The servant gives me about 3/4 of a cup, and I graze on it throughout the day. Of course, I am not losing as much weight as I should, because I still demand my Natural Balance Platefuls pouches every once in a while. I just eat less dry food.


I am looking a lot better. Of course, I'm still fighting the servant on using the yellow thing she got from Natural Balance.

But she did put me on the scale today, and I am down to 15 lbs. Not bad. Everyone else notices I'm not so much of a fat cat as I was either.

Still, I have a ways to go. I might need to have the servant reduce my food.

Now from the servant:

PROS:
  • Galadriel took to the food very well. She likes it a lot. 
  • I have seen noticeable loss in her size. 
  • You can adjust food according to what else your pet needs in their diet.
CONS:
  • There is only kibble. So if your pet doesn't eat kibble, this will not work for you.
  • You need to keep a good notes to make sure you see proper weight loss, that way you can make adjustments.
  • The diet works best when you increase exercise. This has been crazy tough with Galadriel.

DISCLAIMER: Natural Balance provided me with the free coupon to give away. Every thought in the review, however, is my own.


 

Friday, August 16, 2013

Beagle of the week: Maggie from Wag the Dog UK

Sorry it took so long to post this tonight! I haven't been well all day, so I haven't done much on the computer.
 
This week's Beagle of the week is a favorite all over the world!

This is Maggie, the beagle star of Wag the Dog UK.

We talked with Maggie's mom about this little gal.

1) How old is she? 
 Maggie is 6 years old.

2) Where did you get her? 
  Maggie comes from Missouri, but I received her in New York City. [Editor's Note: Maggie and her mom have been all over the world!]

3) How long have you had her? 
Since she was a pup. (10 weeks)

4) What's her favorite food? 
She’s a beagle, so thus most anything! However she loves meaty treats and chicken.

5) What's her favorite thing to do? 
I would say it’s meeting people. She loves to meet anyone with a big smile, a wag, and a kiss.

6) What's her favorite toys? 
Her torn to death bunny.

7) Does she take part in any special activities (i.e. therapy dog, service dog, spokes dog, etc.) ?
She works with NO to Dog Meat at the moment. We are trying to stop people eating dogs and cats. We lived in Hong Kong and found out that there is a massive market of this horrible trade. Besides that, she is just one spoiled beagle.

8) What's the best part about owning a beagle?
Their personality. I know they are known as a hard dog to train. But that is the beauty of them. They’re friendly, but willful personality always puts a smile on my face. She is such a “love dog” and there is nothing sweeter than watching her enjoy her world, beagle style.

9) What's the worst? 
How at times they will not listen to you and do their own thing.

10) Anything you'd like to add?
If you want a dog with personality, a beagle is a must. They are all dog, but in a cute little package. Good for homes with children, and to care for.

You can follow along with Maggie at Wag the Dog UK, and on Facebook.

 Now for this week's featured rescue beagle. Time to find a beagle a home!


This poor beagle has no name, just a number: 20292137. She's at Pasco County Animal Services in Land O'Lakes. She's an adult and spayed, but there's no other info. She's pretty, huh?

Pasco is a particularly tough shelter... they are frequently beyond capacity. They need all they can get to get those dogs to forever homes. 

If you would like to help her, contact Pasco County Animal Services at:

813-929-1212
Pasco County Animal Services
19640 Dogpatch Lane
Land O' Lakes, FL 34638
www.pascocountyfl.net
  • Sunday/Monday/Holidays: Closed
  • Tuesday/Wednesday/Friday/Saturday: 12 pm - 4:30 pm
  • Thursday: 12 pm - 6:30 pm
 I have another beagle to mention:
This is Chico, he's a beagle-jack-russell mix, and he is at Orange County Animal Services. Number A272439. Someone has put an application on him, but if that falls through there's a chance he will be euthanized on Sunday. 

If you are interested, please consider helping him.


Orange County Animal Services - Pet Rescue & Adoption Center
2769 Conroy Road
Orlando, FL. 32839-2162


Email: AnimalServices@ocfl.net
Main Number: (407) 254-9140

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

RECALL ALERT: Eukanuba, Iams dog food

Certain Iams and Eukanuba dry dog food bags are being recalled because of possible salmonella contamination.



From the Proctor & Gamble news release:
"The Procter & Gamble Company (P&G) has voluntarily recalled specific lots of dry pet food because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella. These lots were distributed in the United States and represent roughly one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of annual production. No Salmonella-related illnesses have been reported to date in association with these product lots.

"P&G is retrieving these products as a precautionary measure. Consumers who purchased a product listed below should stop using the product and discard it and contact P&G toll-free at 800-208-0172 (Monday – Friday, 9 AM to 6 PM ET), or via website at www.iams.com or www.eukanuba.com. "
Also:
"Salmonella can affect animals eating the products and there is risk to humans from handling contaminated pet products, especially if they have not thoroughly washed their hands after having contact with the products or any surfaces exposed to these products.
"Pets with Salmonella infections may be lethargic and have diarrhea or bloody diarrhea, fever, and vomiting. Some pets will have only decreased appetite, fever and abdominal pain. Infected but otherwise healthy pets can be carriers and infect other animals or humans. If your pet has consumed the recalled product and has these symptoms, please contact your veterinarian."
Proctor & Gamble also owns the Natura brands -- Innova, California Natural, EVO. Those brands have also been dealing with Salmonella recalls over the last few months.

Here are the lots that are affected. Iams dry cat food is also under a recall. None of the treats or wet food are under a recall.

EUKANUBA DRY DOG FOODS
 
Description         Size     Lot Code     UPC Code     Best-by Date
Eukanuba Dog Food Base Large Breed Mature Adult 15 LB     31874177     19014270156     6Nov14
        30 LB     31874177     19014270309     6Nov14
Eukanuba Dog Food Base Maintenance Mature Adult         30 LB     31954177     19014149308     14Nov14
Eukanuba Dog Food Base Maintenance Puppy 16.5 LB     31884177     19014042234     7Nov14
33 LB     31884177     19014609468     7Nov14
        5 LB     31884177     19014039852     7Nov14
Eukanuba Dog Food Base Small Breed Adult 16 LB     31904177     19014010516     9Nov14
        4 LB     31904177     19014039722     9Nov14
Eukanuba Dog Food Base Small Breed Puppy 16 LB     31944177     19014010509     13Nov14
4 LB     31874177     19014039678     6Nov14
40 LB   31874177     19014011070     6Nov14
            31944177     19014011070     13Nov14
Eukanuba Dog Food Breed Specific Boxer Adult 36 LB   31944177     19014019588     13Nov14
            31954177     19014019588     14Nov14
Eukanuba Dog Food Breed Specific Chihuahua Adult         4 LB     31884177     19014607037     7Nov14
Eukanuba Dog Food Breed Specific Labrador Retriever Adult         36 LB     31954177     19014019564     14Nov14
Eukanuba Dog Food Premium Performance 30/20 Adult         33 LB     31884177     19014609475     7Nov14
Eukanuba Dog Food Professional Feeding Bag Small Breed Puppy         44 LB     31874177     19014113194     6Nov14
Eukanuba Dog Food Weight Control Large Breed Adult 30 LB   31894177     19014269303     8Nov14
            31924177     19014269303    
11Nov14
 
 
IAMS DRY DOG FOODS
 
Description         Size     Lot Code     UPC Code     Best-by Date
Iams Dog Food Healthy Naturals Chicken Adult 13.3 LB   31884177     19014612017     7Nov14
  31904177     19014612017     9Nov14
  31924177     19014612017     11Nov14
  31934177     19014612017     12Nov14
    31944177     19014612017     13Nov14
2.9 LB     31944177     19014700165     13Nov14
25.7 LB   31884177     19014700646     7Nov14
  31894177     19014700646     8Nov14
  31904177     19014700646     9Nov14
  31914177     19014700646     10Nov14
    31934177     19014700646     12Nov14
5 LB   31904177     19014612635     9Nov14
            31914177     19014612635     10Nov14
Iams Dog Food Healthy Naturals Weight Control Adult         13.3 LB     31894177     19014612024     8Nov14
Iams Dog Food Premium Protection Chicken Adult         12.1 LB     31894177     19014611362     8Nov14
Iams Dog Food ProActive Health Large Breed Mature Adult         30 LB     31884177     19014611331     7Nov14
Iams Dog Food ProActive Health Large Breed Senior Plus 13.3 LB     31934177     19014612000     12Nov14
        26.2 LB     31934177     19014700615     12Nov14
Iams Dog Food ProActive Health Large Chunks Adult         15 LB     31944177     19014610815     13Nov14
Iams Dog Food ProActive Health Small Breed Adult 13.3 LB   31874177     19014610990     6Nov14
  31894177     19014610990     8Nov14
    31924177     19014610990     11Nov14
3.1 LB   31874177     19014700110     6Nov14
    31894177     19014700110     8Nov14
5 LB   31874177     19014612055     6Nov14
  31894177     19014612055     8Nov14
            31924177     19014612055     11Nov14
Iams Dog Food ProActive Health Small Breed Puppy         5 LB     31904177     19014700943     9Nov14
 
 
IAMS DRY CAT FOODS
 
Description
        Size     Lot Code     UPC Code     Best-by Date
Iams Cat Food Healthy Naturals Chicken Adult 16 LB   31874177     19014611881     6Nov14
    31944177     19014611881     13Nov14
5 LB   31874177     19014612697     6Nov14
            31944177     19014612697     13Nov14
Iams Cat Food Healthy Naturals Weight Control Adult         5 LB     31894177     19014612703     8Nov14
Iams Cat Food ProActive Health Chicken Adult 10.8 LB   31864177     19014612086     5Nov14
  31904177     19014612086     9Nov14
  31914177     19014612086     10Nov14
  31924177     19014612086     11Nov14
    31944177     19014612086     13Nov14
17.4 LB   31864177     19014611836     5Nov14
  31864177     19014611836     5Nov14
  31914177     19014611836     10Nov14
  31924177     19014611836     11Nov14
    31944177     19014611836     13Nov14
3.2 LB   31904177     19014612659     9Nov14
  31924177     19014612659     11Nov14
  31934177     19014612659     12Nov14
    31944177     19014612659     13Nov14
5.7 LB   31864177     19014612499     5Nov14
  31914177     19014612499     10Nov14
  31924177     19014612499     11Nov14
    31944177     19014612499     13Nov14
        6.3 LB     31944177     19014611621     13Nov14
Iams Cat Food ProActive Health Chicken Kitten 17.4 LB     31904177     19014611867     9Nov14
3.2 LB   31904177     19014612628     9Nov14
    31954177     19014612628     14Nov14
5.7 LB   31904177     19014612505     9Nov14
  31904177     19014612505     9Nov14
            31954177     19014612505     14Nov14
Iams Cat Food ProActive Health Digestive Care Adult 16 LB   31904177     19014611904     9Nov14
    31954177     19014611904     14Nov14
3 LB   31904177     19014700202     9Nov14
    31954177     19014700202     14Nov14
5 LB   31904177     19014612451     9Nov14
            31954177     19014612451     14Nov14
Iams Cat Food ProActive Health Hairball Adult 16 LB   31874177     19014611911     6Nov14
    31954177     19014611911     14Nov14
3.1 LB   31884177     19014700219     7Nov14
  31914177     19014700219     10Nov14
    31954177     19014700219     14Nov14
5 LB   31874177     19014612420     6Nov14
  31884177     19014612420     7Nov14
  31914177     19014612420     10Nov14
  31934177     19014612420     12Nov14
    31954177     19014612420     14Nov14
9.8 LB   31894177     19014612161     8Nov14
            31914177     19014612161     10Nov14
Iams Cat Food ProActive Health Hairball Mature Adult         5 LB     31954177     19014612604     14Nov14
Iams Cat Food ProActive Health Weight Control & Hairball Adult 16 LB   31884177     19014612147     7Nov14
  31914177     19014612147     10Nov14
  31924177     19014612147     11Nov14
  31934177     19014612147     12Nov14
    31944177     19014612147     13Nov14
2.9 LB   31914177     19014700240     10Nov14
  31924177     19014700240     11Nov14
  31934177     19014700240     12Nov14
  31944177     19014700240     13Nov14
    31954177     19014700257     14Nov14
5 LB   31884177     19014612789     7Nov14
  31914177     19014612789     10Nov14
  31924177     19014612789     11Nov14
  31934177     19014612789     12Nov14
    31954177     19014612789     14Nov14
5.5 LB     31924177     19014611652     11Nov14
9.8 LB   31884177     19014612130     7Nov14
  31914177     19014612130     10Nov14
  31924177     19014612130     11Nov14
  31934177     19014612130     12Nov14
            31944177     19014612130     13Nov14
Iams Cat Food ProActive Health Weight Control Adult 16 LB   31874177     19014612178     6Nov14
    31934177     19014612178     12Nov14
5 LB   31874177     19014612680     6Nov14
    31934177     19014612680     12Nov14
        9.8 LB     31874177     19014612123     6Nov14
Iams Cat Food Professional Feeding Bag Chicken Adult 33 LB   31914177     19014105458     10Nov14
            31944177     19014105458     13Nov14