Cami is almost 9 months old now and so far she has been on a raw diet! We are open to letting her try various treats and foods out there as long as they are top notch quality! A lot of people have asked me what my ‘goals’ are and intent in feeding Cami such high quality food. I guess I have a few answers. One, I want to make sure she thrives and not just survives. I want her to be healthy, happy and eating what is BIOLOGICALLY appropriate for her. If I feed a bird Snickers bar instead of seed and worms that it’s suppose to have, you will feel strange right? I think dogs need what they are designed to eat, meat. Yet I know living in urban cities and homes, sometimes you need alternatives. So we have found a bunch of stuff that’s awesome, nutritious and accessible! Hope you enjoy our list for this month!

1. Health Extension has been keeping pets healthy since 1963 by offering nourishing recipes that pet parents can feel good about serving to their pets. Each recipe is crafted with super premium ingredients to help support stronger bones and immune system. Made in the USA, their diets include:

• Grain Free Dry Dog food varieties offer all the health benefits of the Holistic Health Extension System in a grain-free formula. You won’t find any added hormones – just high-quality meat as the first ingredient – because sensible protein levels are the first step to a healthy life. Available in: Buffalo & Whitefish, Chicken & Turkey, Salmon, Duck, Venison, and Buffalo & Whitefish Little Bites.

• Grain Free Stews for dogs are a superb source of high-quality protein. The formulas also provide an excellent source of vitamins and minerals. Your dog will enjoy and benefit from the stew due to its lack of growth hormones, steroids, meat by-products, and allergy related fillers. Available in: Chunky Chicken Stew, Tasty Turkey Stew and Savory Beef Stew.

We recently tried the Savory Beef Stew and I mix in a spoonful along with her breakfast. She loves it!

We always read the ingredients label so here it is:

beef broth, chicken, beef, Carrots, dried egg whites, potato starch, dried egg product, peas, Guar gum, salt, added color, Tricalcium Phosphate, dried potatoes, sodium phosphate, beet pulp, ground flaxseed, potassium chloride, natural flavor, Ferrous Sulfate, Xanthan Gum, Choline Chloride, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin E Supplement, Copper Proteinate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Thiamine Mononitrate, Niacin Supplement, d-Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Potassium Iodide, Pyridoxine Hydrocloride, Vitamin D3 Supplement, folic Acid.

2. We tried vension from Nature’s Logic! This brand is dedicated to offering diets that are made exclusively with whole foods and 100% natural ingredients. Available for both canines and felines, the diets:

• Are free of common allergens and include no corn, wheat, rice, soy, potato, tapioca, peas, or sweet potatoes
• Contain natural antioxidants from fruits and vegetables grown in the USA
• Do not contain any man-made synthetic vitamins, minerals or amino acids, nor any genetically engineered fruits, veggies, nuts, grasses, or seeds
• Have probiotics and enzymes that help increase nutrient absorption and aid in digestion
• Are nutrient dense and highly digestible

This one is more like a pate type of consistency and was easy to scoop out. It is moist and has no ‘gravy’. Cami loves this one too! One of the interesting ingredients in this food is clay. I know it has wonderful minerals and used often in products for detox.  This is probably the easiest way for me to feed and give Cami liver!

3. Cami graduated from Puppy School! We decided to check out 2 schools in the last few months and I recommend them both! One is more of a formal class with 6-8 students and held at Smarty Paws and the 2nd one is by Tino (Peace Love and Pitbulls) held at a outdoors at Desert Breeze Park. What I liked about taking Cami is learn is that she can be around dogs without always being in ‘play’ mode and she learned a lot! Even though I had Jacob for 11 years, it is always good to get a refresher course for new puppies! Puppies are brand new and need a lot of exposure to various situations.

4. Toy Store! One of our friends from school told us about the Dog Supplies Outlet store so we went to check it out.  It was filled with toys, treats and the best part was Cami got a chirpy ball from JW and an orange monkey fist knot rope. Very successful and tons of fun.

5. Treats ++ This brand is so cool. I and Love and You dog treats are Nice Moist Jerky and can be used for training. We used these in school and Cami learned ‘down’. They are easy to tear into small bits and the Chicken and Duck are so yummy and considered a ‘high value’ treat that’s perfect for training. We also trained with their dry kibble… They are heart shaped! Grain free and filled with Probiotics for easy digestion.

6. Uber for Dogs? No really. This is the first on demand Dog Walking App! I haven’t tried it yet because they don’t service Vegas but I’d love to be a walker. Check out Wag App.

7. I saw this funny dog tag on BADTAGS.com. This is not Cami but it looks a lot like her! ha ha!

8. One of the oldest brand of dog treats I recall is the Bil Jac Liver in the milk carton type packaging! I am so happy to see their brand update includes the ORIGINAL recipes still! This one is a fan favorite and Cami loves when I hide these in her toys and Kong! A word from Bil Jac:

• Because of our unique processing, no fat is added to Bil-Jac Super Premium Dog Food.
• We use much more REAL CHICKEN and REAL CHICKEN ORGANS than other leading brands.
• We never use grain gluten meals or grain protein concentrates as a source of protein in our formulas.
• Our use of carbohydrates is to provide nutritional balance and energy — not as a substitute for protein.
• Our unique processing method may eliminate the perceived “allergic” symptoms dogs exhibit when carbohydrates in their diet are not properly processed.