Healthy Tips from Sandy

May 13, 2015-

Today let's talk about taking it easy, taking time to smell the roses, or in the case to the right, the flowers!

We have so many stresses from everyday life that people today can take so many lessons from us- the dogs, the animals of the world. People take a few seconds and instead of just walking past that flower, that plant. STOP and appreciate it in all it's glory!

YES- Stop and SMELL the Roses if you will! Your whole being will be so better off for it! It will give you that moment for YOU! It will take a little stress out of your day! So what are you waiting for......

If you have the time, take some time to sit on a bench of step outside- heck even on the ground and connect with nature a little, let the ground literally ground you and take the absorbed electrical impulses in your body out! I bet you will feel so much better. Just take a few minutes and sit on the ground and connect with something a little more simple than that cell phone or computer that we all use oh so frequently today!

Until tomorrow,
have a tail waggin day,
Sandy

Sandy's Daily Blog

May 12, 2015-

So today I thought I would share a recipe with you........Pam made a video awhile back and I'll include that for you too......

The treat was Six Legged Companion candies, really easy to make too!
What you need: 1 bag of Carob Chips, any choice of nut butters (I chose Earth Balance coconut peanut spread), and Coconut oil.

What to do:
In a pan, heat the coconut oil to get it all in liquid form if it isn't already, add the carob chips and melt them until they are melted and smooth. Once they are all melted spoon the melted carob chips into preferably silicon molds (I used heart shaped molds from Sur la Table) once the molds were halfway filled up, you will add a scoop of the nut butter, and then cover that with more melted carob until it reaches the top of the mold. When all are filled up, freeze for at least an hour. And then share with your favorite four or two legged friend! ENJOY!

 

Check out our new book for some companion shared treats:

 

 

http://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Leash-Healthy-Companion/dp/1500897957/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421014514&sr=1-1&keywords=get+your+leash+on

Wow, was that easy or what?!?!?!?? Now go make some sweet treats and Get Your Leash On!

 

See you tomorrow for more healthy blogs and or tips!

Have a tail waggin evening until then,

Sandy

Sandy's Blog

May 10, 2015-


First Happy Mother's Day to all the Moms out there! I hope you all get to go outside and smell the flowers sometime today!

Okay, I want to talk about healthy habits......something your Mom or maybe even your Grandmother has told you to do growing up.

"CLEAN YOUR ROOM!"

 

I am telling Pam to do this tonight, she needs to do it desparately. I want her to do a little spring cleaning in one of the rooms, going through things to organize the whole room, which in turn will lead to the next room.

She needs to keep up with the cleaning and organization more as it really does reflect or have an impact on our health, her health, etc. Eventually the health of anyone she comes in contact with.

Okay, so I want to give one piece of advice today- NEVER LEAVE A ROOM EMPTYHANDED!- There is always something to be moved from one room to another to be put it's place or to be thrown out right?!?!?!? If not, congrats on awesome cleanliness and organization! Pam is not there at this point, she has been there in the past but lately, nope! In time, she will be there again!

Ok, that is my advice, SIMPLE easy to do.....so do it! I' m going to go get on Pam's tail about this,
Until tomorrow,
have a tail waggin day,
Sandy

Sandy's Daily Blog

May 6, 2015-

Let me tell you a little about my story.....Pam and I met at North Shore Animal League in 2001. Shortly after 9/11. Pam thinks I ended up at NSAL because I lost someone near and dear to me due to 9/11 incidents. She tells me no one would just give me up or lose me and not go looking for me and work so hard doing so only to give up.

When Pam walked into the kennel and saw me, she wanted to look around a little BUT she kept coming back to me. She asked to see me out of the kennel and to get to know me a little. She was soon sold, so I adopted her that day. We got into the Jeep and headed on home together. We ended up stopping at the Northport VA to see Mom and Rivkah. When I first adopted Pam, I was a bit skinny (being in a kennel does that to you, hey if you were put in that situation and stressed out like I was you would be skinny too). Let me tell you a few weeks after being with Pam and Candycane, I was looking healthier than ever!

For years I ran with Pam, Skyler, and Candycane.....as we got older Pam took us on walks.....now we are pretty much staying in the backyard. But Pam makes sure we have happy and healthy lives. She makes awesome treats for us, she treats us to bagels, we get brushed and more....

Whenever Pam buys food or treats for us, she reads the labels....she wants to be able to recognize all the ingredients in what she feeds us. She cares about the animals and doesn't want to buy anything that contributes to the harming of any animals, she cares about the environment as well- and considers how things are shipped, packaged, how things are made and so much more. She tries to minimize any harming or destruction of any animals and or the environment. And as animal myself, I totally admire this......I too care for other animals and the earth around me!

 

Skyler, Candycane, Pam and myself in our Vermont race- Man oh man, the hills were alive that day!

Have a tail waggin' day,
Sandy

Sandy's Blog

May 5, 2015-


Today the temperature was high- about 80 degrees. When Pam and Scout went for a run, Candycane and I got to hang out in the backyard. And the responsible dog companion Pam is she left a bucket of clean water for Candycane and myself (and Benji if he joined us) to stay hydrated.

Pam also brought water on their run for both her and Scout to keep hydrated with, and she had a place to refill or buy more water if needed. Now, if she needed to buy water, as much as she doesn't like to promote the use of plastic bottles, in a pinch in order to keep hydrated she would purchase a bottle (and reuse the bottle or dispose of it properly!).......

The lesson of the day is: as the temperatures rise this season, KEEP hydrated. Granted even in the cold we lose water and need to replace our fluids so every should drinking the MINIMUM of 8- 8 oz glasses of water a day. (Unless their are medical reasons that are restricting your fluid intake, but to keep hydrated no matter what is important- even if you need to drink less due to doctors orders). This goes for your four legged companions as well!

Keep in mind that we are all made up of primarily WATER! (I know you look at all of us and it's hard to think about this being true BUT it is!)

Ok, so that is my blog for the day.....Keep hydrated,
and have a tail waggin' day,
Sandy

Daily Blog

May 4, 2015-

Ok, so I realized I haven't been talking about my story as much as I was wishing to do so.....I want to tell you more about my story.......it's been a good one......

After Pam and I got to know one another and we trained together for awhile, Pam thought WOW, Sandy would be a great therapy dog! And therefore, I shortly became a certified therapy dog, through Therapy Dogs Incorporated. As long as your dog is well trained and is well behaved, the certification process is fairly easy! Basically we cannot get spooked easily, if something is dropped on the floor we can react but mildly react, we cannot jump or make any sudden jumps/ movements. We are not supposed to jump up on patients beds, unless invited and even then we must go up onto the bed nice and easily so as not to hurt our patients. We must be comfortable around wheelchairs and other hospital equipment. We must not eat food off the floor, or jump up and countersurf (or steal food from anyone) or for that matter take any food from our patients. Our human companion will need to bring treats from home to give to us, and for our patients to give to us if they choose, we must also take the treat nice and gently!

As a therapy dog, we are insured through the organization we are certified with. So they need to know we will not be a liability to the organization and we will set a good example for future therapy dogs to continue our work!

Therapy Dogs usually were our tags, on our collars, most of the time we are leashed. Very rarely therapy dogs are allowed off leash, but only in certain circumstances (and the dogs are usually residents themselves or at least day time residents!)

It helps to be tested and pass the Canine Good Citizen test for therapy dogs BUT not necessary. I actually passed this test AFTER I became a therapy dog.

Having my own patients and visiting them on a weekly basis made me happy as I hope they were after my visit. Of course, I had my favorite patients, but they were all special and hopefully  a little healthier after my visit!

And yes, I did receive certificates with Pam for our services (as Pam says my services) at my local nursing home!

Okay more tomorrow,
Until then have a great tail waggin' evening,
Sandy

Be Kind to Animals Week

May 3, 2015-

As well as the Long Island Marathon kicking off the week, we have Be Kind to Animals Week kicking off today!

There are a ton of ways to be kind to animals, I will try to list a few here now:

1- You can become vegetarian/ vegan (or at the very least include a Meatless Monday to your lifestyle- you can at the very least save an animals life on Monday and save water, the environment, etc by doing this)

2- You can Get Your Leash On!.....and help your own companions as well as yourself and during the month of May you'll be helping out other animals at the Kent Animal Shelter!

Don't forget about our fundraiser for the shelter that helped me find my furever home!

You can help us help them out (did I just go all Jerry Maguire on you all there?!?!?).....anyway click on these links and you can buy our book- in fact, we will start instead of just the month of May- we will extend it from April 15 to May 24th and with every book sold we will donate a portion of the proceeds to Kent Animal Shelter......

 

 

 

 Hard copy version:

http://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Leash-Healthy-Companion/dp/1500897957/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421014514&sr=1-1&keywords=get+your+leash+on

 

EBook Version:

http://lulu.com/spotlight/getyourleashon

 

 

 To make a donation to Kent Animal Shelter go to out Crowdrise fundraiser page here:

 

https://www.crowdrise.com/DoggoneRescueMarathon/fundraiser/pamelaschmidlin

 Hard copy version:

http://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Leash-Healthy-Companion/dp/1500897957/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1421014514&sr=1-1&keywords=get+your+leash+on

 

EBook Version:

http://lulu.com/spotlight/getyourleashon

 

 

 To make a donation to Kent Animal Shelter go to out Crowdrise fundraiser page here:

 

https://www.crowdrise.com/DoggoneRescueMarathon/fundraiser/pamelaschmidlin

 

Today I wanted to share some stretches that I help Pam out with after her runs, of course to warm up her muscles she did a short walk, so keep in mind that you should always warm up your muscles before doing any stretching! NEVER STRETCH with cold muscles, you can injure the muscles!

 

 

Until tomorrow,

have a tail wagging day,

Sandy

 

 

Blog Two- All about STRETCHING!

May 2, 2015-

Today Pam and Scout ran 22 miles, afterwards I was in charge of helping them stretch out. Due to being a little tired and having other things to do we did not take any photos or videos. But this coming week, we will do some doga videos and photos of different stretches you can do, in the meantime you can check out Skyler's awesome videos- Coach Skyler and Pam show us together how to do stretches after your long runs!

Today I wanted to talk about stretching a little, stretching is very important in any training program, just as if not more important than the running itself! Stretching will help prevent injury, of course you need to stretch out the proper way.

First when starting to stretch, you really need to warm up your muscles before you attempt to do any stretches, so even if you do a lite walk beforehand you can warm up your muscles to prepare them for a good stretch. You should warmup for at least 5 minutes to get the blood moving to the tissues.

Second keep the stretches slow and controlled and hold the given stretch for a total of 30 seconds or so.

Thirdly, FORGET the old saying "NO PAIN NO GAIN" while stretching out. Stretch out for a good 10-15 minutes max if you feel any pain while doing so STOP! Stretching should be relaxing and be a great feeling for your muscles.

 

 

Ok, that is a little bit about STRETCHING before and or after your run. Take this portion of your training serious and DO NOT rush through it.

 

Tomorrow I will do a video with Pam to show you how we stretch out.....Ya ready......We would have shot the video today but Pam was a bit tired so I let her rest a little more BUT will make her do more videos for you to see more, as well as read.

 

Until tomorrow,

Have a tail waggin' evening,

Sandy and Pam



May Days are here, bringing those May Flowers right along!

May 1, 2015-

Being May 1st,  I am starting my daily blogs back up.......today I will start telling you my story which will bring me to a great suggestion for easy weigh loss (this tip is to be combined with a few other tips that I will mention BUT every tip will help you with meeting any and all goals you may have, whether it be weight loss or just about anything).

Back in 2001, I first met Pam at the North Shore Animal League. I was about 2 years old. Pam saw a little puppy as well that she was looking at BUT I guess our eyes just met and locked ever since. I reminded her of her old dog Candy. Ironically my name then and now is Sandy. I was kismet in my mind!

Whatever brought us together I am forever grateful that we were brought together. We ended up having a great life together.

I actually came home to live with Candycane (the black dog in the foreground of the photo to the left and soon after that Skyler came into our pack (the German Shepard mix in the middle of the photo to the left).

I am a Cocker Spaniel/ Golden Retriever Mix. Candy was a Cocker Spaniel, and in fact a cover dog on the 1985 JcPenney Christmas Catalog.

Moving on......Today, writing down stuff to remember things and to share a lot is important and fun. In the case of the tip of the day......

Keeping a food and workout journal (you can keep one journal for both or separate journals for each). Doing so you can easily track your progress with what you are doing.  Keeping that journal helps you keep yourself accountable for what you are and aren't doing. You can also see what works for you and what doesn't work for you!

When you start your journal or journals, you can use a notebook and pen (which is preferred) or you can go electronic. Of course if you use the good old fashioned pen and paper method, there is something to actually writing things down and being able to just open the book up to any given day and just see if that say bagel sat well with you or that spicy burrito gave you heartburn, etc.
But the choice is yours of course. You can add starting photos to your journal and update photos as you go along......keep tabs on what you eat, what activities you get involved in.....and how you feel afterwards, etc......

On that note, start that journal today and watch how you really start to hold yourself accountable.

And in the Month of May stop off at the local flower patch and SMELL the May flowers that the April showers brought!

Until tomorrow,
Smell those flowers,
Sandy

Water.......

February 2, 2015-

Okay so this Groundhog Day here on Long Island we had a rainy, snowy day....during Pam and Scout's run they had lots of puddles to run through or run around......even during these wet days we need to keep ourselves hydrated!

As Pam said they said in the military, "DRINK WATER!"

Throughout the year it is important for BOTH people and dogs to drink water. Afterall we are made up of primarily water, and that goes for people and dogs!

So as Pam's healthcoach, I insisted she and Scout drank up after they got back from their run today. (Even though they said they stopped by the veternarians office to get some water.)

A good way to tell if you are hydrated is the color of your pee/ urine. It should be clear......the same goes for your dog!

Okay, I promise to talk more about this on another day....but I wanted to be sure everyone is drinking their water......

It is not only necessary for survival, but it helps fill you up so you are not hungry thoughout the day, and cleanses your body of harmful toxins that sometimes we just cannot help to take in.

Okay, until tomorrow,
DRINK YOUR WATER!
Coach Sandy

Our link for our fundraiser:
https://www.crowdrise.com/healthylifestylechallenge/fundraiser/pamelaschmidlin

New Challenge begins.......

February 1, 2015-

Today I am challenging Pam to eat as CLEAN as possible, this means little to NONE processed foods- as Paleo as possible, and of course staying Vegan!....And eating Raw until 4pm.....then she can have some cooked foods.....

In the next 28 days, will be covering a number of topics and sharing lots of recipes so be sure to check back everyday for something new! Some of the topics we'll be covering are:

recipes for you and your dog.....we'll have videos to show how we make them and include the written version as well .....
Water- how important it is to KEEP hydrated for both team members
fruits
veggies
greens
oils
salt
eating during certain times (before and after certain times aren't optimal that is and why)
Golden Hour
and so much more.......

Are you ready?

This challenge will be coupled with a fundraiser for the NSAL, the shelter that brought me to Pam and my pack.....here is the link of that fundraiser:



https://www.crowdrise.com/healthylifestylechallenge

 

Here is a little bit of my story:

I came to Pam and the pack in 2000, from North Shore Animal League....And have been happy ever since. Pam thinks that since we came together shortly after 9/11 that I lost my former owners in the devastation- especially since NSAL is less than an hour from NYC! She says that I would never have been given up freely! (Wow, what a compliment!) I was a therapy dog at our local nursing home, and loved everyone of my patients. I had my favorites of course BUT they were all happy to see me when I walked through the doors!

 

Anyway, along with my pack and Pam we have become running partners and come to love running the trails at our local park. We worked together with LI-Dog, a not for profit organization (www.lidog.org) to get our local dogpark established among other Long Island dogparks. It is something we feel strongly about because it helps others get out and about with their dogs!

 

Now due to old age and a few health concerns, I have cataracts , slowly going blind- by the way Pam is my Guide Person! So I've retired from the running arena and now participate in daily Doga and Pupilates sessions with my pack and Pam.

 

I am also Pam's healthy eating coach- wait, PAM PUT DOWN THAT COOKIE, here is some fruit infused water!....Okay, whew a close one!

So help us give back to a shelter and the dogs (and cats) there!

 

Until tomorrow,
Sandy

As January comes to an end.....

January 26, 2015-

The end of January is going out like a LION! Wait isn't it March that is supposed to come in like a LION?!?!?!? Oh well, WINTER final feels like it is here! Winter is a great time to have our wonderful green named KALE!.....Did you know after the first freeze that Kale is supposed to be sweeter?......This is what I read before, no really I did!

Frost is predicted. Should I pick all the kale and store it?

Frost actually sweetens kale. This is the most cold-hardy of all vegetables and will take quite a few of the early frosts before a hard freeze, or “black frost” as it sometimes called, kills it in colder regions. In zones 7 and warmer it often continues to produce leaves all winter long.

 

Yes, it is true! Just think about it....you can grow your own Kale all year round and be picking it all year round and the frost will sweeten it up! WOW!

 

Skyler, Scout, myself, Candycane, and Benji all love KALE! Do you?!?!?!

 

Okay tomorrow is definitely going to be a snowball day for me....as I get snowballs on my paws and legs as I make my way though the snow! Pam has to keep checking on me to be sure the snow balls aren't  collecting on the pads (or between them)of my paws! She also needs to check on all of us as the temps can take it's toll on all of us.....BUT I know she will make a dugout for us to hang out in while she shovels the driveway!

 

Until tomorrow and hopefully lots of snowy photos and videos of us all,

Sandy

 

 

A new challenge and fundraiser......

January 25, 2015-

Starting on February 1, 2015- Pam and I will be starting a challenge to live by our new lifestyle while writing our book on it! Our new lifestyle will be called the "Paleo Vegan Raw til 4 Lifestyle!" taking the best of all the lifestyles and making them our own- since we love both these lifestyles and want to take them one more step in our own lives we want to bring it more to everyone elses attention!.....We will attempt to go oil free (wait, we will be including coconut oil- and will be talking about this more in the blogs and our upcoming book)....we will be going salt free- still getting our sodium from other sources once again discussing this as well. Our fundraiser will be for the North Shore Animal League who brought Pam and myself together, and bringing our whole pack to ME for a great life!

Our fundraiser link is:
https://www.crowdrise.com/healthylifestylechallenge/fundraiser/pamelaschmidlin

More coming tomorrow....
Sandy

Sandy's Healthy Blog- Refined Sugars

January 10, 2015-

Refined Sugar- is it all it's hyped up to be? Simple answer NO!....Sugar isn't really good for YOU or YOUR DOG!....So, read your food labels- not just your but read your dog's food label too!

It has been said over and over by tons of doctors than it's the SUGAR (refined) that makes you fat NOT the fat! So read the labels!

Sandy reads her food labels.....do you?!?!?

 

Sandy approves this brand of dog treats because they will not make her fat!
Can you say the same thing for your dog foods?


 

Tomorrow we will be going back ahead and making our VISION BOARDS, ya ready-we'll be doing them a bit differently but it'll be fun I Promise. So tune in to see how....See Ya!

Sandy's Healthy Blog- Vision Board Part One......

January. 8, 2015-

Ok, This is a few hours late for the 8th but nevertheless important......

Tomorrow, Skyler, Scout, Candycane, myself and oh yeah Pam will be making our vision board.....we'll be making one vision board into one big board......There really are no rules to making a vision board of course, except to think about what it is you really want from life and put it onto your board! Gather images, sayings that will motivate and inspire you and help you keep those goals in mind and put them onto your board. Below is a sample of a vision board that I found online.....
what will you put on your board? Will you make your board tomorrow with us.....or this week?......

So are you ready to getting going and make you vision board with us?....Are you ready to take a good look at what you really want and what will help you achieve them? Ok, tune in tomorrow or later in this case and find out more on how to go about it and more about VISION BOARDS!

See you tomorrow!

Sandy's Healthy Blog- Tofu Scramble

January 7,2015-

Tofu isn't just for people anymore.....yes, we dogs love it too!......Of course, in the video your about to see I would leave out the onions and green onions (every so often Pam gets something just for herself that she cannot share, but we accept that!- As long it is not a everyday occurrence!)

Ingredients: Tofu (a block)
                    Carrots (2-3)
                    Onion (Humans only! PLEASE!)
                    Raw Coconut Aminos
                    Tumeric (a few shakes from the bottle)
                    Red Pepper
                    Whatever veggies you have on hand

Put all the veggies in a pan or pot and let with the coconut aminos, to taste,them soft and or brown to your liking.....then add the tofu by crumbling it into the mixture and mix it all together. Let everything cook together and add the turmeric, mix well. Let everything cook together for another minute or two. Now take the Tofu Scramble and enjoy!

 

Hope you enjoy this with your best friend, enjoy!

 

 

Sandy's Healthy Blog- Sleep!

January 6, 2015-

Sleep- How important is it?....VERY! We should be getting 8-10 hours of it everyday, no matter who we are.

Yep that is me......

 I always tell Pam and the rest of my pack, that over the years I have learned that a great nights sleep is of utmost importance. In all the years of training with Pam, Skyler, and Candycane (among other countless dogs)whenever I got a great nights sleep I always performed better at whatever it was that I needed to do the next day.

This is our friend Buddy,  he and Pam, whenever he sees Pam, she brings him for a walk and then he likes to lay down right beside her. She is like a security blanket for a little while. He likes to get really comfortable as well. Maybe a little too comfortable! The last time he smothered Pam to lie right on tip of Pam's face, imagine 90 lbs of Golden Retriver on your head! Thank goodness Pam is in good shape!

Buddy sleeping in a comfortable bear like position.

 

The whole pack- Skyler,Candycane, Scout, and myself sleeping comfoterablly on our temperpedic mattress. Wish there was more room for Pam, sometimes she sneaks in their with us and gets comfy cozy with us.

Notice the lack of tv, and right after the shot was taken the lights went off.

 These are important parts to getting a good nights sleep. The blue light that the tv gives off  (not to mention the noise) can interrupt a good nights sleep. You may also want to get rid of all electronic devices from your immediate sleeping area, this can interrupt a peaceful rest.

I like to take the whole bed for myself, and chase everyone out of the room and hog the remote during the day, as well as Pam's socks and other soft pieces of clothing to sleep on, so that I am close to her throughout my slumber.
 

What helps you sleep at night?

Oh, and when you sleep you lose a significant amount of water as you sleep, so when you wake up- you should immediately drink a glass of water to replenish that water that you lost. It will pick you up and energize you a little bit to start your day!

Check back tomorrow for some more healthy tips and info

Good Night, Sandy!

Sandy's Healthy Blog- Bananas and Pineapples

January 5, 2015-

 

Are bananas good for dogs- the answer YES.....They contain amino acids, electrolytes, minerals, Vitamin B6 and Vitamin C, and potassium, fiber, and manganese. There is a high sugar content so be sure to work your dog and keep your dog moving when you give them a banana or limit their intake.

 

And of course they are good for people!

 

Can my dog have pineapples, sure! In fact, through my research- I have found it is a cure for eating their own poop (Coprophagia). I would limit the amount of pineapple you give your dog as well, the once again high sugar content of the pineapple can lead to diarrhea. So keep the amounts small.

 

As I mentioned yesterday, we as well as you are all bio individual and should be treated as such.

 

 

Check this video out, Pam made an awesome smoothie which she shared a little of with all of us.....

 

 

Check out our new book.....I co authored it with my pack Skyler, Scout, Candycane, and Benji....and oh yeah, Pam!



http://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Leash-Healthy-Companion/dp/1500897957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417514980&sr=8-1&keywords=get+your+leash+on



Healthy people foods for dogs.......

January 4, 2015-

Myself (back), Skyler (middle), and Candycane (front) enjoying our homemade healthy treats made for us by Pam herself!

As promised we will be talking about some healthy human food for our dogs. Honestly, all dog and human foods are based off the same ingredients. There are just a few things that are more beneficial or dangerous to our dogs or to us.

These are baseline findings and just as we are bio individual in what is right for each and every one of us, the same hold true for our animal companions. So get to know your companion and make your own call on these items mentioned the next few days. NOTE: I am in no way telling you it's okay to go give your dog a chocolate bar or a bunch of raisins.....I am just saying each dog is bio individual and may or may not be able to handle certain foods for him or herself. And really getting to know your dog and what is on the good and bad lists is essential.....once again the ASPCA has a somewhat complete list of these foods (honestly, can anything truly be complete with all the new information found each and everyday!)

Today we shall talk about: CHOCOLATE

 

Yes, that sweet wonderful food that has it's good and bad points for us, can be toxic for our dogs!

 

Through my research I found a toxicity meter for chocolate and dogs......let me share the link with you now: www.petmd.com/dog/chocolate-toxicity

 

You can put in your dogs weight and the chocolate type and amount consumed and you can see the toxicity of what was consumed. This can determine if your dog needs to be rushed to the ER, or if you can monitor your closely at home (a vet should always be consulted). Let's face it, dogs will get into things if something is their reach and it's tempting enough. Wouldn't you go for that piece of chocolate sitting on the counter if you were left alone and bored?!?!?!?

 

What makes chocolate so toxic is the theobromine and caffeine, which dogs are sensitive to (humans are also sensitive to this but not as much as our dogs!) These substances are called methylxanthines. The darker the chocolate, or more bitter it is- the greater the damage.

The theobromine is broken down a lot easier by humans than in dogs.

 

If your dog does get a hold of chocolate, check to see the kind of chocolate and watch your dog for vomiting, diarrhea, high body temperature, increased reflex responses, rapid breathing, high heart rate, low blood pressure, seizures, and other advanced signs like coma, cardiac failure, and weakness.

 

There is an alternative to chocolate for your dogs though if you want to share a treat with him or her. That being CAROB!

I use it when making treats for my dogs and I to share!

 

 

Carob doesn't contain theobromide or caffeine. And has a similar taste to Chocolate, a little different but it passes really well for it!

 

So when making treats for your dogs like Pam does for us and you want to add something dark and Chocolately go for the CAROB instead.

 

Check back tomorrow to see what we have in store for you.....Until then healthy living with informed choices!

 

 

Sandys Healthy Blog- Miso Soup Style

January 3, 2015-

Today we're in the mood for a hot warming soup.....the temps have dropped a bit and it's time to warm or bones with some nice SOUP!

So we'll be sharing our favorite soup with you today......

Here is a photo of all the ingredients except the water.......

 

I have two varieties of Miso there BUT only one is needed.....

 

Watch the video attached to see more about making this soup......

Let me stress NEVER boil the MISO as it will lose all it's goodness!

 

 

 

And once again, if serving the Soup to your dogs LEAVE OUT THE ONION! You can put any other veggies in it's place.....trying adding broccoli, or beans or anything else.....you can check with the ASPCA for a whole list of foods that should not be  given to your dog.

Here is one link for you:

http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/animal-poison-control/people-foods-avoid-feeding-your-pets

 

 

Hmmmm....this is fun and I like sharing what shall I blog about tomorrow?!?!?!? Maybe more on what foods you shouldn't feed your dog!

Check out our new book.....I co authored it with my pack Skyler, Scout, Candycane, and Benji....and oh yeah, Pam!



http://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Leash-Healthy-Companion/dp/1500897957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417514980&sr=8-1&keywords=get+your+leash+on

Sandy's Healthy Blog Tip for Today!

January 2, 2015-

A good brushing every so often is essential for your dog.

 

Every dog should be brushed regularly, preferably everyday, but if time doesn't allow for this.....one should put time in their schedule at least once a week to properly brush their dog.

 

 

If possible, wash and groom your dog regularly....this includes clipping nails, brushing their teeth, etc....

 

The benefits of brushing your dog are: a happier dog, a well groomed dog, removal of any stray hair/ fur,  you can control that loose fur and dispose of it where you wish, as opposed to all over the living room floor and or couch, and you will be able to bond with your dog more during these times.

 

As much as your dog needs to be groomed, people should SKIN BRUSH! What is skin brushing you may ask?

 



 

Skin brushing is just that, brushing your skin.  When you do this you remove any dead skin, after a few weeks or days of this your skin will feel like a baby's bottom.

Sandy's Healthy Blog

January 1, 2015-

That's me Sandy!

This year I will be bring you healthy tips, suggestions, and ideas....for you and your four legged companion to live a healthy and happy lifestyle!

From day to day I will bring many different healthy topics to choose from.......from recipes, to workouts, to simple things you can do in your everyday life to live that life just a little more healthier than before!

So tune in everyday to see what I have in store for you!
Oh and check out the book I coauthored with my pack- Skyler, Candycane, Scout, Benji, and oh yeah- Pam!



http://www.amazon.com/Get-Your-Leash-Healthy-Companion/dp/1500897957/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417514980&sr=8-1&keywords=get+your+leash+on