I found something interesting today and couldn't wait to share it with everyone.  I'm that nervous Nelly who when picking out dog food for my fur babies, I wonder if I'm the 1 in a million who is getting a bag from a bad batch of food.  When it's time to choose the next stage of food for their age group or whether I want chicken, beef, or lamb to be the first ingredient, I'm in the dog food isle forever.  I normally run my errands when Thomas is working but on those rare occasions when I ask him to go with me, he gets this look on his face like "oh boy" as he's saying "yeah, I'll go".  

When all three of my vets recommended Purina, I searched their website to find the appropriate dog food for Jake and Maggie. I found that they have created a tool called myPLAN (https://www.proplan.com/myplan) and was excited to learn more about it.  

Because every pet is different, you first have to select whether you have a dog or a cat and then proceed by answering a series of questions.  It's not hard and doesn't take long.  Once you have completed the questions, a personalized food recommendation will be created for you.  You will receive information on how to transition your pet to Purina Pro Plan, tips and articles chosen with your pet in mind, and a $5.00 coupon off a bag of Purina Pro Plan.  

I recently spoke with Jonathan from @Reviews.com and it seems that he and his team feel the same as I do when it comes to feeding our pets quality food.  His team at www.reviews.com spent two months analyzing 2,443 formulas to find 18 high-quality brands for both wet and dry cat food.  

For more information contact Reviews.com or find their guide published April 16, 2018 at  www.reviews.com/cat-food/

xoxo,
Bobbi Jo

As I was taking this picture and thinking about how I keep forgetting to cut the string off of Maggie's collar, I was also wondering about her food...and where to buy her new collar she so desperately needs!  She is staring at me like this because she is hungry and wants her dinner!  Or HANGRIE, as my friends in St. Louis say it!  LOL.  Her toy just isn't going to appease her anymore!  Jake is already in the mudroom waiting patiently.  What a GOOD BOY he is! (I added this picture after the post because I didn't want to leave him out :-)).  I was wondering how best to store their food whether it be in the air tight container I bought or something else.  So I got up, gave her and Jake their dinner and then searched online to find some interesting information about pet food storage mistakes and wanted to share this information with you.  

#1.  DON'T LEAVE YOUR PETS FOOD UNSEALED.  Air and humidity can rapidly degrade food and increase risk of bacterial contamination like Salmonella.  The oils and food will expire causing GI upset.  To prevent bacteria, pet food should be sealed in a safe container after every feeding.  High quality pet food bags have been designed to keep out the elements and maintain freshness for as long as possible.  I feel comfortable knowing I've done everything possible to keep the food fresh.  The best option would be to use an air tight pet food container, buy high quality food, keep the food in the bag and store the bag in the container.  If you choose to pour the food directly from the bag to the container, your container should be thoroughly cleaned and dried before buying a new bag of pet food.

​#2.   DON'T LEAVE PET FOOD SITTING OUT TO LONG.  ​I'm guilty of leaving food sit out for a few hours.  The dogs are not always as hungry as I think they are and will leave morsels after their breakfast.  I sometimes leave their food out until lunchtime thinking they might get hungry.  It all depends on the manufacturer and how long you can keep dry food out.  The best way to know is by calling the manufacturer directly.  On the other hand, canned food can only be left out from 2 to no more than 4 hours.  Any unused canned food should be put into the refrigerator immediately.  It's also important to contact the manufacturer to find out how long the canned food can be fed once it has been opened and placed in the refrigerator.  Unopened dry and canned foods should be kept at room temperature and away from heat, humidity and infestation.

#3.  DON'T FORGET TO CLEAN FOOD BOWLS AFTER EACH FEEDING.  I thought I was on top of this but after reading this article, I was surprised to read that the Food and Drug Adminstration (FDA) actually recommends washing pet food bowls, dishes, and scooping utensils with soap and hot water after each use. This is to prevent infectious agents such as Salmonella or Listeria from accumulating on the items. If you use a plastic container to store your pet food, wash the container when empty, and make sure it is completely dry before adding new food. 

#4.  DON'T ALLOW YOUNG CHILDREN TO HANDLE PET FOOD.  Children and pet food simply don’t mix. Kids tend to be less reliable in their sanitary habits before and after handling pet food (if not supervised) and they are more likely to incorrectly measure an appropriate meal for your pet. This can harm both your child (exposing them to dangerous infectious agents) and your pet (promoting overeating and issues with obesity). 

​#5.  DON'T KEEP PET FOOD PAST IT'S EXPIRATION DATE.  These "best by" or "use by" are established to ensure the safety of your pet.  The expiration dates are found on the side or bottom of the bag or can.  If you can't find the date, you can call the manufacturer and they will help you locate the date.  Feeding expired food can possibly harm your pet.  

​More information on animal health and well being can be found at www.petmd.com.  

​

I told Maggie to get off the chair today.  She listens well.  NOT!  No wonder she is BAD!  I take a picture instead of yelling at her :-). 

So...Mom made us new treats last night :-). She calls them "chewies" but we know there organic chicken strips from Kroger.   We were waiting patiently on the couch for our "chewies" to be done but it was taking way to long...8 hours is just toooooo long for us to sit one spot.  They were so good that we want to share the recipe with you.  It's super easy!

Items you will need:
6 Tray Food Dehydrator by VonShef (www.VonShef.com)
(mom bought her's on Amazon)
Your choice of chicken breasts or chicken strips cut into thin pieces

Recipe:
Lay the pieces of chicken on the trays and turn on
(The trays are clear and interchangeable.  The directions recommend that you boil the chicken first but I chose to set the timer for the highest at 158 degrees and dehydrate for 8 hours).  

Love, Jake and Maggie