Planning for a dog’s 4th of July and their nutrition #cbias #ad

In my previous life I worked at a large humane society where I did their social media and fundraising for five years.  During that time I heard hundreds of animal tales, learned about healthy dog treats and basic pet safety.   The 4^th of July is great fun for humans, but can be a life altering day for dogs.  For us we’re going to treat our guys to some chicken jerky for dogs, BBQ at home and be thankful for all that we have.

More animals run away on the 4^th of July than on any other day.  That’s because the loud bangs and booms from fireworks scare the dogs and make them much more apt to run away.  Even if the dog is with their owner-on a leash, they may pull away, run cower or do anything to get away from where they are.

Do not take your dog to any fireworks show

If you take your dog to a fireworks display will be scared out of their mind.  The risk of the dog running away and their level of panic/discomfort; aren’t worth the fact that you want to spend time with your dog in an area that is not appropriate for them.

Keep your dog inside

We live 2 miles away from the nearest fireworks display but still keep them in the laundry room.  Their beds are in there, the radio is turned up a little louder than normal and they stay there until the bulk of the noise is over.

Do not even let your dog outside after dusk.   A scared dog will jump higher than normal and be quicker than what you’re used to.

Cats too

If your cats go outside be sure to keep them inside on the night of the 4^th of July.  Keep them inside all day if you have to, but keep them inside.

A bit about nutrition

Treats can help responsible owners train or reward their dogs. What are the best dog treats for your best friend?  Here’s a hint, it’s the quality of the dog treat and not necessarily the size.  Nudges are chicken jerky dog treats that are made in the USA.  The pieces come in one size but you can easily rip them into various sizes if you’re training, rewarding or simply treating them.  A simple treat to say ‘good dog’, might be a different size from the ones that are more goal oriented, like when you’re trying to house train them.

For more tips on summertime dogs and a $1 off coupon for Nudges check out the latest issue of Live SoFab Summer Digital Magazine.

For more details you can follow Nudges on twitter, Facebook and their website has some coupons.  Want more chances at prizes?  Nudges Wholesome Dog Treats are having a Facebook contest where you can win goodies from Samsung or a $2,500 gift card that you can use toward phone service.

When older dogs get finicky

Wilson is a 14 year old golden retriever.  When he was 12 he started becoming very finicky about his food, often times not eating.  Our vet said that one option was for us to make his dog food.

We’ve been doing that ever since and it’s proven to be very easy and cost effective.  He eats a combination of rice, peas and meat.  All of the ingredients are mixed together and cook when the rice is boiling.  A quarter cup of dog food is added too, just to provide any nutrition that our home made meal might miss.