Embrace Pet Community blog

Nok-Out

2009-10-29T13:00:20-04:00

Financial consultant Mary Hunt has a great suggestion for pet owners. In her recent post in Everyday Cheapskate she recommended Nok Out as an odor elimination product suitable even for pet odors:

"I have recommended Nok-Out to thousands of readers who have smelly issues like pet smells, carpet, cigarette and cigar odors, mildew, sick rooms, smelly shoes, stinky microwaves and refrigerators, putrid garbage disposals and icky air conditioners. You name it: If it smells, I've been asked about how to get rid of it. My response is simple: If it's worth keeping, it's worth Nok-Out."

It's a non-toxic and safe product to use around pets and kids, and will help in stinky areas like crates and litter boxes, and also helps with issues like Skunking, or incontinence odors. It's even used in shelters and vet clinics.

Products start around $5.95 for the 4 oz. travel size, which would be perfect for glove boxes, (or to carry in public when protecting against H1N1). Then, for around the house, the larger sizes start with the 16 oz for $11.95.

The cute Boxer puppy shown above is "Dallas".

Snuggie for Puppies

2009-10-26T17:03:41-04:00

You've got your own blanket with sleeves, right? I mean, c'mon! Who doesn't enjoy a good Snuggie?

Now your dog can snuggle up to you in their own dog Snuggie-available in 4 sizes for dogs 6-28 Lbs, and in pink or blue. Act now, for a special BOGO offer, and get a recordable dog tag too! Just in time for the cool weather-you'll have everything you need to get your snuggle on!

$14.95

10 Unbelievable Pet Products from WomansDay.com

2009-10-02T13:00:00-04:00

Woman's Day just posted their list of "10 Unbelievable Pet Products", and I have to say, "uunbelievable" is the polite word for some of these gadgets. While some of these are pretty typical pet products, (like an elevated dog feeder) I'm not sure that I'm sold on the pet ionizer.

The PurrDetector is pretty cool though. Happy purrs are one thing I don't want to miss out on, so how nice would it be to have a visible indicator on the collar?

Don't Lick the Dog

2009-10-01T07:01:00-04:00

Kids and dogs make a great friends, yet, many children are unsure about how to approach or interact with dogs. Even adults can misread a dog's body language (a wagging tail doesn't always mean a dog is happy). We've all seen children react poorly when a dog sniffs or licks them, as little ones may think they're getting ready to bite.

Author Wendy Wahman has a new storybook, Don't Lick the Dog, for children looking to make friends with dogs. The book will help children to understand that an excitable dog is not something to fear, and also help them to better interpret dog behaviors and body language. On the other hand, it teaches children to safely approach and interact with the dogs in their world.

For ages 3-6, $16.95 at the Best Friends Store.

The lovely dog featured above is Millie. She, as well as several other Golden Retrievers, are looking for forever homes through G.R.I.N. Stop and have a look-maybe you'll find a new best friend?

Yo Quiero Treats

2009-09-29T10:01:03-04:00

You have to admit-some halloween costumes are just perfect for a particular breed of dog...for example, The Taco for the Chihuahua at Fun Stuff for Dogs.

The Frog is ideal for a Pug ($59.99 at Ruff Knits). I'd also love to see a Pomeranian in a Lion Costume, or a Spotty Great Dane in a Cow Costume.

Aren't you glad more and more pets get to Trick or Treat these days?

Fish Oil-coat care for canines

2009-09-23T02:42:00-04:00

After meeting this handsome black Labrador recently, I had to know what was making his coat look so shiny. His dad let me in on the secret: Fish Oil. I had heard that fish oil helped to reduce shedding, but after further investigationit does much more than that. In addition to cutting down on dander and itchy skin, it reduces inflammation associated with arthritis, and even improves brain function. It seems that dosage does depend on the pet's specific size and needs, so check with your vet.

And as with most products that are produced for both pets and people, the "people product" is cheaper, but is just fine for dogs. I found some bottles of fish oil tablets at a pet store chain for about $25, but you can also find them "buy one get one" at Puritan's Pride for about $8.

Do any of you (or your pets) use Fish Oil-and what do you think?

This costume is Bananas...

2009-09-21T13:36:30-04:00

I just saw this costume on the rack at Target over the weekend, and thought, "Oh, cute, a banana." But then, I saw the little hat which makes the dog's head looks so delicious that you could just gobble him up!

This costume just goes from cute do adorable, just because of that hat! And wouldn't it be so perfect with the Plush Monkey Infant costume?

Banana Costume at Target.com or in stores. Available in sizes xs-xl.

E-Collar solutions

2009-09-07T06:15:00-04:00

Has your pet ever had to put up with one of those "Cones" after a surgery? Can you just imagine how annoying that is for them?

hugX has a modern bowl designed so that the food or water is angled to enable your pet to eat or drink unimpeded, even while wearing an e-collar. I imagine it would also cut down on tags clanking against a dish too.

Sounds pretty snazzy, but I'm not sure about the $65 price tag. And, it looks to be plastic, so I would expect it to get chewed up in my house.

Perhaps the Necks Best Thing (yes, you read that pun correctly!) would be this collar from WoodCreek Pet Products. It's lightweight, waterproof, and prevents chewing and licking of wounds. It's one size fits all, and can be cut to size if needed. $31.20.

I'm thinking its nice when the cheaper solution is the easier one.

Canine Tea

2009-09-03T07:02:00-04:00

ShopGreenPets.com has a pet product that I have not seen yet-Dr. Harvey's Herbal Tea for pets. The organic tea includes red clover, alfalfa, chamomile and more, to detoxify and fortify your dog, cat or bird. Serve daily, or as a special treat that your pet will enjoy. Four ounces is $9.95

Sounds almost good enough to try myself-what dog wouldn't enjoy a nice bowl of tea after a walk on a brisk fall day?

September is National Pet Insurance month

2009-08-31T07:00:00-04:00

September is National Pet Insurance month, and pet parents can win $500 for their "Pet Insurance in action" story. From the North American Pet Health Insurance association (NAPHIA):

September 2009 is National Pet Health Insurance Month, and the North American Pet Health Insurance Association would like to invite pet owners to submit stories of how pet health insurance has helped them in a situation when their pet was in need of medical care. NAPHIA board members will review the submissions and choose one winner, who will receive $500!

(Click for contest details)

Need inspiration for how to write up your Pet Insurance story? Check out Embrace's real claim stories.

Show Your Support for the Vick-tims

2009-08-18T09:41:15-04:00

By now we've all heard the news that the Philadelphia Eagles have signed Michael Vick. Regardless of how someone feels about his return to the NFL, I think we can allsupport of the victims of dog fighting rings. The HSUS has released a new shirt from artist Ron Burns that sums up the sentiment nicely-"Prize-Not Fighter". Other related designs include the slogan "real hero's don't fight dogs". Shirts range from $17.50-$28 for the long sleeve options.

Bad Rap also has shirts for their VickTORY dog supporters. Shown left is "The Good Fight", available in many sizes and styles.

Furzoff-product review

2009-08-12T14:35:23-04:00

The folks at Fur-zoff sent us their product today. They call it "the ugly duckling in your cleaning cabinet" and they're not kidding. It looks like a sponge, but feels like a rock-my first impression: so simple it might actually work.

The Fur-zoff is made of 90% recycled material, and designed to brush fur off of clothes, carpet and upholstery. I ran right out to the parking lot and tested it out in the "doggie cargo" area of my hatchback. I have Lyger, the very furry Chow mix, and his fur poses a real challenge to any fur removal product I've tried. A couple quick "scrapes" against the carpet, and I was really surprised. I knew the black carpet was covered in Lyger's white hair, but the Fur-zoff was pulling up a TON of Lula's black hair too! Whoa! In about two minutes I had the entire cargo area cleaned up-looking almost new!

I also tried it on my car seat, wondering if that upholstery would be any different than the carpet area-good results yet again. It left a very fine dust on the seat, but brushed right off-no problem.

I like this product ($9.99 for one block), simply because it doesn't need refills or replacements. It's a standalone product, guaranteed for life, that can easily be stored in a glove box or closet. I might not recommend it on delicate fabrics, as I could see where it might snag or scrape the material, but it's perfect for cars, clothes and furniture. Cool!

Magnetic Poetry

2009-08-07T16:04:09-04:00

There's something funny about magnetic poetry kits-they're on your fridge, and then people can't help themselves from playing with them. My visitors always end up leaving me with some random phrase or haiku, that usually stays up long after they've gone.

So, now people can leave me dog themed magnetic poetry. ($9.95 at Amazon) The official product description says it includes words like "chase", "chew and "scratch" but the reviewers seem to get a bigger kick out of the more practical words like "barf" and "butt". Some words that might be useful in my house would be "toot" "grumble" and "wiggle". And wouldn't it be nice if they gave you blank tiles for your dog's nicknames?

Post a comment about what words you'd need to see in your dog's poetry kit.

Doggie of the Day: Mable is a 3 year old Boxer.