Tried & True: Yummy Dog Biscuits Recipe

For all you Martha wanna-be's out there, why not cook up something a little different this holiday? Make your furry family some homemade treats - they also make great stocking stuffers for our four-legged friends!



Here's a great recipe courtesy of Martha Stewart herself:

Ingredients
Makes about 5 dozen
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup wheat germ
1/4 cup brewer's yeast
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 tablespoons canola oil
1/2 cup low-sodium canned chicken stock, plus more for brushing

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, wheat germ, yeast, and salt; set aside

2. Place oil in a large bowl. Add stock and flour mixture in three alternating batches, beginning and ending with stock. Mix well.

3. On a lightly floured work surface, roll out dough to about 3/8-inch thick. Shape biscuits using a dog-bone-shaped cookie cutter or by cutting around a store-bought dog bone with a butter knife.(Make biscuits that are appropriate for your dog's size.)

4. If desired, you can spell out your dog's name or a holiday message in the dough with a toothpick (wet the toothpick first so it won't stick).

5. Transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets. Repeat with remaining dough.

6. Bake biscuits 10 minutes. Brush with stock; rotate baking sheets, and bake 10 minutes more. Turn off oven, leaving door closed. Let dog biscuits stand in oven to dry completely, about 1 1/2 hours. Wrap as a gift, or store in an airtight container at room temperature.

Enjoy!
M.J.

Winter Ready Pup!!

Madison sure knows how to stay warm and stylish this winter! We'd love to see pictures of your pet's styles. Email them to maddiesbackyard@gmail.com and we will post them on our blog.

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Dogs & T.V.

This feisty Westie reminds me of my Maddie.

Just for laughs,
M.J.

Holiday Safety Tips for Your Pet!

The holidays are in full swing and with only 12 days left until Christmas, now is the time to educate yourself on some pet safety tips! We don't want Fido feeling "under the weather" for the biggest holiday of the year!

Below you will find our 12 tips for keeping your dog safe this holiday season:


12 - Secure Your Tree
Make sure to anchor your Christmas tree so it doesn't tip and fall, causing possible injury to your pet. This will also prevent the tree water—which may contain fertilizers that can cause stomach upset—from spilling. Stagnant tree water is a breeding ground for bacteria and your pet could end up with nausea or diarrhea should he imbibe.

11 - Have a Tinsel-FREE Tree
Kitties love this sparkly, light-catching "toy" that's easy to bat around and carry in their mouths. But a nibble can lead to a swallow, which can lead to an obstructed digestive tract, severe vomiting, dehydration and possible surgery. It's best to brighten your boughs with something other than tinsel.

10 - Stick To Your Pet's OWN food
By now you know not to feed your pets chocolate and anything sweetened with xylitol, but do you know the lengths to which an enterprising fur kid will go to chomp on something yummy? Make sure to keep your pets away from the table and unattended plates of food, and be sure to secure the lids on garbage cans.

9 - Beware of LIVE Plants
Holly, poinsettias, lilies and mistletoe are especially toxic to our furry friends. Trade out the live plants this year and opt for some nice artificial ones instead.

8 - Pick Your Stocking Stuffers Wisely
Stick to pet friendly toys and treats to avoid any unwanted mishaps or illnesses.

7 - Forget The Leftovers
While it may be tempting to feed Fido the leftovers, skip it this Christmas. Their tummies and their physique will thank you! :)

6 - Keep an Eye on the Candles
Don't leave lighted candles unattended. Pets may burn themselves or cause a fire if they knock candles over.

5 - Be Weary of Wires
Keep wires, batteries and glass or plastic ornaments out of paws' reach. A wire can deliver a potentially lethal electrical shock and a punctured battery can cause burns to the mouth and esophagus, while shards of breakable ornaments can damage your pet's mouth.

4 - Cocktail Caution
If your celebration includes adult holiday beverages, be sure to place your unattended alcoholic drinks where pets cannot get to them. If ingested, your pet could become weak, ill and may even go into a coma, possibly resulting in death from respiratory failure.

3 - Keep The Medicines Out of Reach
Much like we baby-proof our homes, make sure pets don't have access to things that can harm them. Among those, medications! Keep them locked in a cabinet and out of Fido's reach!

2 - Give Them a Quiet Retreat
The holidays aren't just overwhelming for us, they can be for our furry friends too! Give your pet its own quiet space to retreat to—complete with fresh water and a place to snuggle. Shy pups and cats might want to hide out under a piece of furniture, in their carrying case or in a separate room away from all the holiday commotion.

1 - Ring in the New Year Right
As you count down to 2011, keep in mind that noisy poppers and fireworks can terrify your furry family and cause possible damage to sensitive ears.

Cheers to a wonderful & safe holiday season!

M.J.

Source: Adapted from - Holiday Safety Tips from ASPCA

Winter Warmth For Your Furry Family!

Recently, I had a client ask me about a heated dog bed for their Lab. I did some research and found some great options. My favorite, however, is the bed shown above. This extremely low wattage Lectro-Soft heated dog bed comes with a cream cover and is available in small, medium and large sizes. It is perfect for doghouses, basements, garages, barns, sheds, porches or simply to keep your pet warm on a cold night in the house! This soft, orthopedic bed is unique in that it will still provide soft comfortable warmth even in sub-zero weather.

Measurements:

Small - 14" x 18" with cover

Medium - 19" x 24" with cover

Large - 25" x 36" with cover

These heated dog beds are available for special order from Maddie's Backyard and retail for $96...a small investment offering a lot of warmth & comfort for your furry family! :)

M.J.

Dog Food & Allergies

Maddie at eight weeks.

When we first brought Madison home in 2006, I'm ashamed to admit I wasn't the most educated pet owner. We were prepared for her arrival and had the necessities: bedding, food, bowls....but what we didn't know was the importance of BRAND when it comes to your dogs daily meals. I went out and bought the familiar Beneful that you can purchase at almost any convenience store and supermarket out there. That's what Maddie ate for her first two years of life.

From a very early age, Madison started having skin allergies and common bouts of vomiting. After doing research on West Highland White Terriers and common ailments they suffer from, I figured Maddie's allergies were just a product of her DNA. It never occured to me that what I was feeding her may be producing and contributing to her symptoms. I started doing research on dog food brands and what ingredients they use. I soon realized that Beneful was one of the worst foods to feed a dog with allergies. The first ingredient = CORN! One of the worst things you can feed your dog, I learned, (especially one with allergies and stomach sensitivity) is corn gluten.

After researching various brands, I settled on Blue Buffalo. BLUE uses real meat, whole grains and healthy fruit and vegetables, while many leading dog food brands use chicken or poultry by-product meals, corn gluten and artificial preservatives. I slowly weaned Maddie off of Beneful and onto Blue Buffalo (Note: never just switch a dog's food. Slowly ease them into it by mixing the brands together initially. If you switch them cold turkey, it could cause stomach upset, diahhrea and increased vomiting).

While BLUE is a little pricier, it has definitely saved me money in vet bills. Prior to putting Maddie on BLUE, I took her to the vet almost quarterly and we tried various allergy and stomach relief medications, none of which seemed to solve the problem. Since switching her food, Madison has extremely reduced allergy symptoms. It would be unfair to say they are completely gone, but it her "breakouts" are few and far between these days.

If your dogs exhibit any of these symptoms, I would strongly encourage you to examine the ingredients of your current pet foods. BLUE has a great Dog Food Comparison on its Web site. Check it out here.

All for the love of our pampered pets!
M.J.

Lazy or Spoiled?

Zoe is our rescued lab mix puppy that we adopted last April from the Humane Society of Marion County. She is truly a sweetie...and makes us laugh all the time. While Zoe is a hyper pup, she sure does know how to relax. I thought I'd share some photos I've taken recently of her making herself "comfy!" Haha. She especially loves her dog couch my husband picked out just for her. Sometimes she shares it with Maddie though, as you can see in the above photo.

I hope you enjoy!!
M.J.

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