Gizzls for Pets

22/07/2022

Urinary Care – improved recipe 🧑🏻‍🍳⁠
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This is the treat that launched Gizzls and has a very special place in my heart. 🧡⁠
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Specially (and lovingly) formulated for cats who suffer with recurrent UTIs and kidney disease, I’ve now made our Urinary Care CBD treats even better with the addition of Astragalus and Cordyceps Mushrooms. 🐈️⁠
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🌱 Astragalus is a well-known adaptogen and a highly researched immune system supporter. It specifically helps kidneys by increasing blood flow and reducing the pain and inflammation that accompanies infections and disease.⁠
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🍄 Cordyceps mushrooms counteract oxidative stress in the kidneys. And without sounding too woo-woo, in Traditional Chinese Medicine, the kidney's hold anxiety and life source. Energy levels can be low when the kidneys don't work well and Cordyceps has been researched for energy production with great promise. ⁠
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🌿 Healing oil provides relief from pain, inflammation and anxiety, all of which are significant symptoms of kidney disease and UTI’s in cats. ⁠
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20/07/2022

A little Paste of Sunshine ☀️⁠
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Turmeric is one of our favourite ingredients here at Gizzls, so today we’re sharing a quick and simple recipe to make your own turmeric paste. 👩‍🍳⁠
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You’ll need:⁠
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½ cup of organic turmeric powder⁠
1 cup of water⁠
½ cup of coconut oil⁠
2-3 tsp of cracked black pepper⁠
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Add the water and turmeric to a pan, bring to the boil, then lower the heat and simmer gently until the mixture forms a paste (this takes a couple of minutes). Let the paste cool down, then stir in the oil and black pepper.⁠
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Put your golden paste into an airtight container in the fridge where it will keep for up to two weeks.⁠
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🐶 Small dogs: 1/4 teaspoon per day
🐶🐶 Medium dogs: 1/2 teaspoon per day
🐶🐶🐶 Large dogs: 3/4 teaspoon per day
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Curious about what turmeric actually does for your dog’s health? Check out our turmeric blog post: https://www.botanicalsbygizzls.co.za/post/spice-up-your-dog-s-life-with-turmeric

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19/07/2022

Stressed out? Anxious? Worried? 💥⁠
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And that’s just your dog!⁠
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We’ve formulated our Botanicals Anxiety treats with exactly these pooches in mind.⁠
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Packed with delicious ostrich and natural, stress reducing ingredients, our Anxiety treats will have your pup relaxed and chilled out in no time.
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🌿 Passionflower helps to lower the stress response in your dog’s brain as well as increasing levels of serotonin and dopamine (calming hormones) to help keep your pooch calm and collected. ⁠

🌺 Ashwagandha brings balance and supports a healthy response to stress and mental wellbeing.

🌼 Chamomile works to calm the nerves, reducing tension and overexcitement.
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15/07/2022

⚡ Tell tale signs of joint problems ⚡ ⁠
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Unfortunately, we’re all too familiar with doggy joint issues here at Gizzls HQ. Chief treat taster, Indie, has been living with arthritis since she was just three years old.⁠
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Dogs often have very high pain thresholds, so catching joint problems early on can be a bit tricky.⁠
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Here’s what to look out for:⁠
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🐾 Limping⁠
🐶 Loss of muscle tone & mass⁠
🐾 Bunny hopping⁠
🐶 Reluctance to jump into or out of a car⁠
🐾 Trouble getting onto the sofa (you know there’s a problem if this happens)⁠
🐶 Yelping when touched⁠
🐾 Reluctance to stay lying in one position⁠
🐶 Restlessness and obvious discomfort⁠
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Your vet is the person to diagnose elbow dysplasia, hip dysplasia or arthritis and advise on any medical treatment. ⁠
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We’re here to offer supplemental support with our full-spectrum CBD oils (the turmeric CBD oil is a highly effective, natural anti-inflammatory) as well as our best-selling Joint and Mobility treats in the CBD and Botanicals ranges.⁠
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Indie is living proof of the power of CBD and Botanicals – she’s full-of-beans and pain free four years after her diagnosis 💚
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Please get in touch if you need guidance on dosage or which products to choose.⁠

13/07/2022

Taming your little demon - why puppy school is so important!

Every puppy owner dreams of that well-behaved pup, but the reality is it takes puppy training, consistent practice and (lots and lots of) patience before a puppy can grow up to be that way!

The main (and often not mentioned) purpose of dog training is to build a bond with your pup - the better your bond, the better your dog’s listening skills.

The main benefits of puppy training:
🙌 Builds communication and trust

🐶 Teaches your puppy life skills and manners

😌 Helps to alleviate stress (yours and theirs)

💫 Keeps your puppy safe

☕ Endless possibilities (travel, agility events, brunching with friends in peace with your pup)

07/07/2022

💜 Gizzls Soft Bites! 💜

The second flavour out of the oven is Liver and Blueberry.

A special treat for the dog in your life, made from high reward, protein-packed ostrich liver and organic blueberries.

These soft-baked chews are perfect for all dogs - ideal for puppy training, tempting the pickiest of eaters and perfect for mature doggies with sensitive mouths.

🍪 Hypoallergenic
🌱 100% Natural
♻️ Eco friendly recyclable packaging
💜 Hand-baked with love
🛍️ 350g pack
💰 R85

05/07/2022

✨ Introducing Gizzls Soft Bites for Dogs! ✨

The first flavour out of the oven is Peanut Butter and Banana. 🥜🍌

Our Peanut Butter & Banana Soft Bites are a chewy slice of comfort food for your furry-friend. Made with sweet bananas and organic peanut butter – a delicious treat to enjoy while snuggled up at home or on-the-go.

These soft-baked treats are perfect for all dogs – from puppies, to the pickiest of eaters, to the older & wiser pups with sensitive mouths.

🍪 Hypoallergenic
🌱 100% Natural
♻️ Eco-friendly recyclable packaging
💛 Hand-baked with love
🛍️ 350g pack
💰 R85

12/05/2022

Friday the 13th 🖤 ⁠
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It’s a calendar day that still has the power to raise the hair on the back of superstitious necks the world over. ⁠
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The official name for fear of Friday the 13th is paraskevidekatriaphobia (if you can pronounce that, you deserve a prize) and it’s thought that the unluckiness of the date originated with Judas Iscariot, the 13th disciple who betrayed Jesus after the Last Supper.⁠
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But not everyone gets freaky about Friday.⁠
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The ancient Chinese regarded the number 13 as lucky and the ancient Egyptians also thought 13 brought good luck. 🍀⁠
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So, in the spirit of bringing good luck, use the discount code "LUCKY13" at checkout and get 13% off ALL Gizzls products tomorrow! 🐶😸⁠
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Offer ends at the stroke of midnight on Friday 14th.⁠

02/05/2022

Hello, I'm Max.

I'm super excited to announce that I've joined the Gizzls team on a permanent basis.

My job includes:
Chewing everything in my path with my baby shark teeth
Sleeping (a lot)
Eating (a lot)
Jumping all over my big sister Indie (whether she likes it or not)
Getting away with murder because I'm super cute
Sous taste tester

🐶 A GSD/Collie mix, I'm very chilled and quiet
📅 8 weeks old
💙 Mum, Indie, helping the ladies in the bakery, getting up to all manner of mischief
💔 The Naughty Stick, things I can't chew, not getting my own way

Looking forward to spamming Gizzls social media with my adorable antics and getting to know you all!

27/04/2022

💥 Kibble vs raw food for dogs is an ongoing hotly debated topic!⁠
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But maybe the lines don’t have to be so black and white. ⁠
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Nutrition plays a huge role in our dogs longevity, but feeding raw food can be time-consuming and expensive. As with most things, there’s a “meet in the middle” – feeding your pet a mix of raw and kibble. ⁠
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Replacing just 10% of kibble with fresh food can bring about very positive nutritional changes in your dog's body. 💫⁠
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That 10% change could also apply to choosing a healthier treat for your pooch. Instead of giving your dog treats with a laundry list of ingredients that you can’t pronounce, rather give them tasty treats packed full of a short list of healthy ingredients or even a handful of blueberries or a carrot or two. ⁠
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They’ll feel good, you’ll feel good, it’s a win-win! 🙌⁠

25/04/2022

Winter is coming 🥶⁠
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As the colder weather approaches, it's a good idea to start preparing your pooch. Our Botanicals Joint treats are formulated to support your dog’s joints, offer relief from joint pain, reduce inflammation & promote faster recovery from exercise with carefully selected natural ingredients:⁠
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💚 Boswellia Serrata⁠
Also known as "Frankincense", it helps maintain cartilage health while combatting stiffness and soreness.⁠
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❤️ Astaxanthin - For faster post exercise recovery. A beautiful red pigment produced by algae, it gives marine animals and our treats their distinctive colour.⁠
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🧡 Turmeric & Black Pepper - a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory combo to keep your dog healthy for longer.⁠
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💛 Omega Fish Oils⁠
Supports dogs' hearts, joints, coats, skin and immune systems.

21/04/2022

Doggy Social Skills on Lockdown?⁠
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If you were one of the millions of people worldwide who adopted or bought a puppy as we went into lockdown in 2020, you’ll likely relate to this post.⁠
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Thanks to not being able to leave the house, have friends over or get to puppy class as you’d ordinarily have done, one of the side effects of the Covid pandemic has been dogs with less than adequate social skills, as well as separation anxiety as we return to 'normal'.⁠
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The good news is that it's never too late to socialise your dog – trickier cases might need the help of a dog trainer or behaviourist – but it’s a skill that can be learnt.⁠
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Separation anxiety can also be lessened with some training too, you just have to be patient.⁠
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Our Stress & Anxiety treats in our Botanicals and CBD ranges also work wonders to help calm worried dogs and soothe their frazzled nerves.⁠
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We’re here to answer any questions you have about how to use our treats, just send us a DM.⁠

15/04/2022

Bunny boundaries - keeping your dog safe this Easter weekend 🐰

We’re very much looking forward to enjoying some choccie over the next few days, but it’s important to make sure your dog doesn’t have any sort of contact with the Easter Bunny (especially the chocolate coated one). 🍫

Chocolate contains a compound called theobromine which us humans metabolise quickly, dogs, however don’t and it can quickly build up to toxic levels in their bodies.

The higher the cocoa content of your favourite chocolate, the more dangerous it is for your dog and of course, the smaller your dog, the more potent the effects of the theobromine.

We all know to keep the Easter treats away from our dogs, but if yours manage to get their paws on a significant amount, the sooner you get them to the vet, the better. 🚑

You can, of course, avoid any drama by giving them a delicious, 100% natural treat (or 3) from Gizzls. 🙌

14/04/2022

Brilliant! 😻🐶 Petco

https://www.adsoftheworld.com/media/film/petco_its_what_wed_want_if_we_were_pets

Film advertisement created by Droga5, United States for Petco, within the categories: Pets, Retail Services.

11/04/2022

The very talented emmaobrien.com brand new photography exhibition featuring 68 adopted pedigree dogs opens today at the Foto ZA Gallery in Rosebank.

The gallery will be dog friendly over the Easter weekend as well as Sat 23rd & Sun 24th April so please pop in for a coffee and a puppuccino (Hound & Home Dog-Friendly Bakery have sponsored some biscuits for the dogs).

If you're in Joburg this is so worth a visit! Also a great way to keep the kiddies (fur and human) occupied for a few hours over the long weekend ☺️

25/03/2022

Explore our variety of natural treats and find which one fuels your dog’s adventurous life. 🐶⁠
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Available in:⁠
💛 Golden Bones – Peanut Butter and Turmeric⁠
💚 Minty Fresh – Peanut Butter and Mint⁠
💙 Sweet Dreams – Peanut Butter and Chamomile⁠
❤️ Mighty Meat – Ostrich⁠
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🌱 Hypoallergenic⁠
💰 R85 per pack of 60 biscuits⁠
🍪 Delicious!⁠
🚚 Speedy delivery

18/03/2022

How to make your own bone broth and make your dog very happy! 🐶⁠
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Bone broth is REALLY good for dogs. It’s full of vitamins, minerals, collagen, glucosamine, protein and amino acids all of which support joint health as well as help maintain a healthy gut.⁠
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It’s also very tasty! If you’ve got fussy eaters, a dash of bone broth in each meal will work wonders.⁠
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🍖 Ingredients⁠
Water (to cover the bones and veg, plus a little extra)⁠
1kg of beef marrow bones (you can also add chicken feet)⁠
2 carrots⁠
2 celery sticks⁠
2 sprigs of rosemary⁠
3 tsps turmeric powder⁠
3 tbps raw, organic apple cider vinegar*⁠
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(*the magic ingredient that makes sure your broth has that healthy gelatin in it and it also pulls the nutritious minerals out of the bones) ⁠
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👩‍🍳 Method⁠
Add all the ingredients to a large pot or ideally a slow cooker, bring to the boil and then gently simmer for 9 - 12 hours.⁠
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The broth should be golden and gel-like once it’s ready.⁠
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Remove the bone marrow from the bones and mix. Remove the bones and strain into a bowl. (Unfortunately you can't give your dog the bones that were in the soup. Cooked bones can splinter and can seriously injure your pup.)⁠
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Store in a container in the fridge for up to 4 days. You can freeze the bone broth for up to 3 months – an easy way to freeze and portion, is to make ice cubes out of the bone broth. That way you can defrost a serving each day and add it to your dog's food. Easy peasy!⁠


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16/03/2022

Do your cats go crazy for catnip? 😻

Scientists believe that catnip activates the happy receptors in a cat’s brain, but it has different effects depending on whether it’s inhaled or eaten.

If sniffed, catnip tends to make cats go bananas. When eaten, it chills them out instead. Resulting behaviours, however, really depend on the individual cat.

Either way, your kitty will love our brand new catnip treats!

🥳 Fun Fact: catnip has been known to repel mosquitos and other parasites, so it's quite useful as well as amusing to watch your cat roll in it!

14/03/2022

A day in the life of a Botanicals Treat 👩‍🍳

Have you ever wondered how our treats are made?

They are lovingly baked by hand at the Gizzls bakery everyday 💛.

Here’s what happens:

1️⃣: First the dough is skillfully prepared to the exact consistency for crunchy treats.

2️⃣: Next the dough is cut into beautiful bones by our amazing team.

3️⃣: Then the bones are slowly baked, in carbon-neutral ovens (they smell delicious fresh out of the oven).

4️⃣: Off they then go to be hand packed into our beautiful packaging.

5️⃣ Finally, they're ready for their adventures all across South Africa. Perhaps even to your very doorstep!

11/03/2022

🌿 Gizzls Minty Fresh Bones 🌿⁠

Have you ever had a whiff of your dog’s breath and thought, ‘Phew! You need a breath mint?!’ Packed with organic peanut butter and fresh mint, we created our Minty Breath Bones to help keep breath fresh and clean.

❄️ Keeps Breath Fresh - Packed with mint to help combat bad breath and with added vitamins & minerals to help keep your dog's teeth healthy and strong.

🌿 100% Natural - No added artificial colours, flavours or preservatives make our Minty Fresh Bones healthy as well as delicious.⁠
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🚫 Hypoallergenic - No grain, gluten, dairy or soy.⁠
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🇿🇦 Proudly South African - Gourmet treats baked locally with love!⁠
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💰 R85 per pack of 50 large bones.⁠

10/03/2022

Getting to the root of pet dental care 🤭⁠
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Just like us humans, keeping our pet’s teeth and gums clean is essential for good health. 💫⁠
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Ideally we’d be brushing our pet’s teeth every other day (using a specially formulated pet toothpaste), but this isn’t always practical or doable.⁠
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If your efforts to keep your pet’s pearly whites sparkly clean are rotting away, here’s what you can do instead:⁠
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⏰ Regularly give your pet hard food such as kibble.⁠
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🍪 Feed them crunchy treats to keep the plaque at bay (our treats are designed with optimum crunch in mind).⁠
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🥎 Give your pet a chew toy specifically formulated to clean teeth.⁠
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👩🏻‍⚕️ Have your vet check your pet's teeth when they have their annual vaccinations.⁠
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👀 Keep any eye out for bleeding gums, difficulty eating or offensive breath and have it checked by your vet.

25/02/2022

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I am reaching out to you with absolute gratitude!

Your Botanical range of all natural Anxiety biscuits have helped our little Daxie x Jack Russell pup so much. We adopted her at 8 weeks old in January 2021 and until December 2021, she could never be left alone, not even with our newest pup.

The biscuits have done wonders and we can leave her alone for up to an hour all snug in our house! They are the perfect combination of ingredients that don’t make her zoned out at all but just take the edge off her little anxious soul.

We have recommend them to friends and family and they have seen amazing results too!"

31/01/2022

Healthy from the inside out 💜

Our Wellness treats are designed to support your dog’s general health and wellbeing with carefully selected natural ingredients including:

💛 Siberian Ginseng - a herbal adaptogen that boosts immunity.

❤️ Astaxanthin - another amazing herb for faster post exercise recovery.

🤎 Prebiotics - to promote and maintain balanced, healthy gut flora and improve digestion.

💚 Fresh Peppermint - to keep breath fresh and tummies in balance.

💚 Leafy Spinach - packed with protein and essential vitamins & minerals for strong muscles.

🧡 Turmeric & Black Pepper - a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory combo to help your dog healthy for longer.

Shop the Wellness treats: https://www.botanicalsbygizzls.co.za/shop/100-Natural-Dog-Treats-for-General-Wellness-p357157134

08/11/2021

Having a senior moment? 🤔⁠
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The aging process takes a toll on your furry friend’s body. As he grows older, he won’t be able to move or play like he used to. Many senior dogs suffer from arthritis, cognitive dysfunction and a lack of energy. 🐶⁠
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Adaptogenic herbs can help alleviate symptoms of aging and improve your dog’s quality of life. 🙌⁠
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Rhodiola is one of the superhero adaptogens we include in our Botanicals Senior treats.⁠
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It’s an excellent antioxidant, helps to reduce the damaging effects of stress on your dogs’ body and can help to improve memory as well as lessening age related fatigue.⁠
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Like all our Botanical and CBD products, you’ll see the best result when you use them regularly.⁠
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We’re always happy to assist you with the correct treat dosage for your dog’s weight, age and condition. ⁠
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Simply send us a DM, we’re here to help you and your pets.⁠
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Our full treat range is available online: https://www.gizzls.co.za/online-store/Botanicals-by-Gizzls-c109845858

18/10/2021

Stressed out? Anxious? Worried? 💥⁠
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And that’s just your dog!⁠
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As life slowly starts to return to normal and you find yourself going back to the office or leaving the house for longer periods of time, knowing that you’re leaving an anxious dog home alone can be a big worry.⁠
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Separation anxiety is a very common problem, especially with lockdown pups.⁠
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We’ve formulated our Botanicals Anxiety treats with exactly these pooches in mind.⁠
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Alongside natural stress reducing adaptogens Ashwagandha and Skullcap, our Anxiety treats contain Passionflower.⁠
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Passionflower helps to lower the stress response in your dog’s brain as well as increasing levels of serotonin and dopamine (calming hormones) to help keep your pooch calm and collected. 🌼⁠
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Got a question about how our treat range can help your dog? Please send us a DM, we’re always happy to help.⁠

01/10/2021

Basil the Superherb! 🌿

Basil is one of our favourite herbs. Besides using it in a delicious caprese salad, we use it in our treats as it's also got some amazing health boosting properties for dogs including:

🌱 Reducing joint inflammation (which is why you’ll find it in our senior dog treats)

💪 Supporting gut health

🥊 Cancer fighting antioxidants

💚 Natural antifungal properties

😌 Calming anxiety

🌿 A source of Vitamin K, calcium, manganese and iron

You’ll never look at a basil leaf in the same way again!

30/09/2021

Teenage dogs - who can relate? 🤯⁠
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Much like teenage children, dogs also go through an adolescent period where they are difficult, don’t listen and make life really tough for the rest of the household.⁠
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If you’ve got a teenage dog on your hands, we feel your pain!⁠
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The doggy ‘teenage’ phase happens between 5 months and 2 years of age and not surprisingly many puppies find themselves being given up for adoption or rehoming around this time because their owners can’t (or won’t take the time to) cope with the crazy.⁠
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Here are some tips to help keep your teenage dog out of trouble:⁠
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🐕 Take them to training regularly. This helps you to bond with your dog, gives you exercises to practice at home and keeps them busy.⁠
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🎾 Make sure they have regular walks & playtime.⁠
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🎉 Book them into daycare.⁠
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👠 Put your things away. If shoes aren’t available to be chewed, they won’t be ;)⁠
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🧸 Get your busy pup some fun toys.⁠
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😇 Be patient and know that this phase will pass.⁠
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Nutrition also plays a role in doggy teenage angst –our range of CBD treats will help to calm your pup down and are a healthy alternative to more processed snacks. ⁠
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We also have a range of human CBD oils to help calm your frazzled nerves during this delightful phase!⁠
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Shop the range: https://www.gizzls.co.za/online-store

28/09/2021

Sun’s out, shampoo’s out! 🛁

Our resident GSD, Indie, is getting a spring clean to try and keep her shedding at bay (she’s thrilled about this 😂 👉).

Her fur literally comes out in handfuls and then floats around the bakery office like tumbleweed.

The hoover is out every day.

Anyone else have this problem? 🤷‍♀️

15/09/2021

How not to kill Basil 😈

Hands up if you’ve bought a Basil plant from the supermarket or garden centre with the intention of enjoying it on your kitchen windowsill, but instead, it promptly died. 🙋‍♀️

Basil can be an easy plant to keep, you simply need to switch up how you care for it:

🌿 Rather than pouring water into its pot, put the water into its saucer and allow it to soak in from the bottom up.

🌿 Place your Basil plant on a sunny windowsill (but not direct sunlight) and make sure it gets a good 6 hours of sunlight each day.

🌿 Go easy on the fertiliser - use half the amount you normally would for your other houseplants.

We love Basil, it’s one of the key ingredients in our senior treat range because of its amazing health benefits - more on that coming up. 💚⁠

09/09/2021

Did you know that wild birds LOVE using dog hair to make their nests? 🤔

It’s that wonderful time of year when the weather warms up and fur starts to fly. ☀️

The next time you brush your hairy hound, rather than binning it all, collect up the spare hair and peg it to a tree.

Your garden birds will swoop in and take it all away to use as lining for their nests.

If you feed your garden birdies, leave the hair close to the feeders and it’ll be gone in no time.

Drop us a 🐦 if you already do this and, if you’re new to this eco-friendly manoeuvre, tag us in a pic when you give it a try!