Ziggy

09/11/2023

We went to Go China for take out and this was my fortune. Very right on the money Dad said. Then I ate the paper.

11/09/2023

To all the fur-heros, past and present.

Today, we honor the victims and heroes of . In the days following the tragedy, search and rescue dogs worked tirelessly and endured danger alongside first responders at Ground Zero. Bretagne, the last known surviving search dog of 9/11, was laid to rest in June 2016.

The spirit and stories of these animals and their heroism live on. A memorial statue of Bretagne stands as a tribute in her hometown of Cypress, Texas.

16/08/2023

Took mom for a walk this morning.

04/07/2023

My mom broke out all the comfort friends tonight. I even got a mini pup-Raindrop with Valor.

I think I’ll take a nap 💤 now thank you. Sweet dreams.

28/06/2023

Got me a new place to hang in the porchio with mom. 🤗

24/06/2023

You too???

13/06/2023

Hoping my hooman-mom will make these! I'm glad she's got smart friends.

07/06/2023

The secrets out!!

06/06/2023

Woof!

Our POSH PETS deserve the best Summer ever. Here are four recipes you can craft today that will leave your pup enjoying the great outdoors so you can remain worry free enjoying your evenings.

From outdoor spray for your hiking adventures to a collar soak and even something for our water loving dogs! I've even included the labels for you to download.

Enjoy!
-Melissa

CREATE & INSPIRE
https://www.thechemicalfreehome.com/posh-pets-atelier

PLASTIC OR GLASS?
When it comes to crafting with essential oils, you may find yourself in a battle of the bottles. Should you use glass? Should you use plastic?

Here is my general rule of thumb: if you are going to consume it, use glass. That is always your best and safest option. If you are making an item for general use, choose either. For me personally if I am crafting a parfume, I want something beautiful and elegant. This will be sitting on a vanity or cabinet so I do not need to worry about breaking the bottle. For daily use items and sprays that I will be toting, I always choose plastic. But not JUST any plastic.... make sure you are using "HDPE" grade plastic, which will be noted on the bottom of the bottle. This is a specialty grade plastic that will not break down in the presence of constituents as those found in essential oils. This will be the packaging you will see used by Young Living for some of your most beloved products such as ClaraDerm, LavaDerm, massage oils, lotions, and Thieves Household cleaner just to name a few.

29/05/2023

Waiting. Watching. Hoping.

22/05/2023

Don't even think about it!😂

22/03/2023

Fun night!!

15/02/2023

Happy Valentines Day!
Love on your hoomans!!!

06/11/2022

Hint. Hint.
Trick of the day, friends. 😂

17/10/2022

Hi.

11/09/2022

10/08/2022

What’s your favorite way to cool down in summer???

02/07/2022

Sometimes, for reasons I don’t understand, you may not like it may not have the YL essential oils shared yesterday.

Don’t fret! Here’s another idea!!

* and stay home with your fur-friend if you can ❤️🇺🇸

4th of July weekend can be a stressful time for our pets… fireworks 🎆, parties 🎉, loud noises🚨…

Before the party even gets started, try giving your pet 4 drops of (made with 5 natural Bach flower essences!) on a treat or in their water bowl. Continue giving it to them as needed to help keep them calm & comfortable as things start to get a little hectic. 💛🐶🐱

29/06/2022

Ask your hoomans if they are prepared.






Some of us just aren't fans of loud bangs.

28/06/2022

Got tricked into a 🛁 bath today. Exhausting work.

19/03/2022

Exploring

17/03/2022

IYKYK.
Happy St. Paddy's Day, friends!

10/03/2022

Just chillin …

27/02/2022

It’s important to stop and get a belly rub. Yea, we all have chores like stealing sox and hiding shoes … but, belly rubs.

21/02/2022

For Valentines Day my people took me on an adventure and I found lots of treasures in the woods. Mom only took pics of the pretty things, but there were lots of smells she couldn’t see. But I’m smart; I knew.

Outside is pretty amazing. It makes me happy.

17/01/2022

😂🤣😂

21/12/2021

Be like Santa.

12/12/2021

What do you 🤔 think?? Should I update my profile pic from my recent photo shoot???

05/10/2021

Ick. Tell your people.

THE MOST DANGEROUS PET CHEW EVER: RAWHIDE!

How can one of the most popular chew sticks on the planet be so dangerous for your pets, you ask? I mean, most dogs chew on rawhide for hours on end, and not only does it keep them busy, but they seem to last forever.

Well if you understood what it took to make this toxic “raw” leather stick, you would quickly understand what the problem is.

Aside from the horror stories circulating all over social media these days, of pets needing emergency surgery after consuming rawhide, the majority of pet parents today, especially the newbies, believe that this chew is some sort of dried up meat stick. Let me debunk that myth right away!

A rawhide stick is not the by-product of the beef industry nor is it made of dehydrated meat. Rather, rawhide is the by-product of the “Leather Industry”, so theoretically it is a leather chew. Sounds awesome, right?

“Producing rawhide begins with the splitting of an animal hide, usually from cattle. The top grain is generally tanned and made into leather products, while the inner portion, in its “raw” state, goes to the dogs.” TheBark.com

So, how does this leather, which is conveniently rolled up into pretty shapes, actually get made into those rawhide chews?

Follow along my friends and I will enlighten you on how this hide travels through a leathery process where it transforms from hide to a not-so beautiful, colorful, chew stick. Here is a paraphrased tutorial that was explained by the whole dog journal several years back:

STEP 1: Normally, cattle hides are shipped from slaughterhouses to tanneries for processing. These hides are then treated with a chemical bath to help “preserve” the product during transport to help prevent spoilage.

(No one wants to purchase a black, spoiled rawhide stick!)

Once at the tannery: the hides are soaked and treated with either an ash-lye solution or a highly toxic recipe of sodium sulphide liming. This process will help strip the hair and fat that maybe attached to the hides themselves.

(No, no one wants to see a hairy hide…)

Next on this glorious journey, these hides are then treated with chemicals that help “puff” the hide, making it easier to split into layers.

The outer layer of the hide is used for goods like car seats, clothing, shoes, purses, etc. But, it’s the inner layer that is needed to make the rawhide. (Oh and other things like gelatin, cosmetics, and glue as well!)

STEP 2: Now that we have the inner layer of the hide, it’s time to go to the post-tannery stage! Hides are washed and whitened using a solution of hydrogen peroxide and/or bleach; this will also help remove the smell of the rotten or putrid leather. Bonus!
(Research also shows that other chemicals maybe used here to help the whitening process if the bleach isn’t strong enough.)

STEP 3: Now it’s time to make these whitened sheets of this “leathery by-product” look delicious! So, here is where the artistic painting process comes in.

“Basted, smoked, and decoratively tinted products might be any color (or odor) underneath the coating of (often artificial) dyes and flavors. They can even be painted with a coating of titanium oxide to make them appear white and pretty on the pet store shelves.” - whole-dog-journal.com

“…the Material Safety Data Sheet reveals a toxic confection containing the carcinogen FD&C Red 40, along with preservatives like sodium benzoate. But tracking the effects of chemical exposure is nearly impossible when it’s a matter of slow, low-dose poisoning.”– thebark.com

Ok, now that these hides have been painted, it’s time for the final process.

STEP 4: Getting it to last forever!

Because the FDA does not consider these chews to be food, really it’s a free for all when it comes to the manufacturers of these leather strips, and the products they may want to add to these chews, to get them to last forever. Any sort of glue can be added here to get these bad boys to never come apart.

When tested: Lead, arsenic, mercury, chromium salts, formaldehyde, and other toxic chemicals have been detected in raw hides. So it’s safe to say that any sort of glues can be used as well!

Finally, it’s time to package and attach all the glorious marketing labels to the product.

Check out the fine print warning that’s attached with some of these rawhides:
“Choking or blockages. If your dog swallows large pieces of rawhide, the rawhide can get stuck in the esophagus or other parts of the digestive tract. Sometimes, abdominal surgery is needed to remove them from the stomach or intestines. If it isn’t resolved, a blockage can lead to death.“

(Oh, how lovely…)

And there it is! It’s now ready to be shipped to store shelves where it can be purchased for our loving animal companions.

How do proactive veterinarians feel about these chews?

Here is world-renowned veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker's take on the matter:

“The name ‘rawhide’ is technically incorrect. A more accurate name would be processed-hide, because the skin isn’t raw at all. But the term “rawhide” has stuck.

Rawhide chews start out hard, but as your dog works the chew it becomes softer, and eventually he can unknot the knots on each end and the chew takes on the consistency of a slimy piece of taffy or bubble gum. And by that time your dog cannot stop working it -- it becomes almost addictive.

At this point, there’s no longer any dental benefit to the chew because it has turned soft and gooey, and, in fact, it has become a choking and intestinal obstruction hazard.“

P.S. Ready for the jaw dropper?

An investigation by Humane Society International stated in their report, “In a particularly grisly twist, the skins of brutally slaughtered dogs in Thailand are mixed with other bits of skin to produce rawhide chew toys for pet dogs. Manufacturers told investigators that these chew toys are regularly exported to and sold in U.S. stores.” – dogingtonpost.com

Rodney Habib Pet Health Site

"An educated, informed and well-researched community of pet owners can only put more pressure on the pet food industry to be better! When pet owners know better, they will only do better!"

25/09/2021

in case you had a hard week ...

05/08/2021

PSA: it’s still summer friends.
Just follow the never-ever rule!

NO ONE left in the car!!!
🐶🐈🐰👶🏻👧🏻

02/07/2021

Ziggy hasn't been on here in a bit but he was concerned about this weekend.

PSA: Remember, not everyone loves loud noises.

12/05/2021

Does your person share with you???

03/05/2021

I love when mom's favorite company loves on us fur-friends, too!

🐈👧🏽👶🏻🐶

27/04/2021

My human and me got to do some grounding today. I found the weeds and she pulled them out.

Whew! Hard work!

31/03/2021

💤 naptime.

04/03/2021

Shake it off. Everything’s gonna be okay.

29/01/2021

Is it a full moon 🌕 or is it a dogwood 🌳 tree??? 😂