Dried Sweet Potato Dog Treats

So the other day I happened to be at a popular pet supply store and noticed a product I hadn't seen before... a sweet potato dog chew toy. I had never tried these with my dog so I went ahead and bought one. Later that day I brought it out. I set it on the floor to see what the dogs would do. One came over, sniffed and then grabbed it and ran. She spent the rest of the day trying to keep the other dog from stealing it. I think I can safely say that dried sweet potatos are a big hit in my household.

Being a do-it-your-selfer type I decided to find out how make my own. Sure enough it's super simple, inexpensive and healthy. However, you don't want to overdo it with these treats since too many can add unwanted pounds to your pooch.

1. Sweet potatos
2. Vegetable cooking spray

Cut sweet potatos in 1/3" slices. Spray cooking spray on sweet potatos and baking sheet.
Bake at 250 degrees for 3 hours. Turn over once during cooking time. Cool completely afterwards.

Store in a zip lock bag or canning jar. These treats will last about 3 weeks in the fridge or 4 months in the freezer.

Waiting.... but not forever...

LA County: Lancaster Animal Care Center 
5210 W. Ave. I 
Lancaster, CA 93536 
(661) 940-4191

I Died Today

I died today. You got tired of me and took me to the shelter. They were overcrowded and and didn't have room for me. So I am now in a plastic container with the other animals euthanized today. Some other puppy will get the barely used leash you left. My collar was dirty and too small, but the lady took it off before I died.

Would I still be at home if I hadn’t chewed your shoe? I didn’t know what it was, but it was leather, and it was on the floor. I was just playing. There were no puppy toys. Would I still be at home if I had been housebroken? Rubbing my nose in what I did only made me ashamed that I had to go at all. Would I still be at home if I hadn’t brought fleas into the house? I tried scratching them off, but I didn't have flea medication.... and you left me in the yard for days.

Would I still be at home if I hadn’t barked? I was only saying, “I’m scared. I’m lonely. I’m here. I’m here! I just want to be your best friend.” Would I still be at home if I had made you happy? Hitting me didn’t make me learn how. Would I still be at home if you had taken the time to teach me manners? You didn’t pay attention to me after the first week or so... but I spent all my time waiting for you to love me.

I died today.
Your Puppy

Homemade Laundry Detergent For Pets With Sensitive Skin

Some of us have pets who are sensitive to things in the enviornment. If you have a pet with skin sensitivities or severe allergies making your own laundry detergent for washing their blankets and bedding may be worth trying. Not only is it easy , but it only requires a few ingredients and can save you a lot of money with each load averaging out to pennies per day. Who knows, you make even like it so much you ditch your current laundry detergent and use if for the whole family!

Ingredients:
1 bar of pure soap (Zote, Kirk's Castile, Fels Naptha, Dr. Bronner's bar)
1 cup of Super Washing Soda (not baking soda)
1 cup of Borax

What you will need is a large bowl and a grater. First grate the bar soap into the bowl. Next, add the rest of the ingredients in and mix. It's done! This is even easier then driving to the store to buy detergentt. Sure, there's a bit of grating work involved but consider it a nice little arm workout.

Normal loads require 1 TBS, for larger loads use 2 TBS

Have a High Efficiency (HE) front loader?: HE machines require "special soap" because they use less water and therefore require a low sud detergent. The good news here is homemade laundry soap is very low suds so it is safe to use in HE machines.