Stylish Paws

06
May
2019

Acana Dog Food: Zara’s Flavour of the Month

I have always been a firm believer in feeding Oscar the very best dog food I could find. I looked at it from my point of view, if I were him. I love good tasty food with a variety of ingredients so why should he be given anything different.

Oscar was an extremely fussy eater, making meal times often stressful and unpleasant for us both. It wasn’t until much later in his life that finally an amazing kibble was being sold in South Africa. From the first scoop he was hooked which as you can imagine made my heart explode with happiness! It was then that I started doing loads of research into dog food and the ingredients used.

Enter Zara, a food guzzler from day one! I could have given her anything and she would have gulped it down in less than thirty seconds, as she did when I gave her her first Acana meal at home. It was a no brainer to feed Zara Acana kibble from the beginning. I will be honest, I did not transition her as they say you should, simply because I didn’t agree with the food she was being fed in her previous home. I believed in the power of Acana and I knew she would be totally fine. And guess what, I was right!

I don’t think Zara has a favourite flavour of Acana kibble, simply because she absolutely LOVES her food no matter what. So it is up to me to read the signs of her excitement and of course look out for any physical differences I see.

Zara’s flavour of the month is the Acana Pacific Pilchard which falls under the Acana Singles range. This means it is a single-protein food and suitable for pups of any breed or age and it’s great for pups with food sensitivities.

Acana is a grain free diet made up of biologically appropriate foods specifically for our beloved pooches. It’s packed with nutritional proteins and fats, plenty of vitamins and minerals that are essential in your pups overall health as well as important amino acids.

The Acana Pacific Pilchard ingredient list is pretty spectacular to say the least, it is made up of 50% wild caught pilchard, which is an easily digestible fish, green peas, red lentils, kale, spinach greens, butternut, cranberries and blueberries just to name a few! It’s hard to believe any pooch would turn their nose up at this food…

If you would like to find out more information on the entire Acana range, you can contact PackLeader South Africa on Facebook or Instagram or simply visit a reputable outlet.

Your pooch deserves the best!

Thank you for reading

02
May
2019

May

categories: Calendar

May sure is going to be the most exciting month of 2019 for our family. It is the month we welcome our little nugget into the world!

Zara is extremely excited to meet her tiny human, and we cannot wait for her to blossom into the best big sister we know she will be.

Download your May calendar here

Thank you for reading

10
Apr
2019

Oneplan Pet Insurance

categories: Product Reviews

For most of us our pets are our family. We celebrate their birthdays, we take them on holidays and we include them in every aspect of our daily lives.

But when it comes to them getting sick and needing treatment, are you covered so you can offer them the very best care that is available?

Pet Insurance is a pretty new thing in South Africa. Back in 2003 when I got Oscar he was terribly ill and nearly died. For the first year of his life we were back and forth to the vet more times than I could count! Vet bills as you all know can quickly add up, and this is where pet insurance steps up to the plate.

At Oneplan Pet Insurance you can insure your household goods, your car, have your own medical scheme through them and include your pets insurance too! Oneplan Pet Insurance truly cares about the safety and wellbeing of your beloved pets. They understand just how much our pets mean to us, be it a dog, a cat or a bunny. They’re more than just an animal. The love is the same and the care they receive should be the same too.

What exactly is Pet Insurance?

Pet insurance is like human medical insurance. It covers your pets for various accidents and illnesses that may need treatment, both in hospital or out of hospital. The reality of life is that accidents do happen. Hundreds of pets are run over by their pawrents accidentally and the vet bills involved in an accident like that can be tremendous. At Oneplan Pet Insurance they cover accidents like these for up to R50 000 depending on your chosen plan.

Why Is Pet Insurance Important?

Some of you may feel that pet insurance is a waste because your pet is fit and healthy. I am pretty sure you have medical insurance even though you are fit and healthy too? We all need to visit various doctors at some points in our lives, and our pets need the same. It is no secret that a simple vet consultation costs more than your standard human GP visit. At Oneplan Pet Insurance they cover four of these visits per year to the value of R1400 depending on your chosen plan.

How Pet Insurance can save the day…

When we got Zara we never in our wildest dreams imagined she would have to have two major surgeries before the age of three! Everyone assumes Rottweilers are strong, fit and healthy dogs. Lets just say Zara should have been wrapped up in a cottonwool ball. There is nothing you can do to stop a cruciate ligament from tearing. Unfortunately it goes back to breeding and the bloodline of your pup. Another thing we learnt is when one goes there is an 80% chance the other one will too. Zara has had two TPLO knee surgeries in the span of twelve months, would pet insurance have helped, oh absolutely!

Don’t make the same mistake we did, get your pets covered today from as little as R142 per month and sleep easy knowing Oneplan Pet Insurance has you covered should your pets fall ill, injure themselves or be involved in an accident of some sort.

Thank you for reading

01
Apr
2019

April

categories: Calendar, Oscar

Rumour has it the Easter Bunny is on his way… Happy Easter month everyone!

Oscar is the April feature, because I miss this little Easter Bunny a lot plus he is really handsome!

Download your April calendar here

Thank you for reading

14
Mar
2019

My Dog Toy: Product Review

categories: Product Reviews

Zara is a Rottweiler, and it’s no secret that rotties have powerful jaws! We have had to teach Zara not to use her full force when playing with certain toys or us for that matter. She has most certainly understood the concept of gentle play when she plays with us, however she still loves to go full hooligan mode with some of her toys.

Enter three of the toughest toys I have ever seen, felt and played with…

The first one is the super cute MIGHTY micro-fibre pig. This pig may be pink and pretty cute to look at but it is also strong and durable. There are no seam lines which makes this toy unique. It is often the seam lines that are the weak spots in plush toys for your pooch. Another great thing about the MIGHTY pig is that it is stuffing free. Zara loves to rip out the stuffing in her toys and even eats it which can cause some kind of chaos later on, as you can imagine… So I tend to shy away from toys with stuffing inside. The MIGHTY pig has four super loud squeakers throughout its body which have provided Zara with hours of entertainment, the louder she can squeak it, the crazier she goes!

The next toy in our tough and durable toy package is the Dura Force boomerang. The best thing about this tough toy is that it can be used as a pool toy, and you all know just how much Zara LOVES swimming! The Dura Force boomerang floats which makes it easy for Zara to play with. It also doesn’t soak up too much water which keeps it light and easy to throw for her. The durable webbing around the edge of the boomerang is extremely tough, Zara has not yet managed to gnaw her way through it.

The next tough toy Zara got to investigate is the toughest of them all… the TUFFY MEGA tug-o-war toy. Zara absolutely loves playing tug-o-war with us! This is a game where she can use her full rottweiler force and show us what she’s made of. Usually we play with flimsy little toys resulting in her winning… But the TUFFY MEGA tug-o-war toy is so much fun to play with, even if I say so myself. I can get a nice grip on it and so can Zara and we can both use our strength against each other. This toy is made with seven layers of material, additional webbing along the edges of the toy and finished off with seven layers of stitching! There is no ways Zara will puncture this TUFFY MEGA toy any time soon.

Each toy has a rating on the tough and durable scale. One- being your cheap plush toy and ten- being mega strong and the most durable. My Dog Toy company only manufactures toys starting from 5 on their ranking.

The MIGHTY pig is ranked nine- extremely strong and extremely durable. This is no lie!

The Dura Force boomerang is ranked at nine too. It’s a toy that’s made to last.

The TUFFY MEGA tug-o-war toy is ranked at a whopping ten! Making this the toughest and strongest toy of them all and believe me it is.

My favourite toy of the bunch is probably the MIGHTY pig, simply because it looks cute but it is still up there on the tough-o-meter. This toy proves that dynamite does come in small packages.

Zara of course loves them all for different reasons, the MIGHTY pig is loud and noisy which she goes crazy for. The Dura Force boomerang is her new favourite toy to swim and play water games with. And the TUFFY MEGA tug-o-war toy allows her to challenge us in a safe and controlled way, showing us just how strong she is.

If your pooch is a heavy chewer with strong jaws we highly recommend these tough toys! Not only does playing with your pooch enhance the bond between the two of you, it also keeps them out of mischief where using their jaws is not appropriate. Providing your pooch with interesting and entertaining toys is a key part to keeping them mentally stimulated. I honestly cannot remember the last time Zara decided to chew something she shouldn’t have, and I believe it’s because she has always had a wide variety of toys to keep her entertained.

These tough toys can be purchased at selected pet shops or from Canine & Co in Parkhurst, Johannesburg.

To stay up to date and in the loop with new product launches be sure to follow everyone on social media

Packleader | Facebook | Instagram

Canine & Co | Facebook

Thank you for reading

01
Mar
2019

March

categories: Calendar

Well, and so the third month of the year begins. Happy March!

Do wnload your March Calendar here.

Thank you for reading

21
Feb
2019

Earth Rated Poop Bags and Dispenser: Product Review

categories: Product Reviews

Poop…. Are you one of those people who refuses to pick up your pups poop at the park because you think its good for the grass or someone else can pick it up or because you are too embarrassed?

What if I told you that refusing to pick up after your pooch can lead to serious health issues for other pups at the park, including your own and even you! Yes, by refusing to pick up your pups poop you encourage the spread of serious diseases such as Parvo, Whipworm, Hookworm, Tapeworm, Salmonellosis, Corona plus a few more.

I’m not here to explain each of these diseases, you can google them pretty easily and what you will find should scare you half to death. What I am here to explain is that it is pretty simple to pick up after your pooch especially while out in public.

Earth Rated have a wonderful range of products to help make picking up after your furry love quick and easy. I particularly love the Earth rated poop bag dispenser. It is lightweight and small and it can clip onto any leash, so there really is no excuse for not carrying these poop bags while out on walks.

Earth Rated products are all 100% environmentally friendly and made from recycled materials. Earth Rated also cares about local shelters and donate on a regular basis, giving shelters all their unused manufactured products. Shelter dogs deserve to feel loved and pampered too right…

We received the Earth Rated poop bag dispenser with lavender scented poop bags. Yes, you read right, lavender scented poop bags! Let me tell you they smell gorgeous. Whoever said your poop doesn’t smell like flowers never used an Earth Rated scented poop bag.

I’ll be honest, Zara doesn’t make the smallest poops in the world. Her’s are pretty loud and proud for everyone to see and smell so I couldn’t wait to put these bags to the test. I have always used your standard poop bags to pick up after Zara, so I was excited to see how these fared up in comparison.

First off I cannot get over the wonderful lavender scent of each bag. It really does mask the smell of what you actually have to pick up! The size of them is also pretty decent and much bigger than your average poop bag, it can fit an entire Zara poop in one bag which I was pretty impressed with. The other thing I loved about the dispenser is the fact that it clips securely onto your leash. It doesn’t matter how thick or thin your leash is either. The velcro strap makes them so easy to attach and secure. Plus there is an added extra to this dispenser, a special clip for you to hook the used poop bag onto until you reach a dustbin and can dispose the bag properly… Simply amazing in my eyes!

Pack Leader South Africa is the sole distributer for these amazing poop bags around South Africa, so if you would like to get your paws on some, visit selected pet stores or you can pop into their very own pet store in Parkhurst, Johannesburg- Canine & Co. They are also happy to answer any questions or enquiries online via social media.

Be sure to follow everyone on social media to stay up to date with all their products including new product launches.

Pack Leader | Facebook | Instagram

Canine & Co | Facebook

Earth Rated | Facebook | Instagram

Thank you for reading.

12
Feb
2019

Valentine’s Day Pup Treats

categories: Oscar

I love Valentine’s Day and I’ve always loved making something extra cute and yummy for Oscar and Zara to celebrate. I don’t usually buy Valentine’s gifts because it’s not about the money you spend on this specific day, rather I love making treats and things, putting in extra love and effort.

This Valentine’s Day is a little different because it is the first one without my main man Oscar. My love for him goes far deeper than I could ever explain. My love for him will never fade either, he is constantly around me in all sorts of ways.

So this Valentine’s Day I will be making his two most favourite treats for Zara to enjoy and remember her brother by…

Frozen Yoghurt Treats:

These are so easy it’s frightful and I can bet you have the ingredients in your fridge right now.

Ingredients

1 banana

A handful of strawberries (fresh or frozen)

2 tbs plain yoghurt

Directions

Add all your ingredients to a blender and blitz them up until smooth and creamy. Simply pour the mixture into little heart shaped molds and place them in the freezer until frozen.

Oscar could sit and eat a hundred of these little treats if I let him and because all the ingredients are mixed together he had no idea he was eating healthy fruit-haha!

Baked Treats:

These are just as easy but do require a bit more time because of the baking part.

Ingredients

1 banana

1 tbs peanut butter

1 egg

1 cup flour

Directions

Mash together your banana and egg then whisk in the peanut butter until completely combined together. Then add your flour and mix until a dough forms. Roll your dough out onto a floured surface and using heart shaped cookie cutters, cut the treats and place them onto a greased baking tray. Bake at 180 degrees for +-20 minutes or until lightly golden and cooked. Allow the treats to cool completely.

To decorate

This is the fun part and because it’s Valentine’s Day it’s extra fun to decorate them. Make a batch of pink icing and a batch of white using 2 tbs cornstarch and 4 tbs water. Mix it into a smooth and creamy icing. Then decorate as you wish. You could also just smear some peanut butter over the treats too – that proves to be just as yummy but not as fancy 🙂

Whether you decide to make one or both treats for your furry loves this Valentine’s Day, we hope they enjoy Oscar’s favourites!

We are also running an AMAZING international GIVEAWAY with @petqwerks on Instagram so be sure to check out our Instagram posts for all the details. The GIVEAWAY is running from February 12th to February 16th so be sure to enter each day for your chance to win a gorgeous Petwerks Toys hamper worth $100…

Enter here: @stylish_paws

Thank you for reading.

04
Feb
2019

Zara’s Get Well Soon Cake

categories: Recipes, Zara

January seems like it just flew by. We blinked and the first month of the year is already gone….

We did have quite an eventful January. We found out the gender of our baby, which is a girl. We couldn’t be happier for Zara to have a tiny sister to look after.

At the end of January, Zara underwent her second TPLO surgery. She had her right leg done last year July. It’s said that when one leg goes there’s an eighty percent chance the other one will, and well it did.

It is currently five days post op and I would like to say recovery is going better than before. Perhaps this has something to do with her being 6 months older or perhaps we as her parents are better prepared this time around. Zara of course is in full patient mode and loving every minute of it!

While Zara was away in hospital I found myself completely lost to say the least. Last operation I had my boy Oscar to not only keep me company while Zara was overnight in hospital but to help look after her at home too. So to keep myself busy I decided to make my princess a Get Well Soon cake. She absolutely loved it and knew it was something special for her to feel better. Due to popular demand from my Instagram friends here is the recipe:

Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup flour

1 Squish sachet, apple flavour (baby food- it’s my cheat 😆)

1 egg

1 table spoon peanut butter

Drizzle of honey

Splash of vanilla extract

Splash of milk if needed to loosen the batter up a bit

Directions

Place all the wet ingredients into a mixing bowl, using an electric beater mix all the ingredients together. Then add the flour and beat again. I added some milk at the end to loosen up the cake batter because it was quite thick and gooey. The milk made it like proper cake batter. Place the batter into two small silicone cake molds and bake at 180 degrees for 20mins.

Icing

Ingredients

4 tablespoons of plain thick yoghurt

2-3 teaspoons of peanut butter

Directions

Using an electric beater, whisk together the yoghurt and peanut butter until light and fluffy-have a taste too it’s delish!! Then spread some between the two layers of cake and the rest of the cake once it’s cooled down properly. You can refrigerate your cake for up to 5 days or even cut into small portions and freeze it.

We hope your pups enjoy this one!! As you can see Zara sure did…

I am in awe of how resilient our princess is. Despite everything she has been through she still has a smile for us each and every day… I guess we can all learn a little something from our furry loves.