Jan
2021

Activated Charcoal Dog Treats – An Update

categories: Recipes

Activated Charcoal still seems to be everywhere I look, and that is not a bad thing at all. It made me think back to the last time I wrote about Activated Charcoal and whether or not it actually worked…

When I first wrote about activated charcoal and created the recipe for it, I had only done a little research about the benefits but I wanted to test it out for myself.

activated charcoal treats

Here’s the thing, my Activated Charcoal treat recipe does work! In fact it worked wonders for Zara’s digestive system. She had noticeably less gas and I feel she digested her food better. 

Her teeth have stayed clean since her doggy dental she had back in September last year and her breath had a neutral smell. 

During the holiday season, Zara didn’t have her special activated charcoal treats and as we all do, she indulged a little too much in all the good things in life. Her gas levels were at an all time high, she wasn’t digesting her food very well which resulted in lots of farting, burping and some vomiting too. And her breath just smelt different. 

activated charcoal dog treats

It then dawned on me what the difference was a few months ago so I got to work in the kitchen and baked her a huge batch of activated charcoal dog treats again! Recipe below:

Activated charcoal dog biscuits

I doubled this recipe so that I have enough to last a while. I pop the baked treats into ZipLock bags and put them in the freezer. I take 3 out every night for Zara, they defrost within 30mins 😉

Ingredients

2 cups flour of your choice (rice, oat, wholewheat etc)

1 egg

1/2 cup milk of your choice (cows or coconut)

2 tbs coconut oil

1 banana mashed

1/4 cup activated charcoal

Directions

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Mix all your ingredients together in a bowl until a nice dough forms. If it is too sticky then add some extra flour. Once you have your dough, roll it out onto a floured surface and using cookie cutters of your choice cut out your doggy treats. Place them onto greased baking trays and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before letting your pooch enjoy. 

homemade charcoal dog treats

I really hope these treats help your pooch as much as they help Zara. Tag us in your baking posts 🙂 @stylish_paws

Thank you for reading

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Dec
2020

December

categories: Calendar

I won’t lie, December just crept upon me without me even realising it. I am still living in November! With everything that has happened in 2020, I cannot believe we are in the last month of this year.

So here is princess Zara welcoming the festive season of 2020!

We wish you and your families a very blessed and safe festive season. We love you all

xoxox

December calendar

Download your December calendar here

Thank you for reading

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Oct
2020

Petsville Product Review

categories: Product Reviews

When Petsville asked us to be official brand ambassadors we of course said YES! They’re a brand new up and coming stylish brand with their heart in the right place, so who wouldn’t want to be a proud ambassador for them. 

Petsville high raise dog bowl

Petsville is a unique brand with an eye for style. All their products are proudly South African and handmade to perfection. Petsville is a family brand, which of course really captured me.

We received the high Skye Bowl size large, and wow. Just wow. It is honestly made beautifully! 

I have seen quite a few fellow big doggo’s with raised bowls and wondered if it really made a difference… I now know the importance of having a high bowl for a big pup like Zara! 

Petsville big dog bowl

Zara has been using her Skye Bowl for a few weeks now for both eating her meals and drinking water from. Zara is a fast eater and usually uses a slow feed bowl at meal times, however this raised bowl seems to work just as well. She seems to take in less air while eating and drinking. I have no clue about the science behind this or if there is any but I do feel it has eased the tension in her front joints and neck because she no longer has to get so low to tuck in. 

It seems Gia loves Zara’s new high raised bowl too, especially when it’s filled with water. She’s obsessed with splashing her hands in it, throwing her water bottle in and even taking an aircon remote for a swim! Zara of course loves watching all these shenanigans because for once she isn’t in the centre of the chaos-haha. Both Zara and Gia are two water obsessed babies so the two of them can play like this for ages. I of course absolutely love watching the chaos and their bond grows stronger through play like this too.

dogs and babies
dogs and babies
petsville dog bowl

Each one of Petville’s unique products fits perfectly into any home style and I have a feeling this won’t be the only product we have in our home 😉 They have a beautiful selection of dog and cat items. Each one designed and thought out with comfort and style in mind. 

I did however notice that other proud ambassadors have products named after them, so I challenge Petsville to create something extra sassy named after ZARA!! 

Petsville

Overall Petsville is a brand you want in your home. Simple yet very pleasing on the eye. There was a gap in the market for products like these in South Africa and I am so happy it has now been filled.

Thank you Petsville for choosing us.

If you would like to view their product range, visit their website here

And don’t forget to follow them on Facebook | Instagram

Thank you for reading

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Sep
2020

Activated Charcoal Dog Treats

categories: Recipes, Zara

Activated charcoal seems to be everywhere and in everything at the moment so I wanted to do a little more research into how it can benefit Zara in the form of activated charcoal dog treats.

homemade activated charcoal dog treats

Zara had a full doggy dental done last week, not because her teeth were in terrible condition -Dr Sally actually said they look great but a doggy dental session will make them look fabulous and who doesn’t want fabulous teeth!

I wanted to know how activated charcoal could help Zara stay healthy from the inside which means a healthy digestive system, no doggy breath and of course beautiful healthy white teeth and this is what I found…

homemade dog treats

The main use for activated charcoal has always been to treat poisonings, however vets all over the world have experimented more and more with this supplement and it turns out it can be a healthy supplement to add to your pets diet. Activated charcoal cleanses the body and gets rid of toxins. The build up of toxins often results in our furry loves releasing gas and having bad breath. Zara doesn’t have doggy breath at all but there is room for improvement on the gas releasing side- haha, so I am curious to see if these activated charcoal treats make any kind of difference. 

Activated charcoal dog biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups flour of your choice (rice, oat, wholewheat etc)

1 egg

1/2 cup milk of your choice (cows or coconut)

2 tbs coconut oil

1 banana mashed

1/4 cup activated charcoal

Directions

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Mix all your ingredients together in a bowl until a nice dough forms. If it is too sticky then add some extra flour. Once you have your dough, roll it out onto a floured surface and using cookie cutters of your choice cut out your doggy treats. Place them onto greased baking trays and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked. Remove from the oven and allow to cool before letting your pooch enjoy. 

activated charcoal dog treats
activated charcoal

These treats are the most awesome colour ever! Something different for Zara to enjoy 🙂 

If you decide to make some for your pups too, be sure to tag us on Instagram @stylish_paws

Thank you for reading

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Aug
2020

Zara turns 4

categories: Zara

Happy 4th birthday Zara! I can’t believe Zara has been with us for four whole years already. On one hand it feels like the other day we went to collect this small(ish) bundle of fluff to bring home to Oscar. And then I think how much has happened in our lives the past four years and I cannot believe how times flies. 

dog birthday party

In the four years since Zara became a member of our family, the three Amigos joined too, she’s had 2 TPLO surgeries, I turned 30-eeek! We got engaged and married (officially), we lost Oscar, we had baby Gia, we traveled and we had a whole bunch of fun in between. 

On Zara’s birthday last year, baby Gia was exactly that, a baby. This year she’s a tiny walking talking human who Zara can interact with. Zara loves having someone else to harass in the house and Gia is just as obsessed. So much can happen in a year and this past one was no different. 

happy birthday Zara

It’s fair to say twenty-twenty has not lived up to most peoples expectations however I do feel that having months of staying in rather than going out has made our family stronger especially the bond between Zara and Gia. 

Zara is always close to Gia. If Gia is playing in her bedroom, Zara is there too just watching. If Gia is reading in her play corner, Zara is there too listening to Gia ramble on. If Gia is playing outside, Zara is watching over her and of course looking out for any lizard action too. If Gia is eating, Zara is right by her side waiting for any leftovers. If Gia watches Paw Patrol on tv, Zara is watching too. In the same way that Zara is always close by when Gia is doing something, Gia enjoys being close by when Zara is doing something. Gia loves exploring the garden with Zara, the two of them go looking for lizards and watch the birds fly in and out of the trees.

rottweiler Zara

Since Zara and Gia are always together it’s kind of a no brainer that I wanted to include Gia in the birthday celebrations and that meant making pupcakes that both Zara and Gia can enjoy!

Zara’s Birthday Pupcakes

Banana bread & Peanut butter icing pupcakes

Ingredients

3 large very ripe bananas

1/2 cup melted butter

2 large eggs beaten 

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

Preheat your oven to 200 degrees. Line your muffin tray with cupcake liners. Then in a large mixing bowl mash the bananas well and add the melted butter and brown sugar and mix well. Stir in the beaten eggs and vanilla. In a separate bowl mix together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Then add the banana mixture to the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Don’t over mix. Scoop your cupcake batter into each cupcake holder and place in the oven. Reduce the heat immediately down to 180. Bake for +- 20/25 minutes or until each pupcake is cooked through. Remove from the oven and allow them to cool before topping with the icing. 

Peanut butter icing

Ingredients

2 cups plain thick yoghurt

2+ tbs less sugar less salt peanut butter

Directions

Place the yoghurt and peanut butter into a mixing bowl. Using an electric beater, beat until the peanut butter is whipped into the yoghurt. Whip for about 2-3 minutes. 

Once your pupcakes are cool, pipe your peanut butter icing and decorate as you wish. 

You can store un-iced pupcakes in the freezer in an airtight container, simply take it out the freezer and let it defrost on its own before serving. 

pupcakes

We love spoiling Zara with gifts on her birthday and this year was no different. If you follow us on Instagram you’ll know how much Zara loves to swim! Zara’s pool broke just before winter so an obvious gift was of course a new pool for her, I can’t wait to set it up and fill it so she can have some pool fun again. I also added some fun pool toys and some pretty pool floats all bought on Amazon. 

Click here to view our Amazon store with all our favourite pet goodies.

We love celebrating Zara’s birthday, after all she is a very important member of our family. To some she’s just a dog but to us she’s one of our baby’s and always will be! 

dogs and babies

If your pup is having a birthday soon or you just feel like baking something yummy we hope you try out this pupcake recipe and don’t forget to tag us @stylish_paws

Thank you for reading.

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Aug
2020

Scruffs Luxury Dog Beds Product Review

categories: Product Reviews

Zara loves to nap, especially when her baby sister Gia naps. So it’s only fitting that Zara naps on a Scruffs Luxury Dog Bed. 

scruffs luxury pet beds

Scruffs was born and bread in Britain, however you can purchase their luxury pet beds all over the world, including South Africa. They have a wide variety of shapes and sizes with luxury beds on offer for everyone and every home. Zara was lucky enough to receive the Scruffs luxury Windsor Dog Mattress all the way from the UK and she loves it! It’s soft and puffy and she makes herself very comfortable on it. 

luxury dog beds

The Scruffs luxury Windsor Dog Mattress that Zara received is lightweight and easy to move around. If your pup is like Zara and has different spots around the house she likes to nap, then this luxury bed is perfect. Zara loves being tucked under my feet while I’m writing or crafting at my desk. Had I known she would want to be under my feet I would have made that space a little bit bigger, but Zara manages to squish herself under my feet and loves having puppy dreams while I get creative. I decided to put her new Scruffs luxury Windsor Dog Mattress under my desk so the space is a little comfier for her. The mattress is of course larger than the space but because its so lovely and soft I can squish it up a little. Zara definitely approves! 

scruffs luxury dog bed

It’s also a great mattress to put in your car for your pup to have a comfy spot to sit or lie on while you travel. It’s soft and puffy so you can squish it into a small space if need be. It also has non slip  material underneath so it won’t slide around while you drive. This mattress will definitely accompany us on future adventures. 

The Scruffs luxury Windsor Dog Mattress is made with 100% recycled green fibre filling which of course is better for the environment. It also comes in a variety of colours to suit your home decor and personal preferences as well as size options. 

dog beds

Overall I am very impressed with the Scruffs brand and the bed Zara received. It easily fits into our home in every room. It’s not a mission to pick up and move around. It easily fits into the washing machine and because it is lightweight the machine handles it easily which makes me happy because Zara’s bedding is washed every week to keep it clean, healthy and smelling pretty- fit for a princess!  

scruffs dog beds

Thank you Scruffs for sending us such a wonderful and diverse luxury mattress for Zara to enjoy! You have opened my eyes to your amazing brand and I hope I can inspire other dog moms and dads to spoil their pups with a luxury Scruffs bed too. 

Don’t forget to follow Scruffs on Social Media

Instagram @petslovescruffs @scruffssouthafrica

Facebook @petslovescruffs @scruffssouthafrica

And use the hashtag #scruffssnaps

Thank you for reading

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