July 2015 - Stylish Paws

Month: July 2015

28
Jul
2015

Master the art of a doggy massage!

categories: Oscar

We all love a full body massage! There is nothing better than lying on that massage bed while the therapist gets rid of all your stresses and knots. You feel amazing after a full body massage right? Massages stimulate blood flow, soothes sore muscles and it calms and relaxes you. So why not let your furry love enjoy these benefits too…

While snuggled on the couch or while lying in front of the fire, give your pooch a massage he will want every night of the week!

Here are some tips on how to give your dog the perfect full body massage.

Set up your massage area, either on the floor, on the couch or on the bed. As long as you are both comfy. A blanket will make the spot extra snug and comfortable for your dog.

Get your dog to lie down, preferably on his belly to begin with. Start at the top of his head making circular motions with your finger tips massage down to his neck. Remember to be gentle with your dog, you want him to enjoy this experience.

Dogs LOVE their necks being tickled and scratched so take your time and really massage his neck.

Massage slowly all the way down his back to the base of the tail. Don’t rush through the massage. This is a time for you and your furry love to enjoy each others presence. It also gives you the opportunity to feel for irregularities such as lumps, bumps, scratches or bruises that may have developed.

You can carefully turn your pet over onto his back so you can massage his neck, chest and tummy area. Again, be gentle and don’t press too hard on his neck or tummy. If your pooch has loads of excess neck skin like Oscar does then this part of the massage will be a winner.

If your dog flinches or yelps, you have most likely hit a sore spot so be gentle.

Massage his legs all the way to his toes. Keep an eye out for any debris that may have wedged in-between his toes like grass shards, thorns or seeds.

Enjoy this quality time with your furry love. Tickle him, kiss him and love him.

Oscar lives for his weekly massages. We hope these tips help you give the best doggy massage!

Oscar after his massage…

Have you given your dog a massage? Please share your tips with us by leaving a comment in the comments box below.

Thank you for reading.

15
Jul
2015

Homemade cat treats

categories: Recipes

Here at Stylish Paws Wednesdays are known as Kitty Wednesday! It’s one day of the week that we dedicate to our feline friends. So to honour our beloved cats, I thought I would share a cat treat recipe that is so quick and easy and your cats are sure to love!

Oscar doesn’t care that these are cat treats-he wants some too!

Ingredients

1 tin of tuna in oil

3 cups of flour (add water if your mixture is too dry)

An egg or two (depending on how big they are)

1 tablespoon of vegetable oil

Cookie cutters

Directions

Add all the ingredients into a bowl and mix well. Roll the dough onto a floured surface and using your cookie cutter, cut into little bite sized treats. If you don’t have a small cookie cutter you can roll into bite sized balls.

Place them onto a greased baking tray and bake at 150 degrees celsius for 10 to 20 minutes. After the first 10 minutes keep checking on the treats regularly. You know when they are done when they are golden brown in colour. Leave them to cool on a cooling rack for a few hours or over night to air dry. Store the treats in an air tight container.

Oscar knows he is not a cat but that doesn’t stop him from enjoying these delicious treats! We hope your cats loves them too. If you have your own cat treat recipe please share with us in the comments box below.

Thank you for reading.

09
Jul
2015

Plan B dog treats

categories: Recipes

We have all been there… you have just taken your pooch for a walk and he deserves a treat or two, you open his treat container and it’s empty! You can’t tell that gorgeous face looking up at you with big eyes and a wagging tail “sorry we have run out of dog treats, you will have to wait until tomorrow.”

Don’t worry! Here are 8 healthy and tasty back up treats your pooch will adore:

Strawberries- contains healthy omega 3’s and vitamin C, which makes them a perfect doggy treat.

Apple slices- loaded with fibre and vitamin C, dogs love these healthy treats. Please remember to remove the stem, core and seeds first.

Banana slices- packed with antioxidants, vitamins and minerals to keep your pets healthy.

Carrot slices- they naturally clean your pup’s teeth and promote healthy gums. You can also dip the carrot stick in some natural peanut butter for a super delicious treat.

Watermelon- this is on Oscar’s favourite treat list! I love it too. And because it is 90% water I know it will keep my boy hydrated. Just remember to remove the seeds or buy a seedless one.

Green beans- frozen green beans are a real treat for your pooch. They contain fibre, vitamin K, vitamin C and manganese to keep your pet healthy.

Pineapple chunks- this is the perfect after dinner treat due to its digestive enzymes.

Peas- Oscar loves to snack on frozen peas. You can put them into a treat ball and let your pooch have some fun or throw a handful on the floor and let him ‘hoover’ them up.

We hope these back up treat ideas come in handy for the next time you run out of dog treats.

Please remember to feed treats in moderation.

Thank you for reading.

03
Jul
2015

6 ways to beat winter boredom

categories: Winterwonderland

During the cold winter months we all just want to snuggle up and be indoors, including our pets. The thought of going to the park on a cold winters day does not appeal to Oscar at all! He loves to cosy up and snuggle with me, but he does get bored too.

Here are 6 fun things that Oscar loves to do indoors. Not only will these activities brighten your pooch’s mood, they also create some fun bonding time.

‘Find It’ – Oscar’s favourite game:

Things you will need:

6-8 empty yoghurt containers (the size will depend on the size of your furry love)

Lots of treats

How to play:

Turn each yoghurt container upside down. Only put a treat under two or three of the containers. Then shuffle the containers and tell you pooch to “find it”. (Oscar prefers the container to be upright so he can put his nose right in and get the treat.) Oscar can play this game for ages… We have to run out of treats before he stops.

Indoor Obstacle Course:

Things you will need:

Pillows

Chairs

Coffee table

Boxes

How to play:

Have some fun with your pets! Build an indoor obstacle course using pillows stacked up, coffee tables to crawl under, chairs to jump over, boxes to sit on and whatever else you can find around your house to make the obstacle course fun. This is one way to get the blood flowing and you’re having fun with your best friend. Don’t forget to reward them for correctly completing a task!

Hide and Seek:

Things you will need:

Places to hide

How to play:

Tell your pooch to ‘sit’ and ‘stay’ while you run and hide. You then call for your pooch to come and find you. One or more people can hide and as he finds them, you can reward him with treats.

Obedience Training:

Why not take the opportunity and brush up on some obedience training. Teach your pooch to sit, lie down or roll over. Of course there are more advanced tricks for you to teach your pooch like how to hold a treat on his nose until you tell him he can eat it, fetch his favourite toy or to lie down and cover his eyes. Just remember to be patient with your pets and to reward for effort.

Fill a Kong Toy:

You have all heard of the Kong toy right? Well an awesome way to keep your pets entertained for hours is to fill them with all sorts of yummy things. Here are a few ideas your pets will love:

Mash up some banana, plain yoghurt and honey. Place inside the Kong toy then freeze for a few hours.

Combine pumpkin, plain yoghurt and some cooked rice. Mix well and squish into the Kong toy. Freeze for a few hours.

Make some good old macaroni and cheese and fill the Kong toy.

Combine sugar-free applesauce with some fruit chunks; fill the Kong toy and freeze.

Mix mashed potato with some dog biscuits and stuff the Kong toy.

Combine a banana, plain peanut butter (that does NOT contain xylitol) and some cheese. Mix well and fill the Kong toy and freeze.

Treat Ball Time:

Oscar loves his treat ball. Not only does it squeak, but it also dispenses treats- much to his amazement! I pop a few bite sized treats in and let him roll away. Yoghurt drops work really well.

We hope you and your pets enjoy the fun indoor activities that Oscar and I love.

Thank you for reading