healthy Archives - Stylish Paws

Tag: healthy

22
Nov
2018

Benefits of Bone Broth for your Pets

categories: Recipes

Zara underwent TPLO surgery in July this year and since then recovery has been long and tough. It has been weeks upon weeks of rest, and anyone with a rottie will know what a difficult task that is… But we managed and with the help of some added extra supplements and treatments I can safely say her recovery is going well.

One of the added extra supplements I chose to give Zara was bone broth. After doing extensive research I realised just how good and nutritious bone broth actually is for her and I wondered why I had never given it to Oscar or Zara before.

Benefits of bone broth:

It’s a great source of essential minerals, rich in calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, silicon, sulphur and more. Bone broth may also encourage your pups water consumption and boost her appetite too.
Bone broth has great joint healing properties. It contains glucosamine, chondroitin and hyaluronic acid, all of which protects and give joints their elasticity, strength and flexibility. Bone broth is also the best food source which contains collagen to help form connective tissue.
The amino acids and glycosaminoglycans restore and protect the gut lining which supports digestion and a healthy gut for your pooch.
Bone broth is extremely beneficial to your pups immune system too. It helps reduce inflammation in the respiratory system and improve the immune systems ability to fight conditions like allergies, asthma and arthritis.
Most importantly when bone broth is home made, it is completely natural and free from grain, gluten, dairy etc.

Some of you might think that bone broth sounds absolutely awful. I was totally one of those people and never in my wildest dreams thought I would stomach making it! I reached out to an Instagram friend @goldengirlcalibear and asked for her advice. She is a vegetarian herself, but feeds Cali a totally raw diet- yes that includes raw meat of all kinds. I figured if she can do this then I can too, plus it was for my baby loves!! So I pulled myself together, bought the ingredients and went home to make some all important bone broth…. Here is my recipe:

Ingredients

1-2kg of bones (you can use chicken or beef or both)

2-3 tbs apple cider vinegar

Enough water to completely cover your bones in the pot

Optional-vegetables or vegetable cuttings

Directions

Place your bones in a huge pot and add the apple cider vinegar, stirring it over the bones- it helps break down all the fat and cartilage which is the good stuff in bone broth. Leave it for about 30 mins. Then fill your pot with cold water making sure you completely cover the bones. Gently bring the pot to a boil and then turn it down and let it lightly simmer for at least 10 hours with the lid on. Once done strain your broth, making sure absolutely NO bones or bone fragments end up in your final bone broth stock. Please throw away these soft bones immediately-NEVER give them to your pooch no matter how much they beg for one!! Let the strained broth cool completely. You will notice all the fat will rise to the top and solidify as it cools. You gently remove the fat layer and underneath is your beautiful and nutritious bone broth. I simply pour the broth into cute ice cube trays or even small tupperware pots and pop them into the freezer. Take them out as you wish to use them. You can give them to your pooch frozen or let it thaw a little. Your pup will LOVE you for making the effort!

Tips and findings from my experience making bone broth:

The more bones you use essentially the more broth you will end up with. Don’t let the pot boil for long, the idea is for it to gently simmer for hours on end. I also find the longer it simmers the better the outcome of the broth. Don’t be alarmed if your broth reduces significantly, on my first attempt I started with 5 litres of water and ended up with 400ml of broth. I was horrified-haha! I then learnt that I filled the pot too much and so water kept spitting out through the lid which caused more evaporation than usual. You will soon learn when your broth looks right and you can turn it off or if it needs a few more hours. I also found that adding veggies to mine did dilute it a bit. When I used bones only it made a beautiful bone broth. Again the choice is yours. Adding veggies increases the nutritional value too, but please be mindful of safe veggies for your pup. You might think you cannot stomach the smell of boiling bones, honestly that was what I was worried most about and it actually pleasantly surprised me. It smells like a simmering soup and it is not offensive at all-I promise!

I feel that if my vegetarian friend can make bone broth for Cali and I can make it for Zara (yes I am probably the worlds fussiest eater who drives my husband crazy) then anyone can! The nutritional value and benefits from bone broth are endless and in the long term you will see a difference in the overall health of your pooch. I do hope you give it a try and feel free to share the results with us either on Facebook- @stylishpaws or Instagram- @stylish_paws

Thank you for reading

06
Oct
2017

October: Pet Obesity Awareness Month

categories: Oscar, Zara

I have lost count at the amount of times someone has told me that Oscar is fat. I have heard it from complete strangers at the dog park and even from my friends and family. There are two things about Oscar that I never ever want to hear, one being, Oscar is rather fat and two, Oscar is looking old these days. It’s simple, keep those two opinions to yourself!

Oscar has been misunderstood for most of his life given his unique body shape and frame. He is a basset hound cross English bulldog and has unique features from both breeds. His short legs make his stocky body look even stockier and his extra skin and wrinkles give people the impression he needs to lose weight. Now I am not deluded when it comes to Oscar and his weight. His health has always been extremely important to me. When he was around five years old, shortly after he was neutered, we had to put him on a diet for a couple of months to help him shed a few extra kilos he had suddenly picked up. That was a once off and I have always carefully controlled all his meals including treats and any extras he gets! Believe me he is by no means deprived of treats and yummy extras, I simply feed them in moderation and always opt for healthy treats and snacks for him.

The food we used to help Oscar shed some weight was Hill’s Prescription Restricted Diet. Our vet recommended using this diet as opposed to just cutting down on the amount that he was being fed.The Hill’s R/D is a careful formula that makes sure your pooch still gets the correct vitamins and minerals while being low in calories. Within two weeks both myself and our vet noticed a difference in Oscar! We only fed him the R/D food until he reached his goal weight then returned to his usual food and still to this day he has kept that weight off! A fantastic achievement in my eyes. Since that was many moons ago, Hill’s has in-fact restored and improved their weight loss product which is now called Hill’s Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution. It is still part of the Prescription Diet range and comes in Metabolic + Mobility diet, Mini Metabolic and treats too. ps this food works fantastic for your feline loves too!!

With Zara having only just turned a year old in August, she still has plenty of growing to do especially being a large breed pup. Her meals are also carefully monitored and measured out in exactly the right quantities. Her treats and extras are also carefully controlled and something healthy is always on offer. She has a larger than life appetite and if she doesn’t have something to nibble on between her breakfast and dinner she tends to get a bit mischievous (read my Kong filler post for yummy mid-day snack ideas). It is important for your pup to be fed the best quality food that you can afford! You want them to get the best out of life.

Hill’s Pet Nutrition suggests you look out for these key signs of obesity-

Signs of Obesity

• See your vet regularly to accurately measure and monitor your pet’s weight.

• Look at your pet – if it is significantly overweight it should be obvious, although long-haired dogs and cats may ‘hide’ fat better.

• The rib test – when you stroke your pet’s side you should be able to easily feel the ribs underneath the skin.

• The waist view – when you look at your dog from above it should have a distinctive waist in front of his hips.

• Side view – look for a scooped abdominal tuck up towards the hind legs. Overweight pets have a flat to bulging tummy profile.

• Neck and tail base – look for fatty deposits around the tail base and neck. Pets at ideal weight have clear muscle definition and a smooth contour with tail base bones that can be easily felt.

• Overweight pets are more prone to shortness of breath, overheating and stiffness.

• Check for skin irritations or a scruffy coat due to difficulty in grooming.

While diet is a very important part of maintaining a healthy weight for your pet, exercise is just as important. Here are a few snacks and games you can use to help keep your pups happy and healthy.

Healthy snack ideas: We all love snacks, and so do our pups! It is so important that you give your pup the right snack.

Chick peas: Both Oscar and Zara LOVE chick peas. I don’t even have to do anything with them other than open the tin, drain and rinse them, then pop them into an airtight container or Zip-Lock bag and keep them in the fridge for up to 5 days (they never last that long in our house). These make excellent training treats too!!

Carrots: This one I particularly love giving to Zara because it also keeps her entertained for a while. I give her the entire carrot to enjoy. Just be sure to have your pup eat it outside because it tends to make a bit of a mess.

Biltong: A firm South African favourite human treat and pups love it too. Just be careful with the spices and salt content (everyone has their own recipe) so be sure to use plain and simple biltong or biltong sticks.

Cucumber: Zara loves her cucumber slices and will eat cucumber all day if she could. You can cut it into chunks and put into a treat ball as an interactive toy with a healthy treat or simply give your pup the entire cucumber to enjoy.

Strawberries and blueberries: Both berry varieties make excellent snacks. Fuss pot Oscar will only eat a frozen blueberry and don’t even think about giving him a strawberry! I love using frozen blueberries in treat balls for both Oscar and Zara to play with.

Fun and games: Keeping fit and active is not only a health benefit for us humans. Our pups thrive when they are fit and healthy too. Having fun and exercising with your pup is another great way to increase that special bond you have.

Fetch: fetch is ancient game that will never grow old or out of fashion. We love this game in our house-except Oscar of course! We like to change things up, sometimes it’s a teddy, a frisbee, a ball or squeaker toy. Anything will do for this high energy game.

Tuggy: Tuggy is a great one that seems to tire Zara quickly. She puts so much force and energy into making sure she is the strongest in this game. This is a great game to build endurance.

Swimming: With summer just beginning for us, swimming is a super fun way for both you and your pup to stay fit. Swimming lengths chasing floating balls and sticks is great fun. Try have a doggy paddle race against your pup, you’ll soon see just how difficult it is and how much energy you use 🙂

Find it: This game is a real favourite for both Oscar and Zara. I use the healthy snacks mentioned above, run around the house and garden placing them in strategic hiding spots then let the pups out to find their treasure. It is a great game to get your pups excited.

October is National Pet Obesity Awareness month and together with Hill’s Pet Nutrition South Africa, we urge you to take your pets for a weight check. Rather than putting your pet at the risk of obesity-related diseases, love them enough to take them for a quick weigh-in. You can find a participating vet practice on www.PetSlimmer.co.za. It’s simple and free.

Links / URLS

www.PetSlimmer.co.za

#PetObesityMonth #HillsMetabolic #HillsPetSlimmer

Twitter: @HillsPetSA

Facebook: @HillsPetZA

Instagram: @HillsPetFoodSA

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/HillsSouthAfrica

Thank you for reading.

10
May
2016

Everybunny needs to be healthy

categories: Valentine and Duchess

Being healthy is key, whether you are a two legged being or a four legged being, health is of utmost importance! I am a very new bunny mom, but I absolutely love it! Valentine and Duchess are constantly teaching me, fruits they don’t like, herbs they love, what games they enjoy playing and when they prefer to sleep. Their personalities are evident and very different. I constantly find myself laughing at their funny ways. I love being a bunny mom, and just like any mom I like to know that my babies are happy and healthy. I didn’t realise just how much bunnies eat until Valentine and Duchess came into my life. Each morning and each evening I spend a fair amount of time preparing their salads. Each meal is different from the previous one because I have noticed they do not enjoy eating the same thing more than twice! Fussy much 😉 So I have to have a meal plan for them and make sure I have enough fresh produce for them at all times. I am lucky enough to have a lovely vegetable and herb garden, but I seem to just grow produce for the two fluff balls-haha! I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Here is a list of Valentine and Duchess’ favourite fruits, vegetables and herbs and how they like to eat them…

The love list:

This is a list of fruit, veggies and herbs that Valentine and Duchess absolutely love.

One would think that giving a bunny a whole carrot would be what they dream of… Well not my bunnies! They will only eat the carrot if I give them slithers of carrots. I cut most of the other fruits and veggies into small bite sized cubes so it is easy for them to munch on. If something is too big for their liking, they will happily not eat it-even if it is a favourite!! Duchess has a sweet tooth and absolutely loves her fruit. Valentine will happily pass up his fresh foods for his pellets and treats-typical boy haha!

The no thanks list:

I’m not sure I would call my bunnies fussy, they just know what they like and what they don’t like! And luckily for me they let me know. I try to give Valentine and Duchess their favourites everyday, but I can’t help but throw a few of these non-favourites in now and again to see if they have changed their minds 😉 I try to cut them in a different way,slithers, as a zoodle, or small cubes, and sometimes it works!

It is important to feed your bunnies well balanced meals everyday. Remember your bunnies digestive system is very sensitive and too much of one thing can lead to an upset tummy and an uncomfortable bunny! Make sure you feed fruit in small amounts because of their sugar content. They can have slightly more vegetables and more leafy greens. Their main source of food should be hay! Valentine and Duchess love hay and they love playing in it too. I also feed them a small handful of rabbit pellets with each meal and of course homemade treats-but treat recipes are for another blog so keep a lookout 😉

I am pretty sure in a year from now I would have added to each of these lists and I cannot wait to learn more about Valentine and Duchess’ pallets…

Thank you for reading.