everything pets + a tiny human
Happy May everyone, the month my tiny human and best friend was born! This year we celebrate my baby sis Gia’s 3rd birthday. Time really does fly when you’re having fun.
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Zara has had TPLO surgery on both her back knee’s. It’s been a few years now however I am constantly looking out for new products or supplements that will help ease Zara’s discomfort she experiences from time to time. So when PetieTec asked us if we would like to review their new heated therapy braces we jumped at the opportunity.
PetieTec heated therapy braces use targeted heat therapy to reduce stiffness, increase blood flow and relieve pain in the area the braces cover. This is exactly what Zara needs to help maintain her comfort and keep aches and pains away.
PetieTec gifted us the full set which includes the hip heated therapy brace, two elbow or knee heated therapy braces plus the spine heated therapy brace. Each brace targets the specific area to help increase blood flow to the area and ease pain and discomfort.
With our colder days starting to make an appearance, Zara starts to show a little extra discomfort too so I am excited to see how these PetieTec heated therapy braces help Zara cope this winter season… yes that means I will do another full review after our winter season š
But for now what I can tell you is that I am extremely impressed with the PetieTec heated braces. I have been using them for a week and I have tried them all on Zara. Surprisingly she is happy to lay down and enjoy the heat therapy sessions. When all the straps are attached correctly it is possible for your dog to move around and train while the heat therapy is going on but to be honest I want Zara’s heat therapy sessions to be calm and enjoyable for her. I want it to be something we can do quietly together with no other interruptions.
I can tell we will use the knee and elbow ones daily followed by the hip brace every second day as Zara does have slight hip dysplasia and I will probably use the back/spine brace about twice a week. I will of course see how it goes and if I have to increase the use of them I will.
Each PetieTec heated brace is powered by a power bank. I opted to use my own (PetieTec can supply you with one if you want). The fabulous thing is that any power bank and micro USB cable fit perfectly so if you have more than one power bank you can do more than one brace at the same time. So far I like to either do both elbows or both knee’s at the same time or one knee and the hip brace. Zara is happy to sit and relax during her sessions and I often give her a LickMat or filled Kong to take her mind off the actual heating. Zara has never shown any discomfort or irritation towards the braces while they are being used.
You can choose between three different heat settings which I think is great! Depending on how cold it is will determine which heat setting I go for. At the moment it hasn’t been too cold so I have only used the ‘coolest’ of the three settings. As the days and nights get colder I will adjust to the hotter options. It’s probably not a bad idea to start with the coolest setting and work your way up to the hottest.
Overall the PetieTec heated therapy braces are very easy to use once you master all the straps and where they go – haha! I am very impressed with the quality of each brace and how it has been made oh and did I mention you can hand wash them gently- impressive right! They do not take up much space at all so if you travel with your pets they are very easy to pack and take with you wherever you go.
If your pup suffers from any kind of discomfort relating to joint stiffness, sore muscles, hip dysplasia or arthritis then I strongly recommend these PetieTec heated therapy braces! You will not be disappointed.
Please use our discount code ZARA10 for a 10% discount when you check out.
Purchase here online here
Follow PetieTec on instagram and Facebook and don’t forget to tag us @stylish_paws and @petietec in your posts. We love to see how amazing products are helping puppers all over the world.
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by Happy March everyone.
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by And just like that it’s a new year! Happy 2022 everyone.
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by We love Santa in our home. He’s the big fat guy who brings presents and looks after reindeers and our new family member Coco Puff the elf. As Gia gets older, Christmas becomes more fun because she understands a little more and we can just enjoy the make believe world that Santa is. Life is too short not to have FUN and not to eat Christmas treats!
Zara loves Santa Paws too and she picks up on all the excitement and knows when his delivery has been made. She knows exactly which gifts are for her and loves to sniff them out.
So Santa Paws is almost here and what better way to celebrate his arrival than with some yummy homemade Christmas treats for the whole family.
Candy Cane Dog Treats
Ingredients for the red dough
1 cup beetroot puree
1 egg
2 cups flour
Directions
Mix together the beetroot puree and egg. Then add the flour and mix until a dough forms. Set aside.
Ingredients for the white dough
1 cup apple puree
1 egg
2 cups flour
Directions
Mix together the apple puree and egg. Then add the flour and mix until a dough forms. Set aside.
Take little portions of each dough and roll them into long thin strips then on a greased baking tray gently plait them into a candy cane shape. Repeat until all your dough is finished. Bake at 180 degrees for +-25 minutes or until cooked through. Once cooked allow them to cool before your pup enjoys them.
Gia helped make the Christmas cookies for Santa. She loved being involved!
Christmas Cookies
Ingredients
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup castor sugar
1 cup butter – room temperature
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
Directions
Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat the egg and vanilla together then add it to the butter and sugar mixture. Beat well. Then add the flour one cup at a time and mix well. Eventually the dough will form. Put it in the fridge for about an hour to chill. Once chilled roll out and using Christmas shaped cookie cutters make your Christmas cookies. Place on an un-greased baking tray and bake at 180 degrees Celsius for +-15minutes or until golden. Allow biscuits to cool completely before decorating.
You can bet we will be leaving a candy cane out for Rudolf and a Christmas cookie for Santa!
Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and healthy 2022.
Thank you for following us on our journey that was 2021!
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by It’s December and Santa Paws is almost on his way!
Here is a Christmas gift guide with some gorgeous ideas to spoil your furry loves this festive season.
Have yourself a very Merry Christmas everyone!
*this post contains affiliate links.
1.House of Paws Reindeer Plush Toy
10.Extras…
We hope this gift guide helped you find some cute spoils for your furry loves. Should you wish to purchase any of these items through our links, we get a small commission at no extra cost to you, it’s just Amazon being nice to us š
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by Happy November everyone! Summer is in full swing here for us and we are taking advantage of lots of pool time and water toy fun. It’s kinda what summer is all about right š
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by The Hansgrohe DogShower is the latest dog grooming product to hit the South African market and we couldn’t be more excited to share our experience with you.
When Hansgrohe reached out to us I’ll be honest, I had not heard of the DogShower but since doing my own research and connecting with the brand I am seeing the DogShower more and more internationally on social media. But fear not my fellow South Africans because the DogShower is coming to YOU!
The Hansgrohe DogShower is pretty awesome and can be used for both indoor and outdoor grooming. As you know Zara loves nothing more than to be hosed down and groomed and the DogShower makes the experience a little more luxurious for her. It has three different wash settings, one for the bulk of her fur, which is the full flow of the shower head. One for the more sensitive parts like her legs, under-carriage, bum and tail areas, which is only the top section of the shower head. And the last setting is for her paws, which is a single jet of water flow. It also has a button to increase the pressure if you want which I actually quite liked especially for around Zara’s leg area where the shampoo usually sits.
The long silicone nozzles offer a pleasant massage experience for your pup which Zara loved. I was able to massage from the top of her neck right to the tip of her tail without the nuzzles getting stuck in her fur all whilst making sure no shampoo foam is left behind.
The single flow paw cleaner is also great because I often forget about Zara’s paws when bathing her however the paw cleaning setting on the DogShower makes sure any bits and pieces that are wedged in between her toes gets cleaned away especially when you use the booster pressure button.
We connected our Hansgrohe DogShower to our standard outdoor garden hosepipe and it works perfectly. Because it is currently so hot where we live, giving Zara an outdoor shower suits her perfectly. I mean who doesn’t love outdoor showers anyway š At first Zara thought it was a new sprinkler water toy to play with so she tried jumping up and playing with the water sprays but she soon realised what a relaxing experience it is to be bathed with the DogShower.
Don’t worry, if you don’t enjoy bathing your pup outside the Hansgrohe DogShower works indoors too. All you need is a shower hose connected to your bath or shower which you screw the DogShower head to and use it in the bath or shower. Zara loves an indoor bath too so we keep these to the winter time so we can make the water a little warmer for her.
Basically everyone can use the Hansgrohe DogShower and we highly recommend this product. No more random buckets or jugs needed to bath your pets. Simply screw it to your bath hose or outdoor hosepipe and you’re good to go!
Thank you Hansgrohe for such an awesome product which we will use all the time!
Follow Hansgrohe Africa on Instagram and Facebook for actual product launch dates š
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by Summer is in full swing for us and while we as a family absolutely love the summer months, the intense heat of our summer days can leave you feeling drained and Zara is not immune to this and neither is Ollie or the bunny girls.
Most dogs and pets in general can suffer from heat stroke really quickly and most pet owners know that heat stroke is no joke! I am very aware of how hot it gets for us and I am constantly making sure Zara, Ollie, the bunny girls and us stay cool and comfortable so we can enjoy our beautiful hot sunny days to the fullest.
So here are some tips and things I do to make sure we all stay cool during our hot summers.
*this post contains affiliate links.
Water toys in summer are an absolute must have! We have a few gems we found on Amazon and in the shops. Zara is a water goddess and loves nothing more than a water toy or shell pool to splash around in. She loves sprinkler toys and there are some fabulous ones available! Our latest water toy is her sprinkler pad which is great for Gia too. The two of them can sit for hours playing in the water together.
Cold water and Ice treats are a must for all of us. You can make them interesting by adding fruits and veggies. The bunnies particularly love a fruity ice treat. I usually pop a blueberry, chopped strawberries or chopped carrots in each ice mould before filling it with water and freezing. Zara loves eating ice and it definitely helps in keeping her body temperature down. I also make sure she has a big ice block in her water bowl all afternoon so she has lovely cold water to drink. Ollie drinks Zara’s water too and I have noticed he quite enjoys it when its really cold. Of course you can make yummy frozen yoghurt treats and doggy ice cream too but on a hot day I find those can make Zara extra thirsty so I prefer fruit and water to be honest.
When I know it’s going to get really hot I freeze a few full water bottles. Once frozen I wrap a small towel around them (to prevent ice-burn) and I give it to Ollie to lie next to for his afternoon nap. When the bunnies are really hot I give them one too.
As you know Zara loves nothing more than swimming in the big pool. She’s a fish in a rottweiler body! This is the most effective way to cool her body temperature down fast, but not all dogs love to swim and that’s ok! Water toys are just as much fun and absolutely help in cooling down. Gia is learning to swim too so the two of them have great fun in the pool together.
We have both fans and air-conditioning in all areas of the house, our summer is too hot not to have these things. Zara quite enjoys both! On extreme days I put the AC on and she takes up position right under it and enjoys her afternoon snooze. Ollie also enjoys the AC on a hot afternoon. Otherwise I put the fans on to circulate the air and this works well too.
I never let Zara sunbathe on extremely hot days. Our sun is too powerful and she gets really hot really quickly and ends up coming inside panting like she’s just been on a 5km walk! We also never walk Zara past 10am, even at that time our temperatures are getting high. We usually do early morning or late afternoon past 4pm or even later. We try not to run around and play too much during the hottest times of the days either and that’s why we have so many water toys- so we can still have plenty of fun while keeping cool even tho it’s roasting hot!
Thank you for reading, we’re off to enjoy some summer fun š
by Hello October. As some of you welcome fall and all the cosiness that comes with it, we welcome summer and one of our hottest months of the year.
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