Mad About Pets!

NOTE: Giveaway entry form is at the END of the post!

Invisible dog fences are versatile and reliable methods of containment that can be used in just about any yard. Some dogs, however, benefit more from invisible fences than others. If you answer “yes” to any of these questions, an invisible dog fence might be worth looking into.

Wondering what to get your honey for Valentine's Day? If she loves pets, try these cute gifts.

Many vets and pet owners are beginning to realize the benefits of feeding a raw, species-appropriate diet to their cats and dogs. One of the forerunners in offering a raw diet commercial is Stella & Chewy's, based out of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founder and President Marie Moody was kind enough to offer this exclusive interview with Mad About Pets and tell us about what makes her company stand out above the rest.

Marie with Stella and Chewy

(Mad About Pets) I understand that you are started Stella & Chewy's after your own dog Chewy was aided through illness by a raw diet. What are the benefits of a raw diet, and what types of common illnesses can it help prevent or treat?

(Marie) We have heard from pet owners that while feeding Stella & Chewy’s their animals have a healthier appetite and better digestion, increased stamina and vitality, healthier coat and skin and less ear and eye issue. We’ve also gotten feedback that while on this diet the animals have fewer allergies and less obesity. The food increases not only the quality of life for the pet but also longevity. Stella & Chewy’s philosophy is based upon what pets naturally eat in the wild. Our frozen and freeze dried foods are made without using any heat. Foods that are processed above 120 degrees have less active enzymes and the vitamins and minerals are also impacted by heat. The food is therefore not as bioavailable. Stella & Chewy’s products are made without grains, fillers, artificial preservatives, added hormones or antibiotics. We don’t add sugar, salt or colorings. Stella & Chewy’s offers 100% complete and balanced dinners for dogs which are 95% raw meat, poultry and fish, 5% organic fruit and vegetables with added probiotics, vitamins and minerals.

Many pet owners are leery of raw food diets because of the threat of foodborne illnesses. How does Stella & Chewy's ensure that their foods are safe?

When I first started "S & C" I didn't know a lot about the regulatory side of pet food. Then a couple of my competitors were recalled for salmonella and I quickly educated myself about it. Since the FDA mandates a 0% tolerance for salmonella in pet food, it was a challenge to figure out a way to address the issue when it’s so frequently found in chicken. I had to figure out how to do it without using heat, radiation or chemicals that would alter the food from a raw state. I found a technology called HPP- hydrostatic high pressure which is essentially cold water pressure that kills vegetative bacteria without altering the enzymes and vitamins and proteins. Stella & Chewy’s was the first company in pet or human food to use this technology in a prepackaged product. That technology combined with advanced oxidation units which omit a low level of ozone and hydrogen peroxide which kill airborne bacteria...same technology that's used on cruise ships.....is the patent pending process that we use. This keeps the raw foods safe for pets and their owners. In addition we test every batch of frozen and freeze dried products at an independent lab and post the results on our website. Customers can go online and match the batch number off their bag of food to the corresponding number online and see the results

Stella & Chewy's offers both frozen and free dried raw diets for dogs. Is there a nutritional difference between frozen and freeze dried? What are the advantages of one over the other?

When I took Chewy to the vet and found out how sick he was the vet recommended home prepared meals. I researched options and thought a raw diet made sense because it was species appropriate. It simulates how they eat in the wild and how their ancestors ate; no thumbs to make fires, no cooked foods. Foods cooked above a certain temperature lose much of their nutritional value and natural enzymes. Raw foods have natural enzymes, which are critical in building proteins and rebuilding the body. Both our freeze–dried and frozen products are raw and they do not differ nutritionally. The biggest difference is one is shelf stable and the other is frozen. The great thing about the freeze-dried is that it’s very convenient and easy to use. It’s a great option for a pet owner who’s either not familiar with or not committed to feeding a 100 % raw diet. The freeze-dried products enable him/ her to incorporate at least some raw into what is presently being feed. The freeze- dried is also extremely palatable, offers a long shelf life and is easy to travel with.

I notice that for cats, Stella & Chewy's currently offers freeze dried diets only. Is there any plan to introduce frozen patties into the current feline line of products?

At this point in time we are focused on the freeze-dried products for cats.

What would you say the biggest difference is between Stella & Chewy's and other raw food diets currently available on the market?

One big difference is that we have our own manufacturing plant in Milwaukee, WI. We have complete control over all aspects of the manufacturing and production of our products. We’ve implemented a safety process that ensures our products are free from harmful bacteria. We use only organic fruits and vegetable, cage-free poultry, wild- caught fish and naturally raised beef. Quite possibly the biggest difference between Stella & Chewy’s and other raw food diets is that we’ve made it very convenient to feed a raw diet.

Does Stella & Chewy's have plans at this point to introduce any new flavors to the cat line?

Stella & Chewy’s has recently introduced a new line of freeze-dried cat dinners in six varieties, all made from wild-caught fish and cage-free poultry. The dinners are available in Chick, Chick Chicken, Tummy Ticklin’ Turkey™, Duck, Duck Goose, Heavenly Herring & Tuna™, Sea-Licious Salmon & Cod™, and Yummy Lickin’ Salmon & Chicken™. The line includes the first-ever, single-serve dinners for cats, ideal for finicky eaters and to add mealtime variety. The single-serve pouches provide consumers ease-of-use and convenience – just add 3 tablespoons of warm water, mix & serve. Re-sealable 12 oz. bags provide customers the opportunity to purchase larger sizes once their pets establish favorites.

If you could give readers one piece of advice when it comes to pet nutrition, what would it be?

Good nutrition is the single most important factor in promoting longevity and quality of life for your pet.

COMING SOON: Mad About Pets puts Stella & Chewy's to the test!

Face it...the holidays are coming up before you know it! Here are few cute, funny, quirky gifts Mad About Pets has come across that are perfect for the cat lover in your life. (FYI, all product descriptions from Amazon!- click on product name for more info)

Cat Pencil Sharpener

$15.00- Keep your pencils pointed with the hilarious meowing cat pencil sharpener. Insert a pencil into the cat's rear-end and it meows in protest while you sharpen. Wouldn't you ? A fun desk accessory that will have the whole office yowling. Assorted colors-- black or white Made of sturdy plastic Measures approximately 6" H x 4" L Convenient "litter box" tray collects shavings No battery required--features an internal sound chip Packaged in a clear plastic gift box



Features: 

Mechanical kitten and puppy steal your coins to help you save up

Also a fine ornament on the desk or table.

Kitty pops out of the box to steal your coins.

Perfect children's gift and can teach the importance of saving money.

Lacey's Barkery gluten-free crisps

Lacey’s Barkery was kind enough to offer Mad About Pets a sample of their most popular baked treat flavor, Peanut Butter and Bacon. We wanted to put Lacey’s to the ultimate test, so we recruited a particularly selective test subject. Meet Amos, the 8-year-old rescue poodle. Amos’ person reports that he does not eat treats; in fact, he has no idea what to do with them. When offered a dog bone at the bank drive-up window, poor Amos just stares at it. Growing up in a puppy mill, Amos never learned the simple pleasure of a dog treat. Even if he wanted to eat a treat, the amount of teeth he’s missing makes it quite difficult. Yes, Amos is a tough test subject indeed!

Lacey's Barkery baked treats

Amos the test dog gives Lacey’s Barkery two enthusiastic paws up! Besides the glowing review from the pickiest poodle in Madison, Mad About Pets loves that Lacey’s donates part of the purchase price to animal charities like AKC Canine Health Foundation and Romania Animal Rescue when you use the appropriate promo code (found at the bottom of this page.) If you’re looking for tasty homemade treats you can feel good about giving your dog, check out Lacey’s Barkery and the full line of great products they have available to spoil your dog rotten!

"Potty training"...the two words that make many dog owners cringe. It seems like some dogs take to potty training like a fish to water, while others require a long and difficult period before the concept makes sense. Even when a puppy is fully potty trained, owners still must deal with the early-morning and late-night potty breaks, and occassional accidents on the kitchen floor. Wouldn't it be convenient just to have an indoor dog bathroom for your dog that he could use whenever the need arises? Believe it or not, you CAN: it's called the Potty Training Puppy Apartment!

The Puppy Apartment is a unique new potty training device that combines the best parts of the many different training methods on the market. Puppy training pads seems to be the most popular product for indoor potty training, but unfortunately many dogs "overshoot" or miss the pad entirely (leading to sticky, not to mention stinky, floors.) Indoor grass patches have become popular, but the same problem exists with overshooting and the obvious inconvenience of having a box of grass/faux grass in your home. These solutions aren't viable, either, if your dog or puppy is confined to a crate during the day. Older dogs will be expected to "hold it" until you get home. However, puppies have tiny bladders and therefore must take frequent potty breaks;  if your puppy is confined to a crate for more than a few hours, accidents can and WILL happen. The Puppy Apartment combines a crate and a bathroom so your dog has access to a potty area and a sleeping area, yet in separate compartments to keep your puppy clean and comfy.

The best part about the Puppy Apartment is that it comes with a training DVD to teach you exactly how to use the device with success. The Puppy Apartment training program teaches the dog to use the bathroom indoors in 3 stages, so the puppy gradually learns to use (and prefer) pottying indoors in the Puppy Apartment. Eventually, your dog will be able to have free reign of the house and still will go back to the Puppy Apartment to potty (like his own personal bathroom!) The training program was developed over a period of five years of research, and is even patent pending. Customer service is also available 7 days a week to help with any questions or concerns that might come up with the Potty Training Puppy Apartment, so once you start you always have help available if you need it.

The Puppy Apartment is a combination bed/bathroom

Many owners like to crate train their dog, but this can come with the issues discussed above (older dogs being forced to "hold it", and puppies requiring frequent potty breaks.) The nice thing about the Puppy Apartment is that it can be used to crate train and potty train simultaneously. Since the Puppy Apartment is divided into two separate sections, it is a combination bathroom and bedroom (sort of like a studio apartment for dogs.) Your dog will always have a clean and dry place to rest in the crate, and a bathroom available when he needs it. Dogs that stay crated during the day will be sure to enjoy this! Dogs who will have free reign of the house (after potty training) will also appreciate having an indoor bathroom to use. Dogs are biologically wired to seek a den to dwell in (like their wolf relatives), so having a crate available to rest in is a great idea even for dogs who are not confined to a crate for long periods of time. The Crate Training Puppy Apartment fulfills the need for a den dwelling and a bathroom in one unique product.

If you're looking for an effective way to potty train your puppy or dog, or a nice alternative to taking the dog out at 6 AM every day for a potty break, check out the Potty Training Puppy Apartment.

Treat toys for dogs are great toy ideas for several reasons. Did you know that bloat is considered to be the leading cause of death in dogs? For dogs that eat too quickly, treat toys can cause the dog to slow down and as a result gulp less air in. Slowing down a dog's eating is the best way to prevent bloat. Another reason treat toys are great is because they stimulate your dog mentally. Many of the toys are puzzles and cause your dog to use problemsolving skills. A mentally stimulated dog is a happy dog!

Here are some great treat toys to consider for your dog:

The idea behind the Nina Ottosson's "Dog Tornado" is for the dog to dislodge the removable bones, then turn the revolving sections to reveal the hidden treats. The Tornado has many variables to increase the level of difficulty as the dog's skill improves. With a little practice he will soon learn to dislodge the bones and turn the Tornado to access the hidden rewards.

The Aikiou has compartments in which you can hide different types of food. This will keep your animal busy during mealtimes, turning the wheel and opening the sliding doors to access the food. This system adds brain stimulating component to feeding, slowing down the rate at which food is ingested and thus reducing digestion problems. Making mealtime an intellectual activity is very positive and stimulating for your pet since he will need to use his senses to hunt for his meal and is rewarded when he succeeds. This bowl can also be used for education and interactive games both pet and owner can enjoy. Simply hide food rewards in the compartments and encourage your pet to find them. For Balanced, Entertaining Mealtimes! Let your dog discover how much fun it is to eat from an Aikiou dog food bowl. Using his paws and muzzle, your pet must turn the wheel and open the sliding doors to access the food that is hidden underneath. Suitable for dogs of all sizes. Your dog will discover how much fun it is to eat from an Aikiou bowl, with its unique search and find system. Can hold up to 3 1/2 cups of food.


With eight treat or food chambers, Kyjen Dog Games Treat Wheel combines the difficulties of Star Spinner and Paw Hide. The dog must use its mouth to lift each cup, then spin the top to reveal more treats. Rubber soles prevent slippage.

Smarter Toys make their dogs work for their food which provides healthy mental and physical stimulation. The Buster Food Cube is the most difficult treat dispenser and features an adjustable hole to control difficulty level.
Premier Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble makes dogs work for their food in a fun and challenging way. Mentally and physically stimulates dogs by appealing to their natural prey and stalking drives. Holds approximately 2 cups of food. The Treat Meter on either end of the balls randomly dispenses kibble and treats.

Face it: cleaning up after our pets is sometimes no easy task. It's even harder when you want to use a high quality, effective product that is also safe to use around your pets! The fine folks at Spot Shot want to make the lives of pet owners a little easier (and a little safer on our pets) with their new Non-Toxic Spot Shot Pet Aerosol. Here's what they had to say about this new product:

Spot Shot® – the leading carpet stain remover and odor eliminator – is introducing its new Non-Toxic Spot Shot® Pet Aerosol.



This new formula permanently eliminates new and old stains, absorbs and neutralizes odors, and has anti-resoiling agents that protect your carpet and keep stains from returning. Non-Toxic Spot Shot Pet Aerosol is proven better than competitors on the most difficult pet stains, including urine, feces, vomit, and tracked in mud, dirt and oil.*


Most importantly, Non-Toxic Spot Shot Pet Aerosol is safe for pets, kids and the environment. It is non-toxic, certified readily biodegradable by Scientific Certification Systems, and it doesn’t contain phosphates or volatile organic compounds.


*Product Test: Weinman Schnee, Morais


Want to try this great new product for FREE?

Spot Shot and Mad About Pets are teaming up to allow one lucky reader the chance to try the new Non-Toxic Spot Shot Pet Aerosol for free. Here's how:

To enter the giveaway:

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling me why you'd like to win  a free bottle of Non-Toxic Spot Shot Pet Aerosol!

Want some extra entries? Here's how:

5 extra entries:

*Blog about this contest with a link to this post (leave me a comment with a link)

1 extra entry:

*Tweet a link to this giveaway (use share button below)

*Follow me on Twitter

*Join my Facebook fan page

*Join the Stain Fighting Community Facebook page

*Subscribe to my feed

*Post a link to Mad About Pets on your blog or site

Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry to state you have completed the requirement. I highly suggest that you leave your email address in your comment(s) so that I am able to contact you ASAP if you're the winner. If I cannot contact the winner within 3 days, I will have to draw a new winner.

The giveaway begins today and ends at 11:59 Central Time on July 16, 2012. Contest is open to US residents only. I'll then be drawing a random winner from all the entries.

Coupon Information:
If you just can't wait to try it out, Walmart currently carries the new Non-Toxic Spot Shot Pet Aerosol and you can download a $1.00 off coupon at: http://www.coupons.com/.

And be sure to check out Spot Shot on Facebook:
Get details about Spot Shot products, coupons and promotions on the Stain Fighting Community Facebook page: www.facebook.com/StainFightingCommunity

Here at Mad About Pets we always try to promote patronizing local pet supply stores whenever possible. We all know, though, that sometimes we can find a great deal online that we just can't pass up. Thanks to Coupon Craze, here are a few online coupon deals that might just help you snag a great online pet supply deal:

DJ Cat busting out some dope tunes

Many thanks to my friend Maureen for pointing out this adorable cat scratcher from SUCK UK! The record is a cardboard scratcher, and it actually moves/spins when your cat uses it. You can customize it with the included kitty DJ stickers. Now you just have to convince your kitty to wear headphones...

Cat Scratch DJ is available for purchase from ThinkGeek for $34.99.

Also check out SUCK UK's foldable cat play houses.

Mad About Pets was lucky enough to try out the Neko Flies Small Kittenator, which is a wand toy for cats. Also included was a Kragonfly attachment which can switch up the Kittenator's furry mouse attachment for a little variety. The Small Kittenator package includes the wand and  realistic furry mouse that you can make scurry along the ground or fly about for your cat to chase.

Neko Flies Small Kittenator

 In my opinion, wand toys are one of the most important types of toys to include in your cat's toy-arsenal. They encourage instinctual stalking and chasing behavior, get your kitty up and active, and also allow you time to interact and bond with your cat. You may have noticed that some kitties like to play with a stationary mouse, throwing it around the room and stalking it as though it were real...yet others will stare at it as if to say "What the heck should I do with this thing?" Wand toys are the perfect solution for kitties that just don't grasp the idea of playing with a traditional mouse toy; I've yet to meet a cat who can resist a scurrying mouse or waving feather that seemingly moves on its own. In our home, we refer to it as "fishing for cats"; just throw out the line, and you're basically guaranteed to snag a cat or two.

Peanut posing with hit Cesar loot

Cesar Canine Cuisine was nice enough to send Mad About Pets a care package of their products to try out, and also another package to give away to a lucky reader! Since there are no dogs in the Mad About Pets household, my sister-in-law's Maltipoo named Peanut (dog-in-law?) was the honorary Cesar tester. Since Cesar Canine Cuisine caters to small dogs, Peanut was the perfect test subject.

My SIL reports that Peanut really enjoyed the Sunrise meals which contain egg. He was so in love with them, he actually stole one of the meals, ran away, and opened it himself! What a brat. The Softies Medley treats were also a big hit, as they are easy to eat for small dogs with equally small mouths. Peanut didn't have any issues chewing them as he does with some of the larger, crunchier treats offered by other brands.

Peanut clearly enjoyed his time as a Mad About Pets test subject! :)

Want to win a Cesar Canine Cuisine care package for YOUR dog?

Mad About Pets is giving away 1 Cesar care package containing various Cesar moist foods, treats, and an adorable t-shirt to a lucky reader. Here's how to snag this great collection for your dog:

Cesar care package up for giveaway

To enter the giveaway:

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling me a little about the dog who would enjoy this care package. Make sure to leave me a way to contact you, whether it be Twitter, email, etc. so I can notify you if you win!

Want some extra entries? Here's how:

5 extra entries:

*Blog about this contest with a link to this post (leave me a comment with the link)

1 extra entry:

*Tweet a link to this giveaway @MadAboutPets
*Follow me on Twitter
*Join my Facebook fan page
*Subscribe to my feed
*Post a link to Mad About Pets on your blog or site

Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry to state you have completed the requirement. I highly suggest that you leave your email address (use "name [at] domain dot com" format to avoid spambots) in your comment(s) so that I am able to contact you ASAP if you're a winner. If I cannot contact the winner within 3 days, I will have to draw a new winner.

Entry deadline is July 27, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time. This giveaway is open to United States residents only.


Good luck!

Summer is here, and unfortunately so is allergy season. But did you know that many pets suffer from seasonal allergies, too? If your pet is one of those unlucky allergy sufferers, you know just how uncomfortable the sneezing and itching makes them. Just in time for allergy season, Mad About Pets was given the opportunity to test out 2 seasonal allergy products for dogs by Vet’s Best: their Seasonal Allergy Support supplement and Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo.

Canine volunteer Harley

Since there are currently no dogs residing in the Mad About Pets household, I enlisted the help of a canine volunteer to test these products. Harley, a friend's 9-year-old Golden Retriever, stepped in to assist. Harley is allergic to flavored rawhide bones, damp weather, and certain foods such as lamb and rice. Harley is currently on allergy medication, and his owner reports he is generally uncooperative in that he tends to spit out his allergy pills. Two days prior to administering the first dosage of the Seasonal Allergy Support supplement, Harley quit taking his allergy medication so that he would have a clean testing slate. Much to my surprise (and to Harley’s owner’s), Harley had no qualms about taking the Seasonal Allergy Support Supplement. He was given one pill each morning and evening for a week and took the pill with no issues. To quote Harley’s owner: “I let him play outside as it was rainy and damp all week. I left him run through weeds. I let him eat flavored rawhide bones. I gave him extra meaty treats. He did not break out with a hot spot. I was surprised that the supplement worked!”

Harley was also on the job to try out the Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo. Harley was allowed to get extra dirty during the week, so his fur was nice and full of weeds, dirt and even a bit of poo when the time came for his bath. Harley’s owner reports that “the shampoo cleaned him nicely by removing all the dirt, weeds, grass, loose fur, loose dander, and poo.” She also states that it did not irritate his sensitive skin like many shampoos do. Due to the hypo-allergenic nature of the shampoo, it is unscented so it should not bother the sensitive skin and noses of dogs with allergies. In other words, your dog will not have that freshly-shampooed smell…just a clean dog with no extra scent.

Many thanks to Harley and his person for giving these great products a try!

Want to win a bottle of Vet’s Best Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo for your dog?

Win a bottle of Vet's Best Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo!

Mad About Pets is giving away 1 bottle of Vet's Best Hypo-Allergenic Shampoo  to a lucky reader. Here's how to snag a free bottle for your pup:

To enter the giveaway:

All you need to do is leave a comment on this post telling me a little about the dog who would enjoy this shampoo. Make sure to leave me a way to contact you, whether it be Twitter, email, etc. so I can notify you if you win!

Want some extra entries? Here's how:

5 extra entries:

*Blog about this contest with a link to this post (leave me a comment with the link)

1 extra entry:

*Tweet a link to this giveaway @MadAboutPets
*Follow me on Twitter
*Join my Facebook fan page
*Subscribe to my feed
*Post a link to Mad About Pets on your blog or site

Please leave a separate comment for each additional entry to state you have completed the requirement. I highly suggest that you leave your email address (use "name [at] domain dot com" format to avoid spambots) in your comment(s) so that I am able to contact you ASAP if you're a winner. If I cannot contact the winner within 3 days, I will have to draw a new winner.

Entry deadline is July 13, 2011 at 11:59 p.m. Central Standard Time. This giveaway is open to United States residents only.

Good luck!