Green Dogs Dispose Properly

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Buffer

Tanner on Trash Duty

Here at All Things Dog Blog we live a pretty green lifestyle, and if this photo is any indication, it's been going on for quite a while. I think we got the bug around 2006 or 2007 when Xena was diagnosed with cancer of an environmental source.

Things like eating organic, composting, recycling, and proper disposal of items not to be reused, are part of our daily routine now. Today I realized, as I loaded up a box of HAZMAT dropoffs, that there are some items in there that many of you may find fascinating--or not. So here goes. Strap on your green seatbelt and let's talk about how you could be disposing of the items you don't wish to keep. Join us for an up close and personal tour of our trash. Fun, yes?!

courtesy epa.gov

But first let's talk about the items you choose to bring into your home. Even your dogs don't need some of the ingredients that are in pet products. Really; why would you feed your dog food coloring or synthetics like fertilizers and pesticides. Items I absolutely boycott for my family and my pets include those with food coloring, ingredients processed with aluminum, parabens, synthetic fertilizers (compost works great and helps you recycle your food scraps), pesticides for home, garden and our pets (we've got a list at the link of products that work well and are not poisonous to our pets), commercial house cleaning products with toxic ingredients, unnecessary disposable packaging, plastic bags when there are options, and the list goes on.

• Let's start with batteries. Some dog products use them to run motors (water fountains) and some owners use them for dog-related activities like playing calming music on a dinosaur cassette or CD player. I love Lisa Spector's piano music for both me and the dogs! Batteries--no matter which kind you're disposing of--don't go to landfills. They leak acids and toxins. Take them to the hazardous materials drop off point at your county's landfill or similar location. Just Google it! Better yet, use rechargeable batteries to reduce the number of batteries needed and the toxicity of the batteries themselves. Rechargeable batteries have come a long way in recent years, lasting longer and becoming much more affordable. You can check this out at these Amazon links for a recharger and batteries that are widely available at discount stores also.
• Medications are another matter. Ask your vet where you can dispose of unused or expired meds in your area. Reduce the amount of this by keeping an inventory of what you have at home. Often you'll be prescribed a repeat and find you already had some left over. Many municipalities offer medication disposal drop off days periodically. Another option is to check online for the safest ways to dispose of medications. There are some guidelines you can follow, but take care to follow them well. This stuff doesn't belong in our water supply!
• Hypodermic needles used for diabetic pets should be disposed of in appropriate SHARPS containers and turned into accepting facilities in your area when full. In our area, fire stations take drop offs, but many labs will also take your SHARPS containers for a small charge. Check local listings.
• Liquid home or garden chemicals: Please don't pour these down your drain. Our water treatment facilities are not set up to remove these products, so guess where they'll end up? Yup--our water supply. If you're going the green road by giving up Roundup (email me for info on greener herbicides), pesticides (ditto) or auto fluids, check with the experts. Most counties offer drop off days at multiple locations for used motor oil and anti-freeze (which are very toxic to fido). When I purged my traditional pesticides, I handed them off to a family that had no intention of switching. At least they saved money although I'll admit I got a stomach ache over it.



courtesy MotherEarthNews.com

• CFL lightbulbs that light the home you share with your pets: The biggest beef about CFLs among consumers is that they've heard there is mercury in these. They are right. However, the amount of mercury is miniscule and can be removed by proper facilities that are in place especially for this purpose. CFLs are far superior in their green points than traditional incandescant bulbs, which have now been eliminated in much of the U.S. due to danger to our environment. CFLs need to be dropped off at a hazmat facility for proper handling. Call your local landfill for directions.
• Electronics like that dinosaur cassette player, broken DVD players, computers beyond repair, and the like, all have components that must be removed before disposal. Some manufacturers will handle this, but hazmat facilities do it also. Further, the plastics can often be recycled, which helps a bit in the grand scheme.
• Old cell phones that have kept you and fido safe on walks (you know, the ones they call DUMB phones) can be turned in at many office supply stores and Home Depots. Remove your SIM card and attach the battery and charger with a rubberband. These can be used as emergency phones, dialing only 911, for folks who can't afford a cell phone or choose not to purchase one. 
• Old eyeglasses that have gotten you around on your dog walks for years are accepted at many eyeglass stores and by Lion's Clubs all over. They check the prescription and match them up with requests for glasses by needy families.
• I'm tossing this one in here, even though it doesn't pertain at all to pets. Wine bottle corks can be recycled as a naturally-occurring product. Google a facility near you and when you've collected a box, drop a label on it and off they go to cork heaven for a new life as a bulletin board.
• Brita filters used for your pet's filtered water (and probably other brands too) can be turned in at Whole Foods Markets or mailed back to Brita for recycling. These are cleaned, refurbished (sorry, I don't have a lot of details on this process) and made ready to resell so that the plastic and filtering materials don't all go to waste. I hope you're all using filtered water in your pet bowls. City water can and often does have a chlorine cloud that may not set well with your pets, especially over the long term. Watch for tell-tale neurological symptoms and see your vet if Fido has any new or worsening odd behaviors.
• Most certainly I've missed a few. This list incorporates most of my own family's items, but you may have others. Feel free to share your knowledge and tell us how you dispose properly. #browniepoints

This Week's Drop Off:
Light Bulbs, Batteries, Phones + Electronics

Tanner and Oliver Will Tag Along

You may be asking yourself why I would trek to the hazmat facility on a regular basis. It's really much easier than that. I keep a couple of boxes of small containers (milk cartons, old shoe boxes, etc) to sort out items that require specialized disposal. When the box gets full we trek off to the hazmat drop. In our county, this area is underground (like in the lower level of a parking garage) with separate areas labeled off for each type of product. It only takes a few minutes to place each box on the platform for each product category. If your hazmat items are sorted, you'll be in and out in a jiffy. Do you have a few minutes to keep from tossing toxins in our landfills? I hope so; our dogs can't do it alone.

If you're trying to live a little lighter on the earth and reduce your carbon footprint, I'd love to encourage you a bit. Send me a photo of your dog (AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com) at a hazmat facility and I'll send you a surprise pet or pet parent goodie as a reward for your effort, while supplies last. Items will vary, but will include assorted pet industry samples, pet supplies and pet lover items. I'll also share your pic with a thank you on Facebook and Twitter. Don't forget to include an address and your dog's weight, sex, and breed or mix for those items that require appropriate sizing! Now, just hit that RT button to help:

Grab a #freebie: Take your hazardous materials to a #hazmat facility. Send your pic: AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com pic.twitter.com/vcQguSF3X9
— Carrie Boyko (@AllThingsDog) July 4, 2014

Greening up your dog's world,

#EcoPetStrategist #GoGreenTip and Giveaway: Fido Travels with TerraPass

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Buffer

Doga Tip: Hydrate Well

I've known about the existence of Terra Pass for sometime. In a former life I spent most of my time writing about greener living, eating organic, and reducing toxins in our lifestyle. Sound familiar? I guess I regraduated to sharing these same sorts of topics for dogs, huh? No big mystery.

In a few weeks I'll be traveling by air to watch my son receive his MBA. It's kind of a bummer that this will occur on the same weekend that Blogpaws convenes, but family is first for this green gal. And while I'm flying--burning all that jet fuel--I am heading to William and Mary in the knowledge that I have done my part to support the carbon offset projects created by Terra Pass, fighting climate change and reducing my carbon footprint.

You're probably thinking this was an expensive offset to purchase, right? The surprise was on both of us. While purchasing my tickets from Expedia.com, I was offered the opportunity to buy these offsets for each of the passengers--family members. I jumped at the chance to try it and was thrilled to find that the cost was lower than I ever imagined. For well under $10 per person, I was able to course correct for the the damage our flights cause to our air quality and the environment as a whole. So we're all traveling with a Terra Pass certificate and feeling really green--even Oliver! Give it a try when you book your next trip.

What's more, you don't even have to be traveling to do your part. You can purchase a year's worth of carbon footprint correction for your kitchen emissions here, or you can give the gift of a cleaner environment by purchasing an offset as a gift. Who knew?!!!

While learning more about Terra Pass online, I discovered a Conference Carbon Footprint Calculator on their site. I'll bet Blogpaws or Global Pet Expo would find this very interesting. Fascinating stuff for travelers who want to know how their journey affects the environment, and more importantly, what they can do about it.

So Oliver and I are off soon to enjoy family graduations--more than one actually. Shortly after my son earns his MBA as Valedictorian of his class, my daughter-in-law will make us equally proud as she earns her Juris Doctor in preparation for a career as an Attorney and Guardian ad Litem. I'm beaming with pride as I think of them all. Let's celebrate!

Doga is a Great Way to Celebrate
Your Bond with Fido

In honor of graduations, Terra Pass carbon offsets and Doga instruction, let's give away some water bottles to help preserve the environment in another way. You won't need bottled water for your Doga workout when you've got a refillable water bottle to stay hydrated with as you practice. Enter below and enjoy your journey to live just a little lighter on Earth.

Psst--Don't see the giveaway widget down there? It's just taking a nap on the Yoga mat. Click on the post title and it will reappear ready to help you win a Doga water bottle for your practice. Good luck!

The water bottles in this giveaway have been acquired as conference swag. They vary in size, color and shape. Five winners will receive one bottle from the assortment.

Dogs Living Green: Learn What Got Us Started

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
First Alert Xena 

Back in 2007 our Retriever mix, Xena, got some bad news--Liver cancer; inoperable--an uncertain prognosis. Shortly before, it had been my turn. I was the lucky one. The good news is that the condition of our health put me in the driver's seat. It was time to research the causes and learn more about how to protect the rest of my family. 

I did a lot of reading--more than I care to remember. What I learned probably won't shock you. We're poisoning our Earth. That beautiful green lawn that our Xena enjoyed lounging in daily was probably her undoing. Fertilizers, weed killers, anti-fungal treatments, pest control, and more were all there.

Throughout Xena's life she had suffered from hotspots, always on her hips. As I began to understand the likely causes of her cancer, it was easy to see what was causing the hotspots as well. No sooner did we locate and integrate organic lawncare did we also see an immediate change in Xena's skin issues. Gone; vanished. She never had another hotspot or wore another cone for her final 3 years.

Three years? You must be wondering how she lived 3 years after a poor prognosis and inoperable cancer. Her doctors explained that by removing toxins from her environment and her food, we reduced the strain on her liver. With less filtration work to do, her body was able to sustain a slowing of the tumor's growth. Until the day she passed, Xena was a happy, seemingly healthy dog. In the end, it hit her fast and was over quickly. I couldn't have asked for more.

Removing toxins from Xena's food was a matter of moving to organic chow. There were options, and I'll explain my decision process in an upcoming post. For now, suffice it to say that the cleansing of her diet had the same effect on her liver. 

Our program didn't stop there. We moved to organic cleaning products for our home, meaning no more chemicals used to clean floors that Xena spent hours napping on. Her dishes were washed with pure, vegetable-based soap without all the nasties. Long story

short, Xena's body was no longer under attack and the combination of these changes clearly bought her another 3 years of life. 

Join me for more in this series as I share the details, explain how simple many of our strategies are to employ, and help you find ways to make changes in your own lifestyle that will add years to your life and your pets' lives as well. Next up we'll talk first about reading pet food labels. Join me in two weeks for that educational article.

As an NB Insider, I share information and news about Natural Balance. This series will offer some of our reasoning for choosing their organic formula. While I am compensated with sponsored travel and pet food in exchange for sharing my thoughts, the opinions and information is 100% completely my own.

Composting Natural Cat Litter

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© AllThingsDogBlog.com
Wheat Litter Composts Easily

In a prior life I wrote primarily green, Eco, and organic. And while I still live this lifestyle, my writing has turned largely to dogs, with an Eco slant continuing in our lifestyle. Tanner, Oliver, Jacque and Patches all do their part, eating organic food and living as lightly on Earth as they are able.

Today I'd like to summarize and share some tips for composting cat litter that were begun at our recent #LitterChat Twitter Party for Swheat Scoop. Feel free to comment with your questions and I'll be happy to respond.

1. DO NOT try to compost clay litter or litter that contains ‘solids’. Always remove solids first. 
2. Micro-organisms in compost bins and piles do not break down proteins in kitty poo. Sift the litter well to remove.
3. Prepare for your most successful composting by triple sifting all solids. Yes, I've mentioned this 3 times! That's how important it is.
4. Compost bins require regular daily turns to circulate materials for faster composting. Turning your bit aerates the contents. Oxygen is imperative to the process. 
5. Compost piles on the ground are the most budget-savvy, but do require added effort to turn and cover. It's really not hard. Read on....
6. Compost piles on the ground require covers such as a heavy plastic bag or lg bin lid. 

   

   © AllThingsDogBlog.com
   Hidden Compost Behind Bushes and Pool Equipment

7. Best location is under an overhang of your roof.
8. Composting requires daily H2O by turning pile. Balance ingredients with dead or dry matter and food scraps.
9. To compost Swheat Scoop after sifting, add food scraps such as veggie ends and leftovers—NO proteins.
10. Best compost speed comes from balancing H2O, SwheatScoop and green matter like food scraps.
11. Easiest cat litter cleanup=recycled paper litterbox. Place box and contents in compost pile with food scraps.
12. No protein or fats in compost pile. Examples: eggs (shells are okay), meat, oil, cheese, fish, and bones.
13. Save fruit and veggie ends, peels and scraps for great compost. Also add coffee grounds for best pH balance. 
14. Healthy pH helps compost smell better and cycle faster.
15. Pickup FREE coffee grounds at your neighborhood Starbucks for healthier compost pH. 
16. Compost also helps with smell, keeping animals off the trail to your pile.
17. Compost is ready when all materials break down to look like a rough-textured soil or oatmeal.
18. How long till compost is ready? First batch is slowest, probably a few months. Aerate by stirring daily to aid speed.
19. Speed tip: Balance moisture, pH, dry and green matter. Stir and aerate often for fastest finished product.
20. Critter aler: If you live in an area with wildlife, fence pile and cover with chicken wire or wire garden fencing to make it difficult to get at the contents underneath.
21. What to do with finished compost? Add to flowers and veggie plants as soil enhancer and fertilizer. More blooms, healthier vegetation, more flavorful and healthier veggies and fruits.
22. Enjoy the flavor of home-grown herbs and vegetables that are organic. Yum!

Want to learn more about composting your household wastes to lessen your burden on the landfills? Here are some posts I've written on another site:

• Composting: What is It and Why Do I Do It?
• What Can I Put in My Compost?
• Selecting and Setting Up a Location for a Compost Pile
• Composting 101: Part III
• What Do I Do With Large Quantities of Material to Compost?
• More Compost Options
• Composting Doggie Doodie and Other Solutions
• Kitchen Compost Storage, Saving Paper Towels and More 10-Minute Tips
• Yard Waste Compost Piles
• Lighting a Fire Under My Compost
• Okay, I'll stop there. Visit Organic-Journey-Online.com for more.

 

Eco-Friendly Dog Sites

Find me on Facebook
Follow me on Twitter
Write to Dr. Jacki, ASK THE VET

(c) photo copyright 2009

Flower Child or Happy Hippie?

While surfing the web recently, I came upon Happy Hippie, which includes a directory of Eco Friendly pet products. That got me to thinking and off I went, charging all over the Internet searching for fun stuff for green dogs. Just look what I found:

• Shop Green Pets
• Great Green Pet
• Muttropolis (ya gotta love this name!)
• All Pet Furniture
• Green People (and their pets!)
• Annie's Sweatshop
• Natural Pet Market
• Gettin' Green

Okay. You get the idea. I'll quit there, but there ARE tons more. What was really fun was the adorable photos and artwork on these sites. If you're a pet lover, you'll enjoy clicking these links just for the fun of it. Enjoy a little shopping, if there is something your dog needs. Remember, it's good for the economy--your version of the economic stimulus plan! Have fun.

Keep in mind that the deadline for my photo contest is drawing near--just over 2 weeks. The field of competitors is growing. If you have a cute photo of your dog that you can share, please read the rules, and send it to LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com. You may be the big winner! Even if not, I'll try to use all the photos on the blog at some point. Thanks for participating.

Enter your email address:


Delivered by FeedBurner

Follow All Things Dog at Twitter


Find me at Facebook

Flea Season is Here: What's a Pup to Do?

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

No Itching Going on Here

Tanner Sleeps Peacefully After a

Trip to the Dog Park

Itchy. Itchy. They feel twitchy. Scratch! Scratch! Scratch! Oh the poor pups. It is Spring, and with Spring comes fleas. Those frozen eggs have begun to hatch and I'm hearing from readers that they need solutions.

Well, scratch no more. Organic and all-natural flea prevention and repellents have solved my problems that plagued poor 12-year-old Xena for so many years. I use a 4 part treatment to assure success; you can pick what you like:

1. As I told a friend, just today, I honestly feel that the most important change I have made was to switch to organic lawn care. No more chemical fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides to cause her skin problems. Her prior skin issues were often 2-3 times per year, until we implemented this change. Now, for a whole year, she has had nothing but itch-free bliss. If you're interested in this option, check out my organic blog at Organic Journey Online. There is a search box at the top which will allow you to pull up all the articles on "organic lawn care".
   
2. As for on-the-dog flea prevention, I am using the following products, with great success: Neem Protect Shampoo and Neem Protect Spray (or other Neem Oil products) from Ark Naturals is a wonderfully soothing botanical that has helped Xena's hot spots calm down many times in the past, even before I went the organic route. You can spray it right on over an open area and it doesn't burn or sting. No concerns about licking or any danger to your pet. The mild scent is pleasant and doesn't seem to cause her any concern, whereas some of the veterinary preparations had no apparent effect and the smells bothered her. She continued to chew and pester the affected areas, as well.
   
3. A preventative or repellent is useful when you're planning an outing to the dog park or other wooded area for play. I like NaturVet's Herbal Flea Spray, which is made of Cedar oil and Rosemary. My indoor organic pest control provider tells me that he uses Cedar Oil also. It smells fabulous, making me want to snuggle my guys all day. Best of all, I can't help but notice that when I apply this before we go to the park, we have little problem with itchiness afterwards. That's got to be a good sign. You can pick up this product through Amazon, right here on my site for a little more than $6 a bottle. One bottle has lasted me about 9 months, with 3 dogs. We go to the dog park 3-4 times a week, so that should give you a good idea of how far it goes. I think that's a bargain compared to the vet products, which can run well over $20 a month. I spray their undersides, chest and the base of their tails each time we go "parking." I just ordered more today through this ad:


4. My organic lawn care specialist advised me to use DE, or Diatomaceous Earth, on the dogs. You may be thinking, "this is a pool filtering agent", and you are right. It is basically ground up seashells. For flea treatment, it is made into a food grade powder, which is safe if licked or ingested by your pet. The powder, ever so soft, acts like tiny shards of glass on fleas, killing them on contact. I buy Para Clear in a 3 lb. container, manufactured by Azmira, a holistic animal products company. All of their products are made in the USA, so think of this as your economic stimulus contribution. It is available at Azmira Greatland, for $15.50. This will last you a long time! If you're a bargain shopper, I will tell you I found it for as little as $14 on other sites. The problem was those sites did not have the kind of security I can recommend. I suppose you could call your order in. If you like this option, try a Google search. It's your choice.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

My Flea Prevention and Treatment Products

Then I keep a small amount in a shaker bottle and treat the dogs as needed. One tip: Place your dog on top of a sheet or old shower curtain, so you can collect the powder that falls off as you apply it. Rub into the fur, concentrating on the areas where fleas congregate--base of the tail, neck and shoulders, armpits and inner thighs. You can also sprinkle in on their bedding and around their crates or beds.

If, like Tanner, your dogs swims daily, you'll need to reapply it whenever going into the great outdoors. Any access to grass, trees and parks will necessitate an application to prevent attacks.


Repeated applications may dry some dog's skin out a bit, although Tanner has had no such effect over 9 months of use. One holistic professional who writes on this topic suggests that you can alternate with a re-moisturizing treatment or Neem Oil to soothe the dryness and any itching that comes with it.

I will be honest with you that this white powder will not make your black dog look great. It sort of dulls their shine. I tend to use more of the other products on Xena, my black Retriever mix, and I use the DE powder on her bedding and areas of carpet she likes to lay on. This has worked well as an alternative to powdering her beautiful black coat.

DE is a safe indoor flea treatment, as well. If you get an indoor infestation, simply sprinkle it over the carpet. Rake or sweep it in with a stiff broom and leave for several hours. Vacuum it up to revive your carpet and collect the dead fleas. This procedure will also help prevent an infestation. If you notice fleas in your yard, it is time to be proactive.

If you have found fleas in your home, I suggest you apply a second treatment in a couple of weeks and vacuum furniture and bedding well. This will take care of eggs and hatchlings that have appeared after your first treatment. Another tip would be to wash any bedspreads or rugs in hot water, if possible.

I hope this will give you all some options for an itch-free Spring. It works for my dogs, and no more Fipronil. My research on that stuff finds that it is a known carcinogen. I've had cancer myself. I couldn't bear to knowingly put my dogs through that. That's why we're an organic family now. Got questions? Concerns? Drop me a comment at the link below or write me at LetsAdoptaDogPark@gmail.com .

Helping Your Dog and Cat Come to Terms

In addition to three lively dogs, I also have a cat, Patches. She's a feisty little girl who was adopted as a playmate for Xena, when Xena was just a pup. They played tag, napped together and have continued to be buddies, even in their advancing age.

Patches is not quite so happy to have Tanner and Oliver around, but we are making progress. Just as Cesar would tell you, bringing two animals together requires a calm human and calm animals. I am beginning to notice that after our runs, biking sessions and dog park visits, when Oliver and Tanner are more calm, Patches is much more willing to spend time near them. She is learning that they can be agreeable housemates, at least when they are well-exercised.

© photo copyright Carrie Boyko

Xena's Playmate, Patches

First thing in the morning is another thing entirely. Patches wants nothing more than to be fed her breakfast, and she is quite vocal about that. I have to work hard to maintain my calm leadership with her in the morning. The message is supposed to be, "You will get to eat when I choose." She is coming around--slowly.

So cat and dogs are beginning to live together without taking as much notice of one another and I am glad to see it. Patches' playful days seem to have been left behind, but she still enjoys cuddling up near her beloved Xena. Do you think she remembers their tag games?

If you're missing my pup photos, you can visit my other blog, Organic Journey Online, today or any other Wednesday (Woofing Wednesday!) to see my canine family. Today's post includes a photo of Oliver with my mom and her organic orchids. Congratulations, Mom! You're going green.