All Things Dog Blog

Showing posts with label pet blogs. Show all posts

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Flea & Tick Control Products:
Kudos for Sergeant's Going Green

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

I would like to begin this post by saying that I have never been the type to buy pet products, aside from the occasional dog toy, in the supermarket. However, I was pleased to learn that Sentry Natural Defense, a sister to the Sergeant's brand typically seen in grocery stores, has released a new GREEN line of pest products for dogs and puppies. These products are made with all natural ingredients and are proven to kill and repel fleas, ticks, and mosquitoes.

Two of these products include Sergeant's GREEN Natural Flea Shampoo and SENTRY's Natural Defense Flea and Tick Squeeze-On. These products can be used on any dogs and puppies 12 weeks and older. Both have a natural scent that reflects their ingredients. Both products contain natural oils such as peppermint oil, clove oil, lemon grass oil, and others. From personal experience I can vouch for these ingredients as effective and natural flea and tick killers!

A few years back my husband and I took all 3 of our dogs camping and came back with a tick infestation! It was a nightmare, but we were on top of it. We treated our house indoors and outdoors with peppermint oil. The problem cleared up extremely quickly and all the dogs were perfectly fine. It's amazing what natural products can do!

SENTRY Natural Flea and Tick Squeeze-On is an excellent alternative to many other flea and tick products on the market today that contain harmful pesticides that can be dangerous to your pet's health. This product is entirely natural and safe to use when instructions are followed.

One box comes with 6 individual applicators that are applied directly to the skin in various places depending on the size of the dog. The box comes with complete instructions on how often to apply as well as how to apply it safely. One thing to keep in mind is that once this topical product is applied, dogs should not be bathed for at least 24 hours--preferably longer--to allow it to spread and work properly.

Sergeant's Green Shampoo contains most of the same ingredients as the topical treatment and has a pleasant, spicy scent. I have somewhat of an allergy problem with highly potent smells, however, this scent is very refreshing and did not trigger any allergy problems.

Flea shampoos are great for occasional use to control fleas on your dog, also as a preliminary start to flea control. In other words before use of other flea products a flea shampoo can help to eliminate fleas currently on your dog's body. It will not, however, keep them away for long periods; flea shampoos should not be the only method of flea control used. Frequent use of these types of shampoos can be irritating to your dog's skin and cause further sensitivities. This product should be used in addition to a regular, preventive flea treatment.

It is highly important that before use of either of these products you read and fully understand the instructions. Even natural products can still be misused and cause problems for your dog's health. If you are unsure about how to use either product, consult a veterinarian or call the HOT LINE number offered on the product. For further information about these GREEN and natural products, check out Sergeants Facebook, Twitter, or their very own Blog! They even have their own YouTube page that you may find helpful. Isn't 2013 a good time to go Green with your dog?

Both products will go to one lucky winner in order to allow them to try the whole program. I highly recommend that they backup their green flea control with green lawn treatments to avoid bringing in new boarders from outdoors. You can learn more about how we have tackled these matters here and at additional links in this article.

Enter the giveaway below by using the Rafflecopter form. If it's playing hide-n-seek again, just click on the post title to refresh and it will come out of hiding. Entries will be accepted until Friday, January 25 when the winners will be announced by early evening.

For more information on going green for your dog, visit the lijit search box in the sidebar and pop in your search terms--fleas, ticks, mosquitoes. Have a Happy, pest-free New Year!

Seargent's provided me with these products to review and give away. I was not compensated to offer my opinion on their ingredients and the comments herein are my own. I am not a veterinarian or a chemist, but rather a reasonably well-educated natural consumer. My comments reflect my interest in products that do not use pesticides in our homes, families or on pets.

Thursday, January 3, 2013

HomeGoods: Dog Toy Giveaway!

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

Are you ready for some madness?! This latest giveaway involves some seriously awesome prizes and 6 winners! HomeGoods has supplied All Things Dog Blog with some excellent dog toys to give away to 6 of my lucky readers. I can't speak for everyone, but I know that Tanner believes that he can never have too many. Oliver is a bit more selective with his toy choices.

Among our many excellent toys to give away, Tanner's favorite is this fluffy black sheep you can see him cuddling with on the left. Tanner is quite the snuggle buddy and loves curling up with his favorite toy after a long walk or swim. This sheep is absolutely adorable and perfectly safe for dogs of all sizes and ages. It might be bigger than some puppies, but it is very light weight and I bet they'll still love how soft it is!

Some of the other dog toys in the photo with Oliver include the black and white "Loofa Dog" toy, a small size stuffed duck, medium size stuffed fish with squeaker, and the medium sized rubber "Lock n' Play" toy. This rubber toy is great for medium size adult dogs and it has a nice scent to keep them interested while they dig for the treats you can place inside...a great puzzle toy!

I almost forgot about FLAPPY! How could I do that?! I might have mentioned in the past about Tanner's favorite pool toy called Flappy. This blue and orange cylinder-shaped toy has tassels on each end for easy grabbing. Perfect for tug or fetch, and it floats. Of course, Tanner's is much larger than the one Oliver is seen with here, and he loves to play fetch with it in the pool. This Flappy is for small dogs.

Think your dog would like a new toy? Enter for a chance to win your pup one of these sweet HomeGoods dog toys. Six winners will be announced Friday, January 18 and each will receive 1 free toy! Use the rafflecopter below for entry, and be sure to post on my blog about which toy you think your dog will like best. More HomeGoods products like these can be found at your local HomeGoods store. Keep up with them on Facebook and Twitter to hear about other great finds.

Entries may be made on the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. If you don't see it, simply click on the post title to refresh and it will magically reappear beneath the post.

Entries will be accepted through Thursday, January 17, 2013 and winners will be announced late on Friday. Good luck!

HomeGoods has provided these prizes as a promotional courtesy. I have not been paid to provide this giveaway or to highlight these products. No purchase is required to win.

Tuesday, December 18, 2012

Dog Treats: A HomeGoods Giveaway

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

TREATS, TREATS, and wait... there's more. TREATS! Every dog loves some good treats, and what dog owner could possibly have too many?! I don't believe it is possible, and I'm pretty sure your dogs would agree. Lucky for you our latest giveaway from HomeGoods involves just that, TREATS! 4 Winners will receive a large bag of dog treats, and one of these lucky 4 will also win this great dog treat container! It's quite large, so you won't run out of space, and it will keep your dog's treats nice and fresh!

Hopefully by now you know how the rules of my giveaways work. Enter on the rafflecopter, and do as many entry options as possible to increase your chances of winning. I know your dog will thank you for giving your best effort to win them some delicious doggie treats. Don't forget to learn more about HomeGoods products by checking out HomeGoods on Facebook and Twitter. But then again, our dogs love us no matter what; that's what's so great about them. Man's best friend? Yes, but I would have to say my dogs are woman's best friend as well.

Entries may be made on the Rafflecopter form at the bottom of this post. If you don't see it, simply click on the post title to refresh and it will magically reappear beneath the post.

Entries will be accepted through January 3, 2013 and winners will be announced late on Friday, January 4, 2013. Good luck!

HomeGoods has provided these prizes as a promotional courtesy. I have not been paid to provide this giveaway or to highlight these products. No purchase is required to win.

Friday, November 2, 2012

Organix On-the-Go Winners

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

I think you guys did it! You let Castor and Pollux know how important it is to you to feed your dog a truly healthy and toxin-free food. If you missed the Giveaway post, you'll see at this link that there was a massive number of entries. Numbers talk! They're saying "Thank you Castor and Pollux!"

The testimonials were rolling in too. My email was unusually busy, and I was bombarded after taking some time off for my son's wedding and the Barkworld conference. I have posted some of them on my Facebook page and some to the Castor and Pollux page. I'll make sure they all get sent to my contact at Castor and Pollux so that your loyalties are noted. Thank you ALL for taking time to share your thoughts so willingly. I cannot tell you how much I appreciate it :)

So, here's how we drew for this giveaway. First I drew the 4 winners who will receive 15 lbs. of Castor and Pollux vouchers along with a MANKINDdog.com travel bowl. This is a collapsible bowl that will tag along wherever you go. Just tuck it in your handbag, backpack or jacket pocket. It can be used for water or food, then washed and reused many times.

As promised, the Kurgo Wander Pail was saved for one of our testimonial entrants. I numbered them as they arrived and took yet another visit to Random.org to select the winner. Now you'll see the thought that went into these letters, as demonstrated in this wonderful example:

"When we adopted Penny in June of 2011, we bought the food that her foster had been feeding her. We got a big bag and took it home, and she didn't really seem to like it. She never really wanted to eat it. I read reviews on another "natural" food (that runs commercials talking about "Big name" pet foods having bad ingredients) and she didn't like that food either. I came upon your blog this time last year, and saw your posts and was elated to have won 4 bags of Castor and Pollux food. I opted to buy the Natural Ultramix Puppy formula. I liked that it has pieces of dried fruits and veggies in it, and that all of the ingredients were natural. Penny went absolutely NUTS for it. She loved the fruit and veggie pieces too! Within a few weeks I noticed that her fur was shinier! She always had a patch of fur on her back that was courser than the rest, and within 2 months that fur blended in with the rest of her coat! She has more energy. When I was training for a half marathon, I was hesitant to take her on longer runs because I worried that she wouldn't be able to run for 8+ miles. Most of the time, she was the one who dragged me through my harder workouts! My local pet shop stopped carrying the Ultramix, so I have since started feeding Penny the adult Organix Grain Free formula and she has adjusted well! To be honest, I tried this because I won it. Now, I wouldn't buy anything else! I've told all of my friends with dogs to try this stuff! Thanks for introducing me to the best dog food ever made!

Now I suppose you'd like me to get to the winners. Thank you to Anne K. for submitting the winning testimonial above. She will receive vouchers for 15 lbs. of Castor and Pollux food along with the Kurgo Wander Pail.

Our other 4 winners are Victoria, Jessica P, Brian S, and Emily R, as listed in the Rafflecopter entry form. All five of our winners will get an email from me requesting your address. Shipments should go out Monday if you all get back to me quickly. If you would like an All Things Dog Blog bandana, please indicate your dog's weight for sizing. Have a wonderful weekend.

Learn more about Castor and Pollux here:

Facebook

Twitter

CP's Website

Castor and Pollux is a treasured advertiser of All Things Dog Blog. They provide these vouchers as a promotion which I offer free of charge for them. Watch for more giveaways, including the one I just started on Twitter at this link.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

On-the-Go Dog Food Giveaway

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

The holidays are right around the corner and it's perfect timing for our monthly dog food giveaway from Castor and Pollux. Castor and Pollux manufactures All Natural and Organic pet foods great for dogs and cats of all breeds and ages.

Those of you who frequent my blog you will know I am a big advocate of Natural and Organic foods, not only for our pets but for ourselves as well. Castor and Pollux has a whole line of foods perfectly designed for all types of pets. Not only are there cat and dog foods in their line, but there are specific foods for puppies/kittens, as well as the overweight pet, senior pet, small breed dog, and more!

Today I would like to challenge those of you who feed your pets non-natural or non-organic foods to make the switch and see if you can notice a difference in your pet's health. We will call it the Castor and Pollux Challenge. The winners will receive vouchers for 15 lbs. of free pet food from Castor and Pollux--Natural Ultramix and Organix--as well as a very handy travel food bowl from MANKINDdog. One winner will get a super duper Kurgo travel bowl! This will be perfect for Holiday travels! Details about how to enter are below.

If you are still not convinced to give a natural diet a try, let me share a bit about the difference between your normal, everyday dog food and all-natural or organic dog food. Many people today are still unaware of the impact it can make on someone's (animal or human) health when they eat natural and organic. Most foods that you will find in a typical grocery store (pet or human) contain many synthetic ingredients and lots of chemicals and preservatives that are extremely harmful to your health.

These man-made ingredients often include artificial flavoring, preservatives, food coloring, fillers, etc. Our bodies and our pets' bodies are not accustomed to processing these kinds of products and can inflict nasty side effects as a result. One such repercussion includes weight gain, which as we all know is an extremely big issue in the U.S. A great deal of it may be a result of all the synthetics we are eating, us and Fido.

Natural pet and human foods do not contain any artificial ingredients and are made from all natural products. However, in many 'so-called' natural foods, the meat source may still include hormones or antibiotics that were given to the animal to help it grow. Additionally, the animals may have been fed with food that was treated with chemicals which henceforth are absorbed by the animal and are then transferred to the food. Organic foods on the other hand, contain entirely organic ingredients meaning no added preservatives; all ingredients are hormone-free, and chemical free. Therefore, going entirely organic is the best choice, however, I definitely understand sometimes it is difficult. Organic foods are harder to come by, and are typically more expensive.

Lucky for you though, this free pet food giveaway is a great way to start the process, and I highly encourage everyone to take the challenge! If you are concerned about switching your pets to a new diet, the Castor and Pollux website has great information on how to transition your pet to a new type of food. Also for more info, you can follow Castor and Pollux on Twitter and go to their Facebook page to ask questions or read others' comments. Four lucky winners of this giveaway will receive vouchers for 15 lbs of free pet food as well as a handy ManKindDog travel bowl. This travel bowl will be great for visiting family and friends during the holidays. To enter the free giveaway, simply jump on the rafflecopter below.

Don't see the Rafflecopter? It's just hiding again. Click on the post title above and it will get all ticklish and reappear like a giggly child. Sneaky son-of-a-gun!

But wait! Don't miss out on an extra opportunity to win, with the Castor and Pollux Challenge! All you have to do for consideration is write a testimonial statement about your experience with Castor and Pollux natural or organic pet foods and send it to my e-mail at AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com. All the best testimonials will be posted on Facebook and our newest All Things Dog Blog contributor, Toni, will select a winner. In addition to the free food, this winner will also snag a stainless steel Kurgo travel water and food bowl with a screw-on, leak-proof lid for convenience during on-the-go meals.

Entries may be submitted via the Rafflecopter, and testimonials should be sent to our email, through Thursday, November 1. Winners will be announced on Friday evening, November 2. One testimonial per person please.

Vouchers for free pet food can be used at any pet store that carries Castor and Pollux products. Click here to find a store that carries the Castor and Pollux brand near you. Good Luck!

Castor and Pollux has provided these food vouchers as a promotional courtesy. I have not been paid to provide this giveaway or to highlight these products. No purchase is required to win. By submitting your testimonials you give permission for this to be published to Facebook and/or Twitter, as well as our blog or on the Castor and Pollux website. Your first name and last initial only will be used to identify you.

All Things Dog Blog

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Flea & Tick Control Products:
Kudos for Sergeant's Going Green