Midway with Tylee's 30 Day Challenge #ChewyInfluencer

It's no secret - all dog food is not created equal when it comes to nutritional value. Fortunately, as pet parents demand better, quality ingredients without any fillers, by-products, or artificial stuff, we have seen an increase in high-quality, affordable food.

Thanks to Tylee's, feeding your dog real, whole foods has never been so easy or affordable (don't miss the buy 1, get 1 free coupon code at the end of our post)!

Tylee's Human-Grade Dog Food 30 Day Challenge #ChewyInfluencer

Better ingredients. Real, whole foods. Full of flavor and ready to serve.
No, it's not a new meal delivery service for the humans.

It's a new dog food that not only makes mealtime nutritious, but easy as well.

We Choose Cosequin For Healthy Joints #Chewy

Disclosure: Chewy sent a bag of Nutramax Cosequin DS to Lapdog Creations, free of charge, for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

When our friends at Chewy.com asked us to take the 30 Day Nutramax Cosequin Challenge, I knew Sophie was the right candidate.

 

Although Sophie had shown no real signs of joint issues, it was the perfect time to start her on a quality supplement that would help to maintain her joint function and existing cartilage. After all, having just turned 9 years old, she's certainly reached "little old lady" status - whether she'll admit it or not! 

Maintaining Healthy Joints - 30 Day Nutramax Cosequin Challenge with #Chewy

Disclosure: Chewy sent a bag of Nutramax Cosequin DS to Lapdog Creations, free of charge, for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

A few weeks ago we told you Sophie was starting a 30 Day Nutramax Cosequin Challenge with our friends at Chewy. 

Well, here we are for our mid-way check in... and I'm pleased to report that Sophie is doing well and loves her Nutramax Cosequin DS plus MSM Soft Chews!

Sophie has been taking Cosequin daily and has no idea that it's really "medicine." She seems to know the Cosequin bag is her special bag of treats and actually seems to flaunt it to her brother and sister as if to say "these are mine... all mine... ha ha ha."

As soon as I grab the bag, she gets super excited, jumping up and down, waiting for her chew. I really need to get a video clip of her "Cosequin Dance," as it is quite the sight to see. And no, she does not dance like this for just any 'ole treat. Sure, she gets big eyes and excited for regular treats, but the dance is something special. Perhaps it's her way of singing "na-na na-na na-na" like a little kid in a school yard? Or maybe it's Sophie's special way of showing me the Cosequin is working?  Knowing her, my money is on the singing...

Sophie's "special treats" play an important role in maintaining optimal joint function, and at 9 years old it seemed like a perfect time to get her started.  Cosequin helps support cartilage production and protect existing cartilage from breakdown - important issues to watch for in senior dogs. 

Did You Know?

Cosequin is the only glucosamine/chondroitin sulfate supplement that has been shown safe, effective, and bioavailable in peer-reviewed, published, controlled, U.S. veterinary studies.

I love the fact that Cosequin DS plus MSM Soft Chews provide a perfect combination of ingredients to keep my dog healthy.  Instead of having to give 3 or 4 separate pills, Cosequin packs them all into one bite sized morsel. 

Each Soft Chew contains:

• 600 mg Glucosamine Hydrochloride
• 400 mg MSM
• 300 mg Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate

I also love the fact that Cosequin soft chews are so easy and convenient to give to Sophie - and that she likes them!  My old girl is the only dog I've met who will spit out those heartworm preventative "tasty" chews.  If we're not careful, she'll even separate her new heartworm medicine from the peanut butter we pack it in.... gobbling up all the tasty peanut butter and spitting out the tablet.  But the Cosequin soft chews are gone before you can say "taste it!"

Sophie clearly is loving this 30 day challenge and I can't thank our friends at Chewy enough for putting us on it!  It was the extra push I needed as a Dog Mom to get my senior girl started on a joint supplement!

We'll check back for our final report in another couple of weeks, but in the meantime you can order Cosequin soft chews and other products at Chewy. They carry several options for both dogs and cats.  Remember, 1-2 day shipping is always free on orders of $49 or more!

30 Day Nutramax Cosequin Challenge with #Chewy

Disclosure: Chewy sent a bag of Nutramax Cosequin DS to Lapdog Creations, free of charge, for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

We have accepted another 30 Day Challenge from our friends over at Chewy...

For the next 30 days, Sophie will taking Nutramax Cosequin Maximum Strength DS plus MSM soft chews! 

We are familiar with the regular Cosequin tablets, as Zeus had been on them for several years, but I was unaware of the soft chews. 

The Key Benefits of Cosequin

• Maintain optimal joint function
• Support cartilage production and protect existing cartilage from breakdown
• Safe, effective, and bioavailable in peer-reviewed, US veterinary studies

This challenge came at the perfect time.  Sophie will be turning 9 years old in just two weeks, and while we haven't noticed any major issues with her joints, I wanted to start her on a good maintenance supplement.

Cosequin plays an important role in maintaining optimal joint function, and is the only glucosamine/chrondroitin sulfate supplement that has been shown safe, effective and bioavailable in peer-reviewed, published, controlled, US veterinary studies. 

The other wonderful fact? Cosequin Maximum Strength DS plus MSM chews are made in the USA, specifically in Lancaster, SC. 

I really appreciate the fact that Cosequin is so easy to give to our dogs. Sophie can be quite picky when it comes to "medicine chews" - not only has my girl mastered the art of separating a pill from a pill-pocket, she's the only dog I've ever seen spit out a Heartworm preventative chew - yet she gobbled up a Cosequin chew with no questions asked this morning (so quickly I was barely able to snap the shot above)! 

We will report back to you in about two weeks on Sophie's progress with Cosequin.  In the meantime, check out all of the Cosequin options available at Chewy for both dogs and cats.

It's a Wrap on Tut's FortiFlora Challenge with #Chewy

Disclosure: Chewy sent a 30 day supply of FortiFlora to Lapdog Creations, free of charge, for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Teutul has just completed his 30-day FortiFlora challenge and his Mama is happy to report that it was a huge success!

To refresh your memory, our friends at Chewy asked us to participate in a 30-day challenge, using FortiFlora daily.  We got started at the beginning of October, and checked in with you a couple of weeks ago.

As we had mentioned, the challenge actually came about at the same time as Tut's pancreatitis diagnosis.  Ironic, but timely...

I have been putting one packet of FortiFlora in Tut's dinner each night for just over 30 days now and am happy to report that it is indeed helping to keep his tummy in check.  He seems to love it, and Mama loves how easy it is to use.

Not only does FortiFlora help to promote intestinal health and balance, it helps to reduce flatulence and is a fantastic supplement for dietary management of dogs with diarrhea.  Can you say winning?!

Tut actually had a visit with Dr. C last week and we discussed continuing with daily doses of FortiFlora.  I was considering dropping down to every-other-day, but she recommended that we continue with the daily dose. The active live cultures found in probiotics have proven to be beneficial to dogs for so long that with Tut's issues, it quite frankly seems to be common sense to stick with it.  And we will...

Dr. C and I discussed the fact that probiotics are truly beneficial for all of us - canine and human - which led me to ask if we should consider switching Tut to a human version (to possibly save some money), but she said no. Dr. C informed me that while our pets do well with some human meds (Pepcid and Benadryl are staples in our house for the 4-legged kids), when it comes to probiotics, canine formulas are the best option for our furbabies, and FortiFlora is one of her favorites. She uses it for her own dogs.

Fortunately, we can get our monthly boxes of FortiFlora for a very reasonable price at Chewy - and so can you!  I've found that's it's almost half the price of what our vet's office charges (she even suggested we look online for a better price - she's good like that).  Grab a box for your dog or cat today.  Remember, 1-2 day shipping is always free on orders of $49+, so you might as well grab some toys and treats while you're at it!  

Check In On Tut's FortiFlora Challenge #Chewy

Disclosure: Chewy sent a 30 day supply of FortiFlora to Lapdog Creations, free of charge, for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

Teutul is just over half way through the FortiFlora challenge!

To refresh your memory, our friends at Chewy asked us to participate in a 30-day challenge with Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets FortiFlora. We began our challenge at the beginning of the month - ironically timed with Tut's pancreatitis diagnosis.

For the past few weeks, we have been adding a packet of FortiFlora to Tut's dinner every night. I'm not sure if he can taste the FortiFlora or not, but he happily gobbles up his food, then will spend at least an extra 30 seconds licking the bowl clean.

One of the things I love most about FortiFlora is the fact that it is so incredibly easy to use - whether you're at home or traveling. There are no pills to conceal in peanut butter, and no dosages to measure out. FortiFlora is conveniently packaged in single dose packets that you simply open up and sprinkle on your dog's food once a day.

Yes, it is as easy as that! 

Some Key Benefits of FortiFlora

• Helps reduce flatulence in dogs (and let me tell you - just after we received Tut's diagnosis of pancreatitis, he had the most awful gas ever! Not sure exactly what caused it, but I'm happy to report it's gone!)
• Contains guaranteed amounts of live active cultures
• Microencapsulated probiotics, which guarantees that they arrive alive in your pet's digestive tract
• Proven to promote intestinal health & balance
• Contains antioxidant vitamins E, C and beta-carotene which have been shown to support a strong immune system
• Tastes great and has excellent palatability (like I said, he loves it, so who am I to argue with this claim)
• Easy to feed - just sprinkle on your pet's food

In addition to incorporating FortiFlora into Tut's daily diet, we have also been working on a slow switch from a bland diet to a new low-fat kibble, which we will tell you all about in an upcoming post!

The verdict at the half-way point of our 30 day challenge: using FortiFlora on a daily basis has proven to be beneficial! Whether your dog has been diagnosed with digestive issues or not, this is a wonderful product to use regularly. The supplement has been proven to promote intestinal health and balance - a benefit to everyone!

Grab a box for your dog (or cat, as there is a Feline version available as well) at Chewy where 1-2 day shipping is always free on orders of $49 or more! Plus, you can set up an auto-ship of FortiFlora (and thousands of other items, including food and treats) and not only save time, but money as well!

Thank you again to our friends at Chewy for setting us up on this 30-day challenge!  We'll report back with our final thoughts in a couple of weeks.

30 Day FortiFlora Challenge with #Chewy + Teutul Update

Disclosure: Chewy sent a 30 day supply of FortiFlora to Lapdog Creations, free of charge, for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.

We were asked by our friends over at Chewy to participate in a 30-day challenge with Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets FortiFlora. As part of the challenge, will be doing three posts this month: an introduction, mid-way check in, and final thoughts.

FortiFlora, a probiotic supplement for dogs (they also make a cat version), promotes intestinal health and balance, as well as a healthy immune system.  

Purina® Pro Plan® Veterinary Diets FortiFlora® is a nutritional supplement for dogs and has been formulated to achieve the following characteristics:

• Contains guaranteed amounts of live active cultures
• Proven to promote intestinal health & balance
• Nutritional supplement for dietary management of dogs with diarrhea
• Helps reduce flatulence (gas) in dogs

I was familiar with FortiFlora before this challenge, as it was recommended by our vet many years ago. We use it with all of our dogs when they have tummy or digestive issues, so I tend to keep a box on hand at all times for quick access whenever an "issue" pops up.  However, we've never used it on an every day maintenance basis.  That is about to change...

One of the things I love most about FortiFlora is how easy it is to use.  You don't have to shove a pill down your dog's throat or worry about measuring out the proper dose.  FortiFlora is conveniently packaged in 30 individual packets.  You simply tear one open and sprinkle it in your dog's food once a day.  It's as simple as that.  You can add a little water or canned food and mix it up if you prefer.  In the past 12 years or so, I've never had a dog turn his or her nose up to it... so it must be pretty tasty! 

The timing of Chewy's challenge couldn't have been more perfect. 

Teutul had two unscheduled vet visits last week.  At the first, he was diagnosed with double ear infections (which seem to be clearing up quite nicely).  At the second, he was obviously feeling crappy from something else and on Thursday, we received the diagnosis. 

Teutul has pancreatitis. 

No, the ear infections were not related... just bad luck that my boy had to battle both at the same time. 

Teutul has been on a bland diet, antibiotics and daily doses of Pepcid, Cerenia, and FortiFlora.  Ironic?  Perhaps... but I suppose what better way to truly put FortiFlora to the test, right?

My boy's last bout of vomiting was on Thursday morning. He's gotten his appetite back and is not a fan of "small meals."  He spoke loud and clear about that issue when he did something he's never done before - he stole chicken bones from the trash! Never mind my stress over the pancreatitis... I was horrified, but thankfully I noticed his antics right away and was able to pull the bones out of his mouth (and only suffered one very minor wound in doing so). 

Last night was his last schedule dose of Cerenia and fingers are crossed we don't see any vomiting return.  We will continue a bland diet this week and then began to switch him over to a new, lower fat kibble. 

And, of course, we will be continuing to use FortiFlora every day! I look forward to reporting more mid-month. In the meantime, you can pick up a box of FortiFlora for your dog (or cat), or one of thousands of other fantastic items at Chewy!