Oh My Dog! - obsessed with dogs

The Year That Wanted to Kill Me

07•30•19

Or, how a perforated appendix tipped the scales in Cooper’s favor…

OhMyDogBlog.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

I thought about calling this post: What I Did on My Summer Vacation. Do you remember writing that essay every year in elementary school? 🙂

About a week ago, I waited on the gurney for my CT scan, and the nurse and tech started chatting. They brought me into the debate: Is life a series of tests? Things get thrown at you to see how you do, how you rise (or not) to the occasion?

Or, is life more like a battlefield where you get tossed a ton of stuff that God/the universe/whatever knows you can handle?

The only answer I have: Does it matter?

Of course not.

I believe everyone does their very best no matter what’s handed to them. Some people’s best isn’t good enough, of course, but they truly are trying as best they can based on their mindset and life experiences.

I struggle to accept that hardships are doled out only to those who can handle them because what does that say about everyone whose life just sort of floats by? If the implication is that it’s because they couldn’t handle something thrown their way, what does it say about the universe’s opinion of that person?

Let’s back up a step or two.

In February, while in a hotel room across the country, I awoke with a pinched nerve in my lower back. I could barely stand, let alone bend down to tie my shoes. But I wanted to go home. So, I limped and scooted and cried my way through a connecting flight, a layover, and a snow delay. It. was. awful. (I refuse to believe that kind of thing is thrown at me–or anyone–simply because you have the capacity to get through it. If it’s true, the universe is a jerk, which I refuse to believe because the world is a genuinely good place. Generally speaking. The lady who shoved past me boarding the Southwest connect from Dallas to Indy? Less good… I mean, we were all going the same place at the same rate, so why shove? But that’s beside the point.)

I got home, called my chiro, started therapy. It took about a month, but my back healed.

Feeling awesome, I ran a 10k the last week of April, then the first week of May I fell on a hike and sprained my ankle.

Shoot.

I spent the next eight weeks recovering.

Poor Cooper in all this. He trained with me–I wanted to run a half marathon this year–and because of my back and then my ankle, he sat out almost four months.

The end of June approached and I felt like I could start jogging again, at least slowly and carefully. I went on a jog. It was A-OK. Coop pulled a bit more than usual because we’d been off our training for so long, but no big deal. Nothing we couldn’t recover from. It took a little extra for my ankle to recover, but I felt like I could get up and running–literally–again soon.

And then, at the end of June, I thought I got the flu.

I spent a week sicker than I’ve ever been. Ever. And I’ve had cancer! Toward the end of the week, I started to feel incrementally better, but I figured I’d call my GP anyway. Just to be safe. I called on Friday, got an appointment for the following Tuesday.

I sat there that morning reviewing everything with him, and he concluded that I had a virus. He said if I was still sick in a few days to call back and they’d test me for parasites. I was, so I did. That was Friday.

Two days later, on Sunday, I landed in the ER.

They ran a bunch of tests, and I knew it wasn’t good when the nurse came in and said, “Don’t eat or drink anything else in case you need to go into surgery.”

Um. What gets cut out if you have the flu?

They started me on IV antibiotics. My gut was filled with infection. They admitted me into the hospital. (Quick aside to say the hospital is the worst place in the world to be if you’re sick. You don’t get any rest. If you do manage to fall asleep, they wake you up to check your vitals! After a week in the hospital, I was exhausted!!!)

“Do you have your appendix?” they asked.

“Yes,” I said.

“We can’t find it on the imaging, but it’s probably behind your inflamed intestine.”

Fast forward: It wasn’t.

I spent a week in the hospital. Then I spent a little over a week getting outpatient antibiotic infusions each day. Then another week of oral antibiotics.

Now, the docs are in a debate: Did an underlying problem cause my appendix to perforate and leak into my gut? Or did my perforated appendix cause the inflammation in my intestines?

Again, my answer: Does it matter?

Of course not. As long as they eventually figure it out. So, I have my next test, which examines the underlying problem question, on Monday. Once that’s done and the results are back, the surgeon will remove the piece of appendix that remains.

Was all this handed to me to test my commitment to running a half marathon?

If so, well, I think I’m going to throw in the towel on that goal anyways. The only reason I picked that goal was, well, first… to have a goal. I like to be working toward something throughout the year. But, second, it was to do something with Cooper that he really, truly loves. What does Cooper really, truly love? Running.

But here’s where it all comes full circle: I think something’s up with Cooper’s back knees or hips. I’m not sure I would’ve noticed it without this forced hiatus because, here’s the thing about Cooper: He pushes through ANYTHING in order to run.

Seriously. The boy will overheat unless I force him to stop. He’ll go until he drops unless I monitor him and our progress carefully. He gets so single-minded that I have to be super vigilant.

Could these weeks of no running have allowed this problem to float to the surface? Maybe.

Could it be that he’s felt pain all along and just didn’t show it? Maybe.

Could it be that my forced stillness for long periods of time, something I avoid as a restless person, allowed me the opportunity to watch, to really see his gait? Maybe.

Yet again: It doesn’t matter.

I changed his joint supplement. We first tried Glycoflex, which had always worked for Emmett. It made Coop puke. #ofcourse

Now he’s on DGP, which worked wonders for Lucas. We just started so I can’t report progress yet, but if it works, I think combined with his new CBD regimen, we’ll get back on track.

Who knows? Maybe if this hadn’t happened, Coop and I would’ve pushed too hard for his joints or hips. You can never know what might’ve happened, but in a weird way, I guess this is the silver lining of my perforated appendix: I spotted and am now treating his joint pain.

His pain is clearly something he can handle, whether it’s a test, a gift of the universe, or a fluke. My appendix, same thing.

But it doesn’t matter what’s what. All that matters is that we put our heads down, stay focused, and heal. Even if that means letting go of a goal set at the beginning of the year.

We are really, truly doing our very best.

New goal: Swimming with Cooper? Insert chin-scratch-thinking emoji here.

(I did get him this, but we never opened our pool last year. Maybe this is his year!)

Anyway, so. Yeah. That’s how I spent my summer vacation! How’s yours?

CBD Oil for Dogs: Worth the hype?

07•19•19

Unless you don’t spend any time on the internet (which clearly isn’t the case since you’re, you know, here), you’ve probably seen a ton about CBD oil and its myriad miracles. CBD is popping up in supplements, food, and even as a $2 upgrade to your coffee order at a shop here in town. And, as these things do, once an ingredient takes off in human health, it trickles down into pet health and starts cropping up all over the place. That’s definitely what’s happened with CBD oil. I started to wonder: Is it worth the hype?

So, as I do, I dug into the research.

Here’s where I disclaim a few things: I’m not a vet. I’m not a nutritionist. I’m not a doctor or nurse or vet tech or dietitian. I’m a journalist. This is for information purposes only. It’s my opinion based off the research I found and some anecdotal evidence from my life and my dog. Also, at the tail end of this post, I share my recommendation for a CBD oil for dogs that we tried and have kept Cooper on. More on that below, but they did compensate me for sharing information about their brand.

First, what is CBD oil?

I’m starting here because this is the biggest source of confusion when it comes to CBD products. There’s a misconception that CBD = marijuana. CBD (cannabidiol) is one extract from the cannabis plant; THC (tetrahydrocannabinol) is another and the one that has the psychoactive properties.

In other words, CBD doesn’t make you “high.” THC does. And CBD oil doesn’t contain THC. That’s also why CBD products are legal. Because they don’t contain THC, they’re not regulated by the FDA. (Here’s how Live Science breaks it down.)

In human health, CBD products gained traction several years ago. CBD supposedly helps with everything from arthritis to schizophrenia to chemo side effects to anxiety to epilepsy to insomnia to even acne. The important thing to note is that there aren’t a ton of peer reviewed studies, but they’re coming. Just check out how many studies on CBD and epilepsy have been published since 2014.

So, CBD won’t get you high but it might help alleviate or lessen a whole lot of symptoms of a whole lot of conditions. Having read through a few dozen articles and abstracts, I think the science is coming, y’all. It seems legit and a whole new tool for taking care of our well-being. For now, though, keep in mind that most of what’s shared about CBD and its effects is anecdotal.

How is CBD oil used for dogs?

Now that we’re clear on what CBD oil is, the next question is how CBD oil is used for dogs. (I touch briefly on cats toward the end of the post. For today, let’s center on our pups.)

As in human health, there aren’t many published studies–yet. You can locate papers comparing how dogs, people, and rats metabolize cannabidiol; a few papers on pharmacokinetics–or, how it moves through the dog’s body; and one solid study on cannabidiol and osteoarthritic dogs. That last study is fascinating because it shows a decrease in pain, an increase in activity, and–the best part–no side effects for the pups. Check it out here.

I spoke with my vet, too, about CBD oil and he said two things: First, until the science is there, he doesn’t feel comfortable recommending it to patients. Second, he said that Cornell was doing great work in that area. Interestingly, that was the arthritis paper I mentioned above, but they also report on future studies and expansions:

The results seem to support anecdotal reports of CBD oil’s benefits. Veterinary assessment showed that CBD oil reduced pain (p < 0.03), and the Canine Brief Pain Inventory and Hudson activity scores showed clinically significant reduction in pain and an increase in activity with CBD treatment (p < 0.001), the abstract reports.
According to Dr. Wakshlag, in addition to this study, his team is completing a pharmacokinetic and safety study in cats, and there are plans for additional studies on the efficacy of CBD oil in acute pain management, behavior management, feline pain and concurrent usage with chemotherapy in oncology patients—so stay tuned.
DVM360 MAGAZINE

OK, so with all that said, let’s circle back around to the question: How is CBD oil used for dogs?

Well, many of the same human health applications translate. For instance, the arthritis study. Also, many anecdotal articles and stories cite anti-anxiety (more on that in a minute) and anti-inflammatory applications, plus lessening the effects of other medical conditions / treatments. Lots of possibilities, so as that article concluded–stay tuned.

Is CBD oil safe for dogs?

You shouldn’t give your dog any medications or supplements without first consulting your vet, but know your vet might give you an answer like mine did. And that’s fair. You’ll likely be deciding this one for yourself. For us, I felt confident after doing all this research that it was worth a shot for Coop. I wanted to see if it mitigated any of his anxiety and daily stress. I figured I’d read enough to give a few products a whirl and see what happened.

However. I came to that decision on my own after a ton of research. Ultimately, I think this Dogtime article sums it up perfectly:

“CBD oil is safe for most dogs in the right doses and with the right products.”

Is CBD oil effective for dogs?

OK. Let’s dig into this one pretty thoroughly. Some of this might sound redundant–because it is to an extent–but it’s important.

Whenever you see an efficacy claim on a product, it’s because there’s been a lot of testing done, and those claims are watched (or regulated depending on the industry, like in the case of medication) by all sorts of consumer affairs and advocacy groups. There’s nothing like that done for dogs and CBD oil. There’s just anecdotal evidence and lotsa marketing.

There are also a ton of different CBD products for dogs, including baked or chewy treats, topical creams, oil, and so on. The efficacy of each varies.

I will say, we tried one of the most popular baked CBD treats with Coop, and it did nothing. I actually doubted the hype after that experience. Then, at Global Pet Expo 2018, I received a press sample of a transdermal cream, which you rub on the inside of your dog’s ear. It knocked him out. Completely zonked. In case of an emergency, I guess that would be OK, but I wanted something in between the treats (i.e. no effect) and the transdermal (i.e. zombie). I just wanted to take his edge off a smidge but leave him HIM!

After a few more rounds of trial and error, we ended up with an oil that works perfectly. More on that in a minute, but as for the effectiveness question, the idea I want to instill is this: You need to find what works for your dog. That means the right product in the right amount.

OK, so, what about CBD oil for cats?

The Cornell study mentioned above hasn’t come out yet. That said, many of the same uses for dogs are recommended for cats anecdotally, but careful dosing is critical. I haven’t researched the cats question (I can if anyone’s curious… let me know in the comments if you want me to dig into this) mostly because my girls aren’t facing anything where I thought it would be helpful or worthwhile. Here’s a PetMD article that addresses the basics.

With that in mind, it’s worth noting that the oil we chose for Coop is designated for dogs and cats, so if I wanted to just try them out on it to see what happened, I’d feel perfectly safe (at a super-duper small dose).

My bottom line is this:

You know your dog. You know his typical behavior and you know when he’s “off.” If you’ve been thinking about trying a CBD oil with your dog, my experience has been that the treats just don’t do it but the actual oil strikes the right balance. Even if your vet can’t or won’t comment, it’s worth running it by him or her first just to be extra careful that there won’t be conflicts with any medications your pet currently takes. In all things health, always, always talk it over with your vet before you take action.

We’re sticking with the oil we’ve been using–in fact, this reminds me I need to reorder!–and plan to for as long as we see a positive effect in Coop.

The oil we use (plus a discount to try it):

As I mentioned, we tried a few versions of CBD for Coop before settling on one.

We’re using a tincture that we add to his food. It took us several days to find the right dose. For Coop, it’s much lower than the recommendation for his weight.

After a couple days, though, both John and I noticed separately that he reacted and barked way less than usual. Plus, he seemed to settle easier, and on the Fourth he kept his head about him the whole night. That day, we actually divided his dose between his breakfast and his dinner and added a smidge extra to each serving, just to cover the spread and get him through the fireworks. And it did. He slept!

We’ve been super happy with the experience and don’t have any plans to change or take him off it anytime soon!

The brand we’re using is called Veritas Farms. He’s on the Full Spectrum Pet Tincture in the tuna flavor (Coop can’t have pork, but there is a bacon flavor if your dog’s not into fish). The bottle is small, but it lasts. For Coop, I started him on his current bottle on Monday, June 3. Today’s Friday, July 19, and we’re almost out. A solid month and a half, so a little under $1 a day. Worth it for a calm, happy pupper!

The website has a TON of useful info, like the FAQ page and the How We Grow page, which explains their commitment to sustainability–you know I love that!

BUT! If you’ve read this far, well, first of all THANKS! 🙂 Also, if you got here and are now super curious, I highly recommend the Pet Tincture, and Veritas Farms was kind enough to give me a discount code to share (and, btw, it works for anything on their site, not just the pet product, if you’ve been wanting to try some CBD products for yourself).

Here’s how to get a discount: You can either go to the Veritas Farms main page and poke around the shop OR go straight to the pet tincture. Add whatever you want to purchase to your cart, then use code Maggie15 at checkout to get your discount!

WHEW! There you have it.

If you still have questions, please leave ’em in the comments. If I don’t know the answer, I’ll certainly track it down! I’m also curious if any of YOU have tried CBD oil for your pups (or for yourself) and what your experience has been. Please share so we can all learn from one another! Thanks for sticking with me on this–such an important topic!

Is your dog happy?

06•03•19

I spend an inordinate amount of time gazing at my animals and wondering things about them.

Like: When they dream, and their feet and tails and ears twitch, what’s running through those little minds of theirs?

And: When he digs through his toy basket searching for just the right one, does he go into it with a specific toy in mind? Or is he assessing his options before deciding?

Also: When Coop perches on the highest spot in our yard and gazes out, does he think he’s surveying his kingdom? keeping watch? guarding the family? or maybe just chilling in the nice weather?

And, perhaps most importantly: Is my dog happy?

I want him to be happy. I want the cats to be happy. Of course, anyone who lives with an animal knows there are moments when you can see pure joy on your pet’s face. There are also moments when you see the opposite. But, in general, from day to day, I wonder: Is my dog happy?

First Things First: The 5 Freedoms

Have you heard of “The Five Freedoms” in animal welfare? These are the international standards of animal care established in the UK in the 1960s. They are:

Freedom from hunger and thirst
Freedom from discomfort
Freedom from pain, injury, or disease
Freedom to express normal behavior
Freedom from fear and distress

Here’s a printable poster of the five freedoms from ASPCA if you’re interested.

Though–in the U.S. at least–those have been subjected to wide and varied interpretation, the idea is that an animal kept by a human must be free from suffering.

Meeting that basic criteria, while vital to any pet’s well-being, won’t necessarily make an animal happy. Having those needs met is so important, and I’m assuming in this post that’s the foundation we’re all coming from. The five freedoms provide a pet with a lot: Comfort, yes. Safety, yes. Security, yes.

But what about happiness?

What makes a dog happy?

Cooper loves to chase a squeaky ball.

Like, loves.

If you squeak a ball anywhere in his hearing range, he runs at full speed, skids to a stop in front of you, and plops into a sit–mouth hanging open, tail swishing the floor. His muscles clench. He’s so ready. When you pull your arm back to throw, he tenses his whole body. Let the ball go and he’s off like a rocket. He chases it down, turns, and sprints back to drop the ball at your feet and wait–open mouth, tense body, swishing tail–for you to throw it again.

I can say, without doubt, that chasing a squeaky ball makes Cooper happy.

He doesn’t feel the same about chasing all toys or even all balls, for that matter. Toss a plain old yellow tennis ball, and he can take it or leave it. Throw a stuffed toy and he’ll chase it down, but then lay in the grass and rip it to shreds instead of bringing it back for another chase. (Ripping stuffies to shreds: another thing that makes Cooper happy.)

But chasing a squeaky ball doesn’t make all dogs happy.

If you threw a ball for Emmett at the height of his youth, for instance, he’d look up at you with eyes that said, “I don’t know why you did that because now you have to go get it.”

However, meeting new people, getting tons of attention, eating snacks… those things made Emmett happy.

When I come home–whether I’ve been gone five minutes or five days–I know Cooper is happy. He wags hard enough to thwack me hard enough to create a welt. He cries. He paws at me. He jumps on me. He licks my face. He curls his body into a C-shape and presses up against me while I hug and pat him.

When I get an ice cream out of the freezer, he does many of the same behaviors–wagging tail, whining, jumping up and down–though thankfully to a lesser degree… otherwise it might hurt my feelings! ha!

Same thing when he’s running. He’s relaxed and focused, enjoying the physical exertions.

I know lots and lots of things that make Cooper happy.

But when I think about people, I know there are lots and lots of things that can make even unhappy people happy, at least momentarily.

So, is my dog happy?

Assuming all your dogs’ basic needs are met and he’s not unwell, how can you tell if your dog is happy?

I’ll list a handful of signs your dog’s happy below, but here’s the thing: Most dogs, I believe, aren’t necessarily unhappy. If they’re not happy, they’re probably bored or scared. Boredom is more of a chronic condition, while fear is more acute.

This is a basic list, but here are five ways to tell if your dog is happy:

A loose body: This includes soft ears, soft eyes, and probably lots of wiggles.
A wagging tail: In fact, in the happiest moments, the tail can seem to wag your dog’s whole body! (Opposites to watch for: stiff or tucked tail.)
Good behavior: Dogs who suffer from boredom might find their own fun by, say, shredding the curtains or snacking on your shoes. (Note: This is different from separation anxiety, which is also an unhappy condition that needs a vet consultation.) Happy dogs exhibit fun, playful behavior, and engage with their people and other animal friends.
A healthy routine: Your dog sleeps and eats and bathrooms normally. He gets a good amount of physical and mental stimulation each day!
Physical contact: Your happy dog will find ways to touch you. Even dogs who don’t love cuddles as much will poke you with their nose, lead into your legs, touch your hand, and so on. A happy dog will seek out a bit of this contact to the degree that makes them happiest. (On the other hand, dogs who get excessive, unwarranted, or unliked contact–think clumsy hugs from toddlers–can be decidedly unhappy!)

I think about Cooper’s happiness often. I learned a ton about his actual mental state when I read What It’s Like to Be a Dog And Other Adventures in Animal Nueroscience, and it inspired me to think more about how to enrich his environment (i.e. our backyard for the upcoming summer) and to provide him with more thinking activities. I HIGHLY recommend that book to anyone who loves dogs. Or seals. Or marsupials.

Anyway. I want Cooper to be happy. I know he’s a tightly-wound, stress-prone pup, so it takes extra effort to ensure his happiness on a day-to-day basis, but I think we’ve done pretty well. He, like most dogs, thrives on routine. His schedule is usually predictable. He gets a ton of physical exercise (trail running lately). We challenge him by feeding him in puzzle feeders (here’s an EASY one you can make at home) and working on training.

And I throw his squeaky ball for him. A lot. Sometimes until my arm can’t lift the ball anymore! But it’s worth it to see his happy grin and loose, wagging body! For me, it’s super rewarding to see him relaxed and having fun–maybe because he is such a stress case?–but it makes ME happy to make HIM happy. Win-win!

What makes your dog happy?

I’d love to know what activities, adventures, routines, or snacks (ha!) make your pup happy! Please share in the comments below! 🙂

5 Dog Books to Read This Summer

05•10•19

How do you decide which books to buy versus which to borrow from the library?

If you know me, you know I want All. The. Books.

But that’s not practical or affordable, so I look at library books as novels or quick reads that I likely won’t reference again, and I buy books I plan to reference or reread. Of course, that system isn’t perfect. My house is full of novels and quick reads! 🙂 Also, I’m lucky to get review copies of forthcoming books at various points throughout the year.

So… All. The. Books!

Summer is a big reading period for me. The days are longer, so I can sit outside into the night turning pages. This year, my TBR–to be read–stack is full of dog-related books, so in case you’re looking for some summer reading inspiration, I wanted to pull together the five dog books topping my pile right now!

5 Dog Books to Read This Summer

5 Dog Books to Read This Summer:

Deep Creek

This one isn’t exactly a dog book, but it does have a dog on the cover and deals wholeheartedly with our relationship with nature, dogs included. And she knows dogs. I heard Pam Houston talk about this book on the First Draft podcast, and I basically drove straight to Barnes and Noble to buy it. They didn’t have it, so straight home and Amazon! Here’s one of the reviews: “Deep Creek is a love letter to earth, animals, and the best of humanity.” Doesn’t that sound perfect? A dream book, really! In reading order, this is very next on my list, and I’m dying to dive right in.

Behavior Adjustment Training 2.0

I had this book on my Amazon Wish List for ages but felt intimidated by it. So, it languished on the list for a while. Then, earlier this month, an acquaintance struggled with some dog training stuff, and as I looked through my personal library I realized that it had been AGES since I undertook some self-study on Cooper’s behalf. So, I moved it from my Wish List to my cart, and it just arrived yesterday. This one will probably take me the whole summer to get through. It’s dense. Plus, I want to pay super close attention and take lots of notes, so this isn’t one I’ll read in one sitting like the rest. I’m curious: Have any of you worked through this? It’s the updated version that came out in 2016, but I haven’t found a ton of first-person experiences (there ARE a ton about version 1.0 but I’m wondering about the update). Anyway, I’m looking forward to learning from this text!

What It’s Like to Be a Dog

This is another interview I heard on an NPR podcast–I forget which one–and was so fascinated I immediately ordered the book. You may have heard about these studies, The Dog Project, where neurologists trained dogs to get into an MRI machine so that they could test all sorts of things like self-control and even to gauge whether or not our dogs love us. It’s done comparatively, so if the one part of the brain in a human is the same as one part of the brain in a dog, and if that same section of the brain serves the same function in both the dog and the human, they assume that the dogs’ experiences are similar to the humans’ experiences for that part of the brain. I’m probably not explaining it clearly, but the gist is that the research they did shed so much light on how dogs think and how they experience the world. And, there are HUGE implications for this, like how to work with dogs in shelters who are stressed or how to predict if a puppy will flunk out of service dog training before investing time and money in that dog. This is the book I’m in right now. I think I’m maybe a third of the way, and I highly recommend it to absolutely everyone.

My Old Dog

Author Laura Coffey is the outgoing Vice President of the Dog Writers Association of America, and I’m the incoming VP. Our paths crossed at the event this past February in New York, and I was lucky enough to get a copy straight from the author. I’ve actually put this one off a bit because I know I’ll need a full box of tissues to get through this, but I’m ready for it this summer! The photography is stunning, and I’m a sucker for resilience stories. This one will be my read immediately after Deep Creek, and I really look forward to immersing myself in these beautiful stories.

Please Don’t Feed the Mayor

The beach read on my list! I actually received this book as an Advanced Reader Copy before it came out, but it didn’t fit with anything I had in the works so I set it aside because I just knew it would be PERFECT for summer. The premise: a border collie wins the mayoral race in a down-and-out small town. It looks like a fun, light read perfect for poolside. I really appreciate easy page-turners for summer, and I just know this one will tick all those happy boxes.

Non-pet recommendations from my stacks:

If you’re looking for just a good novel, I recently finished Circe and OMG so good. I went back and put a hold on her first book immediately. Also, I downloaded this audiobook upon the recommendation of many, many readers for my drive to and from the Cat Writers’ Association meeting next week… you can get it free with this Audible trial, btw.

There you have it!

My 5 dog books to read this summer with a few extra novels thrown in for good measure! 🙂 I aim to read about three books per month, so I’m still looking for two more to round out my summer list. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them in the comments!

What’s on your to-be-read pile for the coming summer?

Peanut Butter Treats for Dogs + Kids

05•03•19

What’s your take on sugar?

I love sugar, of course. I strive to avoid it but. #cookies

Now, as a parent, I find myself having to choose between the “do as I say, not as I do” approach or sneaking all the cookies after Violet’s gone to bed… 😉

Honestly, though, I’m not sure a militant “no junk food” approach is the right one because how else with kiddos learn moderation and self-regulation? Nor do I think sugary stuff should be a free-for-all. This post, in fact, has me rethinking my take. Here’s the opening:

“Kids who regularly get to eat as much as they want of high-calorie, low-nutrient foods become as relaxed and casual about eating them as they do other food. They don’t go off the deep end and consume a lot of sweets, chips, and sodas when they become older school-age children and adolescents and can get it on their own. Instead, they continue to be relaxed, positive, and competent with eating junk food the same as other food.”

That’s what we all want, right? A relaxed, positive attitude toward food? Heck, yes!

That said, I’m not fully on board with unfettered access to junk.

When it comes to our dogs, those little creatures whose teeth we don’t brush twice a day, less-is-more is an even bigger deal to me. It makes me insane to see sugar added to dog treats.

I’ve been tooling around with the idea of shareable treats, little snacks that kids + pets can enjoy together. It cuts down on my homemade-treat-making time, for one thing, but then I also know what they’re getting in their snacks!

Here’s my current favorite recipe with a caveat: If you consume lots of super-sweet snacks or beverages, this won’t satisfy that sweet tooth. This is a subtle sweet… sort of like swapping Diet Coke for La Croix!

Peanut Butter Treats for Dogs + Kids

Ingredients:

1 cup whole wheat flour
½ cup natural, no-sugar-added applesauce
½ cup all-natural, no-salt-or-sugar-added peanut butter (if you avoid nuts, or if you kiddo can’t take stuff with nuts in it to school, try this instead… it’s pet-safe, too)
¼ cup wheat germ
1 tablespoon raw honey (note that honey isn’t recommended for kiddos under one…)

Combine all the ingredients. Knead. Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick spray.

Then, scoop out one-inch balls and drop them an inch apart on the prepared cookie sheet. Press down with the tines of a fork, or get fancy with stamps or cookie presses. #nojudgement

Bake at 325 degrees (F) for 15 to 20 minutes.

Allow them to cool before serving to pups or kiddos. Store them in the fridge. They’re good for a day or two (but they probably won’t last that long!).

They’re a naturally sweet treat that you won’t feel bad about drizzling with chocolate sauce and enjoying after bedtime… No? Just me?

Let me know what your pets think of these! Or your kids! Or you!

For even quicker and easier dog treat recipes (no one will want to share these with your dog) check out the two simplest DIY dog treats ever!