Product Review & Giveaway: PetMatrix SmartSticks & SmartChips

SmartBone's new SmartChips and SmartSticks

The good folks over at PetMatrix sent us two bags of their new product to try-- SmartSticks & SmartChips. 

General Info: "Similar to the original line of SmartBones, the new products, SmartSticks and SmartChips, are fortified with vitamins and minerals and are 99.2% digestible (much easier on a dog’s digestive system than rawhide treats and even the highest quality dog foods, which are only 85% digestible). Both SmartSticks and SmartChips are available in two flavors – chicken and peanut butter."

Huxtable's Review: 4/5 paws. My tail wags everytime one of my smart snacks is near! I like to eat the red part, so after a few chews I'll pull it out, eat it, then finish eating the outer part.

Huxtable's Mom Review: I often read and hear about how rawhide technically isn't that good for your dog, so it was great to be able to try out an alternative. We often go out to nearby cafes and restaurants and eat on the patio, so I've been bringing one of these along to give to Hux while we eat.  The SmartSticks lasts longer and are shaped better for eating than the SmartChips. Sometimes the SmartChip gets stuck in the back of Hux's mouth (because of the shape)-- so definitely monitor your pup while he eats it. 

Sometimes new treats or foods will temporarily change your dog's "potty remnants" (that sounds better than saying one of the many other words for #2), but from what I can tell they are pretty much the same, no looseness or anything, which is a plus. 

Overall I like them, I wouldn't purchase the SmartChips again because of what I mentioned earlier, but the SmartSticks are a lovely alternative to traditional rawhide and would make as the perfect snack to carry in your purse or pocket when you're going to eat with your dog at an outdoor cafe. 

You can purchase the SmartBones, HERE.  SmartSticks, HERE.  SmartChips, HERE.  

DOG / PET GIVEAWAY: For a chance to win your own bags, please comment, email, or tweet us @huxtablepoodle. Contest ends midnight Sunday, June 16, 2013. Winner will be announced the following day. 

Product Review: Pet Cleaners and Stain Removers

Product Review: Pet / Dog Stain Remover Sprays: Bissell Pet Carpet & Upholstery, OUT! PetCare Hard Surface Stain & Odor Eliminator, RugDoctor Urine Eliminator, and Woolite Pet+ Oxygen

Pet cleaners and stain removers... a MUST for any pet owner. I've tried several brands and continue to try new brands every few months. Here are a few that are on my cleaning products shelf now.

Bissell Pet Carpet & Upholstery. I was introduced to this by my sister. She has carpet in her home so this brand cleaner really appealed to her, but because I have hardwood floors I use this on my rugs.  Bissell's pet cleaner includes a scrubbing brush on top to help you get the stains more thoroughly. Foam shoots out through the middle of the brush and you scrub the stain. While I think the brush is a very handy tool, it gets a little messy and dirty as it'll pick other items in the carpet like hairs, lint, and dirt... plus the foam dries up all over the canister making it look messy. I think this pet cleaner efficiently cleans, and I like the idea of having a brush, but the design could be more comfortable and I don't like it's messy look after use. Get this stain remover, HERE.

OUT! PetCare Hard Surface Stain & Odor Eliminator. I have hardwoods so when I went to pick out pet cleaners I decided to give it a try. And I must say-- I like it very much. The smell isn't strong, and the bottle is large-- so it lasts me longer than any other pet cleaners. I use this on my hardwood floors, in the kitchen, and in the bathroom. Lately the price on this has gone up in stores, which is unappealing, but luckily you can find it pretty cheap online. Get this stain remover, HERE.

RugDoctor Urine Eliminator. I remember when I first bought this item... it was a risk. I had never heard of it and I didn't quite know how well a "green" "eco-friendly" stain remover would work, but surprisingly it worked very well. This is one of the first pet stain removers in which I actually saw the stain dissipate when the spray hit it. The bottle could be bigger, but this is definitely one of my favorite pet stain removers. Its hard to find in stores, so it's best to just get it online. Get this stain remover, HERE .

Woolite Pet + Oxygen. I initially purchased this item because of the high reviews from many people. I continue to purchase it from time to time because of its availability-- I find that more stores consistently carry some version of Woolite Pet + Oxygen than any other brand. While this pet stain remover is popular, it isn't my favorite cleaner.  Not only am I always unsure about how well it cleans, the smell is strongest  of any other cleaner. It seems to be very chemically based... it makes me sneeze and I feel like it also irritates my skin... which indirectly translates into it potentially irritating my dog. All that said, this is still one of the most popular pet stain cleaners and people seem to love it.  Get this stain remover, HERE .

Check back for more reviews later. 

Outward Hound Product Review Dog Car Seat

I just wanted to do an update on the Outward Hound Carseat for dogs. I've had it for about a year now, and I must say so far so good, easily one of my best purchases for my dog.  The dog car seat has definitely 'grown' with my little Huxtable as you can see below. Because I have a toy dog there was no need to purchase a new car seat. He prefers to sit in the front passenger seat (or my lap), but yanno "safety first" so I usually try to keep him in the back (passenger side) seat.

 Huxtable (toy poodle) at 4 months old, about 3.5 pounds, in the front seat

 Huxtable (toy poodle) at 6 months old about 4.5 pounds, in the back seat

Huxtable (toy poodle) at 1 year old, about 5.5 pounds, in the front seat

Read the Full Review on Carseats for Dogs, here. 

Product Review: Pet Wipes vs Baby Wipes for Dogs

Petwipes -and- Huggies Natural Care Wipes

Petkin Petwipes-- Huxtable starting using these as a wee little pup. And I continued to buy a few more boxes during his first couple months with me. They worked well and his poodle skin and hair didn't have any sort of ill reactions to the wipes. The only downside to these are the cost at certain stores like Petsmart and Pet Supermarket. In those type stores the price would be as high as $12.99, averaging around $9.99. I always found the best deal on these in discount stores like TJ Maxx they'd be a dollar or more cheaper, more in the $4.99 - $6.99 range. View Pet Wipes for Dogs, HERE.

Huggies Natural Care Wipes-- After awhile I decided I didn't want to fish out 10 bucks for special dog wipes, or even $5 for a single box. Huxtable goes nearly everywhere with me--friends and family homes, stores, etc. He sleeps with me when I'm on the couch and sometimes when I'm in the bed (above the covers). And because of these things Huxtable is kept very clean, which includes being wiped every time after using the bathroom (unless he goes and uses it himself in the middle of the night), and when coming from outside. Therefore, I use more wipes than the average pet owner, and after some research I decided to purchase baby wipes for my little dog. After some testing of different types I settled on Huggies Natural Care. They are my favorite wipes and luckily I can buy them in bulk (600+ wipes) from Amazon or Sam's Club (which is like Costco depending on where you live) for only $20. View Natural Care Baby Wipes, HERE. 

Where do I use baby wipes on my dog? How do I wipe my dog down?

His entire body. Mainly his privates, paws, and face.  Get more information on how to properly clean / wipe your dog here. 

Wiping your dog between grooming visits

So in comparison, you can pay $10 for $100 wipes or $20 for 600 wipes. There's really no competition. I looked at the ingredients in both products and didn't find much difference except for there seemed to be less added chemicals in the baby wipes. I figure if an item is safe to use on a newborn human, from their private areas to the hair on their head, it has to be okay to use on a dog. After months of using baby wipes there has been no bad effects on Huxtable's coat or skin. If anything because he is kept clean his coat is probably better than the average dog or poodle who isn't kept as clean, not to mention he probably smells better, lol.  Poodle hair in particular thrives when kept clean and free of debris, just like human hair.  

At times I've tried buying the 99 cents/$1.00 baby wipes that are in Krogers and Walmart. I can't recall if they were store brands on just cheap brands, but either way they didn't work as well, particularly the $1.00 Kroger wipes. The scent was off and I felt like his fur just didn't look as good afterwards. 

Every pet is different. Some animals may have allergies or certain health issues and their skin may not be able to tolerate certain shampoos, foods, wipes, etc. But if your doggie has no known issues and you already use wipes, save yourself a couple of bucks and try using baby wipes. 

UPDATE 5/2/2014: I now usually use Publix brand "hand and face wipes" in the round container for Huxtable. It's inexpensive and works well. I have at times still used the $1.00 Kroger brands, but there's actually a specific Kroger brand what's about $2.00+ that I really like... they have one that emulates Huggies and another that emulates either Pampers or Luvs. I think I get the one that is like Huggies, but half the cost... its the one with the little baby boy on the front. I'll try to remember to post a pic the next time I get them. But generally speaking I stick with the Publix "Hand and Face" baby wipes, the work well, priced well, and they come in a very convenient round container. (Don't forget to recycle the plastic container after you use it).  So try different ones and see what you like best. You can also get the specific pet wipes at places like Ross, TJ Maxx, and Marshalls for half the price. They also sell specific pet wipes at dollar tree for, $1 of course, lol. 

Product Review: Toy Poodle in Rain Slicker

Toy Poodle in Rain Coat

This is a photo from months back, baby Hux in his yellow rain slicker. It covers his body, but because of his immense fluffiness, lol, it doesn't cover all his body. The fit is great though around the belly and neck, and the hood stays on partially. I got an extra small, but I probably should have gotten a small. The extra small is a little too big at the waist, but was too short for his body. Get this yellow dog slicker / rain coat here. 

Product Review: Car Seats for Dogs (Small, Toy Poodle)

Huxtable, Toy Poodle in car seat

These photos are from months ago (taken on my phone), but here's Huxtable in his car seat. People always get a kick out of it, I can't get through a drive-through without someone commenting on how cute it is or how they've never seen one before. :)

I used to keep it in the front seat, since I take Huxtable with me to most places, but it became inconvenient when I'd have other passengers... they didn't like the idea of sitting in the back all because my dog's carseat was up front, lol... understandable. So now it's in the back passenger seat, which is actually much more safe for a dog, just like it is a baby. 

When initially shopping around for a dog seat I was able to narrow it down to about two or three brands/types, but ended up going with Kyjen Outward Hound Car Booster Seat. There were a few things that made me choose this brand: 

- Material-- seemed like it would be okay with growth b/c it has a soft nylon type material (mesh on side), unlike some others that are more box and bucket like. 

- Pricing-- $25/$30, great price point vs the $50-$100 of most other dog seats. 

- Design-- has a safety feature that attaches to the harness (or collar), has pocket up front to store things if needed, black (blends perfectly in my car's interior), and folds for easy storage in case you needed to store it in the trunk.

I keep a fleece blanket in it, as well as one of his soft toys (usually his sail ship) and his nylabone. 

Lately Huxtable has been riding up front with me, but he still fits in the small dog car seat well (he's almost 8 months and about 5.5lbs). All in all I think a carseat/booster seat is a must for any dog parent that often drives with their dog. A car seat is probably appropriate for toy and miniature sized dogs, larger dogs should choose a safety harness, bench/carseat cover, or waterproof hammock. You can check out car seat cover options for larger dogs here.

The small Outward Hound is nice car seat for a toy poodle, check it out here. And view other types of car seats for dogs of all sizes, here. 

(The two below are with the flash)

 The dog car seat is on the front passenger side, it straps around the seat and on the headrest. There's a harness attachment in the middle, zippered pocket on front.

(without flash)

In these photos Huxtable is about 4.5 months old, about 3.8 lbs.

Huxtable at about 6 months, about 4.5 lbs

The dog car seat is in the back seat, passenger side. My back seat has headrest so I strap it around the there. If you don't have headrests in the back you will only be able to use the dog car seat in the front. Luckily, most cars except for maybe some coupes and sport cars have headrest in the back. This is definitely the safest place in the car for your dog, though he may want to ride up front with you.  I'm actually thinking about moving my dog car seat back up front since Huxtable has been riding shot gun most of the summer. 

See a Review Update (with photos), HERE.