How to Get Your Dog to Eat their Vegetables

Posted on March 18, 2016 by Ammo

As dogs, we’re designed to be meat eaters, but did you know that adding vegetables to your dog’s diet can help them in many ways?

How to get your dog to eat Vegetables // Ammo the Dachshund

My mom’s favorite pet nutritionist, Rodney Habib, has lots of great information on why it’s important to add fresh vegetables to your dog’s daily diet. With the simple addition of veggies to your pet’s food, you could help prevent cancer! Now that’s pretty cool.

Lucky for me, I’m actually a vegetable lover, but many dogs out there hate them.

How to get your dog to eat Vegetables // Ammo the Dachshund

Not to worry, today I’m going to share with you one of my mom’s favorite recipes for getting picky dogs (like my pal Trooper) to eat their vegetables.

*this is not a sponsored post, but does contain some affiliate links

How to get your dog to eat Vegetables // Ammo the Dachshund

Here’s what you’ll need:

Fresh Vegetables (my favorites are carrots & broccoli)
Peanut Butter
The Honest Kitchen Dehydrated Pet Food (You can actually snag some sample packs for FREE with my special discount code – automatically applies at checkout)
Toys designed to be stuffed (I love these Kong & Pear treat dispensers)

How to get your dog to eat Vegetables // Ammo the Dachshund

Add a small amount of The Honest Kitchen to a bowl and add water as per the specifications on the package. The sample packs are great for making about 3 – 4 stuffed toys.

How to get your dog to eat Vegetables // Ammo the Dachshund

Add some fresh vegetables to the bowl, broccoli is great diced up into smaller pieces.

How to get your dog to eat Vegetables // Ammo the Dachshund

Then stuff a few mini carrots into your toys. These are great at making it harder for your dog to get the treats out quickly.

How to get your dog to eat Vegetables // Ammo the Dachshund

Fill the rest of the toy with your vegetable mixture until nearly full.

How to get your dog to eat Vegetables // Ammo the Dachshund

Finish off with a dab of peanut butter to really get your dog interested.

How to get your dog to eat Vegetables // Ammo the Dachshund

You can then either feed these veggie treats immediately to your dog, or even stick them in the freezer to give to them later (no need to thaw first).

How to get your dog to eat Vegetables // Ammo the Dachshund

Every night when my parent’s eat dinner I get my own special vegetable treat inside my crate. My parents are happy knowing I’m getting a healthy dose of veggies, and I’m happy because it tastes oh-so-good!

How to get your dog to eat Vegetables // Ammo the Dachshund

Not sure what vegetables to feed your dog? Check out this handy list for some ideas.

Do you feed your pet fresh vegetables on a daily basis?

Dog Food for Pets with Allergies + A Giveaway

Posted on September 29, 2015 by Ammo

Disclaimer: this product review and giveaway is brought to you by Brothers Complete. All opinions are my own, and I only share products I think you and your dog will love.

Brothers Complete Allergy Dog Food and Treats Review + A Giveaway

As you may already know, my buddy Trooper and I have been on a rotational diet since we were just wee pups, meaning we’re always rotating the foods we eat. We’re always on the lookout for new foods to add to our diets, and recently I was introduced to the dog food brand Brothers Complete.

Brothers Complete Allergy Dog Food and Treats Review + A Giveaway

Brothers Complete is a family owned and operated business that believes in making the most nutritious and healthy dog food. They are committed to making an ultra premium dog food that is exceptional at rebalancing and restoring a dog’s health and maintaining a vibrant state of health throughout it’s life. Since I plan to live FOR-EVER, this is great news.

Brothers Complete Allergy Dog Food and Treats Review + A Giveaway

Not only do they make a line of dry pet food, but they also make their own biscuits and jerky too. The Brothers Complete line of treats contain no grain, no white potato, no sweet potato, and no sugar in any form. And as I’m informed by the people who monitor my food intake (aka mom), sugars = bad.

Brothers Complete Allergy Dog Food and Treats Review + A Giveaway

Trooper and I loved sampling their line of treats and mom loved that their biscuits included a special blend of minerals, vitamins, and nutrients for a treat that is nutritionally complete and balanced.

Brothers Complete Allergy Dog Food and Treats Review + A Giveaway

The Brothers Complete Biscuit Treats are formulated to compliment and work effectively in conjunction with all the Brothers Complete Advanced Allergy Dry Dog Food Formulas. Trooper and I found that they were a great crunchy size to clean our teeth after meals too.

Brothers Complete Allergy Dog Food and Treats Review + A Giveaway

Brothers Complete Jerky treats were only made from a single ingredient and just like all the Brothers products they are sourced and made right here in the USA.

Brothers Complete Allergy Dog Food and Treats Review + A Giveaway

Brothers Complete believes that a poor diet is primarily responsible for 95% of the allergy and skin conditions that dogs have nowadays. While neither Trooper or I have any food allergies (other than I have a sensitivity to dairy), I decided to let my buddy Trooper test out this food first since he has a history of fatty tumors. These fatty tumors (aka Lipomas) are non-cancerous and can be hereditary, but some studies have shown that a poor nutritional diet can attribute to them as well. While Trooper has always been fed the best, we figured letting him chow down on the Brothers Complete line can only help! Even if your dog doesn’t have allergies, Brothers Complete can be a great choice for making sure your pet gets a nutritional diet.

Key Features of Brothers Complete Dry Dog Food:

Does NOT use any grain, potato, or sugar in any form in any of it’s formulas
Uses human grade ingredients and sources ingredients from the USA
Their Dry Dog Food comes in 4 different limited ingredient formulas for dogs with allergies to certain foods
Food is made in small batches on a more frequent basis so it is always fresh
Contains high levels of the best quality protein derived from human grade sources and is low in fat. Over 90% of the protein in Brothers is derived from animal protein

You can read their full ingredient list on their website as well as more detailed information about the quality of their pet foods.

Brothers Complete Allergy Dog Food and Treats Review + A Giveaway

So after nearly a month of eating Brothers Choice (the Venison formula) twice a day Trooper reported back that he was more energetic and playful and his coat was extra shiny and soft! I will definitely be adding Brothers Choice into my diet as well and my pal Trooper is looking forward to continuing to eat this great food too.

You can pick up the Brothers Choice Dry Dog foods in 4 great formulas; Chicken and Egg, Lamb and Egg, Turkey and Egg, & Venison and Egg from the Brothers Choice Website.

And now for the best part…

Brothers Complete Allergy Dog Food and Treats Review + A Giveaway

THREE WINNERS WILL A 25lb BAG OF BROTHERS COMPLETE +4 PACKAGES OF TREATS!

Here’s HOW TO WIN:

No purchase necessary. To enter use the Rafflecopter widget below. You will be contacted via e-mail to claim your prize. All the winners will also be announced on this blog post once the giveaway ends. Open to Continental USA readers only. Winners must claim their prizes within 48 hours of being notified or prize will be forfeited. By entering you are agreeing to the terms & conditions set forth in the Rafflecopter widget (see below).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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5 Tips for Keeping Your Pet Fit and Trim

Posted on November 26, 2013 by Ammo

Ammo the Dachshund Studio Photos

After my vet gave me a thumbs up last week for keeping myself in tip top shape I thought it would be the perfect time to share some of my tips for keeping trim. And just in time for Thanksgiving too!

Ammo's Annual Vet Visit // Ammo the Dachshund

The ideal weight for a dog can be determined by being able to feel the ribs slightly, having an abdomen that is tucked when viewed from the side, and a visible waist behind the ribs when viewed from the top.

Tips for Keeping your Pet Trim // Ammo the Dachshund

My ideal weight for my size is around 18 pounds, and at my most recent check-up my vet could feel my ribs and I have a visible waist as seen from the photo above. It’s not easy keeping weight down (especially when you love to eat like I do), but hopefully with some of my tips you’ll be on your way to keeping your pet at a healthy weight for them!

Tip 1: Keep Active

Now I’m the first to admit that I don’t actually go on a daily walk everyday, but that doesn’t mean I’m not active!

Ammo on the Farm

I visit the family farm about 4 days a week – where I run my heart out! I enjoy running from groundhog hole to groundhog hole and I’m never in one place for very long. This sort of mental and physical stimulation help keeps me in shape.

Shop Dog // Work // Ammo the Dachshund

5 days a week I work at mom’s shop, and while it may not be an intense workout, just being active and greeting customers helps keep me on the move. I’m a strong believer that mental stimulation is just as important as physical stimulation to keep your pet fit.

ammo the dachshund at lowes

On the weekends I tend to go on one or two adventures, whether it’s a trip to lowes or a walk on the trail it’s a great way to keep me active.

Tip 2: Feed the Right Amount

Currently I eat two brands of food, Wellness Small Breed and Blue Buffalo Wilderness Small Breed, which I alternate with each bag. Both are grain free dry foods.

Tips for Keeping your Pet Trim // Ammo the Dachshund

Now you’ll notice that on the back of all dog food bags they list recommended feeding amounts:

Tips for Keeping your Pet Trim // Ammo the Dachshund

Based on my ideal weight of 18 lbs both bags recommend that I eat about 1 – 1 1/2 cups of food per day. But you will also notice that both bags note that dogs are individuals and these are just recommendations, and what you should feed your dog might vary from the chart.

In actuality I eat 1/3 a cup twice a day, which is much less than the recommended amount for my weight.

Tips for Keeping your Pet Trim // Ammo the Dachshund

My mom has chosen this amount for me over the years by monitoring my weight and cutting my food back slowly until she found an appropriate amount that was able to keep me at a healthy weight. She watches my waist line closely and always cuts my food back if it starts to look a little less trim.

Tips for Keeping your Pet Trim // Ammo the Dachshund

This amount of food might not look like enough to you, but you have to remember that us dogs keep food in our bellies for a long time. (Evident by the fact that hours upon hours after eating we can still throw up some pretty undigested food….yuck!)

When in doubt about how much you should feed your dog, you should always consult your veterinarian.

Tip 3: Take a Class

Ammo practices Dog Agility on his DIY Agility Jumps 2012

Typically once a week I take a dog agility class at my local training center. This helps keep me fit and keeps me thinking and learning too!

Taking any sort of class, even just a basic obedience class, is a great way to keep your dog active. Not just for puppies, any dog, any age, can benefit from training classes!

Tip 4: Use Treats Sparingly

Kong Premium Treats Product Review & Giveaway // Ammo the Dachshund

I review a lot of treats on the blog, but that doesn’t mean that I’m allowed to have them whenever I want. Mom keeps a tight watch on the cookie jar and I’m only allowed to have small treats when we are training.

I also try to keep most of the treats I eat on the healthy end of the scale, like eating sweet potato treats.

Tip 5: Limit Table Scraps

dachshund food

As a general rule I’m not allowed to have table scraps (although that doesn’t stop me from trying). The only exception to this rule is when mom will let me have bits of apple and carrots when she’s cutting them up. But for the most part it’s best for me just to eat the food that was designed for dogs.

So I hope you enjoyed my tips for keeping your pet fit and trim! Here’s to hoping we all live long and healthy lives!

Disclosure: This is supposed to be a general guide on how I keep myself fit, but you may need to consult your veterinarian as to what and how much to feed & exercise your own pet. Each pet is different!

Friday Fetch: Pet Naturals of Vermont

Posted on January 18, 2013 by Ammo

Keeping an active and healthy lifestyle is something that is very important to me. I like to keep my sleek looking hot dog shape trim and fit, and I like to make sure that the things I am ingesting (aside from the occasional pony poop on the farm) are not only great tasting, but good for me too.

Friday Fetch: Pet Naturals of Vermont via Ammo the Dachshund When I came across the Pet Naturals of Vermont healthy product line I knew it was something I might have to take for a whirl.

Pet Naturals® of Vermont produces only the purest, most reliable formulas, including dog vitamins, cat vitamins and even glucosamine for dogs — all designed to help pets live healthier lives. The Pet Naturals team is also founding members of the National Animal Supplements Council, which was established to work cooperatively with the Association of American Feed Control Officials and the FDA. The NASC seal guarantees that pet supplements meet guidelines for quality, integrity and truth in labeling.

I spent some time on the Pet Naturals site and picked out a few products that I thought looked promising – and might be beneficial to some dogs.

Friday Fetch: Pet Naturals of Vermont via Ammo the Dachshund // Scoot Bars