Cinnamon's Diet Success Story

See, aren't my paws delicate and pretty?

Remember last year when I had to go on a diet. I was weighing more than Francesca. She is bigger than I am. In fact she has such huge paws that I think they must weigh a pound each. I, on the other hand, am more fine-boned and petite.

Well, that is except for my stomach. So last year I went on a diet to try and get below the 52 pounds that I weighed. I cut out some of my treats and always ate less than Francesca. What happened? I GAINED WEIGHT! I gained weight and Francesca lost weight.

So every meal time I groaned. I just knew I would be shorted food. Francesca got the extra food that wasn't served to me and she didn't gain weight. Months went by and I had just about given up.

So today, we went to the Veterinarian for my check up and 3 year rabies shot. I don't like it there. Well, I like the Vet's assistant but I don't like him because he pokes, prods and sticks me with needles!

So of course the first thing that we did was head for the dreaded scales. Oh No! I got on the scales and obediently sat down. I grimaced. I didn't want to hear how much I weighed. And.... my weight was.... (drum roll, please) 50.8 pounds! I LOST WEIGHT! I lost over a pound!

So then it was time for the dreaded exam. I winced some more. But what the doctor said, was pretty encouraging. I had lost weight, yes... but my heart rate was that of an athlete. And I was very healthy. I, Cinnamon, wasn't looking like an old dog at all.

So now I don't complain about the diet and I don't complain about exercise. I'm a healthy coonhound and I'm a success!

Here I am sleeping all night on the cushy couch cover.

I was so happy with myself I decided to sleep on the new couch cover on the couch all night. What a treat! Francesca had to sleep alone!

Love, Svelte Cinnamon

My New Favorite Treat: Wild Salmon Chews (Discount Coupon)

No more rawhide for me!
These are the real deal!

Last night, after a very hot day, the sun went down and we were in the mood to play outside. Francesca and I played balls for about ten minutes and then thought, “Gee, I’d like a treat!”

So our owner went looking in her “treat closet” (she calls it the pantry) and found a bag of treats she had ordered with her own wild salmon filets a couple of weeks ago. 

Little did I know that these would become my absolute favorites!

It took me awhile to get my salmon skin chew
undone so I could enjoy it to the max.

The treats were bone-shaped chews made entirely of naturally dried wild salmon skin. Francesca and I got really excited when we saw them. We sat for our treats and then headed to enjoy them on the cool green lawn.

They were delicious… not like other treats. These were real. These were healthy. They were from Canada. And, they reminded me of fishing in Haida Gwaii when I got salmon jerky as a treat. They were that good!

I, Francesca, ate mine faster than Cinnamon did!

Since they were dried, it took us a while to chew on them. It turned out to be a really great evening. So, you can get some too! They are available from Vital Choice Seafood. Be sure and use our coupon for a discount by clicking on this link:

Enjoy 10% off your first purchase with Vital Choice by using the code: VCAFINT during checkout.

Look for the chews under the Gifts, Samplers and Pet Treats tab on their website.

Here’s a bit about my new favorite treats:

100% Wild Salmon skin*

Natural source of omega-3 fatty acids and lean protein

No byproducts, fillers, or rendered materials

No nitrites or other preservatives or additives

No artificial coloring or flavoring

Product of Canada

Dogs need omega-3s, too!

  

Each re-sealable bag contains three individually wrapped chews. Store sealed at room temperature. No freezing or refrigeration required. Now this is a problem. Francesca had one and I had one. So now there is just one left. I guess our owner needs to order two bags at a time so the numbers come out even!

Francesca watching me, Cinnamon, out the
window because I took longer to eat my treat! She's
saying "I wonder if Cinnamon will leave part of it
for me!"

*Note: Chews are best enjoyed by pets outdoors or on washable surfaces, as they may shed scale particles. They can also impart a fishy smell and traces of oily residue to textured surfaces such as carpets or sheets.

It's About Time Dogs Had a Carefully Crafted Dog Food Like This! #InspiredbyCrafted

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill’s® Ideal Balance™ Crafted™, but Coonhound Tales only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.

 

This was an exciting day!

A while Back I told you about the interesting package I received from Hill’s® Pet. Inside were lots of things but what I was interested in was the new oven-roasted dog food. Now they have canned wet food too, and I'll certainly try that but what I am used to is kibble. 

So I've been mixing their Ideal Balance™ Crafted™Grain Free Herbed Chicken & Chickpeas Recipe with my regular kibble. It is 100% balanced nutrition and there is no corn, wheat or soy included. To tell you the truth, I'm just fine with a bowl full of just this small batch crafted food. It's delicious.

I also got a book. So I read up on what makes it smell good, taste good and be good for ME! You see, just like in my owner's favorite Portland restaurants, the chefs at Hill's create the food in small batches. Small batch means that Ideal Balance™ Crafted™is made just the way my owner would cook things.. one very special batch at a time. At Hill's they create unique recipes in small batches using high-quality proteins, wholesome vegetables and ancient grains. They know where their ingredients are sourced. It's the stuff that's good for me.

Hill's has Crafted foods for dogs and cats.
I'm looking forward to trying the canned food and the TREATS!

When they make the dry dog food they roll out the dough, after it is mixed with only the best well-balanced ingredients, and cut out each kibble and check to make sure they are just right. Then they oven-roast them at 400 degrees until they are ready... not too long and not too short of time.

They also take this  type of care with their wet foods... like my owner might make a stew. They slow cook the wet food in the can at 250 degrees to lock in flavor and nutrition. I can't wait to try that!

This looks so delicious.
Braised Salmon Medley with Quinoa!

Here's a little bit more information to help you make the decision I did. I'm all for more nutritious, good tasting food. I'm all for being healthy and running like the wind at the dog park!

I think dogs get bored with stale, routine, mass-produced foods. I really like the opportunity to taste something new, especially something that is made with such care and is good for me.

I love being a pet blogger and I love when companies like Hill’s® Pet let me try their dog food! I'm all about sniffing out the good stuff.

I love being active. Nutritious food gives
me energy for the chase!

Your owner would be interested in why this new food is so good. (Between you and me, the best part about it is that it tastes great!)  Hill’s® Ideal Balance™ Crafted™ is:

- Made in small batches
- Made with natural ingredients, perfectly balanced

- 100% Balanced Nutrition Guaranteed or your money back

- Made in the USA

- No wheat, corn or soy
- No artificial colors, flavors or preservatives
- Available in Grain-free varieties

You can purchase Hill's  Ideal Balance™ Crafted™foods online and from selected veterinary offices and stores. Currently you can save 20% at this site.

Now, I think it's time for dinner! YES!

Love, Cinnamon

Pet Fitness Twitter Chat Tonight!

Here I am being fit on a recent 5K Walk 

Remember when I wrote about Hill's® Prescription Diet® Canine Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution?  Well, it’s January and everyone seems to be health conscious. I wanted to invite you to a chat on Twitter.

Hill’s is hanging out with us at #BlogPawsChat Tuesday 1/13/15 from 8 – 10 p.m. Eastern. They would love for you to attend and let your friends know so that they can attend, too.

You can play along with quiz questions to win some fun prizes.

The topic of the chat is “Healthy Weight and Staying Fit.” Come hang out and tweet with us!

Trying a New Healthy Dog Food #PawNatural

I love getting food in the mail!

I've been trying a new dog food. I received a sample to try before the product was even available. They wanted MY opinion.

Well, before I even tasted the sample Canine PowerFood™, a new holistic dog food developed by Only Natural Pet (ONP), I was pretty impressed. This dog food is 100% natural, allergy friendly (meaning it shouldn't cause any allergy symptoms) and it is made in the USA. Good stuff, I thought.

I didn't used to care what was in my food. As long as it tasted good and smelled good, I gobbled it up. I'd eat anything! But now that I am over 6 years old, I'm being more careful. I want to continue to be healthy and live as long as I can. There are squirrels to chase and frogs to scare, you know!

Good Stuff for Good Pets!

I read all about the new food before even trying a little bit. It is a kibble and was formulated by a holistic veterinarian. The information that came with the food told me that Canine PowerFood™ is packed  with  protein,  amino  acids  and  essential  fatty  acids,  the  PowerFood™  also  contains  low‐glycemic  carbohydrates  like garbanzos  and  lentils  (which  are  sourced  from  farms  in  Minnesota  and  Wisconsin  and  offer  healthy,  long  lasting  energy  without  spiking  blood  sugar)  and  fruits  and  vegetables  that  offer  whole  food  sources  of  important  vitamins  and  minerals.

They infuse the kibble with their ONP PowerBoost™ blend; a raw, freeze-dried combo with powerful superfoods like green lipped mussels, sea cucumber, pumpkin, probiotics and digestive enzymes. 

Now I don't understand all of that nutritional information but it sounded downright healthy!  I had to be careful, though, food changes shouldn't be done all at once. I sampled a bit of the kibble. It smelled great and, as you might guess, I gobbled it up!

But I didn't get a full bowl right away. I was careful how I transitioned. First I had the taste... yep! But then for dinner, I got a bowl of food made up with 3/4 of my regular food and 1/4 with the new Canine PowerFood™.

We did that for a couple of days. After that, since I was doing well on the food, I started having half portion of the old food and half a portion of the new food and did that for a couple of days. And finally, since I was doing just fine, I got a whole bowl of Canine PowerFood™.

It's important to change food gradually. Some dogs take longer because they have sensitive stomachs. Most dogs are ready to have 100% of a new food after about 10 days.

Here's the best way to transition to a new food. Click on this to enlarge the graphic.

I tried the poultry feast with chicken and turkey So far, so good. It's delicious. I haven't taken off like a rocket quite yet, but I'm waiting. Meanwhile I feel pretty good and had a great romp with my Country Cousins when I visited this past weekend. I ran around the house. I ran around the pasture and had a great time. I wonder if they should be eating Canine PowerFood™. They are older than me and could use a little bit of get up and go!

Here's a video that will tell you all about the food I am trying. You might want to try some Canine PowerFood™ too. It will be available to the public in just a few days. It is available for  purchase  exclusively from All Natural Pet, Pet 360 and Pet Food Direct. Right now you can even order a sample from All Natural Pet. They are taking pre-orders. The food will be available on October 6th (that's right around the corner!)

I love testing out new foods. Because I LOVE TO EAT!

This post is sponsored by All Natural Pet and the BlogPaws Professional Pet Blogger Network. I, Cinnamon, am being compensated for helping spread the word about All Natural Pet, but Coonhound Tales only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. All Natural Pet is not responsible for the content of this article.

Testing, Testing: New Dog Food #PawNatural

Here's the sample food I received and the literature.
I'm standing there waiting for my owner to open it!

I'm excited. I got a big box in the mail and it was full of Canine PowerFood™, a very healthy kibble food. I was excited to get to try this food even before it is on the market. You know me, I like to be healthy and I LIKE TO EAT. So this was a very welcome package.

I've been transitioning to Canine PowerFood™ and next week I'll tell you all about it. But for now, I need to go have BRUNCH!

Love, Cinnamon

Best Bully Sticks: More Than Just Sticks

Today after my adventure to the park, I checked out my Best Bully Sticks box and chose another treat to try. Now, I'm serious about testing treats, so serious I allow myself only one per day.

So today it was Beef Trachea. Actually, being an Urban Coonhound, I really don't want to know exactly what these chews were but it was kinda obvious. The main thing I wanted to know was that Best Bully Sticks products are are bacteria free and safe for dog’s consumption. And their website confirms this. NO PRODUCTS FROM CHINA ARE USED. Believe, me I checked on that!

Here I am really getting into this chewy treat. I hate to admit it, but I ate the whole thing!
Don't worry. It's safe!

So I carefully checked out this unwrapped product and figured how to chew on it. I started with one end and once I started ripping and chewing, I just kept going until IT WAS ALL GONE! Now, Best Bully Sticks recommends that a dog be supervised when ripping into the sticks and products so that they eat them slowly and don't choke. I was pretty careful but my owner watched me just in case.

One thing we both found out as my owner unwrapped the Trachea, was that it doesn't smell. It is dried and not greasy. It's like other chews but we know it is real and carefully dried. According to Best Bully Sticks, Trachea are high in both chondroitin and glucosamine (These naturally occurring agents have both been proven as effective in promoting healthy joints in dogs).

I am really getting into these treats. In fact, I am beginning to feel like a real "Paleo Dog!"

Tomorrow, I'll tell you what Bully Sticks are made of! You'll never believe it! And, I'll try one more product from my gift box.

Love, Cinnamon

Note: As is common in the pet blogging industry, the writer was provided with complimentary products for the purpose of review. While it has not influenced this review, Cinnamon believes in full disclosure of all potential conflicts of interest.

Did the Vet Say Your Pet Needs to Lose Weight? Check out #HillsPet Metabolic Diet ($70 Giveaway Too!)

Here I am playing hard to keep slim and trim

Now, I Cinnamon, don't want to lose weight. It might mean giving up TREATS, right? Well, maybe not. I've been researching a fairly new dog weight loss product that will be sure to perk up the ears of my pleasantly plump friends. (And if I don't quit sleeping so much I might need to lose weight too!)

I see them at the dog park. I see them on Facebook. These are the dogs and cats that have some extra weight. Owners think they are happy. But the pets tell me, secretly, that they aren't. They want to run and play with ease. They want to feel better. So how can that be done without sacrificing FOOD and TREATS?

Here's a cute video that features a pleasantly plump cat (the type that would not be able to out-run me, Cinnamon).

I heard that in the U.S., 53% of dogs and 55% of cats are now overweight. How did this happen? I'll bet it's the people that caused this because we animals love to be lean. (But we also like to beg for extra food and treats) You might be in denial. You might say "I'm not overweight... I just love those treats!" Well, here's how your owner can help you figure it out.

I got this trick from the people at Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution.

To determine  if your pet is the correct weight is right at your fingertips–literally.

Make a fist and feel your knuckles.

If your pet’s ribs feel like the knuckles of your clenched fist, then your pet is underweight.

Now relax your hand. Now with your hand open, feel the knuckles on the back of your open hand.

This is what your pet’s ribs should feel like if he’s the correct weight.

Flip over your hand and feel those same knuckles but on your palm. This is what your pet’s ribs will feel like if he’s overweight.

Oh Oh! What to do?

So did you find out you need to lose weight? Well, you're not alone. So what to do?

Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution may be your answer. I was amazed to find out that in a study 88 percent of pets on this diet lost weight in two months at home as well as 28 percent body fat loss in dogs in two months and 29 percent body fat loss in cats in two months.

Now these results are really good to hear because they were done in tests AT HOME... not in A LAB. That means that everything else was just as it usually is for these pets. You know, sometimes your owner sneaks you a bit of sandwich or a French fry from the Drive-Through (Yum!).  Things during the test were normal and all that changed was the food and treats these pets received. AND THEY LOST WEIGHT! Here's what pet owners have said about the program.

YES! You get TREATS!

Now you'll have to visit the Vet to get authorization. The vet will check for other illnesses and confirm the diet is right for you. 

With the diet you get the special Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution AND TREATS! Hear that? You don't have to give up treats! (In fact I know where the treat jar is at my Vet's office!)

Because this food affects your metabolism, rather than just making you cut back on your food, you'll feel better for sure. And, when I see you at the dog park, you'll probably outrun ME! 

And when you get to your goal weight, you can continue on the food as maintenance. The program and your Vet will tell you how.

Win a $70 Trial Kit for a Dog or Cat
Would you like to sample Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution? I’ve got 10 starter kits to give away to my readers; you can select a Canine or Feline Metabolic Starter Kit.

It’s a $70 value! 

Winners can select a Canine or Feline kit. Here’s what they include:

Canine Metabolic Starter Kit

•             1 Weight Loss Success Tote Bag

•             1 Weight Loss Success Guide

•             1 6lb bag of Metabolic dry dog food

•             2 (13oz) Metabolic cans

•             1 (16oz) Metabolic treats

•             (2) $25 coupons  

Here's what the dogs get.

Feline Metabolic Starter Kit

•             1 Weight Loss Success Tote Bag

•             1 Weight Loss Success Guide

•             1 4lb bag of Metabolic dry cat food

•             2 (5.5oz) Metabolic cans

•             1 (2.5oz) Metabolic treats

Here's what the kitties get.

To enter, there are two steps. First talk to your veterinarian and make sure that this will be right for your pet. Then leave a comment on my blog here that tells me a little about your pet and why you'd like to win the starter kit. Be sure to include all of the required information below:

1.  What is your pet: dog or cat

2.  Pet’s age

3.  Pet’s current weight or close guess

4.  Your name

5.  Your email address

This giveaway is limited to one winner per household and is for U.S. residents only.

I'll be drawing names on April 2nd (that's just a week away) so sign up now.

Remember, just like with humans, before starting your pet on a weight loss program a doctor should be consulted. Your veterinarian’s authorization is required before starting Hill’s® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution food. (And Hill's won't send it to you without this authorization)

Good luck!

This post is sponsored by Hill’s. I, Cinnamon, am being compensated for helping spread the word about Hill's® Prescription Diet® Metabolic Advanced Weight Solution, but Coon Hound Tales only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. is not responsible for the content of this article.