7 OF THE BEST NEW PRODUCTS FOR DOGS

In this article, I'd like to share 7 of the Best New Products for dogs I found at the Global Pet Expo conference in Orlando Fl, March 2023. Global Pet Expo is one of the largest trade shows for the pet industry in North America. 

Global Pet Expo is presented by the American Pet Products Association (APPA) and the Pet Industry Distributors Association (PIDA). Global Pet Expo is where pet industry companies showcase their products to retailers, distributors, and other members of the trade, as well as members of the media. 

As a Content Creator and Influencer in the pet space, I attended the event as a member of the media. I attended this exciting pet industry trade show to find the best dog toys, dog treats, innovative and interesting dog accessories, and other dog products to share with you!

After scouring the Global Pet Expo show floor, here are 7 of my favorite new and interesting products for dogs that were featured at the show!

PETSAFE 3 in 1 travel harness for dogs. 

We've used the PetSafe Easy Walk no-pull dog harness for many years, for our Siberian Husky dog. We can't live without it! 

PetSafe is one of my favorite brands, and since we travel a lot with our dogs I was really excited about this product! The PetSafe's 3 in 1 dog harness is a versatile harness for dogs that can be used as a standard harness, a no-pull harness, and a car safety restraint for dogs. The 3 in 1 dog harness allows me to walk my dog, and keep her safe while riding in the car by attaching the harness to my car's seatbelt. 

Whether you're taking a short ride to the park or Veterinarian, or taking a lengthy road trip with your dog, it's a great everyday harness that can transition to a dog travel safety accessory for the car! In this video, my Husky Icy demonstrates how to use the 3 in 1 dog harness.

Wellness® Supplements for Dogs

I've trusted WellnessPet products for years. My dogs are wild for their WHIMZEES dental chews, and I like several varieties of their dry and wet dog food.  I was delighted to learn that Wellness has introduced a wonderful line of supplements for dogs to help support a dog's overall health and well being! A variety of tasty supplement chews support dog health benefits in 5 different areas; Digestion, Hip and Joint support, Calming, Immune system support, and healthy Skin and Coat support. I can't wait to try them for my dogs!

Wellness supplements are currently available online from PetSmart, Chewy, and Amazon. They'll also be available in pet supply stores soon. 

ANIMAL BINOME

AnimalBiome is a biotech company offering an innovative pet health solution. Their DoggyBiome and KittyBiome test kits help get to the root of a pet's gut health problems. They  use microbiome technology to assess and restore gut health in dogs and cats. Imbalances in a pet’s gut microbiome are tied to an increased risk of many health issues, including those related to digestion, skin, and body weight. 

AnimalBiome’s microbiome tests provide actionable insights that empower pet parents to restore balance to the microbiomes of sick dogs or cats. AnimalBiome’s unique supplements restore key groups of beneficial bacteria that can be lost as a result of parasitic infections and antibiotic exposure. This company's pet health technology generated so much excitement at Global Pet Expo!

ARTIE is the first countertop appliance that brings artisan-inspired and perfectly portioned pet meals that are gently cooked and ready to serve in under 3 minutes, at the touch of a button.  

The Arizona-based startup won the prestigious 2023 Pet Care Innovation Prize powered by Purina at Global Pet Expo! Watch the video on their web site to see exactly how ARTIE works   The ARTIE product will be launching Summer 2023!

Rubie's costumes for pets

Rubie's is a company we know well. They have a huge store in New York, where we used to live. Every Halloween it was so much fun to see what giant sized characters and costumes were displayed on their massive front lawn!  I was excited to see that they have an enormous line of pet costumes available. 

I got to see an array of their beautiful, quality costumes for dogs, at the show. They have some costumes for large/XL dogs as well, and costumes for cats too!  On their website, you'll find all of Rubies pet costumes from collections like Disney, Paw Patrol, Nickelodeon, Hello Kitty, Marvel, DC Comics, Christmas costumes, and more. They have so many adorable dog costumes!  

Should I dress Icy up as Minnie Mouse, or one of the Hocus Pocus characters this Halloween - What do you think? Jessie could probably wear the Jason costume from Friday the 13th, 'cause she's a bit evil LOL!! 

Alaska Puppy Love

As many of you already know, Icy loves Salmon! I was happy to come across Alaska Puppy Love's salmon dog treats at the show. I really enjoyed talking with these guys, learning about the product and their process. 

What I think is unique about this company is that they own the entire product process, end to end. They fish for the salmon in Alaska, process, and package it in-house. There is no middle man throughout the process until distribution.

Alaska Puppy Love salmon treats for dogs

It was no surprise that Icy loved these salmon treat samples! Their healthy whole salmon skins are currently sold at Costco stores. Here's a video of Icy sampling these yummy Salmon treats.

LickiMat® 

I had heard a lot about LickiMat, an enrichment tool that can help slow down dogs that eat too fast, can provide calming to dogs, and more. I really wanted one for my dogs, especially Jessie who is pretty hyper and also tends to wolf her food down at lightening speed! I received a few LickiMats to try and I think it's a great product. 

LickiMats for Dogs

They have so many varieties of LickiMats, providing dogs with benefits like; slow down eating, provide a calming activity, relieving boredom, use as a training tool, or just a Fun activity! LickiMat has Slow feeder and enrichment products for both dogs and cats. As you can see from this video, Icy certainly enjoyed it!

People love their dogs and other pets like family. The pet industry has been growing by leaps and bounds the last decade or so, and there is no sign of that growth slowing down. I'd like to share some interesting statistics about the pet industry I learned at Global Pet Expo.

In 2023 the APPA National Pet Owners Survey showed that there are about 65.1 million Dogs and 46.5 million cats in U.S households. The majority of pets are owned by Millennials, followed by Gen X-ers, and then Baby Boomers.

In 2022 $136.8 Billion was spent on pets and pet supplies in the U.S. In 2023 that number is expected to top $146 Billion! 

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Here's the breakdown of 2022 pet expenditures

Breakdown (Actual)
                                        
Pet Food & Treats                                                         $58.1 billion 
Supplies, Live Animals & OTC Medicine                      $31.5 billion
Vet Care & Product Sales                                             $35.9 billion
Other Services*                                                             $11.4 billion  

Total                                                                $136.8 billion  

*Other Services include boarding, grooming, insurance, training, pet sitting and walking and all services outside of veterinary care

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Mom does a nice presentation, but we're just waiting for her to bring us back some yummy treats from the conference!

Which of these great new pet products would you like to try for your dog or cat? Tell us in the comments!

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9 GREAT DOG FRIENDLY TRAVEL DESTINATIONS ACROSS THE U.S.

Over the last 10 years or more I've been delighted to see how many more hotels and travel destinations have become dog friendly. I started traveling with my dogs because Icy, being a Husky, was too big to travel with me on an airplane. The first year or two of her life I used to board her when we went on vacation. But I found I just missed her way too much and always worried about her.  Was she missing us? What if she became ill or injured and we weren't there?  I began looking for vacation destinations that would not only be great for us but would also be welcoming and fun for dogs too. Over the last 13 years I've traveled extensively with my dogs across the U.S. and discovered so many wonderful dog friendly places! I love to travel with my dogs, I can hardly imagine vacation without them.  So I decided to share these 9 Great Dog Friendly Travel Destinations across the U.S.

My Husky Icy hiking in Sedona, Arizona

CAN DOG PARENTS CELEBRATE MOTHER'S DAY?

SHOULD DOG MOMS CELEBRATE MOTHER'S DAY?

Can dog parents celebrate Mother's Day? Of course they can! If you think about it, what exactly is a Mom? She's someone who's heart swells with love when she looks at you, she loves you unconditionally even if you have a few flaws, she raises you, nurtures and comforts you, she takes care of you the best she can, and she always wants the very best for you. Isn't that what we do for our dogs, too? 

Dogs, cats, and other pets have become so important in peoples' lives. They have come to occupy a special place in the soul of their family and have become part of the fabric of family life. So if you ask me, any pet mom can celebrate Mother's Day with love and pride!  Dog mom, Cat mom, Turtle mom, Hamster mom, you name it! We love our pets like family, and we consider our pets to be our 4 legged (or how ever many furry, feathered, or scaly legs they may have!) kids.

Me and my Husky hiking in Arizona

Many mothers and dog owners will say "Hey, I'm not just a Mom, I'm a Dog Mom too!"  There's no shame in having a heart full of love for your dog or thinking of your dog as your fur kid.  Loving a pet nearly as much as a family member (and sometimes even more!) is ok! It doesn't take anything away from the love you feel for your human children if you Love your dog like family too. So should Dog Moms celebrate Mother's Day?  I say Hell Yeah, you bet they should!

IS THERE A MOTHER'S DAY FOR DOG MOMS AND PET MOMS?

However, if you prefer to keep the traditional Mother's Day, the second Sunday in May, as a day to only celebrate human motherhood that's fine too. You have two other special days where you can join other pet parents to celebrate your Dog Mom or Pet Dad awesomeness! 

THE TOP EASTER DANGER TO DOGS

Easter and the tradition of Easter candy and chocolate Easter bunnies is upon us. I want to take the opportunity to remind everyone of just how toxic chocolate is to dogs. In fact, chocolate is reportedly the top Easter danger to dogs. Cats face similar risks for chocolate poisoning.

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Chocolate is Toxic to Dogs!

CHOCOLATE IS THE TOP EASTER DANGER TO DOGS

Why chocolate is toxic to dogs

The reason chocolate is poisonous to dogs is because it contains Theobromine (aka xantheose), which is toxic to dogs. If the chocolate also contains raisins, macadamia nuts or other substances that are also toxic to dogs, the effect can be compounded.  Chocolate is made from the cocoa bean, which is a natural source of Theobromine.

The general rule is that the higher the amount of Theobromine, the more toxic the chocolate is for dogs. And Dark chocolate can contain as much as 10 times more Theobromine than milk chocolate!  

According to the ASPCA, Chocolate is number one on their list of the Top 5 Easter Toxins for pets

How much chocolate is toxic to dogs?

Chocolate toxicity in dogs could occur if a dog ingests as little as 1.8 ounces of milk chocolate for a small dog, 1.5 ounces for a medium dog and 2 ounces for large dogs.

Chocolate Easter bunnies can be hollow or solid milk or dark chocolate, of varied sizes so the amount of chocolate they contain varies. The typical chocolate bunny contains anywhere from 2 ounces to upwards of 14 ounces! 

There are other Easter pet toxins such as Easter Lily plants and other substances.  But today I wanted to focus on chocolate, because chocolate is so toxic to dogs. It's considered the most common toxic substance for dogs at Easter and other holidays.  It is also extremely plentiful in most homes, and unfortunately easy for dogs to inadvertently get into.

The Merck Veterinary Manual (Merck Pharmaceuticals) contains a great Chocolate Toxicity Calculator. You can input your dog's weight and the amount of chocolate your dog has ingested, in ounces or grams, and the calculator will make a treatment recommendation.  It will recommend "No Treatment Necessary", "Emergency Treatment Advised" highlighted in Amber, or "Emergency Treatment Advised" highlighted in Red.

Merck Veterinary Manual, Chocolate Toxicity Calculator

I entered my Husky's weight of 50lbs, and when I got to 7.25 ounces ingested the calculator went from "No Treatment Necessary" to "Emergency Treatment Advised". So now I know that if my dog ingests over 7 ounces of milk chocolate it will put her in an emergency medical situation. When I switched the Type of Chocolate from milk chocolate to dark chocolate on the calculator, the Emergency Treatment Advised notification came on at only 3.25 ounces of dark chocolate ingested!

Symptoms of Chocolate Poisoning in Dogs

Eating a toxic amount of chocolate can lead to pancreatitis in dogs, and in severe cases it can cause seizures, heart failure, seizures, and even fatal kidney failure, if they ingest enough of it.  

Typical symptoms of chocolate poisoning in dogs are:

☠ Vomiting

☠ Diarrhea

☠ Increased thirst

☠ Excessive urination

☠ Panting

☠ Restlessness

☠ Racing heart rate

Two Stories of Chocolate Poisoning in Dogs

While at the emergency Vet with my dog Phoebe last year, a frantic couple brought their dog in on an emergency basis. 

It was Valentines Day and their Labrador Retriever had gotten into a chocolate Valentine heart and eaten most of the candy in it.  

The Vet examined the dog and decided to pump her stomach to get as much of the toxic chocolate out of her stomach as they could. 

This poor couple was so distraught worrying about their dog. It must have been awful for the dog to have to go through the process of having his stomach pumped. But they were lucky, they realized quickly enough what had happened and rushed their dog to the emergency Vet.

If the family hadn't noticed in time that their dog had gotten into the chocolate candy, it might have ended very badly.

Sadly, that wasn't the case for a small dog whose owner had been given a large bar of chocolate by a friend returning from vacation. She placed the chocolate on her bed and left the room.  Her dog found the chocolate and ate it - all of it! By the time the dog's mom realized what had happened and rushed her dog to the Veterinarian, it was too late. Her sweet little dog did not survive ingesting the large amount of toxic chocolate.  It was totally devastating for the woman and her family.

I don't share stories like this to scare you, but to remind you of dangers like these to our dogs. Things we normally don't even think twice about.

Please keep all Easter candy, especially chocolate Easter bunnies, well out of reach of your dog and other pets. The tragedy of dogs being poisoned by chocolate can be avoided if you stay aware and take important dog safety precautions. Inform your children of the dangers of chocolate to dogs too!

There's no need to leave your dog out of fun Easter Activities. For years I've hosted a Dog Easter Egg Hunt for my two dogs!  Sometimes it's just been with my dogs, and other times we've invited neighbor dogs over to participate. It's a super fun and Safe Easter activity for dogs!

Keep Dogs Safe this Easter!

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Do you have Easter plans that include your dog or other pets?  Tell us about it in the comments, we always Love hearing from you!

PET POISON PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH

March is PET POISON PREVENTION AWARENESS MONTH, but in our house every month is Pet Poison Awareness Month! We do our best to be aware of products that can be toxic to dogs all year round. It's scary but there are actually many household items that can be toxic to dogs. These are things we see and use every day in our homes, things we don't think twice about.

JOINT SUPPLEMENTS FOR DOGS

My Siberian Husky, Icy, is 13 years old now and has been experiencing some arthritis. Several months ago we noticed she was very stiff when she got up in the morning and after napping or laying down for awhile. She was limping intermittently as well, especially first thing in the morning. I started considering joint supplements for dogs.

My senior dog was experiencing stiffness and poor mobility

VACATION WITH THE DOG TO VERMONT AND NEW HAMPSHIRE

We love the New England area, particularly New Hampshire and Vermont. Vermont is one of the most dog friendly states I've been to. However, our carefully planned Vacation with the dog to Vermont and New Hampshire didn't turn out as spectacularly as we planned! 

This particular Winter holiday with the dog had a few bumps, and I don't mean in the roads. Our experience just goes to show that you need to carefully plan for a successful vacation with dogs, but you also need a plan B in case life throws you a curve ball and your carefully planned dog vacation goes off the rails!

When your dog friendly vacation bites back!

We had planned a wonderful week-long ski vacation. Vermont is super dog friendly, and we brought our Husky along on the road trip from Florida to New Hampshire and then Vermont. We couldn't wait to hike with her through the snow and engage in some fun dog friendly activities with her!

Waterville Valley, New Hampshire is a favorite spot of ours, especially in Winter. The Waterville Valley resort area has a fabulous cross country ski trail that happens to be dog friendly!  Our dogs have always loved long hikes on this trail. It's beautifully groomed and runs parallel to a charming stream. There are also two picturesque foot bridges you can hike over.

We started with a 4 day stay in Waterville Valley and planned to visit Vermont right afterwards. After the first day everything was going along according to plan, until this happened......!

Our Vacation With The Dog to Vermont

Because I downhill ski and my husband cross country skis, we take turns skiing. I had the first day to ski, my husband had the second. 

I skied the first day and it was glorious!  The second day was my husband's turn to ski. While I was resting in the hotel room with my dog that day, I got a call from my husband. He'd been skiing for 2 hours and was having the time of his life! 

My husband mentioned he was feeling a bit tired but that he wanted to explore another trail. He planned to ski out another half hour and ski back a half hour - that's another hour of skiing, which is quite taxing if you're already feeling tired!

Knowing how driven my husband can be with any and all physical activities, and knowing how accident prone he is, I strongly suggested that he "end the day on a high note" and just come back to the hotel. We had a few more days left to ski and I didn't want to risk one of us getting injured on the second day. Of course, my stubborn hubby insisted he was fine and that he could easily ski another hour.

The next phone call I got from him went like this.....

"Honey, can you come down to the lobby, and bring a chair that has wheels?"   I said "What? Why do you need a chair with wheels? Why do you need a chair at all??  I should have known.

Of course, he fell and got injured. No doubt because he was tired and insisted on continuing to ski.

Actually, he couldn't walk at all.  He had fallen and hit his hip and thigh area hard. That was the end of his ski vacation - and the start of me having to do everything myself. It was also the end of us having a great Winter vacation planned for our dog. Images of her romping around on long, snowy hiking trails with the two of us quickly faded. 

My husband didn't really need a doctor, he just needed to say off his feet completely and rest. For how long, we weren't sure.

My dog Icy sleeping in her bed in the hotel room

My poor Husky ended up spending most of the time in the hotel room with nothing to entertain her and No Snow to play in!  I ended up having to walk her three times a day, including late night potty walks around the hotel parking lot.  I did all the dog feeding, and I had to go out to get food for my husband and I day and night as well. None of the romantic restaurant dinners we had hoped for.  No room service in the pet friendly hotel we were staying at either! 

Two days later I had to drive 200 miles to the second, resort hotel we had planned to stay in. Canceling that part of our trip barely 48 hours before arrival would have resulted in losing 100% of the money we paid for that hotel, and it wasn't cheap!

Oh well, for better or for worse, right? So I played caregiver for both my husband and my dog for the next 5 days, and then drove much of the 1,200 miles home.

We live in Florida, so I was Determined to give our snow dog some fun in the snow. I managed to get her on to a dog friendly trail that we have always loved, about 21 miles from our hotel. John agreed to stay in the car while I took her out on the beautiful snowy trail for about 30 minutes. Here's a short video of Icy enjoying the Winter Wonderland!

In retrospect, I should have been better prepared for a possible injury, illness or other mishap.  

* I wish I had researched dog walkers in the area

* I wish I had researched doggie day camp in the area 

* I should have looked into how I could get some help, and possibly one more day of skiing in.  

*I shouldn't have booked the second hotel, which had NO refund policy if you cancel within 2 weeks of your stay. We could have gone home 4 days earlier.

But I didn't do any of that.

I was so blindsided by my husband's injury and complete inability for him to walk, I just did everything myself and gave in to the idea that we were stuck there even though our vacation was technically over. 

I try to hang on to the snippets of fun and beauty we did get to experience. And the times I was able to bring Icy out in the snow, which was so much fun for her!

What about you? Have you ever had a major mishap or disappointment when travelling with your dog? Leave us a comment and share your experience!

If you enjoyed this post, we'd really appreciate a social media share!  🎔

Other posts you might enjoy:

Travel Essentials you need for a great vacation with the dog.

Dog Friendly Summer Vacation in Vermont

Dog Friendly trip to Portsmouth New Hampshire

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