After our decision to "ban" treats and toys from the BnB for reasons explained in blog post "To treat or not to treat" as well as seeing so many Beagles (including Bailey) struggle with allergies.

This led to lots of research being done of course. Finally, after chopping and changing various recipes and taking into consideration all sorts of information we read and took on board we have started the treat trials. 

The first round is done - we are quite pleased (and the hounds too as you can see). We are going to be selling the test treats at cost to anyone that would like to give them a try and an honest opinion. 

All treats are wheat, gluten and sugar free. Most are also egg and dairy free. There are no preservatives used. 

If you're happy to pick them up at the BnB you're welcome to come have a look at the revamped Play Zone and have a cup of coffee. Postage is R 25.

Watch this space as I'll be putting up a post soon with a little bit of the process and inform you of the ingredients in each and why we chose them.

As you may have read in our 2013 update post we have banned treats, chews and toys at the Beagle BnB. I also asked fellow owners not to send treats, chews or toys along with their hounds.

I made the statement and request without much explanation. One of the "obvious" reasons would be that it eliminates the possibility of fighting for toys or dogs guarding treats or toys and so forth. Whilst those are valid reasons for making the decision it is not the main one...

To get straight to the point: Over the course of about three months I heard one story after the next... A Staffie at the vet who has to have a piece of bone removed surgically, a Boerboel cross also on the vet surgery table with a piece of corn cob obstructing its intestine, a pregnant Beagle beach at the vet with stomach problems due to hoof splinters, a puppy almost choking to death on a piece of raw hide, a Beagle in surgery to have a piece of hoof removed. I had also been noticing more and more (with the growing number of poos - I have to be blunt) what was in their feces. 
I found stuffing from soft toys, whole bits of rope, synthetic fibres from "indestructable" toys, bits of plastic from eyes of teddy's and countless other unidentifiable foreign objects. I started reading up and page after page after review and forum post of countless owners having had their dogs in surgery, pets go through incredible discomfort, escalated VET bills and sometimes even the death of their pets due to various toys and treats. The reasons varied from uncomfortable obstructions, choking, poisoning by dyes to allergic reactions and surgery. Even from "safe" (as advertised and talked about) toys and chews.

Below I will post some of the links that I found interesting with regards to this topic. Many of them lead to even more links related to it it. I know all of us want to give our dogs the best whilst being sure they are safe. I know some will say I am being overly paranoid. However - I am not only looking after the safety of Fudge and Bailey any longer and it feels as though the thought behind things such as toys and chews should be given even more consideration now. We would rather be over cautious and "paranoid" about safety than not.

A few main points that I took out of my reading and chatting with people:

• Take into consideration the size of your dog (mouth, throat, jaws) when buying it chews/treats/toys.
• Know your dog's chewing strength
• Take into consideration whether you will be around to supervise
• Try to keep it natural (natural, un-died cotton rope is probably one of the best options)

Here is a small reading list for your interest:

• Nylabone choking/obstruction hazard
• Dogstar Daily tips & suggestions
• My most informative read: Raw hide, toys from China and more

We are looking into natural, safe and eco-friendly toys for the Beagle BnB. Please watch this space or if you would like to be e-mailed please send an e-mail to mostert.michele@gmail.com with Eco Toys in the subject line.

We thought the pictures with little snippets would be a bit of fun. Here are a few more "highlights":

• 3,5 litres Savlon was used (we put it in the wash with soiled blankets & bedding)
• A total of 33 litres of white spirit vinegar (we use it for laundry and floor cleaning to "kill" smells)
• 35kg of washing powder was used
• A total of 1178 washes were done
• 8 litres surgical spirits was used (inside and outside to "kill" the scents)
• 6kg Bicarbonate of soda was used in laundry and floor cleaning
• 3 litres stain remover was used
• A total of 3247 poos were picked up (on walks, in the garden and in the house)
• The girls were the worst for weeing and pooing inside
• Only the girls ever weed on bedding other than one wanna-beagle male pup
• The most the same blanket was washed in one day was 4 times due to being weed on
• The tumble dryer was used 885 times for blankets and bedding
• We had one "escape" due to a meet and greet owner ignoring the "close the door before you open the gate" rule. No one went any further than the edge of the lawn. The two dogs did not come to stay after said meet and greet.
• Two blocks of cheese were sneaked off the counter
• One block of butter got pulled off but saved
• A bite was taken out of a bread on the counter
• One guest's bowl was broken
• Water bottles were filled 657 times
• Two duvets were donated (Thank you Lynne!)
• Two laptop cables were chewed through
• The biggest "family" to come visit is 4 
• 3 trips to the VET was made (two trips for one Kennel Cough incident and one for a torn ear due to a fighting incident)
• A pair had to have their stay at the BnB cut short due to aggression of one. We had to move them to a kennel.
• We had 4 major thieves stay, only one was successful in stealing some cheese. The other items "thieved" was Fudge's doing.
• One garden was pulled up
• One Beagle playground was built
• One Beagle playground was taken down (watch our blog)
• 2014 we will not have more than 10-11 dogs per day
• Whether the stay was long or short - every single one of them found a special place in our hearts and we would like to thank you for making the Beagle BnB a great starting success in 2013. We have a lot planned for 2014 so keep in touch. Thank you for the privilege of trusting us with your pets'. We learnt so much from each and every one of them and loved getting to know each one's individual and special character.

After a few very busy months of the Beagle Bed and Breakfast idea hitting us like a freight train we found some time to finally put together the long awaited Beagle Playground.

Most of you would be aware that I strongly believe that somewhere in the Beagle Bloodline they picked up some traits from a Mountain Goat. The more dogs that come here the more they show me over and over again that they love to climb.

For the Summer Season the house has been converted into a Beagle Haven. The furniture is moved to give them lots more space to run, tackle and play, the back door opened to give them the space to chase in circles and the back garden converted into a play area with things to climb, tug and jump from.

There are extra beds, blankets and a mattress to accommodate everyone's sleeping preferences more chew things (hoofs and sinews) and plenty of extra water bowls for the heat of the Summer.

If you check out our site under What we Offer you will see we have added grooming to our list of offerings as well as alot more options with regards to Daycare and "Hound Sitting". 

From next year we will be offering practical First Aid Classes for dogs. If you are interested please do drop me an e-mail (mostert.michele@gmail.com). The classes will run on Saturdays with a minimum of 5 people (and their dogs) needed. Once we see what sort of response there is we will be able to get back to you with more details and specific dates and prices.

Mercia from Acana contacted me to ask that I please do not compare the canine and human digestive systems. The canine digestive process is very acidic which is why it is so much better equipped to digest raw meat. Thank you for that 

I pulped (not chopped) the fruit. I did this by using my juicer and scraping out the pulp and then adding the juice. I took the fruit & veg mix and heated it to 40 degrees celsius. (Anything heated to under 45 degrees is still considered "raw"). This resembled the digested plant matter one would find in the stomach of a herbivore. 

I then mixed it all together, added a multivitamin supplement and fish oil and there I had it. My first raw food mix for my hounds. 

(I was rather pleased and gave then a small test sample. They lapped it up - Fudge was a little dubious but ended up enthusiastically looking up at me for more when he was done. That evening I fed them their allocated portions again and again it was very well received by Bailey. Fudge was yet again a tad unsure, but ended up finishing it rather happily)

There isn't much of a recipe. I used 70% beef mince and minced chicken. 10 % organ meat (minced tripe and chicken livers) and 20% fruits and vegetables prepared as described in the first paragraph. The fruits and vegetables I used was pumpkin, sweet potato, carrots, spinach, blue berries, apples, broccoli and celery.

Personal notes:
After 2 days Bailey refused to eat this. He through up his 3rd meal and went on an eating strike for 5 days. Fudge started eating very reluctantly after a few days and by day 6 he also said "no thanks".

I was proud with what I had done but before the week was up completely deflated. I decided to take what I had learnt and move onto developing something that would suit my dogs.

Well, that went down an epic failure. No interest - none in the ground chicken wings, ground chicken breasts or pets mince (I preferred the pets mince from Raw necessities). Fudge is no longer interested in the raw mix I made so today I am picking up a small bag of Orijen to give that a go.