News, Advice and Resources for Thoughtful Pet People
Sadly, this Nutro recall was a long time coming—complaints against Nutro actually started 2 yrs. ago. The FDA announced Nutro is recalling 7 different flavors of dry cat food in all sizes. Tests show “incorrect levels” of zinc and potasium. Check the list of the recalled food. And the FDA now has photos of the packaging to make it easier to identify affected varieties.
Complaints have included dog food and I wonder if more Nutro recalls are on the way.
Waste digesters are a pretty environmentally friendly way to dispose of dog waste. No plastic bags of poop filling up the landfills! Waste digesters rely on enzymes and moisture to break down the poop, then the biodegraded waste is absorbed by the soil the same way a septic tank works. Environmental impact is small. You will need to add enough water to keep the digester from drying out and, due to anaerobic activity, waste digesters may emit small amounts of carbon dioxide and methane. (It should be minimal, unless you have a humongous herd of Great Danes.)
Don’t locate your waste digester anywhere near edible plants. You also don’t want to locate one of these too close to water, like a river bank, or anywhere where the water table is high. Waste digesters won’t work properly in very clayey soil and digestive activity stops below 40°F, but picks up again when the weather warms up. Too much chlorine in the water you add to the digester may slow digestive activity.
The Doggie Dooley Underground Waste Digesters are easy to install. You dig a whole in your yard away from any edible plants, stick the Doggie Dooley in there according to directions, sprinkle in some enzyme that works as the digester, and you’re good to go. These range in price from $25-$85.
The Staywell Eco Clean is even more environmentally friendly since it’s made from 100% recycled materials. It too works like a small septic tank. The Staywell Eco Clean is installed the same way as the Doggie Dooley and also requires the addition of enzymes to break down the poop. It runs around $35.
The Powerloo is supposed to be an environmentally friendly way to dispose of dog poop. It’s an outdoor toilet that’s connected to your sewer and water lines for flushing poop you’ve scooped from your yard or poop you pick up on your walks in biodegradable bags. It comes in 6 different colors and will be $1000. Kind of pricey, hunh?
I’m not sure how the amount of water used balances out against keeping plastic bags out of landfills.
There’s another flusher thingy called The Wasteaway. It attaches at the clean-out pipe for your sewer line and uses a mounted garden hose to flush the poop. The opening looks kind of small—that could get really gross really quickly if your aim is bad. At least you can control how much water is used. The Wasteaway isn’t as pretty as the Powerloo, but it’s a lot cheaper at $175.
Summer is almost here and that means humans & their dogs will be on or around the water. We often ask our dogs to do things that their instincts haven’t prepared them for, like boating. I don’t think dogs come equipped with sea legs or the ability to judge whether it’s safe to jump in a river to go after water fowl. Most dogs can swim, but even the best swimmer can be crippled by strong currents, hypothermia, or panic and end up drowning. A good life jacket could make all the difference. Keep those pups safe!
With a good life jacket, dogs with amputated limbs or mobility problems could still benefit from water exercise. You won’t have to worry about your dog sinking or her head going under water.
We have the Float Coat which I love. RuffWear designed a great canine life jacket.
We like the life jackets by RuffWear because:
This story is an amazing example of the bond between animals and thankfully has a happy ending. When Chile, the yellow lab mix, was hit on the Deegan Expressway, her son, Husky, came to her rescue. He fended off traffic keeping her from being struck again. When police and animal control arrived, Husky held his ground and made sure no one messed with his mom. After several attempts, Chile was loaded into a vehicle. Police then herded Husky down an off-ramp and he was eventually reunited with his owner. Chile is being treated for a broken leg and is expected to be fine.
It’s certainly reminiscent of that remarkable dog that tried to rescue an injured dog on a Chilean freeway by dragging it to the shoulder.