#lovemydog This is a sponsored post, however all views expressed are my own One member of the family truly is always ‘there’ for you. You know, the one who runs to meet you at the door when you get home? The one who wants to play, exercise, and sleep next to you no matter […]
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Living with Degus Mark it down as one of the worst parenting mistakes – ever! Please take note and do not repeat what I did! Over March Break we were doing some errands and I said, “Wouldn’t it be fun to pop into the pet store to see the fish and cats?” Monumental error. While […]
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#lovemydog This is a sponsored post, however all views expressed are my own One member of the family truly is always ‘there’ for you. You know, the one who runs to meet you at the door when you get home? The one who wants to play, exercise, and sleep next to you no matter […]
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Living with Degus Mark it down as one of the worst parenting mistakes – ever! Please take note and do not repeat what I did! Over March Break we were doing some errands and I said, “Wouldn’t it be fun to pop into the pet store to see the fish and cats?” Monumental error. While […]
https://i0.wp.com/valleyfamilyfun.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/degus.jpg?fit=%2C&ssl=1ValleyFamilyFunhttps://valleyfamilyfun.ca/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/vff_logo2-300x69.pngValleyFamilyFun2015-10-07 11:49:262019-02-25 15:23:53Living with Degus
This is a sponsored post, however all views expressed are my ownOne member of the family truly is always ‘there’ for you. You know, the one who runs to meet you at the door when you get home? The one who wants to play, exercise, and sleep next to you no matter how their day has gone?
They’ll do just about anything to make you happy.You know who we’re talking about, right? Your dog!
That furry family member who offers you unconditional love every day of the week, and who you love back just as much, if not more.
Did you know that 83% of dog owners consider their pet a member of the family? That figure is not surprising. I know it’s true in our family! Gracie comes with us everywhere, is listed on our answering machine and even has her own stocking at Christmas. She is definitely the fifth member in our family!
Despite all this love we bestow on man’s best friend, are we really paying attention to what we feed them? Table scraps? Food that the baby has thrown on the floor? Cheap no-name dog food from the grocery store?
We spend countless hours worrying about what our children eat. Did they get enough fruits and vegetables? Do the have a well-balanced meal? Are they eating trans fats and dyes? If our dog is a family member, why don’t we pay attention to this, too?
Wellness Pet Food has made sure we don’t have to think about these things. We know that our dogs will be getting everything they need (and not getting what they don’t need!).Did you know that a diet formulated with wholesome, natural ingredients could help your dog live a longer, healthier life, but that most dog foods aren’t made up of natural ingredients?As a leader in natural pet food, Wellness uses natural, high-quality proteins and fats in their dog food recipes. They also include fruits and vegetables for natural vitamins, minerals and other benefits, especially antioxidants that occur in blueberries, cranberries and some vegetables, which help make their dog food products some of the healthiest options in the marketplace.
Wellness recipes do not include added artificial colours, flavours or ingredients, and they’ve even created a helpful “Check Your Bag” website that you can use to compare their natural dog food to those from some competitors who claim to be natural.
Some of the biggest benefits to Wellness® Complete Health® Recipes include:
• Live Active Probiotics – Added after the cooking process to promote a healthy intestinal tract and overall digestive health at guaranteed levels
• Omega 3 & 6 Mix – Offering guaranteed levels of essential fatty acids for cellular function and healthy skin
• Essential Vitamins & Minerals – Designed for cellular health, immunity and disease resistance
• Fruit & Veggie Antioxidants – A proactive step in improving your pet’s nutrition
• Excellent Nutritional Standards – Every batch of dry food is tested throughout the entire manufacturing process, from its basic ingredients to the finished productsBut you don’t have to take my word for it.
I once interviewed our local Animal Control Officer about dog behavioural issues. She said that if you are having problems with your dog, look at its diet. “Not all food agrees with all dogs, just like with people.” Some dog food is higher in artificial ingredients or sugar which might cause the dog to become hyperactive or aggressive.
She told me about one family that had a dog for seven years which constantly destroyed the house. They were ready to put the dog down. However, after changing its dog food, they called her after 24 hours saying it was now a completely different dog. The Animal Control Officer recommended that if you are going to try changing dog food, substitute in some of the new food each time over several days, so as to avoid digestion problems for the dog.
Some dogs have allergies. For example, my parents’ German shepherd is allergic to corn and when she eats dog food with corn, she becomes very itchy. Wellness has no corn, soy or wheat, so I am going to recommend this for Tate! While Wellness might not be as widely-known as some of the more mainstream brands of dog food, their devotion to quality and natural, high-quality ingredients makes their food safe, wholesome and beneficial to pets’ health and wellbeing.
To pick up a bag of some of this high-quality, natural dog food, you can order it online or stop by one of the retail locations listed in the Wellness Store Locator.
In the Valley, Wellness is available at Global Pet Food in New Minas. To sweeten the deal, click here for a $5 coupon! But be sure that you also connect with their Naturally Well Pet Community, a free online program that provides exclusive savings offers, fun contests and helpful tips about keeping your pets happy and healthy.
And consider following their Facebook page and Twitter feed, where you can join in on the fun with a huge group of fellow animal lovers who share heartfelt, funny stories, entertaining photos and videos of their pets.
If you’re at home as you read this, it’s a good bet that your dog is sitting right next to you, watching your every move. Take a quick moment to tell them about the importance of eating a natural diet. They will love you longer for it.
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Mark it down as one of the worst parenting mistakes – ever! Please take note and do not repeat what I did!
Over March Break we were doing some errands and I said, “Wouldn’t it be fun to pop into the pet store to see the fish and cats?”
Monumental error.
While in the pet store the young employee of Pets Unlimited proceeded to take all the pets out of their cages so the boys could pat them. When he heard how the boys had been begging for a guinea pig (because their best friends have one) and I constantly said, “no”, he showed the boys something else.
“This is what you really want! They are called degus. They are the friendliest, most docile and trainable of all the rodents.”
“Yeah! That would be cool! Let’s get that!” That was my husband piping up.
“No! Where’s the discussion?” that was me trying to maintain a rodent-free home.
By the time we had left the store, the boys (all three of them) had committed to getting a degu. All because I had thought it would be a fun adventure to go to the pet store.
I’ve lived with exotic pets before. Our family grew up with my sister’s 5 ½ foot pet iguana, Darwin, for 20 years! I happily ignored “Uglet”. But, a degu?
What is a degu?
I had never even heard of a degu until that day. Admittedly, they are cute. They have big ears, a furry long tail, and are a cousin to a chinchilla.
The boys vowed to pool their money and earn the extra by doing jobs around the house. To their credit, they did. They had enough money to buy a degu and the various things needed for the cage.
Research
We started to do our research. The next shocking thing that we found out is that degus are social creatures. You can’t just have one – you have to have two or they will die of loneliness! Now instead of having one pet I didn’t want, we’d have two!
The Cage
We did a lot of research on degu cages. They are very active animals and need a lot of space to run, climb and explore. One suggestion we found was to take an old dresser, remove the drawers and build a variety of levels within the structure. My husband, being extremely handy, did this.
Because degus chew constantly, everything had to be made from wood. But, not just any type of wood. There are only certain kinds of wood that are good for them to chew. One type is apple. Luckily, my friends with an apple orchard had just pruned their trees and we went over and grabbed some branches for the degus to climb on.
Feeding
These are sensitive creatures that are prone to diabetes. There are only certain food that they can eat and anything with sugar (including fruit, raisins) very infrequently. It’s a lot to keep on top of!
Homecoming
Thomas had his heart set on one particular degu in the pet store. He had affectionately called him knuckles because the degu had repeatedly bitten him on the knuckles when he went to visit them. Why he would want the pet that bites the most is beyond me!
We finally convinced the boys to get the two more docile degus in the next cage who were cuddled up sleeping. They were put in cardboard boxes for the transport home. Within the 5 minute ride, one of the degus had severely chewed around the breathing hole and was about to escape. Luckily, the cage was ready to go.
Living with Degus
I have to admit they are cute and friendly little creatures. They make a lovely warbling sound when they are happy. The boys are spending lots of time training them and getting them used to their sound (by talking to them) and their smell (by leaving an old sock in the cage – for real!). If you sit by the cage and talk to them, they will come up and say hello and follow your voice around the room.
The dog is not too sure what to think of these new squirrel-like creatures in the house, though!
So far so good for the first week in!As for me, I still haven’t touched them yet, but am working up to it. Remember, it wasn’t my idea in the first place!
Check in with me later to hear more of our adventures with degus! Did Laura finally pet the rodents? Did Gracie the dog lunge through the cage to chase them? Have the boys given up feeding and playing with them? Time will tell!
What exotic pets have you lived with? Tell me about it below!
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