BzzAgent: ClariSpray from Claritin Nasal Spray for Allergies #Review #Sponsored

Most people only associate Spring as the worse allergy time since everything is blooming. Allergens differ with everyone and I myself suffer worsening of symptoms in Fall and late Spring, with Summer and then Winter a close second. Yup, I am a sneezy mess all year around and even though I take Claritin already for seasonal allergies, I need a boost when I am at my worst, so you bet I was eager to try an OTC allergy product and see how well it performs.

ClariSpray is made by Claritin but it does replace/substitute the use of the pill itself. The nasal spray should not been seen as being the same medication. ClariSpray, is a non-drowsy allergy medication geared towards combating outside allergens and directly with what affects the nasal passages. The spray in addition helps with pet allergies caused by exposure to cats and dogs, and indoor ones like Dust, Mold and Dust Mites. Being able to use another medication to fight inflammation and congestion, is what can give the user more relief. I take a decongestant and an allergy pill, but there are times that pills alone do not provide relief and this is why I started using a nasal spray and I went through many to find the one that worked for me.

 

Verdict:
Having a new puppy is great and especially after we lost our dog to cancer in September. What is not so great about puppies in general, is they love to get into EVERYTHING! I may be hearing my own voice in nightmares saying “NO” because that is how I spend most of my day. I add some “stop it and drop that”, but pretty much trying to get the pup to stop playing with yard stuff. We have palms and they bloom beautiful smelling flowers that produce the most beautifully stuffed noses. Well, the pup loves those flowers, the grass, bougainvillea flowers and leaves are the biggest hit. Why buy toys when yard waste is the greatest puppy toy ever! Then puppy comes in and brings all the outside in with her and we are now bathing her every 3 to 4 days and usually until our noses and throats can’t take the garden the puppy seems to keep on bringing in with her. You bet I would try anything and even a nasal spray if it means I can get at least some rest from sneezing and blowing my nose countless times a day.

ClariSpray contains fluticasone propionate and this medication helps to give quick relief and especially administered directly via a nasal spray. I tried the spray and the mist it delivers is not overwhelming or even too hard that it causes discomfort when used. Within 5 minutes, I felt less congested and within 15 minutes, I could actually think and start being productive. Yeah, that means a lot to anyone who suffers greatly from allergies. You can’t think clearly and just moving and bending hurts when your congested but at the same time miraculously trying to control a forever flow of mucus that seems to keep tissue companies in business. How I can be stuffed up but still have a runny nose is just one of my amazing qualities! The spray works and no prescription is needed. Being able to get medication that provides actual relief and not needing to make a doctor appointment to then go visit a pharmacy is a double plus for me. The holidays are approaching and a leaky nose is the last thing I want preventing me from actually enjoying them. Oh and what makes this even better…..24 hours relief!

 

Makes us sneeze but we keep her because she is cute!

 

Connect with Claritin and check out the new ClariSpray at:

• Online
• Coupon to save $2.00

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from ClariSpray and BzzAgent. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. I received no other compensation in exchange for my review. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

 

 

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Iconic Pet’s Luxury Large “Orthopaedic” Pet Bed From Pet Paws.World

It’s a new year, and with it usually comes new stuff. Out with old, in with the new…you all know how it goes. And the new year is full of promise and hope, as is our new stuff. But in this house we’re never alone in the “new stuff” proposition, because our furry little girl gets new clothes, toys and treat, but this year we were going to spoil her with a huge new plush bed from Pet Paws.World. And, as sometimes happens, the best laid plans sometimes get torn asunder by forces beyond our control. This was one of those times.

To start, the Amazon image showed a huge, plush, truly luxury pet bed that we thought our dog would just get lost in and be in love with. It stated it was “Orthopaedic” and had a durable core and less odors. With it’s large size (35″ x 32″ x 11″) and promised features it seemed our dog hit the jackpot. And then, after some delays in shipping, it arrived and things started to unravel.

Keep in mind as you look at this comically overstuffed box that the tiles I snapped these pics on are 12″ x 12″, and the box barely occupied two across longwise, two wide, and less than one thick. For a bed sized 35″ x 32″ x 11″. Ridiculous. And it only got worse as I “unstuffed” this poor thing from it’s miniature cardboard sarcophagus. All the polyester fiberfill had been smashed flatter than a pancake for so long, we kept waiting for it fluff back up, but alas, it never did. So instead of the large, plush, overstuffed bed that practically drowned the large grinning black Labrador Retriever in the picture with luxury:

 

We got this:

A smooshed bed and a sad, medium sized mutt. In fact, we found it was so flat and woefully understuffed we sacrificed an old comforter from our guest room, and folded it over a few times to add some padding underneath, because there was so little fiberfill in the “orthopaedic” center cushion that she was practically on the hard floor underneath anyways. When we contacted Blair at Pet Paws.World about this, he was shocked and dismayed that this over $65 dog bed has effectively been ruined by the shipping. He promised to touch bases with the shipping company about this as he found it unacceptable. We still had the issue of reviewing this product as received, and it missed the mark, badly. There’s nothing remotely “orthopaedic” about it, there’s no “core” that keeps the center cushion from being smashed flat at all, and while I don’t doubt it’s safe for the washing machine, the tag seems to have been intended for something far more substantial:

In the end, for the price ($65.05 plus $7.99 shipping, no Prime available) I expected more. A quick cursory glace around a local big box pet retailer unearthed many, many beds that were far more substantial and for much less money. When you go over the $55 price point, you start getting into memory and gel foams with removable covers and stain-resistant treatments, none of which are in or on this bed. We routinely buy the overstuffed Kirkland beds from Costco at under $30. They last for years and years, have a zipper to remove or replace the padding, and have the legendary Costco warranty. To say we were disappointed would be an understatement. I hope Pet Paws.World looks into this, because I know if I’d bought this bed at this price and got what I did, I’d be demanding a refund with a quickness. It’s nothing like it’s pictured or described, and for what it is, it’s badly overpriced.

I liked that it was large, and that it’s machine washable, and the little raised rubberized bumps on the bottom are inspired, because our dog loves to scoot her beds all over the place, and this at least discourages that. That’s about the only positives from this bed.

Connect with Pet Paws.World/ Iconic Pet:

• Online here and here, respectively
• Iconic Pet on Facebook
• Iconic Pet on Twitter
• Iconic Pet on Google+
• Pet Paws on Facebook
• Pet Paws on Twitter

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Pet Paws and Iconic Pet.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Stewart Pro-Treat Freeze Dried Chicken Liver Treats

Our little girl gets spoiled. She’s 13 going on 3 and somehow almost always has her proverbial toast land butter-side up. This Christmas has been no different, first with the amazing squeaky toy we got to try, now with these Stewart Pro-Treat Liver treats, and later with a pet bed. Someone made out like a bandit, but of the three, the one thing she loves best are these Stewart Pro-Treat Chicken Liver treats.

Nowadays it’s hard to find good, decent real food to give our pets. The industry is very loosely regulated and it seems that the vigilance needed to keep poor quality and dangerous food and treats out of the US is sorely lacking. We used to give our dog the chicken jerky treats, and she did love them, but the continuous incidences of pets getting sick and dying from them made us swear off them permanently many, many years ago. We’d taken to giving her mostly homemade treats and dry “liver snap” treats we bought from Trader Joe’s because we just didn’t trust anyone to make a decent product. But Stewart is a different company and their products are in a class by themselves. Their Pro-Treat Chicken Liver treats are just that: 100% raw liver, freeze dried and shelf stable. Think of it as liver concentrate cookies. And our girl, bless her heart, loves them. Small, bite sized (which is good for “gulpers”), and packed with all the vitamins and nutrients that can only come from natural, actual chicken livers. No binders, no fillers, no additives or preservatives. I mean, check out this nutritional analysis:

Guaranteed Analysis:
Minimum Protein 70.45%
Minimum Fat 15.38%
Maximum Fiber .07%
Maximum Moisture 6.5%

 

Yessir, that’s the good stuff. For over 40 years Stewart has been providing the gold standard for “training” treats trusted by professionals far and wide. And the genuinely care about your pet, unlike many of the overseas conglomerates that seem content to import junk and maybe kill your little furry family member.

I had heard of Stewart Pet Treats before and never had the opportunity to try them until now, and I’m so fortunate I did, because now I have another company I trust with the health of my beloved little dog. A 3 oz. container has about 100 pieces per tub, and will only run you $6.29 on Amazon. That’s a steal in my book, and I know where I’ll be getting our dog’s “nummers” from now on.

Connect with Stewart Pet:

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• Buy yours right here!

 

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Stewart Pet Products. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Purina One SmartBlend® True Instinct Grain-Free Formula Dry Dog Food, Turkey and Venison #Review #ONEdifference

 

When it comes to dog food, my dog is usually great about consuming the dry kind but will sometimes wait us out in case I add any extra protein to enhance her meal. I try to always add a little extra chicken and have switched her foods to grain free formulas that seem to be more easily digested. She eats less and remains a healthy weight at the age of 13. Like humans, she gets bored eating the same flavors day after day and I notice she loses interest, so we developed “mix-ins”, pretty much something from fish (she loves Tilapia) to meats and even sometimes a spoonful of sweet potatoes. Keeps the dog interested in her food and I feel less guilty for serving her “dry cereal”, which is what we call her dog food.

In comes Purina One, with a new grain-free formula added to their line called SmartBlend, which they added the title “True Instinct” to the blend. What is True Instinct? It’s what I call adding marshmallows to the dry cereal and these bits are what the dogs go crazy over. The jerky style bits have a different texture and not only enhance the meal, but deliver more real meat to the grain-free base. You also have other positive differences like using Turkey as the first meat ingredient, versus chicken like other blends of this kind. A Glucosamine supplement has been added to the food and I look for this, especially with a dog that some have referred to as a Senior or the golden word one Vet Tech called her, Geriatric. Don’t tell our dog this because she is as active as she has always been from spending days getting in out of the pool, jumping, wrestling, to out running anyone who tries to race her (always has to be first through the door). Purina One’s Smartblend also has added Omega-6 Fatty Acids to keep our pet’s fur shiny and healthy, along with an Antioxidant Blend, which includes Vitamin A and Vitamin E. It’s finally a dog food that you feel good about feeding your pet.

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Verdict:
So, why did I call the bits of jerky-style meats marshmallows before? It’s not for health reasons, but my dog turns out to be the dog that eats all the “marshmallows” out of the dog food first, leaving her “cereal” to eat last. That is how much she loves the new SmartBlend True Instinct formula from Purina One. The minute we pour the food, she starts nosing the food and you can hear her hunt for the chewy bits until she claims every last one of them. We purchased the Turkey and Venison blend and I even checked labels in the store. There is actual Venison and our dog loves this meat. From Duck to odd varieties like Swordfish, this dog is always eager for the wilder kind of meats. Our dog had surgery a little over a month ago and I thought I would have to worry about getting her to want to eat her normal dog food, but once I started mixing the Smartblend grain-free formula, that worry vaporized as did the food. She ate, gained back the 8 pounds she lost prior to having the surgery and it’s muscle mass she was able to regain. I was worried prior to surgery, as she lost muscle mass around the legs and neck area, to even going down a notch size on her collar. She was able to get that all back, plus we noticed she is full of energy to the point we are having a hard time keeping up with her. Our dog has us on a schedule now that she eats her dinner and then wants play, play, and more play. We actually get tired of playing tug-a-war with her and I now can’t even tug the plush away and run off like a bandit. I have to actually cheat and say, “let go or drop”, and then run with the plush but she always catches me! What you feed your pets really makes the difference and like reading labels for the food we eat ourselves, pick-up a bag of SmartBlend from Purina One and compare the True Instinct grain-free to the other brands. Fillers is not something this feed is full of and we saw the difference it made in our pet when she needed a good blend that not only she enjoyed eating, but aided in her recovery. Grab a bag and take the 28-Day Challenge today!

Connect and find the Purina One’s Smartblend True Instinct Grain-Free Formula that suits your pet at:

• On-line
• Turkey & Venison SmartBlend True Instinct link
• Coupon
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• #ONEdifference #FreeSample #Sponsored

 

Turkey and Venison Dog Food

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Purina One.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Fifi & Fido All-Natural Oatmeal and Aloe Pet Shampoo

Our little girl is our whole world. She’s the fuzzy center of our universe, and she knows it. She’s also, some days, a barely mobile meat loaf that stays in bed all day and builds up a serious funk. When she does, it’s the dreaded “bath time”, and she knows this because she loses her collar, towels come out, and the hose gets unwound. Her ears droop and she tries to slink back into her room unnoticed, but in the end, she knows there’s no escape. Mano and Mano sent us their Fifi & Fido All-Natural dog shampoo and conditioner for those dreaded days when you can’t outrun a bath.

To start, it has a very pleasant scent and has a choice of a squeeze top or pump top, which can be extremely handy when one has a hose in one hand and a soapy pooch in the other. Our dog has short fur, but it’s very dense on her back and neck, but thin on her legs, underside and head. And it can be a little oily at times. So we usually try to find something that will clean off the accumulated grime without stripping her fur too much, but also not irritating her delicate skin. This Fifi & Fido Shampoo hit those butter zones nicely, but didn’t “foam” all that much so we ended up using a lot more than we planned. That seems to be par for the course with Oatmeal based pet shampoos, so I won’t hold that against this one. Their soap-free formula is free of harsh chemicals, and based mostly from the aforementioned oatmeal, as well as aloe vera extract, so it won’t strip away the dogs essential oils that keep her coat smooth and lustrous. It rinsed away clean and left our girl bright and white again, not the dingy off-white she seems happiest being.

One issue I’ve had with these Mano and Mano products is the price. While this Fifi & Fido pet shampoo is not sporting the high markup that I saw with their hand sanitzer, it’s still quite a bit more than you’d find on Amazon, or Target, or even Petco. At $11.95 for 16 fl. oz., it’s not that far off from the “high-end” products at the local pet retail chains, though, and the ingredient list is comparable to brands costing more, but not so different from brands costing much less either. I feel it was much better than a brand I previously reviewed that cost about the same, and I’d even consider it if I couldn’t find my dog’s usual brand of shampoo at say, Target. Not quite a value, but not so expensive that you would’t consider it. I liked it and so did our dog. After the fact, because while it happens, it’s the worst time, ever. But the hugging and loving she gets after more than make up for that, and she gave the Fifi & Fido 2 paws up after her bath.

Connect with Mano and Mano:

• Online
• On Amazon
• Buy your own from Amazon right here!

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Mano and Mano.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

AllProvide’s All Natural Dog Food

Food recalls are, sadly, a fact of life. All manner of food-borne nastiness seems to be reported weekly. And our littlest, furriest friend’s foods are unfortunately not immune either. If you think buying a “premium” brand of dry kibble means you don’t have any worries, you’d be wrong. “So what’s to be done”, you may be asking? Well, one school of thought is feeding your pooch a “raw” diet, or cooking for them like the rest of your family, which is what AllProvide Dog Food thinks you should do too. Let’s look a little closer, shall we?

On the surface, it may feel a little strange cooking up something and dumping it into a dog dish. But I’ve been doing this, in one form or another, all my dog’s life. And at 13 years old, she still has the energy of a puppy. She still looks, acts and, it seems, feels, like a dog half her age. And I attribute that to only feeding her the best we could afford, and supplementing her kibble with real, honest, normal food. AllProvide’s meal packets are just that: Real food. Things you probably have in your fridge to eat yourself or cook later. Take this ingredient list from our pooch’s favorite meal from AllProvide: Beef and Vegatables:

Beef, Turkey with Bone, Beef Liver, Beef Kidney, Carrots, Butternut Squash, Broccoli, Green Kale, Small Red Beans(sprouted), Milled Flaxseed, Wild Alaskan Salmon Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Dried Sea Kelp, Oregano Leaf, Organic Turmeric, Vitamin E Supplement

Not too shabby. In fact, I ate some of those things this morning and tonight for dinner! We cook the packet up, because let’s be honest, switching our girl up to a “raw” diet at 13 is not going to be good for her, us, or the carpet in her room. We then mix it in with about a cup of her Kirkland-brand grain-free kibble. And she’s so happy she’s wagging from the first bite to the last. Usually those kinds of wags are reserved for when we share a Costco rotisserie chicken with her, so that should tell you how much she’s loving AllProvide’s noms.

Our First-Time Starter box contained a whopping 8+ pounds of real, honest food. USDA Select cuts of beef, USDA Grade “A” poultry. Three 1lb packets each of Beef, turkey, and chicken, all mixed with fresh vegetables, vitamins, and herbs.Made in America using only human grade, restaurant quality ingredients. I had to actually convince hubby what I was cooking up wasn’t for us, but for the dog. What we did was mix a half packet into her usual mix of kibble, and let me tell you, it was appreciated immensely. And for the past few weeks, we’ve had a senior dog with more energy than we can handle, and a pup that’s looking forward to dinner all day. They even have puppy formulas, senior formulas, soy-free and gluten-free options for dogs with specialized diets. There’s something for every dog on their menu.

What I didn’t like was that if we wanted to continue, the minimum order is 12lbs of food, and that takes a lot of fridge/freezer space. But I think our dog is worth a little space in our appliances. There was a hiccup in our first delivery, in that it was accidentally shipped ground from Georgia. In the summer. Needless to say, what arrived wasn’t fit for man nor beast. Thankfully, AllProvide stood behind their product and reshipped it immediately, and made sure we were taken care of. That to me speaks worlds about how much they care for their customers, and their customer’s pets.

Connect with AllProvide:

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One Very Happy Camper!

I received the above product(s) free of charge from AllProvide.  I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion.  My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.

Unbreakoball Dog Toy: Bright Orange Unbreakoball 10″ Big Daddy Review #Unbreakoball

When I got a chance to try this ball, I thought it would be a Kong-like rubber. Where you have give and bounce, plus safety. The minute I took it out of the box, the ball felt like a hard rigid plastic and has zero bounce. It is the kind of plastic that cracks when it breaks but would maybe not fracture all the way, however any break/fissure would create a pinching hazard. I knew by the weight and feel that if the dog did not end up breaking something on herself, it would definitely create harm to the surroundings and others.

Later, I took the ball out and I start tossing it back and forth between my hands, but never lifting it off the ground, sort of rolling it back and forth, to get her interested. She starts going after the ball like she does her other rubber ones and just when it made a slight impact with her snout, she backs away and seems offended by how it felt. She then does not want me to pick it up or have the ball even near us. My dog was trained to never bark and she has only barked when stung by a hornet. What I mean by never barking, is that she never barks at strangers, other pets, squirrels, or anything else! People even ask me if she ever makes a noise. We wanted a dog for companionship and she really sucks at guarding anything anyways. Our dog growled and let out the most ridiculous barks when the ball went near us. She keeps her front paws tucked in and looks like a seal just growling and barking (and her bark sounds like a puppy one even though she is 13 years old). I think the “paw tucking” is because this ball is so hard that it hurts her paws.

I try on the second day and she again has the same negative reaction and my Husband mentioned that he felt the holes were unsafe. The ball is hard and has no give and a dog’s instinct is to grab with it’s teeth. Well, that means a tooth could get stuck. She finally had it with the ball and what we now call the “orange demon”, and she went to grab it and let out a cry. Her fang on top and the one on the bottom went into the holes and prevented her from letting go. Jaw was stuck! We quickly said “Stop!”, and she did, and my Husband unlocked her jaw slowly. The hole’s size are not the problem but there was poor thinking when it came to placement of one hole from the other (i.e. distance). Our ball does not look like the others I see posted. It looks like someone got happy with a drill and just went crazy in making holes everywhere and so close to each other. I can see the ball’s mold maybe being modified to have ridges, so a dog could grab and no teeth or nails could get stuck. Our dog uses her dewclaw a lot and I know she could cause harm if it got stuck in a hole too.

Retail Price Point: $28.00 via the website or $32.88 via Amazon.

My only positives is the ball does float because we tossed it into the pool after trying to get her to play. It remains indestructible because she would have to want to actually play with it, to destroy it in any way. Our dog had more fun with a wooden stick I picked up later, and played “take away” with until she obliterated it. She dislikes the ball and becomes agitated when it’s present. This dog may be 13 but she still plays hard, wrestles, plays tug-of-war, and loves to destroy balls until they pop and she then tries to get to what we call the “nibbly bit”, the air hole used to pump air in with. Because balls can always die more in her book until she makes Frisbee pieces and ball confetti. How the ball ever got a patent or approved for play is beyond me but I felt other owners should know of our experience with the product.

I wanted to like the ball but it has way too many negatives. All our neighbors have dogs and I feel it’s so unsafe, that I won’t even opt to give it away or donate it because it’s a hazard for both the animal and any surrounding.

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• #Unbreakoball

I received the above product(s) free of charge from Unbreakoball. I am not obligated to provide a positive or favorable review, just my honest opinion. My review is based on my experience with the product and/or brand, which may differ from yours.