lizziedawson

I needed a blanket/mat that I could use that would be good for Betsy that would absorb wet but would keep Betsy dry at the same time; which brought about the need for the Wet Dog Mat (WDM). The WDM is the perfect solution as it was initially designed for dogs that are a bit leaky and wake up wet in the mornings. If your dog is experiencing urine incontinence, it is vital that the dog is kept as clean and dry as possible. By using waterproof bedding, your dog will remain sat or laying in the urine, causing skin irritation and potentially burns. The WDM is both absorbent and waterproof meaning that your dog will remain dry plus anything under the mat will also remain dry.

The WDM is made up of a faux-lambskin or polar fleece top, a cotton or fleece bottom and an absorbent layer in the middle. The absorbent middle consists of 5 functional layers. The top layer is made from a highly technical fabric which allows liquids to quickly pass through, whilst it still remains dry and comfortable for the dog. The liquid is then locked away in the middle layers and the waterproof and breathable polyurethane backing prevents penetration of the liquid to anything underneath the WDM. The product has been designed for long term use and can be washed and re-used many times. In fact, the rate of absorbency will increase after the first few washes.

The WDM is made specially to go over your existing dog bed, or on the sofa, or even on your own bed if your dog sleeps with you. The WDM is also suitable to be used in the car after hydrotherapy sessions to help dry your dog quicker on the way home or even after a very wet walk, where the mat will draw the water away from your dog, keeping them dry and warm on the way home and this is why I bought the WDM for Betsy as I have a limited time to get Betsy dry, so I quickly dry Betsy with a towel and then put her soft fuchsia Equafleece dog suit on her and then place her in the car on her WDM and away we go.

There are 4 sizes available in the WDM
Small (50cmx74cm) £30
Medium (75cmx91cm) £40
Large (91cmx91) £50
Extra Large (85cmx135cm) £60

I purchased 2 WDM's because after buying the medium one for the car, I got the extra large WDM for the house to go over my cotton linen sofa so that when Betsy runs into the house with wet paws and wet Equafleece she just jumps onto the WDM on the sofa and doesn't make anything else wet or dirty.

The WDM is easy to wash. It should be washed at 30 degrees and can either be hung up to dry or put in the tumble drier on a cool cycle. You should not wash the mat using any softeners/conditioners or 2-in-1 washing powders/liquids. Before the WDM be used be, it should washed and dried at least once before use to start off the absorbency in the mat.

Details and examples of all of the products can be found on the Internet (www.jacobsden.co.uk). You will also find a link to the fabric page to see what they have in stock. The website currently does not have a shopping cart/order system as each product is a bespoke item. In the first instance, you should email them using the contact form or email directly at jacobs.den@aol.co.uk to discuss fabric, sizes, etc. Once they have agreed all of the details, they will email you an invoice for payment. Full payment will need to be made at the time of placing the order and your order will not be started until this has been received.

I am very impressed with the WDM and the quality of it is brilliant and works out excellent value for money. I highly recommend it.

My Betsy is my life and I want to be able to protect her at all times, so when I go out travelling in my car, I want her to be safe in it as well as myself. A few months ago I got to look over one of the Roadie Ruff Rider Crash Tested Car Harness and couldn't believe the quality! They appear to have the fit and strength of some of the equipment used in search and rescue management. They have been passed in crash-testing in both Germany and USA.

In the UK there are no safety car harness that have been put through a crash-tested procedure and, therefore, cannot state this!!

Roadie’s patented figure 8 design channels overload forces to your dog's chest. The strongest part of the dog's anatomy, making the Roadie orthopaedically sound. The Roadie Is pleated under the armpits to prevent chafing and is ergonomically correct. It allows your dog to sit, stand and lay down comfortably. Its webbing exceeds SAE standards for human seat belts and it it's strong webbing comfortable for the dog to wear. There are no weakening points or external tether required. Roadie easily attaches to any vehicle’s seatbelt system and the tether acts as a short walking lead for "Pit-Stops" and "All Around Use". When not in the car, the tether/lead can be rolled up and secured with the hook & loop closure. The car seatbelt loops through the harness. The Roadie can be used to walk, ride in and out of the car all day and never change the harness. It has been approved by and has had design input from Veterinary Orthopedic Surgeons.

Now the science bit:-Researched and independently tested. The 1 3/4″ Mil Spec Type 7 Class II nylon webbing was tested at CTL Thompson Lab In Denver CO. The webbing showed a break point of minimum 6,600 lbs and a maximum of 9,200 lbs. The Roadie has also been tested by AZT Automotive GmbH (Allianz) In Munich Germany and MGA in the USA.

Roadie Ruff Rider Crash Tested Car Harness is not designed to fit skin-tight like other harnesses; a looser fit assures your dog stays comfortable and secure.

I bought the Roadie from http://www.xtradog.com/shop/shop-by-product/harnesses/safe-car-harnesses/ruff-rider-roadie.html who imports and distributes US products such as the Roadie Ruff Rider Crash Tested Car Harness at a wonderful price. You can also view the video and see how the harness is put through it's test criteria.

I paid £44.50 for the S2 for Betsy, my English Cocker Spaniel.

I highly recommend it for my dog and any other dog, whether small or large, it will keep your dog secure and safe and will keep you safe as well.

I bought a Paw Plunger from a dog groomers and it’s a product specifically designed for cleaning your dog’s dirty paws before they have a chance to walk the dirt all over your floors, carpets and furniture. It is available in a number of sizes to suite your dog’s paw size (I bought the medium version) the Paw Plunger has a big handle to the side with a rubber opening inside which hides the brushes that will be used to clean your dog's paw. There is also a handy lid, which you clip onto the top of the plunger so you can transport the latter to and from your car when you head to the park....

The Paw Plunger works by filling up the latter with lukewarm water and then you place each paw into the plunger and move the paw up and down to get rid of the dirt. The action sort of reminds us of a giant golf ball cleaner.

The Paw Plunger may be good at cleaning the paws, but if your dog is of the adventurous kind it will know doubt play in the mud, thus getting most of it's fur coated in the process. So regardless if the paws were clean, the dog may still get mud into the house, so you are likely to need another way of cleaning the dog at the same time. I bought it because my dog, Betsy wears an Equafleece dog suit that covers her from head to toe, only leaving her paws to get muddy and dirty.

I bought mine for £25.00

At the beginning, there was a bit of struggle to start with to get Betsy to stick her paw into the plunger but it didn’t take long for Betsy to get used to it. The paw plunger got rid of the dirt and bits between the pads really well. The back legs could also be cleaned effectively. However, Betsy did tend to stick her nose into the plunger and drink from it as she thought the plunger was a drinking bowl. It is very easy to clean the Paw Plunger as everything comes apart easily, however, when you transport it full of water, you need to make sure that it stays upright otherwise it does leak.

It has come to light that dogs and especially very young, elderly or thin coated dogs feel the cold and hate the rain as much as people. Therefore, Equafleece have produced fleeces that are warm, light in weight, easy to wear, machine washable, and above all 100% water repellent when worn close to the body.

The Equafleece garments are made of Polartec high performance woven polyester fleece of the grade and quality found in advanced technical mountaineering wear. The fleece is undoubtedly the best wicking medium and it is this wicking action which continually blocks rain while still breathing away excess heat and moisture. It is much warmer and more durable than wool and thermal cotton, and is machine washable and tumble dries.

I bought Betsy, my English Cocker Spaniel the dog suit, which is one of the best sellers at Equafleece, a four-legged garment for all over protection from the wet, improved drying and extra warmth. There are no buckles, straps or velcro, and the area between the back leg is open, so she is able to go to wee. A male dog would not have a problem either!!

When we have been caught out and found ourselves in the rain and got wet, I have put the Equafleece dog suit on Betsy. If your dog is already wet the Equafleece dog suit is the ideal drying tool, wicking the wet away from the dog's coat to the outside of the dog suit without them having to sit in a damp towel or towelling coat. For the working dog who is cold and wet through, this is the perfect garment to restore core body temperature and dry off quickly. For this reason, I bought Betsy her second dog suit for use after she would have her hydrotherapy sessions. I would simply dry her quickly with a towel, but for the sake of time, I would put on her Equafleece dog suit and away we would go.

If you have an older dog or an arthritic dog, you can at an additional cost of £9.00 get a waterproof zip placed in the top of the dog suit for easy access as it is very stretchy, but for any normal dog, there is absolutely no need as the dog suit is very easy to put on . You can also add on a stunning faux fur collar for an extra £5.00. The premium prints are available in leopard, tiger or snow leopard. A fabulous addition to any dog's wardrobe for indoor wear. You can choose any combination you like, but please be aware that they make these to order and cannot refund or exchange. This is also the case for the waterproof zip.

Equafleece do a wide range of colours such as Black, Mulberry, Pine Green, Loden Green, Red, Navy Blue, Dark Purple, Cobalt Blue, Dark Brown, Fluorescent Yellow, Soft Fuchsia and just recently added Blaze Orange. Betsy has the red and the Soft Fuchsia in the dog suits.

Sizing your dog is very easy. It is explained most accurately on the website and there is a video to show you how to do it. The website is excellent and very easy to navigate. It shows you the full range of garments Equafleece manufacture.

I would fully recommend anyone getting an Equafleece garment, especially the dog suit, or as most people say to me "we love her onesie - she looks so cute!!" It is so good at washing and drying and it is so worth the money. I bought a 22" dog suit for £36 and the prices do not seem to go up from year to year either.

Betsy loves her Equafleece dog suit. I love her dog suit. During the cold and wet Winter months I put it on her and go to the park and afterwards I get home and take it off her and all I have to do is clean her paws and dry them along with her ears and hey presto, I have a dry, clean and happy Cocker Spaniel, you can't say better than that!!

Equafleece are a company that I have every faith in and I am more than willing to recommend to all my friends and everyone else about them.

Last June I had to have a total knee replacement and needed to have my English Cocker Spaniel, Betsy taken for walks. Val walked her on the days that I needed her to be walked. She arrived prompt on time and would take Betsy out to various parks in the local area. Betsy had a greg time with Val as she would meet up with her doggie friends that she usually sees, which was good as I didn't want her to miss out on anything due to me being able to take her out on walks. As soon as I felt up to it, I even accompanied Val on a couple of walks so that she could take Betsy just in case she pulled and I couldn't walk as fast as Betsy would walk.

Val is one of a kind. She knows how to treat dogs and people and is such a lovely person. I would highly recommend her to any of my friends. Her rates are very competitive with the local rates and she is very reliable too.

I've been lucky enough not to have to put John Lewis Pet Insurance (JLPI) to the test, but I have taken advantage of the 24-hour freephone telephone helpline. With a team of experienced and fully trained vetfone nurses at the end of the phone, vetfone provides help and support if you are worried about your pet's health. They can also answer questions on anything from grooming and feeding to finding healthcare for your pet when you are away from home.

I chose John Lewis Pet Insurance because I had been with another insurance company for one year and the following year they wanted an extortionate amount to renew and changed the way the excess payment was effected, instead of £90 it also meant I had to pay 20% of the total amount of the bill, which I was not happy to do so. With JLPI I have now been with them for over a year and their renewal has come and they have only increased their monthly payment by £6, which is pretty much the market standard, which I am happy to pay.

I went with the Plus Cover Level which allows me £7,500 limit. I have Long Term Cover for my English Cocker Spaniel, Betsy. If Betsy develops an ongoing illness such as Arthritis, I can claim every year for that condition until my policy level is reached, as long as I have insured with JLPI and that my premiums are up to date.

John Lewis is a company that is known for its fairness and loyalty and that is why I chose to go with them.

With all the above included, I am more than happy to stay with John Lewis Pet Insurance and cover Betsy for another year.

Nutriment enhanced raw feeding supplies essential proteins, amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins and minerals for cats and dogs. Nutriment's meat is British, human grade meat, which is only the best, freshest and most natural food on the market.

Since I have been giving Betsy this food, her breath is fresh, her teeth are nice and white. Her coat is healthy and shiny and her stools are small and non-smelly. She eats every single morsel of this food, without any waste. Her energy levels are far higher than when she was eating kibble; commercial foods containing a high percentage of fillers, such as cereals, grains, and soya which your pet simply isn't designed to eat - and which actually can lead to long term health problems such as yeast infections, itchy skin, ear and anal gland issues. Betsy itches far less now than when she was on kibble.

The food is supplied frozen and is kept frozen until you require it and then you thaw it out the day/morning before. There are 2 sizes available the 500g tub or the 1.4kg chubb.. There are all sorts of varieties. Beef, Chicken, Turkey, Duck, Salmon, Low Purine, to name a few, there are many more and they also do for working dogs too.. They cater for Adult dogs, but also for puppies, senior dogs as well as dogs that need to loose weight as well as cats too!!

Betsy is an English Show Cocker Spaniel so she has the standard dog food. The price of the food is very reasonable and as there is no wastage it works well. There are several sources of proteins from fresh meats, seeds and plants to give a wider range of amino acids and nutrients. Over-consuming any single protein is not good and poses a risk of developing an allergy over time.

In the ingredients there are of course, the meat and the bones and offal in appropriate portions, but there is also fresh carrots, fresh pumpkin, fresh curly green kale, fresh broccoli, Scottish Cold Water Salmon Oil, Organic Coconut Oil, Raw Sea Kelp Powder (Laminaria Japonica), Bilberry Powder (Vaccinium Myrtillus), Spirulina Powder (Spirulina Platensis), Wheat Grass Juice Powder, Barley Grass Juice Powder, Milled Flaxseed (Linum Isitassimum), Sunflower Milled Sesame Seeds, Wheat Germ Oil (Natural Vitamin E).

There is alarm over salmonella poisoning but as long as you bear in mind these simple points when handling any raw meat, to keep your family healthy

Always use separate utensils for raw meat and cooked foods;
Keep raw meat covered and store it at the bottom of the fridge;
Open and dispose of packaging carefully;
Wash and dry your hands thoroughly after handling raw meat;
Always wash your pet's food bowl in hot soapy water after each meal;
Never leave raw meat where it can become warm - always defrost somewhere cool or in the fridge overnight.

Betsy would highly recommend Nutriment as a raw food source diet.

This is a family run Dog Grooming Business run by qualified dog groomers, Emma and Charlotte Lee using natural products at the back of a house, which is designed for the purposes of a dog grooming business. It is clean and airy and is suitable for the use of one dog only at a time, which is what they specialise in. No conveyor belt situation where dogs are in cages waiting to be groomed. Each dog is given their own personal time. They focus on your dog's comfort and excellent styling. They usually take about 2-3 hours and that time comprises of allowing your dog to have a little rest and time to go and have a natural break. My dog Betsy is a English Cocker Spaniel and is hand stripped, which takes a little longer than just the usual clippers, but Emma and Charlotte will do whatever style and method you wish them to do. Betsy loves going to see them, which is a good recommendation for them. Their prices are very reasonable. I would say that they are better at dealing with small to medium sized dogs, but they do handle large to extra large dogs. They have also now branched out and are the distributors for Nutriment Raw food, which is great because the nearest distributor is actually the factory retail outlet of Nutriment in Camberley, Surrey.

If you want a friendly, reliable and professional vet then you have got to go and see Daniel Doherty and his staff of vets. He specialises in Greyhounds and people with their Greyhounds come from all over the UK to see him to get their dogs treated as he is that good. His treatment of other animals is excellent too. He has a very calm and very professional manner and his gentle, sooting Irish accent makes you and your pet feel relaxed as soon as you meet him. He treats your pet as if it was his own. When my cat was very ill and needed to be put down, he came to my house and he was very kind and empathetic towards my feelings and looked after Micka whilst he put her to sleep, explaining very calmly every step of the way until she was crossing Rainbow Bridge. I will always thank him for the way he made this so much more comfortable for me and Micka. His costs are exceptionally reasonable and I would highly recommend anyone to him. In fact, most people I speak to, already know of him and his services!! ;)