Corn is in Everything

Brisbane recently tested positive for a corn allergy, which didn't seem like a big deal at first. I already feed mostly grain-free foods, and high-quality dog treats tend to be corn-free and wheat-free anyway. I would just have to stop playing catch with popcorn, right?

Cornstarch.

Wrong. I already read ingredient labels for everything, and almost immediately I discovered that corn is in everything. It may not be in the form of "ground yellow corn" or "corn gluten meal" as found on the labels of low- and mid-quality dog foods, but corn has many forms. Some flavors of Starmark's Everlasting Treats contain cornstarch. PetSafe's Busy Buddy no-rawhide treat rings are also made from cornstarch.

Corn Has Many Names

I have heard people complain that nearly all processed human food contains corn, and that the word 'corn' is not always part of the name of a corn-derived ingredient. With this in mind, I googled "corn allergy" and immediately found www.CornAllergens.com. From there I learned that seemingly-innocuous ingredients like alcohol and citric acid can be derived from corn. Food manufacturers are not required to disclose the ingredients of their ingredients though, so nearly anything can contain corn. Zukes Genuine Jerky contains natural flavors, those might be corn-derived. Their Lil' Links contain glycerin, citric acid, and sorbic acid, any of those could be made from corn too! Zukes Z-Bones contain lecithin, which is also in a whole bunch of dog foods. Lecithin can also be derived from eggs, soybeans, sunflower seeds, and quite a lot of other things. 

When a dog food manufacturer says their products are soy-free or corn-free, does that include lecithin? I'm not sure. I do know that Brisbane isn't nearly as sensitive to corn as the person who made the Corn Allergens site, thankfully. I can't imagine going through life worrying about sneaky corn in my shampoo.

Puzzle Toy Review: JW Treat Tower

The JW Pet Treat Tower by Petmate is a bobbing puzzle toy that is wonderfully adjustable and easy to clean. It comes in two different sizes, ours is the smaller one. The top unscrews and all the layers come off for easy cleaning. The opening in each layer can be adjusted to three different sizes, and the openings can be positioned anywhere around the circle.

Photo by Erin Koski

I had originally passed over this toy because it looked non-adjustable and difficult to clean. I was pleasantly surprised to find that it came completely apart and was quite adjustable. Definitely not as simple as it looks!

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 3/5
I can fit about a cup of kibble in the smaller of the two sizes, but I have to do it carefully and quite a bit spills out.

Loading Speed: 1/5
Basically one kibble at a time.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
It takes Annie forever to get all the treats out, but drops them often enough to keep her interested.

Photo by Erin Koski

Unloading Speed (superdog): 4/5
The Treat Tower empties out a bit fast for Brisbane, even on the hardest setting.

Size: 4/5
At nearly a foot tall, the big one should be big enough for any dog. The smaller one is small enough for Ru to use

Durability: 4/5
This should hold up to pretty much anything short of a determined chewer.

Noise: 1/5
Hard heavy plastic on hardwood floors is pretty much the worst case scenario.

Locatability: 5/5
It doesn't fit under the couch, and nobody tries to carry it around so it doesn't go far.

Washability: 5/5
Comes completely apart for super easy cleaning.

Versatility: 5/5
The size options and ease of cleaning mean this toy can be used by a variety of species. We borrowed the Treat Tower from our friend Xhuuya the raven.

Total: 37/50

Hello 2016!

I'm not a big fan of new year's resolutions, but I thought I'd do a post welcoming the new year anyway. I have lots of plans and hopes for 2016 and it's probably worthwhile to put them down here.

Brisbane

Photo by Erin Koski

Briz will be turning 11 years old this April. He has developed some arthritis in his hips and front feet over the last year so he is now on a couple of different pain medications. We visited a rehab specialist and developed an exercise plan to help keep him fit and active as he ages. Now that his allergies are under control, I'm hoping his skin and coat continue to improve.

In 2015, Brisbane earned his Novice Trick Dog title, his Coursing Ability Advanced title, and attended his first herding trial. Our amazing herding instructor is hosting a trial next month where Brisbane will hopefully get at least a leg towards his first herding titles with the AKC and AHBA. I will be volunteering at this trial and am hoping to learn a lot!

A couple of days ago we learned that the mass on Brisbane's cheek is not a tooth abscess. The cytology report should hopefully come back on Monday and then we'll know more. If it turns out the be the worst case scenario, I plan to make his life as enjoyable and comfortable as I can, and enjoy all the time I have left with him.

Photo by Erin Koski 

Sisci Godzilla

Sisci joined our family in 2015 and earned her Novice Trick Dog title. She will also be participating in the herding trial next month and will hopefully be getting legs towards her AKC and AHBA titles. 

We started agility this fall and hope to continue attending practices and classes and possibly even trialing by the end of the year. We also started playing with discs, and would like to find a club or group to get involved in. Maybe we'll join Sisci's parents and sister at dock jumping, too. Really, there's nothing she can't do.

Photo by Erin Koski

Ru 

Ru will be sitting on my lap for much of the coming year, as per usual. After five years he may finally be starting to grasp the concept of a nose touch on cue, and I am currently failing to teach him to spin in a circle.

I bought some fleecy fabric recently, and I'm hoping to make Ru some four-legged super-warm pajamas this winter.

I am interested in trying out Barn Hunt with all three dogs in the coming year. Brisbane and Sisci both enjoy digging for gophers, and Ru might be willing to participate if the venue is warm enough. I'd also like to get into rally obedience, but not badly enough to do it on my own without the support of an instructor or training club.

We are currently in transition, about to move in with my parents for a few months in order to save for a house. I'm hoping to be out of there and in our own place this summer. I am currently learning Javascript, PHP, and MySQL in order to improve the Dog Food Wizard and keep it more up to date. So much to do!

Those are our plans for 2016, what are yours?