This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Iams for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
Raise your hand if your Facebook newsfeed has become your primary source of news.
And I’m not just talking about first day of school news. Or friends with birthday news. But bonafide real news of the day.
Raises hand while holding head in shame.
But from time-to-time, that Facebook newsfeed becomes an invaluable resource. A font of useful — and useless — information I can store away for the next iteration of Trivial Pursuit. Or when I’m a contestant on Jeopardy.
Take, for instance, a few weeks ago. Dog photo after dog photo started popping up in my stream. Usurping first day of school pictures 5-to-1. And that’s when I first heard of National Dog Day. So I played along and shared this picture of Ernie the rescue beagle with an-in-my-own-opinion pithy caption: “Ernie is excited to learn today is National Dog Day.”
See the irony? Hence the pith.
Now, in all honesty, the picture is from a few years ago. A time when a much younger Ernie spent much of his day lounging on the couch. A luxury that came to a crashing halt this past winter. After he blew out not one, but both of his knees. Just as one had started to heal, he damaged the other.
To say the whole surgery process was traumatic would be an understatement. And I’m not just talking traumatic for Ernie. It was tough on us too. He was so scared and confused. For weeks afterward. It broke our hearts.
I mean, come on! Just look at that perpetually sad face.
The saddest part of the whole knee debacle are the longer term repercussions. The weight gain from inactivity. The very real inevitability of arthritis in both knees. And, of course, he’s now relegated to the floor (though, in all honestly, I’m fine with this particular repercussion).
So when Iams Visible Differences approached me with the idea of visibly improving his health with a switch in dog food, I was intrigued. Especially when I discovered their foods include fatty acids from fish oils — which not only contributes to a healthy skin and coat, but can help with his joint health (and future, inevitable arthritis).
What’s that you’re saying about my coat and joints?
There’s also a good source of fiber that will help with his digestion, and a balance of proteins and carbs to promote healthy energy. Which means more of his favorite activity …
walks!
Where, when he’s not sniffing every surface, he likes to do a lot of this …
marking his territory.
I’m excited to embark on this transition to Iams quality dog food. Especially since Iams® bases all of their product on the idea that superior quality ingredients create a superior quality pet food. Iams® dog food products focus on quality and are backed by years of research. Dogs who switch to Iams show signs of improved health in their coats and skin, healthy digestion and overall energy levels …
and I’m excited to see (and share with you all) his visible differences over the next few months.
Though, to be honest, he’s already a real head-turner!
🙂
Are you talking about me? And please, please stop taking my picture!
If you want to get in on the visible differences challenge with Ernie and I, Iams is offering a $5 off coupon on your first purchase of Iams quality dog food. Just click here …
Wow–that is alot to undertake. I immediately said a prayer for you , your dog, & your finances. I am aware of pet insurance plans, but we just cannot afford them for 5 rescued animals which each arrived with their own set of circumstances that cost us dearly. But they changed my life, each one. Opened up my heart. So there it is, you do what you can when you can.
What I hadn’t expected with animals rescue was different nutritional needs. No one bag of food feeds all here. After researching several brands, reading reviews, watching recalls, tastes testing with each brand per animal, we finally have a brand for the 3 dogs: Orijen for dry and freeze-dried. And Hills-Science & Orijen for the 2 cats. The dogs get Canine Caviar Sweet Potato treats, the cats get Wellness Natural kitties with Cranberry.. *I secretly call this KittyKrac! As my cats with Sit, Stay +Give paw for it
I suppliment with concoction of 2 oz Stoneyfield Organic Strawberry yogurt drink + 1 Tble EEVO +1/4 teaspoon SunSweet Organic Fiber for 3oz per dog for extra support. The vet always remarks how healthy the hair, skin, eyes and heart. Whew. I give my “posse” a Spa Day once a month (mostly because of the volume if mud vs towels) Ea animal gers a Burts Bees bath, nail clipping, ear+ eye wash , and a hair clipping. 2 days before monthly flea and heartworm meds. I had special pommade for the paw pads and at the end, I give them organicaly collected Antlers as a treat. I found that orthopedic bedding also helps to ease life for them so I have 7 beds around the house that get washed once a week. There are 18 bowls divided between water and food around, all washed 2xs a day. I have 3 sets so I just pop into the dishwasher.
I figure if I can stay on top of their nutritional needs, I can forestall the inevitable as long as possible.
So glad you found a good food to help you too-!! God bless your wee pup, and you-!
Aww! He’s such a handsome fella! I’m glad he is doing better and I can’t wait to hear how he does on the new food!
As more and more of Ernie’s profile shot became visible I knew he was a beagle. Our daughter/family have beagle whom we baby sat for week while they took oldest daughter to college in CA. It was hard to let that little guy go home, we had fallen in love with him anyway but having him in house for week really got us. He slept in crate during night but got up on our bed in early a.m.to sleep with us and cat. Trying to keep him down was harder than it was worth the trouble. Even cat didn’t seem to mind sharing us with Brutie. He is such a cute little guy.
Him and our dog got along famously and had such a good time with each other. Tommy was lonesome for him when he went home. How in heck does a dog blow out his knees? And oh heavens what a situation to live with. Hope he never does that again. Just thinking about vet bills makes me shudder. We’ve had our share of vet bills from our cocker spaniel we had before Tommy.
We’ve recently changed Tommy’s food to lower calorie as he’s almost 7yrs old in Nov. He tended to be little too pudgy so have noticed with change he’s slimmer, can see his waist now. Hubs and I try not to give him people food but is hard sometimes. Our vet hollers at us when he goes to see him. I’ve tried to get hubs to buy better dog food for him, have even supplemented money to get him to. Hubs is of old school thinking dogs can be fed table scraps. I give him articles to read about how dogs stay healthy longer now on good food but he’s an old man, stubborn, what can I say. Will be looking forward to hearing how Ernie does on Iams.
Hubs complains every month about how much pet food is, says little bag of cat food is more than big bag of dog food. Sigh. We buy dog those Milk bone brushing chews which he gets one of every day and 3 littleLiva snaps cookies and then 3 slices of apple an hour later when he gets his supper. Iittle spoiled much? No wonder dogs and cats get diabetes huh? We tell our vet what we give him and he sighs with” shame on you” look on his face. Our vet’s office isn’t even a mil;e away from where we live out here.
I tried to get used to my windows 8.1 again but found it impossible for my old brain to figure out so have finally let it go. Will sell it or something but no more. Just not worth having nervous break down over. What can I say, tried so hard, read turorials, how-to’s but just not in my abilities to get that darned thing.
Time for news so you lucked out girl. How ‘s your boy doing at college? TAke care and have great week