Basepaws: Feline DNA Testing

It's no surprise that we love our fur babies. Half of women and nearly a third of men say "I love you" to their cat’s multiple times per day, according a survey conducted by Purina and many cat owners are likely to show their pawed pals some extra love. It's well documented that our furry feline friends make our lives better and generally brighten our mood each day. They can also help lower blood pressure, and cat owners have been shown to have higher self-esteem than those without cats in their lives. Our furry friends make our lives better every day, so it makes purrr-fect sense that since our four legged family members bring us so much happiness and make us feel good.  Basepaws is an at-home, feline-specific genetic test.

Basepaws which was recently featured on Shark Tank and made deals with two investors allows you to learn about breed and ancestry markers that are present in your cat’s DNA explaining the physical traits are in your cat’s genes. So, if you’ve ever wondered where your cat gets the extra fluffiness in his or her tail, now you can find out! Using what we currently know, Basepaws can tell you how closely related your cat is to select cat breeds and wildcats. Later in the year you will get updates including your cat’s health and wellness report, information about their distant ancestral roots, discover maternal/paternal tracing, siblings test, personality prediction, catnip-addict likelihood, physical traits and fun facts!

Basepaws gets DNA from your cat’s cheek cells that rub off onto a cotton swab. When your cheek swab arrives at our Los Angeles facility, we take the DNA out of it with a chemical extraction process. Your cat’s DNA contains more than 20,000 genes, which are spelled out in a unique genetic code that is around 2,700,000,000 letters (nucleotide bases) long. Basepaws takes this DNA and uses sequencing machines to read and record these letters. Basepaws uses your cat’s information to generate an easy-to-read report about their DNA. We will continue to update your cat’s report as we learn more. Once you are part of the Basepaws community you will get constant updates from us as we have new discoveries about the genetics of your cat.Your cat’s first report will include useful information about their breed and an interesting similarity to wildcats. Here is an example of the first personalized Basepaws report that you will receive: https://cdn.basepaws.com/report/sample.html.

In addition to your cat’s personalized report the Basepaws kit includes: membership in the Basepaws community, report updates, personalized recommendations, access to the latest research on cat science, tools to connect owners of similar cats, and discounts on future products that will be specifically formulated for your cat’s genetic needs receiving constant updates. You can also look forward to updates later in the year including:

· Health Report: Discover if your cat's genetics influences their risk for certain health conditions, or if their DNA is carrying a genetic disorder and any health and wellness risks that may be present in your cat’s DNA. Genetic health risks and diseases, carrier status (32 diseases).

· Wellness Report: You will receive tailored assessments and recommendations based on your cat's genetics including diet recommendations.

· Ancestry: You can look forward to receiving updates about your cat's ancestry. Learn about their Breed, as well as their distant ancestral roots. The Alpha Report includes 32 cat breeds and 14 wild cats.

· You will also discover maternal/paternal tracing, siblings test, personality prediction, catnip-addict likelihood, physical traits and fun facts!




As a pet owner, you want to know as much information as possible about any potential health risks for your beloved cat. With knowledge from your cat’s genetics, you can make more informed decisions about their healthcare needs earlier—possibly mitigating or even preventing illness down the road.

Our Thoughts

When I was approached with this review I immediately wanted to participate! My family has had cats as far back as I can remember. I grew up with a long-haired cat who had been an "oops" out of a barn cat that decided to have her babies in the chicken coop feed room. But we always wondered what breeds she actually was because she obviously was a mix of this and that. 

Our current kitty is 13 and he is a registered ragdoll, but as we found out when we did a DNA test on our registers Australian Cattle Dog, sometimes that doesn't mean a whole lot depending on the registry. We were excited to take Julius' sample and send it off, not that we questioned that he is pure breed, but because we were excited to help build a database and hopefully learn more about what we can expect health wise with him in the future. 

Taking the sample was simple. The kit comes with a swab that looks like a large q-tip. One of us held Julius while the other stuck the swab in his cheek and rubbed for the required time. We then follow the preservation directions, closed up the box and shipped it off. Then the waiting started. 

We signed up for email notifications on the DNA which allowed us to follow the process. When the DNA was received, we got an email. The wait time on the DNA sequencing was supposed to be about 8 weeks; we received the DNA report exactly 8 weeks after submission. I was impressed with this because I knew that the base of the DNA database might be limited. 

The DNA test came back with Julius being 99.21% ragdoll. Again, we weren't surprised by this result but it was very interesting to read the report that came with the results. It was in depth but easy to understand. I am really looking forward to seeing the rest of the reports that Basepaws will be coming out with! I will absolutely do this again with a cat if nothing else, than to have an idea of possible health concerns. 

If you are interested in having your cat DNA tested because you are curious, click here to go to the Basepaws Website. You can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or connect on LinkedIn.

Holiday Gift Guide - Review: Crazy Curly Beef Chew by Bravo!

Bravo offers a variety of all-natural chews so parents can provide their pets with a safe, healthy, grain free treat. A “good chew” helps keep your pet’s teeth clean, helps promote gum strength and reduce stress. For your complete peace of mind, these dry-roasted chews are USA sourced and made.

NEW Bravo Crazy Curly Chew Beef Bully Sticks for dogs

NEW Bravo Dry-Roasted Pork Rolls for dogs

Bravo Dry Roasted All-Natural Bully Sticks for dogs

Bravo Dry Roasted Beef Trachea for dogs

Bravo Bonus Bites® Dry Roasted Duck Feet treats for dogs

Why feed a raw food diet?

More and more animal health and training professionals are advocating a second look at what we feed our dogs and cats, and caring pet parents are taking notice. 

There is emerging evidence that dogs and cats are healthier when fed a raw, natural diet, because that’s what their ancestors craved and thrived on. Dogs and cats are essentially carnivores. In the wild, their perfect meal would consist of fresh, raw meat, some uncooked bones, some raw organ meats and green vegetation.

There is also a growing belief that commercial pet foods cannot supply all the nutrients dogs and cats need to thrive. Pet parents tell us that switching their dog or cat with a health issue to a raw diet has helped improve their conditions. Those with healthy pets feel that feeding raw food has helped them avoid some of the illnesses that are becoming common in our companion animals.

Regardless of the starting point for your pet, a high quality raw diet can help promote a long and healthy life. For the full story, you’re invited to read Beginnings, an informative booklet available exclusively from Bravo. To download a free copy, click here.

Bravo is a family-owned business located in Manchester, Connecticut. Our parent company has been providing high quality meats to fine dining establishments throughout New England since 1942. Leveraging our expertise, we pioneered the raw pet food category by introducing our Bravo Blends line in 2002. So you might say our focus on super-premium nutrition runs in the family.

Today, Bravo offers over 125 different products for dogs and cats. All are made from the finest, most nutritious ingredients such as antibiotic-free poultry, responsibly harvested fish and select cuts of meat. And you can rest assured that our multi-step process meets strict food safety guidelines while keeping our food as close to natural as possible.

As our pet parent fan club continues to grow, our commitment to quality and purity will remain the simple idea at the heart of every Bravo product. Because we firmly believe in giving pets the best so they can be at their best. That’s what our make good happen™ slogan is all about.

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Purchase Bravo pet food products at a retailer near you, or at online retailers such as Amazon. 

Our Thoughts

We've been raw feeding our dogs for about 7 years now and I'm always on the lookout for good, natural chews and treats. Our dog, Bella, is a chewer.  I'm always happy to give her beef tracheas, bully sticks, cow ears, etc.

Bravo sent me one of their NEW Bravo Crazy Curly Chew Beef Bully Sticks for dogs.  

A beef bully stick is, quite simply, a beef pizzle (aka the dried penis of a bull). It's a fantastic chew treat for any dog.  Bravo's curly chews are approximately 5 - 7" long and are nice and fresh; a good quality chew.  Sometimes these types of chews have their own scent (which can be mild to overwhelming!) but Bravo's chews have been scent-free in my experience.

As soon as I opened the package, Bella was RIGHT THERE. She knew what that package contained!

Please mom . . . 

I did make her work for her treat by running her thru a bunch of commands, including "sit" and "wait".  And yes, there was some drool involved. LOL. 

Bella is more comfortable in the safety of her kennel with a prized chew treat, where it only took her about 10-15 minutes to completely demolish and devour her curly bully stick. When she was a small puppy (rather than a 70lb dog!) bully sticks of this size could keep her occupied for a good long time.  Generally speaking, the bigger the dog, the faster they chow this thing down. I do notice Bella has a bigger need to chew when she's feeling anxious about something. Squirrels get her all riled up, so giving her some quiet time with a bully stick is a nice break from her chasing from window to window.

As a raw feeder, I appreciate all of the information on Bravo's website regarding raw feeding, and especially the max percentages listed for the treats & chews.  Raw feeding relies on getting your pet the correct percentages of a variety of raw foods so your pet gets the correct nutrition they need.  Thanks, Bravo!

PAW5 Rock N Bowl for Dogs

The PAW5 Rock 'N Bowl is a great way to turn meal time into an enriching and rewarding challenge for your dog! What looks like a standard bowl is actually a unique puzzle feeder that will have your dog thinking, problem solving and having fun all at once. By adding environmental enrichment to mealtime, you turn a routine part of the day into a fun brainteaser. With our Simply Challenging design, just pour food directly into the top (as easy as a normal bowl), the food runs through a hidden compartment, and your dog has to paw, nudge, and play her way through mealtime (that’s the challenging part!).

Make mealtime fun for your dog with PAW5's food puzzle! Every dog needs enrichment, and our easy-to-fill design makes it simple. Proudly made in the USA!

Our Thoughts

We have an 11 month old Australian Cattle Dog (ACD). Being that she is an ACD she is highly intelligent and is in constant need of being challenged. When she's not challenged or given a job to do, she gets bored. When she gets bored, it spells bad news for us since she chews, digs, or otherwise gets into mischief that I'd rather she not be in. However, she is also the only dog that I've ever had that can be left with a full bowl of food constantly and not gorge herself. 

When I saw the Rock N Bowl from PAW5 I immediately knew that she'd love the bowl because it would challenge her and it would allow her to still have a full bowl of food (it holds up to 4 cups!) available to her. The day the bowl came, I opened it and started to figure it out. The paw print top pulls out easily and you can insert the food that way or you can leave the paw print on and pour the food through the top and the food will work down into the bottom. My ACD immediately figured out what she needed to do to get the food out. She worked with her paws and her nose to rock the bowl which knocked some kibbles of food out for her. This kept her busy for a while which was nice. Since she's figured it out we no longer use it for her daily food but for bigger treats when she is left alone for longer periods of time while we are at work. 

Our ACD loves this bowl and so do we! What makes us love the bowl is that it's easy to take apart and clean. I love that it is BPA-free and Phthalate-free but what I love more is that it is dishwasher safe so I can throw it in and not have to hand wash it wondering if I got it clean enough. 

You can find this bowl at the PAW5 website. This is the perfect bowl for the dog that needs to be challenged or the dog that needs to slow down when they eat! You can also check out their other product Wolly the Snuffle Mat which looks pretty cool!  You can follow PAW5 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, too!

Review: Evanger's Dog Treats

 Choice of Champions since 1935

All Evanger’s foods are made with completely human-grade, highly palatable and nutritious foods that will satisfy even the most finicky eater. With no soy, corn, wheat, artificial ingredients, harmful additives, preservatives or by-products, Evanger’s canned meals make an excellent mixer to our dry foods. Not only do they offer your pet a variety in taste, our gourmet dinners offer the additional nutritional benefits your pet needs. Natural Vitamins and minerals are blended with the all-natural meats for ultimate nutrition that are completely balanced meals for all life stages, ages, and breeds.

Our Hand Packed Edition is a monumental improvement in canned dog and cat foods. We have taken our extraordinary product and made it even better by filling each can individually with one pair of hands, instead of machines. The benefit of this process is that you, the consumer, can actually see the quality ingredients in its original form; whole, pure meats and fresh vegetables without any additives or by products. Your pets will think they are being treated like kings and queens!

Since the 2003 addition of the Hand Packed foods, Evanger’s family of foods has expanded to include the following groups of exceptional foods and treats:

Signature Series Cuts & Gravy
Hand Packed Dinners & Supplements
Gold Line Dinners & Supplements
Grain-Free Game Meat Supplements
Classic Line Dinners & Supplements
Dry Dog & Cat Diets
Nothing But Natural Treats in Semi-Moist Jerky and Freeze Dried Varieties

Evanger’s cans are packed with natural, raw ingredients in their own natural juices. The ingredients are then cooked entirely inside the sealed can to lock in the nutrients and flavor of each variety. This process assures both wholesome nutrition for long life and good health, plus the great taste your dog and cat will love. Naturally the best!

About
Since 1935, Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company, Inc. has been the finest natural pet food company in the United States. Our founder, Fred Evanger, bred, exhibited, and championed his Great Danes in international kennel clubs. He was a fervent believer that his dogs’ health and the health of their offspring were dependent on wholesome, nutritious food, and strongly advocated that this was the key to his success in the show ring. Mr. Evanger built a canning factory at his kennels so that he could make a quality pet food, free of harmful additives or preservatives;, that was superior enough for his champions. Over 76 years later, we know that Fred Evanger was a man ahead of his time.

What the Professionals Have Known for 75 Years!
There is no question that Fred Evanger accomplished his objective back in 1935. Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Co. grew into a regional, then national, success story as word of the quality ingredients and manufacturing processes spread to breeders of show and sports dogs, veterinarians, boarding kennels, and feed stores. Evanger’s has always supported the independent marketplace and you can find our quality pet foods in independent pet food retailers close to you; just click on our store locator!

Seventy-six years later, Evanger’s expanded pet food line is manufactured on the original site, following the same tradition of uncompromising quality in delicious meals for dogs and cats. Evanger’s remains a family-owned and operated company and continues to be as innovative today as Mr. Evanger was when he first started making pet food. In 2003, Evanger’s was the first pet food company to create a food that was packed by hand instead of machine by putting whole pieces of fresh meat and vegetables into the cans. This innovative process started another new trend in pet food, and we call it, “People Food for Pets™.”

Visit Evanger’s Dog & Cat Food Company, Inc. on social media & their blog:
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evangersdogfood.blogspot.com


Our Thoughts
We've been raw-feeding our pets for several years and our new puppy is no exception. I'm always on the lookout for good, quality, wholesome treats I can use for training.  Bella, our newest addition, is now 6 months old and full of sass.  She's extraordinarily cute, too, but I might be a little biased there! 

Evanger’s generously sent me their Buffalo jerky treats, Venison jerky treats, and their freeze dried beef tripe for Bella to try out.

We tried out the jerky treats first.  Oh boy, that went over well!  Bella LOVES these treats!  She is still learning quite a bit at only 6 months old, so these are working well as training treats. 

The ingredient list is pretty simple, too, which is important to me.  I refuse to feed my dog anything with corn, soy, or wheat, as well as artificial colors or flavors.  We've had dogs with food allergies to corn and wheat, as well as a variety of other foods so we're always careful about what they eat.  

Evanger’s jerky treats are grain free.  The only ingredient in the jerky treats I have to be careful of is potato flour - not because my dog is allergic, but my son is highly sensitive to nightshade foods (potatoes, tomatoes, peppers - sweet and hot, paprika, eggplant, ground cherries, goji berries, etc.) - myself less so, but even so I still take great care to utilize these treats after my son is in bed for the night and wash my hands thoroughly after coming in contact with them - which is always a good idea anyway when you're raw feeding! :)

Next up was the beef tripe - whooooooo let me tell ya that's got a smell to it!  LOL!!  But that's to be expected considering what it is. Tripe is not for the faint of heart (or stomach!) Especially green tripe.  Phew!  You'll definitely want to wash your hands thoroughly after touching them, but again, you should do that anyway. ;-)

While yes, beef tripe does smell quite  . . . well, pleasant to a dog! it's one of my favorite treats for Bella.  Why?  Because it's just that, tripe.  Nothing else.  Tripe is quite simply the nutrient rich lining of the stomach of a ruminant animal (such as a cow). Tripe for human consumption has typically been scalded and bleached, but green tripe is minimally processed.

Freeze dried tripe makes for an ideal crunchy treat for my dog - she takes a little more time to gnaw on it rather than gulping it whole like a small treat.

The look she's giving me here was quite plainly, stop making me pose for this  photo and give me the tripe already, pul-leeeeease!!!  

You get quite a lot of treat pieces in the containers, and I find the prices of them to be quite reasonable. Thanks Evanger’s, for caring so much about our pets and their dietary health! Highly recommended!