Iams Review and Giveaway!

I love animals! That's just how I thought I needed to start all of this off. Really, all animals, there's not a single one I can think of that I don't absolutely adore. That is why, most likely, that my home has ended up with three (yes, three!!!) very happy-go-lucky dogs. Before I thought I could ever have children and that was just a dream that seemed would never come to fruition, my dogs were (and still are) my kids. We have Bonnie & Clyde, brother and sister 16 year old shih-tzus. They were my mother-in-laws and we inherited them when she passed almost 11 years ago. Then there's Jake. He makes me laugh. And cry. He's a two and a half year old yellow lab and when I brought him home, he was swaddled like a newborn. He's a riot and thinks my house is made of gingerbread as he has eaten every part of it, including our coffee table, outside vents, walls, a brand new cell phone and the topper was the staircase. Yes, that was eaten to the point where it needed to be ripped apart and entirely redone. He is afraid of my baby's feet and puddles. But he watches out for us and is on high alert like no one's business. He's my great protector and I adore him. I adore all of them and couldn't imagine my life without them.

That is why their food is so important to me. Shih-tzus especially don't have this type of lifespan. I would like to think that it is the good food choices I have made for them that has helped to get them this far and there's no sign of any ill health so they may very well outlive us all.

There's a great new prebiotic dog food that has recently been introduced by Iams and it is called ProActive Health. Iams thought process behind creating this new food is to make your dog both healthy on the inside and the outside. It is specially formulated to help maintain your pet’s gastrointestinal health. The great news is that it is available for cats too so they've taken the two most popular four-legged housepets into consideration! Incorporating Iams ProActive Health into your pets diet helps promote the growth of good bacteria to encourage healthy digestion, nutrient absorption and the maintenance of a strong immune system.

Now I understand that some of you, although really interested in changing your pets food, are put off by thinking that it can be a very daunting task. There are some easy ways to do this and, trust me, as a pet owner who has done this before, it really isn't that hard at all. You just need to take your time and watch your best friend to make sure that he's taking it well. Some helpful hints are:

(1) Introduce the new food gradually. This is the most successful way to ease your pet into the change in diet. Start by mixing 25% new food with 75% old food. Slowly change the proportions over the next three days or so by gradually increasing the new food and lessening the amount of the old food. At the end of this weaning process, you should be feeding 100% of the new food. Your pet may want to eat only the old food, or not eat at all. Not to worry, a healthy pet can miss meals for a day or two with no ill effects.

(2) Watch your body language. Bringing a new food into your home, pouring it in your pet’s bowl and declaring that he had better eat it might cause your pet to go on a hunger strike. This is not the time to show who’s boss. It’s better to introduce the new food by using a pleasant tone of voice and gently encourage him/her to try the new food.

(3) Don’t give in to demands. Don’t give up too soon! For the first two days, don’t give your pet treats or table scraps. Pets train us as much as we train them. Giving in to their demands only reinforces refusal behavior and makes it more difficult to make a nutritious dietary change.

(4) The biggest challenge. Switching diets may be more challenging when changing from a moist food to a dry food. If your pet continues to resist eating dry food, mix in a little warm water. You may even want to put the moistened food in the microwave for a few seconds. If you mix the food with water, be sure to throw away the uneaten portion after 20 minutes. This prevents spoilage. The same rule applies for canned and pouch food. After your pet has become accustomed to the moistened food, you can wean him/her onto the dry food. To do this, follow the same mixing instructions as outlined above.

Now for the giveaway!!! 1 lucky winner will receive a coupon for a free 17.5Lb bag of Iams ProActive Health (approx. $20 retail value).

To Enter:

Leave a comment and let me know one of your most memorable moments with your four-legged friend. Please remember to include your e-mail address in your post so that I can contact you if you are the lucky winner!

Extra Entries:

- Follow Gumdrops & Lollipops via Google Friend Connect (right sidebar)
- Subscribe to Gumdrops & Lollipops via email
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- Blog about this giveaway, with a link back to me
- Follow me on twitter @kenziesmum2009
- Tweet this contest! You can do this once a day for extra entries. Feel free to use this tweet: Win a free bag of Iams ProActive food for your dog or cat! @kenziesmum2009 http://tinyurl.com/y25ynal @MC_Canada CAN only

This contest will end at 11:59pm on May 14th, 2010 and the winner will be chosen at random and notified via e-mail on May 15th, 2010. Open to Canadian residents only!

I wrote this review while participating in the Iams Blog Tour by Mom Central on behalf of Iams. I received a voucher for a bag of Iams ProActive Health to facilitate this review and a $20 gift card as a thank you for my participation.