I wanted to share my experience with you. I see a lot of negativity in the Service Dog community about starting public access, Like people are trying to scare other out of going to the grocery store by showing all of the “fakes” & public access issues. That is not my experience at all!
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This is my recipe for Thai Basil Tofu. This is far from the traditional Thai recipe but this one is simple & yummy! Hope you enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 package extra firm tofu, drained
1 bag of boil in the bag rice ( minute rice, uncle bens…. etc)
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 small yellow onion (I have used dried onion powder many times as a substitute)
1/4 cup Franks Red Hot Sweet Chili sauce
1/8- cup low sodium soy sauce
Garlic to taste
Sriracha sauce to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
Thai Basil leaves.
How to make it:
press tofu & cook it in the soy sauce over medium, meanwhile cook rice according to package. You can steam your bell pepper & onion OR cook them with the tofu.
After everything is done cooking, add the sweet chili sauce, garlic, sriracha & cayenne pepper. Top with Thai Basil Leaves.
This is my overnight oats recipe, you can really add whatever fruit you like, or add nuts, really anything goes in it. This is how I make it most often.
Ingredients:
1/2 – 3/4 cups milk (any kind you like, I use almond)
1/2 cup quick oats
1 banana mashed
2 heaping tablespoons PB2 powder
1 teaspoon cane sugar
How to make it:
Stir together all ingredient except granola in a mason jar or a bowl
Cover and refrigerate overnight or for up to 3 days.
This is a review of RexSpecs and Doggles ILS sunglasses for dogs. These may seem similar but they are worlds apart as far as safety and eye protection goes.
We will start with the RexSpecs, at the first glance these appear to be more of a scuba diving goggle for dogs. They are oversized for your dogs face, but that is part of the safety aspect of this product. They come in 6 sizes, they have 7 color options as well as lens color options. RexSpecs also offers replacement lenses and you can buy cool lens wraps too! All lenses are rated UV400, blocking 99.9% of UVA and UVB rays. They have a very sturdy mesh around the top and at the bottom so it allows for maximum airflow and quick draining when used in water & speaking of water, they are actually made for use in water as well as on land. They have a incredibly durable frame with a foam edge so it provides a tight seal and its comfortable! They are impact resistant, they are actually made with a polycarbonate lens so they are also shatter proof the lens is slightly flexible so it could take a pretty good hit and not break. They are fully adjustable so they will fit every dog perfect! They allow for full range of motion, even for their mouths so they can still eat, drink, bark & howl. They have a clasp so that allows for a nicer fit and I love that part it doesn’t mess up my dogs poodle hair when we take them off and put them on.
Now lets talk about the Doggles ILS, I’m going to be real honest here, I think these are super cute! They look like real sunglasses and that is adorable! They come in 5 sizes, they have 13 color options as well as lens color options. Doggles also offers replacement lenses. They have lenses that offer 100% UV protection. They have a few small holes on the sides to allow for some airflow. They have a flexible rubber frame with a thinner foam edge for comfort. They have elastic straps so they are adjustable so they can fit a wide range of dogs They allow for full range of motion, even for their mouths so they can still eat, drink, bark & howl.
So now I want to share my experience with each of these products. I have used them both on the same dog for about 5 months, we use them every time we go outside in the sunlight so they are put on and taken off at least 5 times a day.
In my experience the RexSpecs have held up really well. The straps and clasps still appear new with no signs of wear. The RexSpecs fit great and they stay put so there is no chance my dog will hurt her eyes by having the glasses moved if she lays her head down or scratches an itch. They stay in place so well because the straps are nylon webbing so they do not stretch out, once you adjust them to the size you want, that it.
My experience with the Doggles was great at first, however they have shown signs of wear on the elastic straps. The real complaint I have is that they move a ton! If my dog lays down they get in her eye, if she scratches, they move and get in her eye. That was enough for me to seek out other safer options.
In my opinion, the Doggles are a novelty product, I’m sure it provides some protection but sadly it seems they are more of a “look at me” statement piece rather that actually made with safety in mind.
Last but not least, why should you care? Because most dogs will be diagnosed with some sort of eye problems by the time they are 8! Common eye issues include cataracts, Pannus & damage to the cornea. A lot of these things can be prevented, slowed or eliminated by just protecting their eyes. RexSpecs provides protection from things like sun, dirt, dust, sand, grasses and twigs. Even things like dry eye can be helped by putting glasses on your dog. Dry eye makes it difficult for your dog’s eyes to naturally eliminate any dust and dirt, causing irritation. If not properly treated, dry eye can lead to cornea scratches and even ulcers so you would need to see your vet for this one but having something to keep debris out of their eyes is super important!
So in conclusion, I would recommend RexSpecs 100% to anyone wanting to protect their dogs eyes!
All views and opinions in this post are my own. I am basing my research on a few things including testing each product on my dog for 5 months, research on dog eye health as well as the safety stats from each company. I purchased each of these with my own money and I am not sponsored by either brand. I made this post & accompanying video because I am passionate about my dogs health, I want her to thrive AND I want your dog to thrive too!
You can follow our journey at youtube.com/JenFarrer I post weekly videos about my service dog, mental health and living with PTSD.
I hope this information has been helpful & you are able to keep your pups eyes safe!
Service dogs are medical equipment & should be treated like that by the public, meaning you should ignore them. They are trained to help keep their handlers safe & prevent or respond to medical episodes and by interfering with them (calling them, petting them, kissy sounds at them) you are putting someones life at risk.
I thought it would be beneficial to highlight what the service dog community deals with on a daily basis when we are out with our dogs. These are things from my personal experiences & I know the people who have done these things are not trying to be rude at all. The general public just doesn’t know how to act around service dogs so more educational information needs to be in the mainstream. This is not meant to be negative in any way at all. You can tell the car horn thing really bothers me when i’m talking about it though so I come off a little rude myself there… oops! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy our contribution to this topic! I am making more videos about service dog training, our public access adventures and more SD related videos so be sure to subscribe if you haven’t already. I really try to keep it super positive & I post weekly… sometimes more.
Please note, most links are affiliate links. This does not cost you anything to use the links but we get a tiny kickback & we really appreciate you using them!
I test dyed a few things this morning, this is my favorite! I have several colorways available on starlight sparks right now. This new one will be up soon too!
Jen Farrer | Service Dog | Knitting | Lifestyle 