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Giveaway Alert: Win a SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect

Lori Ennis
by Lori Ennis
Published:  November 24th, 2020
Obesity is one of the major contributors to the onset of pet diabetes, and November is National Diabetes Awareness Month. To raise awareness, we’re giving away a SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect.


What do you need to know about canine diabetes and how can you help prevent it?


We all know that dogs live to eat, but that’s not necessarily healthy for them. Obesity is a huge issue in the United States, with over 53% of cats and dogs being obese. This leads to a number of health problems for our pets, with diabetes being one of the major concerns. Risk factors for the development of diabetes in pets include breed, genetics, obesity and age, and left untreated? Diabetes can lead to a number of additional health problems for your furry family member.


In honor or National Diabetes Month, SureFeed is offering one lucky pet parent the chance to win a Sure Feed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect. Read on to find out how to enter.


What Is Diabetes in Cats and Dogs?


Diabetes Mellitus is disease of the endocrine. Type I Diabetes Mellitus is where your dog’s body doesn’t make enough insulin (this is usually produced in the pancreas) and you need to treat with insulin therapy for the duration of your dog’s life. Type II Diabetes Mellitus is where the body is making insulin, but not enough.


When your dog’s body doesn’t have enough insulin, it can’t push sugar (or glucose) into your body’s cells. This means the body’s cells are starved and will try to make more glucose to compensate. Without the insulin, however, it’s futile.


It’s that excess sugar that is produced that makes your dog or cat super thirsty and going to the bathroom all the time. If diabetes isn’t treated, a situation called diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) can happen and poison the body. It can be life-threatening, and you need to see a vet right away.


What Are The Signs of Diabetes?


Sometimes, your dog may not even show any overt symptoms of diabetes and you are shocked when the veterinarian tells you that’s the diagnosis. You may just chalk your dog’s ‘fluffy-ness’ to a few extra snacks here and there, and their constant begging is just who they are.


But, experts say there are some outward signs of diabetes in your pet. If your pet exhibits any of the following symptoms, you’ll want to talk with your veterinarian immediately.


Signs of diabetes in dogs and cats could include:


  • Excessive thirst
  • Frequent urination
  • Increased hunger
  • Weight Loss
  • Lethargy
  • Blindness


Being overweight increases your dog’s risk rate of diabetes. Obesity causes the cells in your dog’s body to become more resistant to insulin. This will cause your dog’s blood sugar to rise, and that’s dangerous for many reasons.


How Can Pet Owners Battle Diabetes In Their Pets


Diabetes doesn’t have a cure, but the best thing pet parents can do is to keep their dogs and cats at healthy weights. Pets who have frequent exercise and stimulation and have healthy eating habits are less prone to obesity, and that makes them less prone to contracting diabetes.


Keeping your dog at the right weight can be hard, though, particularly for senior dogs who change in their dietary intake requirements. Having regularly scheduled meals of appropriate portions is the best way to help keep them healthy.


The SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect can make all the difference in your pet’s weight. Using your pet’s embedded microchip or an included RFID collar tag, you can control your dog’s access to their food. When your pet comes to his bowl, the feeder recognizes the chip and will open the bowl for your pet to eat the perfectly portioned meal.


Better, it will only open and allow access to the feeder for the right pet using the right collar or authorized chip. This means that in homes with multiple pets, you can be sure that one pet isn’t sneaking another’s food and getting hefty with the extra.


The SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect also uses the Sure Petcare smart phone app to allow you to control the feeding profile of your pet(s). You’re able to access how often and for how long your pet eats, and the app will record feeding patterns so if a change occurs, you’ll know. With the app, you can set portion size and the feeder uses an integrated scale to measure that perfect portion within one gram of accuracy. Operating for up to four months on C batteries, it’s assurance that you’re doing the best you can to keep your pet at its healthiest.


How to Enter


Using the Rafflecopter form below, you must leave a comment on this blog post. Tell us:


Why would you like to win a SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder Connect?


To boost your chances by earning more entries, you can tweet about the contest (be sure to tag us @ PetGuideTweets) and follow PetGuide on Twitter, and follow PetGuide on Facebook.


You have from November 24, 2020 to December 8, 2020 12AM EST to enter. We’ll announce the winner by December 15, 2020. One winner will be picked randomly. This giveaway is open to residents in the US and Canada.


Good Luck!


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Lori Ennis
Lori Ennis

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Onboard, they have carefully considered every aspect of air travel for dogs. For example, they serve all canine passengers their beverage of choice during ascent and descent to help prevent the discomfort often caused by cabin pressure changes. Of course, during the flight, your pup will be treated to a bit of pampering with dog-friendly snacks. “When we started BARK in 2011, we were on a mission to disrupt the dog space and create products designed for dogs and their humans. We are excited to take the insights we’ve learned over the years to create an experience that is truly dog-first, which is drastically different from just accepting dogs – from the ground to the skies,” explained BARK’s Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Matt Meeker. “We believe this initiative will elevate awareness of our brand’s mission and values, introduce more dog lovers to the BARK family, and help enrich the lives of dogs and their people around the world.” BARK Air will launch with limited routes from New York City’s Westchester County Airport (HPN) to Los Angeles’ Van Nuys Airport (VNY) and London, England’s Stansted Airport (STN). Dog parents are taking to social media, where the news is going viral, to express their excitement about the announcement. The first flights will take off on Thursday, May 23. Visit DogsFlyFirst.com for more information about BARK Air, available flights, and booking. Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

New Tool Detects and Predicts Dog Mobility Issues

Researchers at the University of Liverpool and experts at Dogs Trust have joined forces to create a unique new tool for detecting and predicting dog mobility issues. These veterinary experts have developed the GenPup-M questionnaire. This survey asks dog owners a series of questions to about their dog's mobility. The GenPup-M questionnaire is designed in a way that can help owners determine whether their dog might be experiencing mobility problems, even mild ones. Mobility-related problems are the third most commonly diagnosed disease in dogs. It’s estimated that 200,000 dogs are affected by musculoskeletal disease annually. According to some estimates, 20% of dogs have mobility issues before one year old, but most aren’t diagnosed until they are eight to 13 years old. Current mobility questionnaires are developed for dogs already diagnosed with mobility problems and track their quality of life. This means that many dogs spend the better part of their lives living with a painful condition that negatively impacts their overall health and well-being. A recent study, published in PLOS ONE confirms the validity of the GenPup-M questionnaire. The study involved 62 dogs - 31 with mobility issues and 31 without mobility issues.Scientists obtained the dogs’ clinical history from the owners, and all dogs received an orthopedic exam at the beginning of the study. Next, owners were asked to complete the GenPup-M questionnaire along with a previously validated mobility questionnaire.To determine the survey’s validity and its ability to identify mobility issues in dogs, scientists compared GenPup-M responses with the results of other expert tests, including advanced gait analysis.“Impaired mobility can affect a dog’s ability to engage in daily activities and interactions, move or exercise freely. If an animal is unwilling to or cannot play, exercise, or express normal behavior, this can impact its quality of life,” said Natasha Clark, veterinary surgeon and researcher at the Department of Musculoskeletal & Aging Science at the University of Liverpool. According to Clark, when done over time at regular checkups, the GenPup-M questionnaire can identify subtle changes in a dog’s mobility without the use of expensive and time-consuming gait analysis. This new tool can help vets diagnose and slow the development of mobility problems in dogs. “Our research doesn’t stop here and we will continue to research and develop GenPup-M to refine it as an even more effective tool for vets and dog caregivers,” added Clark.The Deputy Head of Research, Welfare Projects & Grants at Dogs Trust, Dr Jane Murray, said, “We are delighted to work collaboratively with the University of Liverpool on this study which serves to improve the well-being of dogs, as no dog is immune to mobility issues. Generation Pup is a ground-breaking study of the health, welfare, and behavior of our dogs and we hope this research helps more owners detect early signs of mobility issues, leading to veterinary and management interventions that can improve the welfare of the affected dogs.”Join the PetGuide community. Get the latest pet news and product recommendations by subscribing to our newsletter here.

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