What's the worst dog product (pet supply) you ever used (or tried)?

Question

Something you might have spent money on that you'd tell other people not to buy.

While we're at it ... What's the best dog product you used? Something you'd recommend to others.

Hi Jason: I'm not asking which is the best dog food (lord knows it's been asked thousands of times here). Perhaps you'd like another shot at answering the question.

Answer 1

I'm glad you asked, so I can vent a bit.

www.petbotanics.com

I needed an Elizabethan collar, Urgently, my dogs suddenly started licking and chewing his stitches.
I dashed with him to Petsmart and started trying on the collars. They carried this "new and improved" type. Small plastic clips to hold the collar on rather than the regular just tie the thing on with a regular coller or gauze. I broke the clip trying to get it on him. A sales woman came by and she tried and broke another clip. The manager came over and he broke a clip. Each time we were using a new collar. Finally he got one on my dog. I paid and left. $15.00 and it turned out to be too small my dog could still reach his stitched. Went to the vet the next day ( mon.) and paid 10 for the old unimproved model that was on in a jiffy and worked like a charm.
I emailed the co my disastisfaction. No word from them. But while on their site. I discovered that they sell an accessory KIT to go with their crappy collar. More clips!! What a rip off!!


Product I love is GREENIES. My dogs love them and they do freshen their breath.

Thanks for asking.

Answer 2

The BEST diet for your dog is a species appropriate diet consisting of 80% raw meat, 10% bone, 5% liver and 5% other organs. It is called the whole prey model or rawfed and it way more appropriate and healthy then kibble and even the BARF diet. There is no exaggeration about commercial dog food. Up until less than 100 years ago, dogs ate whole prey like their very close relatives the wolves. They evolved to eat meat not grain, which is what most commercial dog foods are made of and 100 years is a blink of an eye compared to how long they have been around. Even the high end kibble is nowhere near human grade...why do you think it's in dog food? Contrary to popular belief, it's really not as expensive as you would think and anything is better than what come in a bag...! Check out the rawfood group on yahoo. It's incredible...everyone is so helpful. I actually just starting feeding my dog three weeks ago and he loves it. I will never go back to commercial food. I will be transitioning my cats over next fall. Also if you Google "raw feeding" you'll find a lot of helpful sites.

Answer 3

One example locally is Hagen Products. Hagen is an international company and they produce pet supplies for every sort of pet including exotics. Hagen, however, is the owner of Pets Unlimited, which in Canada is one of the few mass chains that continues to sell animals in their stores. So Hagen is directly/indirectly guilty of supporting the horrible sale of animals in stores.

I know you are probably looking more for a specific type of toy, etc but I thought people really should hear about Hagen and hopefully not support them in the future.

Just to make sure I truely answer your question, here are some good and bad products:

Bowser makes some of THE BEST dog beds around. The quality and durability of the fabrics is exceptional and if something should happen, they will replace the bed for you. Planet Dog is excellent for dog toys. They have a 100% guarantee for being chew proof and if your dog does successfully chew through them, you will get a new ball for free. Lupine is great for leashes as they are 100% guaranteed, even against chewing. Kong is great for toys as they have some of the most durabile on the market. I could go on!!!

I really haven't had any experience with bad products but I guess I would tell people not to waste their money on plastic dog dishes. Invest in stainless steel or ceramic. Plastic dishes will often cause sores and irritations on your pets face so prevent that by getting better quality dishes.

Hope this is what you were looking for. Good question!

Answer 4

Well, I havent used these, but from my job experience I can tell you thing I think should be banned :

Hartz flea treatment, especially cat formulas: I have seen too many cats die from this

Greenies and rawhides, a major cause of intestinal blockages.

Pigs ears, cause pancreatitis in alot of prone breeds

OTC worming treatments, not all work effectively and this encourage medicating your animal with out actually knowing what kind of parasite is involved, and not going back for fecal testing to make sure the parasite is gone.

Parvoguard, encourages home treatment of a dangerous and potentially fatal illness. It is a direct contraindication with the proper treatment of parvo, of which the first rule is to give nothing orally.

And finally the internet, I know for the most part its a great tool to use, but too many people will believe anything they read, with out knowing who has written it, whether or not they have a creditable medical opinion. Too many owners now look here first for medical advice, instead of calling their vet.

Thanks for letting me rant

P.S. I think Kongs are a great new addition to the toy industry.

Answer 5

My dog sometimes has very dry skin, and he'll scratch at it a lot. We bought this spray from the pet store that rehydrates and soothes dry skin...like the equivalent of human skin lotion.

It did make his skin less dry. But it STANK. Oh goodness, did that spray smell bad. We have almost a full bottle if you want it.

The best product we've bought is a yellow-colored oil that is for hot spots. It's greasy and messy, but it sure does work!

Answer 6

dog food. Absolutely the biggest scam out there. The stuff is crap. All of it. The premium stuff, the cheap stuff... It's all crap.

My very favorite dog product... hummm.... I would have to say the Undercoat Rake (double row of teeth). Two German Shepherd Dogs that blow their coats twice a year... It gets more undercoat out of them than anything other grooming tool I've tried.

And Kong

As an aside... skin problems are usually caused by the crap in dog food. Dogs don't have a high tolerance for grains and rice and all that crap. They're CARNIVORES.

Answer 7

Hartz flea drops!!! Known to kill dogs and cats or caused very serious health problems. Check out the forum for hartz flea drops or/and products. Best product>sweaters for my dogs when it's really cold outside.....like NOW!!!!

Answer 8

I bought a heated water dish that keeps the water from freezing and one day i went onto the back porch and smelled burning plastic. Trying to locate the smell i eventually unplugged the dish and turned it over and say melted plastic and styrofoam material. Thank god i caught that before it caught fire.

Answer 9

I have never bought this or used it, but the zodiac or the hartz flea treatment, in my opinion, are the worst.

Not sure of what my favorite product is...

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Answer 10

Well I've never tried them but heard 'bout this. IAMS AND HARTZ ARE BASICALLY TOXIC TO THE ANIMALS!!! Use Frontline and/or K9 Advantix, they are the best to use. If you dont belive me look at these websites:
http://www.iamscruelty.com