Vet Tested and Approved - Top Pet Products We LOVE!

There are thousands of pet products on the market today. Estimated to be a $40 billion a year industry, pet products are big business with manufacturers trying to grab on to as much of the pie as possible.

Interestingly, it seems that the pet industry has not been affected by the recession as severely as businesses in other sectors. Pet owners still seem willing to shell out big bucks for products to pamper their pooches. But this is not surprising when we stop to realize that, for many pet owners, their dogs and cats are members of the family.

A while back, Dr. Jon asked us to attend some pet industry shows to find the very best new products for pet lovers! So we traveled the country, attending more than a half dozen shows from coast to coast, and we have researched hundreds (probably thousands) of pet products.

We have evaluated these pet products in a variety of ways, some more intensely than others.

My friends call it "extreme product testing" because I like to test the product under some very intense conditions. Yes, I'll run over some toys with a car, toss them out a window, throw them in a lake, hit them with a hammer ... you name it and I've probably done it! But I do it for a reason. Most importantly, we want to make sure that the pet products we recommend are safe, durable and appealing to pets.

Here are some of our favorite pet products.

1. Zero Odor. Pets commonly urinate or make other messes in the house. Vomit, diarrhea and urine are particularly offensive odors that pet owners deal with on a regular basis. There are several products on the market that claim to combat odors, but they just don't work. Some just temporarily mask the smell while others do nothing at all. Zero Odor is different. This product really works. My team and I have tested this product along with pet owners just like you and we really love it. Bottom line, this product works. Zero Odor can eliminate those nasty odors for good. For more information, go to: Zero Odor for Dogs and Zero Odor for Cats.

2. Rapid Bath. Dogs need to be bathed regularly. But when a groomer bathes your dog, it can be quite expensive. We wanted to find a good quality product that lets you quickly and easily bathe your dog at home - and we found it. That product is RapidBath. This dog washing system attaches to any faucet, so you can use it to wash your dog in your shower or bathtub, or outside with a garden hose. It requires special shampoo cartridges, and I've been very impressed with the quality of these shampoos that include formulas for soothing, whitening deep cleaning and allergies. This is a very good product that will bathe your dog in 5 minutes or less. For more information, go to: Rapid Bath.

3. Drinkwell 360. It is important that all pets drink enough water, but this is especially true for cats. Just like us, many pets don't drink enough water to meet the daily recommendations. (After all, how many of us drink eight full 8-oz glasses of water a day?) It is hard to get pets to drink if they don't want to. But the Drinkwell 360 pet fountain can help them drink more. This is a great quality fountain with filtered streaming water. Pets prefer fresh running water. If I were to offer a pet water in a bowl vs. the fountain, they go to the fountain. For more information, go to: Drinkwell 360 Pet Fountain for Cats and for Dogs.

4. Tuffy Ultimate Ring Dog Toy. We were very impressed by the Tuffy Ultimate Ring. This dog toy is extremely DURABLE. It is a super-reinforced ring toy that is fun to play with ... and it's built to last. This toy is not new to the market, but it remains at the top of our list nonetheless because it is a very durable play toy that dogs just love. Fro more information, go to: Check out our test dog, Sweet Lips, playing with it.

5. Cat-Man-Doo Extra Large Bonito Cat Treats. Bonito Flakes are plump, all-natural fish flakes that cats really crave. In fact, cats love them so much, they'll do just about anything to get them. Some cat owners have even taught their cats to sit up and beg for them. I've tested them on several cats that generally don't like treats and they really loved these! For more information, go to: Bonito Flakes Cat Treats.

6. Bottle Crunchers. Lots of dogs love to chew on empty water bottles because they love the crunching noise they make. Bottle Crunchers are brightly-colored water bottle "sleeves" that fit snuggly over a water bottle to safeguard your dog's play. These brightly colored fabric covers come in a package of two, and they look like cute animals. Sometimes my dog Sweet Lips gets her Bottle Cruncher and just goes to town playing with it. For more information, go to: Check out the video on this one.

7. Music My Pet CD. The Music My Pet CD is made by the same people who brought you Disney's Baby Einstein. This beautiful music was designed to help cats, dogs (and pet lovers) relax. The classical music tracks on this CD were created using only those sounds and instruments that have been proven to be soothing to pets. For more information, go to: Music My Pet CDfor Dogs and Cats.

8. Undercover Mouse. Undercover Mouse is my favorite cat toy. Do you know how some cats like to play the finger game? This is basically the same thing ... but better. The toy has a piece of fabric with a rotating arm underneath that moves in random motions to entice cats to chase and play. The cats I've tested it on just LOVE it. And it's so funny to watch! To learn more about the Undercover Mouse, go to: Check out the video to see what I mean.