Lack Of Dignity

Dog food is good, 

dog treats are great,

but human food is extra special.

When M feeds us hot dogs . . . what can I say, we all lose a bit of our dignity. It's the spotted senior girl though that embarasses herself the most. Check out the progression of "Das Slobber"

Where is your dignity, ol' lady?

BOL

For the record: She enjoyed 3 whole hot dogs 

(shhh, don't tell her dog vet)

Twinkie

Bandit-Masked Intruders

We had some not-so-welcome company inside our garage last night.

Yikes!

One of the raccoons was missing an eye. He looked really scary. What's even more hair-raising is that raccoons are adaptable feeders, which means they will eat just about anything, from fish, mice, trash, tiny dogs . . . 

Raccoons are troublemakers and dangerous. They can also weigh 25lbs or more. Luckily, they're nocturnal, so during the day, all of us small dogs get to roam around our yard and take in the sun's rays.

They wreak havoc frequently at our home. They eat all our fish from the pond, attack the chickens in the middle of the night, and sometimes they even manage to open our food bins and eat all the dog food!

I do not like raccoons and that's final. Now, I'm sure you'll all believe me when I tell you that M has even raised a baby raccoon, but that was before my time.

These raccoons were lucky M was here. Had I been watching the house on my own, I would have taught them a lesson they'd never forget!

Twinkie

Dalmatian Senior Dog Celebrates Birthday

I was really moved yesterday to find out that it was our beloved Olivia's birthday. Olivia is a brown dalmatian. You may remember her from her entry in the "Show Us Your Tongue" Pet Photo Contest.

Olivia

Olivia is always smiling. She's one of the happiest dogs I have ever met, and there is good reason for it. She has a great life. I have often mentioned her owner, the dog obedience trainer Cyndy Wood, who also does public appearances sharing precious information for all dog lovers. She recently did a seminar on "How To Be A Better Senior Dog Parent," which I attended, since we too own a senior dalmatian mix. 

Olivia turned 14 years old yesterday!!! Quite an achievement for her breed, but what's even more impressive is this brown dalmatian's health. Olivia can't see well, something rather common for any dog her age. Cyndy has and still is taking measures inside her home to make it easier for Olivia to adopt to her reduced vision. Olivia is also a little stiff in the joints, also common, but overall, she's in superb health. There is no question in my mind, that this dalmatian is still enjoying every minute of her life. 

Cyndy has always kept her dalmatians on a great  diet. Her rule of thumb is: checking out the first five ingredients in the dog food and it it's fit for a human to eat, then buy it. Sometimes the "simple rules" are the ones that make the most sense and are easier to follow. Olivia's current health is a testament to that. Cyndy also put her girl on a good dog joint supplement with glucosamine and chondroitin. She's the one who stressed the importance of glucosamine for dogs and recommended the dog supplements that we use on our eleven year old dalmatian mix, and I'm grateful for that too. The positive effects on our dog were visible within days. 

Sure, Olivia does suffer some from dog arthritis, but what dog wouldn't at that age? Overall, this senior dog is healthier than most dogs are at age ten. She is friendly, happy, social and full of energy. Her only problem is that on her birthday "somebody" had the great idea to give her a grooming session. I think she would have preferred extra dog treats or her favorite peanut butter, and I'll be sure to remind Cyndy next year on Olivia's birthday.

The birthday girl

Happy birthday Olivia, 

Twinkie and family

White House Security Breach

Third Couple Meet Obama Without Invitation

Twinkie and Frankie Van Twinkerson, Democrat supporters from California, were ushered into an invitation-only veterans breakfast with Barack and Michelle Obama after mistakenly turning up a day early for a tour of the grounds.

Unlike Tareq and Michaele Salahi, a Virginia couple who gatecrashed a White House dinner, and the Dardens' breach of protocol on Veterans' Day, Twinkie, a teacup chihuahua, and Frankie, a strange looking brindle chiweenie (there are all sorts of "interesting" looking and sounding designer dogs) claim it was not intentional on their part.
The pair said they grew increasingly mystified as they were ushered into the awesome depths of the building, but their concerns were brushed aside by officials. "We only wanted to meet Bo, another rescue dog," Twinkie barked out. "We're huge fans of Bo's blog," Frankie later added.
The White House claimed that the Van Twinkersons had been allowed into the breakfast after going through security screening as a "nice gesture" after they arrived on the wrong day for their tour.
However, the furry couple said there was no evidence that officials or the Secret Service had realized they were not on the guest list.
Ms Twinkie, age 4, a retired advice columnist, said she and her brindle  pack-mate were never told about the breakfast. "We prefer dog food, anyhow," Ms Twinkie insisted.
They believed they were simply starting their tour until they were ushered into the East Room, offered a buffet spread and told they would be meeting the president.
"The further we got into the White House, the more surprised we were," she said. "Frankie looked at me, and I looked at her, and I said, 'You know, I don't know if we're in the right place. But we were both too tiny to push our way out of there"'. When they approached a White House aide to suggest they had veered off course they were told to "just go with the flow".
"I felt kind of funny because I was the only teacup chihuahua in the room that wasn't dressed in a formal gown. I was just a plain tourist, wearing my everyday dog collar."
She said security officials had realized they were not on the list but, while their identity was being checked, they were ushered inside and joined 200 guests for a buffet breakfast. "Needless to say, the food wasn't as good as our homemade dog treats, but it was yummy!"
Another official told Ms Twinkie it was an event for vets, and, after learning Ms Twinkie and Ms Frankie had their own dog vet, he suggested they stayed.
A White House spokesman said it is not unusual for staff to take small dogs who are cleared in for tours to other events if there is space, including Marine One arrivals, East Room events and Rose Garden ceremonies.

White House officials have had to explain how a third couple managed to get inside President Barack Obama's residence for an official event without an invitation.

"They were so cute! They also promised we could enter our dogs in the Furry Tails pet photo contest," was one of the officials' responses.

America's most infamous unwanted guests showed up on NBC's Today Show.

We honesty just wanted to meet Bo and go on a dog hike, the couple insisted.

Ultimately, both Frankie and Twinkie were totally forgiven. They were also given the White House Frequent Visitor Badge

The California belles were beaming as they accepted their badge. "We were invited, not crashers. In any case, we will not be pressing any charges. My sissy and I are so glad everything's finally cleared and we can be good furiends with Bo," said Ms. Twinkie.

T--

How To Be A Better Senior Dog Parent

I recently attended a gratifying seminar called "How To Be A Better Pet Parent" at a local library. There were many fabulous speakers, including the VP of the volunteers of the Burbank Animal Shelter (VBAS) who addressed the issue of "the joys of adopting a senior pet". One of the speakers that stood out, was Obedience Trainer Cyndy Wood (sitstaygooddawg.com) who got on stage with a beautiful brown spotted girl, her dalmatian Olivia. Olivia had a huge smile on her face and seemed happy to be in the center of everyone's attention. The audience  gasped when Cyndy announced that Olivia was fourteen years old. She looked and acted so much younger!

Cyndy proceeded to share her input and advice for senior dog owners. She started out discussing the importance of food quality for an aging canine. I found her method for picking out dog food rather significant because it is so simple and comprehensible. She recommends checking out the first five ingredients in the dog food. Would you, the parent/owner eat it? If yes, it's suitable for your dog.

Whether it is part of the dog food formula or an additional food supplement, aging dogs benefit from chondroitin and glucosamine for dogs in the form of supplements. Supplements can cause a significant and visible inprovement in dog arthritis.

Cyndy Wood also recommends that as soon as your dog is considered a senior to go in for a wellness exam and to do a blood test as a baseline.

Another important point about senior dogs was exercise. I cannot stress this enough. Exercise helps in keeping your senior pet mentally alert, get rid of sluggishness . . . it helps his heart, lugns, circulaton, digestion, joints, and even fights obesity. Of course, the exercise regime has to be adopted to your dog's specific needs. The play sessions need to be shorter, fetching must be done in shorter distances, and above all watch your dog carefuly. At any signs of discomfort  just stop. And if your dog coughs  or shows any other sign of distress, call your vet. One of the best exercises for a senior dog is swimming, but keep in mind that they have become more sensitive to temperatures, so keep a towel close by.

For less mobile dogs, or for when the weather is bad, Cyndy offered a fun suggestion: Hide and seek. Put your dog in a sit/stay position and hide. Release by using a command like "okay" and let your dog find you. A fun and not demanding activity that helps provide moderate exercise and nurtures bonding.

Senior dogs can present a few potential problems, such as:
1. Separation Anxiety
2. Vocalize more
3. Uncharacteristic Aggression
4. Startle due to hearing loss (stomp feet when approaching, ideally from the front)
5. Change in personality (often due to reaction to drugs)
6. Dog Dementia (as of last year the FDA has officially approved Anipryl tablets to control the clinical signs associated with canine cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome--CDS)

As a dog trainer, Cyndy Wood placed a lot of emphasis on training your senior dog. Since the seminar was partially geared to the ADOPTION OF SENIOR DOGS and pets in general, she focused on that.

Dog training equals bonding and getting on the same page.  You can teach an old dog new tricks, better yet, many senior dogs are already trained, therefore their training also doubles as a refresher course.

While owning a senior dog means a close relationship with your vet, truth be told, there are plenty of tools, medications, and supplements readily available to  allow you to work around your dog's health issues. And what could be more gratifying than saving a dog's life that most people would pass on?

The rest of the seminar focused on dog allergies (causes and treaments), back to school solutions, snake bites, dog and valuable dog flea medication and treatment information. I will be sharing those in future posts.

Senior pets rule. Please consider the above information when you're ready for your next pet adoption.

Dog Training tips | How To Get Dog Food The Easy Way

It's time to share with you one of my long time personal favorite dog training tips. It's a well kept secret, so you don't want to miss out. It is a known fact that children, a.k.a. human peanuts, are the easiest to train. Whenever you find yourselves in an environment with children present, ignore the parents. The parents are most logical and they are feeling social pressure to do the "right thing." Human peanuts aren't like that. They are still innocent and giving. If you have dog food on your mind, trust this technique.

Children are angels that have our best interest in mind.

Never underestimate neither our pleading powers, nor the children's innate need to defy adult rules.

Children are bearers of dog food and dog treats.

Children do not think in terms of calories or the proper diet and nutrition. They are more like us, because . . .

. . . healthy dog treats are okay, but . . .

. . . this is better, and this is the kind of food you can expect from children!

Remember, children are our friends. Go hug a human peanut!

Twinkie

Dog Diarrhea | A Common Occurrence

Your beloved dog has diarrhea. He has the runs and you're running too, to take him outside, to mop up... When do you need to run to the dog vet?

Causes of Dog Diarrhea

First off, diarrhea is not a disease, it's a symptom. It can be something as simple as the result of something your canine has eaten or a change in his diet that you incorporated too quickly, not giving him a chance to adjust. Use your judgment. If your dog has had all his shots, been dewormed, and is not suffering, don't panic. Watch closely while providing and encouraging the consumption of water. Hydration is the key for the majority of dog diarrhea cases.
Other potential causes:
Worms
Roundworm, hookworm, whipworm, and tapeworm can all cause dog diarrhea, if your dog is not dewormed regularly.
Viral Infections
Parvovirus (highly contagious and often fatal if not diagnosed early). Symptoms include vomiting and dark or bloody feces, and your dog will most likely act very ill and lethargic.
Distemper
Canine distemper is another highly contagious viral disease that can be fatal.
Bacterial Infections
Such as E. Coli and Salmonella varieties are often accompanied by bloody dog diarrhea and can cause severe abdominal pain.
Parasites
Coccidiosis.
Blood and mucous in the dog diarrhea is a common symptom. The vet will likely prescribe antibiotics
Giardia
The diarrhea is usually greenish/yellowish and surrounded by mucus. Your dog will start losing weight fast and will also be suffering from abdominal pain and vomiting
Cryptosporidia
A single cell parasite that can cause dog diarrhea

Symptoms of Dog Diarrhea

Bloody Stool
Aside from common diarrhea symptoms, the presence of blood in your canine's stool is not always cause for alarm. It could be simply due to excessive straining. Do not panic. Assess the situation. Is your dog an adult up to date with his shots? If yes, take a moment and check out his demeanor. If he's vibrant and alert, watch him closely and hopefully after a couple of days of home treatment and a bland diet he'll be just fine. If your dog is still a puppy and/or not up to date with his shots, you should probably hurry to your vet's (and ideally bring with you a fecal sample).

Acute vs. Chronic dog diarrhea

Acute diarrhea in dogs is a relatively mild condition that may last up to a couple of weeks and your dog must be carefully monitored. Most cases of acute dog diarrhea are caused by ingested bacteria.
Chronic dog diarrhea persists for over two weeks, is more severe than acute dog diarrhea, and you must pay a visit to your doctor. Chronic diarrhea may be caused by dog food allergies or pancreatitis, inflammatory bowel diseases, parasites in the intestines, bacterial infections and even fungi and protozoans. The stool is often coated with mucus and blood and sometimes this type of diarrhea can end only to recur in a day or two. Watch for dehydration (always first thing to check), weight loss, your dog's coat for roughness, and overall listlessness. Chronic dog diarrhea should not be treated without professional help. Even in cases of food allergies, you will be given a list of hypoallergenic dog food. Your dog needs to be put on a special bland diet and oftentimes mineral, nutrient, and vitamin supplementation is necessary to replenish what is being discarded by the constant bowel movements. In most cases your vet is going to prescribe antibiotics coupled with corticosteroids to assist in the recovery. You need the help of an expert.

When to take your dog to the dog vet

When he's acting very sick or lethargic, if his abdomen shows bloating, if there is fever present (rectal temperature about 103.5F), when there is persistent vomiting, and if there are large amounts of blood in the stool. If you have a puppy, it's better to be safe and go for a stool check and blood work.

What the dog vet can do for your pooch

Fecal testing
Bring with you a stool sample in a sterile container, so the vet can check for parasites, roundworms, coccidia, and Giardia. Fecal cultures can indicate the presence of bacteria, such as salmonella.
Blood work
Those provide you with indications as to whether the major organs, such as the kidney and liver are functioning properly. It also helps rule out infection as a cause for the diarrhea.
Parvo test
For puppies not yet immunized, the parvovirus antigen test must be run. Results are available within minutes because the situation is grave. If your puppy is suffering from parvo, aggressive treatment is warranted as soon as possible
X-Rays
Those help your vet figure out if the diarrhea may be caused by intestinal obstructions or even a foreign object your dog "accidentally" swallowed.

Dog Diarrhea treatment at home

Isolate your dog at first until you are certain he's not contagious.
Provide and encourage the consumption of water, and even use electrolytes ( some unflavored Pedialyte) to ensure better absorption. Lectade Liquid Concentrate is another choice. It is an oral re-hydration therapy for cats and dogs that replenishes the loss of electrolytes accompanying the diarrhea. This is of utmost importance especially if you own a small dog. Small dogs, like teacup chihuahuas, dehydrate really quickly and need to be rushed for IV fluids if they reach that point. Check for sticky pale gums around the clock.
Diet: You may withhold food for up to 24 hours in a mature dog, no more than 12 for a puppy or a small breed. Then start your canine on a bland diet of rice and meat. You can give him either half rice and half boiled chicken, or half rice and half boiled hamburger for a couple of days. Warning, if within a couple of days there is not improvement, head to your dog vet.
There are also a couple of over the counter human medications that help treat dog diarrhea and even vomiting. These include Pepto-Bismol, Imodium, and Kaopectate.
Consult your vet if your dog has diarrhea for more than two days, seems lethargic and low on energy, or had large amounts of blood in his stool.
An odd yet effective home remedy is canned pureed pumpkin (the natural kind with no additives). This is a well kept secret that given to a dog with diarrhea it firms up its stool while given to a dog suffering from constipation it loosens the stool. Give a couple of small teaspoons a day to a small dog and a couple of large tablespoons to a larger breed.

In most cases, dog diarrhea is nothing more than an annoyance. If you have any doubts though, trust your instincts and head to your dog's vet. Just remember, if your dog whines during a bout with diarrhea, make sure you get him out as soon as possible, this way your dog can get immediate relief and you don't have to clean up after him.

Twinkie

Easter Monday

The feasting continued from yesterday

Before

After

And after-er

I have never eaten more in my entire life. This surpassed even my Christmas feast! I can't wait until next year! I could barely eat my regular dog food. Ha haaa.
Along with the wonderful feasting, we got to visit with lots of family friends. They all love me and my sisters and we all got extra TLC. We were all giddy and overjoyed,  surrounded by family, friends, and M's peanuts.

This year marked another first for me. I have never received an Easter card before now, and look what I got in the mail!

My BFF, Frankie Furter sent me this one

I have never met a more noble guy

You're a good egg too, my furiend! Thank you.

Gunther, Stella, and Betty sent me this one

They are all adorable, sweet, and funny

Gunther, my pug, and I are currently trying to see if we're a good match. 

What do you think? I would like to meet him in person again before I make up my mind.

Thank you for this unique card. 

The fabulous, the extraordinary, the loving furiends at Kissa-Bull sent me this collage

OMD aren't they adorable?

I have always thought so

Thank you my sweet furiends.

*  *  *

Global Animal Blogging Event links still accepted until April 10th. Hurry up and join us! Just visit OUR LINKS to see our free giveaways and of course feel free to post your own. Just remember to send me yours, so I can upload them asap. 

Happy Easter Monday!

Twinkie

Greek Easter

Happy Easter everybody! I hope you are all having a wonderful time with your families, friends, and furiends. This year I decided to celebrate Greek Easter in honor of my mother and her family. It's my way of introducing you to some of the wonderful and rather yummy traditions. Greece is ten hours ahead of our time PDT.

We started the day by going to church 

We were all quiet as we took in Sunday's sermon

The sermon

After a week of fasting, we were in a hurry to get back home so I could tend to the lamb I had started since 5 a.m. Our tummies were all growling. Being responsible for the lamb on the spit pauses a great degree of difficulty. How do I stop myself from nibbling?

As you can tell from my swollen cheeks, I didn't

Frankie and Linguini were in charge of the other traditional edibles

Linguini makes a mean tsoureki

(bonus recipe in the end)

Frankie makes the most pawesome easter cake

Oh, wait. She is the cake

The meal was exquisite

Afterwards, we kept up with the egg cracking tradition

The breaking of the eggs is meant to symbolize Christ breaking out of his tomb. We each grabbed a hard-boiled red egg and challenged the others to see whose egg would last the longest.  Usually, one person ends up with the winner, which means their egg is either intact or at least one end of it. In our case, we ended up with a boiled egg omelet. We got a bit carried away. We're also going to be eating egg salad sandwiches for a long time.

Greeks love to dance to celebrate life

We danced in order to digest our food

The more the merrier. We invited Jet to join us

Jet and I knew all the lyrics and sang along while dancing

Opa!

Linguini, she's over 21, decided to have some Retsina wine

Ya mas

Cheers! To all of you!

I hope you enjoyed a break from regular dog food and my abbreviated version of a Greek Orthodox Easter. As a matter of fact, feel free to consider this entire post as a giant dog treat. Now, for those of you who like to cook, I will share mommy's recipe for Greek New Year's Yeast Bread. She loves this recipe, so she uses that one instead of tsoureki. They're both pretty similar in taste and texture. 

***Bonus Recipe***

New Year's Yeast Bread

Preparation time 3 hours

Baking time 30 minutes

Ingredients:

1lb strong or all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon salt

2oz fresh yeast or 2 tablespoons dry yeast

1/2 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon grated orange rind

1 tablespoon grated lemon rind

1/2 cup milk, scaled

3 eggs

1 egg yolk beater with 1 teaspoon water

optional decor: almond halves or sesame seeds

Sift the flour and salt. Dissolve the yeast in 4 tablespoons tepid water (100 degrees). Add 1-2 tablespoons flour mix and let it stand 10 minutes to rise. Melt the butter and heat until very hot. Put the sugar and flavorings in a kneading basin. Pour in the scalded milk and stir with a spoon. Break in the eggs and add the yeast. With your fingers, crush the yolks and combine the eggs with the other ingredients. Gradually add the flour and knead lightly. Add the hot butter and fold it into the dough. Avoid over-kneading. Traces of butter remaining in the dough will be absorbed during the rising. The dough should be warm, light, and buttery. Cover and let the dough rise in a warm place until it is three ties its previous bulk, 1.5-2 hours. Punch down the dough. Shape it into one large or several small round loaves. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 30 minutes. Brush the top(s) with the egg yolk mixture and decorate with the almond halves or sprinkle with sesame seeds. 

Bake in a 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Cool on a rack. To keep the bread moist, store covered with plastic wrap. 

(Slurp)

May your Easter be filled with joy and of course yummy!

Twinkie

Life Can Be A Dream

A good day for Linguini is a day of hiking with dogs, with her pals, the rhodesian ridgeback dogs, Hank and Sue. While in general, the rhodesian ridgeback is too sweet and gentle, it's also an extremely powerful dog. M has decided to skip any potential drama by bringing out entire pack together, Frankie and I are too tiny, so she just takes Linguini, the dalmatian and german shorhaired pointer mix, on hikes with Hank and Sue. She deserves it!

First they go for a lovely dog hike. 

As you see, they allow Linguini to lead

Rhodesian ridgeback dogs are very polite by nature

After the hike they like to have a picnic

Then Hank negotiates the dog food and homemade dog treats

I hear he's a pawesome host

On a full tummy, they get to catch up on their zzzs

Isn't Hank an adorable pretzel?

Content Linguini

I wish I could join them, because I never like being left home alone, but I understand that Linguini needs her big-dog time. I love my older sister and how happy she comes home after her special dog hiking expeditions. Besides, I can't complain, I'm going to a new horse barn today!

Twink!

* * * Update on G.A.B.E

A Dog Photo Contest on Valentine's Day

Some of you already know that our furiends at Bark.Sniff.Drool are doing a Valentine's Day dog photo contest via FB. I know, I got it, many of you don't care about the dreaded FB but I'm here to discuss The Photo-Session.

M, short for Momma and reminiscent of Bond, had been complaining today, ever since we got back from the pet store. All we got was some pizzle, some dog food, and IT, the reason for M's frustration. You see, M gets shopaholic tendencies only at the pet store, so she's come up with the term "bling" for anything that is unnecessary. IT was superfluous, IT was redundant. I shall now post some photos and ask you, kind furiends, to tell me, was IT really unessential? M got her answer alright.

We started the dog photo contest session with me. M's time was limited and she knew it. She used IT quickly before I knew what "wrapped" me.

Yikes! What's happening?

That's right, I'm winking. I'm DONE.

Lucky for M, she managed to get one more good shot, but for that, I need a drumroll.

Thank you!

The Shot

Within seconds, I had unwrapped myself, sparing my life. I ran to the adjoining couch as fast as I could but not without observing what happened next. The Brat (yeah, the chiweenie is just the Brat now) hopped on my couch and started posing. What a poser!

And then I had to listen to M: Yeah, that's right, great, you look hot baby, give it to me, tuuurn, excellent, look happy, look down, oh, wow, that's the shot... Should I go on? I think photos speak louder than words.

It was in the middle of the dog photo contest session that M all of a sudden saw the light. She actually put the camera down for a moment and with teary eyes exclaimed: "Sweetie, you love this. I'm so glad I got it!" Apparently, weird looking ITs from another planet are not considered bling any longer at my house.

Oh, How Cute!

Way to go, M. Not a bad dog photo contest shot, Frankie!

Now you know everything that transpired on my couch last night. As for what was going on on top of the pool table, some other time.

Twink!