I hope everyone is as happy and as stuffed as we are! I'll be out watching Harry Potter and giving the dogs a post-Thanksgiving Furmination, so I'll catch up with you all on Monday. In the meantime, get ready- next week is going to be exciting! Debuting Monday and continuing for the week is the Pawcurious Holiday Gift Guide 2010, featuring reviews, a giveaway a day, and the debut of the 2011 Pawcurious Calendar! ... Read more »
The fish curse continues, sorta
I went to feed the new betta tonight and I couldn't find him in the tank. I fully admit that I cursed like a sailor as I peered around the tank (at least the kids weren't around to hear it.) Then, I spotted him- chilling in the little filter: you know, the little box that hangs off the back of the tank? How the HECK did he get in there? The only thing I can possibly fathom is that he got sucked up the tube that pulls water into the filter. He seems like he would be too big for it, but ... Read more »
Give thanks
I was recently asked, "What are you grateful for?" Well shoot, what am I not grateful for? I am blessed with a healthy family and people and pets who love me. The rest is gravy (to start throwing in Thanksgiving puns.) But I think the question was more specific to veterinary stuff, so let me start with telling a story: When one of my dogs was diagnosed with melanoma, I did what any good general practitioner would do and bundled her off in the car to the specialist. In our area, we are ... Read more »
Nulo Challenge: Final Weigh In
Wow, 90 days flies when you're having fun! Kekoa is wrapping up her 90 days on the Nulo challenge, and boy has it been eventful. We survived a long road trip, a cancer diagnosis, envying a younger brother with a better metabolism, and a few too many fingers sneaking treats in when the taskmaster wasn't watching. Despite this, she continued to progress over the course of the challenge, and at her final weigh in Koa is now 73 pounds! That puts her total weight loss at 6 pounds for the 90 days! ... Read more »
Giveaway: Stella & Chewy’s Carnivore Kisses
And the lucky winner chosen by random.org is Dana and her lucky pup Gucci! Congratulations! Have you ever tried those freeze dried apple thingies they have at Costco? They don't look like much, I'll give them that. When my friend pressed them into my hand with the confidence of one who was introducing me to the wonders of crack, I wasn't too impressed. "Why are you giving me astronaut food?" I asked her, proud of my impromptu 80's reference. So not appetizing (yet strangely alluring. I ... Read more »
12 Days of Petmas Signups!
Signups are now open for the 2011 12 Days of Petmas Viewer Participation Carol! Here's the deal: You sign up to play and are assigned a number 1-12. You are responsible for taking a picture with that number as your theme, using the 12 Days of Christmas carol as a sort-of inspiration. If you want to see what people did last year, here's the link. (I probably won't be doing a collage a day this time around as it took FOR-EVER, but I will have one at the end.) The picture needs to be ... Read more »
Can see this coming from a mile away
Tonight I attended an orientation for new Girl Scout troop leaders. I thought it would involve some construction paper ideas, handing me a pile of beanies and wishing me luck. Oh no. Oh NO. Starting a Girl Scout troop is like applying to vet school. There's reference checks, medical histories, asking for when I got my last tetanus shot...it's nuts. And the cookies. Oh, the cookies. Mandatory cookie training is December 11th. I'll let that sink in: mandatory cookie training. What have I ... Read more »
Pets and arthritis
A while back, I was invited by Petfinder to write a guest post on arthritis in pets. I happily accepted- even though I tend to the more chatty around here, I can write something useful when necessary. Jane just let me know the post is live today! How to help pets with arthritis stay comfortable during cold winter months This makes me feel better about the fact that I did not write a single medical post during the blogathon. :) ... Read more »
After the marathon
There's no real primer out there for how to recover after a blogathon, so I looked up the next best thing. I don't know if an actual marathon is the best analogy, because after I ran Rock and Roll in 2001 I hobbled home, hung my shoes up and swore NEVER AGAIN. But much of it is still applicable: rest, take it easy, don't jump right on into another race, etc. But then I saw this: The Day After the Race Post race depression is quite common. You usually feel a real "high" after finishing ... Read more »
Epilogue: The quiet heroes
When I was at the telethon yesterday, I asked Mike Arms how he was doing. "I just got back from Prague," he said, "where I was asked to give a keynote address to an international assembly of animal rescuers from 50 countries." He told me he doesn't write his remarks ahead of time. I guess that is something you just learn how to do over time. If I got up there I would have just stammered for a few minutes and then resorted to knock knock jokes. But I digress. I asked him what he said, and ... Read more »
Down to the wire: This experience in interpretive blogging
Tired ... Read more »
Final Biscuits by Lambchop Giveaway!
This is your last chance to earn some delicious, yummy Biscuits By Lambchop! Biscuits by Lambchop™ dog treats are free of gluten, soy, corn, rice, dairy, eggs, nuts, animal proteins and preservatives and are low in fat, sodium and phosphorus to accommodate the needs of dogs who have these restrictions in their diet, such as those with some types of kidney, liver and pancreas problems. Please check out this wonderful post from our friends at Dogster about how dogs help people with ... Read more »
Giveaway: Dog Angel Jewelry
And the winner, courtesty of random.org is...drumroll please.....comment #8, Laura Z! Congratulations! I will catch up with you after the blogathon and get you set. This is a really special giveaway from Amy Valentine at Dog Angel Jewelry. I was fortunate enough to be gifted with one of her Best Dog Ever cuff bracelets in honor of Emmett and I wear it all the time. Dog Angel Jewelry was founded by veterinarian and jewelry artist, Amy Valentine, following the loss of her beloved dogs, ... Read more »
Following your pet’s heart
Fetching Tag's Jen Cleere summarizes what so many of us who have dealt with pets with cancer have had to face: When is the treatment worse than the problem? My dog Ruth’s 1st round of cancer at age 7 seemed to be easily dispatched. A little surgery to excise the grade 2 mast cell tumor on her side and a change in diet from kibble to raw, and she was soon thriving. For a month or three I had felt sure that this was the tragic end to her young life, but doom took the back burner when she ... Read more »
Bailey’s Grace- tips for a nonprofit starter?
Lisa has been one of my most loyal readers and supporters since I started pawcurious. We bonded last year over the losses that ripped out our hearts- my Emmett and her Bailey. Read on to find out what amazing idea has come out of her grief and sadness. You remember Bailey and Lisa, right? I bet you do. Here's what she wrote me: The first thing I did after Bailey left was to get a tattoo -- a heart with a pawprint on it, later with her name added. Then, a couple of weeks later, I attended ... Read more »
Epilepsy Awareness- how much do you know?
Since this is Epilepsy Awareness month as well as a fundraiser for a little boy with epilepsy, Bradyn's mom Elizabeth has provided a guest post talking about some of the misconceptions surrounding the condition. Would you know how to help? The more I talk about Bradyn and Epilepsy the more apparent it becomes that there is a serious lack of information out there. So it’s time for B’s Mama to do some educating. Epilepsy is not: 1 - Epilepsy is NOT contagious. 2 - Epilepsy is NOT ... Read more »
Giveaway: Peekeeper
Have you ever heard of a fashionable diaper? Me neither. There is a reason they are not considered haute couture. Nonetheless, there is a time and place for everything, and our canine friends may sometimes find themselves in need of one as well. Incontinent dogs, submissive urinators who sprinkle everywhere, and dogs in heat are just a couple examples of the type of dog who might find themselves bundled up in doggie depends. Dog diapers, in addition to being just silly looking, are a bit ... Read more »
Fear of flying
Caroline from Ezri Dog shares her experience with the hassle of trying to bring a pet into the UK. After dealing with this a few times myself- it's a nightmare! I have only this to say: Pay one of those services that will help you get organized, or commit to doing a ton of research. They are very, very particular. Thank you to Caroline for this great post and good luck to you both with the move! In just 3 1/2 weeks, I have to put my puppy on a plane. In cargo. Before we decided to get a ... Read more »
