My son, like all 3 year olds, is a bit of a drama queen. A bump on the noggin is a traumatic head injury. A bruise requires a band-aid, ice, and a popsicle. And on a daily basis, he is mauled, devoured, and eviscerated by the dog. "AUUGGGHHH!" he will scream, an ear-splitting curdle that ricochets around the surrounding hills. "BRODEEEEE'S BIIITING MEEEEEEEEEEEE!" Invariably, this involves Brody doing a little bit of the harmless but annoying mouthing that puppies do when they are still ... Read more »
Product Review PLUS Giveaway! Teddy’s Pride oral care
Good morning, everyone. Rise and shine. I'm sure none of you are reading this with an ice pack on your head, pouring hot coffee down your green-stained throat and wondering how the heck you're going to make it into work today. I'm sure none of you do that kind of thing. My days of waking up with a pounding head and cotton mouth are long gone- eons gone, really- at least so far as hangovers are concerned. I still have to contend with that whole morning breath thing, though- not mine, but that ... Read more »
When Irish eyes are smilin’
Did you know Emmett's original name was Seamus? He was a right red lad, that he was. And each day, Brody looks more and more like him. I wouldn't have chosen that- in fact I was pretty clear I did NOT want that- but now that he's here, I wouldn't have it any other way. And trust me, that little leprechaun is an Irish rogue through and through. So in honor of St. Patrick's Day, I will once again impose upon you with my bad poetry skills. Limericks, of course. Remember, there is no such ... Read more »
Sometimes you just need a fresh perspective
We got a visit today from one of my favorite families. They brought in their sweet kitty Boca because she had a cough. The family had recently been sick, and based on what they saw on the news with H1N1 they were concerned that Boca might have the flu. The owners wrung their hands nervously as I opened Boca's carrier. I was immediately assaulted with...something strong, sort of like Febreze. I sniffed the carrier. I sniffed the cat. They both smelled equally strong. Boca did indeed have an ... Read more »
On Safari: Herd Management
No single person has a more challenging job at the reserve than the game warden. His role is to maintain healthy populations that remain diverse. Every so often, this includes the introduction of a new species into daily life on the savannah. ... Read more »
Picture of the week
Perfecting the irresistible eyebrow raise at an early age is a Golden specialty. ... Read more »
New frontiers
Do you know Batman the cancer dog? I didn't either, until today, when I read that he died. This is sad news, but also one that represents a great victory. Batman was diagnosed with an incurable brain tumor in 2008; according to the news article, the same type as that which took Senator Ted Kennedy- a glioblastoma. Average survival time for a human: about one year. The senator survived 15 months. Batman survived 19 months. Needless to say, most pets with a diagnosis of cancer live ... Read more »
The path to hell is paved with good intentions
The local news has been buzzing for the last day with the news of a local woman arrested on suspicion of felony animal neglect. According to the animal control officers on the scene, she had about 60 dogs in a 750 square foot 2 bedroom house. Now here's where it gets fuzzy: this wasn't your typical animal hoarder situation. The woman in this case runs a rescue out of her house, and by all indications was genuinely trying to rehabilitate and adopt out the animals. In fact, the reason animal ... Read more »
Dueling dognose
Husband took out the camera this weekend to submit Kekoa to a family tradition, the fish-eye lens close up. She turned on her "soulful" eyes and readily complied. Brody does not like the competition, if his startled expression is any indication. He continues to be a bit nonplussed at the new addition, but he's getting better. I mean really, who could resist this face? ... Read more »
Fleas and novel control ideas not to try
Fleas stink. No doubt about it. They make your pet miserable, you miserable, they carry parasites, and they're gross. Worse still, once they take up residence in your home, they can be very difficult to get rid of. Why is that? ... Read more »
Product Review: World’s Best Cat Litter
I have to admit, I don't spend a great deal of time thinking about cat litter. Some of this is by design- when I was pregnant in 2004, I told my husband he had to change the cat litter because otherwise MY ENTIRE PREGNANCY WAS AT RISK (which, by the way, is not entirely true- one needs to take precautions, true, but changing litter during pregnancy isn't an automatic Toxoplasmosis infection.) Anyway, I left out that last part because I was happy to have an excuse to hand over litter duties, ... Read more »
Mea culpa
You know I don't write on the weekends very often, but given my post on Friday I wanted to make sure to come back and give credit where credit is due. We just got back from Circus Vargas with 2 tired and happy kids. I can't believe how much the show has changed from what I remember! It was more like Cirque du Soleil than the old school three-ring circus, with aerialists, trapeze artists, and unique acts from different corners of the world. Plus popcorn. I didn't miss the animals (obviously) ... Read more »
Picture of the Week
A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, a puppy slumbered very cutely. He dreams of being a shar-pei. ... Read more »
All the World’s a Circus
“To me, clowns aren't funny. In fact, they're kind of scary. I've wondered where this started and I think it goes back to the time I went to the circus and a clown killed my dad.” -Jack Handy In my post about the Sea World tragedy last week, I mentioned how my friends have pretty much stopped inviting me on any Sea World trips. At least when I decline, I'm nice about it. However, I neglected to mention the e-mail response I sent to the well meaning woman in my mom's group who suggested ... Read more »
You have to hope things happen for a reason
1 month into my career as a vet, a client walked into an exam room with Mulan and tried to get me to euthanize her because she was allergic to fleas. At the time, I thought that sort of thing happened all the time, someone showing up in your hospital with your very favorite breed of pet, needing to give them up. It never happened to me again. I have to believe our paths were meant to cross (especially since my not-so-sentimental colleague at the time might very well have obliged her ... Read more »
Appearance is everything
After Emmett died, some of the hardest times for me were the quiet nights when my husband was out of town on business. Besides the companionship (yes, that was the only time he was allowed on the bed), I missed the comfort of having a fluffy, well-attuned barking machine keeping a keen eye and ear out for me 24/7. ... Read more »
Bad for me, good for you
My childhood dog was a Lhasa Apso named Taffy. For the first 8 months of life on the East Coast, she was an adorable ragamuffin of flopsy adorableness. Then- we moved to California. In the warm Southern California climate, flea season is year round. And over the next few months, Taffy became Scrappy. Her long lustrous fur fell out, to be replaced with that hyperlichenified elephant skin indicative of massive irritation. Her skin was one raw welt. The only way to keep her comfortable was to ... Read more »
Weekend in pictures
Kekoa is perpetually smiling. She is a happy girl. ... Read more »
