I think we spend so much time panicking about what not to feed our pets that we're forgetting to focus on what they should be eating. Well, that's the million dollar question, isn't it? What should my dog be eating? It's not an answer you'll get a lot of agreement upon. In fact, if you're into trolling internet chat rooms and like to see bloody melees, I highly recommend going to a raw diet message board and posting how Old Roy rocks. Or vice versa. This is a topic people get downright ... Read more »
Kekoa
Holiday Road- Part One
We survived our 10 day vacation- 5 on the road, 5 at the lake. I'm not sure the proportion of driving to vacation is one I'd consider optimal, but all things said and done I'm really glad we got the chance to make the trip. For all intents and purposes, we covered the entire expanse of the I-5 from Mexico to Canada: 1400 miles and change each way. The dogs look so excited and happy at the start of the trip. To be fair, they always look this way. ... Read more »
The Koa Chronicles: Week One
Dear Diary: This week I started my diet. I was pretty sad about that because I watched my mom diet the last few months and she was crabby and yelled all the time. I don't want that, really. But the little boy who lives here called me squishy and I don't like that either. Mom used some food-in-a-box for a while and I have to be honest, it smelled kind of gross- and I'm a dog. Brody used to eat the cardboard boxes and leave the food behind. Diets are bad news, I say. I think maybe she ... Read more »
The Biggest Loser- Dog Edition!
When I was in my senior year of vet school, a beagle presented to the orthopedics service for a surgery consultation. The complaint: My dog can't walk. The door opened, and in walked a person, dragging a little red wagon behind her. Splayed out inside was the most obese pet I have seen in my life: a 68 pound beagle. His eyes, nearly buried in layers of fat, peeked out sadly as he huffed and puffed, pleading: help. The surgeons rolled that dog right on out of the room and down the hall to ... Read more »
The Hairy Hambone
As you may have heard, this weekend marked the annual Comic-Con. What this means in practice is that over 100,000 of the world's hardiest hardcore nerds descend upon our fair city, bringing with them their finest Storm Trooper costumes and zombie paraphernalia. Each year my husband, a lifelong attendee, takes this opportunity to bring out his dusty boxes of comics from his youth to flip through them and figure out if any of them are worth anything. They never are. In honor of this festive ... Read more »
Product Review: Alopaw Hawaiian Dog Treats
We recently received a bag of Alopaw Hawaiian Dog Treats for the pups. Founder Shannon created her vegan treats after learning her adorable black lab Kona was born with a liver shunt and would require a very specialized diet. So we receive a bag of treats from a dog named Kona, with a picture of a black lab on the front- is there any question who should get to do the product review? My husband and I were just discussing how Koa deserved to be featured a little more than she has ... Read more »
Picture of the Week
... Read more »
Wheat Thin Theater: Pinocchio Faces Monstro
A scene from Pinocchio, starring Brody, Koa and a tasty Wheat Thin. Upon returning home, Jiminy and Pinocchio find the workshop empty and soon learn from a letter by the Blue Fairy that Geppetto, while venturing out to sea to rescue Pinocchio from Pleasure Island, had been swallowed by a giant whale named Monstro. Geppetto: Pinocchio! Where are you, my boy? Geppetto: Uh oh. ... Read more »
Happy North American Independence Week!
Does that cover it? Well, whatever you celebrate, I hope it's a great one, and if you're not celebrating anything, feel free to come on over because we're grilling. ... Read more »
The Koa Blues
Poor Koa had a rough week. It started with her sad day at doggie daycare. Then, we had a birthday party for my son at the house, and she had to join Brody in my bedroom due to a couple of dog-phobic preschoolers. THEN, as soon as the day wound down we had a little earthquake. It wasn't her week. She sits there with such a hangdog look on her face all the time. She is a natural blues song. I woke up this morning, Had myself some kibble- Woke up sore this morning, Brody tried to ... Read more »
I’ll get you, my pretty! And your little warts too!
Today, I decided little Kekoa might enjoy a day at doggie daycare. Why not? I had a reservation I wasn't going to be able to use for Brody anyway. Why is that, do you ask? Poor Brody is persona non grata at doggie daycare. You see, he has warts. Canine viral papillomas, to be more specific- a common affliction in dogs, seen most often in young pups who go to dog parks, or, erm, doggie daycares. So no matter that this very place is the most likely reason he got it in the first place, until ... Read more »
Party animals!
*I don't know what is going on with Flickr- the pictures are randomly not showing up here and there- each time I refresh different ones become available. Hopefully it will be working more normally later on. Curses!! I divided the weekend pictures into two parts but I'm actually going in reverse chronological order. The first part, "Baking With Brody", will go up later this week because a couple people asked for the recipe for his birthday cake. The second part is just us being silly having ... Read more »
On safari: It’s Good to be King
It's springtime on the savannah, and our Goldenbeast is growing up. With his first birthday rapidly approaching, the Goldenbeast is reveling in his newfound authority, standing on the precipice of adulthood just as springtime waits to ascend into summer. He has, for example, taken ownership of prime savannah real estate. ... Read more »
Young Lambs
The spring is coming by a many signs; The trays are up, the hedges broken down, ... Read more »
Humiliations Galore
To say it was an eventful weekend would be a bit of a understatement. This weekend was action-packed. However, I'm exhausted by all of it and I just want to enjoy my chocolate coma, so I'll leave all of that for later and for the moment, simply share the family tradition of humiliating the pets with festive holiday wear: Koa tolerates this, as with all things, with good humor. We will sit nicely but only if you promise great rewards. For Brody, liver treats will do the trick. In ... Read more »
Things to smile about: Fetching Tags
I had NO idea I had so many knowledgeable chicken experts reading this blog. Truly, thank you for the encouragement and all the fantastic links. I have my work cut out for me. I even found out my receptionist is on a similar chicken kick and she pointed me to a place that is selling 8 month old laying hens. Score! There are all sorts of things that put me in a good mood this week. I put new tags on everyone's collars, and they are seriously, seriously cute tags. Since people tend to frown on ... 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 »
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 »
