Tag: dog

Happy Mother’s Day!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTS2 Comments

Let me start of by saying how thankful I am for having such an awesome mom. She’s the coolest of all moms, funny, sweet, loving and strong. Very, very strong. I bet she doesn’t realize that (do you mom?)… Anyone that can get through cancer is a tough cookie, and to go through it with a great attitude is a big accomplishment, as well as being such an inspiration. I think I’m going to start calling my mom “Grace”… she’s got lots of it!

I’m also thankful for my mother-in-law. I know there are the standard jokes about mother-in-laws being dragon ladies… I lucked out (again) and got a super sweet lady, just like me, hee…

I know some of you no longer have your moms… I’m so sorry, holidays can be so tough. I hope you are able to keep your mom in all your good thoughts. You do know she can still hear you when you talk to her, right? That’s a small comfort…

Lots of you are mom’s… hard work no doubt. Personally, I’m a dog mom. The cards didn’t fall in my favor with the ‘having a kid’ thing, so Mother’s Day has it’s moments for me as well… But I am Charlie’s mom (woof)… and I’m a good dog mom, ha ha… (PSSST, Charlie you’re a lucky dog!)

H A P P Y  M O T H E R’ S  D A Y ! ! !

Come on Charlie, lets go play in the sprinkler! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Vintage Image via: VintageScrapbooking.blogspot.com

Photos: Time to act crazy with the sprinkler!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME8 Comments

Well, it’s that time of year A L R E A D Y ! Time to play in the sprinkler… Time to get hosed off after your morning walk because it’s so warm… Crazy weather. Am hoping it doesn’t get any warmer (yeah, right!). It seems that everyone has weird weather right now. For most of us we simply cannot complain. It’s beautiful!

Ahhh, show those teeth Charlie! The beast gets a little crazy when he gets wet!

Ok, it’s time to calm down… time to go run laps I N S I D E the house… ahhhh… happy weekend!

Catch you back here tomorrow!

Hydrogen Peroxide to the rescue! Always keep this in the house… helps to induce vomiting in dogs.

On By Barbara StroudIn HEALTHLeave a comment
Image: Amazon.com

Eyeeeew. I know. Let me start by saying the beast got ahold of an OTC cold medication while we weren’t looking. He didn’t have it long, just long enough. Eek, two pills gone and one out of the foil wrapper but intact. Couldn’t remember if a human popped it out of it’s airtight little seal or if the beast did it. We called the vet (very important step), he acted fine, BUT because of what this cold medication was we were told that unless we were 100% certain that he did NOT ingest any of it we needed to induce vomiting. Great. We were 99% sure he didn’t get to anything. We are oh so careful, but darn it… despite your best intentions he gets ahold of something anyway. We were told to induce vomiting with Hydrogen Peroxide (the regular 3% kind you get at the drug store), the vet told us the amount to give and to wait ten minutes, if no vomiting, repeat. Of course we had to repeat, then give a little water, then run around the yard to get it moving into his stomach and then whew… “it” happened. NO PILLS. Thank goodness, but better to be safe rather than sorry. He probably won’t trust us for a while, we’re both getting what we call “stink eye”. This dog has the uncanny ability to give a dirty look. Great! None of that “I love you no matter what” with Charlie!

Bottom line (if you’re a dog owner) I think it’s really important to have HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, and it’s extra nice to have an oral syringe, we used a ceramic chinese soup spoon. Best thing we had in a pinch. It wasn’t pretty. But it worked.

So be prepared… you don’t want to have to run to the store when you really can’t leave the beast alone!

Here’s a blip from dogs.about.com (click HERE for full article)

If you believe that your dog has ingested a dangerous substance, it is essential to act right away. However, you should never induce vomiting without first speaking with a veterinary professional. Begin by calling a veterinarian’s office or an animal poison control hotline. You should have the package and a sample of the toxin with you during the phone call, if available. The quicker you can explain what your pet ate, the faster therapy can begin.

After reaching a veterinary professional, he or she will advise you of the next steps. If the recommendation is to induce vomiting, you will most likely to be instructed to orally administer a small amount of hydrogen peroxide. It is a good idea to keep a supply of hydrogen peroxide in your home at all times. Syringes may also be very useful for administering the solution by mouth. The recommended dosage may vary depending on the type of dog you have and the present situation. Be sure to follow the instructions for the amount and frequency of hydrogen peroxide doses. In some cases, you will be advised to follow up with your primary veterinarian, but many times you will be told to rush to your veterinarian or an emergency veterinarian right away.

ALERT NOTE: Inducing vomiting is not always the correct method after ingestion of a dangerous substance. In some cases, vomiting can cause very severe consequences. DO NOT attempt to induce vomiting before calling for assistance. Always follow the instructions given to you by a veterinary professional.

Important Contact Information to Keep Handy

In case of toxin exposure, keep a list of important phone numbers in a visible, easily accessible location. Be sure pet sitters and other people who might be in your home are aware of the location of the list. The following phone numbers should be included:

  1. Your primary veterinarian
  2. One or more nearby 24-hour veterinary emergency clinics
  3. ASPCA Poison Control: (888) 426-4435 ($50 fee)
  4. Animal Poison Hotline: 888-232-8870 ($35 fee)
  5. Pet Poison Hotline: 800-213-6680 ($35 fee)
  6. An emergency contact number for you and your dog’s co-owner (if applicable).
So go add Hydrogen Peroxide to your grocery list now… and I’ll catch you back here tomorrow!

Life is good when you’re chillin’ chewing on something tough and stinky… and your name is Charlie…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOMELeave a comment
 
Image: Amazon.com

These tough chewy things are out of this world good… well, I specifically wouldn’t know, but Charlie our Jack Russell knows his treats, and these things can’t be beat. This brand is by Redbarn and they’re called Bully Springs. We were told they’re like steak to a dog… Hmmm, the little beast has a nightly ritual, he sits by ‘his drawer’ waiting for his ‘bully bully’ which he has the biggest time with and then gets up and goes and eats his dinner… followed by a ring of the bells at the back door and few laps around the house at about 50MPH then crashes into a deep sleep… all I know is that we cannot run out of these things. OR. ELSE. We’ll have to give up food before we give up bully’s. Ha… we’re hoping he grows out of it, yeah, right!

Enjoy your tough chewy treat! Catch you back here tomorrow!

Birthday gift idea: a gold chain for his furry chest…

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment
Happy 2 year birthday Charlie!! You’ve turned out to be an angel… thank you God!

I can’t seem to come up with a good excuse, other than the fact that time got away from me… I have good intentions but I get stuck in my everyday routine and completely forget the important things sometimes. Argh! It’s our little beast’s two year birthday today. I really wanted to find him a nice gold chain, maybe with a peace sign or something, to hang on his furry little chest. Hee hee… Can you imagine. Kind of like something for a furry man maybe in the 70’s with the shirt unbuttoned low (mid-life-crisis look), ok, maybe a little too disco… humph! I think we’ll order him a box of bully springs that he loves to chew on and call it a day! I need to find his birthday hat, it’s here somewhere. Last year I was in Michigan, so it was a challenge for me to get it on AND snap a picture in the nano second that he left it on…  We love this little guy. Things started out a little rough. He’s never been bad, just so afraid of everything. Of me, of Fred, of the outside, the fire hydrant, the grass and on and on… slowly (and with the encouragement of cooked chicken pieces) he’s learned not to be afraid of things… he’s definitely NOT afraid of other dogs. He’s the official Walmart greeter, he greets every dog no matter where we go, it’s the sweetest thing to watch. Now people, hmmm, it’s a slow process and they definitely have to EARN his affection. This can take time, but it’s worth the wait. He’s a special little beast. And WOOHOO CHARLIE, it’s raining today… NO WALK IN THE HEAT TODAY! (Don’t feel too sorry for him, he gets walked practically before the sun comes up and then he flies into the backyard where he jumps up on the teak table waiting to be hosed off to cool down. This dog has so much personality…  He is accepting cards and gifts, hee hee… HAPPY 2 YEAR BIRTHDAY CHARLIE!

 
Here’s one of the pictures from the breeder… it was love at first site…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
When I told him he was being neutered...
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ahhh, went through LOTS of TP!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Last year's birthday pic!
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Ahhh, yes, I am thankful that he’s grown up some. We can now have toilet paper on the roll instead of up high out of his reach. It’s the little things in life, ha ha… Truly, Charlie is a joy to be around, and I can’t imagine how quiet things would be here without him! Happy birthday Beast!
 
If you are one of the few that hasn’t heard about Charlie’s blog (from his first year), if you want a laugh, click HERE… I wish I could publish that into a book!
Catch you back here tomorrow!

YO BIRDIE, IT’S ME… CHARLIE!

On By Barbara StroudIn HOME, THOUGHTSLeave a comment

What’s one thing you like to do on a Sunday? One thing we like to do is take Charlie (JRT) to the James Island County Dog Park. We had heard so much about this specific dog park, then we decided to check it out… The dog park is separated for small dogs under 25 pounds, which is where we started with Charlie… He finally graduated to the “big dog” side where there is a LOT of land to run, there is water to stand in to cool (he’s not a swimmer yet, but he will go stand in the water and maybe do a few paddles, even when it’s brutally cold!). If you have a dog do you take it to the dog park? if not, give it a try some time, you meet (mostly) nice people and the dogs are awesome to watch!
Charlie and his PBGB friend, Birdie…


See the water in the distance… This is where ALL the dogs are in the summer… In the winter everyone is really hoping they DON’T, but they always do…


This was his running buddy this past week… This dog was hilarious, would jump over smaller dogs while he was running…


This is what he looks like after soaking in the nice cold water then running and rolling in sand… The sun in his hair, he’s having the time of his life!