5 Things Every Dog Owner Should Know

When I first brought Ares home I was a completely novice dog owner. Sure I had been around dogs before. I knew you had to feed them and walk them and train them where to go potty. But there were so many things I didn’t know and had to learn along the way. I now am the proud mama of 2 precious pups and there are some pretty great tips I’ve discovered over the last few years. While I certainly think the better safe than sorry attitude is most often warranted, sometimes I think we can jump the gun on rushing to the vet. Our furbabies are family and we want the best for them but there are times when you can actually DIY. So here are 5 things I think every dog owner should know.

I’ve posted before about how to make your dog vomit. It’s certainly not a pleasant topic but something all dog owners should be aware of. A great article that is simple and to the point can be found here. If you have a dog you know without a doubt they are going to put things in their mouths they aren’t supposed to. It’s just how they explore their environment and keep themselves entertained. Most of the time it’s something harmless or you can catch him before he swallows the offending object. But there are times when your sweet furbaby might get a hold of something potentially dangerous and you don’t get there in time to stop her from ingesting it. You have about 2 hours that whatever was eaten can still be thrown up as it only remains in the stomach for about that length of time. If you think it’s been longer then don’t bother with this and go straight to the vet. You should also know what it was that your dog ate. Again, if you aren’t sure then don’t make him toss his cookies. I’m saying you should call your vet immediately but in a pinch, or if this has happened before and you called and had a veterinarian walk you through the process, then this could possibly save your dog’s life or at least prevent surgical intervention. Keep hydrogen peroxide in your home at all times. Of course we know it sanitizes but it also can make your pooch projectile vomit. Nice, huh? The rule of thumb is 1ml per pound of body weight but do not exceed 45 lbs even if your dog weighs more than that. It’s easiest to measure with a syringe and if you are lucky you can pop it in the corner of your dog’s mouth and shoot it down his throat. Otherwise you’ll have to improvise and mix it with something delicious like yogurt or peanut butter. Try to get your dog up and moving if possible and whatever she ate should come back up within about 15 minutes. If not, you can do a second dose. We have had to make Chaos do this a few times and have been so relieved when it worked. Then again, let’s not forget the ring incident. Parents of the year right here.

If your dog has an upset tummy (whether it be coming out one end, both, or won’t come at all) some human foods can do the trick to get your pup back on track. Pumpkin is kind of amazing in that it can both help with a dog who is stopped up or one who can’t stop going. Just mix some in with your dog’s food or give it to him straight up. Yogurt can also help restore balance to the digestive tract. Make sure it’s non-fat and plain and you can even add this to one of your dog’s daily meals like we do. If it seems pretty bad but not to the point of being severe you can skip a feeding or if you free feed just withhold food for about a half a day. Your dog might act like it’s the end of the world but it’s really not a problem for him to miss one meal. Then just boil some chicken and cook up some plain brown rice for the next meal or maybe the next several until his body can get back on track. Chaos is not a picky eater but Ares can be and they both devour all these foods. I think even if your dog is really specific about her food, she will still go for these ones but if not, call the vet!

Coconut oil is pure magic. I have used it on myself for a while but recently found out it’s great for dogs too. Both Ares and Chaos have had skin issues. Ares had Demodex Mange as a puppy and although his immune system finally developed enough to kick those mites to the curb he still suffers from dry skin from time to time. And if you’ve been following the blog you know how bad Chaos’s allergies are. Coconut oil nourishes both internally and externally. This is exactly the kind of product we need for a dog who has both contact dermatitis as well as a respiratory response to allergies. It can be applied topically on skin or given with food to ingest. Dogs LOVE the taste of it so if you put it on your dog’s skin be aware he very well may lick it off. But you’re still covered either way, it will just take a little longer to work from the inside.

Some of the medicines you keep in your cabinet can also be given to your dog. Benadryl allergy is always in our arsenal because it really works and fast. We have seen Chaos at the onset of an allergic reaction as the hives start to appear and given him the pills and within about 10 minutes they are all but gone. Unfortunately his allergies are so severe we can’t just use this in place of prescription allergy meds on a daily basis but it definitely has saved us some trips to the ER. Benadryl is also safe to take with other medications so that’s a big score for us. Follow the 1mg per pound of dog every 8 hours rule or read this article for further uses. Imodium is another human medication we have given our dogs. The first time Chaos had a really upset tummy (he’s just sensitive all around, poor guy) I took him to vet. We went home with instructions to skip his next 2 meals, then feed him boiled chicken and brown rice with a side of Imodium, make sure to give him plenty of water and keep an eye on him. Worked like a charm. This one should only be used for about 2 days and if pup isn’t perking up, get to the vet asap. Give 0.5 – 1mg every 8 hours. Dogs are often better at hiding their pain than humans, but that doesn’t mean they don’t feel it just the same.

This one is the most important so pay attention. Dogs love human food. Duh. But many kinds of human food can be extremely harmful to your dog, or even fatal. Yikes. Chocolate is probably the most commonly recognized food that is a no no for dogs. But while your dog definitely shouldn’t eat it, there are other foods that are far more dangerous. Cocoa has to be ingested in fairly high amounts (based on weight) to do any damage. I remember at my parents’ Christmas Eve party 2 years ago I found Chaos downstairs vacuuming up fallen red and green M&Ms like there was no tomorrow. Naturally I flipped out and was sure we were going to spend Christmas Eve at the ER. Well Chaos was about 50 lbs at the time and a few little M&Ms didn’t do anything but make him stupid happy. But there are some unsuspecting foods that could definitely have negative effects on your dog. Like raisins. They are often in snack mixes and cookies that might not seem like a big deal to you, but if your dog gets a hold of even a few it could spell disaster, aka acute kidney failure, and fast. It’s certainly your choice as a pet parent whether or not to feed your furbaby from the table, use human foods as treats or share your ice cream, but for his well-being and safety, choose to educate yourself on what he shouldn’t have. Click here for a full list of dangerous foods to dogs.

I have to implicitly state that you should absolutely seek medical attention for your dog if you think there is a major problem. I am also not licensed in any way to give veterinary advice, I am simply using our experiences to arm you with information. And for your peace of mind, here are the numbers for the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center (888-426-4435), or the Pet Poison Helpline (855-213-6680). I know how terrible it is to come face to face with a bad situation involving your furry munchkin and  feel like you are unequipped to help. The best thing you can do is try to stay calm and remember these tips. But if that fails, do what I used to do. Freak out, put the furball in the car and drive like Ricky Bobby to the vet’s office or nearest ER. Hey, sometimes that’s just the way it goes.  

My Cat from Outer Space

Animal Planet lovers, you’ve probably at least seen previews for episodes of the series My Cat From Hell with Jackson Galaxy aka the cat whisperer. Well, thankfully we don’t have one of those, but we do have a cat that seems to be from outer space. His name is Orion, or Little O as we call him.

I didn’t grow up with cats but I was around enough of them to get the gist of the way they operate. While cats can be very affectionate and cuddly, they can also be incredibly sneaky and aloof creatures. I got Piper when I was 16 and she is what I would say embodies a stereotypical feline. She rubs on our legs and purrs in our laps as we pet the top of her head but she can also be moody and broody and put off if  you give the wrong look in her general direction. She’s very much a diva and likes things her way. Occasionally she’s a plate licker or chicken nibbler but overall human food is pretty safe around her. And she never cared too much for dogs, or any other creatures for that matter. Her behavior is what I had come to expect from a cat. And then I met O.

 O was about 4 months old when I rescued his little orange butt from SAAP. I was told he was born into foster care and spent those first months of his life with several other foster animals, mostly dogs and even some rats! It was immediately clear he was extremely people friendly, even with strangers as he came right to me the day I went to check him out (okay I knew the whole time he was coming home with me). His first night in his new home went very well but I was pretty surprised that the first thing he did was march right up to Chaos and introduce himself. He was obviously quite comfortable with dogs and didn’t mind in the least when Ares play bowed and hopped on him seconds after they said hello. But Piper, that was another story.

 I knew we needed to take it slower with Pipes since he was a young male cat and she was used to being not only the sole cat in the house, but the alpha female. He was cautious around her at first, and she ignored him. But slowly they started to figure each other out. These days he irritates the crap out of her on a daily basis being the rambunctious 2 year old that he is and she does not hesitate to let him know how she feels. Girlfriend is very vocal when she’s pissed. But the next minute they are grooming each other and sharing the couch. Sibling rivalry. 

 Over the year and half or so that Little O has lived with us we’ve come to learn that not only is he extremely different than Piper, he is quite odd compared to our experience with other cats. He’s never encountered a human he was afraid of or didn’t want to meet. If you come into our house, stranger or not, be prepared for him to come say hello. He plays with the dogs, often like dogs play together as opposed to a cat playing with a dog. If I am throwing a toy for Ares (Chaos isn’t big on fetch) O will sometimes join in the game running with Ares to get the toy and then following him to bring it back to me. He even snuggles up with the dogs with no fear of being eaten in his sleep. One time I was letting Ares out to potty and that little stinker somehow got past me standing in the doorway and promptly lifted his leg to pee, just like his doggie brother. We don’t normally let the cats outside so I’m not sure if he would ever do it again but it was pretty shocking to say the least. Little O is also not very graceful. Piper can sneak up like nobody’s business and scare the living daylights of you. You can hear or see O coming pretty much all the time. No one is ever going to call him graceful. He get is from his mama. And you cannot leave food out…any kind of food. He does not care if it’s dog food, strawberries, a chocolate chip cookie or salad. This cat will eat anything and everything. We also have to be careful with any kind of wires. Since O has Pica, an incurable disorder that makes him chew things that aren’t food, we have to make sure we don’t leave the computer charger within his reach or similar cords. He has not only one, but twice chomped right through my laptop charger cord, which costs about $80 to replace.

 He drives us insane half the time with his antics but then he turns around and climbs up on my lap to snuggle into my chest and I just don’t care what else he did that day. He’s definitely not your typical cat, and probably not even in the normal range for cat behavior, but we love him anyway. He’s our cat from outer space.

Easy Breezy Summertime

Sorry it's been so quiet lately, there just hasn't been much time in my schedule for blogging. There hasn't been much time for a lot of things I normally do so I've been cutting corners wherever I can. Summer will soon officially be here and tis the season to keep it carefree, right? So today I'm sharing a few things that I'm loving for an easy breezy summertime. 

Smoothies - I love, love, love fruit. As far as I know I haven't met a fruit I didn't like. It's such a refreshing food for summertime and easy to eat on the go or pack for lunch. One of my favorite ways to eat fruit is actually to drink it. The simplest healthy yet delicious way to do it is just tossing some frozen or fresh fruit into a blender with your choice of milk. I really like to do mango peach or banana berry smoothies with vanilla almond milk. 

Yogurt Bars - On the occasions that I do eat dairy, I like to make it count. I got a coupon in the mail for Outshine yogurt bars and decided to give them a try. The strawberry is delicious and definitely feels like eating dessert. These are such a perfect summertime treat.

Tie Head Bands - I used to wear the plastic headbands when I was younger and I loved them. But after wearing them for a little while they start to dig into the skin behind your ears and it hurts! I recently discovered these (feathers / floral / dots) fabric tie head bands in so many fun patterns and colors. They are so cute and take just a few seconds to tie up with a messy bun or top knot. No styling tools required and minimal effort while still looking put together is just what summer is all about.

Coconut Oil - I started using coconut oil on my face last year. Yes, I felt really silly buying the jar in the baking section at Kroger, but I LOVE it. A tiny bit goes a long way and I love how moisturized and soft it leaves my face. I tend to wear even less make-up than I normally would during the summer so a good moisturizer is key for keeping my skin in top condition. 

Sunscreen - I have sensitive skin on my face and most sunscreens make it feel like it's on fire. Neutrogena with helioplex goes on just like a facial moisturizer, so it's not greasy, and doesn't irritate my skin at all. It absorbs right away and I don't have to worry about any white streaks on my face. I wear it daily under any make-up or alone even if I don't plan to be outside very much. Protecting the delicate skin on your face against harmful UV rays is no joke.

What are some things that help you get into those carefree summer vibes?

The Big News and Our Weekend

If you’ve been reading lately you know that there was an issue with the buyer’s financing on the sale of our condo and we were waiting (not so patiently) to find out what the verdict would be. Thankfully we found out last weekend that all is good to go and the inspection was scheduled for Wednesday. Okay, okay, on to the bigger news. That Sunday evening Chris and I hopped onto some of our saved home searches and checked for new updates. The first thing I saw confused me. It was the first house we had seen when we started looking online that we really liked and wanted to see but when I sent it to our realtor it had gone pending. I double checked and it was clearly listed as active. The next day I sent it over to our realtor and we found out the sale had fallen through due finance issues with the buyer. We set up an appointment to go look at it in person that night and it was exactly what we wanted. By early Wednesday morning we had a purchase contact. Chris and I are buying are buying a house!

 The deck needs “a little love” as Chris put it and there are some minor things we will need to fix/update but nothing major. Since an inspection had just been done for the previous sale we were able to get a copy of it and by pass having another one done. The house has so much more room for us inside but what really sold us was the yard. Ares and Chaos will finally have over half an acre to run and play around on every day since it is already fenced it. We are set to close on the condo and then turn around and close on the house next month and we are so excited!

In the meantime, iced coffee outside was just what the start of the weekend called for. Chris left to go out of town for work Friday night so I am flying solo for the next 2 weeks (right up to our wedding!). As he was packing the dogs figured out something was up. Ares was beside himself. He loves mommy but Chris is his person. It nearly broke my heart to hear him cry by the door for 2 hours after Chris left. He is still pouting.

Saturday Kristina and I drove about 2 hours south to attend our friend’s wedding. Chris said we would manage to get ourselves lost and I said we would figure it out. Unfortunately he was right. We made it to the little college town no problem, and on time! But finding the chapel was another story. It was on campus, somewhere, but we had no idea which building to look for. At least we weren’t the only ones. We ended up with a little search party of other lost guests and finally found it…after the wedding had already begun. Yes, we were those people opening the back doors of the church just as the bride had made it down the aisle and everyone turned to look at us as the door made the loudest noise ever. Oops. Luckily the bride is a very understanding person and she was beautiful and so, so happy which meant us showing up a little late didn’t matter. Sorry for the crappy photo quality, we couldn’t get good lighting. I assure you it does not do the bride justice. 

Sunday I headed over to my parent’s house to celebrate Mother’s Day and finish some wedding projects. I took Ares and Chaos with me and when we got home in the late afternoon they were pooped. You would have thought they both ran marathons. I think the excitement of going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house just tires them right out. It was nice because I got a chance to relax a little bit too. Now we are back to the grind and counting down days to the wedding!

Happy week everyone!

My Random Life

Life is just all over the place right now so this post will totally reflect the random insanity of it.  Let’s back up to last Friday. I took a phone call at my desk from a man with the thickest British accept accent I’ve heard outside of a movie. I honestly thought maybe someone was playing a joke at me at first. Once I realized dude was legit, we had a nice conversation but in order to save myself from a professional nightmare I had to put the guy on hold. I pretended I need to look something up to help him and then I burst into a fit of giggles I had been holding back. I don’t know why his accent struck me as so funny but those giggles could not be stopped. It was a pretty great start to my day. During my lunch break I ran a few errands and decided to treat myself to Starbucks. When I pulled up I saw the sign for the s’mores Frappuccino and I was sold. It is even more amazing that it sounds and looks put together. Do yourself a favor and go get one. Like ten minutes ago. Ignore the massive amount of calories, I’m telling you it’s totally worth it.

It was a beautiful afternoon and I was psyched to get home and hang with my little family. Unfortunately there were an obnoxious amount of breakdowns scattered down the highway so it took me forever to get home. I couldn’t pop the top off a cold one fast enough. When Chris got home he popped one too and then we got ready to walk the dogs. I thought I would be a total badass and take my beer with me on our walk, so sneakily hidden in my coffee tumbler so I could walk down the busy street. It was a great idea until about 2 miles in I had to pee. Really bad. I knew if I could just make it to the Kroger on our route I could run in there. As we were walking passed a condo complex we passed by a few teenage boys just as a car was coming down the street. The passenger side window was rolled down and all of a sudden a pair of sunglasses was launched toward us and the guy yelled something I won’t repeat at the boys going the other way. They kept walking but the sunglasses fell right in front of Chris and Chaos and Chris was livid. We saw the car turn into the Kroger parking lot and headed that way, sunglasses in tow. When we made it down there the car was parked right in the middle of the lot. I handed Ares over to Chris while I used the bathroom. Completely irrelevant to the story but as I was walking through the store I saw 2 young girls ready to go out in their little black dresses and heels. When I saw myself in the mirror in the bathroom I busted out laughing. I used to be those girls once upon a time but fast forward a few years and there’s me in my sweatshirt falling off my shoulder, old yoga pants and sneakers, no make-up, messy hair, beer in my coffee tumbler on a Friday night. All aboard the hot mess express.

Anyway, when I came out I asked Chris if he was actually going to wait for the kids to come out and he sure was. A few minutes later 2 young guys walked out with a few bags and headed to their car. I hung back a little but Chris walked up to them with Chaos. They looked immediately terrified, I’m not sure if it was more of Chris or Chaos. Chris tried to give them back their sunglasses and they pretended as if they weren’t theirs and then backtracked saying the guys walking down the street were their friends (stuttering and shaking as they spoke). The one kid finally took the sunglasses back and they took off, crossing over rows just so they didn’t have to drive passed us. Chris never said anything mean but he obviously was trying to teach the boys a lesson and I’m pretty sure they got the message. Night made. Still laughing.

Saturday we attended a friend’s wedding and Chris was actually a groomsmen. So you can imagine how excited he was to get up bright and early Sunday morning after all the wedding day festivities. We had lots to do before attending my cousin’s 1^st Communion party. We had planned to cross some more things off our list afterward but the evening was looking too nice not to go home and sit on the patio with some drinks.

 

I hope you are all having a great week. Stay tuned for some exciting news!