You can make a quick flea shampoo by adding a small dropperful of Listerine to your regular dog shampoo. Like any flea shampoo you will want to make sure you keep it out of the eyes and don't let your dog eat the lather.(I once had a dog named Yushi who was adamant about eating shampoo lather, so much so that I had to tie her muzzle with a nylon stocking to bathe her).If you use a topical flea treatment it will make it somewhat less effective. I don't recommend using flea shampoo of any type, natural or ...
This week I have had three different women confide in me that they were overwhelmed and exhausted by the massive work required in their canine rescue efforts.I see these Mother Theresas' of the dog world give of themselves day in and day out, often risking marriages, friendships, and personal finances. They do it not for personal satisfaction, but because there is a need.The stream of dogs in dire need seems endless, and it is.Senior dogs, dogs with medical needs, dogs abandoned for no apparent reason, d...
This weekend, Gilby and I attended our local Christmas Flea Market along with literally thousands of other people. Gilby insisted on walking and despite my qualms of letting a toy dog walk in a crowd I let him have his way. As a Certified Therapy Dog he was remarkable at manuvering among the throngs of people, wheelchairs, power scooters, shopping carts, walkers, large dogs and kids. In fact, his small size seemed to make him a kid magnet.We had stopped for a while to chat with my friend Larry who is a s...
When Gilby was pulled out of the dog pound, his coat looked groomed but it had been brushed only on top leaving a mass of matted coat underneath, his tail had dreadlocks and a couple friends suggested shaving him down and starting over If you have read this blog for any time you know I am against shaving down dogs, not only does it put them at risk of skin cancer but most dogs don't like it either. Gilby had suffered enough trauma. His jaw had been broken, his side teeth had been filed to nubs to help...
Someone sent me this rant a while back...it is depressing but true. I have often wondered why they call them 'Shelters'.. The shelter worker who wrote this obviously is refering to kill shelters which more often than not is your local animal control facility. I am illustrating this post with a picture of local singer songwriter Emmylou Harris. She rescues the dogs that no one else wants out of a local pound. Her rescue, named Bonapartes' Retreat has saved the live of many an unwanted dog and found him a...
If I were to tell you that the happy Japanese Chin boy pictured above was in need of rescue, that he was a Certified AKC Canine Good Citizen, a Certified Therapy Dog, in robust health with no allergies, no dental disease, hips, eyes , knees and elbows in excellent condition, was microchipped, fully vetted, neutered, up to date on his vaccinations, doesn't bark,,was fully housebroken AND pottied on command then you would say he was highly adoptable, right? If so, you would be WRONG.I sprung this dog out o...
Recently I lost my beautiful little frog prince, my best friend, Puff. He was my whole world and losing him has been almost unbearable. The loss has been made worse because after his death I got his medical records and found the new vet clinic had diagnosed and treated him based on some other dogs medical records. I am too upset to write about it now , I know some people I associate with don't understand the intense hurt inside that can come from losing a dog, I literally feel as though a part of me has ...
I am a real bargain hound and that means I do a lot of flea market shopping. Pretty much any product you desire can be found for your dog at a local flea market, crates, bowls, blankets, beds, toys, grooming supplies,clothes, collars and leashes are all to be found brand spanking new at a flea market. My local flea market boasts over a dozen vendors specializing in dog products. This lady and her lovely Toy Poodle are taking advantage of the bargains at Pet Tags Plus, a booth run by Sandra Wells. Sandr...
When I was a child our family lived across the street from a man named Leonard Holland. Mr. Holland raised German Shepherd Dogs specifically for the military. Each litter was kept until they reached young adulthood and then they went to join their military handlers for training.You have no idea how facinated I was as a child with Mr. Holland and his beautiful dogs. When Mr. Holland showed me how to fix their dinner of baked kibble and raw meat and supplements I tried to memorize the ingredients...when he...
My maternal grandmother was a sleek, well heeled sophisticate considered one of Londons' most stylish... ...in contrast, the most frequent memory of my fathers' mother is that of her churning butter, and the sweet/sour creaminess of the leftover buttermilk. Buttermilk today is most often made with bacterial cultures and skim milk, making it a good substitute for yogurt and it has been a staple in my dogs' diets for years. I once attended a long dog show circuit where Parvo was rampant. At that time, the ...
