Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Dog Reunited with family after car crash

This story on CBS out of Nashville, really got the tears rolling the other day. I've been dying to write about it but life gets in the way (you know what I mean - all the 'other' things we have to do, instead of writing in our blogs!)

Anyway, it seems this family - Mom, Dad, at least 3 kids - memory is a bit fuzzy, but one was an adorable baby - was in a car crash and the emergency folks arrived on the scene and got the humans to the hospital very fast. But, no one thought about the dog! I'm sure the family thought about the dog, but they were likely in shock and worried about the kids. And, I'm not sure, but it's likely the dog was so scared, he ran off into the trees.

Well, the family realized the dog, Ella, was missing and really wanted her back. But, they were not in any shape to go find her. Meanwhile, Ella stayed at the crash scene...and gathered up objects that were from the crash, like a toothpaste tube, and a comb, and other items from the family. And, she brought them into the woods, by a tree...and she stayed there. She waited, and she waited, and she kept those little items of her family nearby and she ... waited.

Scratchings & Sniffings Out Loud with Dr. Grace: The Myth of Grocery Store Pet Food

Part 2 of our myths series. You can listen to Part 1 here.

In this session, we talk about pet food sold in grocery stores, and how pet food companies, like Purina, put a lot of research, care, and study into creating food that's healthy and tasty - for dogs and cats. 

Now, I have no problem with home-made dog and cat food, if you've done your homework and you know the nutritional needs of your pet. But, I do have a problem with pet parents who think I love my pet less because I purchase my pet food in the grocery store.

Dr. Grace and Dr. Larry also touch upon the myth that vet's get "paid" to offer special diets. Vets offer special diets when they are necessary, and for no other reason. (I can attest to this, having been a vet tech in years past...our vets wanted our pets to be healthy and sometimes that required a special diet, which one or another pet food company offered - and the vet recommended)

Listen to our discussion...and leave us a comment on what you think of this issue:

Return to Black Creek

Some of you may recall a post I did last fall about a backpacking trip my wife and I took to check out the progress of the Gila Trout restoration effort here in Southwest NM. That trip was fantastic. The scenery in this area of the Aldo Leopold Wilderness is most excellent. And the fishing was really good.

This year we've had a strange summer, so far. Coupled with lower than normal snowfall in the mountains last winter we've had an erratic summer monsoon. We had a week of good rains in late June followed by less than normal precipitation. Typically this time of year you can count on an afternoon rain but that has not been the case this year. We've had darn little rain so far and it's starting to show.

 

You can really tell the difference on Black Canyon Creek. There is about half the amount of water in the creek this summer that we had last fall. We even encountered sections of the creek that were bone dry. As you can imagine this can be hard on Gila Trout.

Interview with Paul Mann of Fetch!™ Pet Care

We have an exciting podcast for today's Scratchings & Sniffings Out Loud.

Have you ever wished there were more options for taking care of your pet when you're away? How about...having someone check on a sick pet that's at home, but you have to be at work? How about taking your pet with you on vacation, but not wanting to leave him or her alone while you go off playing at the amusement park all day?

There is an answer to those questions and more. This is Part One of a two-part series with Paul Mann of Fetch!™ Pet Care. I'm excited about his franchise opportunities, and about the seriousness of his approach. He isn't in this for the money...he's in it because he knows we want the best care for our pets, when we're not around. I am very impressed by his franchise opportunities, and his approach to pet care - AND his guarantee. Listen up to this first half of my talk with Paul...and stay tuned for Part Two next week.

Pet Parents Unite! At Blogher

The biggest and most fantabulous women's blogging conference took place in Chicago over the weekend. And, I was there! Here's a recap of my session, on publishing.

Blogher is by far the largest women's blogging network, with outstanding bloggers in so many different areas, it's hard to keep track of them. I've been a Blogher member (which is different than being a Blogher blogger) for at least four years. Since the beginning, anyway. Why? Because Jory, and Elisa, and Lisa are top-notch business women and bloggers, and I count them not only as friends, but as women I admire.

While I was there, I got to meet Caroline! Yay! You know Caroline from Romeo the Cat. Seriously, everyone knows Romeo! His blog rocks! Isn't it nice that Romeo allows Caroline to help him write his blog?

Ringworm in Cats

Ringworm is the most common skin disease in cats. It can also infect dogs and people, under some circumstances. If your cat has areas of hair loss around the ears, face, neck or tail ringworm is one of the first things to rule out.

The classic lesion is a small circular area of hair loss, however, ringworm can take on several different forms. The skin may appear scaly and in some cases can look inflamed with secondary infections. In severe cases ringworm can be generalized over large parts of the body but these cases are relatively rare.

Ringworm is not caused by a worm. It is actually a fungus and there are a variety of different species of fungus that can be implicated. Most healthy adult cats with normal immune systems can ward off ringworm infections and even if they do become infected the immune system can usually mount a successful defense. It is more common in kittens where the immune system is developing or in sick cats where the immune system may be compromised and not able to respond adequately to a challenge.

How to move your kitty cross-country

In this Scratchings & Sniffings Out Loud podcast, Dr. Larry and I talk about the upcoming move (which was sort of announced in an earlier post this week) because I am concerned about my Wabby and how to make sure this trip is safe and comfortable for her.

I knew Dr. Larry would have good advice, and even though I've researched this, and talked to other pet parents, I needed to cover all the bases, for Wabby's sake. We definitely do not want her to be frightened or worried. I'd carry her on my lap all the way to CO, in the car, except...that's really not safe. So, Dr. Larry shares some outstanding ways to make sure this move is gentle and supportive for my Wabby. Including...a discussion of pheromones.

The Story of Vito - How Diet Can Affect Joint Issues

Those of us with aging dogs probably feel their pain, at least sympathetically. I know I was worried about Carmie, back when. There were days she just couldn't get out of bed without help. When she took ill, that horrible day she went over the Rainbow Bridge, she couldn't even stand. I know now that it was the bloat, and not arthritis, but I suspect her joints were also aching that day, more than usual.

Here's some information from Purina on how diet can play an important part in joint issues and overall good health. It's something we've discussed with Dr. Larry and Dr. Grace, but this video really helps you understand how a special diet can be just the medicine your dog needs, along with your tender loving care, to get back some of that puppy-play he or she used to have.

Of Hairballs and Puppy Accidents - Keeping Your House Clean

I write about being "green" over on my women's blog, Lip-sticking, all the time. It's a prime interest for us gals - maybe more so than for the men in our lives. That's not to say our men are indifferent to the issue of being green, it's just that we ladies are always on the alert for products and services that are kind to Mother Earth.

Recently, via a good Twitter friend (Romeo the cat), I met Clean + Green, from SeaYu Enterprises. They were kind enough to offer me a sample of their products and I accepted. After all, Wabby Wibby is a frequent hairballer - that means she deposits hairballs all over the house, at least once or twice a week. Depending on where they end up - it can be a bear to clean them up properly!

Moving with a Pet

Someone we know is moving. I won't spill the beans but we'll do a podcast on the subject this week. The podcast is going to focus on stress relief but there is a lot more to a safe move with a pet than stress relief. The actual physical part of the move can present several dangers and it's best to plan ahead and be prepared. After all, being prepared is one of the best stress preventers of all.

We moved more times than I'd care to remember. And we made some long distance moves too. There is no getting around it, moving is right up there with divorce, loss of a job and a death in the family, as far as fun goes.

 

It may all be worth it in the end and a new place and a new life is exciting, too. We have never been happier as we are now, here in new Mexico, but I'll tell you, it was years in the planning and I don't want to think about all the work. My next move will be in a pine box.

 

[the rest of this post will have some comments from Yvonne - in red; cause Wabby is the cat we're talking about - stay tuned for the full story!]