Scratchings-and-Sniffings

Heroes: Purina®: ONE® is on the search

Purina® ONE® is Looking for Heroes in the Lives of Pets. The press release offers a number of ways to be a hero in the life ofa pet.

Here's how they get our attention on the opening of the press release: "Imagine waking up every morning wondering if you'll someday be able to find a home to call your own or how you'll find your next meal." We all know there are abandoned and neglected pets who do that, every day. It hurts to even think about it, doesn't it?

Well, Purina ONE has teamed up with Martha Stewart to "support pets in need." Martha, of course, is a big pet supporter - and shows it on her blog and even on her show, time and time again.

On to the NAVC in Sunny Orlando

We're off! Tom and I will be climbing in the car momentarily to start our trip to the North American Veterinary Conference in Sunny Orlando. We'll get to meet Dr. Larry for the first time, face-to-face! OMG! What fun we'll have. And, what wonderful things we expect to learn. What great people we'll meet.

Watch for short bursts of news, and pics. We have technology ready to support us but, technology being the twit it is sometimes, if we can't get the video and audio, we WILL get pictures and post text.

We'll be posting some content on the PurinaCare blog and the BlogPaws blog, too. Don't forget to check those.

(the Wabby is unphased...she's lying on the bed taking a proper kitty bath; she yowled forever in order to get us up and out of the bed!)

WATCH THIS SPACE!!!

Denver Dog Works

On Thursday, Tom and I met with a local dog trainer and behvioral consultant. Dr. Robert Forto lives and works right here in the Denver area. We originally met him on Twitter. Who says social media doesn't work?

One of the best things about Dr. Forto ( not Bob- my apologies!) is that he has his own Blog Talk Radio show: The Dog Doctor, and he's embraced social media tools to help him market his business online. We're are really impressed with not only his open approach to marketing, but his sparkling personality, and his clear devotion to dogs.

When You Just Can't Take Them With You

Most of us travel. Whether we do it for work or pleasure there are times when we just can't take our pets with us. Chris and I are planning a trip to Chile this spring and there's no way Miles is going with us. We'll miss him, of course, but we'll have to leave him behind. For lot's of us that's tough to do. It's like leaving little kids in the care of someone else.

There are lots of kennels and cat boarding places out there and we never know what happens once we drive out of the parking lot. That can make for a less than satisfying vacation or business trip.

 

So how can you put your mind at ease? How can you be assured that your dog or cat will be treated well and will stay healthy and safe while you are gone?

Scratchings & Sniffings Out Loud: Senior Cats - Part I

This is a Scratchings & Sniffings Out Loud with Dr. Larry and Dr. Grace. It's a continuing conversation covering cats. Today we're talking about senior cats and how to care for them. As most of you know, the Wabby Wibby, Queen kitty at this house, is a 'senior' cat. (Part II will be posted early next week)

Interestingly, as you'll learn in the podcast, senior can mean something different to you and me, than it does to our vet. (oh, not that much different - but, our vet's are trained to watch for changes we aren't necessarily aware of, and sometimes our cats hide illness so well, we miss a lot; especially as they age)

We know that our pets age faster - the common expectation is 7 years for every one of ours - but is that true, and if so, what does it mean? Dr. Larry and Dr. Grace get into the nitty-gritty, because they know we all want our kitties to live long and healthy lives. I expect my Wabby, who is 17, to be around for at least 5 more years. Well, one does have high hopes, you know.

Ah, Another Family Thanksgiving

I just read an interesting article in the NY Times about the trials and tribulations of getting together with the family for Thanksgiving. For many of us, it's a good time. My daughter Claire is coming home with her dog Miles and we're entertaining about sixteen close friends. I'm looking forward to it.

For some, as the Times article implies, family gatherings can become stressful events. This particular piece is about food and family tensions. Been there. In my family the worst possible fate in life is to be overweight. My ninety three year old mom is still trying to lose those extra five pounds. Seriously. 

 

We already have both a Thanksgiving day and Friday bike ride in the works to account for the additional calories we'll take in on Thursday. Mountain Bikes on Thursday and road bikes on Friday.

Camp Bow Wow Denver

Whoohoo! Look what I found on the PetCentric site: a camp for dogs in Denver! Regular readers will remember that our move to Denver is pending. We hope to be on the road the week of Nov. 16th and in our new home (living out of boxes) by the 22nd! Yay!

Of course, this is a lot of great, fun stuff on the PetCentric site, but when I saw the mention of Camp Bow Wow, how could I resist clicking over to see what it was all about? Mind you, they have camps all over the place and I see one in Littleton, CO and Fort Collins, CO and more than one in Denver. They describe themselves as "Colorado's Premier Doggy Day and Ove®rnight Camps" and add that they "...provide a fun, safe and upscale environment for dogs to play, romp and receive lots of love and attention!"

Wow, if only there were such places back in the day when I was a vet-tech. I think I would love working in a doggy daycamp - this one, especially! I see at the footer of their webpage that they offer advice on How to Socialize Your Dog and even How to Start a Dog Walking Business. Fantastic!

Video Volunteers

I'm so disappointed that I did not find out about this earlier, but it's well worth a mention now. Ben Stein, yes, THAT Ben Stein, is working with the Humane Society to help stomp out puppy mills, and he's asked for pet parent help. Unfortunately, the deadline to submit a video was Oct 22nd!

Still, knowing about this is well worth our time. And, maybe we can feature the winners. In fact, the YouTube site says voting on the 3 finalists was yesterday. Here are the details from Ben Stein, himself:

 

 

Twitter a Critter

You're on twitter, right? I know you are. If you are, please follow me on my twitter page: @mypetblog - and I'll be sure to follow back.

Last week someone twittered about this Purina sponsored page: Twitter a Critter. You can hardly tell Purina sponsors it, their logo is very small - and that's because the page isn't about them, it's about helping dogs and cats who need homes. Forever homes.

I love the design of the page (site)... with lots of dogs and cats and the Adoptapet.com logo at the top.

The Book of the Year: SAVED - stories of rescued animals

I just finished what I am calling The Book of the Year. Not the "petbook of the year" - not "the business book of the year" - not "the non-fiction book of the year" - but, THE BOOK of the YEAR!

SAVED- Rescued Animals and the Lives They Transform is a book that will change how you look at and think about rescuing dogs, cats, birds, horses, and any other abused animal. I say this because the true stories in this book are so touching, they reach out from the page and gently embrace your heart, as if to say, "We are safe now, the world cannot harm us any longer. Will you share us with everyone you know?" And, the answer has to be, "Yes!"

This book sat on my nightstand for many months. I was afraid to read it. I looked at it, at the wonderful picture on the cover, and I sighed over and over, knowing that to pick it up and read it meant tears would flow.