Clean bill of health (again)

Waldo went to his new vet this morning and received a clean bill of health. He had his annual checkup in January, but needed his kennel cough vaccine for daycare. He saw his new vet, Dr. Karen, so he got another once-over (without blood tests this time - much to his relief).

Besides his overly crooked left leg (as illustrated in this photo to the left), he doesn't have any major issues. She did warn me that keeping him slim and continuing him on joint supplements will help him in his old age. Arthritis in the leg will be a given; it's just a matter of when and how severe. What we do now will help him in the future.

Otherwise, things at home are fairly quiet.



Summer is here and Waldo grabs some sun every morning in the kitchen as we eat breakfast. He is such a cutie....

















We've gotten him a few new treats: cow ears and a 24-inch bully stick. Yes, the stick is 2 feet long! It was like everlast candy since it took him days to consume. He was so happy to get it that he carried it around the house for a while.

Below, he enjoys a cow ear in my office.

I somehow missed Weds...

I was getting ready to post my Wordless Wednesday post when I realized.... it's THURSDAY. Hello? How did that happen? I was fully present yesterday yet somehow never realized it was Wednesday. Again I ask, is this what happens when you work too much?

Anyway, I am still posting my WW photo despite the fact it is a day late.....

Here it is:

What a RANDOM holiday

As I had written before, one of the things we learned in the aftermath of Watson's cancer is that pet insurance is a necessity. Watson was not insured and the cost of his care was startling. We insured Waldo with Veterinary Pet Insurance (VPI) soon after Watson was diagnosed.

I got an email from VPI this morning with the subject line "Happy Pet Parents Day". Huh? It turns out that VPI is pulling a Hallmark-esque marketing move and designated the last Sunday in April as Pet Parent’s Day. Their site says: "Our first Pawsitively Purrfect day for celebrating pet caregivers falls on April 27, 2008." You can even send an e-card to commemorate the day.

For the record, I am not a huge fan of "Hallmark holidays" like Valentine's Day (basically any holiday that was created to further useless consumption). Frankly, I am not sure of the point of Pet Parents Day other than a marketing tool for VPI and a way to collect personal information from people who send and receive their e-cards.

If the day were being used to help a pet charity or to raise awareness about animal abuse or animal adoption, then I would be on board. I don't think the world needs another meaningless "holiday". What do you think??

Report: High chemical levels found in dogs and cats

There is a new report out today from the Environmental Working Group that found high levels of toxins in a small sampling of dogs and cats. To quote the report: They "found levels of brominated flame retardants (used in furniture, fabrics and electronics) in cats 23 times higher than in humans, and mercury levels (likely from fish in pet foods) five times higher. In dogs, levels of perfluorinated chemicals (from stain- and grease-proof coatings) were 2.4 times higher than in people. Overall, 35 chemicals in dogs and 46 in cats were found."

Why? They are still unsure but it is speculated that "Pets' high levels of exposure come about because they spend their days in direct contact with floors and the ground, where dust, dirt, chemicals and pesticides concentrate."

I've written about this concern before about greening our cleaners so that less toxins will be present in our house. I am so glad spring is here and have been opening the windows every afternoon to get some fresh air inside. Again I encourage anyone with pets to really think about what you use to clean your house. Anything that sprays becomes airborne and then settles on the floor where your dog or cat gets it on its paws and then ingests it. Also, please look at what you use to mop your floors since that has the same impact. Please be careful for you and your pet's health!

PS. On another note, you may have noticed that I now moderate the comments. I've been getting spam lately and will moderate comments until it stops.

Wordless Wednesday: Chasing the sun

Changes

The theme for this post is changes.... First, a sad goodbye to Cole, another dog who was battling lymphoma. Cole was obviously very loved by her mom, Teresa, who posted so many great photos of her. My heart goes out to Teresa, her husband, and to Cole's sister Bridget.

In the blogosphere, Graham has decided to take a break from his blog. I found his blog shortly after Watson was diagnosed with lymphoma and I was frantically scouring the Net for resources. I feel like Graham and I have been on parallel tracks since we first met. He lost Prince and then I lost Watson; he gained Tilly and I had Waldo. I hope that he reconsiders and will keep us posted on how Tilly is doing.

On the weather front, Spring struck here yesterday but only for one day. It was almost 72 degrees F and I was finally able to clean up the vegetable garden and plant some seeds. I checked on the asparagus, but it's too early. Just some wishful thinking! And now back to the cold spring rains...

And finally, we have switched to a new vet. Our long-time vet has sold off her practice and taken a break. While we are waiting for her to land, we've started with a new vet down the street upon recommendation of some friends. Dr. Jill is quite pragmatic and level-headed, qualities that I like in a vet. Peanut went for a check-up and Waldo will meet her in a few weeks. Otherwise, all is quiet on the health front.

Best wishes to you all for a good weekend!

What would you do??

This headline caught my eye: "Woman bites dog who attacked her dog". If that happened to you, what would you have done?

Wordless Wednesday in the sun