Worth It

Back in August, after a terrible scare with poor little Thor, we switched out dogs to raw dog food. Almost three months later, and the boys are still going strong on the raw food. The vet has even given us the thumbs up to continue what we are doing as it appears to be working for our little guys.

Since we are going out of town this week, the dogs are going to be boarded at fabulous dog kennel we always use ... way out in the boonies. Seriously, it is like 30 minutes north of our already northerly location. Sadly, other than the fabulous Mario & Crystal, we don't have anyone around us who can/wants to watch our dogs. Most of our peeps are not dog people, and neither of us has family around. Mario and Crystal already have their hands full with an almost-walking 10 month old cutiepie, and two large dogs of their own. So, while they often appear to be eager to watch our little guys, I don't want to throw more chaos on top of what might already be going on in Casa de 'Bini.

Boarding is the way we choose to go. We have made sure to pick a place we like - actual exercise outings each day, not having to interact with other strange dogs( I get paranoid about my dogs playing with other dogs while I'm not there. I just don't want anything to happen -to either party- while I'm not there. If that makes sense) the dogs have access to both indoor and outdoor facilities while in their kennel together, the kennels are rather large, and this place keeps the temperatures indoors higher than other kennels in town... or so they say!I also like that this kennel also does animal rehabilitation on site. To me, it shows they care a little (ok, a lot) more than the average kennel. They feed your dogs the food you bring in, and understand the importance of keeping your dogs on the same diet and not switching it up ... even if we bring in raw food.

Last night, I had the great chore of getting the dog food together so we could drop the boys off at the kennel this afternoon. Now that they are on this raw diet, this is much more time consuming! I had to prepare 20 baggies - each with a single serving of meat and veggies. The meat part consisted of the proper serving of Nature's Variety Chicken Patties and a mixture of chicken liver, hearts and gizzards. The veggies (spinach, bok choy -would have gone bad while we were out of town, so I threw it in as well, yellow squash, apples, and carrots) were thrown into the food processor before scooping the appropriate amount into each baggie.

And then I had to store the twenty baggies of food into two larger bags.

Now, even though we love our dog kennel, boarding the dogs doesn't come with out a price. Whenever we've boarded the dogs in the past, either at this place or a few others we've tried out, the dogs have always come home with normal stools until day three. On day three, we'd end up with horribly explosive diarrhea. After a few trips to the vet, we've declared this to be caused by nerves.

When we went to Bakersfield a few weeks back, that was the first time we've boarded the dogs since they've been on the raw food diet. That time, when the came home, on day three... solid stools still. We completely avoided the horribly explosive diarrhea like we'd seen each time in the past. I blame this on the fact that with the raw food, they are able to digest more of the nutrients so their stools have become much smaller and much, much, much more firm anyway(Brandon compares it to coyote "scat".. whatever.).

So, even though I spent a few hours last night, elbow deep in raw meat and chicken innards, I think it is safe to say that it is all worth it. No gas, no vomit, and no diarrhea.

Baby Boy

(read that title the same way you'd sing along with Beyonce's song ... alone, in the car)

Today, my friends, my youngest turns two years old. Can you believe it? TWO!

I remember when you were just THIS big...

But, to me, you'll always be my little puppy.

Even if you have grown up to be quite a dashing, young man.

What kind of momo would I be if I didn't post an embarrassing picture of you?

MMMMMMUAH Finny. I love you forever. Happy 2nd Birthday!

P.S. ... you might be my favorite. But don't tell your brother Thor that ;)

From Finny Fun

It's a Wonderful Day in the Neighborhood

(minus all the recent graffiti, what is up with that?)

A big ol' tumbleweed on the trail

The boys, looking a tad bit frightened.










This trail has been mentioned here, here , here and here

PS... We had non-destructive day yesterday!

They're Lucky They're Cute

Yeah, I've been through this before. But this time, this time I swear it is will be different. Before, when we'd try to give the dogs their freedom, everything would be fine for two weeks ... then BAM. Hello hole in my couch. That would mark the end of their time as Free-Range-Puppies and it was back to living like veal. Though, had we ever been stuck in our car, in a blizzard, we'd surely have some tasty meals from their little veal-like bodies. Kidding. Sort of. We'd only eat Thor. Finny would taste too game-y.

I can't remember if this is week 3 or week 4, but the dogs have been spending their days outside of their crates for the longest stretch yet. Sticking to their schedule, two weeks into it and we had our first casualties... a ripped pillow cover, a pair of black flats that had been chewed (almost) beyond recognition, and a chewed iPhone charger - that was still plugged in, mind you.

We pressed on. We were not going to let a little destruction get into our way.

All was good for a few days, and then the above mentioned pillow lost its battle with Finny (the culprit, I'm sure) for good one warm, Sunday afternoon....

This morning, I decided to beef up their exercise... hoping to minimize their destruction. So I was up and at em at the ungodly hour of 6:30am - to take them for walk... in the dark.

Apparently, once you have your first taste of silk, it is hard to go back to your nylon & rubber chew toys.

I'm blaming this one on myself. This pillow had been attacked once before... many moons ago. It lost a dainty ribbon that tied around the front. I thought it looked better with out the ribbon and was secretly thankful for Finny's decorating sense. When I left the house this morning, I thought, "Shoot, I should have moved that pillow." I just knew it was going to be a victim today. And .. I was right.

Tomorrow, I'll remove all chewable objects and go for an even longer walk before I leave. I will get this. They will be free. I will not loose anymore decorative objects, furniture, shoes or chargers.

(Sure Emily, just keep telling yourself that.)

If My Dogs Only Knew

(I really shouldn't be posting these, as I just realized I forgot my power cord.. but I had to share ....)

They aren't the best Chloe & Burrito-roonie shots ...but you get the idea.

... and one more Burrito shot, for Sarah.

Spoiled Rotten, I know.

A little update on my dogs' switch to raw food... it worked! Hallelujah! Thor's vomiting is significantly less frequent, if almost non-existent now. Their gas... practically GONE. Except for when they were on Honest Kitchen's dehydrated raw food (while camping)... but they didn't do so hot on that stuff anyway.

We feed the recommended dosage of Nature's Variety Raw Patties, twice a day. With some help from Colleen and other Woofers, we decided to add some raw veggies to their meals - kind of helps act as filler, since Thor always appears to be ravenous even after he's eaten (though he is maintaining his weight nicely, so I know he is getting "enough"). Today, was chop up veggies day... so I thought I'd bring along the camera and show you just how spoiled rotten my little booger-butts are! ... and you know what... I don't mind doing this ONE BIT! Not if it means no more vomiting, no more gas, and firm poops! Seriously, this raw diet has been a much need solution to some very stinky/messy digestive problems!

The veggies: carrots, crookneck squash, zucchini, celery, kale (usually I add an apple, but was fresh out today.)

Out comes the old-school food processor - circa 1980-something?

By this point, I've got someone's attention!

Voilà! Raw chicken patties served on a bed of fresh chopped veggie medley.

Nom Nom Nom!

Eventually, I'd like to stop using Nature's Variety and possibly make the switch to actual raw meats. But, I know I have lots of learning to do before I can make it that far! For now, this diet is working wonders.

Puppy Fever

I'm awake at 3:00 am for no good reason, other than my brain Will. Not. Shut. Off. I tagged a few photos in my Myspace  albums, and tagged a few on my Flickr account. The few on my flickr were mostly my dog pictures .. my dogs. In the end, I decided to do a similar search in everyone's photostream and quickly became overcome with sweet puppy goodness. OMG. Seriously, that much puppy goodness should NOT be allowed at 3:00 am. 

Before I knew it, I had a bad case of puppy fever coming on and it was all I could do to squelch it. We do not need another dog. Our lives are not right for a third dog right now. Two is enough. For crying out loud, how did I let myself get swept away in all of that puppy goodness?

So, to help cure my puppy fever, hopefully, and to fill this blog with (as Jamie put it) fluff... I thought I'd share some old pictures from my two, very own, lovable,potty bell ringing, couch chewing, explosive shitting, stuffy de-stuffing, plant eating, panty wearing, little balls o' fur.

OK, so I only had access to Finn's puppy pictures on my laptop... so that is all you get - grown up Thor and puppy Finny-Marie :D I'm sure you wont complain.

 





This one isn't very clear, but I love that it is trying to show Finn rough housing with Thor right back!

And a few of their posed shots together...






 

Is Summer Over Yet?

You may have noticed a trend with me this summer... excuse after excuse for why I'm not posting. Heck, Exposaroonie is even going through some rough times. We have plans for Exposaroonie, we just need some time to work on them. Back when it was just PhotoPie... I didn't feel the "obligation" to post the challenge like I do now. I don't want it to be an obligation. Unfortunately, I'm like that kid that doesn't like to be told what to do. Now that the challenge is more formal, I'm finding a harder time making the time to participate and create new challenges. I don't want to feel this way... so I need to come up with a way to make it more enjoyable for me. And truth be told, the lack of submissions (mine included) in the last challenge, didn't help with the lack of motivation. Don't read into this. I still love the idea of Exposaroonie... and I still want to keep at it, along with Ashley... I just need to get out of this summer funk. 

 

The summer has also brought activities, like camping, weekend trips out of town, and just being busy. I've also realized how miserable I was and fixed it by changing some things. It was a big deal for me, something I stressed about for quite some time. The stress was so much, I lost 9.2 lbs in two weeks... and I don't loose weight .. I maintain. I was a big ball of emotions... but I'm now over it, and in a better place. 

Now, I'm actually looking forward to getting up, showering and heading to work. I'm not counting down the days until the weekend... I'm actually counting down the hours until my next outfit change for work! I know it is only week one, but I'm enjoying this change. This also means that I'm happier at home. I'm enjoying hanging out with my husband and kicking back and just enjoying the olympics.

Jamie summed it all up quite well over here. Go read her post so I don't have to try and change her words into my own or get busted for plagiarizing ;) I swear she read my mind when she typed that. 

With that being said, regular scheduled programming will resume in the fall (for EmilyPie, that is). Until then, I'll still hit you with pictures here and there... but don't expect anything more than that. 

and because pictures of puppies make EVERYTHING better... 

Fame!

A while back, Finny had a dose of fame on LOLBostons.com ... yesterday, a kind Woofer informed me that my pups had (somehow) made it onto ihashotdog.com. 

see more dog pictures

My Other Love

HIS name is Thor. Most of the time, I call him Thor-Bear, Bear, Bear-Claw... or even My little Baklava.

He's the oldest of my two, and by far, the most sensitive one. If he were human, he'd be our little poet. He is attentive, obedient (for the most part), and oh so eager to please. His most valuable skill is being the perfect size (lengthwise and widthwise) for spooning while my husband is out of town. He snorts and grunts in his sleep. His little bottom teefers are crooked. He is perfection in the shape of a sausage-y, mutant-sized, boston terrier. 

His Favorite Spot

His name is Finnegan. We like to call him Finn, Finny, Da Finny-Winnies, and more recently, his nickname has been Skinny-Minnie... or Skinny for short.

He comes to you only when he decides he will allow you to give him attention. He can be stubborn. His most popular move, to stop dead in his tracks, stick out his bottom teeth, turn his head away from you and freeze. He usually does this when you are either asking him to do something, or getting him in trouble. He loves being perched on top of our love seat - either sleeping or with his ears perked and staring out the kitchen window watching people come and go. 

I love him. 

High Hopes

Around three months ago, Brandon and I decided to try and change our dogs' food. The change was based on stool quality and possible allergies.  We did some research and got some recommendations and eventually did a taste test to see which one the dogs actually preferred. Don't blame me! The taste test was actually inspired by this fancy lady! ha. 

Unfortunately, that food didn't help the situation. We waited about a month and their stools never firmed up. We decided to just gradually switch them back to their previous food, Canidae All Stages. 

This summer, Canidae announced that their dog food formulas were changing and that they were going to be manufactured by a less than reputable company. I don't know about you, but after the last dog food recalls and with Thor's history of digestive problems (regardless of if I brought them on or not), the new ingredients in the food and reputation of the new company worried me a little. 

Since I that initial food change in May, I've been pestering poor Colleen about her choice to switch Rocco to a raw diet. Rocco is a French Bulldog, and my dogs are Boston Terriers (poorly bred Boston Terriers, but Boston Terriers none the less). Both breeds actually have similar traits, from smooshy snouts, to ears that (should) naturally stand up and natural cork screw tails to their stout stature and broad chests. These breeds also prone to some of the same ailments.

My two boys, Finnegan and Thor, boston terriers. 

A picture from Colleen of Rocco, the Frenchie.

Colleen switched Rocco's food because of a vomiting issue. There wasn't an elongated soft palate or anything involved and her vet suggested switching foods. Her trainer took her to a holistic pet food store and recommended the raw foods. Since this change, Colleen's claimed that Rocco's vomiting has stopped for the most part. 

Brandon and I have a similar problem with Thor, and have a possible allergy problem with Finn. Today, I did some research and found loads of information on Woof Board and through out the internet concerning different brands of raw dog food. After reading the pros and cons of raw dog food, we came to the conclusion that it could be just what we were looking for! 

A few example of the benefits of raw dog food: (taken from Nature's Variety's website)

• Fewer allergies or controlled allergy symptoms
  
• Lush, glossy coat and helathy skin for less shedding
  
• Smaller, firmer stools for less backyard cleanup
  
• Healthy teeth and gums for better breath
  
• Increased energy for improved vitality and health

So... on top of it helping Colleen out with Rocco's tummy problems... we decided to give it a go. Our first day with it will be tomorrow. I know that with raw food the daily amount changes .. actually they eat much less because unlike dry kibble, their bodies are able to digest most of the food... but I am still nervous about how Thor is going to respond to "less" food each day. He's quite the piggy... but has a good 4 pounds to loose anyway.  

... I sure hope this works. 

Somehow, He's Just fine

Thanks for all the concern, well wishes and prayers for Thor! All that good mojo helped. Thursday night was a bit stressful for me. Come to find out now, not only was I told my dog might die, but I was also PMSing a week early (thanks Aunt Flo, thanks). We were supposed to head to Bakersfield Thursday night so that we could spend the 4th of July at a party with some friends, and then spend the rest of the weekend just hanging out. The trip wasn't overly important, but we (really) like hanging out with these friends... and we only see them a few times a year. Though, not that anyone's counting, we've actually seen these friends quite a bit already this year! 

I'm not going to lie (to you), I may have manipulated the vacation story a little bit to see if I could get the good for nothing vet tech's permission to travel with Thor. I may have said we were visiting family for the holiday ... to make it a little more meaningful sounding than just, "Dude! There's this party... with BEER!" Alas, the vet tech hadn't a single word of advice other than, "Well, of course we are to tell you to play it safe, but in the end, it is up to you." 

That last part... gave Brandon all the power he needed to make up his mind. I, on the other hand, was a little harder to convince. Sure, Thor looked fine. They said he did well and gave us some medicines and food instructions. But I'm a rule follower by nature. Seriously, ask Crystal about that time I freaked out in Bangkok about walking down Khao San Road with an open wine cooler. Or ask the Tacoroonie crew about the many near-breakdowns I had because OMG, that is PRIVATE property! 

Later that evening, Brandon insisted on packing up and heading to Bakersfield. He said Thor would just sleep in the car like usual, and he'd be able to rest at the house we were staying at. Ok... Ok ... I thought I could go along with it. 

Then..... there was that scary poop incident. After that, I stormed up to Brandon and stated, "I am NOT going."  He tried his best to calm me down, saying we knew he'd have that problem... but look at him, he's much happier now than the day before ... he's feeling better, blah blah blah. 

Still, we got into the car and headed west on the 80. We drove for about an hour with me freaking out in the passenger seat. Every time I'd turn around to look at Thor, sleeping quietly in the back, I'd burst into tears and blubber about not wanting him to die because of us. I may have even used the line, "You just DON'T understand!" And possibly, "I'm glad it isn't ME who is sick! No telling how careless you'd be then!" 

Honestly, I was quite the bitch. Brandon on the other hand, remained calm and never once got an attitude back at me. And, after an hour of driving and putting up with my crap, he reluctantly turned around and drove silently back home.

We had an early evening, as I passed out from exhaustion with swollen, dry, red eyes. Thor slept through the night and woke up with a little spunk in him. He wrestled with Finnegan and played with toys. When it came time to feed him, he gobbled his boiled chicken and rice meal right up! We actually, had to feed him 3 small portions before noon... and he kept looking around for more. 

Around noon, Brandon took Thor to the park across the street to see if he'd drop another deuce... but nothing happened. Thor did get so excited and ran circles around Brandon, playing like he normally does at the park. This, I took as an EXCELLENT sign. So when Brandon responded with my, "I'm bored" comment around one with, "Wanna go to Bakersfield?" I said sure. 

So, we went. Thor was great. He drank his water and ate his food like a champ. But, he didn't go poop until Monday night! Truthfully, until I actually saw that poop, I didn't really beleive that he was on the mend. But, it was a nice poop. And last night's poop? It was even better! 

On Saturday, the vet's office called and left a message saying his test results came back and everything was normal. 

WHAT?! You tell me my dog might not make it. Charge me $800 to fix him. And then tell me everything looked normal? His vitals were fine, no blockage, his white blood cell count was normal and his enzyme levels were good too? 

I'm a little peeved. Had we had been able to get into our own vet on Thursday, I'm almost positive that the vet would have suggested the boiled chicken and rice diet, and maybe even given us the one medicine that he typically gives us (metro-something or other) for tummy ailments and sent us on our merry way for a grand total of $30. 

But no, I had to miss a day of work because some heartless vet gave me a doom and gloom speech during her entire 10 minutes with me... the rest of the time I spent with vet tech's who couldn't remember who  I was or who my dog was. 

For realz, Yo. 

(I really hate that phrase by the way.)

Oh, yes, but he is healthy and that is the most important thing ...... I get it. 

The Boston Patient

We picked Thor up yesterday, and paid our monstrous bill. We called our vet friend and told her about what the vet had done and she seemed a little put off by the fact that he was being discharged already. When I told her about the medicines they gave us, she sounded like she didn't approve. 

When we got home, I wanted to make sure Thor pooped, or at least had a good chance to poop because he hadn't all day. I stood outside, walking him around the lawn for a good 15 minutes before he finally found a spot worthy of his dump. I was expecting a bloody stool (judging by the blood on the butt thermometer earlier), but nothing could prepare me for what I saw. As he squatted, he shot out a stream of pure blood. Imagine the runniest case of doggy diarrhea and replace the poo with pure blood. 

He slept through the night and kept his water down (good sign). This morning, we fed him for the 1st time in 48 hours....a small dish of boiled chicken and rice. So far, he's kept that down as well (another good sign).  I'm nervously awaiting the next poop. Hopefully, we food in him now, it wont be as bad? Who knows. We are going to follow up with the vet tomorrow... so we'll see what they say about that.

Notice the pink bandage from his catheter? 

You're Lucky I Didn't Use Baby Talk

Poor little Finn-gins. He's a sad little puppy with out his brother. We walked, played and napped ... but he misses his big brother Thor and really wants him to get better so he can come home from the puppy hospital and play. 

Sick Baby Thor

Thor has been pretty sick the last 24 hours... so I took him to the vet this morning. Unfortunately, our vet was too full so the recommended another office to us. I took him in at 11:30am this morning and it they are pretty sure he has Pancreatitis. The plan of action? I am leaving him there for the entire day for a series of IV treatments for dehydration, antibiotics and anti-nausea.

We've called our vet's office and they said to trust the new office, they are doing what they should be doing and to just follow up with my vet on Monday because they want to know how the little guy is doing. We even called our vet friend and she said it sounds like they are doing what needs to be done.

However, I made the mistake of asking the question of what are the chances that he might not make it. The vet's response? "I'm not going to lie to you, it is possible."

So... guess who is a big ol basket case right now? Guess who wants to hear all your words of comfort and maybe even a "My dog had Pancreatitis once he bounced back JUST FINE!" ... anything like .. "My dog didn't make it " ... maybe you can just not mention for the sake of my sanity, umk? Thanks.

P.S. You'll Bawl Your Eyes Out

Brandon was out of town last night, which meant I was left to my own devices. One night away, I quite enjoy. Two nights away, I can handle but it gets old by night two. Three nights away, and I am just plain sad. Thankfully, this is just a one night away trip. This means that I practically jumped for joy last night when I realized I didn't have to compromise with anyone else on anything! Oh who am I kidding, I pretty much get my way no matter what. 

I reheated some turkey burgers from the night before, scooped out a healthy portion of pasta salad and green beans, and searched for the perfect chick flick on On Demand. I settled on PS I Love You. Perfect. There is no way in hell Brandon would consider sitting through that movie. My twitter buddies have been fallen victim to this movie one by one over the past few weeks, but I swore I wouldn't cry. Remember the movie The Notebook? Yeah, I didn't cry there. In fact, it was all I could do to NOT turn it off. LA-AME. 

Thirty minutes into it, and I was sobbing uncontrollably. It was the ugly kind of crying too, not, "Aw, how sweet, let me wipe my eye." Nope, I was sobbing, boo-hooing, sniffing up giant gobs of snot, and looking over at my dogs (who appeared to be a tad bit creeped-out by my behavior) and exclaiming, "Isn't this just SO sad? waaaaaaaah" My eyes were red, dry, and puffy by the end of the movie. I wore myself out crying.  I was ready for  bed. 

Unfortunately for me, my dog Thor, he refuses to sleep when Brandon is not there. When Brandon is there, he is the obvious Alpha Dog in our pack. Thor is so not an Alpha Dog. But at night, when it is just me, Thor seems to recognize that he needs to step it up a bit and hold down the fort. Every little shadow, creek and imaginary sound, he's on guard for. He'll sit on the edge of the bed and stare towards the door, letting out little puffs of a growl every few minutes. If I get him to crawl up near me so I can cuddle (yes, I cuddle my dogs, especially the big one. Little one is too boney!), he'll manage to lay down and let me pet him, but he is still on full alert - jumping at any little sound. This kind of behavior has been known to last all night. Last night, I was lucky. He stopped shortly after midnight and we all got a good night's sleep. I woke up this morning to find Thor laying with his head propped up on my back (I was on my stomach) and his belly and all four legs pointing straight towards the ceiling! Finnegan on the other hand, was curled up in a ball under the covers on Brandon's side. 

Tonight, Brandon comes home and the dogs will be back on the floor.  Things will go back to normal after an indulgent night of sobby chick flicks and dogs sleeping in the bed! Thank goodness, my eyes are swollen and raw and the dogs? They snore! 

House Guest

We are dog sitting for Crystal's parents' dog, Whiskey. It is only one night but seriously, I could adopt him! He's a fabulous dog. The three boys get along splendidly and did I mention he's an AWESOME house guest?

oh, and he LOVES the camera. Good Boy Whiskey!

Thor was impressed with Whiskey's REAL LIFE nuts... he had to do a double take to make sure they weren't Neuticles

Finny doesn't really know what to think about balls.



The three of them together... you have no idea how many treats this took! ... too bad it is blurry :(

The Shoe is on the Other Foot

While I was away with girlies on a photographer-extravaganza in the oh so classy Fresno..... my husband thought THAT was the perfect time to buy himself a toy ... a PS3. He's been wanting one for quite sometime now... but unfortunately, all our money goes to my toys. However, the PS3 has slowly crept its way closer to the top of our list of things to buy... I just thought we could put it off for a little while longer. 

Nope. Last weekend was the perfect time apparently. So now when we are at home, this is what I live with ...

Last night, he stayed up until 11pm playing this stupid thing... this is he who goes to bed at 9:30pm I'm talking about! But you know what... I didn't hear a peep from him all night about how much time I spent on the internet :D 

But the poor pooches are confused .... they are a tad bit upset that NEITHER of us is playing with them all the time now ...

OK, Thor is upset. Finny is just pissed...

I think we are going to have to work out a schedule ;)

Tricks for Tweats

Thor is amazing with tricks. I say amazing.. but really, I'm just talking about the basics - sit, stay, leave it, lay down, roll over, shake, high-five, speak .. and more recently... circus walk.

Before I took this video, I had him doing the circus walk in smooth motions... no interuptions. He would stand up and twirl in a little puppy circle with out stopping until he had gone 360 degrees on his little tip-toes. I pull the camera out... and he gets performance anxiety. I wish I had a graceful circus walk to show you, but either way, he's one cute Bear Claw (his nickname...one of many).

Untitled from Emily Pie on Vimeo.