Save Money on Rescue Remedy

Everyone knows that I am adamant that we all need Bachs' Rescue Remedy at close hand for our canine companions...well now you have no excuse not to buy some, click here for 2 dollar off coupons at Mambo Sprouts http://coupons.mambosprouts.com/online_coupons/offer/FN39DL

and if you haven't already, read my post from way back on my Canine Emergency Kit. http://dogsdollarssense.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-canine-emergency-kit.html

Halloween Pupcakes and Pumpkin Biscuits!

Wearing his Halloween Pirate Hat Puff looks like he fears being attacked by the cup cake offered to him by one of the gals from My Best Furry Friend Bakery!!


I suspect that his sad expression is because he has been taught not to take food from strangers and he is bummed that he has to refuse this delectable treat.


To his happy surprise,when we got home, he learned that I had purchased these cute little Halloween pupcakes that were just his size from the bakery and he LOVED them.

Here is their web site http://www.bfftreatsonline.org/ and I highly recommend them. Their home-baked doggie delectable treats are first quality. They are taking orders now for the Holidays. I enjoy baking dog treats but could never ever make pupcakes like they do!

I do however, plan on making this pumpkin biscuit recipe I found at Tails Magazine
http://www.tailsinc.com/index.php?action=getArticle&aid=472&domain=tailsinc.com
I will be forgoing the cinnamon and ginger and adding garlic powder instead as dogs love peanut butter and garlic together, I can't imagine why!

Pumpkin Pie Biscuits
Yields 30 biscuits
Ingredients:1 ½ cup unbleached flour
1 cup rolled oats
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
2 tablespoons canola oil
½ cup pumpkin puree
¼ cup natural unsalted peanut butter
¼ cup filtered water

1. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
2. Measure the flour, rolled oats, baking powder, cinnamon, and ginger into a mixing bowl. Whisk until combined.
3. Make a well in the flour and add the canola oil. Mix on medium speed using a paddle attachment until crumbly. Add the pumpkin and peanut butter, and stir until combined.
4. Add the water all at once and mix until dough forms and all the ingredients are combined.
5. Turn the dough out onto a slightly floured surface and gently knead until dough is smooth and soft. Roll the dough ¼-inch thick and cut the biscuits into desired shapes with cookie cutters.
6. Place the biscuits on a parchment-lined cookie sheet and bake 12–15 minutes until they are dry and firm to the touch. Turn the oven off and leave the biscuits in another 20–30 minutes. Remove them from the oven, cool them on a baking rack, and store them in a cookie tin.

I don't know why I get excited over dog treats, I can't eat them...or maybe I could.
I know we will all have our dogs dressed in their Halloween costumes to greet kids at the door, but remember to keep the candy away from the dogs and watch for sensory overload...sometimes there is just too much going on and dogs can get stressed out. That being said, here's hoping you and yours have a Happy Halloween.

An Eco- Friendly Way to Do Pet Clean-Up

One thing I have learned in the dog world is that there is never just one answer to any problem, be it health,behavioral, grooming or housekeeping.
Recently I had the opportunity to try several of Sea Yu's 'Clean + Green 'products made to clean up the messes our pets create.

The products were, Clean + Green Furniture Refresher,Clean + Green Wood and Tile, and Clean + Green Carpet and Upholstery .
Being an antique freak, I was especially drawn to the Furniture Refresher. I can't use Febreze because I suffer from an environmental illness, Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.
Febreze makes me ill, and even if it didn't, I would be reluctant to use it as a veterinarian once told me it was suspect in the deaths of pet birds. And when you have antiques and buy lots of 100 year old fabrics, a safe furniture refresher that actually works would be incredible!

I first tried it on a damask dog bed that the dog and cat share. I don't wash it as much as I should because it is difficult to dry...I sprayed, waited, took a deep breath and was disappointed that I didn't smell anything. Then I realized that no smell was the point!!!! It is fragrance free and works on contact. I have sprayed it all over the place and just love it.

Now it was on to the Wood and Tile odor eliminator and stain remover.
Before our neighborhood association began neutering feral cats, they made it a point to spray my front door. And in our heat and humidity, you really know it.
Could this product eliminate years of feral cat spray from my front door? Yes, it seems it has. Give me a week of 100 degree temps and I might have to respray but for now the odor is gone.
The third product I wanted to try was the Carpet and Upholstery Odor Eliminator and Stain remover.
The only problem was...I had nothing to clean. I have never had housebreaking issues with my pets, ever. Not even thrown up hairballs on carpet or furniture.
Then I got a text message from a friend who said ugly things about her large dog who had just
eliminated in her van! It seems she let the dog ride in the van on a short trip ( I never leave a pet loose in a vehicle) and the dog peed and pooped all over the van when the owner got out...even in the vans' cup holders!!!And this is an older dog and you know that makes the odor much worse!
Most of the damage was on the upholstery, the passengers side door and the carpet in the rear of the van. Clean + Green took care of all of this and there has been no recurring odor so far.
I think this is pretty amazing. Also amazing is the fact that this is a VOC free product and NON TOXIC.
I wish more pet product manufacturers would pay attention to the chemicals they expose us to.
These products can be used in other ways as well. Your clothes closet, even your HVAC unit can benefit from their remarkable odor capturing ability.
They have a whole slew of products available for any pet clean-up situation so I encourage you to go to their website.http://www.sea-yu.com/

Chemicals can cripple and it really is important that we use SAFE and EFFECTIVE products around our families and our pets.
Clean + Green may not be the only answer in pet clean-up, but I firmly believe it is the BEST answer....

Realtors Rally to Help Abandoned Pets

For years I have cared for a cat whose owner passed away from cancer. The new home buyers threw him out on the street after she died...I know how traumatized he was to lose his loving owner and his home. This video focuses on a great group of people working to help pets suffering from the home foreclosure crisis.

If You Want to be Green, Get Rid of Your Dog

Give up your dog or your Audi? Give up your dog AND your Audi?

I read this article from CNET News and didn't know whether to laugh or cry...so I thought I would share it with you...http://news.cnet.com/8301-17852_3-10382695-71.html

This is Why I Oppose Dog Limit Ordinances

Below is an ad that is running on Craigslist attempting to place two dogs that must be gotten rid of because of an ordinance limiting the number of dogs one can have.

You may not be aware of this but the majority of such ordinances are instigated by those animal rights activists who actually don't want us to own dogs...such as pEta. A few are instigated by well meaning, but stupid organizations who believe it will stop puppy millers.

I have said this a hundred times but it always bears repeating.....puppy millers will find a way to breed dogs. Only by not buying dogs from puppy millers will they be stopped...these ordinances create more homeless dogs and often affect responsible breeders as well.

There are enough limitations on our ability to keep dogs as it is....

WE DON"T NEED MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!

here is the ad:

i am looking to rehome a sweet pair of pekingese. they are akc/shots/ 3 and 4 years old. unaltered.they are passing an ordinance limiting the number of dogs so they gotta go.there is a rehoming fee of $150 for the both.

Response to Pet Insurance

Day before yesterday I did a post about end of life situation for our dogs and one thing I said was to save 20 dollars a month to pay for those end of life vet expenses. Here is part of a response I received from reader Sammie :
'It is true, dogs don’t cost thousands in vet care but there are times when you have to take some object out of your dog’s stomach or they have cancer that requires quite a bit of money. That’s why I would personally recommend doing pet insurance over just saving 20 dollars in your bank account. Or what would even be better is to do both.'
Now because Sammie is with Trupanion Pet Insurance I wanted to do an additional post as to why I don't pay for Pet Insurance.
For starters, if you put 20 dollars a month away for 14 years then you would have over 4 grand to pay for those old dog vet bills...all the pet insurance I have seen is a big crock, especially Banfield's insurance.Banfield calls it their Wellness Plan, it would be better called Pull the wool over your eyes plan. Free office visits, whoopee.Discounted vaccinations, discounted my big toe, those shots cost pennies,pennies! And they charge you an arm and a leg for them. Remember I have spent the last few years selling those vaccines and medications to veterinarians and before that I was working for veterinarians so believe me, I know what I am talking about. Unlike human hospitals, veterinarians are not paying their nurses 32 dollars an hour, they do their own anesthesia, (the gas they get from local distributors and it is not expensive) and they pay some kid minimum wage to clean cages and kennels.
Veterinarians already charge too much and they promote insurance so that they can charge more.
Last week I spoke with a woman whose Belgian Malinois had turned her leg in a sink hole and probably broken it. She took the dog to a Banfield hospital because she had 'paid for the Wellness Plan'..well guess what, this was on Sunday and they TOLD HER TO COME BACK ON WEDNESDAY!!!!!!!!! The dog was in pain folks. The Xray machine was out of order...for crying out loud why didn't they at least have her go to a Banfield hospital that had an Xray machine that worked...I told her to get the dog to the emergency clinic pronto...she said 'but I paid for the Wellness Plan..' well apparently they are good at Banfield for doing weight assesments (part of the Wellness Plan I really hooted over)but bad at having the Xray machine fixed.Remember the post where I took Puff to the vet with an interdigital cyst on his foot and was told he had an ear infection which he never has ever had and I demanded (and got) my money back?? Guess where that was...
Now on to my objections about real pet insurance...
It is a nice concept, but it doesn't cover preexisting conditions, like hip dysplasia and the need for surgery, most only cover routine dental cleanings,(which you would hardly ever need if you stayed on top of your dogs teeth, Puff is ten and hasn't had to have a dental yet and he is a toy dog) spay and neuters,(which you can have done at a discount at most city spay clinics)vaccinations...Rabies are easily gotten at Rabies clinics for less than 15 dollars..other shots are not needed after all the puppy shots have been done. Antibody titer tests are a great way to avoid over vaccinating your adult dog but the insurance companies don't pay for titer tests.Office visits are covered but if you are a regular client, most vets will waive the office visit if you actually spend money there.Wormings are covered but a fecal only costs about 10 dollars and you can drop off a fecal sample and save yourself that office visit anyway.
Injuries are covered and hopefully you won't have any...I injured Puffs' back and it didn't cost me anywhere near what pet insurance would have cost.
So as I said before, until the Pet Insurance companies come up with a Pet Health Savings account plan with a nice interest rate...I am not interested.
Enuf said!

Jimmy Kimmel puns Mike Vicks' Endorsement

If I wasn't already a Jimmy Kimmel fan, I would be now after watching this recent monolog about Dog Abuser Michael Vick, the sound effects are priceless...

Your Dogs' End of Life Situation

When I was a young girl, around 8 yrs. old,my beloved Collie mix, Sandy died. I can still hear my dad telling Dr. Randall, '' Do whatever it takes, don't let my little girls' dog die.''
We had recently moved and I had not yet made new friends. Sandy was all I had and I spent my time teaching her to sit, rollover, dance, and even pull my Radio Flyer with me in it. She was the best playmate a lonely kid could have, I was devastated when she died. My dad,great guy that he was,painstakingly built a pine box to bury her in and made a concrete headstone that read, '
Sandy, More Than a Friend'....
Sandy was hit by a truck following me around the neighborhood in a city with no leash laws.
These days, most dogs don't meet their maker on the street, and as owners we often have to make the decision as to when they will die...
So when is the right time to say good by?
For us humans, the death of a beloved dog is never easy. I have had many dogs for whom I still ache, years after they have passed.
And to add to our pain we have to be the one to make the decision to euthanize them and when. Often we are plagued with the 'what ifs...
What if the doctor is wrong and they will get better...what if they won't, and you prolong the agony...we look pleadingly in the eyes of our sick or disabled companion for a sign to tell us when is the right time.

We stroke their soft fur as if feeling it for the first time, knowing it will soon be the last, trying to imprint on our brain every last detail of the dog we love so much. We talk to them and remind them of all the good times we shared...and we tell them how much we love them.
Dogs are,by their nature, very stoic and show signs of pain only when it becomes more than they can bear. That dog who turns into a big baby if you accidently quick a toenail is the same one who will hide a life threatening condition from you as long as they can. That is his survival instinct.
There is no easy answer to the if or when do I euthanize question. It raises moral and ethical issues.
If dogs are our companions and we their guardians, do we even have the right to euthanize? Legally, yes as dogs are legal property. Morally, I don't know. I am not comfortable playing God.
We have all had or know of a dog who should have been euthanized, wasn't, and then made a remarkable comeback. Puff is one of those. Often expense is a factor in the decision and with that comes tremendous guilt if you can't afford treatment, or tremendous financial burden is incurred if you decide to go into debt for the dog.
And another question exists...
Is there a point at which prolonging the dogs life is actual cruelty?
Some people base their decision on whether the dog would live in a natural/wild situation. But in the wild, isn't a good measuring stick because dogs have never lived in the wild, only their ancestors the wolf have and their cousins the African Wild Dogs.
Dogs are not so much a domesticated animal as an actual CREATION of man. We developed the dog to suit our purposes and we have a moral obligation to see to it that they live and die with dignity and humanely.
Just like with the rest of your family, you should plan your dogs' end of life situation ahead of time.
Ideally you have a savings account set up for emergency vet care. If you save 20 dollars a month every month from the time your dog is a year old you should have plenty to deal with future emergency vet issues. Most dogs don't cost thousands in vet care...there is always pet insurance but until one of the insurance companies come up with a dog health savings account plan with a nice interest rate , I am not interested.
Decide in advance if you want to bury the dog in the backyard or leave him at the vet to be disposed of.
They will tell you that they will go to Pet Love Memorial Gardens and give you a package to choose from...the economy package means your dog will be put in a garbage bag and dumped in a freezer until the truck from the Pet Cemetary comes and picks up the freezer full of dead animals. They will then be dumped in a mass burial grave. If this bothers you, I suggest you get a more expensive package where your pet will have an individual grave site.You can also choose the backyard if your city ordinances don't prohibit such a burial. Dog coffins of every type are easily available, from the upscale satin padded created by experienced cabinet makers to a pine box to cardboard. You can find them at reasonable prices from time to time on eBay. And you must check out Peternity http://www.peternity.com , it is simply the best site for pet memorials.
Cremation is another option. It has been said that when you receive your dogs ashes that they may contain another dogs ashes as some crematories don't always clear all the ashes out from the previous cremation. Personally I don't want my dog in an urn on the mantel,but if you do, I respect that. Some of my friends have scattered their dog's ashes in the dog's favorite field to say goodbye.
Planning your dogs' end of life situation will be one of the hardest things emotionally that you will ever do. But it will be easier on you both if you do a little planning in advance...and honestly...
there is no GOOD time to say goodbye, but hopefully you will find the RIGHT time.

How Reputable are Private Rescues?

These days it seems every city and small town has more than its' share of private rescues. The not for profit groups sprang up a couple of decades ago when local shelters began to be overwhelmed with abandoned pets. For the most part, they are staffed by devoted selfless animal lovers who often donate their own cash in addition to their time and households. Many of us have been there, done that, many are still doing it. But the past few days a couple of stories reached my ears that reminded me that all is not always what it seems when it comes to private rescue groups.

Last nite, my friends Becky and James, both professional dog trainers told me of a woman who had contacted a local rescue to adopt a dog. She wanted a big dog, one who was friendly but whose size could ward away burglars to help her and her daughter stay safe. Her daughter was expecting a baby.

The rescue told her they had the perfect dog in a pit bull mix. The woman paid two hundred fifty dollars cash in adoption fees to the girl who was fostering the dog and signed a contract saying if she couldn't keep him he would be returned to the rescue group.

She then enrolled him in a training class with Becky and James.

The dog was highly aggressive in a schizo sort of way. One moment he was fine, the next he didn't know who you were and went viscously beserk.

Now James and Becky have done oodles of retraining for local shelters in a effort to make homeless dogs more adoptable so they have seen many aggressive dogs. After two weeks it was ascertained that this dog was never going to be safe around two women and a baby.

The new owner called the rescue group and was told sorry, they can't do anything about it. They did not take the dog back even though they made the new adoptive owner sign a contract stating they wanted the dog back if she couldn't keep it.

Nor did they offer to refund any money, or even trade the dog for another homeless pup.

Exasperated, the adoptive owner euthanized the dog....

Also this week, a friend of mine rescued a tuxedo cat hoping to foster it until a suitable home could be found. Her own cat would not accept him so she contacted several rescue groups who said they were full....she put an ad on Craigslist hoping a family would adopt him when she was contacted by a 501K not for profit rescue group in a nearby small town. They said they would find him a home provided that she take him to a specific vet and pay for all his shots and vetting...which she did.

This was a sweet deal for the vet ( who employs the husband of the head of the rescue group) and a sweet deal for the rescue group as they get to keep all the adoption fee ( one hundred dollars) but not a sweet deal for the cat who was already up on his shots and had to have them twice. Everyone knows the havoc over -vaccinating does to pets....

These two stories reminded me that when you contact local rescues, check them out thoroughly, both of the rescue groups I mentioned advertise on Petfinders.com. I am certain that the majority of private rescue groups are reputable, but not every single one will be.

Don't let anyone rush you into adopting a pet you aren't sure is right for you and your family, only you can answer that question. The saddest dogs I ever rescued were the repeats...be sure that the one you choose will be the one you keep for that pets' lifetime.

P.S. the dog in the pic is Ruby, she is not the pit mix in the story, Ruby is sweet, well mannered and in foster care waiting on a special someone to adopt her.