We have had a good animal year at DogDaz Zoo. Though Louise had some surgery in the summer and then got sick in November, she is on the mend. When I look back at 12 months of running and jumping and whining and catfights, I realize how blessed we are. 1 second a day gives you a great review of the DogDaz year through cats and dogs and birds and rabbits and the occasional skink. Did you know that there are over 6 minutes of seconds in a year? If that blows your mind, just skip below and watch December. Turn up the sound and dance along.
Thank you all for being part of the Zoo and watching our antics. Here is 2018 in review.
Louise watches patiently at the back door while a squirrel lunches on a left-over pumpkin. She doesn’t fuss like Sofie and Charles would do. She just sits and waits and hopes that a human will open the door so she can chase it away.
Louise is feeling better on 30 mg of Prednisone a day and special food. Fingers crossed that the good days continue. Thank you all for your prayers.
Being December, the fairy garden and Christmas dog are lit up under the DogDaz pines.
It gets dark around 4:30 PM here, so we get to enjoy the twinkling of the holiday lights for a long time in the evening.
The early darkness also means we are walking at a time when many cars are coming home for the evening and people are tired and speeding around the corners. Of course, everything I wear is black and so is Louise. To keep us safer during the walking time the girls wear lights around their necks (maybe I should too?). I definitely think you see Louise better with her glowing red collar, Sofie, not so much because she is blond and it is hidden in her fur.
November in review: our usual 1 second a day video for the month past. It was a very up and down month for Louise health wise. Now that it is December we are hoping that she will perk up more with the wonders of the holidays. You may notice some more food pictures creeping into the month. That is because Mom started a new food blog: From Lorian’s Kitchen and we spend a lot more time in the kitchen with her these days. If you like Gluten-free, Dairy-free, and Occasionally Vegan Deliciousness you should check it out. She may even feature dog food since she makes so much of it.
Tonight we celebrate the first night of the festival of Hanukkah.
When I walked out of my office, Sofie was playing dreidel all by herself. “But Sofie,” I said, “Hanukkah doesn’t start until tonight.”
I bet you it was Mini Cooper who stole the gelt (candy) and the dreidel (top) from the Hanukkah table in the living room and gave them to Sofie (to get her in trouble).
Sofie was not exactly sure what to do with these new prizes, so she brought them to me (good girl!). Dogs don’t get chocolate gelt in this house!
On the first night of Hanukkah, we like to play the dreidel game. In the case of the dogs, we use bones instead of gelt. But someone seems to always spoil the game by running away with a dreidel and try to eat it.
DogDaz Zoo is sending you light and love this holiday season.
Louise actually was hungry yesterday. That is such good news since she has been refusing food for weeks now due to pancreatitis. Maybe it was the yummy lean turkey, rice, pumpkin and mixed veggies that I made. Whatever it is, I am so glad that she is taking an interest in food. She actually was jumping up at me, which is her playful way when I am taking her bowl to the mat. Nothing can make a Parent happier (whether dog or human) than to see them eat after they have been sick.
She misses her kibble though. This mushy stuff goes down real quick. Should I try to go back to some commercial dry? And how do I make sure of all the supplements that I should put in my homemade stuff? I am no dog nutritionist and this is becoming a huge experiment (digestive enzymes, fish oil, vitamin E, coconut oil, B12, selenium, vitamin C, beta-carotene, and methionine to name just a few). For years, I have had the feeding of my 7 animals, with 8 different foods, down to a science, but this has now thrown me for a loop because it is going to be long term. Do I move all the dogs to the homemade diet once I figure out the complete mix?
Do you cook for your pup? How do you get the right stuff in the mix? Do you have multiple animals? Do they all eat the same thing?
DogDaz Zoo 