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.
Do you wear lights when walking in the dark? 
Be safe out there. It’s a zoo!
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤ 
Tags: blog hop, dog, dog collars, dog walking, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, funny dogs, lorian lipton, Mischief Monday, Pet, pets, xmas lights
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.
What kind of mischief did you get into today?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: 1secondaday, blog hop, dog, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, funny dogs, lorian lipton, Mischief Monday, Pet, pets
Louise is down with a really bad bout of pancreatitis again. It started mysteriously a few weeks ago when she would occasionally refuse to eat in the morning. I asked the vet and he really didn’t think much of it. Then she went for her Rabies shot. The following week she was pretty sick. I am wondering if it could have exacerbated her condition? (Your thoughts?) He took lots of blood work, and thought maybe Addison’s disease (which I did not) and sent us home with a probiotic and Flagyl (an antibiotic). Blood work was negative (they check Cortisol levels).
She got worse. She vomited in her sleep Thursday (she never does that). But the next morning (Friday) Sofie vomited too, so I thought maybe they both had a bug. I made my usual sick dog food for her. But that night she vomited 6 times in her sleep. Every time a changed the bed, she went again. Ok, now I was very concerned. I rushed to the vet in the morning (Saturday) (but of course my usual vet was on holiday) so I saw this nice stand-in guy. He took more blood ($$$$). He gave us more Flagyl and an anti-nausea drug called Cerenia.
By Monday she was worse. She wouldn’t eat (which meant I could not give her pills) and was lethargic. When I called the Vet they said to take her to the Emergency Vet. Thank goodness for Veterinary Emergency Clinics, they are just such a wonderful addition to pet care. They took X-rays and did a sonogram and gave her a shot of that Cerenia drug since I could not give it to her orally. While I was at Emergency the stand-in vet called with her blood work and said her pancreatic enzymes were elevated (no kidding, like I didn’t know that already). The Emergency doctor said her sonogram looked ok but things looked ‘thick.’ He and I decided to stop the Flagyl (if it hadn’t worked already it wasn’t going to).
She appeared to perk up on Tuesday but on Wednesday evening she went down hill again. I made some special boiled turkey cutlets for her for Thanksgiving and that perked her up again. I was able to get a Cerenia down her and I think that helps. I also read that probiotics may actually not be good for animals with pancreatitis. So I stopped those too.
I have started making large batches of dog food (and I am thinking I may move her and maybe all of them to my own mix). Each day is touch and go. Somedays she’s ok, others she is not. I have her wrapped in a nice warm sweater all the time (it’s 20 degrees out). She does want to go for walks most days and then I put a coat on top of her sweater. I want to keep those organs warm. When she is not sleeping she is following me around and giving me that look that says “Please help me feel better, Mom.”
One day at a time.
What kind of mischief did you get into today?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: blog hop, dog, dog health, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, funny dogs, lorian lipton, Mischief Monday, pancreatitis, Pet, pets, postaday
One of the things that I love about fall is watching the dogs put their noses up in the air to smell messages on the wind. At least, that is what I assume they are doing. They all seem to do it. I am sure that if we humans paid more attention we could learn a lot by sticking our noses in the wind.
What kind of mischief did you get into today?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Autumn, blog hop, dog, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, Fall, funny dogs, lorian lipton, Mischief Monday, Pet, pets, postaday
Charles stayed home and missed all the fun today on our walk. Marc, the neighborhood river-rat dog, joined us for a roll when we got down to the point. He lives next to the community beach and is always around. We love a fall day on the Magothy River. Mom said we can’t roll in the new grasses or dig up the new sand*. We are not sure why but we kind of listen to her (you will see at the end of the second video that we are selective in our responses – Bark Out Loud!). There is nothing more fun than a beautiful day by the river with Mom.
What kind of mischief did you get into today?
*Our community replaced the failing bulkhead with natural living shoreline to improve water quality and create wildlife habitat
Faced with a failing bulkhead, the community worked with South River Federation to replace approximately 390 linear feet of existing bulkhead with a living shoreline along Mill Creek of the Magothy River. The project complements the community’s nearby 187 linear foot shoreline installed two years ago. Additionally, this project includes a 4,200 square foot bioretention facility located between a parking lot and the shoreline to capture runoff, as well as 0.25 acres of voluntary reforestation.
This restoration will create a stable shoreline that will work to improve water quality, reduce erosion, and create habitat where there has not been any for decades.
The above photos, provided by shoreline contractor Maguire Marine, show the stunning before and after.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: bioretention, blog hop, chesapeake bay foundation, dog, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, funny dogs, lorian lipton, Magothy River, Mischief Monday, Pet, pets, south river federation, twin harbors
October features vampires and ghouls, a lot of nibbling, catfighting over the new scratching post, more nibbling, and old Betty (a friend cat).
What kind of mischief did you get into today?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: 1secondaday, blog hop, catblog, dog, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, funny dogs, lorian lipton, Mischief Monday, Pet, pets
No animals were hurt in the making of this Halloween murder scene.
We have so much fun at Halloween. Maybe because it is just a fun time, no need to cook and bake and worry about family or presents or going to visit people. Here at the zoo, we love the fall and everything that comes with it. Though it is the dying off of the crops and the going to sleep of the plants and the earth, it is a magic time for us. We really enjoy being wrapped in layers and having a crackling fire to warm our bones. Though the cold has started to affect us all, because we are not puppies anymore, it still holds a freshness that makes us feel alive.
Harvest time makes me feel thankful for having food on my table and being able to provide for my family; flesh and fur and fins. Have you heard about the Teal Pumpkin Project? It helps raise awareness for people who have food allergies (like me) so that everyone can partake in Halloween. Have you ever thought about the child with peanut or milk allergies who can’t participate? Please think about having toys or alternative treats. If you want more information about the Teal Pumpkin Project go to FARE – Food Allergy Research & Education. We give out eyeballs and spiders and other fun things in a separate bucket from regular candy. I give the goblins a choice when they come to the door.
We are ready for mischief – Are you?
What kind of mischief did you get into today?
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: blog hop, Cat, dog, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, FARE, food allergies, funny dogs, Halloween, lorian lipton, Mischief Monday, Pet, pets, postaday, teal pumpkin project
