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
Today we are celebrating “Thanksgiving.”
It is a fun holiday full of food and smells and family.
I am busy making vegan pumpkin pie and marinating the tofurky and roasting all those wonderful winter root veggies.
Thanksgiving is a time when I look back at the people and things in my life and take stock of that for which I am most thankful.
I am thankful for 7 years of blogging this month, which has allowed me to meet YOU, my readers. I have met your families and your pets. You’ve shown me your life through pictures. You’ve read me your poems, and most of all, you have allowed me to experience your life through your blogs.
Thank you from the bottom of my DogDaz heart. – Lorian
The trio sleeping off a good holiday meal.
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TIPS FOR FEEDING PETS AT THE HOLIDAYS
Many pets can get a little too much food today, as do the people. So, as you are getting ready to sit down to the dinner table, here are some tips from ASPCA experts for a fulfilling Thanksgiving that your pets can enjoy, too.
Talkin’ Turkey
If you decide to feed your pet a little nibble of turkey, make sure it’s boneless and well-cooked. Don’t offer her raw or undercooked turkey, which may contain salmonella bacteria.
Sage Advice
Sage can make your Thanksgiving stuffing taste delish, but it and many other herbs contain essential oils and resins that can cause gastrointestinal upset and central nervous system depression to pets if eaten in large quantities. Cats are especially sensitive to the effects of certain essential oils.
No Bread Dough
Don’t spoil your pet’s holiday by giving him raw bread dough. According to ASPCA experts, when raw bread dough is ingested, an animal’s body heat causes the dough to rise in his stomach. As it expands, the pet may experience vomiting, severe abdominal pain and bloating, which could become a life-threatening emergency, requiring surgery.
Don’t Let Them Eat Cake
If you’re baking up Thanksgiving cakes, be sure your pets keep their noses out of the batter, especially if it includes raw eggs—they could contain salmonella bacteria that may lead to food poisoning.
Too Much of a Good Thing
A few small boneless pieces of cooked turkey, a taste of mashed potato or even a lick of pumpkin pie shouldn’t pose a problem. However, don’t allow your pets to overindulge, as they could wind up with a case of stomach upset, diarrhea or even worse—an inflammatory condition of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. In fact, it’s best to keep pets on their regular diets during the holidays.
A Feast Fit for a Kong
While the humans are chowing down, give your cat and dog their own little feast. Offer them Nylabones or made-for-pet chew bones. Or stuff their usual dinner—perhaps with a few added tidbits of turkey, vegetables (try sweet potato or green beans) and dribbles of gravy—inside a Kong toy. They’ll be happily occupied for a while, working hard to extract their dinner from the toy.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: dog, dog blog, DogDaz, Dogs, Feeding dogs, lorianlipton, Pet, pets, Thanksgiving
I really don’t know how those children and pet photographers do it!
Sit – Stay – Look at me!
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Best Friends, Blog, blog hop, dog, Dog People, dog rescue, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, lorian lipton, Pet, pet photography, pets, postaday, Wordless Wednesday
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
Not sure if Charles was looking for reassurance from Sofie, or if he had a question that he wanted to be answered. The girls are used to Mom’s ‘Kodak’ moments of making them sit and stay in one location, Charles, on the other hand, doesn’t get the concept. Sometimes I wonder if people just don’t train little dogs because they are easy to pull around. Being his 5th (and last) owner, and maybe because he is 10 1/2 years old, I find it very difficult to get him to cooperate. Stay tuned on Wednesday for a full post of picture fails. Have a wonderful Black and White Sunday.
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Black and White Sunday, blog hop, cute dogs, dog, DogDaz, Dogs, multi-dog household, 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
On this, our American Veterans day, I wanted to honor the Military Working Dogs, and of course all the active service people and veterans that have protected me and my family and my nation for many years. Especially remembering my Dad who served honorably in the Army during WWII, and took a bullet so that I could be free to be me; my Uncles, my Mother’s 4 brothers, all who fought and came home to their single/widowed mom; and my brother-in-law, who saw the worst of Vietnam, and still remains a wonderful gentle man.
Thank you very much. You are my heroes. 
Have you ever thought about adopting a Military dog when they come home? http://missionk9rescue.org/
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: dog, DogDaz, Dogs, lorian lipton, Military Dogs, Pet, pets, postaday, United States, United States Armed Forces, veterans day, World War II
Tags: Blog, blog hop, day of the dead, dia de los muertos, dog, Dog People, dog rescue, DogBlog, DogDaz, Dogs, lorian lipton, Pet, pets, postaday, Wordless Wednesday
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
Mom made us wait on the landing while she gave candy and prizes to the little goblins that came to the house last week on Halloween. We were surprisingly good and patient. We usually bark at every little noise and person, but for some reason, we decided to take a break this year. Maybe it was the very scary stick clown that Mommy put in front of us to keep us in line. What is it about clowns? Humans have a funny thing about them. I am not sure that we dogs find them as scary as humans do, but they are pretty weird looking. Maybe Mommy should do a clown test and see if the scary stick clown really did keep us in line. We are not going to let her know either way. Who’s afraid of a big scary stick? Not us!
Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤
Tags: Black and White Sunday, blog hop, cute dogs, dog, DogDaz, Dogs, Pet, pets
DogDaz Zoo 