Caring for Critters: Dealing with kidney disease

Caring-For-Critters2-200

This post is a part of the Caring for Critters Health Issues Round Robin hosted by Heart Like a Dog. As the adorable graphic suggests, pet bloggers will be sharing their personal experiences, health problems their pets have faced, and how we dealt with them. While we consulted veterinarians and specialists in determining our own course of treatment, we are not vets and nothing shared should be considered medical advice. Got it?

I’ll admit – I had trouble deciding what to write about today. My beautiful Bella had numerous health issues over the years, so choosing one was difficult. I also wasn’t necessarily motivated to revisit some of those issues in light of our recent loss. However, inspiration finally hit, and this post is the result. Continue reading

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Aye, there’s the rub…

I planned to sit down and write today’s post after dinner. (So far, my #NaBloPoMo has been defined by a failure to plan ahead.) However, while eating dinner, I heard the news about Robin Williams. He died today at the age of 63, due to an apparent suicide.  As I sit down to write tonight’s post, I find myself unable to write about my originally planned topic.  Continue reading

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The State of the Blog Address

NaBloPoMo August 2014

My fellow Blogarians,

As you may have noticed, posts have been pretty sparse around these parts for the past few months. April and May were busy months for me – I went on a real vacation (to the Bahamas) for the first time in ages, went to New York twice, and then went to Vegas for a quick weekend. During the same time period, I was preparing to transition to a new job (which I started in June).

In May, we also had to say goodbye to our beloved Bella. Although the past few months have been busy and full of changes, it’s this last event that had the most impact. Most days, I didn’t even think about blogging. When I did occasionally log into the blog, I’d find myself staring at a blank screen.

I did begin to wonder if and when I’d find the motivation to start this whole thing up again. Then, a friend posted about the August edition of NaBloPoMo – basically, you sign up and commit to post daily for the month. I wasn’t sure if I should do it, but then I read the theme for the month.

It’s all about memories.

Kind of perfect, right? I’ve been a bit consumed by memories lately, after all. I’m hoping that signing up for NaBloPoMo will serve two purposes: (1) to help me get my blogging groove back and (2) to help me move forward while I’m looking back.

I realize that I started yesterday off with a somber post, but I promise it won’t be all doom and gloom over here. Perhaps I’ll even recapture some of my whimsy and manage to make it rain on your face from laughter as opposed to sadness. No Frown Friday might even return from its long vacation. We’ll see how it goes.

Stay tuned…

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Nic Cage’s Easter advice: Put the bunny idea back in the box

Blog the Change

Okay, users of the Internet… it’s time for some real talk. I know that Easter is right around the corner. Your head is filled with visions of adorable bunnies (or chicks and ducks, depending on what your particular brand of cute catnip is – the post below is applicable to all categories). You’re tempted to bring one home.

I get it. They’re cute. They’re cuddly. They win first prize every single year in the Cutest Way to Eat Lettuce Contest.

via giphy.com

As the proud aunt to several bunny nieces and nephews, I’m not immune to their charms. However, I’m going to give it to you straight. If you’re thinking of bringing home a baby bunny for Easter, stop.

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If I’m ever in charge of math, we’re all in big trouble

On Monday, I told you about the blog’s upcoming birthday, and how I’d almost forgotten about it. Today, I realized that not only did I almost forget the blog’s birthday… I also prematurely pushed it into middle age.

Remember how I said that the blog was turning five?

Um, yeah. This thing started on April 9, 2010. That was only four years ago. I always knew that math wasn’t my strong suit, but apparently basic counting is out of my depth as well.

It’s like that whole 500th post fiasco all over again.

That’s it. I’m not allowed to do math anymore without a chaperone. I can’t be trusted.

Dog math via wantmorepuppies.com

I should have seen this coming when I hired a dog to handle the books. (That’s not even a ledger – it’s a bunch of Mad Libs.)

As a result, I’m also afraid to ever acknowledge a milestone on the blog again. It’s my own special brand of PTSD (Poorly Trumpeting Stuff Disorder).

I really can’t believe it happened again. Um… so how about we return to your regularly scheduled installment of Caption this Dog (see photo above) and pretend this whole thing never happened?

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How is this blog like Molly Ringwald?

(Before you get too excited, the answer is not that my blog spent a Saturday morning in detention leading to romance with a young Judd Nelson.)

You might have noticed that it’s been quiet around here lately.

I’m not quite sure why, but I’ve been suffering from an epic case of writer’s block. When I can convince myself to sit down in front of the laptop (which is a challenge in and of itself), I can’t seem to find the motivation to write a post.  Continue reading

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I like navel gazing, but I hate belly buttons

Pet Blogger Challenge Jan. 10

I guess what I’m trying to say here is that I only like navel gazing (or, as our friend Pamela would call it, omphaloskepsis) when it’s metaphorical. Please keep your abdomens covered or – at a minimum – at a reasonable distance from my eyeballs. I can’t quite explain why, but belly buttons really weird me out.

Now that we’ve established some boundaries, dear reader, let’s move on to the real topic. (Full disclosure: I may have actually directed a few lines of “Take a Look at Me Now” at the mirror in order to psych myself up before writing this post, but let’s just keep that between us, okay?) This bout of self-reflection has been prompted by the annual Pet Blogger Challenge hosted by Go Pet Friendly and Will My Dog Hate Me, two of my favorite blogs. Continue reading

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In 2013, you wanted more puppies, more puns, and… more cats?

Today, on the last day of the year, I’m taking the totally original approach of reflecting on 2013. I don’t see a lot of this out there, which I find surprising – I mean, you’d think it would be a natural fit. I can only hope that my trailblazing example will inspire more reflection in the future as one year passes the torch to the next.

Sarcasm duly noted? Good. Because I know every website on Earth (and perhaps Mars?) is doing the same thing… and I don’t care. Nostalgia is my absolute favorite kind of -algia, and I finally put down a deposit on a nice little bungalow on Memory Lane. (It just makes good financial sense.) Let the reflecting begin! Continue reading

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Introducing… The Puppy Tails: A new (and awesome) blog on the block

I have a special edition of No Frown Friday for you today. I’m shining the spotlight on a very special blog: The Puppy Tails!

When I found out that I was paired up with The Puppy Tails for the Pet Blogger’s Gift Exchange this year, I was pretty excited. I mean, the name alone is clever and cute. The blogger behind the pups, Laura, looks like a lot of fun. The canine stars of the show, Monty and Delilah, are heart-meltingly adorable. Like me, Laura still calls her crew puppies even though they might not technically fit that definition anymore. Obviously, this match was meant to be.

Borrowing this photo from The Puppy Tails so you can see the cute – I sincerely hope you don’t mind, Laura!

I’ve spent some time reading up on The Puppy Tails this month, and I’ve really enjoyed it. If you, like me, are new to this wonderful blog, allow me to give you some tips on where to start (and at the end, I’ll tell you how you can help me spread the blog love to Laura, Monty and Delilah):

  1. First up, a punny pet name inspired by The Puppy Tails: Monty Paw.
  2. The Puppy Tails is a relatively new blog – it began in August of this year, and it’s a welcome addition to my reading list!
  3. Unlike this blog, The Puppy Tails contains useful information in addition to being entertaining and well-written. Check out this list of Puppy FAQs – I love how Laura is dedicated to helping others care for their puppies.
  4. Monty the pup is a rescue, and Laura recently dedicated an awesome post to him during Adopt a Dog Month.
  5. Laura is super talented too. Check out her upcoming line of homemade dog beds! (I totally want one.)
  6. She’s also cool and ahead of the curve – she totally posted adorable selfies with her pup long before the rest of us decided to step out from behind the camera as part of the Meet the Bloggers hop.
  7. Laura also gets to do awesome things in London, which has resulted in my undying jealousy.
  8. Seriously, The Puppy Tails is awesome. It tackles anything and everything you might want to know about having a puppy, including diet, teething, separation anxiety, walking, going to the vet, socializing (or, socialising) your puppy, clicker training, and so much more.

So, that’s a quick intro to the wonderful blog that is The Puppy Tails. Want to help me spread the blog love to this adorable addition to the pet blogosphere? If so, please do the following:

  • Stop by The Puppy Tails, leave a comment, and say hello.
  • Follow The Puppy Tails on Twitter. As a bonus, you will then be treated to tweets like this one. Awesomesauce.

This post is part of the Pet Blogger’s Gift Exchange, co-hosted by this humble blog and Something Wagging This Way Comes. For more feel-good bloggy goodness, check out the other blogs participating in this year’s exchange:

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Meet the Bloggers: Hello, my name is Dog Crazy

Meet the Pet Bloggers Hop

Hello, my name is Dog Crazy. (It’s a pretty common name, actually. Even the Queen is a crazy dog lady. For real. She’s one of us.)

And you are?

Grab a cocktail, pull up a patch of the Interwebz, and tell me about yourself. It’s all part of the Meet the Bloggers blog hop – and you’re invited! Continue reading

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