Pet Parenting Means Constant Vigilance!

Owning a pet is — in some ways — like having a child. I don’t intend any insult to parents here; I know parenting is incredibly hard work. But there are times when living with a pet is like living with a toddler. You know how parents go through and baby-proof the house when the baby is ready to start crawling? Pet parenting is like that sometimes. You have to constantly keep an eye out for potential hazards — from a cup or plate left on a low table (easy access for scavenging pets) to a lamp in danger of … Continue reading

What is it about Moose and Summer?

Oh yes, it’s time for another thrilling installment of How My Dog Moose Tried to Scare Me to Death. A quick recap: in June of 2007, Moose slipped his collar and got hit by a car. He broke his tail very close to the base of his spine, and had to have the whole thing removed. In July of last year, he started throwing up blood clots thanks to a giardia infestation. Once again, the warm weather brings out the worst in Moose. My poor boy has always had a sensitive stomach, so I’m pretty familiar with how to handle … Continue reading

Five Years of Moose!

I’m not always good at remembering birthdays and anniversaries, so I have a few online calendars to give me hints about the date. Today in my email was a happy birthday wish for my dog Moose from Dogster.com. I don’t know what his actual birthday is — I don’t know Lally’s birthday either — so we celebrate anniversaries. Some people call them Gotcha Days, as in “this is the day I gotcha.” Five years ago today, I drove to Ticonderoga, NY to pick up a foster dog named Coyote. I had picked him out from a series of shelter dog … Continue reading

Treating Flatulence in Pets

For the last week or so, my German shepherd mix Moose has been extremely gassy. I used to think my dog Miko had bad gas (he would toot when he was nervous — even the vet had to open a window) but this is pretty awful. In Moose’s case, I don’t think nerves are the problem. He’s a pretty laid-back dog most of the time. Since his encounter with Giardia over the summer, he’s been a little more sensitive in the stomach. I wonder if the irritation hasn’t developed into some form of inflammatory bowel disease. The first thing I’m … Continue reading

Ask a Pets Blogger: Mucus in Stool

First off, I’m sorry that this is such a gross question! I’ve noticed lately that there seems to be a lot of mucus in my dog’s stool. He doesn’t seem sick otherwise. Should I be worried? No need to apologize — owning pets often means you deal with a lot of gross things. (So says the woman with the dog who eats cat poop and barfs green grass in the living room.) Your problem is one that I’m actually familiar with. Moose (he who eats “kitty roca”) has experienced this in the past. Mucus in the stool can be a … Continue reading

Moose Gives Me Another Heart Attack

My dog Moose is what you might call “accident prone”. When we first moved to Oregon, he got attacked at the dog park and ended up needing stitches inside his ear. About a week after he got his stitches out, he slipped his collar and chased a cat into the street and got hit by a car. It’s been a while since we had an adventure — but he saved up a good one. On Sunday afternoon, I came home from work to find that one of the dogs had thrown up bile and blood clots in the living room. … Continue reading

Hatchet – Gary Paulsen

Hatchet by Gary Paulsen is a story of survival. Brian begins the book as a fairly average kid. His parents have recently divorced and he is feeling betrayed, and mad, and uncertain. On the way to the airport his mother gives him a hatchet. He’s embarrassed, but attaches it to his belt. The small plane pilot has a heart attack and dies mid-flight. Brian steers the plane away from the treetops and manages to land in a lake. The plane has veered so far off course that the rescue planes can’t find him. Brian finds himself alone in the wilderness … Continue reading