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Skunk: A Most Odious Encounter

Late last Saturday night my dog had that most unfortunate of meetings: with a stinky skunk. I’m ashamed to say that in my rush to do something about the horrid scent coming off of Chihiro, I didn’t think clearly. My husband and I should have hosed her off and applied treatment outside, but instead we brought her inside to the spare tub. We made her wait in the yard until we had the de-skunking mixture ready, but her trip through the house left awful scents that lingered for days. One good thing I can say is that the hydrogen-peroxide, baking … Continue reading →

Cats and Their Glands: A Very Stinky Problem

A secret stink bomb Those of us with dogs know that some aspects of canine ownership can be really gross. One of the worst has to do with scooting: when our dogs do this, it means they’ve got a build-up in their anal glands that they’re looking to relieve. Ew. We can either let our dogs slowly relieve themselves over time, give them a hand (more ew…), or have a veterinarian or groomer do it. My husband always handles this for our dog; he says it’s not so bad, and I’m happy to let him do it. I’ve made it … Continue reading →

Chasing House Flies

On the surface I had a lovely afternoon yesterday. I returned from a good time volunteering with friends at a local museum and spent a productive afternoon finishing a lot of work. That’s just the surface story. In reality as the hours of the afternoon waned I was driven crazier and crazier, as a headache crept further and further into my skull. And it’s all my pets’ fault. Well, just Chihiro and Cole. What did they do that made me insane? They chased house flies. I don’t know how so many flies got into my house, but there must have … Continue reading →

Dog vs. Yard

My dear Algernon beneath his rhubarb My dog loves her big new yard. One of the main reasons why is how many more encounters with the local wildlife she’s been able to obtain. Some of them aren’t so great. Others prove amusing. She’s had run-ins with a yellow box turtle wherein she’s been so perplexed by this strange new creature that even the slow reptile was able to escape during her investigations. That’s right: Chihiro spent the whole time of her turtle examination doing what I like to call her investigative dance: legs and shoulders hunched, head darting in and … Continue reading →

Lyme Disease Vaccine

One of my friends is the wife of a veterinarian. That makes her a useful resource whenever I have questions about my pets’ health. Today we got on the topic of immunizations, and she mentioned one of which I’d never heard: Lyme disease. My friend said that at her husband’s veterinary practice it was standard to immunize against Lyme disease once a year. I was surprised, mostly because I’d never even heard of a vaccine for the disease before, and now I learn that some places administer it yearly. I wanted to know more, so I began researching as soon … Continue reading →

For Green-Thumbed Pet Lovers

As I write this I’m sitting on my porch. Though many days recently have been so grossly hot and humid that I’ve never wanted to venture outdoors, some have been pleasant, especially in the mornings. These days I’ve taken to bringing my laptop out to the porch and completing my work here. I let the dog wander around the yard as I do so. Just a moment ago I had to do something that’s become common during these work outdoors mornings: chase my dog away from my garden. The majority of my garden items – herbs and berries – are … Continue reading →