Lawn & Garden Hazards in Dogs

This year I decided to have a lawn service fertilize and treat my front yard. Being the safe pet owner I also decided to leave my backyard to the dandelions and clover because Lilly spends so much time out there and I didn't want her to get any ill effects from chemicals. Besides the obvious lawn fertilizers and weed killers our summertime yards are full of things that can make our pets sick. Below is a great article from Petplace on garden hazards. Lawn & Garden Hazards in Dogs

Pet Rabbits - Chewing & Digging - House Rabbit Behavior

Pet Rabbits - Chewing & Digging - House Rabbit Behavior

Disaster Preparedness - Saving the whole family

In light of what's happened in the Nashville area and all the recent tornadoes - this is extremely important information to follow presented by the American Veterinary Association. No one wants to prepare for a disaster but it's better to implement a few steps for keeping your pets and your family safe. Every worry about what would happen if a disaster happened and you were away from your home? Would anyone know you have pets inside? A simple sticker in the window and/or door would help alert fireman and emergency workers how many and what kind of pets you have. Read more... Disaster Preparedness - Saving the whole family

Your Guide to Common Dog Poisonings

Here is an excellent guide especially at this time of the year when pets are outside more: Your Guide to Common Dog Poisonings Another thing to watch out for is standing water (i.e. ponds and low birdbaths) and if you have bird feeders make sure they are cleaned regularly and any seed that falls to the ground is disposed off. I have this problem with Lilly wanting to eat leftover seed. Unfortunately birds do carry bacteria and disease and care should be given to try to remove as much seed as possible.

Blog Talk Radio The Power of Love Relay for Life Team Interview With Host Nathan Webster

Tune in to listen to The Power of Love Relay team's Captain April Stewart, myself and Master of Ceremonies Tim Stewart talk about why we relay, some history on the Relay For Life of Northern McHenry, fundraising activities and the event itself which takes place Saturday, June 26th & 27th at the McHenry Township Offices in Johnsburg, Illinois.

Rabbit Language Feedback

Here's a great rabbit site and advice on how to "rabbit proof" your home. Rabbit Language Feedback As you can see I've been doing a lot of that reading hoping to rabbit proof the entire homesite. To the left is the smaller demon child making herself at home on a kitchen chair. She now thinks it's ok to sit on the table.

And here's the slightly larger demon child getting ready to make a leap onto the table for some relaxing chewing. I know now why God made them so soft and cuddly!

Turtle Tracks

Gotta give some air time to turtles! I have an Eastern Box turtle named Mr. Bojangles. He's the quiet one in the house but the most intellectual and observant. He is about 9 years old and he can live up to 100 years but average between 40-50 years. That means Professor Jangles could outlive me....which is why he is in my will. After reading various care sites online about turtles I came across Steve O'Neill and his project The Earthshine Turtle Tracks Eastern Box Turtle Conservation Group. Below is a link to the amazing things they do tracking and recording turtles. Turtle Tracks The neat thing is the involvement he gives children in his projects which is vitally important to the future of these interesting turtles. The turtle plays a significant part of history especially to Native Americans. The Story of the Turtle by Neebing White Eye is a great example of how animals are symbolic in life.

EPA To Scrutinize Flea And Tick Products Such As Frontline, Advantage In Wake Of Consumer Complaints - kdka.com

In the news recently has been reports of pet owners complaints against flea and tick products which are producing adverse effects on their dogs and cats. EPA To Scrutinize Flea And Tick Products Such As Frontline, Advantage In Wake Of Consumer Complaints - kdka.com Although the number of animals affected has been low, this is a cautionary tale that all pet owners should be aware of. Part of the learning experience of pet massage is to observe your pet and start with a gentle touch over his/her body looking for any abnormalities in the skin and coat. This is important for all pet owners to do even if you do not practice massage. Because some of the side effects of these products are rashes and unsteady gait, if you do choose to use flea and tick products take the time to observe your pet more often. There are a number of natural remedies that do work for controlling fleas - one is ecoPure Flea and Tick Spray which is made of botanical extracts that include Castor Oil, Eugenol (Clove Oil) and Thyme Oil, all safe for canine use. And... you can purchase ecoPure products from The Curious Hound. Go to our website for more info.

Ashley & Kristin Start Their New Life

Well the new bunnies have been home now for about a month. I am a rabbit person. I grew up in 4-H clubs and traded my ducks for rabbits at the tender age of twelve. My last pet bunny, Jasper, passed away last year at the ripe old age of ten. Bunnies, if well-cared for and kept away from predators, can live 8-10 years. I know why God made these furry little creatures so cute - because they can tear down a house from room to room without the help of modern tools. They are very smart and very inquisitive in nature and LOVE to chew anything and everything! I know because I went through three bedroom lamps when Jasper chewed through the cords to them. You'd think I would know that everything needs to be "bunny proofed" but I must have occasional brain freezes and forget or it's old age. Anyway these two lovely ladies I have adopted from No Splitting Hares Rabbit Rescue have noticed that my old house needs some updating and have kindly decided to help by slowly shredding my kitchen wallpaper. Apparently blue is not their color! Now that the electrical cords are safely encased in plastic tubing and up off the ground and the remaining wallpaper has been taped to the wall (insert laugh!) I am starting to enjoy their interesting personalities and little tricks. They are cute beyond belief and Lilly the dog loves them unconditionally. She has also influenced them in learning to sit up and beg for food. Watch for the Bunny Cam here on the blog in the near future!

How I Became Interested In Pet Massage Therapy

After having an online retail/wholesale business for six years which focused primarily on fashion accessories and clothing, I decided to switch gears a little bit and cater more to my furry friends. After all, they have been in my life from the time I was born. Growing up with horses, ducks, rabbits, cats, dogs and even small creepy crawly things I always assumed I would never be without a pet. I became interested in pet massage therapy after my mom passed away. My second basset hound, Gilda, became ill with Lymphoma at the age of 13. Because the survival rate was about 80% for living another 2-3 years I gave it my all and took Gilda to cancer treatments every 3 weeks. She was about to start her last treatment when her lymph nodes swelled again and she relapsed. My darling Gilda passed in January living just another month. During the time she was sick, without training, gently massaged her and saw it made her more comfortable. I did the same for my mother's 22 year old cat, Maddy, who suffered from severe arthritis. I massaged her tiny legs and noticed a huge improvement in her mobility and her mood. She became kitten-like again and even gave an occasional slap to Lilly, my new basset's face! Lilly, who is a 3 year old rescue from a puppy mill, took a long time to relax and became very agitated after playing with me too long. When I could sneak a massage in to her it helped her calm down and now since I've learned the proper massage techniques from the Pet Massage Training and Research Institute, she won't let a day go by without her 15 minute massage! I had the pleasure of meeting Jonathan Rudinger, the founder and teacher at Pet Massage Institute, at a seminar he taught during the H.H. Backer Pet Industry show in Chicago last fall. The class was very informative and gave us all great advice on starting a canine massage business. There are many wonderful benefits to canine massage: improved circulation and muscle tone, an increase in flexibility and body awareness, ease of mental stress and physical discomfort plus.... just like when we humans receive a massage.... it just feels so darn good! I hope to touch on many pet subjects with this blog. I also hope to hear from you. Please share your funny pet stories. They are worth a million to us - they are our babies.