So, thanks to Auntie Dawn at Daphneyland, I knew what to do.

Out came the shot glass, the turkey baster and yes, the Hydrogen Peroxide. I poured a shot glass full of H2O2, filled the turkey baster bulb and attached the business end of the baster, then poor Sofie got to experience what a “beer bong” is like. The result: a completely cleared out pooch!

Follow up: We need to wait an hour before eating. (Butters and Lula are NOT happy about this!) Sofie will get a small meal  preceded 15 minutes by a Pepcid AC.

NOTES:
1 – I witnessed her eating the glove.  Timing is everything!  If it’s been over 2 hours, the UFO cannot be extracted this way.

2 – Please see this site for other instances in which you wouldn’t induce vomiting, e.g. the dog is already vomiting, the dog is unconscious, the dog ingested swallowed bleach, drain cleaner or a petroleum distillate product: http://www.dog-first-aid-101.com/induce-vomiting.html

Here’s my Pupcicles recipes. Butters loves them!

And remember to transport them carefully and never leave them in the car — even with the windows cracked. Leave them home with cool water, shade, a fan. Remember, leaving an animal in a hot car is considered ANIMAL CRUELTY in CALIFORNIA. It’s a violation of State Law.  If you see a pet in danger, CALL POLICE. INSIST they respond. (Costa Mesa PD, are you reading this? Leaving a pet in a car on a hot day is a violation of STATE LAW, specifically California Penal Code 597.7 PC!!)

TIPS: http://www.wten.com/story/15130889/tips-for-keeping-your-pets-cool-in-the-heat

TRANSPORTING SAFELY: http://dmv.ca.gov/pubs/vctop/d11/vc23117.htm

Leaving Pets in Car a Violation of State Law:  Penal Code 597.7 PC

http://www.humanesocietyvc.org/services/report-abuse/animal-abuse-penal-code/

http://www.roseville.ca.us/faqs/categoryqna.asp?id=2

At first I thought I was dealing with leaky stools. So we’ve treated her for Montezuma’s Revenge and have deployed more than our fair share of Arm & Hammer’s Carpet Cleaner. (Thank you, Arm&Hammer for such a wonderful product. It simply works!) We still have loose stools and are looking forward to THAT clearing up.

Mom was a pediatric RN for 40+ years and said, “I don’t think that’s feces, dear.”  So I looked and wouldn’t ya know it!

So, I sillily purchased disposable K-9 diapers that were supposed to be designed for incontinent dogs and females in heat.  THEY  DO NOT WORK!!!  What a bloody nightmare –  in every sense of the word — for the poor dog and all the humans!!

At the end of our rope, my blessed mother punted.  I had laid in a good supply of wee pads back when I had an incontinent senior dog.  So she took one of them, folded it into a long rectangle, and cut a hole for the tail. Then she took 4 lengths of duct tape, 2 about 8 inches long, 2 more about 5 inches long and centered the 5″ long strip over the 8″ long strip, sticky side to sticky side.  Next, she slipped the hole over Miss Sofie’s tail (a feat in itself), flipped the long end under her tush, between her legs, up to meet the edge of the wee pad at her back and secured the newly formed diaper with the tape.  They look like little running shorts or French cut — er POLISH cut panties. It worked, throughout the night, with no runs, no drips and no errors! HALLELUJAH!

Now, Sofie’s spay surgery will happen in about a week or so so that the engorgement can subside. But WHAT a mess this is!  Add this to the long list of why you should spay your female pets along with not wanting to contribute to pet over population, expense, and cooping up your pet until she’s no longer attracting every intact male and some neutered males.

As  of right now, Sofie’s still a foster, but failure IS an option in this case.

I love: ARM & HAMMER® Pet Stain & Odor Remover Plus OXICLEAN® It works!! It really works!

Sofie has put my arsenal of carpet cleaners to the test over the past few weeks.  I’ve tried them all, but the one that seems to work the best on my carpet is ARM & HAMMER® Pet Stain & Odor Remover Plus OXICLEAN®! It cleaned up all the stain in one application. Other cleaners didn’t, and I really, really wanted to like them! I found that the majority of cleaners did well with urine and spit up, but failed miserably with fecal stains, and really disappointed when it came to stains with chlorophyll.

Just tonight I had to clean up an unfortunate (fecal) after dinner accident. This product worked like a champ!  So if you have a tough pet stain, I suggest you try this product.

NOTE: I actually purchased this product in the store. I haven’t been asked to review it.

The Pet Series works every bit as well as your upright, but will vacuum your home up to 7 days a week. Yes, you have to clean the bin and brushes more frequently than your upright, but the time savings is appreciated.  Further, you can program it to vacuum when you’re not home.  Imagine, being able to check a chore off your list so you can spend more time with your pets! 

THANKS, iROBOT!

What every pet home needs -- a robot!

PHOTO STOLEN FROM iROBOT.

If horseback riding is part of your plans this summer, PLEASE wear a helmet!  Regardless of the saddle you ride, please wear a helmet.  Even if you’re only walking, please wear a helmet.

Horses trip. Riders fall.  Protect all that education you have invested in. Please wear a helmet.

Please read what Julie Goodnight, a professional clinician, ranch horse competitor and all-round good egg, has to say about helmets in her brilliant blog: http://juliegoodnightontheroad.blogspot.com/2010/07/july-10th-is-national-helmet-awareness.html#comment-form

BTW… if you’re looking for a QUALIFIED riding instructor, I highly recommend looking one up on www.CHAinstructors.com.

Let's Party Like It's 1776! (or 1783, though the hat would've been hip in 1886)

This Independence Day, as we thank every servicemember who’s ever served in the U.S. Armed Forces since 1775, Lula and Butters reminded me that right along side those folks are dedicated canines. And Sizzle chimed in about the horses that served, like George Washington’s horses, NELSON & BLUESKIN.

Spirit Magazine featured an article about how dogs trained in the Puppies Behind Bars program are helping retired servicemembers cope with shell shock — er Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.  (We think the late George Carlin was on to something in his critique.)  Grab some tissues and read a touching story about How Mya Saved Jacob here: http://bit.ly/a5n1pm

Read up on all the Presidential Pets: http://www.presidentialpetmuseum.com/ 

Adopt a Hero:  Check out our blog post from earlier this year about adopting dogs that served!

Tag your pets! Chip your pets!  Dogs may run or hide during the festivities.  A tag will get your dog back home quickly.

Cute, but can be really smelly when provoked!

Last night we had a visitor.  Thankfully, neither Butters nor Lula were sprayed, but judging by the smell, somebody got it!  Living where we do, we get all sorts of visitors.  For the most part, the skunks leave things be unless they are threatened.   (They do give warnings by stamping their wee little feet when threatened. Then they raise their tail. This means spray is imminent!)

So, what is it about eau du skunk that makes it stink? There are 7 components to the skunk odor that make it well… stink.  Three are air activated, three are water activated (which is why the smell gets worse with a bath.) the other component, I’m unsure on.

Getting rid of Eau du skunk:

You need to OXIDIZE the chemicals and change them into different chemicals.  How do you do this?  By changing their molecular structure with this handy mixture that you will need to mix each time:

• 1/2 c baking soda
• 1/2 c hydrogen peroxide  (Some folks up the hydrogen peroxide to 1 cup!)
• 2 Tblsp Dawn dishwashing detergent (they use it on wildlife and according to what I heard from Sea World conservationists, it works best.)

Mix these three ingredients into a paste.  Wet your pet (or person) and rub onto your pet AVOIDING EYES AT ALL COSTS!  You can do some damage if the peroxide gets in eyes!

Let it sit for up to 5 minutes.  (You’re oxidizing. But 5 minutes is MAX!!! GOT IT!?)

Then rinse your pet or person and bathe him or her normally.

You need to mix this each time because it oxidizes and expands. It may burst your container if you try to store it. (READ: make a big mess)

NOTE: PEROXIDE is used to bleach hair. YOUR PET OR PERSON MAY BE BLONDER AFTER THIS TREATMENT! But they should smell a darn bit better!

SAVE THE TOMATO JUICE FOR BLOODY MARYS!

The next time someone tells you to bath your skunk victim in tomato juice, toss your head back and laugh at their lack of scientific knowledge. Tomato juice doesn’t eliminate the odor, it just makes a HUGE mess!  Tomato juice doesn’t oxidize the chemical and therefore, doesn’t change the molecular structure. According to the link I’m sharing below, the person who bathes a dog in tomato juice and declares the dog “odor free” is suffering from olafactory fatigue. In other words, the stench of skunk has temporarily numbed their sense of smell.

Source: Get more scientific here: http://www.humboldt.edu/~wfw2/chemofskunkspray.html

Click here to getImages &
Orcas Pictures

It’s been a couple exciting days for Southern California boaters, and whale watching tour operators are rejoicing!  The wild orcas are putting on a show!

A few days ago off the Ventura coast, fishermen encountered a playful female orca who really was ready for her close up!! On June 1, Captain Dave from Dolphin Safari in Dana Point video taped an 8-orca pod feeding.  (Thanks, Captain Dave and Fishermen Greg and Richard for shooting the video so those of us who are desk-bound could revel with you!) I’ve included links to the stories below!

It begs the question: Who’s watching whom?

REMEMBER: Keep our oceans clean! Make sure your trash gets into the appropriate cans and keep your cigarette butts off the street!

http://www.whalewatchingtv.com/Orca-LIVE.html

http://www.ktla.com/news/landing/ktla-orcas-dana-point,0,4262348.story

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/station/as-seen-on/Close_Encounter_With_Killer_Whale_Captured_on_Video_Los_Angeles.html

Nonetheless, it amazes me that people still take their dogs with them on warm days, park under a tree, roll down windows and think that their dogs are safe! Shockingly, even people who claim to be “animal lovers” are loving their animals to death by continuing this practice. 

• Dogs normal body temp is about 101 degrees F.  At 103 degrees, your dog is in trouble.
• Dogs can suffer heat stroke when temps reach 110 degrees. On a 70 degree day, the inside of your car or truck can reach lethal temperatures within 30 minutes!!!   (http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn7631)
• In California, leaving your pets unattended in a vehicle is illegal (SB 1806) http://www.theanimalcouncil.com/files/CA_PENAL_CODE_SECTION_597.pdf 

Trees don’t help much and cracked windows don’t either.  Here’s a study that illustrates the point: http://www.mydogiscool.com/x_car_study.php 

While we never expect to be detained in a store or a restaurant, you never know. I never expected to pass out at the grocery store and be taken to the ER! Thankfully, my dogs were at home for that incident.

Can we please agree to leave our pets at home? Work through separation anxiety — your pet’s or yours!  But, if you are going to stop for lunch, stop at a pet friendly place or leave Fido at home!   If you love your pet, don’t put them in the oven — er, your car.

BTW… before summer heats up and power outages start, you may want to invest in a battery-powered fan or two — one for humans, another for dogs.  Check these out: http://www.aftproducts.com/Energy_Efficient_Fans_ff474071d2.dept