Every time we exited my front gate, Cassie headed south, towards McDonald’s, the pier, and other goodies tossed out – treasures to a perpetually hungry dog. She always looked disappointed when I turned north for our usual walk, but when I turned south, she raised her wagging tail and quickened her gait, often barking and turning towards me as if to say “Really? We’re going this way?”
Helpful Hints for Dogs
Homemade Dog Food Recipe
About six months ago, my husband, Mitch, ran across a recipe for making our own dog food. It included kale, which he had a lot of from our garden last fall, so he gave it a try. With three dogs, we can really go through the dog food.
Probiotics
I opened the kitchen door after returning home from work. Buffy and Chipper gathered by the door, wiggling their stumpy tails. They ran out the door as a familiar raunchy odor greeted me. Brown drippings and piles were all over the kitchen floor. “Not again,” I moaned as I grabbed paper towels and a plastic grocery bag and started whipping up diarrhea.
The Ladder Command
Cassie had been tripping fairly often, at least once a day, falling on her face, or her shoulder, seemingly over nothing. I’d often stop and pet her and say, “That looks like it hurt. Poor baby.” I was afraid she’d really hurt herself one of these times, maybe even break her leg.
Wash with Soap and Water
I’ve had several blogs about Cassie’s sore paw and it has taken over a month to heal. I’m the problem, my vet said with her tone. When she told me to keep Cassie’s paw clean and dry – I figured alcohol would do the trick, to kill bacteria. But the vet reprimanded me.
Snow Protection
This past week the Chicago area had a blizzard with about 1 ½ feet of snow dumping on us. Cassie loves to roll in the snow, creating snow angels and taking a snow bath. Over the years I’ve found several essentials for dogs:
Follow the Doctor’s Orders
Cassie’s sores on her front paw hadn’t improved by the time her first round of antibiotics ran out.
Cold Water and Dogs
Taking a walk to view the ice conditions along the Lake Michigan shoreline at Hosah Park in Zion, I never expected Cassie to start walking into the ice cold water. She’s usually cautious, but since we come here often in the summer, I think she was surprised at the cold water.
