Anyone who has been following my blog or knows me, can understand my need to have myself a party and kick back and relax. Times have been hard in my household with the death of my horse, my cat, my dog having his toe removed and now has cancer, and my other cat having surgery from a bad wound. We are starting to heal, and its time for a little party to celebrate the lives of the animals that we miss, and what better time then Cinco de Mayo. Its a wonderful time to celebrate that Mexican heritage, its food and drink, with emphasis being on the drink. While margaritas are normally the choice of drink, along with corona or mexican beer, here we have our own variation of margarita. Its a frozen drink that you pour 7 up or sprite over. Heres my recipe. This needs to be made at least one day in advance and it can be made several days in advance and kept in the freezer for quite awhile.

Mix altogether:

8Cups of Water

1 1/2 c Sugar

3 Cups of Jose Cuervo Golden

1 can frozen lime juice

1 can frozen Orange Juice

1 can frozen lemonade

Store in freezer. To drink, put a couple scoops in a cup and pour either your 7 up or Sprite over top.

This has been one of my party favorites for a long time and is such a fun drink. To make the best be sure to use Jose Cuervo Golden.

If you don’t have a party to go to, you can always join us at Twitter moms for an online party. Its a lot of fun, you meet some fantastic ladies and you can share your recipes at the same time. Bring your best Cinco de Mayo drinks and food and join in the party.

I’m really looking forward to a little Cinco de Mayo celebration.

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I’m writing this blog because I am being faced with the decision of whether or not to have gold beads inserted into my dogs spinal pressure points. This is not a practice that I was familiar with until recently. I’ve spoken with many vets, did lots of research and have come to some conclusions about this type of therapy.

I’ve long known about acupuncture for animals and people, in fact, I’ve had relatives that did have acupuncture and swore that it worked quite well. I’ve now come to know of a neighbor’s dog that had the gold bead acupuncture that couldn’t even get up, and I’ve seen him running around like a puppy with my own eyes.

My dilemma is that my dog, a large Rottweiler, had a hemilaminectomy several years ago or in layman’s terms, surgical removal of a portion of the vertebrae lamina. The doctors did not think he would ever walk again. Through a rigorous physical therapy that I instituted with him, including hydrotherapy, he now walks. His gait is odd, he has trouble getting up on tile floors, and sort of bunny hops instead of running. Because of a toe that he jammed and will not heal, the toe will have to be removed and the Veterinarian is recommending the gold bead acupuncture at the time of toe removal. Not being very familiar with this procedure has left me a little leery since his hemilaminectomy was so long ago.

However, in researching this procedure, I have found it to be quite interesting and of a great help to dogs that suffer from epilepsy, Wobblers, spondylosis of the spine, and other musculo-skeletal diseases.

How this procedure works is tiny gold beads are inserted into pressure points, depending on the disease being treated, and the beads give off positive charges thereby normalizing dysplastic joints or desensitize the vertebrae. In spondylosis treatments, the beads tighten connective tissue and and give off positive charges that normalize ionic changes in tissue.    Endorphins are also released at this time giving the dog a more euphoric feeling.  Results can be seen immediately or take up to months. The beads remain in the pets body forever.

This procedure is no doubt costly, ranging from 800 to 2000 dollars, just depending on how large the animal is and how many beads need to be inserted. Research shows that it does help 75% of the animals that receive it. My vet says his results have been 100%.  

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On Friday night, I had to put my beloved horse Scatman down. We had 22 fantastic years together. He was my first horse and the best one I’ve ever had. This gentle, beautiful Tennessee Walker was besides my family, my life. I’ve had many animals come in and out of my life over the years, but Scatman was very special.

It began in Morganfield, Kentucky over 22 years ago. I was there on business and saw him. He was for sale. I had never rode a Tennessee Walker before. Any of the horses I ever rode were those trail horses, normally quarter horses in the area I grew up in. That first ride on Scatman made me fall in love with him. He became my horse, and when I say mine, I mean that. He was great with kids riding him, but hated for other adults to ride him. He would flash the whites of his eyes, and quiver his lips. Very seldom did I ever put him through that. 

I remember one winter back in Indiana when we were all snowed in. I lived about 1/2 mile from the grocery store and knew there was no way to get there by car, so, I bundled up and loaded up Scatman and off we went to the store to get the essentials for my family and some of the neighbors. While coming back from the store, we decided a hot coffee was in order, and went through the Hardees drive thru. When we approached the window, Scatman decided he wanted to see what was inside, and he stuck his entire head in the window, up to his chest. Maybe he was just warming up, I don’t know, but it sure shocked the girl working the window.

We had many trail rides over the years, and his trusted feet never failed me. A couple times we were in pretty stick situations, and he would lay down and let me get off, and then thrust himself out. For a retired racking horse, he sure was a good trail horse.

Friday night his life came to an end. He would have been 33 in May. He will be missed more then words can ever say, but he will live on in the hearts of everyone he touched, but most of all mine.

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Do you travel with your pet? Do wish that the airline would be accomodating? Well, now theres one that truly cares about travelling with your pet, Jet Blue. Jet Blue gladly accepts small animals on both domestic and international flights in the cabin. With their new Jet Paws program, it will walk you through from beginning to travel time to make it much easier for both you and your pet. To kick off their new program, Jet Blue is having a contest, the Jet Blue Look alike contest.. If you have a pet that looks like you, take a chance to enter and win some fantastic prizes.

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Normally my blogs are general in nature, but todays blog is going to be more personal, sort of a little bit of memories, which I’m sure a lot of you will unfortunately be able to relate to.

A little background about my German Shephard Kaiser to set the premise. Kaiser was born on a farm in Kentucky with 11 siblings to a man that didn’t want them. For all practical purposes they had no human contact. Food was thrown at them, and that was about it. A friend of mine came to know of their plight, and took the entire litter. Kaiser of all of them was the most bashful and would need a lot of human touch and companionship. Since I was a dog groomer and had my own business, I could take the dog to work with me daily and introduce him to a lot of new people, so she asked me to take him, which I gladly did.

The first couple months were very hard for both Kaiser and me. He was so scared, he would hide under the end tables and not want to come out, and I would lie on the floor beside him and talk and talk and extend my hand in friendly gestures. I would take him to work with me everyday, and he would hide in the corner of the car the entire way, often soiling himself or throwing up. We worked through this, and eventually he enjoyed his car rides and even came to like going to work with me. He wasn’t over friendly with the customers, but he loved their dogs. Much to humans chagrin, dogs will always pick another dog over a human, they are pack animals, and other dogs are their preferred pack.

When he was two years old, we adopted a companion for him, an abandoned Rottweiler named Zeus. They became instant friends and best buddies. They played together, ate together and slept against each other, they were inseparable. When Zeus had to have disc surgery and couldn’t walk for months, another blog in itself, Kaiser laid with him and took care of him, and gave him comfort.

But alas, in August of 2007, Kaiser was diagnosed with bladder cancer. While there is no cure for this cancer, and no surgical procedure to be done on him, all we could do was treat the symptoms from it, not the cause. He was put on antibiotics and I also had him on a plethora of holistic medicines as well as Knox gelatin for his nose bleeds. He would be asymptomatic for a bit and then show symptoms of this killer disease again  The house was adorned with plastic table cloths because he would frequently urinate everywhere. Eventually, we put a belly band on him which held a pad for accidents and dripping. I would highly recommend this for anyone who is experiencing any type of urinary problems with their dogs.

Christmas was approaching and we were all holding our breaths that he would make it through. I couldn’t bare the thought of losing him yet, and especially at what is to be such a joyous time of the year. My daughter who lives in Indiana with her family decided to visit us in Florida for the Holidays, to see Kaiser one last time, and say their goodbyes. He was fading rapidly, but when they arrived it was like they brought a miracle with them.

Their stay was going to be short, just 4 days, but long enough to accomplish what they came for. Upon their arrival I noticed Kaiser perked up. He ate and played and played and ate everything from pizza to donuts. His ball was never more then a couple feet from him, and he enjoyed every minute that he had left. He was a sight to behold, the Kaiser of yester years. A bittersweet moment for all of us, none the less, he brought us through the holidays with joy.

The morning they were leaving, he lay in the bedroom doorway watching them, lifting his head occasionally for a kiss or pat, but nothing more. From then on, the disease took its final toll, and Kaiser would not be spreading anymore holiday cheer. It was back to reality, his last hurrah was gone. Unable to even get up, or wanting to get up for a drink of water or go outside, he had given it his all, and gave us our Christmas miracle. He was euthanized at home the following day.

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In Australia, a brave dog named Leo would not leave a burning house with its owners for good reason. Leo was wanting to protect the small newborn kittens. While no one was seriously hurt in the fire, Leo made sure that the kittens were not a casualty either. See this video of Leo and the kitties. What a brave dog .

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Approximately 80% of dogs and 70% of cats will develop gum disease by age 3. Because of bacteria building up around the gums from plaque and calculus, your pet could possibly experience some type of periodontal disease without proper dental care.  

Starting your pet out with proper dental care by brushing at home is essential. It is not recommended that you take an elderly pet and try to start brushing their teeth. Toothpaste formulated especially for pets and a small toothbrush or finger brush is recommended. In the beginning, let it be fun for your young pet. Start once a day for a minute or two and then work your way up for a full brushing. Do not use human toothpaste.  

Your veterinarian will check your pets teeth during normal routine annual exams, and if they have a lot of tartar build up, they will recommend removing it themselves.  

If your pets gums are bleeding or they appear to have a hard time eating, or bad breath are all indications that there is an oral problem. This should be checked out by your vet as there could be something more complicated like an oral tumor or non cancerous masses.  

The best way to avoid periodontal problems is by prevention. Of course, over time, your pet may develop a tooth fracture or loose teeth, indicative to some smaller breeds such as yorkies, and these teeth can be removed safely by your veterinarian.  

Periodontal disease can have a serious impact on your pets health, so please take it seriously. 

To find some excellent pet dental products with free shipping today only, you can visit Pet Nutrition Products and save.

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When I think of war, I think of not only the hundreds and thousands of men and women being killed, but I think of the poor animals, running the streets, starving, looking for affection. Because of this, I was thrilled to hear about a group that is helping to save animals that are befriended by our soldiers. Animals that not only are receiving the attention and love that they deserve, but are returning the favor to the soldiers. They bring home a little bit of normality and peace to the soldiers. They also bring to the soldiers something to look forward to daily and escape for a few minutes the reality of the horror they are living in.

Baghdad Pups has become an very important part of rescuing these animals. The SPCA International has started Operation Baghdad Pups to help aide the soldiers in bringing back to the states the animals they have saved and that have saved them. It is run solely on donations, and can take up to $5,000 to bring just one animal back to the states. There are certain stipulations which the animal and soldier must meet in order to become part of this fantastic program. Foster homes are also needed in the states for to help with this program, so if you would be interested in fostering, contact Operation Baghdad Pups to find out more information.

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Dog groomers listen up. I know how tough it is to groom. I know how sore you are at the end of the day. You battle dogs, large and small, your fingers get cramped, you back aches and your feet feel like they could explode. Do not despair, there is help for you. After a long hard day of grooming, you can slip into one of the many Infrared Saunas offered at www.midwestsaunas.com

You will immediately feel the pain drain from your body. You’ll feel like a new and refreshed person. With a far infrared sauna you will be totally rejuvenated. Its not nearly as expensive as you think especially in return for the health benefits. If you have joint stiffness, arthritis, high blood pressure, menstrual cramps or so many more health issues, these saunas are just what you need. Check out the many values these saunas have, you’ll certainly be surprised.

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When I worked at the veterinary clinic often times a special food would be recommended for cats and dogs that had allergies. I use to think that Lamb and rice was the way to go, but I think since its been sold over the counter for so many years that dogs have even developed an allergy to that. The one that seems to be of choice now is duck and potatoe. I only knew of a couple manufacturers that made this and they were all only available at veterinary offices.

I was extremely surprised when I was online looking at a company called Pet Nutrition Products that they carried the potatoe and duck food. This all natural food is quite a bit cheaper then I remember it being at the veterinary clnics, so I wanted to pass this along. If your pet has allergies, check this food out. It could save you a lot of money in the long run with medications and shots and also help keep your pet feeling good.

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