Bubble Removal Complete

Vida's had a "bubble" growing on a rear leg for two years now. I didn't worry about it because it seemed like a lipoma (a fatty growth, usually benign), it didn't bother her, and with her mouth we had a much more serious issue to take care of. In fact, I think most of the vet notes didn't even mention in. Lipomas have become so common that they are considered normal in old dogs - even though Vida isn't old yet. 

No one has an official explanation for them, but I think they're the body's way of compartmentalizing bad stuff (how do you like that for scientific). For instance, Vida's first started when she was given a phlegm clearing herbal blend ("Max's Formula") two years ago. It was as if the body was asked to move the phlegm, and not being able to get it out of the body, set up a spot to store it. 

If given a choice, what would your dog choose?

Yesterday morning we closed up our New Hampshire cabin and started the drive back to San Diego.

While my mom and I were busy with all of this, Vida didn't hover, or sunbathe. She spent nearly two hours disappearing into the woods. She'd reappear occasionally (sometimes when asked, sometimes on her own), checking in before diving back into the forest. Her brindle coloring really does make her disappear; I'd never see her at all if it weren't for her white collar and tail tip. She slides in to her woodland role even better because her tags are held in a neoprene packet that silences them.

She'd come back with her eyes bright and shiny, her mouth open and tongue red, panting slightly. But she wasn't panting from exertion as much as from excitement. While I'm sure that her adventuring was a good way for her to deal with the stress of our preparations, it felt like she was excitedly drinking in as much scent as possible so it would last her until we returned next year. It was as if she were trying to commit the geography of smells to memory so she could remember them later and access them in her dreams.

La Vida Not So Fresca

Brace yourself.....

Vida's eating dry food.

Not 100% dry, but I finally came to the end of my rope shopping for reliable raw food.

Spoiled Rotten Raw Feeder

I have it soooo good in San Diego when it comes to buying food for my dog. Even if I didn’t work at Dexter’s Deli I’d be able to shop there, and at several other stores around the county that stock a variety of prepared raw diets for dogs.  I could find whatever I needed within a reasonable drive.

I am not so fortunate here in central New Hampshire. I start out by using the “store finders” on the company websites, and at first I thought “great, look at what’s available!”

What Makes Acupressure Special

I'm often asked whether acupuncture is better than acupressure. Rarely am I asked the opposite. I think that's because the use of needles in acupuncture immediately makes most people assume that it is more effective, more "serious" than simply pressing with one's fingers. After all, most medicine involving needles is "real" medicine, and (in most states) one needs to be a veterinarian to use needles on animals. These technical particulars would lead most people to assume that acupressure is simply a poor cousin, a substitute for the "real thing."

I believe that acupressure is equal to acupuncture, and in one particular respect I believe it is superior, especially when working with animals. 

Summer Gear Geek-Out Part Two

Here is Vida, leading the way on our walk. I have to laugh at the idea that someone is looking at this and thinking that this demonstrates her dominance over me! That is not true. What it does demonstrate is that she is much more interested than I am in what is ahead.

I'm using a 10 foot lead made by Mendota that allows her more room to wander, as Turid Rugaas, the amazing Norwegian dog trainer recommends in her DVD on loose leash walking. 

I've usually used very light-weight 6 foot leads, and have tried to use retractables and lightlines before, but now that I have this Mendota lead I have figured out what makes this one work so well.