Fleas Can Be Deadly

Kilo - "I'm not feeling well."

Fleas are not just pesky little blood suckers that make you itch. They can carry diseases and infect our pets with them -- things like tapeworms and Mycoplasma haemofelis and Mycoplasma haemocanis. These are diseases I have experienced with my own pets over the years. Mycoplasma causes anemia and if left untreated can cause death.

Just recently our 1-1/2 year old cat Kilo starting acting lethargic and didn't have his normal appetite. After taking him to the vet for an exam, nothing was found. It wasn't until we got an x-ray and bloodwork done that it was revealed that his spleen was inflamed and he was suffering from severe anemia -- on the borderline of needing a blood transfusion -- from Mycoplasma haemofelis (formerly known as Haemobartonella felis). Mycoplasma haemofelis attacks the red blood cells that carry oxygen throughout a cat’s body.

Kilo

Even though Kilo gets his monthly flea treatments (especially since he is an inside/outside cat and we live in the Houston area), he managed to contract this flea (or tick) carrying disease. We comb him often and have never found any ticks on him. Could it have been due to the fact that the flea treatment I had been using on him (Revolution), seemed to have stopped working recently so I had to switch to something different (Advantage)? 

I really don't like putting chemicals on my animals at all, but the risk of them getting a disease like this (not to mention just fleas in general, which can cause allergic reactions in some pets) if I don't use some type of flea and tick control that works, is too great. Here in Houston, where it's hot and humid 9 to 10 months out of the year, is the perfect environment for fleas and mosquitoes. I wish there was a natural, safer flea treatment that really works but I just haven't found one yet. (Not that I haven't tried!)

Kilo is recovering nicely, feeling a little better every day while being treated with antibiotics, steroids and vitamin B12 (and lots of love!). After ten days he will get a blood test again to confirm he no longer has the Mycoplasma.

Ellie (1998 - 2013)

In 2011, our Australian Shepherd Ellie, who was 13 at the time, had to receive a blood transfusion after collapsing from what turned out to be immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, which was caused by Mycoplasma haemocanis, the same disease as Kilo got, only the canine version. We hadn't found any ticks on Ellie either, so we had to assume it was from a flea, even though she was treated with monthly flea and tick prevention. Ellie was at a disadvantage though, as she didn't have a spleen to help her deal with the Mycoplasma. She had her spleen removed a year prior due to a tumor that had ruptured. She was treated and recovered nicely. I wrote about her ordeal here.

In 2008 my husband rescued a tiny six week old kitten (now our 9 year old Dusty) from

Dusty

getting run over on a busy street, only to have him pass out in my arms a short time after getting him home. He was so covered in fleas that they caused him to become anemic and he had to have a blood transfusion to save his life -- again. The fleas literally sucked the life out of his tiny body. 

So can fleas be deadly? They certainly can! This is why it's so important we protect our pets against these pests.

In Memory of Our Dog Duke

As we celebrate a special milestone of fifteen years in business this month, it's also a bittersweet milestone in that the last remaining mid-day dog walk we've had for the last fourteen years, Zinger (14), just passed away a couple of days ago, and now our own last remaining dog passed away as well.

Duke with sister Cali

Our beloved dog Duke passed away on Monday, February 13th, just a month and half away from his 15th birthday. He was doing really well up until just a few months ago when he started having some neurological type problem that was affecting his mobility, eventually leaving him unable to stand. His kidneys also had taken a sudden turn for the worse and were causing him discomfort.

We used Houston Mobile Vet for his last exam and bloodwork and they provided in home euthanasia also. (They are wonderful and I highly recommend them!) I am so grateful we now have the option of mobile vets who come to your home. Duke was able to be at home, in his comfy bed with us there petting him while he peacefully and painlessly passed away. 

Duke and Cali

Duke was the last of our four dogs and the sibling to Cali, who passed away from cancer four years ago. After living with three other dogs most of his life, and several cats, he ended up being the only dog for the last four years, of which I think he thoroughly enjoyed, though I'm sure he missed his sister and our other dogs. He had a friend that would come to stay with him on occasion that gave him some dog companionship which he enjoyed.

Our cats loved Duke, and he them. They are grieving and feeling his absence too.They would always run up to greet him before they would greet us. In fact, if Duke came in the room while they were getting pets from us, they would leave the pets to go rub on Duke. Often times I would hear our youngest cat Kilo in another room just talking away and when I looked, he would be talking to Duke, who was standing nearby. Duke was adored by his kitties!

Duke and Kilo

When Duke and his sister Cali first appeared on our ranch one cold January day in 2003, we thought he was a most unusual looking dog. We always got compliments on how pretty Duke was and were frequently asked what type of dog he was. In 2012, when they were ten years old, I had their DNA tested. They were found to be a mix of Chow Chow and Bluetick Coonhound. An interesting combination.You can see the resemblance of both breeds in them from the photos I shared here, especially Duke.

Each and every animal is unique and has certain qualities about them that make them special. Besides his physical appearance, one of Duke's unique characteristics was that he was a highly sensitive dog (HSD).

In the fields of biology, animal behavior and human psychology, research has found that a small percentage of the population -- about 20% -- of over one hundred different species of animals, as well as humans, have an innate characteristic which entails having a more sensitive nervous system than the rest of the population. They are labeled extra-sensitive, super sensitive or highly sensitive. Biologists say this has a survival advantage. Those that are highly sensitive are the first to sense danger and alert the rest of the group.

According to Dr. Elaine Aron, a psychologist who has been studying highly sensitive people (HSP) for over 20 years, there is now solid research from scientific studies done on the brain and genetic analysis showing that highly sensitive people have differences in their brain activity and process things differently, along with having a sensitive nervous system. HSPs process things more deeply, are easily overstimulated, have a sensitivity to subtleties and their environment, may be more sensitive to chemicals, as well as some other traits.

Duke with his friend Taz

This same innate characteristic has been studied extensively in rhesus monkeys at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development in Maryland by Stephen Suomi, PhD. 

Research is being conducted on highly sensitive dogs in Switzerland by Dr. Maya Braem Dube, a veterinary behaviorist at the University of Bern, Switzerland. HSDs share many of the same traits as HSPs -- they can quickly read the mood in another animal or person, can pick up the scent of illness or the onset of a seizure before it occurs, heightened levels of awareness and sensitivity to sights, sounds, smells, emotions of others and is also more likely to suffer from allergies, to name a few.

Duke was much more sensitive than our other three dogs in many regards. He was known as a "screamer" at our vet clinic but I knew it wasn't just about being a dog that's scared or a big baby, he was a HSD. How did I know this and discover all this research on such a thing? Because I am a HSP myself.

Duke taught me a lot about HSDs and about myself. He also left us with many wonderful and funny memories that we will always cherish. We will miss him terribly.

Duke turns 14!

Our dog Duke turns 14 years old this month! And he's doing great! He just recently had his yearly physical exam and blood work done and everything looked great. In fact, his kidney values, which showed some elevation on a blood test just six months prior, had improved! That's something I don't normally hear! How did I manage that? I already feed him quality human grade, organic or raw foods with added supplements like probiotics, digestive enzymes and coconut oil along with the best water you can drink -- structured water. The only thing I did different since then is I added a daily kidney and liver supplement in his food. It seems to have done the trick! What good news! 

To celebrate his birthday I made him pumpkin muffins for dogs made with healthy ingredients. Duke loves them! I got the recipe out of a book called Doggy Desserts and customized it with organic ingredients. They're easy and quick to make. I've included the recipe if you would like to make them for your own dog(s):

Pumpkin Muffins for Dogs

Pumpkin Muffins for Dogs

2-1/2 cups unbleached white flour (I used Namaste Gluten Free Perfect Flour Blend)
1/2 cup olive oil
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda (organic)
1 tsp baking powder (organic, no aluminum)
1/2 cup all natural applesauce, no sugar added (organic)
1 egg (organic)
1 cup can pumpkin (organic)
1/4 cup honey (local)
1/2 cup unsalted peanuts, chopped (optional)

In a bowl, mix all the ingredients until blended. Spoon the batter into muffin cups, 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes. The muffins are completely baked when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let them cool before removing from pan. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Break apart into pieces for smaller dogs and for dogs who inhale food.

Yield: The book says approximately 8 muffins. However, I got 21 muffins out of this recipe! (though I did use a different kind of flour.)

Happy 14th Birthday Duke!

In Loving Memory of Chloe

It is with great sadness that we had to say good-bye to our nineteen year old cat Chloe this past Sun., March 6th. I recently wrote an article about having an allergy assessment done on her in which I also spoke about how well she was doing and had been doing.Though she was doing the best she ever had been in regards to her irritable bowel problems, she, like so many other cats, had developed kidney disease as well as painful dental problems. Shortly after I wrote that article, she began to decline and for the past few weeks was under hospice care until it was time for her to go. 

We adopted Chloe (originally known as Ethel) in October of 2000, when she was three years old from our veterinarian clinic. I was at the clinic one day and saw a couple of adult cats that were looking for homes. They were cats from a hoarding situation that got out of control and the owner had to relinquish her cats. The clinic was kind enough to take a few of them and find homes for them. Chloe was one of them and she caught my eye. She was very pretty and once they took her out of the cage for me to pet, that's all it took. She found her forever home.

Chloe lived with five different cats and four dogs over her lifetime with us. She liked dogs more than other cats. After coming from a cat hoarding situation and then enduring three male kittens growing up with us over the years, it's no wonder! She loved our dogs and always welcomed and enjoyed the various dogs that sometimes stayed with us from time to time as well. 

Chloe was a very verbal cat. People think that Siamese cats are constant and obnoxious talkers -- I would put my Chloe in a talking contest with any Siamese. She talked (and sometimes screamed) so much that it would make you have second thoughts about ever having another cat. She knew how to get my attention with her different meows. She had a meow for "where are you?", a different meow for "I'm hungry", another sound for "open the door", or "I'm going to the litter box". She would sometimes make sounds that sounded like she was in agony or distress, just to get me to come running. Once there, she would let out a little, soft "what?" She talked and told us about everything. She was a very good communicator and she used her verbal commands to make us virtually her slaves. She enjoyed it. For instance, she had a dog door that she used just fine when she wanted to, but would usually make us open the door for her instead. I often said she was a cat Goddess in a previous life and was used to having humans as servants and bossing them around. She was very good at it.

Chloe was the one who woke us up to let us know our house had flooded while we (and our dog) were sleeping in May of last year. She was wading through the water and kept meowing on and on until we got out of bed, only to step in water. She was not freaked out about it like our other cat Dusty. She took everything in stride (except going to the vet).

All of our pets are great teachers, and Chloe was no exception. Chloe taught me a lot about cats and about myself. Since she had stomach and digestive issues from the start, it was a challenge to figure out how to get her to a healthier state -- at least one of not constantly throwing up, and keep her there. She spent a lot of her life having diarrhea and vomiting, and was eventually diagnosed as having irritable bowel disease. She spent her whole life teaching me what she could and could not tolerate, and what she did or did not like, when it came to food. She inspired me to research and learn more about feline nutrition and well-being. It was Chloe who taught me the biggest lesson about cats that I had to see and experience for myself before I really got it -- and it's something that most cat owner's don't want to hear, for several different reasons -- cats should not be eating dry food.....at all. We are doing them a dis-service by feeding them dry foods.The BEST thing you could ever do for your cat's health, longevity and well-being is never give them dry food and if they are currently eating dry food, slowly wean them off of it. It's the best thing I ever did for Chloe and my other cats as well. And the intention here is to get them completely off of dry food and onto at the very least -- a grain-free can food diet, which is closer to biologically appropriate food for a feline carnivore than dry food will ever be. Ever.

We are grateful for the sixteen years we had Chloe as our beloved cat and for all that she taught us. She leaves a big empty (quiet!) void in our lives and will really be missed.

(Picture: She loved everything about dogs, including rolling and covering herself in dog hair!)

A Thanksgiving Present

The Saturday before Thanksgiving I took our dog Duke for his usual walk and when we got back home, an eight to ten week old black and white kitten appeared on our front porch. He was trying to rub on our eighteen year old cat Chloe, who was on the front porch waiting for our return. Chloe of course, didn't want anything to do with this kitten. My husband and I were scratching our heads wondering where this lone tiny kitten came from. 


The kitten came fairly close because it was very hungry. My husband fed it some can food right away and it devoured the food. Once his belly was full, he wasn't willing to come so close to us again. We noticed he was holding up his right front paw and not using that leg at all. Within half an hour we made a cat house out of a cardboard box complete with soft bedding and set it on the front porch with food and water in front of it. At least for the night he can sleep in a safe place and keep warm, which is what he did. We will have to earn his trust enough to catch him.

The following day the kitten disappeared for awhile but came back to eat and eventually settled in another large cardboard box we had sitting in the driveway, up against the garage. We set up the large cat condo cage that we had stored in the shed. The same one we used when we rescued our cat Emma (who has since passed away) and then Dusty (who is now eight) as well as the foster cats we had for a few months several years ago. This cat condo has come in handy!

Once everything was set up and ready, we held the box closed while the kitten was still inside and carried it in the house and proceeded to transfer him into the cat condo, but he escaped out a hole and ran into another room, ending up in the corner under a piece of furniture. We managed to gently get him into a box again and then delivered him to his new condo. We were trying to be extra gentle as we could tell he was injured and we weren't sure how serious it was.

It only took a day to litter box train him and not much longer for him to accept our pets so we could handle him enough to pick him up. Then off to the vet we went! My husband and I decided we would take care of and keep the kitten.

Weighing in at just a kilogram, it was discovered that he had a puncture wound on his right shoulder and it had become abscessed. He had a fever. An x-ray revealed his right front leg was broken in half, below his shoulder. He was also anemic from all the fleas. This little boy was in bad shape. The good news was he tested negative for feline leukemia and FIV. Everything else can be fixed.

Before he could have surgery, we had to clear up the infection and the fever he had from the abscess. So the vet cleaned up his abscess and then wrapped his leg so it was bound to his body and not just hanging there lose and I took him home with antibiotics and pain medicine. We had to make a decision about his leg and we had to make it pretty fast.

We had a choice; we could take him to the veterinary specialists who could do surgery on his leg which would require a pin to put it back together and would cost several thousands of dollars, or we could have the limb amputated by one of our veterinarians for under a thousand (which included neutering too).

I was assured that three-legged cats (and dogs) do just fine and adapt remarkably well -- of which I am well aware. I walk a three-legged dog five days a week and have cared for several three-legged dogs and cats over the years. I know how amazing animals are; how resilient and adaptable they are. It's still a very difficult position to be in -- to have to make such a serious decision about this little kitten who suddenly appeared out of nowhere, right in front of us on our front porch. Especially considering that we already currently have a dog (13) and two cats (18 and 8); and all that we went through with four of our other pets (3 dogs, 1 cat) who all passed away just two years ago in 2013.

Of course the cost and what the kitten would have to endure either way played a big contributing factor in our decision; a decision we thought about carefully. We decided to have his leg removed. He had surgery today and I'm happy to report that all went well and he is doing so good, he tried taking out his stitches already so he has to wear an e-collar. He will be able to come home this evening.

Yesterday was the first day he felt well enough to actually play, since his fever and infection had cleared up. He has not felt good for some time so it was nice to see him acting like a playful kitten for a change. He had been managing well using only three legs, even jumping up on the shelf in his condo. Even though he has been taking pain medication since we got him to the vet, having a broken leg has got to be painful. We don't know how long he had been in this condition when we discovered him or how he was injured. We just know we had to help him. He is so sweet and just loves affection. Now with the surgeries behind us we are glad to begin the healing process so he can be the happy, healthy kitty he was created to be. 

We named our little Thanksgiving present Kilo (key-low). He only weighed a kilogram when we found him. Click here for an update on his progress.

Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man. Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures.

~His Holiness The Dali Lama

In Loving Memory of Einstein

It seems like all I have been writing about in the last year are tributes to our pets. Here I am again, this makes the fourth one. This one being the hardest of all to write. I loved them all -- both cats and dogs -- and they were all so special and each such a unique bundle of furry unconditional love. This one however, was that one-in-a-million dog. 

We had been dog-less for about a year or so after the last of the previous generation of dogs passed away when we decided we were ready to adopt again. We found Einstein through our veterinarian clinic. One of the veterinarians had a friend who was looking for a new home for their four year old Australian cattle dog. We immediately fell in love with Einstein and three days before Christmas in 2000, took him home with us. What a great Christmas gift!

Although we were excited to have a new family member, I know giving him away was a difficult

thing for his previous family to do and it was hard on Einstein for the first day or so too. He didn't understand why this was happening. He didn't really want anything to do with us once we got him home and took him out in the backyard. He didn't want us to touch him. He barked out the gate to go back home. Finally, with patience and persistence, my husband was able to get the first pet in, and once that happened and Einstein saw we were only there to love him, he was okay. He was our dog now.

What a great dog. He was already well trained and had great manners.He always waited for my permission before he did anything. It became quickly apparent why his name was Einstein. The name fit. He was the smartest dog I have ever met. Not long after bringing him home I began taking him to work with me. (This was before I started pet sitting.) I worked in an office and he would stay by my side at my desk, content to just be wherever I was. It was after this, my husband states, that Einstein became my dog. From then on, Einstein felt his purpose was to watch over me and protect me. 

If I was around, he knew where I was at all times, no exceptions. Where ever I was, there he was. He was my body guard and he took it seriously. When I would leave the house, he would wait for me by the front door. Closed doors were not allowed in our house. If they weren't completely shut, he would shove them open forcefully. He also kept tabs on where anyone else was that might be in our house. Our bathroom door doesn't always shut completely because of settling so when someone uses the bathroom and closes the door as far as it will go, well you guessed it -- Einstein would forcefully shove it open with his muzzle. No privacy allowed here!

He loved our cats and was intrigued by one in particular. He could sit and watch her for hours. She was the best entertainment for him. Likewise, I'm sure. Being the herding dog he was, he was content to herd smaller animals like cats, dogs or humans. He left the herding of larger animals like horses and cows up to our Australian Shepherd, Ellie (who we adopted six months later). We will never forget one time when we were on our ranch in the country, with all four of our dogs. They were all off together, close to the parameter of our property where it was heavily wooded, when they suddenly heard the loud thunder of cattle coming  their direction from the adjoining property. The two female dogs, Ellie and Cali started barking and running toward it, while the two boys, Einstein and Duke started running as fast as they could back to the house, all the while looking over their shoulder. They knew whatever was headed their direction was big and they didn't want any part of it. We still laugh about that.

Einstein loved going to our ranch of course. It was a new experience for him as he had previously lived on a golf course. His feet were so soft. After the first time tippy-toeing around the property, his feet got broken in and became rough. He loved swimming in the pond, fetching a toy and bringing it back over and over. He would never go off any where without me though. One of the first times he went with us he saw a rabbit and began chasing it at full speed. I called him and was amazed that he stopped immediately and came back. He wouldn't even go for a walk with my husband and the other dogs around the property if I wasn't going. He wanted to be with me, always. No matter what. Now that is loyal. I felt honored.

His vocabulary grew to be huge. I taught him the words and names for different types of

animals, the people we regularly saw, and any and everything else. He listened intently to everything I said. Even when I wasn't talking to him. He would let me know whenever there was some critter around. At our ranch, he would sniff into holes in the ground and if he whined that meant there was a critter of some sort in there. If he didn't whine, it was empty. When opossums would get into our garage and hide on occasion , he would whine with his nose pointed in the direction to let me know one was in there. I could always count on him to let me know who or what might be near.

We tried playing with our cats with a laser light once. It doesn't work well when you have dogs in the room. The other dogs would try to get the light (cats didn't have a chance) but Einstein would get irritated at the other dogs for trying to get the light. It was as if he was saying "you dummies -- Mom and Dad are making the light move!" If they didn't stop chasing the light he would nip at the hand that was holding the laser light  -- telling us to "stop that!". He was too smart to chase a laser light and thought the other dogs were ridiculous for doing so! We still laugh about that one too.

He loved tennis balls and was so enthusiastic about catching them he would do a flip in the process if needed. He was an excellent ball catcher. As a matter of fact, to show you just how great a dog's sense of smell is; just a short time after we adopted him, he was in the backyard and started digging close to the patio. After looking to see why he was digging there, I was amazed to see he had dug down at least six inches or so to uncover an old tennis ball! It had gotten buried years ago from our previous dogs. Amazing. He smelled it under several inches of dirt and it was only half of an old, worn out tennis ball. 

He also loved to tear the squeaker out of every stuffed toy and "kill it" so it couldn't squeak any more. He didn't like those squeakers! It would take him less than a minute to get them out.

Another funny story comes to mind. He was never afraid of our two horses. He was rather relaxed around them compared to the cows. He liked to eat their sweet feed and their carrots and would help himself to a bite or two. One day, he was standing just in front of our Quarter horse Tosha, while she was eating out of her bucket, with his butt to her and I guess she didn't want him so close to her food so she nipped him on the butt! He yelped and jumped at the same time and then came over to me pointing with his head and snout that his butt hurt. Naturally, I rubbed it and kissed it to make it feel better. He was the best communicator. He always let me know if something hurt and where.

He had such a calm and wise demeanor. People noticed it but other animals especially noticed it. No matter where we went and whether it was a dog or cat, they all gravitated toward him and showed particular interest in him. Even when we had all four dogs with us other people's pets would favor him. They found his calm and wise energy comforting. Our other pets were no different. Our cats adored him. He was in kitty herding heaven!  A veterinarian once remarked what a calm dog he was as we were waiting in the clinic. 

He was not a real friendly dog with other people. He only liked to receive pets if he asked for them and then he wanted the pets on his chest, please. He would shove your hand down to his chest if you went for the head. He had to know you to want a pet from you. He didn't allow just anyone to pet him. He was a one-person-dog as they say. He was totally dedicated to one person and that was me. I was the luckiest person in the world.

I have a magnet on my refrigerator with a picture of an Australian Cattle Dog - Blue Heeler on it and it has a description of them that says; robust, athletic, clever, versatile and talented. Watchful with strangers.  Hard-Headed (In bold). He was hard-headed indeed. He could also be very intense.

Other than a couple of bouts with Vestibular Disease when he was fifteen, he was healthy his whole life. He developed high blood pressure around the same time. We also discovered that he had a benign brain tumor and he had had several mini strokes. He didn't show any outward symptoms of either and never did. Though he lost his hearing, he was bright-eyed until the very end. He began getting weaker. He was very independent and wasn't happy about accepting help in the beginning, when he needed it but he quickly resolved to having to be taken care of. He had taken care of me for the last thirteen years and now it was my turn. He continued to communicate his needs in whatever ways he could. He was so good at that. I always knew what he wanted. He always knew what I wanted (though he may not have always listened). He was determined to stay with me for as long as he could. His body gave out long before he did but he finally let go two months after his seventeenth birthday, on October 29th. He had a good, long life filled with lots of love and fun.

Einstein (like the rest of our pets) taught me so much about myself and about them. He was a great teacher. They give us so much but most of all they give us unconditional love. They help us to grow and expand. We have only just begun to understand them. They have so much to teach us. They are magnificent creatures. They are sentient beings -- gifts from God. That's why it hurts so much when they leave. 

Einstein: The most amazing dog I have ever met. I am so grateful to have had him in my life. I will never be the same.

In Loving Memory of our Dog Ellie

We said good-bye to our sweet Australian shepherd, Miss Ellie (aka Wiggle-Butt), on Monday, May 13th. She was suffering from Lymphoma and her quality of life quickly declined. We used Houston Mobile Vet so Ellie could remain in the comfort of home. Dr. Angela Donaruma and her assistant were great and I highly recommend them. Ellie went very peacefully with us there beside her. She had a good, long life of 15 or 16 years. We aren't sure exactly how old she was as we adopted her in 2001 from a shelter.

I'll never forget the day we went to pick up Ellie. We had been searching for a playmate for Einstein, our oldest dog, who at the time was four years old. Einstein went with us to get her and bring her home. Ellie had been at the shelter for around six months. As soon as we got her in the truck, we noticed she stunk pretty bad and she was covered in ticks. So the first thing she got when we got home was a bath to remove the ticks and get rid of the stink! The first thing Ellie wanted to do was roll in the grass! There was no grass outside (just dirt) at the shelter and she thoroughly enjoyed rolling in the grass at her new home as often as possible.

Her favorite thing was going to our ranch with Einstein (and then the other dogs too). As soon as we would arrive, she and Einstein would bark at us to go for a walk on our trail around the perimeter of the property. They had acres and acres to run but wanted to go for our walk! Ellie always had to be the leader, usually way ahead of us, stopping occasionally to let us catch up. She had the best time there, running as fast and as far as she could. She was really fast too! She could run circles around Einstein and then stop on a dime. They would chase each other through the creek that runs through our property and go swimming in the pond or find some old deer or cow bone to drag home.

Ellie loved people so much, every time someone in the vicinity was coming out of their house or car, she would want to go over and see them. She thought everyone was here to see her and give her pets. One time on a trip to the ranch with my husband, he stopped at the feed store to get some feed and hay for the horses. He left the window in the truck rolled down when he went inside the store. Ellie jumped out of the window and went in the feed store just talking up a storm to everyone. After that, she always had to go in the feed store and say hello to everyone. She was the sweetest dog. So full of love for everyone. 

She loved the country life and she loved the city life too, with all it's activity, people and her walks in the neighborhood. She loved our other dogs and was happy to give her position of alpha female to Cali once she joined the family. She was always sweet with the cats too. Ellie was a good singer. A fast licker. She loved to give kisses. 

She was so incredibly resilient. She went through a lot health-wise. She had arthroscopic surgery on her elbows, two surgeries to remove mast cell tumors, a splenectomy and tumor removal and then had  immune-mediated hemolytic anemia. All within about a four year span. It's no wonder she got highly stressed out going to any kind of vet clinic. Thank God for the recent advent of mobile vets. I'm comforted knowing that now she has crossed over the rainbow bridge, she is whole again, without the pain and suffering, running and playing with the rest of our pets who have crossed over.

We couldn't have asked for a better dog. Such a sweet angel. We will miss her a lot!

In Loving Memory of Our Cat Emma

Our sweet little Emma passed away peacefully at home yesterday. She had been under hospice care for the last couple of weeks. We're not sure exactly how old she was but our guess is at least 17. We "officially" adopted her nine years ago when we finally managed to catch her and bring her inside. We had her checked out by a vet along with being spayed, her teeth cleaned and two teeth pulled. We had been feeding her for about a year and a half on our front porch; at first once a day and then twice daily. She was a petite (weighed 8 pounds at her heaviest), scrawny cat with a very thin coat and a back full of scabs. She looked like she had been always living outside and that she had had a rough life. She just appeared one day in our front yard. We weren't sure where she came from but we suspected she came from a house on the next block over that had a lot of cats in the backyard. Those people had moved, the house had been torn down and a new two-story house was taking it's place. We put out some left over can food that our cats didn't finish and she showed up every morning to get fed. Eventually she started showing up in the evening as well so we fed her twice a day. She would only eat the food if we went back inside, out of sight. She was hungry, but she was not trusting of people at all. She would always stay several feet away and if you tried to get closer, she would back away. It took us a year and a half of feeding and talking to her before she let us close enough to pet her. 

Not long after we began feeding Emma, she showed up with a kitten. They didn't stay long and I never saw that kitten again. Then several weeks later in the middle of the night, I swore I heard a cat crying. In the morning I woke up to that sound again. The sound of a cat crying. I jumped up and went outside. I couldn't see a cat, but I could hear it. I couldn't believe no one else was looking for it, it was so loud. So I just followed the sound to across the street in a neighbor's driveway, next to the bushes and there was this tiny little six week old kitten just screaming his head off. I knew the people in this house or in the other houses near by did not have a cat and a kitten this small shouldn't be outside by itself. This is how I found Webster, our cat for 9 years. We believe he was Emma's kitten. He ended up getting adopted before Emma as we still hadn't been able to get close to her yet.

Once Emma recovered from her surgery and got acclimated to being indoors, she got to meet the other six animals; our four dogs and two cats. And although we had seen Webster and Emma together in the front yard more than once (like they knew each other) before we brought her inside, once she was in, Webster was the most upset by her presence. He really got bent out of shape that she was now part of the household. He acted afraid of her & would stay away from her. He did eventually get over it though. Emma was so sweet and passive to not only us but all the other animals. She was so happy and thankful to be safe, inside, and have steady meals. And she loved all the other pets. She never got in anyone's way, stole anyone's food or treats, picked fights or ever did anything wrong. Even if one of the other cats picked on her from time to time, she never fought back. She was happy to be part of a big family and to have a home. She got along with everyone. She was the best cat. She was even easy to litter box train. She didn't understand what the box with cat litter in it was at first, but all I had to do was put some dirt on top and she never, ever went anywhere other than the litter box.

When she was first brought inside and getting acclimated to the house, she was kept in a bedroom at the end of the hall. Once she was allowed access to the rest of the house, she came out into the living room and that's where she stayed for about the next six or seven years. She was always in the living room. She went into the kitchen to eat and drink and she went in the enclosed back porch that's off of the living room to use the litter box. She had a big cat tree that she spent a lot of time on. For whatever reason, she never went down the hallway and into any bedroom for most of her life here. It was almost as if she thought she wasn't allowed in that section of the house. Even though she was first kept in that section. We never gave her any reason to think she couldn't go down the hallway or into the bedrooms. All the other animals did. Most if not all of them slept in the bedroom with us every night. All but Emma. Until one day, for some (again) unknown reason, she went down the hall and started going in each of the bedrooms, looking around! We couldn't believe it! After she checked out all the bedrooms and discovered all the dog and cat beds in them, that's where she started staying. In each and every one of them. There wasn't a cat or dog bed that Emma didn't sleep in. She tried them all and there was a lot of them! She would change beds each time. She loved the variety but her favorite was the dog beds. She adored the dogs and liked to sleep cuddled up to them, if they let her. If she was in one of the dog's beds, they would politely sleep beside it or some where else. Ellie used to sleep with her on the couch a lot and let her snuggle in her long, thick hair. In the last couple of years, her favorite was to sleep in Cali's bed and Cali would sleep beside the bed, happy to give her bed to Emma. (And let it be known: Emma was the only one who could take Cali's bed and get away with it! Cali was the alpha dog.)

Once Emma came into our home, she never wanted to go outside again. She so appreciated having a home and being inside. She was allowed to go out if she wanted, through the cat door. Eventually she did go out for very short periods on the front or back porch with us. She liked laying in the sun for awhile. If we all went in & she was left outside by herself, she would get really upset and cry. She didn't like being alone and she didn't have to be any more. She had a big family and there was always someone around!

She was the only one of our cats who loved raw food. And I mean loved it! The first time I gave her some Rad Cat Raw Diet to try she acted like I had finally given her some appropriate food! She gobbled it down and wanted more. That's what she primarily ate for the last couple years of her life. Webster and Dusty would eat a little of it from time to time but Emma only wanted raw food the majority of the time.

Emma loved everyone and everyone loved Emma. She was the only cat we had that would not only stick around when other people came over but would ask them for pets. She was always patient with everyone, human or animal. She let me cut out the tangles and shave her when she stopped grooming herself. She let me dress her up in costumes. She was good at the vet's office. She never did anything she wasn't supposed to. She was one of the best cats ever. She was our little princess. Our little furry angel. We will miss her. Now she can be together again with one of her favorite dogs, Cali. 

Cali and Emma

In Loving Memory of Our Dog Cali

Our beloved dog Cali passed away in the early morning of New Year's Eve. She died at home, in my arms. She was 10 years, 8 months old. She lived two months after her emergency surgery to remove tumors, her spleen and a part of her liver. Though the cancer had already spread, in the hope of extending her time with us and keeping her more comfortable, I gave her an herbal mushroom extract that showed good results when given to dogs with the type of cancer she had in a recent study. After taking her daily doses she seemed to feel better. She started out having more good days than bad but then after a few weeks she started having less good days and her appetite got less and less to the point we could no longer give her the mushroom extract because she needed to take it after meals. She was kept comfortable and had the best 24-hour hospice care any dog could ask for. She knew she was deeply loved and was never alone. 

Ellie & Cali

Although most of our other animals gave her plenty of space while this was going on including her litter mate Duke; Ellie, our 14-year-old Australian Shepherd, stayed in the dog bed that was right beside Cali all night and the morning she passed. Interesting, since Ellie was the one to chase her off when she and Duke first appeared on our ranch that cold January day in 2003.  Now, Ellie was the one who stayed by her side during her last hours. Our sweet Ellie.

Cali was an amazing dog. Aren't they all? She was incredibly smart. We didn't realize just how smart at first. When we found her and her brother at about nine months old, they had never been inside a house or had any kind of training. They were country dogs. She was the hardest to train but ended up being the one who listened and behaved the best. We will never forget: Not long after we brought them home, we went out to eat dinner one night. With them not being totally house trained yet, we left them outside in the backyard and left our other two dogs in the house. They were about 9 -10 months old, each weighing around 30 - 35 pounds. We were totally surprised to find both of them in the house when we returned. How in the world could they have gotten inside the house? (This was before we installed a dog door.) We couldn't believe they could possibly fit, but they did -- they squeezed through the cat door! One of them (probably Duke) must have gotten stuck because the frame of the cat door had been chewed on. I have no doubt Cali decided they weren't staying outside by themselves while we were gone and had seen the cats going through the cat door. Cali was the leader. The brave one. She quickly became alpha female of the pack. Ellie, being the passive girl she is, didn't mind.

Cali became quite the little helper over the years. She was the one who tattled on the other dogs if they did something they weren't supposed to. When ever there was something she wanted us to have or know about, she would put it in the middle of our bed. Once, I found a butter knife there. Earlier I had left the house for a short time and there was a paper plate with a cracker and a butter knife on it that I had left on the kitchen counter. I had completely forgot about it until I found the butter knife in the middle of the bed. One of the other dogs had done some counter surfing and took the plate, knife and all to the backyard. That's where I found the paper plate. Cali returned the knife to me and let me know what happened.

Another time I found some small animal internal organs (perhaps belonging to a bird?) in the middle of our bed. I'm sure it was the remnants of a meal our male cat had caught. Thanks for the info, Cali....

When she dug up a buried (muddy) chew bone that she had been saving, she liked to show us her new found treasure by placing it in the middle of our bed. Needless to say, we always check the bed before turning in for the night! 

Duke & Cali

One time when we had all four dogs with us at our ranch, we were all sitting around taking a break when Cali disappeared on the other side of the barbed-wire fence. A few minutes later she returned with a deer leg bone, laid it down in front of the dogs. She did this three more times, bringing each dog one deer bone to chew on, including one for herself. She knew how to take care of her pack.

What was most impressive though, was that after she had observed Clifton (my husband) picking the pecans up in our backyard, she began bringing him a pecan every day. And only one pecan per day. As long as there was good, edible pecans on the ground, he would get a pecan in the center of our bed every day. Until there were no more. Then the next year, the same thing. One pecan per day. They would always be good ones too. (I have witnessed more than one dog sniffing out the good ones from the bad.) Every year, if there were pecans, we would get one per day in our bed. Sometimes we would crack them and give them to her, thanking her. She liked them too. We always thanked her for our gifts.

Cali's Toy Collection

One of the cutest things she started doing as she got older was collecting all the soft, plush dog toys and keeping them in a pile next to her bed in our bedroom. She didn't care so much about the hard rubber toys or chew bones or the ropes. The cute, soft stuffed toys were special and she was going to take good care of them. That meant hoarding them all and keeping them together by her bed. They were not to be placed in the toy basket in the living room with the other toys. No. These special toys were not to be played with by anyone but her. I finally put a toy basket next to her bed to neatly hold all of her prized possessions. It became a ritual every day after the dogs ate dinner for her to get one of her stuffed toys and bring it out in the living room for everyone to see, all the while crying and whining while she walked around, carrying it in her mouth. (Whenever she carried her toys around she whined. I always wondered what she was thinking as she did this.) We started calling them her "babies" and would make a fuss about each baby she would bring out to show us. I called it Cali's Show and Tell Time. She would show us one of her cherished stuffed toys each day, after dinner. Then she would put it back in her private toy basket. Even when she occasionally took them outside with her, she never left them outside. She always brought them back in with her and eventually put them back in their place. She cherished those toys and none of the other dogs would dare take them or play with them. They knew all the stuffed toys were claimed and protected by Cali. Even if I bought four new stuffed toys so each dog could have one, after they were through playing with them, they would all end up in Cali's basket. She had quite a collection. There must be 15 - 20 of them. Her favorite was the biggest one -- a dog with floppy ears.

Her Inside-Out Toy

She did this funny thing with one of the stuffed toys. She would always have just one toy that she would work on with her teeth, gently tearing a small hole in it, and then she would pull the entire toy inside-out, through the hole. That's how she liked it -- inside out. She liked the seams in the material. She would gently chew on the seams, never tearing it apart....just chewing. As if she was knitting or sewing with her teeth. Or like she was trying to take out each stitch, one by one, but in a fast, constant biting motion. She would do this for long periods of time. Content just to lay there, chewing gently on her inside-out toy. She would carry it around everywhere, putting it down to chew on it. If I picked it up and put it in the toy basket, out it would come! Once it got all dirty and I threw it away, she would pick another stuffed toy to chew a small hole in and turn it inside-out. It was like her security blanket. Only one of the toys she would do this too. All the others stayed in tact.

When Cali and her litter mate Duke were turning ten years old, we decided to have their DNA tested for curiosity's sake. (Read more about that here.) Once we found out they were chow-chow and blue-tick coonhound mixes, we started telling them them they were chow-hounds, chow-chows, hound dogs, etc. Shortly thereafter, Cali, whose ears had always been folded over (unlike her brother's ears which stood erect once he turned a year old), suddenly were standing erect and they never went down again. I thought it was the oddest thing that for the first ten years of her life, her ears were folded down. Then all of a sudden her ears were standing straight up and stayed up! I asked her veterinarian if he had ever heard of or seen such a thing and he hadn't. He thought that was weird too. We laugh, saying her ears stood up once she learned she was a chow-chow.

She was the alpha dog of our pack. She ran a "tight ship" and she enforced the rules. She was bossy. She was the brave one. The main watch dog. She protected everyone, including the cats. She would give the neighbor's dogs a piece of her mind if they should bark at our cats! 

She was a great singer/howler. The emergency vehicle sirens would really get her going and she would howl, head pointed straight up into the sky, until her heart's content. She could really hold a note for a long time too. Usually Ellie would join along with her. On a rare occasional, Duke would join the singing duo. 

She was a digger. She could dig a hole to lay in that was so big she would rest her chin at ground level and all you saw was her head above ground. 

She was a lot of things, but most of all she was incredibly special to us and we miss her so much! Rest in peace my little furry angel.