[Akari_32]

Yes, Haley is just the perfect dog. She’s so well natured 🙂 I even walk her on a Flexi leash with a choker. I can break all the dog rules with her :p

[Akari_32]

Yeah, Dog_Obsesed, when a fabric collar rubs Haley’s neck, the fur underneath falls out almost immediately, even if it’s loose. She’s the kind of dog that walks next to me off leash in a crowded area (if the law permitted, anyways). Choker never tightens, because she doesn’t act like most other dogs on walks lol

[Akari_32]

I had a lot of problems with my dachshund coughing and reverse sneezing as a result of her step in harness pressing on her neck in just the wrong way. I found one that works great, and is available in-store, for a decent price. The brand is Pet Atire. It’s still step-in style, but has a padded, non-adjustable neck and chest piece. Costs about $13 for a small.

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/493B9A27-DDAC-409D-A4C0-0D26A09AC749_zpsy29snp92.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/8CE85655-F94E-4732-8EC7-496D80D0734D_zpszdgmwyax.jpg

She doesn’t have a problem with burns, but my oldest dog, a 12 year old lab mix, does and she goes naked while at home and gets a choker when a leash is needed (or a very loose cheapy, thus thin and flexible, buckle collar when I can’t find the choker). There’s just no other way, her skin is too sensitive to collars.

[Akari_32]

Here are a couple pics of my two shubunkins :3

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/11B4623C-28D6-4EF1-826C-B028EF4D1094_zpsozhitpru.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/EDC4A3B6-5A23-4D3E-A5D3-AD409B8764BB_zpsot5udwal.jpg

My other pond goldies are feeders, though. And with the recent upgrade of my pond, I will be buying some wakin’s this spring 😀

Hahaha, Patty, I don’t put fish worth more than $5 in my pond. So far nothing has eaten them in several years I’ve had my pond up, but better than safe than sorry lol

[Akari_32]

Ok guys, we just got back from the vet!

He knows money is an issue for us, so he doesn’t jump right away into tests or swabs or anything unless I ask for it, so he did a brief exam, took her temp, she allowed me to quickly lip each lip up so he could peek in at her teeth, and we are both (though he is reluctant to outright say so with out doing any tests) in agreement that is probably her mouth issues that are causing all this nose grossness. After some going back and forth, we decided on a week of Clavamox, and over the last few weeks I’ve finally worked mom into just getting the dental over with, so as soon as both our and vets schedules permit, she will be getting blood work and a dental with in the next several weeks. He also thinks she may have a little bit of a cold going on, which is why he insisted on at least a weeks worth of Clavamox. So, that’s that!

Oh! We didn’t even have to put her muzzle on 🙂 She still put up a fight, especially when he stuck the thermometer up her butt, but she was pretty well behaved considering. Didn’t even try to bite the vet at all LOL

[Akari_32]

Thank you! It sucks loosing goldfish, doesn’t it? They are such funny little guys, each with their own personalities. The tanks I have set up right now are a 50 gallon oscar tank with the nastiest little momma’s boy ever (LOL), a 29 gallon planted community, the 40 gallon goldfish tank (once it warms back up, some of them will be back out into the pond) and a 6 gallon betta tank. I’ll have to post pics of them all! After my 29 and 50 gallons get some attention lol I’ve been fighting terrible algae in the oscar tank, and the plecos have torn up some plants in the 29 gallon, the naughty brats!

I woke up to Ginger barking like she was going to eat someone when mom was taking her out, and now I can’t go back to sleep, and I’ve decided to plan out a coupon trip, and I’ve got coupons sprawled out all over my bed. Well, the cat thinks he needs to get up here and mess them all up! Little turd…. at least he messed up the pile of ones I don’t plan on using… LOL

[Akari_32]

Thanks 😀 I love my little fatties lol

[Akari_32]

It takes skill lol

[Akari_32]

Fast typing and a liberal use of auto correct LOL

[Akari_32]

Yes, this is our first wireless router in maybe 8 years? We haven’t had Internet at home since lol The first one we had was such a piece of junk. Would only work in certain spots of the house, would randomly shut off and not turn back on. Was such a hassle we just stopped having internet until we got smart phones a couple years ago lol

[Akari_32]

Thanks guys! I will be calling first thing in the morning and setting an appointment for the afternoon 🙂 The comcast guy is coming some time between like 10 and 12 or something like that, and mom wants me to be there too, so we both know how to work out new router lol I tried to get out of it, but she wouldn’t let me, so vet appoint will have to be after that lol Will keep you guys updated!

[Akari_32]

He’s very good with the fish. Doesn’t care about them at all. I have three other tanks, and he doesn’t bother them. He targets the goldfish tank because he has a small cat tree right next to it, so it’s easy his excited moods to carry over to the wiggly goldfish when he jumps up into his spot lol Here’s a pic of the tank. This is a 3ft long tank. You can see how big Bruce is lol

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/41A96D97-2DF5-4CCC-81F5-0A630C5980DE_zpsdvpt8knu.jpg

[Akari_32]

But I bet their noses don’t smash into the floor when they sneeze or look too far down with out lifting their heads some LOL

She does not wheeze, and just a few months ago, not long after I brought her home, she got a brief exam and he said her heart and lungs sounded good. She was sneezing then, but nothing juicy ever came out when she did. She does snore, but then again, so does the cat, and two of the other dogs.

[Akari_32]

Will do! Thursday, I’ll call. Gotta go work my whole entire 4.5 hour shift tonight. Don’t think I can handle such a long shift, man! I might not make it!! LOL

I just wasn’t sure if maybe this was a common dachshund thing, being so low to ground or whatever, or a common allergy thing, or what.

[Akari_32]

He’s really good in my bedroom. I guess because he sees it as his space (it’s 100% dog free, via a low baby gate) so he’s happy to just chill in there, and not cause trouble. Though he does get a bit rowdy sometimes and pounces the side of the goldfish tank trying to get my 10 inch fantail, Bruce (as in Bruce Wayne!), to play with him LOL the goldfish looks at him like he’s nuts XD

[Akari_32]

They’re usually rolled up on top of the blinds, like this:

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/BCC2EDEC-180E-4F3F-B861-4BE4B23553C5_zps4lajc6j1.jpg

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/DC4ED10D-F0BF-4584-86F3-A79E0E06536B_zpslubwz0t6.jpg

Some times he gets naughty when he’s on the top of the tree, grabs hold of the blinds, and knocks the strings down. Then he just *has* to play with them! He’s locked up in my room when I’m not home, because he’s clearly a still naughty little brat LOL

[Akari_32]

I did ask specifically about the JM, yes. I’m not going to call. Ain’t no body got time for that lol I planned on seeing how many oz/pound a cup weighed and going from there. I’ll see how how it compares to your figuring! It’s my understanding that more calorie dense foods weigh more, cup for cup, than less calorie dense foods do, so I’m not sure how your formula would work out when using several different foods with different kcal/cup. We shall see what I come up with 🙂

[Akari_32]

He deserved it LOL That’s what he gets for playing in the blinds strings! He managed to get it around his neck (loosely), under his front leg, around his tail… My only guess is that he pulled it down from on top of the blinds and was rolling around with it lol

While we’re on the topic, anyone ever try PetCo litter? It’s pretty cheap, and I’ve heard its decent….

[Akari_32]

Oh, and the Skye was reserve. That was moms favorite.

[Akari_32]

It was Miss P., the Beagle. I was holding out for Liz, the Springer, but the Beagle was my second choice lol

[Akari_32]

Want me to tell you? :p

[Akari_32]

So I emailed Purina asking about how many cups were in a 32 pound of food, and they sent me back this crap:

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/23D1FB01-EF17-422D-9861-AD88E5B14EC9_zpsqh3ok8t9.png

“Specific formula” my butt! I’ll figure it out myself, thanks. I was just being lazy… Lol

Mountainhound, when you have a dog with a list of health problems as long as Ginger has, including extremely poor dental health, let me know how raw works out. I’m 100% for raw feeding, two of my pets are raw fed, in fact, but it’s not the only answer to every situation. The best of the best, when it comes down to diet, is simply what works best for each dog. Ginger can’t handle the fat content in raw, and the bacterial content would wreak havoc on her already infected mouth and poorly adapted digestive system. I’ve spent enough nights washing dog beds, thank you very much.

[Akari_32]

The cat got in a bit of a predicament this morning…. LOL

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/6E6AFD03-85A9-4B23-A67E-7C659C1101E0_zps9zd4hscy.jpg

Still can’t figure out how he got it looped around his tail *rolls eyes*

[Akari_32]

Anyone see that Chesapeake Bay Retriever as they were coming out? Such a cutie!

[Akari_32]

It’s on! This chick’s got some lungs! 😀

[Akari_32]

It’s been anywhere from the 30s to the 80s the last week and half. It’s really weird! Yesterday was super hot, and today was chilly, windy and rain brought in a cold front. We were supposed to go fishing Wednesday night after I got off work, but is looking like we will have near-artic temperatures! So much for that lol I’m totally jealous of your 60 degree wheather lol

[Akari_32]

Overall, she is doing really well. I hate to see that she’s gone from showing little to no signs of dementia (the pottying in the house could be taken as her just being a spiteful, uncaring old biddy– really no way to tell on that front lol) to growling at mom and attacking me.

She’s fine today, and insisted (very loudly and whiningly) that she be on the sofa snuggling with me lol She’s been wanting to go on a walk, but there’s a carnival just a street away from the house and carnies are out and about. There’s already been a report of someone trying to get a younger girl into a van and they’ve only been set up for a day. Until the carnival is gone Sunday night, we’ll be home bound. Yay…. -_- lol

[Akari_32]

Hey guys! I guess it’s been a while since I’ve updated this thread!

All in all, Ginger continues to do well on her new diet and with life in general. She’s been in much better spirits, and appears to be in less pain and is able to get around better.

I’ve also noticed, since starting her new diet, that she’s been learning things, particularly, she’s figuring out that the faster she gets to her cage (or some times Bentleys cage if hers isn’t around LOL in which case, I have to lure her out and into her bed), the faster she gets to eat. She’s also learning that when Bentley gets his harness on, we are going for a walk and that gets her all excited and she runs to door as fast as she can and scratches at it and rings the bell. These are just two examples. All that fish oil is good for the brain, I suppose lol

Today, however, she has been in a down right nasty mood. Not sure what her problem is. I was talking to mom on the phone on my way home from work, and she had both of them in her bed and she kept complaining that ginger was growling at her every time mom moved or tried to touch her or move her. Mom also said she was staring off into space, and had a hard time better her “back.” Then, a little bit ago, I went to get her out of moms bed to take her out and put her in her cage, and when I took the covers off her, she lunged at me tried to bite me. I had to scoop her up using my whole arm to support her body while holding her scruff as tightly as I could to keep her from turning around and biting me until she calmed down enough for me to release her onto the floor and put her leash on.

So, on one hand, Ginger is happy and doing great, and is associating walks and dinner time with certain routines, but at the same time, she’s showing some sever symptoms of dementia, and they’re quite sudden and dramatic. Walks are definitely keeping her in a better mood over all, and her food is helping with cognitive function to a certain degree, as well as helping her joints and pain, but I’m still fighting a losing battle with dementia. I really hope these bad mood swings do not lead to a safety issue with the other animals in the house, not to mention the effect they could lead to with her over all quality of life. We all know where both of those lead, and thays a one way ticket….

For now, they’re just short phases. I’m not going to get myself down about it just yet. She’s a happy little dog 95% of the time, so long as that keeps up, I’m happy for her enough to make up that 5%, then some 🙂 Not a day goes by that I see her running at the end of her leash and think “How could anyone give up on this dog? How could anyone not want her?”

[Akari_32]

Not exactly a coupon, but PetSmart is having a great sale this weekend, up to 50% off! I want to get some more dog beds– the huge ones are only $25!

[Akari_32]

Listen! At this point, it’s too late for winter weather, my brains already ready for warm, spring weather LOL Anything below 60 is just not right LOL But you can come over! Party at my house! 😀

I do like Arm and Hammer, as well, both lines, other than how powdery it is and the smell (smells are a no-no in my house, especially flowery ones. Gives us headaches). The black box ones are so expensive here, though. $13 for a small box at the grocery store! AND I’m pretty sure they’re less than 10 lbs. They have a new light weight one, so keep an eye out for coupons, and sales!

[Akari_32]

Bobby Dog, why didn’t I think of that?? I’m always signing up for promotional emails LOL I’ll have to go register lol

So I thought I’d update you guys on a cat litter I bought. Thank god I didn’t pay much for it ($2 for both jugs, I believe) because I HATE it! It’s Cats Pride Light and Fresh. It smells like a box of dryer sheets, and it’s dusty as crap. Not to mention it does nothing to cover up poop smells, so not my whole room smells like flowery cat poop, and just scooped the box two nights ago (I usually scoop it every 1-2 days, but I’m just too tired to deal with it, plus it’s in the 30’s tonight and I don’t want to drag a bag of cat mess out to the garbage can lol). It also does not clump well at all, despite the labels “strong clumping” claims. I do not recommend this cat litter at all. The other Cats Pride litters are fine, but this Light and Fresh is just worthless. I’m glad I only got two jugs of it. I suppose this is the reason I use Tidy Cats LOL

Oh! And I’ve used Soulistic, and the cat seemed ok it with. It’s a weird, shredded food, packed in hard, congealed oils. It’s suprisingly solid, and took a fair amount of stabbing with a spoon to soften it up.

[Akari_32]

If you don’t mind coupons and working a little for a good deal, Wellness can be a very cheap brand to feed. They put out $1 any one can coupon every month in an email (sign up at Wellnesspetfood .com), and PetSmart has it on sale almost constantly.

I also do Friskies Special Diet (the two Bobby Dog posted above– they’re on sale this weekend at PetSmart!), Halo (they always have coupons on their website), Natures Variety when it’s on sale/clearance, and anything else I can get my hands on with coupons lol

[Akari_32]

I never saw this. I was just about to buy another years worth, too. I don’t think any violations were intentional, personally. The owner runs a rescue. Have they responded at all? I noticed a change in their website last night, in response to the trouble they’re in, no doubt.

[Akari_32]

I was actually just on there looking for it because I’m running low, and they no longer sell on Amazon. They were having a huge problem with another brand trying snipe their sales. However, everything is still available on their website, Little City Dogs .com. Everything is free shipping, too! 🙂

[Akari_32]

I’m very partial to straight, plain ol’ lufenuron. I buy it from a Little City Dogs, either on their website, or from Amazon. It’s cheap and effective, and the best part is it’s not a pesticide, and is safe even at extreme overdoses.

[Akari_32]

We’ve been getting a fair bit if rain the last several days, actually. It’s nice and cool here now :3 Too bad we don’t get snow lol

[Akari_32]

This really is the only vet diet I would ever consider feeding to any animal. The protein levels are decent, the fat and carbs are lower than most other foods, and its got all that good joint stuff in it. I just wish it had slightly better filler-type ingredients. But its Purina, what are you gunna do? Corn is their thing…

Girl, I’d take mud over sand spurs any day! Those suckers get into the inside of your pant legs and shoes and hide there until the most inopportune times! And Ginger is not a happy dog when she’s in pain! It took about a minute to get her pinned down enough to where I could safely remove the sand spur from her toes with out losing a finger LOL I’m just glad that the blinds weren’t open at the house that we stopped in front of. They’d’ve probably thought I was killing her XD

[Akari_32]

Just popping for a bit of an observation 🙂 Ginger’s poops have been much smaller on this food than they have on any other food I’ve had her on. She really does do really well on it. I guess her body just doesn’t know how to digest the higher grade foods I was feeding her before?

Anyways, she continues to do well on it, other than the occasional self-inflicted injury. Yesterday was getting caught up in tall grass and some how hurting her knee/hip, and today was stepping in a sand spur patch *rolls eyes*

[Akari_32]

Hiya Barbara! I have 2 large dogs and a small dog on kibble (and a small dog on raw and a cat on half canned half raw). I find I can get much better deals while purchasing small 4 and 6 pound bags. I typically get the small bags of Wellness for $4-7, for example, and often times even for free. I personally would much rather get a handful of small bags every couple weeks than lug a large bag around every month or so lol Actually, I stock up over several weeks to a month, and then I can “shop” at home lol 15 pounds last my two big guys about 2 weeks (they’re old and lazy, they don’t eat half of what the bag suggests). 6 pounds last the mini dachshund more than a month. Everyone has bad coupon days, poor Naturella just happened to have one on her first try at a serious couponing trip.

[Akari_32]

My cat loves the canned EVO. It’s high in fat, which is why I think he likes it so much lol

[Akari_32]

Check out the Raw Feeding Community on Facebook. They have helped me a ton for both my cat and dog. Lots of people have growing pups on there, too.

[Akari_32]

Yes. Just for Vigor right now, though.

http://www.halopets.com/coupons/images/2015/2d-vigor-can-printable.pdf

[Akari_32]

My guy doesn’t like the Wellness Complete Health cans (though he will eat them if I put enough water in them and thin them out some). He does like the purple Cubed/Sliced/Minced ones, and the Duo’s, however. And he LOVES Halo. Impulse and Vigor are his favorites. Right now, Halo has $2 off any can of Vigor (cat and dog) and PetCo sells them for $1.99 each, so all you pay is tax on each can 🙂 Coupons are the best bet at feeding canned.

Definitely check out raw. I do raw a couple times a week for the cat right now, but once I get my canned supply down, I’ll be doing it more often. 🙂

[Akari_32]

I feed my 13 lb cat higher quality foods like Wellness and Halo, for about $20 a month. He does get some junkies foods like Friskies Special Diet and such to help keep cost down, but it is possible to feed good foods on a budget. Keep a look out for coupons and sales, and stock up when you find a good deal.

Right now, I’m switching mone to raw and am finding it be much more economical than even mid grade canned food. For example, on canned he eats 9-10 oz a day. On raw, he eats just 6 oz, and you actually want cheaper meats because of their fat and taurine contents, so you can get away with chicken thighs and quarters and pork and hearts. Might be something to look into 😉

[Akari_32]

Hi, Kimi! What are you feeding now? And is it dry or canned? Canned or raw are the best when it comes to feeding cats. Cats do not have a high thirst drive, which can lead to sever cronic dehydration while on dry foods. And not enough water can lead to all kinds of health problems, such as the ones you are seeing. Most health problems, especially in cats, can be fixed with a simple change of diet, under the direction of a vet. So, yes, go see your vet, but express that you would like to not do all the crazy meds if it’s not absolutely necessary (I have to remind my vet of this quite often lol).

[Akari_32]

If this is your first dachshund, you’re in for a treat! They are quite something. Mines a diva and a drama queen to say the least. Two things to keep in mind with them: for one, pay extremely close attention to their oral health. Dachshunds have a bit a different mouth structure than other other dogs do, and are prone to dental problems. I’m fighting with terrible teeth issues with my 14 year old rescue. Make sure, especially if you go with canned food, to get your little guy used to regular teeth brushing and keep a container supply of chews and chew toys in the house, and get dental check ups regularly, and cleanings as needed. The second thing to keep in mind is they cannot take as much strain on their back and joints as other dogs can, so be sure to have doggy steps leading up to any piece of furniture he will be allowed up on. It’ll save you vet bills later 😉

You’ve got some great food suggestions, so I’ll just add a couple more. Nutro Natural Choice and Nutro Ultra are good sort of in between foods when you start to work your puppy up to higher rated brands. I also use Natural Choice in rotation when I can get it for a decent price. I’m also a huge fan of Wellness, and use a lot of it. They have a little bit of everything for everyone, and it’s not too bad of a price, either.

Good luck with your little, and post some pictures! I love the wire haired ones 🙂

[Akari_32]

So I got a couple of the PetCo calendars and used all the free and bogo free coupons for donations. Only things I kept were both cans of Natural Balance dog food (got a buffalo and a venison), and a can of Ideal Balance poached salmon dog food for something to try out, and both Nutro Natural Choice tubs, both Natural Balance cat food pouches, and the two Natural Balance dog food rolls because I figured they would get squished with all the canned goods and bags of dog food (also did a puppy chow deal at Publix). Squished donations are never good lol

Anyways, I tried out a pouch of the Natural Balance cat food this morning and I was pleasantly surprised at not only how calorie dense it is compared to other pouch foods (2 pouches per 5 pounds) but also at how nice and meaty it was. Not to mention, the cat loved it. After his bowl was empty, he proceded to lick any leftovers off the carpet! LOL

Here’s a pic of it. Sorry it’s upside down. It’s right side up on my phone, so I guess photobucket had a bit of a heart attack? Lol

http://i765.photobucket.com/albums/xx294/Akari53/F28E411C-731C-4A01-B065-88E8459CD410_zpsklo4vlzn.jpg

[Akari_32]

For some reason, Vimeo hates me. Never uploaded my video or anything. I’ll have to get on the computer and do it. Tonight’s dinner went well, and he really liked the little bit of chicken wing I gave him, and he hate his liver no problem! 🙂 back to canned tomorrow, and we’ll try again in a raw days.

[Akari_32]

Collie, Borzoi. What’s the difference?? LOL

[Akari_32]

This?

http://therawfeedingcommunity.com/2015/01/08/digest-this-kibble-may-actually-digest-faster-than-raw/

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