Sometimes I’m way ahead of the curve. For example, I’ve been blogging about doggie dental care since the beginning of this month, well in advance of the designated Pet Dental Month, February. (Of course, I’m not big on designated months; see November Is Pet Diabetes Month: Oh the Irony). Sometimes I’m far behind it. On…
Reconsidering Raw
I know, I can get up on a soapbox. And, hey, that’s what blogs are for. But I’ve also been known to step down from mine if I find a good reason for doing so. I’d like to report I’ve made tentative steps towards soapbox descent on the topic of raw feeding. I argued in…
Pride & Prejudice: Doggie Dental Version
Corneal ulcers, periodontal disease, diabetes… sometimes it’s hard to separate the dog from the health problems. Or, I should say, my emotional reactions to the problems from Frankie’s far more laissez-faire attitude. I’m thinking in particular of my first experience getting Frankie’s teeth professionally cleaned, which I introduced a couple of posts ago. The Trauma…
Why Frankie won’t be BARFing
I like to be open minded. That’s why I gave Jim McBean at DoggyBytes a forum for his advocacy of raw feeding the other day. But I’m not convinced its benefits outweigh its risks and here’s why: Dogs are no longer living in the wild. Yes, they are equipped for eating raw meat. So are…
How to Save $1000 by Feeding Your Dog Raw Meaty Bones
My pal Jim McBean over at DoggyBytes commented extensively on my recent post, Why Anesthesia Free Cleaning is Really Costly — so extensively, in fact, that I suggested he shed more light on the topic by doing a guest post. He agreed. One note: The $1000 in the title alludes to the price that a…
Ulcers, mine & Frankie’s
Today was the day I was going to tidy my house and to teach myself social media, to Digg and Stumble my way into the blogosphere and wave at my tech savvy pals via Google. This was not to be. First, I decided that I’d really better take Frankie to the vet. His eye has…
The Ritz, Redux
I promised to continue my story of staying with Frankie at the Ritz-Carlton, Dove Mountain, so I will, but I’m not quite sure how it ends: Frankie’s eye, which has been bothering him ever since the trip to the groomer to gussy him up for his debut at the posh property, is little improved. It…
Putting on the Ritz
When I was a full-time travel writer, I often said that my lifestyle bore no relation to my income. It was part of my job description to check out posh hotels and resorts for a variety of guidebooks and magazines, either hosted by the destinations or paid for by the publications (I lost count of…
Dental confessions: A brief digression
As those of you who read my blog regularly know, I’ve been writing a lot lately about canine dental care. It started with my New Year’s resolution to brush Frankie’s teeth; I went on to discuss the problems with anesthesia-free cleanings. I plan to continue with the topic, to review dental chews and give instructions…
The cost of dog care: Where do you draw a line?
It’s peculiar and very unpleasant to be sitting and writing an article while listening to the proceeds of your work go down the drain. Literally. It started with a leaky faucet in my kitchen. It would be an easy fix, I figured, an extra expense, sure, but a manageable one. The plumbers came, agreed it…