I’m just back from the dentist’s office, where I had the usual one-sided conversation with Chris, the tech who cleans my teeth. It’s hard to be articulate with a sharp object probing your wide-open mouth, so my part of the dialogue pretty much consists of “unnh, unnh,” while Chris talks about her husband’s job and…
The Frankie Diaries, 8/19: Get Off My Lawn
Just do it, the old Nike logo said. And so I committed myself to bringing back this blog without quite knowing how to re-enter gracefully, how to fill in the blanks of the past year. I’m still not sure, but the other day I hit on the diary format, of using moments in a typical…
Pet Travel Challenges: Car Rides & Leaping Cacti
Frankie and I are headed to Scottsdale today to meet one of my newfound relatives, and I’m a little nervous. To put it mildly. Not about meeting my relative, Elaine. We’ve already chatted on the phone, and I’m sure that’ll go swimmingly. No, I’m nervous about traveling with Frankie. The last time I tried a…
We’re Baaack!
It’s been exactly a year since I last posted on this blog. I had my reasons for taking a break, some valid, some delusional. “I’m starting a new blog and I’m not good at multitasking” falls into the valid category. “I want to leave on a high note, with Frankie as a forever young —…
Still Crazy After All These Years
When you blog about dog health issues on occasion, spend a good deal of time reading veterinarian blogs — and are a little paranoid to begin with — you are likely to be hyper-aware of canine illness potential. Frankie is a very well-scrutinized dog. Sometimes, even in the midst of worrying, I know I’m being…
Fido & Wino*
It should have been clear from yesterday’s post that Canine Cognitive Dysfunction has not affected the essential personality of Archie, my friend Clare’s dog. Here’s more proof. Just as, before he got diabetes, I used to give Frankie a treat every time I sat down to eat, Clare got into the habit of giving Archie…
Canine Cognitive Dysfunction: A Vet Explains
When my best friend’s dog, Archie, was diagnosed with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction, I promised Clare I would find out all I could about the syndrome. I turned to Janet Tobiassen Crosby, DVM, for assistance — mostly because she has written extensively on the topic (see the “Related Reading” section, below) but also because she’s a…
Your Dog Can’t Be Cured? First, You Cry…
My best friend Clare’s dog, Archie, was just diagnosed with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction (CCD): Doggie Dementia, or Canine Alzheimer’s. Archie is nearly 15. According to the speakers at a recent Nestle Purina Companion Animal Nutrition Summit, an estimated one in four dogs over the age of 10 shows at least one sign of brain aging,…