It's A Beautiful Day!

There was no way I was going to stay home on such a beautiful day.  With temps in the upper 70s and sunshine as far as the eye could see, I dragged Momma out of the house early this morning to go hiking.  

For some reason my car seat was in the garage.  Hmmmm.  Why wasn't it in the front seat where it belongs?  Is someone trying to tell me something?  

Soon my car seat was back in the shot gun position and we were cruising down the road.  Ahhh.  I love to stick my head out of the window.  The fresh air really makes me feel awesome.

Our destination was Buffalo Creek, one of many forest preserves that we've visited this summer.  Momma chose this one today because it's mostly open with only a little tree cover (no mosquitoes) and close to the house.

I love going downhill!  I always run ahead of Momma and beat her to the bottom of the trail.  No one can catch super Tiffy!

"Please try to keep up, Momma!"

"See ya later!"

We have to cross three bridges on this trail.  I used to be afraid of the bridges but now I stop to check things out.   Too bad there wasn't anything down there to see.

Even from this view I couldn't see a thing in the water.  I wonder where all the fishies are.

We came across this cool caterpillar on the back loop of the trail.  Momma doesn't know what species of caterpillar it is but it looks really cool.  Please leave me a comment if you know who this guy is.  

I was getting a little tired as we headed back to the car.   Of course, I was still in front of Momma but I was dragging a bit.  Momma left my water in the car so I was walking fast because I was thirsty.  3.4 miles of hiking takes a lot out of a pug!

After a quick drink, we were on the road again.  I thought we were going home but before I knew it we pulled up to Page's.  YAY!

One of the resident kitties was hanging outside greeting customers but I walked right by him without even seeing him.  I sure wish my eyes worked so I could see what's going on around me.

Momma didn't get any pictures of me in the store because she was too busy talking to Jody, the owner, about my food.  After I got weighed (I am a trim 15.2 lbs, thank you very much!), I checked out the Honest Kitchen food, got a turkey treat, and then said my goodbyes to everyone.  We didn't actually buy anything because Jody gave us some samples.

Has anyone tried this brand of food?  It's called Addiction and even though their North American headquarters are in Washington (where Tuni lives), the food is manufactured in New Zealand.  Talk about a carbon footprint!  Jody gave us some normal samples (beef and lamb) but I checked out the Addiction website and they sell dehydrated food that contains brushtail and kangaroo.  Brushtail is a possum and I sure don't want to eat it.  And I love kangaroos and I don't want to eat them either.  I haven't decided if I'm going to try this food yet, just on principle alone.

I am definitely going to try the Honest Kitchen embark that Jody gave me.   Puglet has a friend named Norton that used to lick and chew his paws.  After two weeks on Honest Kitchen all the licking and chewing stopped.  I am so hoping that I like this food because if I do Momma is going to go back to get me some this weekend.  My friend Payton also eats this stuff and she loves it.

Thank you for all your comments on my post this past Monday.  I am going to try the raw, dehydrated food, Momma is going to buy the book "Pets at Risk" that the Southern Fried Pugs recommended, and then if all else fails I am going to take Toby Moses advice and get the VARL test.  For now I am going to hold off on the supplements but I fully expect to be on some over the winter to boost my immune system.  And maybe one day soon Momma will go buy me some coconut like Bellatrix suggested.

Itchies, Supplements, Food - Oh My!

Thanks for all the comments about my new food.  I appreciate all the feedback because Momma doesn't think the new food is working.  Working how, I don't know but I'm still itching, scratching, and chewing.


Here's the link to the recipe:

http://www.canine-epilepsy-guardian-angels.com/healthy_diet.htm


Auntie Nancy contacted Momma today and suggested she use fish instead of chicken in my food.  Um, I don't know if that is going to happen because it's hard enough for Momma to cook chicken much less fish.  So for now she is looking into supplemental options, specifically some natural ones. 

I already take 1/2 tablet of this stuff every morning for my joints.  Stubby started taking it last year when his disc got angry.  The sports medicine vet recommends starting puppies on it when they are 6 months old but I guess it's never too late to start.

Thanks to the Urban Hounds, Momma found these oil capsules for me.  They are a combination of fish, flax seed, and borage oils with some vitamin E thrown in for good measure.  Momma coats the top of the gel cap with peanut butter and down it goes. 
 

Apollo's mom recommended the Azmira line of supplements to Momma last year for Stubby.  Unfortunately, Momma didn't purchase them in time to help him but she kept the brochure and referred to it a couple of weeks ago when searching for help with my issues.

Aller'g Free is an Ephedra-free Herbal Antihistamine.  They come in capsule form so more peanut butter for me.  This is what the Azmira brochure says about it:

"Azmira's hottest item to "cool" your animal's allergy reactions.  Works wonders for scratching, rubbing, foot chewing, fur pulling, rashes, throat, nose, ear and eye irritation.  Clinically proven in eliminating most allergy sensitivities when combined with Yucca Intensive (steroid alternative), Mega Pet Daily, Super C 2000 and Garlic Daily Aid.  Additional B vitamins (as found in Mega Pet Daily) are recommended by veterinarians to be used with high-strung pets or those with very poor coats.  Safe to use with veterinary medications to lessen the need for drugs.  These easy to feed dry herb capsules, which support Dr. Newman's Holistic Animal Care LifeStyle approach to allergy elimination by systematically reducing acute symptoms while foundation supplements can build up the immune system, have supported even the most serious 

cases."

Momma thinks giving me 5 additional supplements each day is a bit excessive but she's willing to give them a try.  This standardized extract could be added to my food.  And the great thing is that it works like a steroid without the side effects.

I should be on a multi vitamin now anyway since I'm eating homemade food.  Another capsule = more peanut butter!

This supplement comes in a powder formula that could be added to my food.

Momma is a garlic freak but she doesn't take any garlic supplements because she eats enough garlic for the whole town.  This gel cap might just tasty enough to not require a peanut butter coating.


The Azmira website doesn't state recommended dosage(s) of each but assuming one pill, drop, or teaspoon of powder of each daily, here's the breakdown for a three month supply:

Aller'G Free - 90 capsules = $19.50

Yucca Intensive - 2 oz bottle = $16.25

Mega Pet Daily - 90 capsules = $29.50

Super C 2000 - 4 oz. powder = $14.00

Garlic Daily Aid - 90 gel caps = $14.00


I'm bad at math but even I know that these supplements are a lot of money.  I know I'm worth it but I wonder if any of you are taking or have taken any of these supplements.  Do/did they work? 


Momma said that if she buys them it won't cut into my treat money (thankfully).  I'm all about getting better because I hate to scratch, itch, and chew all day long.

Wordless Wednesday - I Wear My Motto On My Collar

My New Food

Thanks to everyone for their suggestions about food for me last month.  Momma just doesn't know what to do about my itchies so I tried a raw diet for a few days at the end of July.  I loved the food but Momma said it was just a little too expensive.  Too expensive for Tiffy girl?  Momma!

I couldn't talk her out giving up on the raw food so she contacted Auntie Nancy to talk to her about the food I ate when I lived in my foster home.  Auntie Nancy used to make all the puggies food from a recipe from the Canine Epilepsy Anti Seizure website.  I remembered how much I love that food so I begged Momma to give it a try.

The recipe uses regular ingredients that could be purchased from any grocery store.   The best part was that you could make it in the slow cooker.  Momma loves the slow cooker and can't imagine living without it.  So off to the store Momma went to get the ingredients.  When she returned home she pulled out the small slow cooker but it didn't work.  Bummer!  Luckily, we have a big slow cooker so in all the ingredients went and 8 hours later we had this:

Momma thought it looked a little watery but I didn't care.  Momma said she's going to adjust the recipe next time so that there's less water and more meat.  YES!

Looks yummy to me!  And the smell was amazing.  So amazing that I woke up several times during the night to sneak down to the kitchen to check on the slow cooker.  What was Momma thinking letting it cook overnight?

I very patiently waited to try my new food.  

"Hurry up, Momma!  I'm starving and may just pass out from hunger very soon!"

Delicioso!  It was so yummy that I asked for seconds but Momma just shook her head no.  

"I'm still hungry, Momma.  3/4 of a cup didn't even fill my belly!"

Momma wants me to stay nice and trim so I didn't get seconds.  Hopefully, this food will help with my itchies.  Have any of you tried this diet? 

Squeaky Clean!

Someone (Momma!) had the bright idea to give me a bath today.  I'm don't know what I did to deserve one but whatever I did I'm never doing it again.  

The first time Momma bathed me back in June, I totally cooperated.  I figured I would humor her and pretend to like baths.  Bad idea.  This time my true colors came out.  I was not a happy camper as I got placed in the bath tub.

"Momma, my toes are getting wet!  Can I get a dry bath, please?"

"Let me out, Momma!  I'm not dirty.  Please go find a dirty pug to bathe!"

None of my yelling did any good.  I was wet and mad.

Momma uses a cup to pour water all over me.  She thinks it's funny to watch me turn into a skeletal pug.  Just look at me!

I tried so very hard to climb out of the tub.  When that didn't work I just shook water everywhere.  Of course there are no pictures of me shaking because Momma was hiding behind a towel. 

"Am I done yet, Momma?  Really, there's no more dirt on my body.  All of it is in a ring around the tub."

I shook a few more times once I was out of the tub just for good measure.  Momma dried me pretty good and luckily she didn't get the blow dryer out to finish me off.

Since I was a semi-good, cooperative girl during my bath, Momma said I could have a special treat.  Even though it was right before dinnertime I figured any old appetizer would do.

A banana all for me!  Yummy!  I love bananas but had never eaten one right out of the peel before.

The banana was like heaven on earth. 

Nom, nom, nom! 

I would almost agree to a bath every week if I could have my very own banana.

My New Sister

Momma was in one of those strange Momma moods yesterday.  I don't know why but I had a feeling that something was going to happen.  Something big.  And it did.

Momma was out shopping all morning and I was so excited to see her when she finally walked in the door that I didn't even hear her say "I've got something for you."  Too bad, too, because I would have hidden or triple locked the doors or done something, anything to keep this creature out of my house.

Meet Annie, my new sister.  Since Momma said the creature is staying I decided to name her Annie after my foster sister.  This Annie isn't as sassy as the original but she's making her mark around here.

My Annie doesn't even smell like the original, which is a good thing.  I thoroughly checked her out to make sure she was legit before playing with her.  

Smashed in face - check.

Curly tail - check.  

Solid body - check.

Smells like a pug - check.

And if any of you were wondering about her sassiness, just check out this video.  Sheesh!  What am I going to do with her?

To make matters even worse, she climbed in my princess bed.  No one sits in my princess bed except me!  Oh, and Salinger since he's a princess, too.

What's that, Momma?  I have to be nice to her?  Why?  Can't we just send her down to Texas to live with the real Annie?

The nerve of Annie!  Look at that smirk on her face.  Get your own princess bed, girl!

Maybe if I just climb in there and push her out...

Oh, hi Momma!  We were just bonding.  BFFs real soon now, I'm sure.