Category Archives: Rescued Dog

#rescued dog, #dogpark, #dogtreats #dogs

It is April Fool’s Day Tomorrow

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Good morning, friends,

They say Spring has arrived but in my eyes it is an early April Fools joke as it has been stormy and rainy here all week and I am not laughing.

I have once again been stuck indoors excluding going out for potty breaks in my stroller and I said to Mom I need to get out and smell, sniff and see other people, life is boring at the moment.

My raincoat made from a broken umbrella, recycling is very important and I am ready to roll now in the rain

Mom has been keeping me busy with my snuffle ball but she is making me eat my food first before getting treats and that is so unfair. Who agrees with me.

Gobble Gobble B=Gobble so I can get some treats

Woof it is snuffle ball time

So as you can read nothing exciting has been happening here but tomorrow weather permitting we are going on an adventure woof woof woof

I am so ready to go out of this house for an adventure, when we going ?

Have a safe weekend everyone,

With a woof and love from Layla

 

Fun times

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TGIF!!!!!

 

Woof, the weekend has arrived and hopefully this weekend there will be sun and we will be able to go somewhere to enjoy the outdoors.

They said Spring has arrived but it has been storming like crazy here in San Francisco and it was not spring showers but buckets of water and lots of snow in the mountains. Mom says they better not talk about drought this year as she thinks we have caught up with the water and praying so also.

Last Saturday we went to sit on the Bay, it was a small place to sit with a comfy bench for all of us, Mom kept me on my leash so I would not fall into the water but it was so nice being out with Aunty, smelling lots of new smells and relaxing. It was what Mom needed and so did I to get out of the house for a bit, although I cannot complain as Mom takes me for lots of walks in different directions all the time but when it is raining they are short walks so to spend a couple of hours outdoors is just pawsome.

The Goose swimming happily

Smelling the sea air

Smelling the flowers

Having a quick nap while Mom and Aunty chat and drink coffee

Best photo of all, Layla smiling with happiness, first time in months I have seen a smile on her face

So this has been our week, swimming in the rain BOL and otherwise staying indoors and me of course playing with my snuffle ball filled with treats, yummm. Life is good

 

Be warm and safe all my friends.

With love from Layla

 

Let the adventures begim

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Happy St Patricks Day everyone, TGIF!!!!!

We have had such storms and rain here in San Francisco I thought the sun would never appear but today was surprised with a wonderful sunny day that Mom packed up our park bag and of course me in the stroller and we went on adventure.

Let the adventure in the sun begin

 

We went to meet up with friends at this park called Sales Force Park which is on the roof of a building, The plus also was today they had a Blue Grass Band called JEE-HEE & JESSE, it was great to hang out and listen to some live music although where the band plays are all tables and chairs so we moved from there to the grass where we sat on a blanket, ate of course, laughed and joked while Layla slept under a tree as it was really warm, The real reason we moved to the grass is Layla being blind she would not be able to wander around as she would hurt herself and I do not want injuries at the moment.

Relaxing on the lawn

These made me homesick. From left to right are Pincushions, Strelitzia and Red Hot Pokers, They are all grow wild all over South Africa

It was great being outdoors in the sun again and this weekend we have another adventure planned weather permitting but am really looking forward to, I have had enough being indoors and I think Layla has also plus I think she is bored with the same walks everyday and needs new places to smell.

Some good news, her UTI has gone phew, she is back to being herself, eating well, barking at me when she wants something which is normally her snuffle ball with treats in, she has me wrapped around her paws LOL. She is also finally sleeping through the night and what I did and spoke to my vet about this, is I am spraying Lavender under her blankets which relaxes her big time, I am doing it in a way that she is not touching it and I hope I have finally found the solution to really calm her.

So that is what is happening in the Layla neighborhood, us seniors are enjoying the sun at long last so life is good here.

I am reminding everyone to please do NOT drink and drive today as your fur kids are waiting at home for you

Have a wonderful weekend

With love from Layla

 

 

 

 

 

 

Healing a Senior Dog

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TGIF!!!! Good morning friends, it is Friday and raining like crazy in San Francisco, we hope it is warmer and dryer where you are.

The past two weeks I have been dealing with Layla and her UTI, she was on one antibiotic which did not help so we switched to another one, which I am praying will have worked. Madam is very smart because in the beginning I tried giving it in a piece of chicken, it worked first day and since then she refuses to eat the chicken. So, it has become a nightmare trying to get her to take the medication.

My new method is to open her mouth, shove it in, make sure she swallows it and then give her something to eat as it must be taken with food. So there is a  method to my madness LOL. I after giving her the pill I give her some chicken and she eats it but then the rest of the day refuses chicken. The antibiotic suppresses her appetite but she needs to eat so it is finding things she will eat. It is costing me an arm and a leg to get her to eat LOL.

So this is the new routine, she gets raw dehydrated chicken patties as treats in her snuffle ball, I have bought her gizzards which one day she eats and the next day is a no, Ground turkey meat which she gobbled up today but who knows if she will eat it tomorrow, a Costco chicken which she kind of eats and my fridge is slowly filling up with containers of food for her but decided yesterday am going to start freezing some.

It is hard work getting the goodies out of the snuffle ball so am taking a break and sleeping on it like a pillow

Her anxiety is through the roof so am looking into getting her a calming dog bed which my vet suggested and hopefully that will help.

One positive thing has changed with her, she is sleeping in her bed again which I am happy about as she was sleeping on a blanket next to the bed and I was afraid I would stand on her.

Head under the bed on the blankets

All snuggled under the blankets on her bed zzzzzzzz

With all this happening I have learned a lot about a UTI and am slowly figuring out how to prevent them and what I have been doing to prevent it happening again is I bought Pet Wipes and each time we come home from her being outdoors to potty, I wipe her down, so she is clean as senior dogs do not clean themselves the way younger ones do.

I also take her for the last time at midnight and we slowly getting to sleep till the morning phew, as I have not had a full nights sleep in over a month and am exhausted here. I have also put her back on the All In Senior Supplement from Vetracyn which has a calming ingredient in it which is calming her down at nights and honest I need something also LOL.

On top of this we did do two adventures which I am chuckling about still, Last Saturday they had in San Francisco free Tulips Day so we went with a friend to get Tulips but I think half of San Francisco was there and most people must have camped out to get in line because by the time we got there the line was long and it was raining, so my friend and I hopped back in her car and went somewhere for coffee instead, no Tulips though LOL. We really laughed over the whole outing.

On Tuesday I went to meet up with some friends for coffee which was great, Madam was in her stroller of course and it was wonderful to sit with people, laugh so much and one friend did a Tarot reading for each one of us but sorry I cannot remember what she told me, oy vey.

Dozing in my stroller all bundled up

Another thing I learned this week is do not post on FB on your personal page if your dog is sick, one woman told me that she was informing me that the antibiotic Layla is on is dangerous, I told her I trusted my vet when it comes to medications so she went on a rampage posting links about the medication etc. as if I was stupid and had not done my research.  The advice that some gave me for a UTI I researched and spoke to my vet about and she said it is all BS, thank goodness I double check with my vet for everything. I also want to thank Terri for all the information you emailed me, it was really appreciated.

So on this rainy night note, Madam is finally sleeping and I am going to try have an early night tonight, I need it,

Have a safe warm weekend!

With a woof and love from Layla

 

Fun times in the parks

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TGIF!!!! What a week and I personally cannot wait for the weekend when I can put my feet up and relax.

As you all know Layla went last week for her annual senior checkup, I got the results on Friday but did not understand them LOL so was stressed all weekend till I spoke to her vet on Monday. Excluding the UTI which she is on medications for at the moment her bloodwork is good so I am more relaxed. We have based our week on her taking her medications on time like clock work and she has to have a follow up in ten days to make sure it has cleared up. Layla thank goodness is eating well, playing with her snuffle toy, so I suppose I cannot complain.

Last Saturday we spent some time in the dog park which was great, I met a good friend there with her two rescues and we just sat on blankets relaxing while the dogs wandered around. It was a perfect afternoon.

I took her to the park on Wednesday morning which was awesome as we sat on our blanket, she wandered around, sniffed a lot and came home and slept like a baby.

Today we met friends for a picnic in a different park, one of my favorites, enormous with a view of the Bay. It was chilly but the sun was shining so we were all bundled up including Layla and she was in her element. I think she was sniffing and walking around for about an hour plus till she lay down and started dozing LOL.

Layla wandering around sniffing with no fear plus the beautiful view of the Bay and the beautiful trees

Mom this is fun, lots to smell

zzzzzzzzz I need my nap in the sun

 

I know many do not agree with dog parks but since doing the session with the Animal Communicator and understanding Layla more, thanks to her I now know that Layla does not like walks on the sidewalk, she is afraid but in the dog park where she can wander around without worrying about banging her head, plus me letting the leash go gives her that confidence and freedom to wander safely and she is happy, so as the sun comes out we will be doing more of these fun times plus the fresh air is healthy and good for both of us.

 

That is what is happening in the Layla neighborhood, am waiting to see the weather forecast to plan our weekend,

 

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.

With a woof and love from

Layla

Gotcha Day is over, but I did a Reiki and Animal Communicator Session

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TGIF!!!! I need to relax LOL.

Layla and I went shopping last Saturday for her Gotcha Day on Tuesday, if she had her own way, she would have bought everything in the store LOL but I stuck to two bags of her favorite treats, minnows and shrimp and she cannot get enough of them in her snuffle toys.

My favorite pet store

I do not want the hat but want treats only

Mom did not buy this for me as she said it was too big for my tummy

On Wednesday the sun was shining so I took her to the park which she loved and just slept in the sun plus of course wandered around smelling all the pmail, she had to catch up on all the gossip which she has missed out on so she was one happy girl when we came home, and went to sleep, such a hard life.

 

In my last blog I had said there would be a surprise this week and this is the surprise, I have wanted for months to know if Layla is happy as she does not smile anymore, and have always been fascinated with people who do Reiki and communicate with animals so I have been following this woman on FB and when she contacted me to thank me for following her and sharing her posts she offered to do a session with Layla which I of course jumped on the idea.

Her name is Cherokee Billie Spiritual Advisor

YouTube : https://youtu.be/QTNmv5hrmd0

Website : https://cherokeebilliespiritualadvisor.com/

So last Sunday we did one on Zoom which unfortunately got cut off before it ended because of connections, but I got so many answers to my queries I was really pleased with the results as they have relaxed me. I am also understanding Layla more as she ages so our lives will be less stressful, anxious and we can age peacefully together.

When we started the session Layla was sitting on my lap in front of the camera and was very antsy, could not figure out where the voice was coming from so Billie suggested I put her on the floor, she went to drink water and then went to her normal sleeping place and totally calmed down.

I will share our video session on our blog next week as my laptop keeps freezing but cannot wait to share.

What I learned:

Since going blind Layla is afraid to go out, that is why she will only walk a little and then stares into space with her tail between her legs but is comfortable sitting in her stroller, so we are going to have to slow down on adventures in some ways so she is not afraid.

She cannot understand why her body is changing as she ages although she feels like a puppy inside and is very healthy TG.

Because of all the above she is not smiling anymore which has upset me as I miss her smiles, but I understand also and I am sure I would be the same if it happened to me.

She does love me very much.

Another thing I learned is that because of the above her anxiety has gone through the roof, so am checking into new calming solutions for her and keeping a t-shirt on all the time that does keep her calm. Billie also suggested music by Mozart or the Beatles to calm her so am going to do some research this weekend on YouTube to see what I can find although I have the Jazz on all the time I do not think it’s working for her.

So as a dog Mom to a senior dog I strongly suggest others do a session with Billie as it is an eye opener and will make everyone’s lives calmer and happier.

Everyone please have a safe happy weekend, make memories and enjoy your moments with your pets, they are precious and deserve the best.

 

Lots of love from

Layla

 

 

 

12 Year Journey with Layla

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TGIF!!! It is the end of the week, the sun has been shining so we have managed to have some dog park time, fun and of course lots of chicken LOL.

It is Layla’s Gotcha Day on the 31st, she has been with me for 12 years and I still say it was the best online love affair in the world.

Where and how did it begin ? After Baby passed I waited about 3 months and then started searching on PetFinder and PetHarbor for a new munchkin to share my life with me. I had a friend who was in LA at the time working, so he told me to look in the shelters there for a fluffy butt that I wanted, if I saw one his friend who is a rescuer would go and get her and he would bring her to me in SF.  So after 3 days of searching I saw her sitting in a cage in the Carson Shelter, her face said it all although she was a matted mess, I told Cindy that was the ONE, Cindy went on the Saturday to get her, called me to say she was on her lap licking her and that said it all, Cindy took her home and the following day Michael brought her to me and the rest is history.

We have gone through a lot together it has been a wonderful blessed journey and now my goal as she ages is to keep her as happy and healthy as possible which in a way seems to be working.

She gets home cooked food and I have now added some new supplements to her food which seem to helping a lot plus she is sleeping better at night which is fantastic.  Thanks to Dr Harvey’s amazing products she is on his :

  • Kidney Health : A herbal and mushroom supplement designed to help support your dog’s kidneys.
  • Contains Rehmannia Root, Organic Reishi, Organic Shiitake, Organic Poria and Organic Cordyceps (all edible fungi), Organic Astragalus Root which provide overall kidney support and health by tonifying the kidneys.
  • Contains Codonopsis, a herb that works to boost the immune system of the whole body as well as the kidneys. Codonopsis also supports urinary health.

Since she is on this she is not wanting to go out every hour to pee, sleeping better through the night as she does not need to pee as much and in a nutshell I have seen a big difference.

Since getting this in her food she seems to be more awake, full of energy and back to being bossy barker which is my favorite nickname for her LOL.

Golden Years : A proprietary Blend of Alfalfa, Kelp, Flaxseed, Brewer’s Yeast, Lecithin Granules, Spirulina, Garlic, Rose Hips, Fo-Ti Root, Bilberry Leaf, Ginkgo Biloba Leaf, Ginger Root, Licorice Root, Nettle Leaf, Rosemary Leaf, Burdock Root, Red Clover, Suma, Yellowdock Root, Calendula………………………..2.6 grams

Like most dogs, Layla sometimes gets an upset tummy and the probiotics she was getting were not working so I got from Dr Harvey’s his Runs Be Done which is fantastic and I love that it is Natural with no chemicals. It contains : Dr. Harvey’s Runs Be Done is a digestive supplement for your dog. Ingredients : Pumpkin, Bentonite Clay, Slippery Elm Bark, Apple Pectin, Plantain, Marshmallow Root, Fennel Seed, Banana, Ginger Root, Chamomile.

She of course gets Dr Harvey’s Raw Vibrance which gives her all the nutrients she needs I feel she is getting the best of the best food and supplements, there are others she gets, but the plus is all supplements are in powder form so easy to give to her as I mix them all in her food so she does not know she is getting them.

If you want to learn more about his products you can find them on his website : https://www.drharveys.com/

You have a 10% coupon when shopping on his site : Layla10

We were sponsored by Dr Harvey’s for this blog.

So our journey plods along, we growing older together, I am so blessed to have her by my side every day, barking orders, sometimes not sleeping through the night, but would not change it for anything.

To celebrate her Gotcha Day next week I am doing a surprise for her on Sunday and am keeping it that way till you read all about it next week where we will also share our favorite photos of her, I am really excited and curious also.

This is Layla’s weekly woof this week, exciting and happy as always, she is at the moment napping and I  have the Jazz on so the music keeps our house calm.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, be safe

With a woof and love from Layla

 

 

 

 

January is the month of freedom.

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TGIF !! Rain has stopped, sun is out but it is still cold here.

Many of you do not know but January is the month of freedom for me, it is the month I ran from my ex, and it is the month I rescued Layla so it is her month of freedom also.

So, to celebrate our freedom, and the sun shining today, I took Layla on an adventure to our old haunt or should I say park. It is one I have not been to in ages, and it was wonderful to be there. It was bitter sweet as it was the park I used to go to with Baby who ran with me, and her ashes are buried in the park but it was great also, as it brought back so many good memories and being able to sit in the sun, relax, have a picnic with friends there it was the best medicine.

Baby RIP who died suddenly of IMHA at the age of 6

Lafayette Park is a beautiful big park in the city of San Francisco. It is beautifully kept, the view of the Bay from the top is just amazing, the old trees standing upright are stunning, the green lawns are just beautifully kept and sitting there, listening to the children playing and laughing down the hill in the children’s section is magical. There is nothing like listening to kids laugh and play, pure happiness. Thank you Robin and Roger for this wonderful time.

Where we sat on the hill with a view of the Bay

The lawn where Baby’ ashes were buried

The place Layla used to play when we used to come to this park

Layla wandered around, I had to watch her so she would not hurt herself, but she had so much fun and came home, finished her dinner, and went to sleep. A healthy sleep as I say as she had so much fresh air today it was the best of the best.

I am hoping the rain has stopped finally for a bit so that we can get out more, visit different parks and get lots of fresh air which is so important for both of us. I also notice that if she is out and about she is hungry and gobbles down her food which makes me happy and relaxed.

So that was our adventure this week, who knows what we will do next week but there is never a dull moment here plus Layla loves riding on the bus so it is exciting for her.

I had to pee on the way out so I marked my spot, Layla

Stay safe and warm everyone, have a wonderful weekend

With love from Layla

 

What a wet week

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TGIF !!!!

 

Hi everyone and oy vey today is Friday the 13th. This day brings back so many memories of my childhood with my grandmother who was so superstitious that it drove all of us crazy. I must admit that thanks to her I wear a Hamsa all the time around my neck and has a blue stone in to protect me against evil. Layla has one on her harness too. (In Jewish culture, the Hamsa hand represents protection from evil and a reminder to pray. Five is a significant number in Judaism and is considered the number of protection)

Her blue stone fell out and I have glued new ones but they do not stay in, the fish on the hand symbolize luck and in the circle below the loop you will see Hebrew word Chai means Life

Some of my memories of my grandmother was her spitting on her hand and then touching her head, always avoiding walking under ladders and the funniest of all was when my sister crawled through a window to open a door so my grandmother made her crawl back through the window or she would not grow. We were not allowed to put keys on the table, we had to set our shoes in a certain way and the list can go on and on and I am giggling here while sharing.

So Friday the 13th brings back so many memories for me and what a wonderful weird life it was with all the superstitions.

Now lets go over to this past week, what a week !!!! Climate change is really happening and the storms in San Francisco is proof of it, the rain has been relentless, the hail, thunder and lightening WOW it has been hard to take Layla for long walks as we swim not walk plus Layla has this new thing of standing and staring into space so we stand for like 10 minutes every time getting drenched and that is how we were caught in the hail storm also. Thank goodness for the stroller and plastic cover I picked her up and put her in immediately and we ran home LOL.  Two wet old ladies, me and Layla.

Today thank goodness it did not rain so we went for a long long walk about 5 times, I am exhausted and Layla is sleeping at the moment. I hope she sleeps through the night which has become a new thing of her waking me up at about 2 to go potty and then we come inside, she moans for a treat of course and then I sit on the floor with her till she settles down and goes back to sleep which can take at least a half hour if not more. I am slowly becoming a zombie from lack of sleep and Layla is full of energy as she sleeps during the day also. It is a hard life for her LOL.

But however I share all this, watching her age is heartbreaking, and I would not change any of her quirks however irritating they can be sometimes, she is my fur kid and needs the best of best love and attention.

Her snuffle doodle bug was the best thing I ever got for her I think, she loves it and lately when she does not want to eat her food because of the supplements, I put the food in the snuffle doodle and she sniffs it and eats her food that way, it has become a game so am washing it all the time and cleaning the floor also. Never a dull moment here.

Doodle Bug Time

So no adventures this week, only swimming in the rain and trying to stay dry, have a wonderful weekend everyone, stay warm and dry and please be safe,

With a woof and love from

Layla

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

January is here

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TGIF !!!! It is Friday and what a week we have had.

San Francisco has been wet with rain for over a week, Mom is not happy as walking me in the rain is making her wet and cold all the time BOL but as she says we need the rain.

I am getting old, so I love to go out in the middle of the night, I moan to Mom to tell her and then sit and wait for her to get out of her warm bed, get dressed and bundle me up for the cold weather. I think it is fun and wag my tail while Mom curses under her breath.

Mom surprised me this week to help me stay extra dry and warm from the winds and bought me a plastic stroller cover, so I sit under a tent as such and do not get wet. We learnt the hard way last weekend when it was pouring, and my stroller became a pool it had so much water in plus everything was wet, so our bathroom turned into a laundry room with everything drying.

There were no small ones in the store so bought whatever size I could find and it is working

Because of the rain we have not been out that much, and the past 24 hours have been really bad so we are doing short walks so that I can potty, but the best is coming home for treats and snuffle ball time which keeps me busy.

I am very lucky as I have a raincoat made out of an umbrella that a friend of Mom made for me, so while Mom tries to hold the umbrella, I wear one BOL and it keeps me warm and dry. Mom also bought me some fleece t-shirts which I sleep in so am cozy when I am in the house.

Layla loves sleeping with her head under the bed LOL

So, I should not complain as Mom does her best to keep me healthy, happy and warm in the cold weather and she dries me off when we get home and changes my clothes also so I am always wearing something dry.

That is what is happening in our neighborhood, please be safe and warm everyone,

With lots of love

Layla