weekly Woof from Layla

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Good Morning Everyone, the months are going so quickly I cannot believe it. Our lives are very much the same, stay at home and wear masks which have become normal as such.
San Francisco is slowly opening but I am still playing safe.

Today we went to the coffee shop around the corner from our dog park where we met up with a good friend who Layla loves and sat had coffee, bagels and chatted. Layla of course got a morsel of what we were eating so she was very happy. The sun was out for about an hour or so which was awesome and although I put a rain jacket on Layla to keep her warm and at this moment it looks like rain again so am pleased we were able to get some fresh air.


With Spring around the corner I am looking forward to the sunny days so that we can get out more especially to the park. I only do the park during the week as it is not full and we do not have to worry about social distancing. I cannot wait for the meet ups to start again so she can see her fluffy friends and go to different parks on weekends.


Layla is aging as we all know, she had her annual check up last week and thank goodness all her vitals are good, no lumps or bumps, and we did a blood test to check her liver and kidneys.
Layla has been put on Denamarin for her liver as some of her enzymes have elevated but am relieved the Vet is not worried so I am relaxed also. He explained to me that it could be from quite a few things including the eye drops she gets which have steroids but we cannot stop these as she is finally without red eyes and not rubbing them.  She has also put on a half a pound LOL but am putting her on diet to lose that as I try to keep her weight perfect. 

I could not believe the size of the tablet, it is one I do not think I could swallow either LOL so vet says I can cut them in half and give them in her favorite treat, smoked salmon cream cheese which she loves. Thank goodness as it is working.


Otherwise she is healthy for her age so I am relieved and feel good knowing I am doing everything right. I am also fortunate that he does not insist on vaccinations anymore but the Rabies which by San Francisco law she has to have especially as she goes to dog parks. So we are up to date with that.


So that is what is happening in the Layla Neighborhood, next week Leopold and Pierre are coming to spend some days with us again which will be good for her and our house will become a fluffy house again.


Stay warm everyone, be safe,

Have a great weekend with love from Layla

March is Pet Poison Prevention Awareness Month

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TGIF !!!!!!!!!


Woof to all my paw friends from my neighborhood.


We have been very busy here so Mom is staying out of mischief.


Last weekend I had a fluffy sleep over, Pierre and Leopold came to spend the weekend with us and their Mom was moving. It was fun to have guests although I did sleep a lot BOL.but best part of it was the treats as Mom was giving to our friends so I was getting also. I was hoping for a midnight feast like you have at sleepovers but mom told me that once my teeth are cleaned the treats are over. I do not agree with Mom.


I also went to the park this week and Mom found out that they have a small dog meet every day at 11.30 so she is going to start taking me to meet small dogs. I am really excited.


Now for something very important for all of us : Mach is Pet Poison Prevention Month, something we need to remember especially with spring around the corner and lots of humans will be spring cleaning and working in the garden. Below you can see all the poisons that can mace us sick.

Hazardous Foods :

Chocolate, Coffee, Grapes, Onions, Garlic, Alcohol, Macadania Nuts, Avocados

Hazardous Chemicals

Insecticides ,Pesticides, Cleaning Products, Fertilizer, Anti-Freeze, De-Ices.

Other :

Fabric Softener Sheets, Raw Hide, Plants (see list below), Children Toys

Plants:

Safe Palm, Tomato Plant, Daffodils, Ivy, Gladiolia and many more. Check on line before you plant to make sure they are safe.

Signs of Poisoning

01. Gastrointestinal signs : Vomiting, Diarrhea, Drooling/ hypersalivating, Nausea

02. Internal Bleeding : Coughing of blood, , Vomiting blood, Pale gums, A racing heart rate, Weakness or lethargy

03. Kidney Failure : Halitosis (“uremic” breath), Vomiting, Diarrhea, Excessive thirst or urination, Absence or decreased urination

04. Liver Failure : Jaundice/icterus/yellow discoloration to the gums, Weakness or collapse secondary to a low blood sugar, Dull mentation, acting abnormally, Vomiting, Diarrhea, Black-tarry stool (melena)

If you think your pet may have ingested a potentially poisonous substance, call (888) 426-4435. A consultation fee may apply.

Have a safe and happy weekend everyone 

With a woof and love from Layla 

Are you ready ?

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How are you all doing and we are praying that you are all warm and safe.


This past week has been fun for me, as the coffee shops are slowly opening for outdoor coffee and dining on so Tuesday Mom and I went to meet up with my favorite aunt Alice and they had bagels and coffee. Mom spoiled me with some egg and bacon from hers which was yumm. It was fun to be outdoors and see Auntie although it was chilly and we were all bundled up.

On Wednesday Mom decided to take me on an adventure, she wanted to do errands which are not in our neighborhood so she took me with her. It was so much fun and one of her favorite butchers had a sale on beef so guess who won -me me me. Mom stocked up on beef neck bones for me, Beef for jerky plus so much more. Mom carried everything of course while I sat in my backpack so by the time we got home Mom was exhausted from carrying it all.

Yesterday Mom made me jerky (I now have a big bag in the fridge) plus she made my food for the week, so we can call Wednesday Layla’s Day.

Now I put on the title Are you ready ?

We have been following the news about the terrible storms in Texas plus other areas and other countries and that makes me always check our emergency bag to make sure all is good there. I keep in the bag 8 boxes of water (easier to carry if necessary) plus I have 3 big bottles in the fridge, freeze dried dog food for Layla, the first aid kit, candles, flashlight plus other necessities. These items are crucial for any natural disaster and everyone should have them in their house. I also have small sachets of instant coffee with small sachets of coffee creamer as I could not live without my coffee hot or cold. 


So who else is ready ? With climate change anything is possible anytime and we must be prepared.


On this note we want to wish everyone a wonderful safe weekend, for those in the freezing cold try stay warm and our prayers and thoughts are with you,


With a woof and love from Layla

PS. Mom told me to remind you that February 20th is Love Your Pet Day but she loves me every day

Pet Theft Awareness Day

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Good Morning Everypawdy and TGIF !

Another week in February is over and it has brought us a very important day and that is Valentines Day.

It is a day that we spread love all over the world, spoil ourselves or our partners or pets with love and special gifts, so what are you going to spoil your pet with ?

My Valentine

February 14th is also Pet Theft Awareness Day which is meant to call attention to the importance of pet identification methods. It is a day to show how much the presence of an animal can enrich a family and also the responsibility that goes with it. It encourages those with pets to take steps to ensure the animal’s security and their own peace of mind.

In 1988 it was started by the Last Chance for Animals organisation, Pet Theft Awareness Day is aimed at educating animal owners to keep their pets safe from thieves. With almost 2 million pets being stolen annually in America the threat is real. That is why it is so important to have pets microchipped,  wear a tag with all your information as it will be easier to find your pet if G-d forbid it is stolen.

Below is a list of tips on how to keep your pet safe.

Tips on what to do if your pet is stolen.

Other important tips 

  • Keep your dog indoors when you’re not home. Outdoor dogs should be kept safely behind a locked gate. It only takes a couple of seconds for a thief to steal your pet from your yard.
  • Walk your dog on a leash.
  • Keep cats indoors. Indoor cats live safer, longer, healthier lives.
  • Make sure  your pets has a collar with an I.D. tags, and licenses. Microchips are also very important also.
  • Report suspicious neighborhood activities and/or missing companion animals to the police and animal control. 
  • Keep recent photos of your pets.
  • Spay and neuter your companion animals. Fixed animals are less likely to stray.
  • Please do NOT tie your dog up outside of restaurants, coffee shops or stores, and never leave any animal unattended in a car.
  • Please do NOT use “free to good home” ads to rehome your pet, they can fall into the wrong hands, if you cannot care for your pet anymore contact rescue organizations in your area.

PREVENT PET THEFT BEFORE IT HAPPENS!  Report any suspicious activity, or animal cruelty and neglect to your local police department and animal control office.

On this note we would like to wish all our friends Happy Valentines Day, we hope you have a wonderful day filled with love BUT also please keep us pets safe,

With a woof and love from Layla

February is here

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January is over and February is here. I cannot believe how fast the months are going that I am slowly getting mixed up with days, weeks and months and thank goodness I have a monthly planner next to my laptop as I would be getting everything mixed up LOL. Anyone having the same problem ?


On Sunday we celebrated Layla’s Gotcha Day in my friends’ garden which was awesome. Just sitting outdoors, she wandering around like she loves doing and us humans drinking tea and chatting. Layla also got spoiled and came home with a bag of beef and beef bones. She was in her element. On Monday her new blanket arrived which she loves so the brat was totally spoiled as always. (I had also made her some beef jerky)


Otherwise we have been lying low as such, going for lots of walks, she comes with me to the supermarket which she loves as everyone pets her, and this weekend with the weather warming up I am planning to do something, I need to get out also LOL.

February is also Responsible Pet Owner Month – did you know that ?
What are our responsibilities :

Today Thursday, I took her to an Eye Specialist as she has had red eyes for months now, we thought it was allergies, then they found ulcers which cleared up but the redness is not going away. The eye specialist checked her, complimented me on how healthy she is but I learned something also. Layla has cataracts  (for some time now, nothing new) which we are not going to operate on because of her age, but what is causing the redness  is her lenses are hardening and thus becoming inflamed. We are going to try a new type of drops and see how it goes. 

I personally would like to try something homeopathic for once but the vets are stubborn and will not listen. So I am hoping the inflammation will go away because otherwise she is acting like normal, eating well and in a nutshell I cannot complain.


So like everyone in the country or all over the world, our lives are very quiet most of the time, staying safe and healthy and praying life will get back to normal soon.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, be safe Layla 

Happy Gotcha Day 01.31.21

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January is nearly over and that means it will be Layla’s Gotcha Day !

I cannot believe it is 10 years since I adopted her from the Carson Shelter.
I so remember looking at all the photos on Petfinder and Petharbor, seeing this matted mess and knew in my heart she was the one.


The 10 years have been wonderful, she is an amazing little dog, full of energy at the age of 14 and excluding her eyes which we are having problems with and she will be seeing a Eye Specialist next week, I cannot complain.


Layla, we have Aunt Cindy to thank for pulling you from the shelter, Uncle Mike for bringing you to San Francisco, Uncle David for allowing us to have outdoor time during the lockdown in his garden, Aunt Alice for taking us on adventures during the lockdown where we can get out of the city and everyone else that is part of our life.


And Layla a big big thank you for keeping me sane through the hard times, making me walk a lot as you love your sniffs when we walking and thanks to those sniffs a two block walk becomes six and what would be a half hour becomes 2 plus hours, but would not change it for anything. If your tail is wagging and you happy then so am i, never mind my morning coffee is always cold.


I pray to have many more years with you and as I always joke we are growing old together, we both have eye problems so we are two peas in a pod.


January is freedom month for both of us, it is the month I ran from Domestic Violence and the month you were freed from the shelter. So each January I reflect on what has happened since, count my blessings and look forward to what the New Year will bring us.


Happy Gotcha Day !!!!!!!!!


Love from Mom

We had an adventure

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Good Morning friends,


Friday has arrived and we have had a wonderful week.


On Wednesday my Aunty Alice phoned Mommy and said weather is beautiful lets get out of the city. So Mom packed my picnic bag with my food, blankie and one of my pet carriers so that I could sleep comfortably in the car and off we went.


We drove along the coast to Half Moon Bay. What a beautiful little town where we stopped at a great fish restaurant and Mom and Aunty got some lunch, Mom’s favorite fish and chips. 


We then drove to a beautiful area facing the beach and sea where there were picnic tables, unpacked and sat back and relaxed. It was so much fun wandering around with lots of new smells. The only thing I could not do is go on the beach as dogs are not allowed, that is not fair although Mom was happy as with my itchy eyes the sand would not have been good.

Below is a video of Layla running with her tail wagging, the ground was so uneven the movie turned out jumpy sorry.

https://youtu.be/q2ceL0p9qII


While Mom and Aunty were eating I was spoiled with treats and my dinner which was so so good. After about 2 hours we packed up and drove slowly home.

I was so tired by then so I crawled into my bag and went to sleep till we got home.


It was just what we needed to be outdoors, especially breathing in the fresh sea air and relaxing, throwing all stress into the sea. 

Aunty Alice always has surprises for Mom and me and this was a wonderful one, thank you Aunty  Alice.


Yesterday I went to the groomers, that is one place I hate but as Mom told me I have not been groomed in nearly a year because of the virus, if we could do it we must as I will feel so much better after being pampered. Mom was really happy as our groomer has opened a new place not far from our house so I was safe and in good hands.


Don’t tell Mom but I feel awesome BOL.


Storms are expected over the next couple of days which means rain so we are going to be locked inside as I hate the rain so we are both relieved we managed to get to Half Moon Bay on Wednesday and take advantage of the beautiful weather.


I am so tired now, Mom has gotten me ready for bed so am off to sleep here, I need my beauty sleep,


Have a safe wonderful weekend everyone, stay warm and eat lots of treats,
With a love from Layla 

The New Year has arrived

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TGIF !!! 

We took a break from blogging as I wanted a bit of a break from social media and now the New Year has arrived it is the start hopefully of new adventures.


Being on lockdown is getting harder as I think poor Layla is bored walking the same directions every day and desperately needs a change and so do I.

In the past month we have managed to do one really great adventure and that is spend a day at Lake Alpine which is about 3 hours from here. It was heaven and wish I could do it daily but unfortunately cannot. I went with a friend and took a picnic including a picnic for Madam, found a place to park and sat on a ledge off the road. Layla could not venture too far as it was dangerous but she was happy just to be outdoors and be spoiled with some of my sandwich LOL.


Other than that we are once a week going to sit in a friends garden, social distance and drink tea and chat while she wanders around.


Every January I also celebrate my freedom from my ex and the abuse and am saying daily thank goodness I am not with her during the lockdown, it would be hell.  

So I am looking for easy fun things to do with Layla where possible and one she loves LOL is going to the supermarket with me, it is the highlight of her day and thank goodness it is across from where we live. Her favorite pet store is not far from me also so I try to go once a week with her there and she gets totally spoiled with treats. 


I was saying to a friend the other day now I know why I hate zoos as sitting in lockdown is like being in a cage and it can be monotonous and I am sure animals in cages feel the same way.
So let us all pray that 2021 will be a good healthy New Year, with lots of new adventures, fun and just being able to see friends and chat without worrying so much about the virus although wearing a mask is a must.


We want to wish everyone a safe Happy 2021

with love and hugs Layla 

Merry Christmas Everyone

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TGIF !!!!!!!


It is a week before Christmas and I have been watching cars go by with trees on their roofs, people carrying them, on bicycles and it is such a great feeling to see some happiness in the city the past weeks with all the gloom around.


Unfortunately this year there are no events like in the past years and as I am not going out much because we are on strict lockdown again I decided to share photos of past events that we attended and had fun.


The first is a very special memory where in the dog park I would go to with Baby and they every year dressed up a tree and hung photos of all the dogs in the dog park which was so much fun, as the lights would sparkle with all the photos and we would stand around, drink something and celebrate. I hope one day to be able to do it with Layla.


Another memory is the Santathon which they have every year in San Francisco when everyone dresses up as Santas, the town goes red LOL and you see many drunk Santas pub crawling and having fun. It is also very special as one of the pubs does a toy drive for those that need toys. 


The other event not happening this year is the Skivvie run which is a fundraiser for the AIDS Foundation where in the Castro Area everyone runs in skivvies and have fun, it is a great event and wonderful fundraiser.

So we are stuck in the house this year but Layla was spoiled and got a $ 50 gift card for Hanukkah for our favorite Pet Store so am going to spoil her with something this week although the brat is not short of anything.


I have been really spoiled also with Hanukkah gift cards to different stores and I plan to for once spend on myself not the brat LOL plus I got an Emeril Lagase Air fryer Pro which has a dehydrator so in the New Year am going to be trying different meats to dehydrate for the Madam. Am really excited over this gift.


As we sit here, see the Christmas lights in different houses, lighted up Christmas trees and people laughing and smiling, I am happy to see that everyone is making the best of the worst and that is fantastic as life is too short to sit and moan. 


Please keep your pets safe this Christmas, 


Merry Christmas Everyone, may you have a wonderful one with your family, make memories and enjoy  !!!!!!!!!!!!!


With a woof and love from

Layla

Latke time has arrived

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Layla eating her latkes out of a dreidel shaped bowl

TGIF all my furfriends,

Winter has arrived and with it the different holidays for different religions. In our house we celebrate Hanukkah although Mom does fill a little stocking for me also every year so I do not feel left out.

I am very spoiled, 8 days of Hanukkah and then Christmas also, and then BOL Mom counts her pennies to see how much she has spent on me, what a life, I cannot complain.

Unfortunately because of the lousy Rona, we are on stay in place orders again like in March so there will not be any fun Santa events like we do each year including me visiting Santa Claus. Mom I think is going crazy slowly cos she keeps singing Rona Rona go away, please do not ever come back any day but her lousy voice is not helping.

Last night, Thursday 10th, Hanukkah started. For those of you that do not know what Hanukkah is below find a short explanation.

What is Hanukkah – it is the festival of lights when a miracle happened and the oil that the Maccabees found to last for one night lasted eight nights so we celebrate this by lighting a candle every night and eat lots of oily foods, the two main symbolic ones are latkes and donuts. I am going to be honest but I have not found donuts like they make in Israel here in the States and it upsets me, they should be round and stuffed with jelly (the jelly is put in the donut before it it fried so when you bite into it all the jelly oozes out.)

Chocolate Coins which we give to the kids and are called Hanukkah Geld. (Geld is Yiddish for money).  We also play a game with a dreidel – it is a four sided spinning top with Hebrew letters on and you win when it falls on one of the  letters.

We need to do the horrible and remind everyone what are the Hanukkah Hazards so our pets are safe.

Now for the best part, and as we do every year we are sharing Mom’s recipe for Doggy Latkes so everyone can make them for their furkids. We are also including for the pet parents so you can all enjoy (I have such a Jewish Mom BOL)

Doggy Latkes 
Ingredients and Method
One sweet potato grated 
One egg
Flour to bind it all together 
Mix all in a bowl, spoon on to a baking sheet which is covered with parchment paper, bake on 350 Deg till brown on top, flip over and carry on baking till ready (golden brown) Cool and serve it to them with sour cream or cottage cheese.
This recipe makes about 5 or 6 depending on the size of the sweet potato. 

 Human latkes recipe 

Ingredients and Method
5 Russet Potatoes peeled (you can do unpeeled also)
2 Eggs 
Breadcrumbs or Matza meal to bind it all together 
NOW to make life easier and tastier instead of crying while grating onions I use a packet of Lipton Onion Soup mix.
Squeeze all the water out of the potatoes, add the rest of the ingredients and mix together.
Heat up oil in a frying pan, I use Canola oil, drop a table spoon of the mixture into the hot oil, flattening them a bit, fry till golden brown on each side, drain on a paper towel. Serve hot with either sour cream or apple sauce. Bon Appetit.

Happy Hanukkah everyone, have a wonderful time, enjoy the miracle of the lights and the yumm latkes,

With a woof and love from
Layla