Tag Archives: #blog

Living with a Rescued Pup

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Hi, this is Nili speaking as Mom is learning a lot about puppies from me as my Angel sister Layla was not a pup when she was rescued, and Mom has lots to learn.

Mom took me to the vet for a check up on Tuesday, oy vey it was scary and me being stubborn refuses to travel in the back pack so I sat on the floor under her legs on the bus, I do not like busses but am learning, Mom was kind enough when there was space to pick me up and I stood on a seat looking out of the window which was fun. We walked from the stop to the Clinic which was great as I had lots of new smells to smell. Once we got inside, I rode the elevator to the waiting room and waited for my vet. When we were called into a room for my check up, I had a big accident with diarrhea oy vey, Mom was so embarrassed but the vet tech laughed and said to Mom accidents happen, cleaned it up plus put some in a test tube to check for parasites and heartworm. The Vet said I am very healthy, 2 lbs overweight which Mom is now working on. Mom also discussed me eating off the streets and the mud in the dog park, and of course the vet had a solution as you can see from the photo below. I do not like it but the guard is actually very helpful as it prevents me from getting foxtails also. I can drink water through it so Mom is happy, and my face is now packaged till I behave. It was not cheap, but Mom explained to me that it is cheaper than vet bills. I paid $59.00 for it from my local pet store.

Can you believe I have to wear this to stay healthy, Nili

 

Another thing the vet pointed out to me which I am so happy she did, is the LA Animal Control only gives one year Rabies shot so I have to get another in July, plus they only gave me one Distemper Shot and I should have two, so she gave me one while I was there, so I am now good to go till my next visit. She sent Mom home with a Puppy Pack of all information about puppies which is interesting and has taught Mom a lot plus some flea stuff as flea season has arrived.

We have since gotten the results back on my tests and all is negative, so Mom is double happy BOL.

Other than that, Nigel spent 8 days with us, Mom had a terrible cold, so between walking both of us daily and separately she was taking care of herself to get rid of the cold so we spent less time in the park but hopefully that will start happening again.

 

I need some playtime in the park to help me lose weight, Nili

So that has been our week, never a dull moment here, and I am really excited as Mom is taking me tomorrow to my first Dog Festival, DogFest which is held annually in our dog park, it is a fundraiser for the Mckinnley Elementary School, although this year we are visiting and not doing a booth. I cannot wait as I have heard from my dog friends there will be lots to eat and loads of samples of goodies.  Mom told me if I eat too much tomorrow Sunday is going to be carrots only all-day BOL.

We hope you all had a wonderful Easter, and will relax this weekend with lots of fun and memories,

With a woof and lick from Nili

 

 

 

 

Walking Nili in the rain

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TGIF!! It has been raining nonstop all week, and I am sure Layla is chuckling as I fight Nili to go for walks or should I stay swimming. She does not like the rain, and she does not like raincoats, so we walk without one and we come home drenched. Nili does not  like the hairdryer either so I have to towel dry her for as long as she allows me and then I put the heater on to warm her up. (I am scared to know what my bill is going to be). Another new quirk with her is grabbing a toy on the way out so she has one in her mouth while walking, I always take them away from her before leaving as I do not want her to get them dirty.

Mom is calling me a wet rag from the rain and my walk

I have come to the conclusion that once she starts walking, she is happy as the entire street smells food and I try to avoid it all but when she manages to get something in her mouth, she is happy and I am not. But I have come to the conclusion that this little girl was a stray and used to eating off the ground so her tummy is used to it and I cannot fight her anymore and getting bit and bleeding. I know it sounds crazy and until she gets proper training (am waiting for a trainer) the walking food fight is going to carry on. One of her cute quirks when walking her is she walks up to people for pets and the rolls on her back for belly rubs, everyone just laughs and rubs her belly, it is really cute and reminds me of my dog Baby who was with me before Layla as she used to do the same. I call her the meet and greet on the street needing belly rubs. She is very stubborn, and it is either her way or no way and she will sit. Every day I am learning something new of her. Never a dull moment. I am open to all suggestions to make my life easier when walking her.

So, with the rain, and us being stuck inside, I have been keeping Nili playing with her and her squeaky toys and we are already minus 5 toys that she has totally killed, stuffing all over the house, a squeaker in pieces and she is having the time of her life, never boring.

Below is a video of her evening ritual, I sit and talk to the toy and it talks back, I am going crazy LOL.

https://youtube.com/shorts/7CYHuHHzG18?si=XWxIzOl9JGFI76mc

That has been our week, I am hoping next week it will dry out a bit although we need the rain but I need some outdoors with her so she can burn off energy and not be stuck here, although I am lucky to live in a locked building with a large hallway so when we come home from walks I let her do zoomies and she is happy doing it.

How has your week been? Stay warm and dry, be safe.

Love and woofs from Nili

 

 

The holidays have arrived

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Happy Holidays Everyone, this is my first holiday without Layla, she is sorely missed but I know she is at peace today. Nili is part of my life today but I think of her daily especially with the Holidays here.

Next week we celebrate Hanukkah and this year it falls on the same day as Christmas. For Nili it will be her first with me and I plan to make it very special. She already got her Christmas presents and her Hanukkah present she will get on Hanukkah. We celebrate Hanukkah for eight days so I am going to do the way I did with Layla, give her something new or extra yum every day. For those of you that do not know Hanukkah is the festival of lights and we light a candle each night till our Hanukiah has all 8 candles lit.  The story about Hanukkah in short is that the Maccabees found oil for one day, but it lasted for eight days and that is why we light the eight candles.

The lit Hanukkiot at the party last week

Hanukkah Sameach Everyone with love from Nili

Nili killed her Hanukkiah BOL

Another tradition is to eat oily food, so we eat Sufganiyot (Hebrew for Jelly Donuts) and latkes (potato pancakes) so I am going to share with you the latke recipe I used to make for Layla but I have adapted it this year using oat flour instead of regular flour. See the recipe below, they are very healthy and I bake them as it so much healthier thank frying for the dog.

One of my favorite memories of Layla, eating a latke from a Dreidel (spinning top) plate, we play them at Hanukkah

I have switched to Oat Flour instead of regular flour

I have another Hanukkah party today which I am looking forward to, am going to get fat LOL the rate this is going as I over ate at the one I went to last Sunday and am sure am going to do it again today, oy vey I need to go back on diet.

We must not forget Christmas

Why peanuts ? Pets can choke on shelled peanuts

 

With all the happiness going on we must not forget the pets in shelters as they deserve the love and warm home our lucky pets. January is one of the worst months in shelters as they will be overflowing with pets that have been dumped for a new puppy or have got lost. I am once again saying those that dump their pets should be blacklisted so they cannot have another pet.

On this note I want to wish everyone Happy Holidays, please be safe and remember not to drink and drive as your fur kids are waiting at home for you.

One of my special memories of Layla

 

With love, licks and woofs

From Nili xxx

 

 

 

 

National Holistic Pet Day

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TGIF! Good morning, friends, can you believe August is nearly over and we have 4 months till the end of the year. That is crazy as the year has gone so fast and so much has happened in the Layla Neighborhood. This is Nili speaking as I am sure you know my sister is running and playing over the Rainbow Bridge and I have stepped in to speak for her and all our friends all over the world.

Today is National Holistic Pet Day, which is very important as we need to raise awareness of holistic pet wellness and health, and we depend on human parents to keep us healthy. What that means is that we humans must consider holistic health by considering their diet, environment and lifestyle. Are you doing that? I do not have any chemicals in the house, I clean everything with Apple Cider Vinegar so the house is chemical free.

I have lost my Kong so keep my brain active it is snuffle toy time with carrots

Since adopting Nili I have done some changes and of course added supplements as I am trying to figure out what is the best diet for her, yes, I home cooked for Layla but am looking more into the raw diet for her, trying different foods out till I find the one that I think is best for her. She is still a young dog, full of energy and was a stray so building up her immune system is one of my first priorities. Layla was on an amazing senior supplement from Vetericyn called All In 1 for seniors and they have for all ages, so I have put Nili on the adult one, and as she loves eating LOL, she gobbles it down each morning. The one plus with it is it has a calming ingredient in it which makes it easier for training also as she is not so hyperactive and more focused.

Another reason I swear by their products is they have fantastic skin products for dogs which helped Layla a lot so knowing that I have them for Nili now also and I know she is getting the best.

You can read more about them on their website  : https://vetericyn.com/

Nili has pearly white beautiful teeth, no plaque no nothing so I am focused on keeping her teeth that way by using the Tropiclean Dental Products, I am cleaning her teeth with their Water Additive which has no taste so she does not know she is drinking it, their Brushing Gel which I am using a finger brush to clean her teeth with, this is still a work in progress but she will slowly get used to it, and I also have minty Dental Wipes to use on her teeth if I cannot brush them as she is resisting.

You can read more about them on their website :  https://www.tropiclean.com/

I also each night as a last treat gets a dental chew, so she goes to sleep with clean teeth and good smelling breath.

And then of course there are the mushrooms which I swear by and Nili every night gets the Real Mushrooms Relax to calm her down and settle for the night which has made a big difference as her last night walk is calmer, and once home she settles down and goes to sleep till about 6 in the morning.

Their website is: https://shop.realmushrooms.com/?ref=488

relaxing sleepy after my last walk

Her training is on top of the list also, and a friend of mine has given me a clicker which seems to be slowly working. Nili is very treat motivated so am giving her carrots as treats as they are not fattening and she loves them. I have been giving them to her in her Kong also, but we have now lost the Kong as I cannot find it, so I am stuffing carrots into a snuffle toy which keeps her busy.  Unfortunately, till her training is not perfect as possible I cannot take her to the park to run as I cannot take the chance, and she needs to learn first. Thank goodness I have friends with gardens and they being great letting me take her to them to run wild and let off some energy.

where are my treats

 

So today being National Holistic Pet Day we need to remember that it is not only what they eat, but their lifestyle and environment is just as important to keep them healthy and whatever steps we can take is for everyone’s benefit in the end.

 

I am now going to squeak some toys as my job is done for the day,

Have a wonderful weekend everyone,

With love and woofs from Nili

 

 

 

 

Carrying on her legacy

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Woof hello friends,

Two weeks ago, I took Layla for her last adventure to spread her ashes in a place that she loved to go to in her younger years, where she wandered around, sniffing all the smells and barking at the ducks in the lake.

I went with Alice, one of my closest friends who we used to do adventures with, visiting the different lakes in the Bay Area, so this was the last adventure for the three of us, we sat at the lake with a picnic and then I went towards the lake and spread her ashes. It was hard, sad but I knew in my heart it was the best thing to do as she is now back in nature, barking at the ducks and turtles and at peace, not as I felt stuck in a box on my shelf. Pine Lake in Stern Grove for me is like heaven, just beautiful, natural and quiet which is what I wanted for her. However hard it was for me, I am now finally at peace, moving forward with a more positive attitude and finally taking care of me.

Pine Lake

The Duck welcoming Layla

I have been going out more, lunch with friends, a jazz concert in a park, and much more but I must admit I find it hard without pushing her in the stroller which is something I am slowly getting used to. Her strollers I have donated to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue and her other things I am going through slowly at my own pace.

As I vowed, I would do is carry on her legacy and this week I am going to talk about fireworks, as the 4th of July is around the corner. I personally hate fireworks and feel the money could be given to nonprofit organizations who are struggling, rescue organizations and so much more instead of burning the money.

The fireworks scare the wild animals that many flee in fear and get injured or killed by cars, our pets who sit in our houses shivering from fear, the Vets that suffer from PTSD and so many more.

I think it is unfair to all those that are afraid and disrespectful especially when you live in a city and people  just stand in the streets shooting them off and our apartments are shaking from all the noise. I used to have my TV on the Jazz Station loud during the night to disguise the bangs as much as possible, I would make Layla a bed in the shower with her water, toys and food and put her in there where she felt safe and secure, cover her with a blanket and let her stay there all night with me checking on her every 30 minutes.  What I did give her was the Relax Calming Chews from Real Mushrooms which helped a lot and actually once calm she would fall asleep and sleep through it all, these chews were a blessing in disguise as they kept her calm and relaxed especially as she got older.

So to help other pet parents we are doing a give away for a bottle of  chews to help your pet. They are for both cats and dogs so everyone can enter to ease the stress and anxiety from the fireworks.

What are they :

I have been sponsored by Real Mushrooms for this giveaway.

You can read more about them on their website where you have a 10% discount with coupon LaylasWoof.

https://shop.realmushrooms.com/?ref=488

To enter go to the link below and fill in all that is asked from you.

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/baa88aa67/?

 

This Giveaway is for the USA only and you must be over 18 years old to enter.

 

Good luck to everyone, you enter you will have a calm pet in the house.

 

With a woof and love

From Layla’s Mom

 

 

 

 

What you do for love for your Senior Dog

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TGIF!!! The weekend has arrived, which means we can all recharge our batteries and get ready for the new week.

Day light savings has messed with our lives and I am sure you all feel the same. I personally hate it as I am getting less sleep and Layla’s routine has gone upside down which is taking its toll on me. Layla now wakes me up at 5 in the morning to go potty and her routine is to potty, I then put her back in the stroller to come home but Madam stands up in the stroller which means she wants to go again so I take her out and all she does is stand and stare into space till I get fed up and put her back in the stroller and bring her in. She then will bark at me for her snuffle ball with treats, I will crawl back into bed and once she is finished with her treats and then goes back to sleep. Thank you, daylight savings.

Being a Senior Dog Mom is trial and error, adapting your life to theirs and all of a sudden, your life revolves around theirs and you lose a lot of freedom. I am not complaining as Layla is my child, I love her to the moon and back, but I am exhausted 24/7 also and I feel sharing with you will prepare you for the future.

She has a new quirk of sleeping on the floor in front of the front door, which is fine when I am home but when I go out I have become afraid I will squash her when I come back in so I got a baby gate which I put up at the end of the corridor and put her there before I go out so I have no more worries about her now. She has freedom in the entire apartment, so she is perfectly safe.

One of my worries at the moment is when the rain starts what am I going to do to keep her busy, so she does not sleep all day so although she has her snuffle balls I need to find other activities for her to keep her brain active. So, over the next couple of weeks, I will google searching for ideas LOL.  Madam does not like plastic, rubber or wood so I cannot get her a puzzle as from experience she will not touch them. She has me trained well LOL.

She has become a picky eater when it comes to treats and I am very fortunate that my pet store allows me to exchange open packets and get credit because I have bought her three different packages of treats this week with fish which she loves and all of a sudden not interested so we have been back and forth to the store to exchange them, thank goodness they know me so they are laughing with me.

As you all know Layla has been having kidney infection and a UTI which are all healed but I have been looking into supplement to help them stay healthy and found one with Cranberry and Blueberries. One of the things I have noticed since she is on it is she more aware and energetic so today when I decided to take her to her favorite park with a train ride I asked her if she wants to go Bye Bye she jumped up wagging her tail like she did in the past and I just grabbed the camera to film it as it made me so happy. For that she could bark as much as she wanted. See the video below.

https://youtube.com/shorts/Dzbichoh7vk?si=LNbj7Gxm1ZAYkr8z

The weather was gloomy and chilly, but we hopped on the train, both of us bundled up and off we went. She was so happy to be outdoors and wandered around happily keeping me on my toes, but it was worth it. There is nothing like sitting on the lawn on a chair watching the boats on the bay, it is relaxing and helps me recharge my batteries. It was a wonderful 3 hours of no electronics just the outdoors and the birds and the bay and of course Layla.

https://youtube.com/shorts/RRGDehtUcmE?si=wnnFckGHEFfjDBDc

They grey skies

Wearing my fancy jacket made from an umbrella

To bark or not to bark today that is the question ?

I am taking each day as it comes this weekend as they are talking rain, and I am praying there will be a break so we can get out.

 

So now you know what is happening in the senior Layla Neighborhood

Have a wonderful weekend with a woof and love from

Layla

Our New Year is starting

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Good morning Everyone,

Friday has arrived and with it today we celebrate the Jewish New Year. Our New Year is based on the Hebrew Calendar, and we are celebrating the year 5784. It starts at sunset this evening and ends on Sunday evening as in the Jewish Religion our day starts at sunset and ends at sunset.

We wish everyone a Sweet New Year and  we celebrate with the following :

Apples and Honey for a Sweet New Year

Pomegranate seeds which symbolize plentiful for the New Year

A round Challah (special bread) which symbolizes a reflection of the continuing cycle of years and seasons

Another symbol is the blowing of the Rams Horn, Shofar which symbolizes continuity and a hopeful future. The Shofar is blown in Temple during the service.

Below is a video of what we say to everyone !

https://youtube.com/shorts/1tu_QJ5PxOs?si=TEH1s558T1I9GvN_

To start the New Year I decided to take Layla for her senior check up at the vet today. I am blessed to have a wonderful vet who understands all my quirks as a Jewish Dog Mom. We discussed her health over all which she is happy with but wants to do a Senior Panel of blood tests to check her liver and kidneys which costs a fortune so am waiting to hear from my insurance if they will cover it. I am just relieved that for her age, nearly 17 she is healthy, not over weight, heart is good and she is walking great for her age. So will be praying I get the okay for the tests so that I can get them done and relax totally. We also discussed her grooming as she needs a haircut but because of her age and anxiety I am scared to take her as it normally a 3 hour ordeal for her and my vet said to step back from that at the moment.

Smiling in the park this week

Napping in the park this week

On behalf of Layla and Me we are wishing everyone a safe happy healthy New Year and may it be prosperous,

With a woof and love from

Layla

September is National Disaster Preparedness Month

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Woof Hello all my friends.

Did you know September is National Disaster Preparedness Month. Are you prepared?

We are family so we all must be prepared, humans and we pets so if something happens we can just leave the house safely. With climate change and weather conditions changing all over the world we must be prepared just in case we are caught off guard. It is a worry and I worry especially since Layla has aged and become blind what would happen if I am not home so I have come to an agreement with my neighbors that when I go out for a couple of hours they are warned just in case and I leave a pet carrier out with her harness inside so that they can grab her safely and leave the building.  It might sound crazy but for me I feel more relaxed knowing she is safe plus I have a sticker on my door saying blind dog inside with instructions that the pet carrier is there for her to go out in as she cannot walk fast.

Being prepared with a disaster bag is so important also. I have one prepared with items for Layla and me, including food and water. Living in San Francisco where earthquakes can happen without a warning, I would rather be safe than sorry.

So who is prepared and what do you have to grab to get out safely ?

Last weekend being a long weekend and the weather being perfect I decided to take Layla down to the Embarcadero or Promenade, it is easy to get there on train ride each way and they have a wonderful lawn there where I sat back and relaxed while Layla ran around tail wagging and happy. Umm did I say sit back and relax LOL I was chasing after her to make sure she did not leave the lawn and land up on the promenade which was full of people, dogs, bikers plus so much more. She had so much fun and actually at one point lay down and fell asleep. It was a great couple of hours, relaxing and there is nothing like smelling the sea air of the bay, watching the yachts sailing by, the seagulls flying around and the calm blue waters was so calming.

Lots of new smells

Smelling the flowers

Am thirsty

You can see on the video below how happy she was running like there were no problems in the world, a happy Layla is a happy Me.

https://youtube.com/shorts/WJ2grRFtkHw?feature=share

This weekend I have not thought what to do am going with the flow but am sure we will do something fun together, make memories and be outdoors enjoying the weather while it lasts.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone. Stay safe,

With a woof and love from Layla

 

 

 

 

 

June has arrived woof woof

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June has arrived which is exciting as although it means the middle of the year it also means more time outdoors and enjoying the fresh air, the smells, the sun, and we must not forget it is Pride Month so all the Rainbows are flying and the city is getting geared up for all the Pride events.

Which of course means more adventures. I am so excited.

Now as you all know I am aging, yup, nearly 17 years old but I have the energy of a puppy although the one problem I am having is Sundowners. That is when

It comes to 4 o’clock in the afternoon I start barking, and barking, and although I have been outdoors, played with snuffle ball, eaten my food, I bark. This is really hard on Mom as she gets a headache and stresses about me which does not help that much. She takes me out about every hour to relax a bit but when we come in I start all over again, so Mom is eating cold dinners, the jazz music is blaring to help me calm down and Mom worries about the neighbors, oy vey.

What is it ? By “sundowning” sleep more during the day and remain awake, disoriented, and agitated throughout the night. This is another reason Mom is relieved thee weather is warming up cos we can be outdoors more although I shnooze a lot in the park.

So Mom has been looking for a solution to keep me calm in the evenings, not too sleepy, as she worries about my heart when I am anxious. We have tried different supplements but have found the perfect one for me and it tastes like chicken livers yumm. It is from my magic mushroom company Real Mushrooms and is amazing as it is really helping me over here. They call it Mushroom Relax Pet Chews and are fantastic. The ingredients in them are :

On top of looking for something to help me relax Mom has been trying to find something that will keep her calm through these stressful times and being a coffee drinker was trying to find something to put in her coffee and this is what she has found and it is really helping her, I can see the difference in her in so many ways plus her brain BOL is working better again.  The verdict is Lions Mane Mushrooms, the powder form that she puts in her coffee and everyone is happy.  On top of that Mom decided to try out the Mushroom Hot Chocolate Mix  with 5 Defenders™ which is a unique blend of the top immune boosting mushrooms: Turkey Tail, Reishi, Maitake, Shiitake and wild harvested Chaga.

Mom told me to tell you she makes cold brew coffee and adds the chocolate mix to it and it is delicious, best coffee to drink in the dog park.

In a nutshell we have both gone on a Mushroom binge and everyone in this house is happy as the products are keeping us healthy, yes just to remind you I am on the Lions Mane supplement also and 5 Defenders supplement too.

You can read more on their website which is easy to navigate and has so many ideas plus recipes WOW

https://shop.realmushrooms.com/?ref=488

This review was sponsored by Real Mushrooms.

 

Now I need to stop telling Mom what to write, as I want to go outdoors and enjoy some sunshine, have a wonderful weekend everyone, have fun and make memories

With love from Layla and Mom

 

 

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