Tag Archives: #dogslife

Being a Dog Mom to a senior fur kid

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Good morning Friends,

We hope you enjoying our blog and will carry on reading it this year also, hopefully there will be lots of adventures and fun.

Last weekend Nigel, my new neighbor spent the weekend with us as his Dad went away. He is a cute dog, very mellow and slept most of the time like me so it was pawsome. Mom made sure we were safe and relaxed when the fireworks went off, grr as I hate them as much as Mom did but guess what I did not hear them and slept through it all, so did Nigel, he cuddled on the bed with Mom.

The sun finally came out on Tuesday, so Mom and I hopped on the train and went to the Promenade to my favorite lawns, it was great to be out but when we got there it started getting grey and gloomy and once we had settled, I had barked of course, sniffed everywhere the rain started so Mom had to pack us up, me under my plastic cover in the stroller, Mom got soaked, but we hopped on a train and came home. It was fun to be out on the lawn and in the fresh air and we hoping this week we will be able to do it again.

Grey and gloomy

Checking the pmail

Can you see me under my cover, Layla

One of the reasons I share our adventures is living with a senior dog can be trying and trying to keep her exercised and brain working can be challenging when it is raining as you cannot go out for long without getting drenched and unfortunately, I must look after myself and not get sick. It is a daily challenge, but I would not change it.

 

Layla is 18 years old, blind but very aware of what is going on plus has the energy that I need to burn off as such as sleeping all day is great but she needs mental stimulation and exercise also. She has become very needy, and I am learning more and more about her body language on a daily basis which is keeping me on my toes but can be exhausting also.

 

She has also become very picky when it comes to food, what she loved yesterday she does not want the following day so am cooking for her every couple of days different meals and alternating, it is not cheap, but I am relieved she does eat when she is hungry, I free feed her and I have slowed down on her treats so tough love is paying off. Her favorite still is Costco Chicken LOL but I only get it once a week, so she gobbles it happily when it arrives. So, her diet consists of ground lamb, chicken or chicken gizzards plus all her supplements (you can see the below link) and the food game goes on, what is on the menu will she eat that day. It can be very frustrating for me, but she is happy with a full tummy by the end of the day each day as I will not give into her also. Her treats are homemade dehydrated Tilapia which she loves and I look at it in a way as food also plus it is easy to put in her snuffle toy to dig for it and find it.

https://laylaswoof.com/?page_id=19

She has had the odd accident in the house, but it happened when I was out running errands and did not get home in time, but when home she moans to go out and I take her out and she potties outside. I try to take her out 4 times a day like clockwork plus at about 10 pm every night or later if I am awake so she is sleeping till about 5 in the morning, and then she wakes me up with a moan and I take her out to potty, bring her in and then try go back to sleep, not always working LOL. My clothes are ready each time to just slip on and run out with her, her stroller is ready next to the door. Thank goodness I live on a busy street so there are always people out so am not alone.  Another new thing is her standing on street corners barking into the air which worries me as I do not want to wake up the neighborhood but my vet explained to me that she does it because of her blindness.

Sleeping after going out to potty at 5 in the morning

 

In a nutshell, there is never a dull moment in the Layla Neighborhood but I count my blessings daily that she is healthy, happy and living the life of luxury which she deserves. Her 13th Gotcha Day is at the end of month which I do plan to make very special for her.

 

Be safe everyone, stay warm and dry

With a woof and love from Layla

 

I went on an adventure.

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Woof hello friends, can you believe we are in the second month of the year already, the days go too fast but the good thing is spring is soon here, that means more outdoors for me, park time woof and of course adventures.

Last weekend was cold and rainy but Mom and Aunt Laura decided we needed to get out of the city so we drove about 20 minutes to Pacifica, a beautiful coastal town.

It was chilly but the sun was shining and we went for a long walk on the promenade smelling the fresh sea air. It was so great to be outdoors smelling lots of new smells and Mom was so proud of me as I walked a lot and loved it.

 

I woofed Mom that I would love to live in a place like that but because Mom does not drive we cannot move out of the city.

Today I went to get my annual senior wellness checkup. I was not happy but as Mom says I need to visit the vet every six months to keep me healthy. They did a blood test on me ouch and Mom is now waiting for the results. My vet is really nice and She is so kind to me, She is happy with what Mom is feeding me and of course all the supplements. Mom also told her about my session with the Animal Communicator last week.

Here is the video of the session which my friend did for me :

 

I do not like vets when they feel me and prod me. This is my vet Dr Gervais

 

This weekend we have plans to go on an adventure again but I am not sure where plus I love surprises. Mom also has surprised me with two new bags of treats which I am getting tomorrow and so excited I cannot wait, that means lots more snuffle toy time woof.

 

So all my friends, life is good in the Layla Neighborhood, I get spoiled, Mom is happy that I am happy and that is all that counts.

 

Have a wonderful weekend.

With a woof and 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

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have been Itchy

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TGIF !!!!!!!!!! We cannot believe we are in the middle of October and the year is nearly over. It has gone fast.

The past two weeks have been hell in our house as Layla got a flea bite, am not sure where but she started scratching like crazy, had hot spots and there was no sleep in this house.

There are no emergency vets in San Francisco anymore so it was a nightmare trying to ease everything with no vet help although I knew we had an appointment on the 7th which had taken me two months to get. There is also a shortage of vets in the city so many clinics are not taking on new clients. My favorite vet from my clinic has left but the vet I got to see is amazing also.

This is a city that has more dogs than kids and this is the situation we are dealing with.

So this is what I did, thank goodness I had some Apoquel which I started giving her and then started researching on line.

Layla takes an amazing senior supplement from a company called Vetericyn called ALL-IN Dog Supplement for seniors which my vet approved so I went onto their website to see what else they had. Voilia I found hot spot treatment and shampoo so I went shopping.

The products I bought were :

Vetericyn FoamCare® Medicated Pet Shampoo – this shampoo helped so much with her itching it was like magic after I bathed her.

https://vetericyn.com/

Vetericyn Plus® Antimicrobial Hot Spot Spray – easy to spray on and works wonders.

https://vetericyn.com/

Vetericyn Plus® Hot Spot Antimicrobial Hydrogel – This I put on after the Hot Spot Spray and it is amazing.

https://vetericyn.com/

I went to the vet on the 7th I took a shopping bag with me with everything to show her and she was really impressed. Her overall health thank goodness is good, her weight is good, her diet is good and my vet was really impressed that I am feeding her the Dr Harveys Allergy food (Turkey) mixed in with my home cooked food, so I was one happy Mom.

She did find that Layla had a skin infection from the fleas so put her on an antibiotic which is working wonders. I hate medicines but I also realized we needed to get rid of this infection as soon as possible.

Today, one week since we were at the vet Madam is eating like a pig, which is fantastic as her immune system is being replenished, she is back to being happy Layla and the itchies have nearly all gone. The only problem I have is getting her to take the medicine, she is a smart girl and knows I hide them in chicken so she will not eat the chicken when I give it to her LOL plus she hides in her box so I cannot get to her, so I have started blocking the box in the evenings especially till she gets her pill.

Never a dull moment here but I highly recommend their products which they have for other animals also, especially those that are outdoors a lot as they are just fantastic.

Vetericyn has sponsored me for this review by sending me a care package of their products for Layla for emergencies.

Their website is:

https://vetericyn.com/

For my readers they are offering a coupon of 10% off, valid till 12/31/21 Good for 2 times per customer – LAYLASWOOF

Have a safe weekend everyone,

with a woof and love from Layla

Mom punished me also with a groom and then a bath a week later with the anti itch shampoo, she deserves the stinky eye

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Mischief Maker Senior in my house

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The weekend has arrived, phew I need it. Layla is full of piss and vinegar as always and I am exhausted.

Living with Layla is never boring, she is a funny little girl that keeps me amused all the time plus for her age she is so full of energy it is exhausting so I decided to share with you this week her quirks, some are new with age.

She loves to walk, once outside we could walk the whole of San Francisco if she had her own way, and we are talking about 4 walks a day, I on the other hand drinks cold coffee in the morning because of her, cold dinners as she times her wanting to walk when I sit down to eat, and her newest quirk now is barking.

She wakes up in the morning and if I do not get ready as she is awake she stands and barks at me ordering me to get moving, and if I take my time she lets me know. We are talking about 7 in the morning and I rush as I do not want her to wake up the neighbors so by the time I get home my coffee has become cold brew.

 

In the evenings she watches me make dinner, as soon as it’s nearly ready barky starts wanting to go out and bang goes my warm dinner as I take her out to keep her quiet.

 

Now before you all jump to any conclusions, Layla goes out 4 times a day if not more as I take her shopping with me, so she has ample time to do her business, sniff every leaf on the ground, wag her tail at every dog we pass plus so much more. She is the Boss of the house and I am the slave.

 

My final laugh over her goes to what she did this week, late afternoon. I live in a building with lots of dogs, it is a secured building so no one can get in or out with unlocking gates. I went to the garbage room to throw out the garbage that is one place I will not take her as I never know what is on the ground there. I came back inside, started preparing dinner when there was a knock on my door. I was surprised she did not bark but did not make a big deal of it till my neighbor outside tells me Layla is sitting on my door mat next to my door. I opened the door and Madam sashayed in wagging her tail thinking she was so smart. I was angry but just laughed so much over it, she is such Velcro should won’t go far without me.

 

While I am typing this the Boss is now telling me she wants to go under the bed so will I move the covers up for her so she can have her afternoon nap.

 

Having shared this with you, and I am chuckling at the same time, I can say I would not change any of it for anything in this world. Growing old with a rescued senior dog is quite an adventure and I am so blessed to have her in my life through the good and bad days.

We are family !!!!!

Have a great weekend everyone, be safe and treasure your memories with you pets

With a woof and love from Layla