Tag Archives: #sanfranciscobay

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

 

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

We have been busy

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TGIF !!! Good morning all my friends, we hope you are all well and safe.

I have been debating whether to write this week about what is happening in Israel but as an Israeli I cannot keep quiet so all I am asking from my friends is that they say a prayer for all the pets that through the massacres have lost their families, are now orphaned and I pray they all find new safe homes.

I am attaching a link from a newspaper that broke my heart and made me really think about all of them : This is what is said in English as the article is in Hebrew “We just left the slaughter area at the party. We cleared the bodies. The horrors that we saw will never get out of our heads. The only thing that came out of this life is one cute little dog ”   Tomer Peretz

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=874483190704433&set=a.258252685660823

We have been very busy the last two weekends so will now share our adventures as life needs to carry on and Layla loves going out so this is what we have been doing :

Two weeks ago we went to a dog event, a place I have never been to which was fun and visited a friend of mine who had a booth there and she has the cutest most well mannered dog so Layla said hi and I sat and chatted with her for a bit. We then wandered around checking the booths and from there walked to our favorite park where Layla was happy to sniff a lot, bark of course and then nap LOL. Her favorite past time.  From there we came home as I needed a nap also so we just chilled and relaxed at home the rest of the weekend.

Phew thank goodness my butt is not that fat, Layla

Layla and Musk

Wandering around the cool damp grass

 

Last weekend was Fleet week in San Francisco. There was a lot going on in our park next to our house but because of her in the stroller and always wanting to jump out I decided not to go but instead took the train to our favorite park on the Bay where we chilled, she wandered and barked of course and after an hour or so fell asleep. I sat a bit longer but when the Blue Angels started (I don’t like) she woke up, seemed to be a bit anxious so I packed up and came home to relax.

Cool as a cucumber in my cooling vest

Me and the sailors

Being on the Bay is the best for me as I totally relax plus do not have to worry about her as there are no dogs so she is safe wandering around sniffing and napping which makes my life more relaxing.

I love this view

On top of all this we did her senior blood panel this week, she has no liver problems, phew but does have a kidney infection and it does not matter how much water she drinks she seems to be dehydrated to am making sure she drinks a lot and I wake her up in the middle of the night to drink more.  She is on antibiotics for two weeks and hopefully they will clear it up.

So never a dull moment in our house, but cannot complain because as long as she is a happy healthy 17 year old I am happy.

On this note we are sending prayers to all our family and friends in Israel, please be safe everyone and have a wonderful weekend,

With love and hugs 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

 

Layla went on an adventure

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TGIF !!!!!!!

Friday has arrived and they are expecting a sunny weekend phew as I would love to be out of house for a couple of hours with Madam.

I love adventures with Layla and every weekend I try to take her somewhere where she can run off leash and of course sniff new smells.

Last weekend we hopped on the Tram Line and went down to the Pier to see the sea lions and walk along the Pier and Bay. It was a beautiful day, just perfect and we had a wonderful time.

I let Layla run on leash but free from my hands and she was so happy to have that freedom, lots to sniff of course and she was fascinated with the Bay sticking her face through the wooden fence checking everything out. It was adorable to watch her and with her age she loves these outings.

Waiting for the tram in her backpack

 

 

 

 

Watching the bay

See video : https://youtu.be/1juNpuQfD7E

 

Layla was at the Vet Opthamologist recently where they found she is having really bad environmental allergies with her eyes and they have put her on a new eye drop. When I heard the price of the medication I nearly had a heart attack – 400 dollars for a bottle WOW. The vet told me to order them from Canada so I did research and bought 3 bottles for 130 including shipping. Big difference and they arrived yesterday so hopefully these will work. They are called Nevanac but I am calling them eye gold. I am praying they will help her eyes and get rid of the redness and itching.

Otherwise she is really healthy for her age phew.

So that is what is happening in the Layla Neighborhood, Bossy Barker orders me around, I jump to attention and we are taking each day as it comes.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone,  be safe

With a woof and love from

Layla

 

 

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

A weekend of Adventures

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Woof Helloo my Fur friends and Family,


We had such a fun weekend last weekend, Mom spoiled me and took me on two adventures, yes two can you believe it.


On Saturday we went for the first time to the Shi Tzu Meet Up at a great park called Alta Plaza Park. It is a beautiful big park with a view of the Bay on one side and a view of the city on the other side.

There were about 20 Shi Tzus and their owners and what a surprise as it was Jacques (a Shi Tzu) birthday and his Mom made a delicious cake. I have told Mom I want the same for my next gotcha day. We all wore party hats and had so much fun. I also made new friends which was pawsome, as I love meeting other fluffies like me. The weather was perfect and it was a perfect fun day. 
I cannot wait for the next one.

Of course Mom had the back pack for the bus as she says it is safer for me when the bus is full so no one will stand on me and I won’t get hurt.

When we got home guess what I did ? Of course sleep as I was really tired but LOL Mom took a nap too. She says she gets tired from carrying me in the back pack so I woofed her that she is getting old BOL.

On Monday we had another adventure. We went with my favorite Aunt Barbara to Fisherman’s Wharf. We went on the tram there and did a long walk along the bay looking out at the sea, Mom and Aunt chatted while I smelled and checked all the pmail. I had to stay on leash most of the time as there were lots of people, skateboarders and Woof I love barking at them BOL. There was a part where there was lawn so I ran over there but Mom left my leash on just in case as we are close to the street. 

Mom and Aunt then sat down for coffee, relax and to look over the bay, she gave me of course water and some treats to snack on so I was really spoiled.  I wandered around and looked out also over the bay as you can see in the photo below.

We then came home in one of the old fashioned trams which was fun but I was really tired so Mom had put me in my back pack to rest.  
When we got home I ate my dinner, dug up the bed, BOL and then settled for an afternoon sleep. 


It was such a fun day and have asked Mom to do this again with me.
Mom is working hard this week and as she told me she has another month of work and then we will be taking a break, but she did promise me if there are any fun events on weekends as summer has arrived she will take me to them.


Many of you must think I am always on the go but actually I do take things slowly also LOL but with summer here, and in San Francisco there is always something doggy going on on weekends, I try to go to them as I feel it is good for me to get out and see what is happening, and good for Layla to be out and about also especially as we live in a tiny studio with no garden, and going to the same park all the time can get boring also.
So as you can see Layla is a spoiled busy girl, but I would not change it for anything and I feel that variety is the spice of life,  and we are going to keep on doing it. 


This weekend I have not checked what is going on yet so will go with the flow plus weather wise see what we will do.


Everyone, TGIF and have a wonderful weekend all, cannot wait to hear what you did this past weekend.
Woof with love Layla