Tag: pet

6 important tips to keep your pet healthy and safe during the holidays

With all the holiday gatherings about to begin, the last thing you need is to take a trip to the emergency VET hospital. Follow these simple, yet important tips so you can focus on eggnog and gingerbread and mistletoe =)

1. No Holiday Table Scraps! I’m a new dog owner and I fall victim to that cute little face staring at you when you’re eating something warm and delicious – but you just can’t! I mean maybe give them a few pieces of plain turkey meat, but NO SKIN,NO GRAVY. You don’t want to give them too much rich fat which could lead them to severe stomach pains, or in the worst case – pancreatitis.

2. Bones – you know “This old man, he played one,He played knick-knack on my thumb;
With a knick-knack paddywhack,GIVE THE DOG A BONE,This old man came rolling home”… actually, DON’T DO THAT! Poultry bones will most likely splinter, thus forming sharp edges that could potentially get stuck in the gastrointestinal tract or throat causing dangerous punctures. Better yet – do you know how to give Pet CPR? Pet Heimlich Maneuver? Here’s a link just in case you don’t follow these tips!

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3. Be careful if you have Snacks out around the house for guests to nibble on. No Macadamia nuts, raisins, grapes or chocolate – all things that a party mix may have and that a dog cannot. Chocolate can OVER- stimulate the heart and it actually fatal in small dogs because of this…eeek.

4. NO ALCOHOL. I feel like there is always that drunk uncle or maybe a kid who thinks it would be fun to give your pet some beer in their bowl… uhm NO. This can actually be fatal. Also, monitor where you or anyone places their bevs – dogs can sneak up on coffee tables and slurp your drink right up!

5. Having Dessert? In my family that usually means there is coffee too or something with espresso in it!….. Or maybe a morning lattee to get you through with last minute cooking. Caffeine can cause tremors or even a seizure if they have too much!! Scaryyy

6. Have your vets number handy, (saved in your phone, a sheet on the fridge)…Also make sure you know an emergency 24 hour vet just in case you need a back-up!

This should make for a smooth holiday party focusing on family, friends, and at my Polish family parties—whose going to finish the Vodka bottle! Have a safe and happy Holiday season- to you and to your furry pet too!

Pet Portal Tips: How to de-skunk your pup

De-skunkedFreddy is such a handful!! Week 1 was a BIG adjustment… Between coming home on my lunch break, setting up puppy pads around the house, hand feeding him so he eats his food (He’s getting better now ) The waking up at 11pm , 2 pm and 5Am for “shi-shi” (Polish for Potty) is quite alright with me – since I usually get up myself for the same reason.

Anywayssss, what topped off the week…

We went for a night walk after I came home from work, made dinner while trying to keep Fredster from humping my leg (sigh) and I was a bad, crazy mom. I thought I saw another dog digging near the trash cans left out by a neighbors house – you know, white bushy tail sticking out… you would think it was a dog too? right? just with no leash, hanging out alone? yaaaaaaaaa we got sprayed! cant say I have ever experienced this… but let me tell ya it was scary as fudge! I grabbed Freddy during the spray and got the “mist” of it on myself. My nostrils still are filled with the stench. I panicked, searched the house for tomato juice (none!) but after googling and getting advice from my friend – I loaded the bathtub with vinegar, dish liquid soap and water and in Freddy went. I scrubbed the poor little guy and then wrapped him in towels and took a million annoying photos of it. We called dad ( who was in his grad class) to get us puppy shampoo from CVS.

Poor Freddy had another bath-Oatmeal this time!- when Dad got home.5042813520

Tips to take away from this:

1) Just because you see a furry tail, does not mean it’s a potential animal friend!!

2) Vinegar and water is one of the best approaches to take when sprayed by a skunk. Hydrogen peroxide with baking soda, liquid soap and water is another great home remedy… tomatoe juice is not the best solution for some reason – doesn’t do the job (apparently)

3) The smell will get faint but will linger for 2-3 months whenever your pup gets wet.

Did I learn my lesson? You Bet your Pierogis I did!

bath time

An exciting Labor Day Weekend

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Meet Freddy! Teddy Bear

Last week was defiantly FALL-like. For god’s sake, I got myself pumpkin beer and pumpkin spice iced coffees!! Labor Day weekend was back to SUMMER weather – between the 90 degree sunny days, cruising with the windows down, thunderstorms @night and my fav: vanilla soft serve ice-cream cones 🙂   —- nothing pumpkin spice about it… a pretty perfect way to start bringing the summer months to an end. For many of you out there, this final weekend of summer vacation, is filled with family, friends, back-to-school shopping, booze, and way too much food.  For me, (I had all the above) AND MORE!    … I got a PUPPY… a 9 week old baby Golden doodle pile of fluff named Freddy …. My heart couldn’t be happier – a little blessing and a BIG responsibility…. I will have a PET category that I hope to open up to others for advice, questions, experiences- like some type of a pet owner portal,  where we can  share any fun pet products, activities, dog parks…. oh and I will defiantly be sharing the baked treats I make…b/c it just wouldn’t be normal if I didn’t bake him something………oh what  I do for the boys in my life… right Nico? 😉 Xo, KPM

I don't want to sleep, even if its 3 AM!
I don’t want to sleep, even if its 3 AM!

P.S Follow Freddy on Instagram Freddy_doodle. He’ll be modeling soon, mark my words!

Puppy Play Date

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Freddy Meet Charlie and Play nice!!

Freddy had a puppy play date on Saturday morning.  The date was with Charlie, a chocolate lab puppy that I actually -pup-sitted right before deciding to get my own!

My friend/coworker was watching Charlie for her boyfriend and we thought the pups could play while we  enjoyed a French pressed coffee and croissants on my deck– a relaxing Saturday morning.

Ya. Keep dreaming, Karina! The second Charlie walked in the door, he got way too excited (maybe he remembered being here once before) and ran to the door mat to relieve himself, Freddy was so confused why another animal  was in the house that he ran over to step into the mess and then chase Charlie through the house, tracking everything he stepped in.. I immediately opened the back door to let them in the backyard and carrying Freddy down the stairs (he hasn’t mastered going down yet), I managed to get his poo covered paws all over my new J-crew V neck…awesome!

Finally, I could welcome my friend over to my house. What an entrance!!After 4 hours of play time, Freddy was ready for a longggg nap and nap he did!(momma too!)

Is this what I have to look forward to when I have kids? Amen to all this practice!!

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Big puppy follow the little puppy!