Blog Library

We all have strange familial tendencies.  Odd things we do that we blame on our parents. But how much of it is nature and their half of our genetic code? And how much is nurture and the fact that their behavior in our environment conditioned us?  Did we all become weird because of nature or nurture?  And does the same hold true for pets?  Is your pets’ quirky personality your legacy, or your fault? I can’t help but keep

Last we were together, we talked asked “How about Holistic Wellness for You Pet Parents too?” We talked about how our bodies and minds are connected.  And that our thoughts and emotions can create changes in our physical bodies.  And that our bodies have the capacity to heal themselves.  And how we could use these ideas to help us nurture ourselves, which in turn enables us to share a more centered “us” with our pets. It’s all

Welcome back to the series on Holistic Wellness for Pet Parents! Have you ever felt lead to something?  Following the tangents of your mind to a place that allows you to hear, see, or read something that feels like the answer to a question you hadn’t yet asked “out loud” yet?  And known, in that moment, that you were “supposed to”  be given this reminder?  It’s really cool when that happens, isn’t it?! Well that’s where this topic

We all want our pets to live forever.  The powerful soul-level desire behind that statement is so much stronger than just the surface of its words.  Personally I would do anything, absolutely anything, to make that wish come true.  And if you are reading this, it’s a safe bet you feel the same way about your animals. The truth is, they aren’t just animals to us.  They are our best friends, our children, our siblings, and in many cases,

A friend and I recently had a conversation about our anxious pets. It’s such a helpless feeling when you see someone you love struggling – especially when it’s your animal. If only we could communicate in words with them to help them articulate exactly what’s wrong, and for us to help them understand each situation better. Unfortunately, there are no easy answers… I wish there was for my own pets’ sake. But what I realized

We struggle to keep ourselves on an exercise schedule, right?   And you’re trying to tell me now I have to find time for my dog to get to the gym?  I know. I can hear your voice right now!  But keeping our dogs fit and flexible is actually important enough for me to talk to you about it even knowing that will be your first reaction. So how about I give you a quick list and

I get it…  if we had enough time and money for massage, maybe we would consider one for ourselves before our pets get one,  right?   But there are actually a number of reasons why massaging your pet is a fantastic idea for BOTH of you!    I would go so far as to say massaging our pets is the best preventative healthcare we can share with our animals… So why do I consider pet massage to

A lot of us have heard of Reiki….. but what IS it actually? Reiki is a form of energy healing in which an attuned practitioner channels universal energy to a being with the goal of helping improve the balance and flow of their personal energy. Before I go into a deeper explanation, let’s get into an open mind space together.  Sit somewhere you feel safe and comfortable without distraction.  (Normally we would close our eyes,

Who doesn’t look forward to 4th of July celebrations with their festivities of friends, food, and fireworks……   your pets, that’s who! Independence Day is the #1 day of the year for pets running away and getting lost.  Why?   They bolt in fear response to unfamiliar and frightening loud noises…..   and no animal wants that much independence.   So what can you do for your pet to make sure they don’t suffer during 4th of July

We’ve talked many times about whether or not your pets are your children…..  the simple answer is  “Yes!”, of course.  So I wanted to take a moment to say “Happy Fathers Day” to all the pet pappas out there. I wonder how pet mom and pet dad roles are divvied up in other households.  And is that similar or different to the roles of your own human parents while you were growing up?  For us, 

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial kick off to summer.  It’s filled with gatherings of friends and family,  barbecues, and the relief mind-set that we have survived the winter and will now be rewarded with the sensation of warm sun on our skin. But it also can be the beginning of one of the most dangerous times of the year.  Much like it’s cold weather counterpart of Thanksgiving through New Years,  Memorial Day through Labor

Is Mothers Day still Mothers Day if your kids never say anything about it, give you a card, or surprise you with a present?  I’ve been a mother for 25 years.  In that time I’ve had 3 girls.  Two of those I raised as a single parent.  Two are still with me, and one is in spirit now,  watching over me like a guide.  They depend on me all of the time and for every

Let’s face it – most of us have had enough of winter and are ready to welcome spring with open arms.  In fact, it can’t get here fast enough.  The only downside is that it also means ticks will be back.  Couldn’t we welcome you, Spring, but without the pesty ticks? I’ve been searching for a great article to post about tick prevention.  Trouble is, it’s been harder than I thought to find one that

Ahhh Easter……….   a day made for eating chocolate and jelly beans – now that’s a holiday! But it’s a lot of those things that make the day fun for us humans that make it especially dangerous for our furry family members.  So let’s take a moment to danger-proof this special day for the dogs and cats in our homes.  Protect your Pet Easter with a few helpful tips: 5 Easter surprises our pets should NOT

We know what certain people mean to us….. but they don’t always get to know that.  Sometimes they amp up the energy in a fun experience, sometimes they brighten a dreary day, and sometimes – if you are really lucky – it literally feels as if they can reach their hand down a dark abyss and somehow pull you back out into the sun. I, like many other people, deal with anxiety.  Last week I

My furry nephew got hurt last week.  Even though I have had dogs for over 25 years,  went to vet tech school,  got certified in canine rehab, and do animal reiki and canine massage  – i still felt helpless.  It was a reminder that sometimes the closer you are to an emergency, the easier it is to freeze. After going to the emergency vet hospital for stabilization, and his primary veterinarian for follow-up, he is

I just came home from my dog Jaisy’s annual veterinary appointment.  I realized last night that I put much more into my dogs vet appointments being successful than I do for my own medical visits.  Sitting on the floor with her, surrounded by last year’s notes for comparisons of change, drawing diagrams of every lump and bump, highlighter in hand to help me not forget to ask specific questions.  I should start doing this for

For those of us who love animals, we know that they hold unique power over our hearts.  Their soulful eyes and wagging tails give us the happiest moments in our day, and the greatest years of our lives.  They also can fill us with the saddest loss imaginable.  So how do we balance it?  How do we enjoy every moment of their lives, of our lives with them, without getting stuck in the spin of

I saw “A Dog’s Purpose” yesterday.  After recovering from two hours of happy and heartbroken crying, it got me to thinking.  The moral to the story was that dogs have the amazing ability to “be here now”.  They are not wasting time mourning the past or worrying about what has happened that they can’t change.  They are not wasting time “what-if”ing about the future and worrying about what might happen that they have no control

You know dasher and dancer, prancer and vixen… comet and cupid, donner and blitzen… but do you recall the most famous reindeer of all? (insert your pet’s name here) the red nose (insert your pet’s breed here)……………… C’mon….. don’t tell me you have never made your pet the star of Rudolf’s song!   I know,  because I do it too! Pet Xmas is just like kid xmas.  Full of enthusiasm for you to find presents they

One thing most of us are thankful for is our pets.  But Thanksgiving can be filled with landmines of trouble for our furry little friends.  An entire day built around yummy smells and food everywhere around them.  Add to that the chaos of their distracted owners cooking, serving, and entertaining guests, and it just could give them moments to sneak things into their mouths and bellies that don’t belong there. Here are a few tips

Why would I write about Ticks on Thanksgiving week, when there’s more festive topics to write about?  I just found one on my dog!  And if my over-protected pups can still get one on them, then any doggy can. Spring and summer are over and it’s getting colder outside.  We’re not out in the woods as much.  We don’t even leave our own yard as much now as we hibernate until it gets warmer again. 

Life gives us competitive situations which ultimately have no other option but to end with one side winning and another side not.  It could be as monumental as a presidential election, as emotional as the world series or super bowl, or as day to day as which show gets watched on the big tv in the living room. What life doesn’t give us is a road map to follow on how to move on from

What a historical time we are living in this week………. The Cubs just won the World Series, breaking their 108 year curse from that billy goat.  We are just days away from an unprecedented election  – our first woman president or someone with no prior political career.  As long as we show up and participate, this week we become part of history. We all love an underdog story.  The “loveable loser” who comes from behind

Halloween can be a stressful time for our furry kids.  Before the excitement of October 31st,  let’s all hit pause and take a moment to make sure we are setting them up for success that day. Our pets thrive on routine.   They know, like an internal clock, what should happen when.  If your alarm regularly goes off at 7 am, you can be assured they will be staring over you at 6:59 to monitor the

This week my dogs had both grooming and vet appointments and I made a realization…. I get much more nervous about their appointments than my own.  I also spend much more money on theirs,  with less concern how much it costs.  So what gives? If you slow down and really analyze your own behavior,  sometimes you make interesting observations.  To keep our household budget evenly spaced throughout the year, I created a grooming schedule.  We

If you have a pet, do you consider them your child?   Do you think of yourself as their parent?  Me too!  So why is it that when someone asks if I have kids, since I’ve never bore human biological ones,  I awkwardly answer “no”,  even though my mind is screaming  “yes”? I understand this is potentially a controversial question if posed to someone with homo-sapien offspring and no pet.  After all, those children have erect

     I stopped seeing a therapist once after she told me my dog “wasn’t a person”.  This was in response to my saying that “as long as I have my dog, I have a reason to keep myself physically and mentally healthy, because my dog is my favorite person in the world.”  I saw this as a positive, that I had motivation to not let something I was dealing with beat me, because no one

     My dog had her teeth cleaned yesterday at our vet’s office.  Like any parent anxiously waiting for their child (animal or human) to come out of anesthesia, I was faced with the realization of just how much we depend on 2 people for the life-long well-being of our beloved pets – their veterinarian and veterinary technician.      I have a unique perspective, as I spend 20 years working in human hospitals as a rehabilitation