Fussy the Dog's Grand Day Out!

Hurry, let's go there is no time to waste!

          On September 13^th we took Fussy out for more of her birthday celebration to Fullersburg Woods and Graue Mill. Turning 13 years old is a big deal when you are a dog. Fussy loves going to forest preserves and it had been quite a long time since she had been to these two particular places.

          Because of Fussy's arthritis in her hock and a little bit of a hip issue I like to keep her in shape by taking her for a walk around our neighborhood. The only problem with that is the scenery gets old and boring for not only me but for Fussy as well. I was a bit concerned about how well she would be able to walk on a forest preserve path, most places have rugged dirt paths. Fullersburg Woods and Graue Mill were picked for their nicely packed trails and paved paths, not to mention that Fullersburg has a restroom with modern pluming for us humans.

You humans stop to much for photos. Let's keep going!

          We got ourselves and Fussy packed into the car and off we went! Fussy knew that car ride meant something exciting was happening and she also knows that when we pack stuff for a trip it is to some place really good. She was so excited on the trip up there I thought for sure she would be to tired to walk far once there.

No time to sit and enjoy the view humans, we gotta keep going.

If you are going to stop and take pictures I'll run in circles while I wait for you.

          Time to disembark the vehicle and head off into the woods. I loaded up my little back pack with some supplies that Fussy and ourselves might need while on the trail. I pulled out the water and offered it to Fussy, she glanced at it, turned her back to it and proceed to pull on the leash. In Fussy language that was "Forget your water human, let's get going!" It was great to know that she was feeling very spry and alert for this walk. Not only was her mind feeling rejuvenated by the sight of the woods so was her body. Our walks at home aren't for very long trips because after awhile Fussy's back end gets wobbly, but I could see that wasn't going to happen on this walk, at least no time soon.

There was no stopping her!

 

          So the walk began. For pretty much all of the walk all we saw (and could take pictures of) was Fussy's fuzzy rear end! She was smiles the whole trip, it was awesome seeing her enjoy herself. 

Nope, still no stopping her.

          We were a little far from the car that had our water so we stopped at a water pump so Fussy could get a drink. This pump was slightly different then the ones I've used in the past. Instead of the water just shooting out to the faucet up at the top the water first emerges into a little drinking bowl which then heads down a pipe and shoots out at the bottom. It took a bit of hand pumping before the water started to flow and a little encouragement before Fussy attempt to drink. At the bottom of the pipe that the water was flowing out before head back down into the earth had small leak that dripped out the bottom of the elbow of the pipe. Fussy started to drink from the flowing water but craned her head to the bottom to the elbow of pipe to lap up the drips of water. She is so silly! We laughed our butts off over her antics before hitting the dusty trail.

          This time for this trip we decided to not walk all the way over from Fullersburg Woods to Graue Mill, so we headed back to the car. Sadly this time of year all the waterfowl seems to have been elsewhere instead of on the creek that runs along Fullersburg Woods and Graue Mill.

          We headed on over to the mill to watch the water wheel turning. The spray of water coming off it was great to feel on our faces after such a long hike. I placed Fussy up on the wall next to the wheel for a little photo shoot.

          After some walking around the outside of the mill we headed off down the paved pathway. However, it wasn't long after that we finally decided to stop Fussy as we could see that her body was starting to get tired. Like a kid, she did her best to try to tell us that she wasn't tired and wanted to keep walking. On the walk back to the car I could see that we made the right decision to head back. Back at the car Fussy sat in the grass, rested a bit, and drank some water. It had been a spectacular day but like all good things they must come to an end, so off we headed for home.

          Back home for a well deserved meal Fussy eat and promptly fell asleep. She slept a good long time and even did some running in her sleep. I think the chances were very good that she had been dreaming of her trip and was back running along its trails.

No really, I can keep walking! Well....this grass is comfortable.

The Winner of Fussy's Birthday Giveaway

          A winner was randomly chosen from among all the valid entries in my Fussy's Birthday Giveaway. And the lucky winner is....... Carol L., congratulations winner!! She is now the proud owner of her very own handmade dog crate tag stitched by your truly.

          Thank you to everyone who entered my giveaway and making it such a success. I wish you all could have won. But don't be sad as you can still purchase a crate tag of your own or wait for the next time I hold another giveaway.

Enter Fussy's Birthday Giveaway For Your Choice Of Dog Breed Crate Tag

          Yesterday was my dog Fussy's 13th birthday. I'm so excited about her birthday it got me thinking that I want to share my excitement with the rest of you! What better way to do that then to have an awesome giveaway. Sure it was a spur of the moment kind of thought but when you are this giddy you do crazy things like this.

          I will be giving away to one lucky winner one of my handmade crate tags, their choice of dog breed from the breeds and colors I currently carry (sorry no custom crate tag).

          Fussy had a super birthday, she enjoyed her Frosty Paws treat and hung out with her doggy pals. By the end of the day she was pooped and told me it was time to go home. We got everything and everyone packed up and headed home, once there she slept like a log. It was a terrific day and I hope we will have many more days, months, and years like this together.

          Visit my Website, Etsy shop, or Bonanza shop to see all the breeds I carry. Now onto the giveaway details and how to enter!

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER.
1. Promotion Description: Fussy's Birthday Sweepstakes begins on 9/10/2013 at 12:00 AM (Central Time (US & Canada)) and ends on 9/30/2013 at 12:00 AM (Central Time (US & Canada)).
2. Eligibility: You must be 18 years of age or older, void in Quebec.
3. How To Enter: You must fill out the Rafflecopter contact information and leave a comment on my blog about which dog is your favorite breed, this is a mandatory entry. Once you have completed that you will then be offered additional ways to receive bonus entries.
4. Prize Description:

• 1 (#) winner will receive [1 Handmade Dog Crate Tag created by barleecreations, your choice of dog breed from the breeds and colors I currently carry (sorry no custom crate tag)]
• (Approximate retail value "ARV": up to $24.00)

Prize can not be redeemed for cash. If the actual value of the prize turns out to be less than the stated ARV, the difference will not be awarded in cash. Sponsor (barleecreations) will not replace any lost or stolen prize items. All federal, state and/or local taxes, fees, and surcharges are the sole responsibility of the prize winner.
5. Odds Of Winning: The number of eligible entries received determine the odds of winning.
6. Winner Selection: The winner of the sweepstakes will be selected in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received throughout the promotion period. The random drawing will be conducted within 48 hours after the closing of the sweepstakes by the Sponsor , whose decisions are final. Winner will be notified by email at the email address provided in the entry information on or about 48 hours after the random drawing. Potential winner must except prize by email as directed by Sponsor within 48 hours of notification. Any winner notification not responded to or returned undeliverable may result in prize forfeiture. No substitution or transfer of a prize is permitted expect by Sponsor.
7. Sponsor: Sweepstakes is sponsored by barleecreations, barleecreations@yahoo.com
8. Winners List: Name of winner will appear in a blog post following the selection of the sweepstakes winner.
VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

FDA Releases Arsenic in RiceTest Results – But is it Safe for Your Dog?

FDA Releases Arsenic Test Results – Is Rice Safe for Your Dog?

           There is a great article on the DogFoodAdvisor (one of my favorite dog related sites) about arsenic in rice. If you feed your dog food kibble or use rice in your homemade dog food you may want to think twice. Read the article and educate yourself to make an informed decision. I personally don't think you need to abandon rice altogether but similar to tuna and other fish with mercury you don't want to be feeding it for every meal.

          Currently I've been taking a good look at what I feed my dog and how I feed my dog. I've always read the labels but now I'm looking into ways to limit my dependence on kibbled food. I know the convenience and easy that commercially produced dog food gives can really be a godsend, so for some of us we are kinda stuck with it. So what I've been doing is to add things to the kibble which allows me to cut down on the amount of kibble I give. Adding raw or cooked fruits and vegetables to your dog's food is a great start. Also adding cooked meats and/or even organ meats (I never recommend feeding raw meat, read my past post) as a supplement to the commercial food. What is nice about doing it this way is, as I said before, that you will be cutting down on your dog's kibbled consumption but still keeping the convince and nutrition that that kind of food provides. Buy your "supplement" food items when they are on sale and/or when you have the time to add them to your dog's diet.

          Adding "supplement" foods to your dog's commercial food is a great stepping stone and practice to making home cooked meals and ditching the kibble altogether. Even just doing one home-cooked meal a week will (in my opinion) do your dog good. Do your research, learn all that you can, then make your best educated guess on what is right for you and your dog.

Dog Product Review - Cranimals Organic Supplement

          Back in April or May doggyloot, my favorite place to find cool dog related deals, had listed Cranimals UTI test kit with supplement. I didn't need the test kit but upon reading about the supplement it had me intrigued. I then went to the Cranimals website to read more, it is a pet supplement that uses organic cranberry, red raspberry, and blueberry extracts without artificial anything.

          They have different products but I went with their Very Berry. That one is supposed to help with maintain eye heath and prevent macular degeneration, slow and improve age related declines in memory, balance & coordination, dental health, cardiac health, kidney health & some UTIs, and has antioxidants. I thought the Very Berry was the best one for a senior dog to be on. Fussy will soon 13 years old and anything I can give her that will help fight the aging process I am all for that.

          Towards the end of 2012 I noticed that Fussy was having some senility problems so I started to get her to exercise (physically and mentally) more and added fish oil to her daily health regimen. After do that her mental deterioration stopped and reverted. Earlier this year before Fussy had her surgery she had a UTI, which surprised me because I didn't see any symptoms. So when I read about the Cranimals product I felt it would be a perfect fit for my aging gal. I ended up buying the 1lb bulk container of Very Berry.

          The powder can be added to the dog's food or even mixed into some yogurt. Fussy doesn't seem to like it in yogurt so I mix it into her breakfast. She isn't wild about the taste so I add some irresistible sweet potato to her meal. Other dogs might enjoy the taste of Cranimals more then Fussy because after all she is....well....fussy.

          Has Cranimals' Very Berry made an improvement on Fussy's health? To be truthful it is hard to say, I haven't noticed any markable improvement. However I can say for sure that she hasn't gotten any worse. But if you think about it perhaps that is exactly what you should be seeing. What I mean is this formula is to mainly help maintain what functions the dog already has so you wouldn't see anything change. I am wondering if it has helped improve anything in Fussy that perhaps it was either so small or gradual that it has been overlooked. I have also around the same time been doing several other things to help with Fussy's health that that also makes it hard to say which one thing or even a combo of multiples things helped her or the what degree. Bottom line, I think I will continue using Cranimals until Fussy refuses to voluntarily take it anymore.

          Have you used Cranimals? What was your experience with it? Did you think it worked?