Is It Time to Throw the Jerk(y) Out!?

There has been an absolute epidemic of recalls in the last year concerning dog food and dog treats, specifically jerky–made from chicken.  While sifting through the dozens of blogs I subscribe to daily, I came across this article written by a vet, Dr. Eric Barchas for DOGSTER.  He states that questionable jerky has been tested for salmonella, metals, pesticides, and antibiotics, and were screened for other chemicals and poisonous compounds, but in spite of these efforts, the cause of the problems remains unidentified.

Here’s an excerpt from the article:

“This places jerky in a uniquely nefarious group of food and plant items that can sicken or kill pets for reasons unexplained by current science. Other members of the group include grapes, raisins, and lilies (in cats).
The analogy between grapes and jerky may actually be a very good one. There are some people who are beginning to suspect that there is no contaminant. Rather, they suspect that jerky itself, like grapes, may be safe for people yet toxic to some dogs (but not others).”

Something to think about–Here’s a link to the rest of the ARTICLE.  It’s good reading.

How To Survive the SHEDDING SEASON!

I subscribe to a number of pet-related blogs and read those that catch my attention.  Being a dog walker means that I am the daily recipient of multiple (hundreds? thousands?) of dog and cat hairs that cling to my clothing and are occasionally inhaled.  This particular article from Dogster.com was well-written and loaded with great information.  Enjoy!  

Something To Crow About





One of our walkers Melanie, noticed a crow that was obviously in need of help during one of her regular dog walks. One of his wings was dangling in a weird position and he couldn’t fly.   She came back later with a shoebox and a sheet so she could take him to a lady that cared for wild birds. Once he was in the box, she was hoping that he wouldn’t get out of the box while she was driving!  He never moved and she feared she had killed him by taking him in.  When they got to the bird lady’s house, he hopped out of the sheet, over the box and straight to the window.  Melanie looked out of the window and there were a million crows all over–on the fence, in the yard, on the telephone wires–everywhere.  And they were caw-ing their little birdy hearts out.  His buddies were keeping an eye on him!  




Your Dog Can Be A Hero!

I had never heard of dog blood donors until a client told me she was taking her Chocolate Lab, Sage to be evaluated  at 4 Paws Spa.   There is a need for canine blood to help sick or injured dogs and since canine blood has a shelf life of only about 30-35 days, the supply must be replenished regularly.
Some veterinary clinics don’t need blood very often, so they don’t keep it on hand. That’s when the  Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank steps in to fill the gap.  They travel to vet offices, groomers, and other places where donors have signed up. They collect the blood and store it for when it’s needed.
Can your Fido be a donor?   Probably.  There are some tests to make sure there are no diseases that could be passed on and it’s important that your dog has a calm temperament.  During the testing and procedure, Fido is embraced in a full-body hug by one of the technicians and is treated to dog cookies and maybe even some peanut butter on a spoon!
For more information, use the links above and check back here for a peek at how Sage’s visit went!

Afternoons with Eli

Eli is a rambunctious, tennis ball chasing, cat loving, BaconStrip snarfing goofball.
Eli being coy.  What ball?  I don’t have a ball………throw another one.

Oh HERE’S the ball….

Ah, sleepy now.  You can have the ball.

We always enjoy our visits with Eli.  He never fails to make us giggle and he’s a great hugger.  See ya tomorrow, boy!!

Barks and Blooms in the Top Five!




“Pet Sitters International (PSI) has selected its top-five finalists for the 2012Pet Sitter of the Year™ Award.  First awarded by PSI in 1995, the Pet Sitter of the Year designation is the industry’s highest honor and recognizes true excellence for the in-home pet-care profession.”–from the announcement linked below.



                                            PSI Pet Sitter of the Year Finalists Announced

We are thrilled and delighted to let you all know that we have made the Top Five!  The winner will be announced in January.  Thank you to all of you who took the time to nominate us.  Thank you also for allowing us to share in your lives and the lives of your sweet pets!

The Django Tango (or, Can Cats Walk on Water?)

Here’s another story from one of our Fantastically Fabulous walkers, Bonnie:

“During the last hurricane, I was doing everything I’d heard suggested, including filling my deep, old,  clawfoot tub with water. I completely forgot about Django, my cat, who likes to nap in the tub. 
I was downstairs when I heard the noise. It was such a racket, I thought the shower curtain rod had come down out of the ceiling. As I was racing up the stairs, I saw a very wet Django go tearing past the top of the steps and straight under my bed. When I looked into the bathroom, the water in the tub was swaying wildly back and forth, the walls and floor and even the ceiling was dripping. Poor little Django! I felt terrible about it during the entire hurricane.”
We understand that Django has recovered from his shock and is back to napping in the tub.

Note from a Walker

A few months ago, I asked some other dog walkers I know to tell me their favorite story.  This is from Dawn:

It was a sunny summer day and Theo, an Ibizan hound/pit bull mix, was enjoying his peaceful walk. Theo is a medium size dog, and light brown in color.  We both spotted a doe with her two speckled fawns in a field.  The momma deer saw us, too, and quickly sprinted off towards the woods, with one of her babies close behind.   The other fawn ran in the opposite direction.  Theo and I turned down a quiet, dead-end lane.  We both heard the pitter-patter of running feet behind us and turned to look.  I gasped, then held that breath when I saw the lone fawn running straight for us.  Her eyes were locked on Theo and she paid no attention to me.  She came to a stop nose-to-nose with him and I could have reached out and caressed her soft spotted fur.  You could almost see it in her eyes when she realized “Hey! You’re not my mother!”  Then she was gone in a flash.  Theo and I stood dumbfounded for a minute of two, marveling at what had just occurred.   A little while later, we spotted our trio again, reunited and happy.   All was right with the world.