Checking in with Bo

When Bo Obama first came to the White House, it was one of the biggest news stories of the year. It's not every day you have a puppy in one of the most famous residences of the world, and two young girls were getting their first dog ever.

Well, now Bo is about eight months old. He already has a beanie baby named Bo that has sold out in most places it has been sold. He has a twitter account and has turned into the spokesperson for the We Are The Cure, which fights for a cure for canine cancer. Being a president's dog, he even knows how to shake hands. He will also be starring in a Marvel Comic Book about super pets. If you want more information, check out this link.

Check out the photos and videos below to catch up on our national dog.

VIDEOS








PHOTOS

Riding in the car with dogs

Many times, I'll take the dogs for a ride with me when I make the morning trip to Dunkin Donuts. To keep dogs safer in cars, many manufacturers have created special accessories for keeping dogs restrained.

Before Gigi and Cookie came along, I had Cosmo. He was a hyper, loving Siberian Husky mix. When I took Cosmo in the car, and he noticed where he was going, i.e. the dog beach, he would go crazy and start barking up a storm and going in circles.Elvis, his Rhodesian Ridgeback partner in crime would look scared and confused. Knowing that I needed to focus on driving, I ordered from Foster & Smith a seatbelt harness for dogs.

The one I had bought was the economy version. It worked pretty well, however when Cosmo would get so worked up, sometimes he would manage to spin around and get himself unfastened by the amount he moved around, and this would happen just as we got to our destination.

Still, nothing gives an owner peace of mind behind the wheel like these harnesses. They range in price between $6 to $32 US dollars. They are completely portable and don't take up much space.

Well, I hope you all have a great Monday. If you would like to find dog seatbelt harnesses for yourself visit:
Foster & Smith
Petco
Petsmart

Thanks again for stopping in.

Cloning Dogs

Last year, we learned about the very first dog who was cloned. It cost over $150,000 US dollars to do this and the owner wound up shipping the cells to South Korea in order for the process to happen.

Cloning seems so unnecessary to me. I've had some great dogs in my life. Some of them died sooner than expected, but I could never imagine for myself having a clone. Having a clone of your former dog still doesn't change the fact that the dog that existed has been either buried or cremated.

Vampire movies have been made and are very popular. Vampires are immortal, they can never die. They are limited by what they can do in the world, but above all else, they are fictional characters. Why do I bring them up then? The idea of the vampire most likely arose from wondering what would happen if humans coudn't die. Even though vampires are immortal, they still miss out on certain things that human beings always took for granted.

I've had some dogs that have been my best friend. At times, I feel as though Cookie and Gigi know exactly what I'm thinking, but usually it's the opposite. I couldn't imagine bringing another version of them back. They are complete originals. To me, a clone wouldn't preserve their memory, but rather dilute how truly unique these dogs have been.

Also, there are too many dogs who are suffering out there without a home. All a person has to do is walk into their local shelter or pet store. There are plenty of dogs that are sitting in a cage, wondering what they are doing there and when are they going to get out. They have people taking care of them, but at the end of the day, they still go to sleep in their own little box. Dogs love the companionship of humans and other dogs; keeping them alone is one of the hardest things for them to go through, but alas is a necessity because fights are all too commonplace in small areas such as shelters.

If any of you have certain thoughts or opinions, I'd love to hear them. Thanks for stopping in.

Dogs in the News: Skateboarding Japan Style

Today, I woke up with the worst weakness and it seems that I've caught the summer flu. I'm hoping it's a 24-hour one but we'll see. Anyhow, you'll remember that I wrote a story about Tillman the skateboarding dog who is from California. Now, I've discovered a dog named Bazooka. He is from Japan. The English Bulldog got the urge to skate at only five months. I've included a link to the Reuters video so you can check it out.

Bazooka Video

Here is the Tillman post if you haven't had a chance to see it. Tillman

I am now going to get some rest. Have a great night and thanks for stopping in!

The Wonders of Brushing

Brushing is something that should be done for all dogs. Even hairless dogs such as the Chinese Crested, should be looked after because they have a small area of hair that grows on the head and the legs. For dogs that don't shed such as the poodle, brushing is a good thing to do for them it keeps their hair from matting.

If you have a dog with a huge coat like a Golden Retriever or Siberian Husky, it helps them shed alot of their winter coat and gets them ready for summer. With those type of dogs, it's good to stop a little before you're done. Shaving isn't a wise idea because the hair that grows on those types of dogs, although it's massive, acts as an insulator for them by keeping the heat out. When you shave a dog, it actually can get hotter, especially if it's an outdoor dog.

I would say the two most important benefits of brushing your dog is the fact that dander is greatly reduced and that it keeps shedding to a minimum. Some dogs are impatient when it comes to brushing. I've had the best luck by starting out by doing it for 3 minutes. Make it a great moment of bonding by petting your dog by sliding your hand along the area you brushed gently. Tell your dog that he's a good dog and reward him or her with a treat if they are good sports.

Most dogs love brushing. There are different kinds of brushes to use. Slicker brushes are great for dogs like Cocker Spaniels, Poodles and Bichon Frises. If you have a long haired dog such as an Afghan a pin brush with rounded metal bristles would be more effective.

Another post on grooming you may want to check out is Brushing your dog's teeth. Now I must walk the pooches before Gigi goes nuts. Have a great night and feel free to share your thoughts. :)

An important factor in getting a dog

After having dogs for several years of my life, one of the most important things in making a decision is that all people who live in the house are in favor of having the animal. If not, it can only stem as a problem later down the road. Dogs are very similar to kids. If you can't make a full commitment to caring for them and accepting the good with the bad, then you're better off without them.

Hope you all are enjoying the weekend. Thanks for stopping in. I'd love to hear your thoughts so drop a comment and let me know your thoughts.

Palladia, the anti-cancer drug

Yesterday, the FDA approved the first cancer drug for dogs. It was created by Pfizer and is going to be released for sale in early 2010. It's called Palladia and is going to be used specifically for mast cell tumors in dogs. Mast cell tumors appear in about 20% of the cancer cases that affect dogs. This pill can be administered at a veterninary hospital or at home by a caregiver.

This drug is a huge revelation because it is the first pill used to fight cancer in dogs. Since 2007 this company has expanded pet oncology research. Pfizer allocated over $300,000,000 dollars towards animal health research in the past year. In fact, all of the major drug companies have an animal health division to creat medicine for domestic animals such as dog and cats.

It works by preventing the blood in a dog's body from travelling to the blood supply of the tumor. What is most promising is the fact that it shrunk around 60% of the tumors in dogs that had these mast cell tumors. Before, doctors had to use surgery or chemotherapy to battle this type of cancer. Since this is an anti-cancer drug, there has to be extreme caution giving this medicine, especially if you are a pregnant woman.

As you know, all drugs have side effects. Here are some of Palladia's which tend to be mild to moderate:

• diarrhea



• decreased appetite



• lethargy (tiredness)



• vomiting

There are cases where dogs may have a more severe reaction and for that it's adviseable to contact your vet immediately and stop giving the medicine if you suspect that is the case. If you would like to read what the company has to say about this drug, check out the information here.

Well, thanks for stopping in kool ones. This news is something I am glad to have shared with you and I hope this drug becomes a success. Thanks again for stopping in. :)

A morning with the dogs

In the neighborhood we live in, there are plenty of rabbits and baby rabbits running around. This morning started out with me going into the yard and getting Gigi from the back bushes to take her on a walk with Cookie. I think that Gigi chewed on some dead leaves while she was back there but hopefully, it will pass through her system.

We went on the usual walk and I always let the dogs off the leash right as we get to our house. 9 times out of 10, Cookie will go to the back gate to wait to get back into the house. Today as she was rushing back to the house, she saw a rabbit out of the corner of her eye and was determined to get it. She chased it through one neighbor's yard, then another and by the time she was in the third, I had to be chasing her. Yet Gigi was running in circles in front of the house. At first I was going to bring her with me to get Cookie but the way she was running around, I knew I would feel better knowing she was in the house where I wouldn't worry about her chasing a squirrel too. After I told my mom that Cookie was out chasing a rabbit and I was going to get her, I started clapping my hands and calling her name with authority. I had made it to the last yard and asked "Where's my Cookie girl?" Looking inside the yard, I saw nothing. (Many of the neighbors in our neighborhood don't have fences.) Then when I turned around there she was standing behind me. Usually, I get mad when she runs off like that, but I was looking at her standing there with her tongue hanging down lopsided and she's looking in my eyes and I just couldn't. I then told her "Let's see Mommy." She runs to the gate and then just sat waiting for me. How could I get mad at her when she was just being a dog? Twenty years ago, something like this would have been a non-issue because times were simpler. Sometimes you just have to take things in stride and not get stressed by things that can set your day off course.

The morning didn't end there. Mom loves Dunkin Donuts once a week. The dogs love to ride in the car with me and I drive with the window open. Both love to stick their heads out and feel the breeze. I have the car set up so they don't get too carried away and can only put their heads on the top of the door. We went through the drive through and picked up the coffee and muffin breakfast. I always make sure to get the cup carrier so I don't have to worry about spills. I then got back to the house and had breakfast with mom.

Thanks for letting me share this story with you. I'd like to thank all of you guys for coming to visit me here at Too Kool Doggies. Have a beautiful day! :)

The Dogs of Summer

Hello Everyone. I just thought I would do a dog pictorial of what reminds me of summer. Hope you enjoy these photos:

Photo by Inum

Photo by Larar

Photo by Duchessa

Photo by Mooserton

Photo by Kymmie

Photo by Franco Verdoia

Have a good night!

Bloat

When I feel bloated, I know it's a mild annoyance that will go away in time. When a dog experiences bloat, it's not a laughing matter at all. It is extremely serious and can be life-threatening if not caught in time. It can kill your dog in as little as 30 minutes. Cancer is the leading cause of death for dogs; bloat is the second.

The scientific term is Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus. What happens is that a combination of air, food or water can't leave the stomach because it's hard for a dog to burp out excess air. Everyone can burp but not all dogs can do this. If there is a buildup of this air, the stomach of the dog can twist on itself. The twisting of the stomach is the voluvus part. The air continues to fill the stomach and will press against the dog's organs.

I hope that any of you guys have not had a dog you've seen go through this. Still, it never hurts to be one step ahead by being aware.

Bloat has a tendency to be more prominent in larger breed dogs such as the Great Dane and St. Bernard. Still, a dog as small as a Basset Hound can be predisposed to it as well. It seems to hit dogs with a deep barreled chest most frequently. If you would like to see a chart of which breeds are most susceptible, check out this page.

The biggest sign that your dog has bloat is a swelling in their stomach. You will notice they are not themselves and seem depressed, or tired. They may also try to vomit where nothing comes up. Once a dog suffers their stomach twisting once, it's very likely that it will twist again.

This is a condition that there is no way to prevent bloat 100% but you can take some precautions such as:

1. Feed your dog two or three times a day. The frequency will decrease the chance of your dog's stomach stretching as much.
2. If your dog is a fast eater, turn the dog bowl upside down so your dog will be forced to eat more slowly because the food will be harder to grab.
3. Don't exercise your dog until 2 hours after a meal. It will have given the dog time to digest their food.

Since you can't predict that your dog will get this or not, all you can do is be cautious. If by chance, he does exhibit any of the above symptoms, call your vet IMMEDIATELY!

As always, if you have anything to add, I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have a great night Kool ones!