Winston Wednesday: Peanut Butter Dog Treats

For today's Winston Wednesday I decided to make some homemade Peanut Butter Dog Treats. I don't usually like buying store bought treats because a lot of the time they have preservatives and unhealthy ingredients. There are only a couple brands I will buy. I figured Winston was due for a special treat. I found the recipe on Whole Foods website but changed it a little because I didn't feel like driving all the way there so I went to Target for ingredients and they didn't have exactly what I needed. It all worked out though. Here is the recipe (with pictures of the process):

Peanut Butter Dog Treats

1 banana, peeled
1 cup of whole wheat flour
2/3 cup of rolled oats
1/2 cup of dried parsley (freshens breath)
3 tablespoons of peanut butter
1 egg, beaten

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees

2. Put the banana in a large bowl and mash it thoroughly with a large spoon or potato masher.

3. Add whole wheat flour, oats, parsley, peanut butter and egg. Stir well to combine. Set aside for 5 minutes.

4. Roll the mixture into balls using about 1 tablespoon of dough for each; transfer to a large paper parchment lined sheet tray as they are done. Then use the back of a spoon or the heel of your palm to flatten each ball into a coin.

5. Bake until firm and deep golden brown on the bottom, 40-45 minutes. Set them aside to let them cool completely.

Once they have cooled down go ahead and let your dog try one! To store them put them in an air tight container in the fridge or freeze them and just thaw them before giving them to your dog.

If you're mean like me you can trick someone into eating one...not that they are all that horrible to eat. I did however tell my dad they were healthy cookies I made for us and he ate one and proceeded to spit it out into the sink. Then I proceeded to let Winston try one and he disagreed with my dad. He thought they were delicious! 

Happy Winston Wednesday! 

Meow Monday: Benefits of Spaying/Neutering

One of the most important health decisions you will make in your pet's life is whether to spay/neuter them. Spaying and neutering offer life-long health benefits to your pet which is why it is something you should have done. Spaying is where a female pet's ovaries and uterus are removed. Neutering is where the testicles are removed from your male pet. Each procedure is now easily affordable due to most states having low cost spay/neuter programs. I will provide a link to these at the end of the post. Here are some legitimate reasons to have your pet spayed/neutered.

+ Neutering not only prevents unwanted litters but it also prevents testicular cancer if done before six months of age.

+ Spaying your pet offers protection from uterine infections and breast cancer which is fatal in 90% of cats and 50% of dogs.

+ An intact male will do anything to find a mate which includes digging out of your yard which increases his chance of getting hit by a car or getting into fights with other males. If he is neutered he will not want to roam away from home.

+ A spayed female won't go into heat. Female felines usually go into heat four to five days every three weeks during breeding season. They will yowl and urinate more frequently - even all over the house - to advertise themselves to mates.

+ Unneutered dogs and cats tend to mark their territory by spraying strong smelling urine all over the house. They also tend to be more aggressive and these aggressive behaviors can be avoided by early neutering. A neutered male will be much better behaved.

+ The cost of spaying/neutering your pet is a lot less expensive than caring for a litter. It is also a lot more cost effective to spay/neuter than it is to pay for treatment when your unneutered pet gets into a fight.

+ Spaying/neutering your pet will not make them fat. This is an old excuse people use to not get their pet spayed/neutered. As long as you keep up your pet's exercise and don't overfeed - they will stay the same size.

+ It is good for the community to spay/neuter your pet. Don't add to the over population of pets. There are already so many strays out there. Every year millions of cats and dogs are euthanized or suffer as strays. Unplanned litters result in these high numbers and they could have easily been prevented by spaying and neutering.

+ If you think you are teaching your children a lesson on the miracle of birth by having a litter you are mistaken. Don't breed and add to the pet population when you can just go the less traumatic route and go to the library to teach your child about birth.

Here is a link for low cost spay/neuter programs across the country.

And of course a Meow Monday wouldn't be complete without pictures of my cats. Enjoy!

Jasper showing a little tongue.

Jasper and Rusty being sleepy. 

Charlie mid yawn.

Obviously they all have a case of the Mondays. I was going to harass them with more pictures but they looked like they needed to catch up on some sleep since they kept me up most of the night playing and biting my feet. It's hard being a cat.

Happy Caturday

Winston and I hope everyone has had a great week but more importantly we wish everyone a happy Caturday! Winston celebrates every Caturday by spending extra cuddling time with his feline siblings. Sometimes I think he believes he is just one of the cats. I wanted to share some cute pictures I took this week of all four of the pets. Enjoy!

Jasper giving me attitude.

Charlie always has to be touching Winston when they are sleeping. 

My beautiful Rusty. She is a sweetheart.

Charlie showing off his cute toes.

Winston sleeping with his eye open. He does this a lot.

Charlie's tummy makes the best chin rest.

Three out of four babies on the bed.

He jumps up here and waits by the front door until we get back home.

Jasper decided Charlie needed a bath in the middle of playing.

Princess Rusty. She knows she is royalty.

Charlie - a snowball with a cat head according to my dad.

The cutest face you will ever see.

Make sure you check back Monday for a new post! Have a great rest of the weekend and please check out my gofundme page on the right side. Thank you!

Winston Wednesday: The Great Outdoors

Living back in the beautiful Pacific Northwest with all the greenery makes it really easy to enjoy taking Winston for adventures outdoors. Winston loves the great outdoors. If he even hears the word "walk" he starts whining and jumping all over the place. He's quite the little character. The exercise is great for both of us and we always make sure we are prepared before we go out anywhere. Here are some tips to protect your dog when taking it outdoors for fun.

First you will need to make sure your dog is healthy enough for the physical exertion by taking it to your Veterinarian. You will want to get a thorough check up and make sure that all vaccinations are up to date. A rabies vaccination is required by law in all states and is extra important in case your dog encounters any wild animals such as raccoons, foxes, skunks or bats because they sometimes carry rabies. It is also important to get your dog started on a regimen of flea/tick prevention because they both can pose serious health risks. Fleas are also just itchy nuisances that multiple and spread throughout your house and yard. Ticks can carry a number of diseases which can also be transmitted to humans.

Once you have all of your preventative care out of the way you need to set aside the basics that are essential to a safe outdoor adventure. These basics include:

- Water and a bowl to keep your dog hydrated.
- ID tags on your dog's collar so that if your dog is able to be let off the leash or somehow got loose,   it can then be identified by whoever finds it and returned to you. Also make sure that your current rabies tag is on the collar as well. It's a good idea to have your dog microchipped as well in case the collar somehow fell off and animal control got ahold of your dog they could then scan for a microchip and all of your information would come up.
- The night before your outing look up information on all the nearest emergency animal clinics to the location you will be at just in case your dog needs Veterinary attention.
- Pet specific First-Aid Kit (you can buy these from your local pet store or online)

This is just a list of the basics. There is always more that could be added depending on your specific surroundings. Stay safe!

Happy Winston Wednesday!

Most Common Toxic Plants to Cats and Dogs

Overall there are 405 toxic plants to cats and dogs combined. It would be insane for me to list all of them so I am going to list the most common plants to cause toxicity - the ones they get into most frequently. I will include a picture of the plant and a list of symptoms when ingested.

Scientific Name: Aloe Vera

Family: Liliaceae

Toxicity: Cats and Dogs

Clinical Signs: Vomiting, depression, diarrhea, anorexia, tremors, change in urine color.

Scientific Name: Amaryllis sp.

Family: Amaryllidaceae

Common Names: Belladonna lily, Saint Joseph lily, Cape Belladonna, Naked Lady

Toxicity: Cats and Dogs

Clinical Signs: Vomiting, depression, diarrhea, abdominal pain, hypersalivation, anorexia, tremors

Scientific Name: Rhododendron sp.

Family: Ericaceae

Common Names: Azalea, Rhododendron, Rosebay

Toxicity: Cats, Dogs, Horses

Clinical Signs: Ingestion of a few leaves can cause serious problems. The toxic principle interferes with normal skeletal muscle, cardiac muscle and nerve function. Typically within a few hours of ingestion clinical signs begin such as digestive upset, excessive drooling, anorexia, diarrhea, depression, loss of coordination, weakness, stupor, leg paralysis, weak heart rate and recumbency for 2 or more days at which point may result in a coma and then death.

Scientific Name: Colchicum autumnale

Family: Liliaceae

Common Names: Autumn Crocus, Meadow Saffron

Toxicity: Cats, Dogs, Horses

Clinical Signs: Oral irritation, bloody vomiting, diarrhea, shock, multi-organ damage, bone-marrow suppression. 

Scientific Name: Begonia spp.

Family: Begoniaceae

Common Names: There are over 1,000 species and 10,000 hybrids

Toxicity: Cats and Dogs

Clinical Signs: Oral irritation, intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips, excessive drooling, vomiting, difficulty swallowing. The tubers are the most toxic part of the plant.

Scientific Name: Ricinus communis

Family: Euphorbiaceae

Common Names: Castor Bean Plant, Castor Oil Plant, Mole Bean Plant, African Wonder Tree

Toxicity: Cats, Dogs, Horses

Clinical Signs: Castor Beans are very toxic and cause oral irritation, burning of mouth and throat, increase in thirst, vomiting, diarrhea, kidney failure, convulsions. As little as one ounce of seeds can be lethal. Signs typically develop between 12 to 48 hours after ingestion and include loss of appetite, thirst, weakness, sweating, difficulty breathing, trembling, loss of coordination, progressive central nervous system depression, and fever. As the syndrome progresses bloody diarrhea may occur as well as convulsions and a coma can precede death.

Scientific Name: Anthemis noblilis

Family: Compositae

Common Names: Chamomile, Manzanilla, Garden Chamomile, Roman Chamomile, True Chamomile, Corn Feverfew, Barnyard Daisy, Ground-apple, Turkey-weed

Toxicity: Cats, Dogs, Horses

Clinical Signs: Contact dermatitis, anorexia, diarrhea, vomiting, allergic reactions. Long term exposure can lead to bleeding tendencies. *NOTE* Just because Chamomile calms and relaxes you...that does NOT mean that you can give it to your pets. I have heard of a few people who thought it was a great thing to give to their dogs. They thought it calmed their dogs...well yeah because you were slowly poisoning them. 

Scientific Name: Cyclamen spp

Family: Primulaceae

Common Names: Cyclamen, Sowbread

Toxicity: Cats and Dogs

Clinical Signs: Vomiting, diarrhea, salivation. The highest concentration of the toxic component is in the root of this plant. Heart rhythm murmurs can occur and fatally. 

Scientific Name: Allium sativum

Family: Liliaceae

Common Names: Garlic, Stinking Rose, Rustic Treacle, Comphor of the Poor, Nectar of the Gods, Serpet Garlic, Rocambole

Toxicity: Cats, Dogs, Horses

Clinical Signs: Breakdown of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia, Heinz body anemia), vomiting, weakness, blood in urine, panting, tachycardia (high heart rate).

Scientific Name: Cannabis sativa

Family: Cannabaceae

Common Names: Marijuana, Hashish, Indian Hemp

Toxicity: Cats, Dogs, Horses

Clinical Signs: Prolonged depression, incoordination, vomiting, sleepiness or excitation, dilated pupils, hypersalivation, low blood pressure, low body temperature, seizure, coma, death in rare cases.

Scientific Name: Nerium oleander

Family: Apocynaceae

Common Names: Oleander, Rose-Bay

Toxicity: Cats, Dogs, Horses

Clinical Signs: Poisonings of Oleander can occur from access to fallen branches and prunings. All parts of the plant contain a highly toxic cardiac glycoside and can cause diarrhea, colic, sweating, incoordination, shallow/difficult breathing, muscle tremors, recumbency, and possibly death from cardiac arrest.

Scientific Name: Epipremnum aureum

Family: Araceae

Common Names: Pothos, Golden Pothos, Devil's Ivy, Taro Vine, Ivy Arum

Toxicity: Cats and Dogs

Clinical Signs: Oral irritation, intense burning and irritation of mouth, tongue and lips, vomiting, excessive drooling, difficulty swallowing.

Scientific Name: Cycas revoluta, zamia species

Family: Cycadaceae

Common Names: Sago Palm, Coontie Palm, Cardboard Palm

Toxicity: Cats, Dogs, Horses

Clinical Signs: Vomiting, melena (black "tarry" feces associated with a gastrointestinal hemorrhage), icterus (jaundice; yellow color of skin, eyes, mucous membranes), hemorrhagic gastroenteritis, bruising, excessive thirst, coagulopathy (condition in which the blood's ability to clot is impaired), liver damage, liver failure, death.

Scientific Name: Tulipa species

Family: Liliaceae

Common Names: Tulip

Toxicity: Cats, Dogs, Horses

Clinical Signs: Highest concentration of toxin is in the bulb. If ingested vomiting, depression, diarrhea, cardiac abnormalities and hypersalivation will occur. *NOTE* If you have a dog who likes to dig and you have Tulips in your backyard be very careful and watch your dog. 

Scientific Name: Taxus sp.

Family: Taxaceae

Common Names: Yew, Japanese Yew

Toxicity: Cats, Dogs, Horses

Clinical Signs: Sudden death from cardiac failure. The early signs are: muscular tremors, dyspnea, and seizures in dogs.

These are some of the most common plants that cause high risk toxicity to cats and dogs. I didn't include many Lilies because there are so many varieties but the more dangerous, potentially fatal lilies are true lilies of the Lilium or Hermerorcallis species. Some examples of these dangerous lilies include: Asiatic hybrid, Day, Easter, Red, Japanese Show, Tiger and Stargazer. All of these are highly toxic to cats. Even a small ingestion of 2-3 petals or leaves can result in severe, acute kidney failure. Even the pollen or water from the vase! Lily of the Valley is another dangerous lily but it does not cause kidney failure, it can instead cause life threatening heart arrythmias and even death when ingested by cats and dogs. If you see your cat or dog ingesting any plant and you are not sure whether it is toxic please take your pet to the Veterinarian immediately. The sooner you take them to the Vet after they ate the plant the sooner they can be treated and have a better chance of a full recovery. 

Meow Monday: Curiosity Can Harm Your Cat

Spring has sprung and Easter is almost upon us. In many households this means decorative colorful plastic grass, chocolate bunnies and Easter lilies. In a cat's eyes this means new stuff to investigate and play with which is not safe for your kitty (or your dog). If you have a cat/s in your household you will want to keep any of these items away from your cat's curious trouble making ways. My cat Jasper is a plastic chewing aficionado which is why no plastic is allowed near him. Plastic grass may be decorative and cute during Easter but it can pose a real hazard to your cat's health in the form of a digestive tract obstruction as well as vomiting and dehydration. That green plastic grass isn't so cute anymore is it? Easter lilies are very popular around this time of year and they are extremely toxic to your pets as well as any chocolate bunnies. So when in doubt make sure all of it is locked away tight where your furry friends can't reach it. Spring is also the time of "Spring Cleaning" - a time-honored tradition in many households. Clean all you want but please make sure you keep all cleaners and chemicals away from where your pets can get into them. Almost all chemicals in cleaners are harmful to your pets. So make sure you properly use them and store them. Wanting to grow a beautiful, bountiful garden? Fertilizers, herbicides, and insecticides can be fatal if your pet ingests them. When buying these products always read the labels and make sure that your pet does not need to stay off the lawn or garden area for a period of time after their use. Then when you are done using them properly store them out of harms way. Just some quick Spring time tips. Tomorrow check back for a post on poisonous plants. Now since it is Meow Monday let me leave you with some pictures of my brood and a precious video.

Happy Meow Monday! 

Winston Wednesday: First Time at the Waterfront

Now that I am back in Washington, Alex and I thought it would be a great time to take Winston to the waterfront down in Mukilteo. We stopped at the Mukilteo Lighthouse Park and let Winston experience the beach for the first time. He loved it. He was so curious about the water and wanted to get close to it but every time a wave would get too close he would run away. It was pretty cute. Here are a bunch of pictures and a video.

He was so fast it was hard to get a good video of him! He was cracking me and Alex up though. How could you not love that crazy Pug? Well I hope everyone is having a good day. This will conclude my Winston part of the blog post. I just wanted to put something out there to share with you guys and hopefully gain some support. It's something personal but in order to make it a reality Alex and I need the help and kindness of strangers. On the right side you will see a gofundme badge and if you click on it you can read about mine and Alex's struggle with having a child. Heartbreakingly it is something that is not possible without the assistance of fertility treatments. Please find it in your heart to help our dream of a baby come true. Thank you so much.