Summertime # Chewy Influencer

Hi Everybody,
Here in the USA it's summertime. Sorry Bella, Roxy and Dui. Mom says that summer officially started yesterday and today it's really hot, even though it's raining a little. We're going to remind you of some of our favorite summer activities. Maybe you'll even want to try a few of them yourselves.

 Here in the USA baseball is called the national pastime. We're not sure why that is because we can think of a couple of things we like better, like swimming and eating. But we do play ball too. I'm the captain of the team.

We have lots of pitchers, but Mackey is the newest.

We really miss Morgan, she was our best batter.

Running the bases is the most fun.

Another fun thing to do is chasing paper airplanes. Dad makes them and sends them flying.

We are the chasers, but sometimes we disagree about who caught it first.

 In the end our job is to mulch them up.

Most of us are Water Dogs, so our favorite sport involves water. Any time the hose appears, we're ready to get wet. Mom says it makes watering the garden a lot tougher.

 We love when Dad fills our little wading pool and we all try to get in at once.

Probably the very best water fun is when we go to the lake. Just riding in the boat is super fun. Some of us have to wear a leash in the boat because we get so excited about swimming that we can't wait to get to the swim spot. 

 Then finally we arrive at the swim spot and we can get just as wet as we want to be. We keep the peeps busy throwing toys for us to retrieve. These are the very best days of summer and we get tired out doing what we were born to do.

But then there's another important summer activity. Eating! When we see the big pink dish come out, we know we're about to get something good to eat. We might have to work for it, like when we bob for apples of hot dogs.

Sometimes the pink dish has our summer favorite, watermelon! Dad cuts it up into bite sized pieces and we get as much as we can grab. I can grab a whole lot.

 Then after a day full of summer activities, we need a good nutritious dinner. That's where our friends at Chewy come in.  This month they sent us something new to try. It's called Taste of The Wild Pacific Stream Grain Free. Mom has heard about this food from some of the other Portie peeps and it seems that their dogs all love it. We thought it was about time we tried it, too.

This food is smoked salmon in gravy. Doesn't that look good? It's big chunks of fish in a light gravy.

 It mixes nicely into our kibble and oh the taste....... It also has sweet potatoes, blueberries and raspberries, so it's high in Omega 3, which is super important, and also in antioxidants. If you're on a diet, it's also low fat, just 3%. This is a great meal for an athlete or for your couch potato.

Ruby, this food  does have a delicious fishy odor that your Mom won't like, so you can come join us for dinner. After all you are an honorary Portie. Bring your bubble machine.
So excuse us while we eat up and get ready for a full summer of fun.

Chewy sent us a case of Taste of The Wild Pacific Stream at no cost to the peeps in exchange for our honest review.

Your pal, Fudge

Fudge's Furry Tales = Real Life Story

Hi Everybody,
Today I have one of my most wonderful furry tales for you. It's a tale that Mom told us and I'll pass it along to you. But this time there's a catch. You see this tale actually turned into a real life experience and I'll tell you all about it. So grab a bowl of treats and a cozy pillow and here we go.

My story today is called 'The Peep Who Cried Wolf'. It's very exciting and it has a lesson, too. 

Once upon a time in a small village there was a boy who needed a summer job. The village didn't have a Walmart or a McDonalds, so the peeps got together and decided that the boy should watch the sheep in the field while the rest of the peeps did their peep things like washing and cooking and growing foodables. They told the boy to watch over the sheep as they grazed and keep an eye open for the big bad wolf. If the wolf came by, they said the boy should yell and they'd all come protect him and the sheep.

It went pretty good for awhile. The sheep were all busy eating, so the boy relaxed in the shade, but after a few hours he got bored. The sheep weren't real exciting and he didn't have an Ipad so he couldn't play Candy Crush. He decided it might be fun to cry "wolf" and see what happened. So he did.

The villagers came running with all kind of weapons to save the sheep and the boy, but they looked around and didn't see the big bad wolf. The boy admitted that he made it up and the wolf hadn't been there. The village peeps told him not to do that again and they all went back to work. 

After a few more hours the sheep were still eating. Sheep eat a lot and they eat slowly. The boy was getting really bored and he remembered how much fun it was to see all the villagers running toward him with their rakes and hammers and brooms and other weapons, so once again he cried "wolf". 

Again the villagers came running waving their weapons over their heads and shouting to scare the wolf. But there was no wolf and though the boy was laughing and enjoying himself, the villagers were getting mad. They again told him to behave and guard the sheep and they left.

A few more hours went by and the boy who was kind of a slow learner, was really really bored and  he decided to do it again. But then he heard something and looked behind him and there was the big bad wolf with his knife and fork in his hands. 

The boy was really scared and screamed "WOLF". The villagers heard him cry "wolf", but they were tired of his games and they continued with their work. Again he cried "WOLF" but nobody believed him, they thought he was playing another joke on them. Nobody went to help him. The big bad wolf ate all the sheep and the boy. 

 The lesson is to be honest. Well, we all enjoyed the story when Mom told us, but one of us didn't learn the lesson. I call this 'The Dog That Cried Pee'.

Every night at 6:30 Dad takes us into the back yard. It's been a couple hours since dinner and we get a chance to pee. Then we all go inside and relax during the evening while Mom and Dad watch tv or play Scrabble or Mom knits while Dad snores on the couch or whatever. One night Mackey was busy playing during our outing and when she got back inside she realized that she needed to pee. Dad leashed her and took her into the front yard where she peed, but then she saw the neighbor's cat. She wanted to chase it but she was on a leash and Dad said no and dragged her back inside.

Mackey has a really good memory, especially when it comes to cats. So the next night at 7:00 Mackey told Mom that she had to pee. Mom put her on leash and went out front, but Mackey didn't really have to pee. She wanted to get that cat, so she dragged Mom all around the yard and tried to go to the neighbor's house. Mom took her back inside. The next night she tried it again on Dad. He took her out but all she did was search for the cat.

Mackey does this every single night at 7:00. She tells Mom and Dad that she has to pee. For several nights they fell for it, but then they started saying "no". They told her to settle down and handed her a toy. She'd go from one to the other and even barked a little but they refused to take her out.

Then one night Mackey really did have to pee. She ran over to Dad and wiggled and whined, but he told her to go play with her toy. She went to Mom and wiggled and whined but she told her to be quiet and settle down. Mackey tried over and over to get their attention, but they ignored her. 

We all knew what was going on and finally I went over and sniffed Mackey's back end and looked up at Mom. She laughed and finally she leashed Mackey and took her outside. She just made it into the grass. But then instead of learning her lesson, Mackey started looking around for the cat. Oh oh.

So now every night at 7:00 Mackey starts her campaign to go out. Mom and Dad try telling her to knock it off, but if she keeps it up, they usually cave. Mackey will just never learn.

I know you were all hoping for a better ending like maybe the cat would chase Mackey, but it is what it is. Have a good night and remember not to try to trick your peeps.

Your pal, Fudge

A Party For Me

Hi Everybody,
Today it's raining outside again, but it's still a super special day because these are sitting on the kitchen counter waiting till our afternoon outing. You all know what they mean, a party!!!

 You probably can't guess why we're having a party for me. Yes, it's Father's Day and I am a father of nine. Here's one of my kids, Norma Jean. Mom says she's a chip off the old block. 

 But the real reason for the party is super wonderful.  You see back in February when I had my  birthday, I had a very sore back. I had to visit Dr B and get on some pain medicine to make me feel better. That day he told Mom that I was fat. Can you imagine him saying such a thing? When I got on the scales that day, they said 75 pounds.

Mom put me on a diet right away. She cut my kibble in half and started adding lots of green beans. She and Dad also started breaking my treats in half. Not fair!!!!

On March 31st they took me back to the clinic to check on my weight and I was 70.5 pounds. That made Mom very happy, but she still starved me.

Well, on Thursday Mom was sitting at her computer and I went over and leaned on her. She started rubbing my back and then she felt all around me. She told Dad that she thought I'd lost more weight, so on Friday we went back to the clinic again and I got on the scales again.

Guess what !!! I weight 65.5 pounds. I did it!!! I lost 10 pounds and now my back doesn't hurt and I look oh so handsome and Mom started feeding me again. Not a lot, but at least I don't feel like I'm starving. And on the way home we stopped at the store and got cupcakes with sprinkles to celebrate. 

 All of you Dads out there have a good day, but it won't be as good as mine.
Your pal Fudge

Fruitful Days

We've had an amazing amount of rain this spring. In April and May it rained most days and it's still raining at times. Overnight we had a thunderstorm and there's more forecast for tonight. So what do we do during long dark rainy days? We bake.

I found a really easy, really good tasting recipe for apple cake. It's in the Heart Association Cookbook, so it's even good for us. I think Rob became addicted to it because we made one every week for two months. I made it so often that I memorized the recipe.

Each evening as we watched hockey, Rob would cut a generous piece for each of us. 

I also made cookies during the wet months. I made several kinds including chocolate chip. Now I'm going to reveal a secret about chocolate chip cookies and I don't want you to yell at me. Promise?

Fudge loves chocolate chip cookies. I can hear you yelling that chocolate is bad for dogs. I know. I only give him the little bits that don't have any chips. Last time I made them, I made two cookies that had no chips and they were designated as Fudge's cookies.  In this house if you pick up a chocolate chip cookie, Fudge appears and glues himself to you. If you sit to enjoy your cookie, he puts his big heavy head in you lap and gives you adoring looks and maybe even a whimper or two. Just try ignoring him.

Last weekend I decided to make some cookies that Fudge could enjoy without causing me to feel guilty. The dough looks pretty strange, doesn't it?

These are blueberry cookies. In my opinion, they aren't quite as good as chocolate chip, but Fudge and all the other fur kids think they are wonderful. They're  quick and easy and smell good because of the almond extract. We'll probably do these again soon.

I heard on the news a couple days ago that this is a banner year for blueberries because of all the rain. A local farmer says it's his best blueberry crop in thirty years. I hope that brings the price down a little.

When I went outside yesterday I noticed that the branches of the plum tree were hanging low. I was curious and walked close to look. Well, it seems we're having our best crop of plums ever, too. The branches are full and the plums are getting pretty big. Too bad they're so sour.

 The birds and squirrels should have a feast on all the fresh fruit this summer.

Spring showers bring more than flowers.

It Comes In Threes

My grandmother was superstitious. She taught me all sorts of little sayings about losing things and finding things and dropping things and breaking things. She avoided walking under ladders, which only seems to make sense for the person on the ladder and the one under the ladder. She believed that good things and bad things both came in sets of three.

Fortunately, though I learned all her little sayings and beliefs, I never really bought into them, except for her fear of thunder storms. I must admit that I'm nervous about thunder storms, but I don't unplug everything in the house and sit in the dark, as she did.

Still, when a couple things go wrong in a short amount of time, I do wonder briefly if there's another one on the way. This time there was.

I've been treating Fudge for his infection, giving him his scary pills three times a day. Today he's taking his last dose and we'll both be happy about that.

I've been dutifully putting ointments in Noah's eyes three times a day and I'm starting to see an improvement.

Then at 4AM on Tuesday I woke up when I heard a loud thump. It was Mackey falling out of the chair in the bedroom. She was having a seizure. I jumped up to hold her while Rob led the other dogs out of the room. She hadn't had a seizure since January and we were hoping she wouldn't have another. This was a bad one. It lasted 12 minutes and she was moaning and very frightened. We took turns holding her and soothing her and as quickly as it had started, it was over. Instead of being wobbly and looking for a dark corner to hide in, she was super charged. She dragged Rob outside, then she had a hard time getting back to sleep, so we all did.

The next day she was moving at super speed, barking and jumping around and it was all we could do to keep up with her.

It looks like all three are getting back to normal, so maybe now we can hope for three good things to happen.

A Dud

We live on a fairly steep hill and over the years we've watched our back yard erode. We brought in a couple loads of topsoil and had it spread around and then we built some  little retaining walls to hold the soil in place, but still the combination of summer drought and torrential rains washed the soil down the hill. Then a few years ago I got the idea to plant clover to hold the soil in place. I know some people go ballistic if they see a single clover in their perfect lawn, but if your perfect lawn decides to move to another neighborhood on it's own, you might change your mind.

I bought three varieties of clover seeds, mixed them together and spread them all around the yard. At first it didn't look like anything was happening, but now we have large areas that are thick with clover and lots of tiny little flowers in the spring. The remaining soil seems to be staying put. Last week as I walked thru the yard with the dogs, something caught my eye.

I picked it and brought it inside hoping it would bring that famous  good luck along with it. It was a dud.

Last week we got the results of Fudge's follow up culture on his e-coli infection. It's still there. The vet said that the antibiotic he took for two weeks seemed to have cleared up the infection in the bladder, but he also has the infection in his prostate and that has reinfected the bladder. We needed a stronger drug to clear the infection in both areas.

He gave me two awful options. Option A was the drug that Morgan had reacted to that almost killed her.

Option B was a drug called Chloramphenicol. He said it would penetrate the barrier into the prostate and kill the infection. That was the good news. The bad news is that it could also kill me if I touched it. While safe for the dog, if I got it on my skin it could cause bone marrow suppression. I would need to wear gloves to give it to Fudge three times a day for ten days. Good choices, right?

Well, I chose option B, but first I looked it up online. It's really strong and is used for, get this, meningitis, plague, cholera and typhoid fever.  And it also warned that side effects include bone marrow suppression leading to death. Yikes!

So three times a day Fudge and I go off by ourselves, I don gloves and carefully feed him three yellow tablets. Please cross your paws that this stuff wipes out his infection.

Then as if that stupid clover hadn't done enough damage, on Monday morning Noah woke up and both eyes were so full of goop that he could hardly open them. I put warm compresses on and got them open but they were red and goopy. I gave him some Benedryl and put drops in his eyes several times during the day but they were only slightly better the next morning, so off to visit with Dr B.

He looked at Noah's eyes, then did Schirmer tear tests in both eyes. Noah has suffered with dry eye in his left eye since reacting to a sulpha drug a few years ago. He gets  doggy Restasis, called Optimmune, in his left eye each morning. A perfect score is 12 and last time we tested, in February, his right eye was 11 and his left was 16. This time his right was 10 and his left was only 4. Oh oh!

Noah also has conjunctivitis in both eyes. Dr B thinks he's either reacting to a new drug he started taking a couple weeks ago or he may have some seasonal allergies causing his eyes to react. So now Noah is getting steroid ointment in both eyes twice a day and Optimmune at bedtime. In a week he'll start getting Optimmune in both eyes twice a day until he can produce his own tears again. We'll also have to do testing any time he starts taking any new medications.

The moral of my story is, if you see a big fat four leaf clover waving to you in the field, walk away as fast as you can.