10 Most Common Problems in Dogs

by Kathreen Miller, guest writer

Edited by Nancee-Laetitia Marin

Dogs are incredible creatures. It is not just a saying but also a fact that dogs are humans’ best friends. Unfortunately, dogs face a lot of health issues in their lifetime. The good thing is that most of these problems can be prevented with proper treatment and vaccinations. There are now more ways to improve your canine friend’s life. Take arthritis, for example. It can permanently damage their joints, and there was previously no cure for it. However, there are now safer options such as natural supplements to treat joint problems and arthritis in dogs. A supplement such as Pet Bounce for dogs is embedded with natural ingredients and provides the best arthritis pain relief.

Here are 10 most common problems that dogs have:

Continue reading →

What Adrenal Fatigue Has Taught Me About Life and the Animal Kingdom

But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear. Matthew 13:16 (NIV)

You may or may not notice it, but I’ve been MIA on the blogosphere for quite some time—for a good reason.

Well, not quite so good, in fact.

I had to deal with a set of then-mysterious health challenges.

Continue reading →

Animal Reiki Workshop: Impressions and Experiences (Part 2)

Tanka on Animal Reiki Workshop

Meditation: on higher ground

hold on to the roots

rock steady—easy does it!

ground (zero) control

toss and turn and let it burn

let’s return to center stage

This is my second week of learning to let it be, let go, and let God.

Funnily, the exercise started with a string of minor annoyances, big enough to rattle my usual excitable, anxiety-prone, hyperactive mind. Enter the earth and sky meditation, based on the common grounding technique of visualizing light and energy from above, flooding our entire being from head to toe, crown to root—roots from the base of our spine reaching deep into the earth, locking us in a stable, firm, unshakable position—and filling our heart center, radiating everywhere to animals in need of peace and healing. Without any pressure or expectation, we invite them to take as much or as little energy—or none at all—as they wish. Trust between us and the animals is established, resulting in an effective Reiki treatment, even if we don’t immediately sense anything at first. It’s the moment for us to let them take the lead in this energetic two-step. Continue reading →

Animal Reiki Workshop: Impressions and Experiences (Part 1)

Animal Reiki Workshop assignment 1

INTRO

This is a five-part series corresponding to five weeks of the Animal Reiki Workshop, for which I signed up in a short while after the fact after Boston, a fellow pet sitter/friend’s pit bull, was suddenly struck with immune-mediated hemolytic anemia (IMHA). I wanted to help in some way after learning that natural approaches have been used successfully to treat various diseases, including autoimmune disorders. I had already wanted to sign up for the workshop for quite some time, so the timing was spot on.

Reiki, literally translated as spiritual energy or spiritual life force, is a Japanese holistic healing system incorporating touch and meditation. Used to treat both humans, animals, and even situations, it promotes balance, relaxation, pain relief, and stress reduction among many others. Continue reading →

Awesome Travel Hacks to Send Your Inner Pack Rat Packing

As a pet care provider offering primarily overnight pet sitting/house sitting services to business and vacation travelers, as well as one of many pet industry insiders attending cross-country professional conferences at least once a year, the one common denominator we all have is the frequent travel prepping. Stuffing suitcases and backpacks isn’t something most people look forward to with a bushy, wagging tail (as it’s a pain in the tail!), but here are some ways to make it easier, faster, and not to mention cheaper! Maximize what you bring along while minimizing weight and space at the same time. Continue reading →

17 Animal-Themed Christmas Pieces and Tunes Through the Ages

‘Tis the season to celebrate the animal kingdom! Christmas music through the ages makes references to animals in the titles and/or the lyrics. Here’s a compilation of classical/traditional and popular Christmas pieces and tunes, courtesy of fellow musician/cat lady/blogging partner, Meri Dolevski-Lewis, in our joint cybercorner of the world, The Freethinkers. (Note: edits are mine.) Continue reading →

Best Unique Holiday and Anytime Staycation Spots and Ideas in Southern California and Beyond

It’s the holidays, and you’ve got a hankering for a getaway or even a pretty bad case of cabin fever. But maybe you’ve already blown your budget on a Black Friday mad shopping dash or you simply don’t have the slightest idea on what to do. Look no farther than your own backyard for some low-cost or no-cost festive fun 24/7/365—or 366 in a leap year, which happens to be just two months away at the time of this post! Continue reading →

Pet Safety Tips for a Merry Holiday Season

Christmas dogs and cat

The holidays are upon us. Stuffing, parties, tree lights, camera, action!

It’s the most wonderful time of the year to break out a few of your favorite things, but some of them aren’t safe for your furry kids. If you’re not careful, you’ll end up singing the blues instead of some Christmas carols and pop tunes!

Just like Santa, you’ll do well by checking the below list twice—or more—for your own and your furry family’s well-being and enjoyment this season. Continue reading →

9 Reasons Why Cats Need Daily Pet Sitter Visits—and Not Lose All 9 Lives!

Cats just love doing their own thing, whenever, wherever, all by themselves. Everything seems to be on their own terms. They may be independent, self-sufficient, and can land and stand on all fours, but obviously, they can’t pick up the phone to call you to come over, fix themselves some chow, get their own water, and clean up their own mess.

You probably think that you can save more than a few bucks by having cat sitting visits every other day or longer, but don’t dare break Murphy’s Law. Anything can and do happen within the 24-hour period. Unless your cat is one of the video game characters with unlimited tries and 1-ups, he or she only has one life per lifetime.

Game over. Period. Continue reading →