Medication Woes

I tried to refill Lily and Lola's heartworm medication prescriptions yesterday through 1-800 Pet Meds. Boy, was that a mistake. First I get a call from Bridgeville Animal Hospital telling me that Lola has not been tested for heartworm and they can't renew her prescription. I called them back and, after getting the run-around and waiting an hour for a call back, I was told that, yes, in fact, they can renew both dogs' prescriptions, but they won't confirm with 1-800 Pet Meds online or fax me the prescriptions. I have to come to the vet in person to pick them up. When I asked why this is the case, I was told "because the vet wants to discourage people from buying medication online." The woman went on to say that medications purchased from websites could be counterfeit or obtained from the "black market," so their hospital only recommends purchasing directly from them. That would be an easy decision if, say, the vet didn't charge twice what 1-800 Pet Meds charges. I then asked if they would match prices. Of course she said no, and I again asked why. I was told that they can't buy their medications in bulk, so they can't afford to sell them at such a discount. So, my only option now is to make an out-of-the-way trip to Bridgeville Animal Hospital just so I can be a good pet owner and maintain my pets' medication routines.

After my discussion with the vet tech, I decided to do some research as to whether these claims about counterfeit medications have any truth to them. What I discovered is that, while vets may have some legitimate reason for concern, as not every online pharmacy is reliable, 1-800 Pet Meds is an accredited online veterinary pharmacy by the National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, and there is really no reason to make it so difficult for customers to purchase from them (other than the fact that vets are losing business). It really makes me angry that policies are put in place purely to make it a hassle for me to care for my dogs in the most cost-effective way. Even if the hospital won't change their policy on approving online pharmaceutical orders, it irks me that they won't even fax the prescription to me. Their policy of making you come pick up the scrip is deliberately in place to make it inconvenient for the pet owner to order anywhere but directly from the vet. If I even had a clue where to begin going about getting this changed or revoked, I would start immediately, but I guess for now I'm going to have to grin and bear it (and maybe pay a visit to the Bridgeville TJ Maxx while I'm out to ease my sorrows).

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

If Mister Rogers had an archenemy, it would be my dog Lily. I recently purchased a Mister Rogers book and DVD for my cousin's son's birthday. I had them set out with the gift bag I intended to package them in, but Lily was too quick for my procrastinating ways. Yesterday morning, when I got out of the shower, I found Lily sprawled out in the hallway with the "Trolley Visit to Make Believe" book in her paws and a guilty look on her face (though unfortunately not a viral video, guest star on Good Morning America kind of look). As upset as I was that Lily had destroyed what would have been a most splendid gift for a 2-year-old, I chalked it up to a case of doggy boredom and nothing more. That is, until I realized I had a repeat offender on my hands.

Same scenario, different day. I get out of the shower and go downstairs to find "Adventures in Friendship" de-sweatered and chewed around the edges (yes, a Mister Rogers DVD was encased in a sweater - tell me that's not adorable). So now not only has Lily obliterated my entire gift for Collin Stalnaker, but she has proven to have a personal vendetta against Mister Rogers, one of the nicest men to ever walk this earth! I know what you're thinking: how did Lily get a hold of the DVD after she had already taken the book? Didn't you put it away? To that I say, yes. Sort of. I kept the DVD in the same spot where I was keeping the book, but I covered it up. I didn't think Lily would ever make the same horrible, blasphemous-against-childhood-memories-everywhere mistake twice, especially not when my room is filled with other more appetizing things for her to steal. I guess I underestimated her disdain for charming television icons of the 20th century.

I can picture it now how the great heist went down. Lola stands with her ear to the bathroom door, giving Lily the go-ahead nod when the shower starts to run. Lily, much like the giant in Jack and the Beanstalk, uses her keen sense of smell to seek out the blood of the "Englishman." When she finds her target, she quickly and nimbly grabs it from the pile and retreats downstairs to take out her vengeance in private. There she sits, gnawing on the DVD case, spitting out a corner with a look of disgust on her face, all while muttering, "Beautiful day in the neighborhood, my ass!"

I have a few more weeks to pick up a new gift for Collin that will earn me the title of "Best Second Cousin in All the Land," but I am going to make sure I get Lily's approval on whatever I decide to buy. I mean, if this is how she feels about Mister Rogers, imagine what she'd do to Sharon, Lois & Bram!

Only Lola Can Prevent Kitchen Fires

Tonight, as I was preparing my Weight Watchers-friendly dinner consisting of chicken Marsala, mushrooms, broccoli, and roasted red potatoes (hungry yet?) and I had a little mishap with the oven. It started when I went to get the chicken out of the oven and my thumb went over the potholder and touched the 450-degree pan. I screamed, dropped the chicken pan, which subsequently flew into the coils, caused sparks, and then splashed a piece of chicken out into the bottom of the oven. Meanwhile, my mushrooms were going from brown to black and my water for steaming the broccoli was boiling like crazy. As I tended to my burnt thumb and the rest of the meal's components, the chicken that had fallen on the bottom of the oven started to burn. Soon, the smoke alarm was shrieking and I was running around turning on vents and opening windows. Don't ask me where Guy was in the midst of all of this.

Finally, after I had gotten everything back to normal and dinner was served, we sat down to eat and noticed the lack of a certain bearded black monster who usually sticks her nose right into our plates before we get the chance to take a bite. We looked all around for Lola and she was nowhere to be found. Usually we don't even have to call her before dinner - the plates clinking is enough to attract her to the living room, but this time, she wasn't even coming when I yelled her name. Finally we decided to check the basement for her in case she had gotten trapped in the garage (it's happened before). When Guy and I went down the steps, she reluctantly came out of our storage room, looking pretty shaken up. She then came upstairs and proceeded to lay her head down on Guy's lap, not paying any mind to the plates full of food sitting inches away from her soft black nose. Plus, she was shaking. This was totally unlike Lola, so we checked to make sure she hadn't gotten into any chemicals in the basement (she hadn't), and the only conclusion we could come to is that she had gotten spooked when the smoke alarm was going off and went into hiding in the basement.

As traumatized as she seemed, it was actually sort of cute to think that she hid out down there, not to mention that we now know how to keep her from begging for scraps!

Lola's Lecture, AKA -- A Post for Jerod

Throughout the past six months or so, Guy and I (mainly I) have undertaken the task of tearing up all of the carpet in our house that has been desecrated by our lovely little beast we call Lola. No matter what we seemed to try, from teaching her to ring bells on the door to spending a fortune on Sears carpet cleaning, Lola refused to stop relieving herself on our plush beige carpet. So, in an effort to deter her disgusting habit, we tore up the carpet bit by bit and replaced it with cheap vinyl tile. Every time we got another section of flooring torn up, Lola moved her favorite potty spot to any remaining carpet she could find.

This past Sunday, we removed the last of the carpet from our master bedroom. The only place where our floor is still cushiony under our feet is the downstairs entry and our walk-in closet. Guy made a comment that we should make sure to close the closet door, lest Lola deem it her new toilet.

Well, Monday came and went, and when the girls arrived home after a long day at Camp Bow Wow, no one let them out to go to the bathroom. At bedtime, I marveled at how cute my two little puppy girls are, having put themselves to bed in the spots where Guy and I usually lay. Then, my eyes fell to the closet door, which had been left open during the day. We are stuck in an old routine and unfortunately, so is Lola. There on the carpet was the tell-tale dark, wet spot. Lola had done it again!

It was at that point in time that I decided Lola needed a lecture. I looked at my little bearded sausage there on the bed, took her head in my heads, and said, sternly, "Your daddy was right about you! We've raised you from a pup and this is how you thank us?" Then Guy, arriving on the scene, decided to add his two cents in. He said, "Yeah, we're your parents. Don't think you can treat us like your little friends down the street!" We were both very pleased with our recollection of parenting cliches. Lola, on the other hand, met us both with her usual blank stare. However, until that day when we do decide to bring human children into the house (hopefully not any time soon), we will get wonderful practice giving good talking-to's to our canine kids.

If Only I Would've Had a Camera

Today Lily & Lola came home from a long day of playing at Camp Bow Wow. They ate their dinners and promptly took up their usual positions begging for food while Daddy and I ate our dinners in the living room. Lily soon tired of this business and curled up for a long summer's nap. Lola, determined to beg till she dropped, stayed under the TV tray where she usually sits, but her eyelids soon betrayed her. Guy and I watched as they started to droop and she struggled to keep them open. But the "America's Funniest Home Videos" moment came when Lola actually closed her eyes and started to slooooowwwwly tip over. She fell asleep sitting up! She was rudely awakened when her head hit the side of the TV tray, but, boy, did we get a good laugh tonight! If only we could have shared it on tape with millions of Americans (and my future husband, Tom Burgeron).

Odd Choice of Signage

I had to take a dog to the South Hills Animal Hospital the other day for work, and I haven't been inside there for a few years, so as I was taking in my surroundings, something jumped out at me. On their front-desk counter, there is one of those plastic signs with engraved letters. You would expect it to say something like "payment is due at the time of your appointment" or "cancellations require 24-hour notice" -- you know, something generic and office-like. No. Instead it says, in big, bold letters -- "GRAPES AND RAISINS CAN KILL YOUR DOG!"

Um...okay...

So can lighter fluid, but you don't have a sign posted about that. I know that grapes and raisins have been the "trendy" item lately for people to make you worry about, but to have an engraved sign about it posted at the vet hospital? It just seemed strange to me.

Mad Mama

I have never been as angry at my dogs as I am tonight. Guy is on a business trip to Virginia, so I'm home alone with the ladies, and usually they are good for me, but tonight is an exception. First of all, Lola has been on this kick lately of squeaking out any door that we open, so she constantly gets out without her leash or collar on. It's not really a problem when she goes out the back door because she usually just runs up the hill and comes back in a minute or two. But tonight, she decided to make her escape out the front door. A black dog on the street in the dark is not a good thing. Now, the reason Lola even had the chance to get out the front door is because of Lily, Miss "I will whine to no end about having to go to the bathroom, but when you let me out, I won't do a thing." I literally let Lily out about 6 times within the span of an hour and a half, and she did absolutely nothing. I knew she had to go number #2 because this is a typical routine with her. I decided to give her one more chance and take her down the street for a change of location. Ideally, Lola would have gone in her crate so I could handle Lily and her poop bag by myself, but not even Nut-tastics could tempt Lola into her cage. She knew something was up.

So, I tried to just get out the door without Lola following, but she got out before me and took off down the road. There I am, screaming her name (to no avail) with Lily on her leash coming along for the chase. Every time I got close to Lola, she just took off further, till she eventually started going into the adjacent townhome plan to ours. It was at this point in time that Lily decided she was finally ready to move her bowels and a nice young couple walked up the road and attracted Lola's attention. I am struggling with Lily while trying explain to them that, yes, Lola is friendly, but that she got off her leash and I'm trying to catch her. They bend down to pet her, only sending Lily into a frenzy because she wants attention, too. As they leave, I'm finally able to pin Lola down to the ground, but there was no way I could walk Lily back home, carry Lola, and carry the poop. So, unfortunately, I had to leave the poop on the ground. I feel really guilty about it, but I couldn't even find it again after the fiasco with the couple, so I just hope nobody steps in it.

At this point, I am about 100 yards from my house with a 45-pound dog hoisted in my left arm and Lily pulling me along on her leash. I pretty much died on the walk back home. At least I don't feel as bad for eating that Dairy Queen cupcake now.

In conclusion, it took all the mental strength I could muster not to strangle both of the dogs upon arriving back home. I am so sick of these issues, which, in my opinion, could be solved by having a house with a fenced-in yard. Can someone please buy me a lottery ticket?

Look Familiar?

I saw this article about a dachsund laying with a tiger and had to click on it. Turns out the dachsund looks a lot like someone I know...

Mary's Dog House

Lily & Lola went to their first official "grooming" yesterday at Mary's Dog House in Bethel Park. I got a good recommendation for Mary's from my friend, Julie, and it's not far from home, so that's why we decided to take them there. I'll sum up our experience with a quick list of pros and cons.

Pros:
-Price! It was $56 for both dogs to be deep cleaned (they even cleaned around their "bumholes" as the lady working there put it), have their nails trimmed, ears cleaned, hair between their paw pads trimmed, and Lola even got a beard/eyebrow cut and had her nails ground to make them less sharp. I definitely wasn't expecting it to be this inexpensive.
-Results! Both dogs looked bee-yoo-tiful when they were finished. Mary's put cute little flowered bandanas on each of them, and Guy didn't even recognize Lola when she first came out with her fresh haircut.
-Staff! The staff members were very friendly and accommodating.

Cons:
-Time -- Now, since I have never taken the dogs to be groomed before, it's hard to know if this is truly a con, but it took 2 1/2 hours to finish them. I was expecting more like an hour. But, I could be totally off base in my expectations.
-Appearance of store -- When we first walked in, the store definitely appeared in a state of disarray. I know that shaving and cleaning dogs all day is sure to be a messy business, but the place looked like it could use a good scrubbing.
-Strange child playpen in the rear of the store -- There was a really, really odd fenced-in area in the back of the dog-grooming space with toys and a little toddler just kind of piddling around. It looked like we were observing him at a zoo. Granted, this doesn't have anything to do with the quality of their business, but it was just plain weird.

So, as you can see, I would say the pros definitely outweigh the cons at Mary's Dog House. If you don't have the time to do a self-serve wash, I'd highly recommend Mary's for all your grooming needs.

The Great Poop Caper

Lily is two years old now, and we'd like to consider her housebroken. It's a very, very rare occasion when she goes potty in the house, so when she does, we know it must have been a true emergency.

The other night, Guy and I were cleaning his loft, so we left the gate open by accident. Later on, I noticed a piece of poop literally draped over one of the steps to the loft, like whichever dog had done it did so on the run. I immediately blamed Lola because she still has issues with pottying outside, but Guy had other ideas. He got a paper towel to clean up the stuff, but while he was transporting it to the garbage, he decided to model it for me to explain why it was much too big to be Lola's. He was holding it at different angles and viewpoints while I was screaming at him to stop. Eventually he relented and flushed the poop and the conversation down the toilet. However, after observing the size of Lola's BMs for the past day or so, I guess I have to agree with Guy that there's no way Lola could have managed the poop drapery.

So, sorry, Lily, for not letting you out if you really needed to go. And sorry, world, for letting you know that poop analysis is part of our daily routines. This is what our lives have come to.

I'm Sick 'Cause I Ate One

When I took the Red Cross babysitting course in sixth grade, they taught us a little "poem" to remember the phone number for Poison Control. It went, "I'm sick 'cause I ate one. Sick, sick, sick, upside-down sick." Can you figure out what the phone number was? See the bottom of the post for the answer.

Anyway, I really wish there was an online database for all things poisonous to dogs. Lily, being the smart darling that she is, chews things up and spits them out. Lola, on the other hand, chews things up and ingests them. She eats paper towels, plastic, her own vomit, and pretty much anything she can get her paws on. Today I caught her chewing/eating an old Polaroid picture of one of my friends and Ian from Survivor: Palau. The back of the picture smells kind of funny, like it has chemicals on it, and Lola's breath now smells the same way. I'm really not sure if it is a big deal, and I don't even know if she swallowed anything, but I tried Googling "dog ate Polaroid" just in case. Needless to say, I didn't find any helpful results. I don't think this situation warrants calling Poison Control, but it'd just be nice if there was a message board or online chat with veterinarians who could ease my fears.


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Tails to Trails

I just want to bring your attention to this event that will be taking place on Saturday, June 6. Guy and I attended last year with Lily and had a grand old time. Despite the extremely hot weather, we were really impressed with how well the event was organized. They had buckets spaced out along the trail for the dogs to drink from, and at the halfway point, they had water and fruit for the humans. Plus, there was a drawing for door prizes, free food, and a chinese auction. We won a door prize and a few different items from the auction. The highlight of my morning was when we were almost at the finish line and Lily, instead of drinking from one of the coolers on the side of the trail, decided to put her feet into the cooler and stand in it. It was just one of those "dogs do the darndest things" moments. Also, if you look at the slideshow in the upper-right corner of the page, you'll see Lily lounging in one of the baby pools that they had at the event. Overall, it was a great morning for a great cause. If you frequent the Montour Trail with your dog(s), please support their efforts by attending this dog walk. For more information, go here.

My New Best Friend

I wrote this poem/story tonight while I was laying in bed (my best thinking time). If I could figure out how to illustrate it, publish it, and give some of the proceeds to a shelter, I would. But for now I'll just post it on my dog blog for your reading pleasure. Oh, and forgive the punctuation and stuff -- just kind of wrote it as it came to me and didn't really worry about proper grammar.

"My New Best Friend"
I'm going on a walk today to search for my best friend –
Someone who'll laugh and play with me
And love me without end

I start out toward my neighbor's pond,
Whistling as I go.
I stoop down by the water's edge
And peer down deep below.

I see a fish just swimming by.
His scales are shining bright.
I wonder if he'll be my friend.
I think that he just might!

"Mr. Fish, oh, Mr. Fish,"
Will you be my best friend?
Will you laugh and play with me
And love me without end?

Bubbles rise from where he lurks,
I think as if to say,
"Sorry, kid, you're much too dry."
And then he swims away.

I keep on walking on my trek,
Humming a sweet tune.
I hear a flutter in the sky,
Look up and see a loon.

"Mr. Bird, oh, Mr. Bird,"
Will you be my best friend?
Will you laugh and play with me
And love me without end?

The loon looks down and flaps his wings,
A language of his own.
"Sorry, kid, although you're nice,
I'd rather be alone."

My walk goes on, a lonesome hike.
A car comes down the drive.
My mom rolls down the car's window,
Asks if I want a ride.
"I hear you're looking for someone
Who'll love you without end.
I think I know just where to go
To find your new best friend!"

We drive a few miles down the road,
Somewhere I've never been.
Mom parks the car and out we go.
I cannot help but grin.

I hear them barking from the lot.
It's louder from within.
The woofs and yips call out to me,
"Yes, I'll be your best friend!"

I run my hands along the bars,
Each grate and every rung
Until I see my special pup.
I think I've found the one!

"Mr. Dog, oh, Mr. Dog, will you be my best friend?
Will you laugh and play with me
And love me without end?"

I see the twinkle in his eyes
And how his tail does wag.
I know he thinks I'm super-cool, though I don't mean to brag!

My mom and I bring puppy home.
My journey's now complete.
I found my new best friend today,
and boy does it feel neat!

Sad News

I saw this article today and was really bothered by it. Is there really a good reason for these dogs to risk their lives for a race? Is there any way to protest their participation? If anyone knows more about the Iditarod, I'd definitely like to hear more info.

Fifth dog dies during Iditarod race

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS 7 hours, 42 minutes ago

NOME, Alaska - A fifth dog has died during the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race.

An eight-year-old male named Omen in musher Rick Larson's team died early Friday on the trail between the Elim and White Mountain checkpoints.

At least three dogs died in each of the last two races, and at least four died during the 2006 race.

Omen's death came a day after a five-year-old male named Maynard, on the team of Canadian musher Warren Palfrey, died about an hour outside of the finish line at Nome.

Iditarod spokesman Chas St. George says tests will be performed on the dogs to determine the cause of death.

Meanwhile, 26 mushers remain on the trail of the 1,770-kilometre race, which started March 8 near Anchorage. Lance Mackey of Alaska won this third consecutive Iditarod title on Wednesday.

Our Walk in the Ghetto/A Product Review

Took Lily and Lola for a walk tonight. It was a little chillier than I had expected, but they have been really antsy lately, so they needed it. I really wish someone would take our dogs, train them to walk on a leash, and give them back to us. They're both terrible at it, and I know it's our fault for not training them correctly, but it's annoying to try to train them. I know, I'm a bad dog owner.

Anyway, on this particular walk through the lovely suburb of Bethel Park, we encountered a hypodermic needle and a large pile of glass just scattered throughout the grass in two separate locations. We were REALLY glad Lily and Lola didn't notice the needle. I can just imagine Guy and I screaming at each other, trying to figure out how to get it out of their mouths without stabbing ourselves.

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In other news, I tried out the Pledge Fabric Sweeper today. I got a coupon for it in the paper a while back, and it had come at just the right time. Guy and I, pre-dogs, bought a beige microsuede couch. Though it does remain relatively stain-free, hair sticks to it like a magnet. Even though we cover the couch with sheets when no guests are here, hair somehow still gets through. So, I had high hopes that the Fabric Sweeper would be a miracle-worker. It did not disappoint. I ran it over about half of the couch and had very good results. The best part is that it was only $5 at the store! When I got the coupon, I was expecting some pricy gadget, so I was pleasantly surprised (but also a bit skeptical to its quality) when it turned out to be so cheap. You do have to throw the sweeper away once it becomes filled with pet hair, but even with two dogs, I think that would take a long, long time. So, if you have pet-hair problems like we do, I'd highly recommend trying out the Pledge Fabric Sweeper. You can find it in the aisle with Pledge at the grocery store.

Electronics Recycling Event Update, Part Deux

The third location that will be accepting electronics to benefit Washington Area Humane Society is going to be the Ice-o-plex at Southpointe.

Again, the dropoffs are March 19-22, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. No televisions!!

Paws for Life

I heard about this event through the meetup.com group I'm involved in. I think it sounds like a good time. We did something similar last year, called Tails for Trails, but maybe this year we'll do both. Check out the info here.

Olivia Update

I got Olivia's "get out of jail free" card in the mail while we were on vacation, so she has been adopted. Yay!

Electronics Recycling Event Update

Here's the info from Washington Area Humane Society's website:

Thurs., Fri., Sat. and Sun., March 19 - March 22, 10am-6pm

Washington Crowne Center and Tractor Supply on Route 19 are two of the three collection sites. Other locations still to be determined.

For 4 days we we will have three containers in different locales. Please contact businesses, schools, colleagues and friends to tell them about this important recycling event. Anyone needing to dispose of an electronic device should bring the units to these container for us to log for recycling.

The collected units are shipped to a warehouse in Pittsburgh, where they recycle the goods. Nothing ends up in a landfill, or in another country.

For every 100,000 pounds (minimum) that is received in the containers, WAHS receive $10,000.

This is the time of year when electronic devices are purchased, given, replaced and disposed of. Please call on businesses, friends and colleagues to collect and save their items for WAHS.

We will let you know as soon as the other collection locations are confirmed.
And please ... if you can volunteer some time on those collection days, contact Alice at wahsoffsites@gmail.com

Car 54, Where Are You?

At our second-annual Christmas party this year, instead of asking guests to bring food or drinks, we asked them to bring a donation from Angel Ridge Animal Rescue's wish list. We got a few monetary donations, and some other miscellaneous items that I have been attempting to take to the shelter to donate, but I've run into a few issues.

First of all, Angel Ridge is not exactly close to our house, so I want to make sure someone will actually be there when I make the trip out there. For that reason, I e-mailed them right after our party to see when a good time to drop off donations would be. I never received a response.

A few weeks went by, and after the post-Christmas buzz, it kicked in that I really needed to get those donations out of here and into the hands of those who can actually put them to good use. I gave the shelter a call to see if they would be available. No answer, and the message on the machine has not been updated since before Christmas (it says they'll be closed Christmas eve and Christmas day).

Their website has also not been updated since before Christmas, and I did hear a rumor that they were "going under." I really liked their shelter after attending a few of their fund-raising events, though, and I wanted the donations to go to them before another organization. Does anyone happen to know what's going on with Angel Ridge?

After we get back from vacation next week, I'll probably drop the physical donations off at Woody's since they collect donations for shelters. I decided to use the financial donations to purchase a "Get Out of Jail Free" card for a dog at the Washington Area Humane Society. Basically, when someone decides to adopt the dog I chose, they will be told that her adoption fee is covered. I chose Olivia.