Thursday, January 31, 2013

Baby Girl Update

Happy Dogs on Thursday (Thorsday) / Thankful Thursday.  It's been a little while since I've done an update on Lola's autoimmune disease, so I thought today would be appropriate.

Who's that peaking in the background?
Lola (and Sophie peeking around) shortly after I got home Tuesday

We had a little scare when I got home from work on Tuesday and found her acting extremely mopey.  Thankfully, we had a check up at the vet that night.  Other than her being really down and not very active, I had noticed anything else in particular... until we got to the vet's office and were sitting in the waiting room.

That's when I noticed that the right side of her face/snout was quite swollen.  It seemed to bother her a tiny bit... until I (feeling bad for her) gave her a cookie and she bit down.  After that, she was in very obvious pain and would shake her head if you tried to touch it.  I was able to see her gums and realized they were indeed swollen.  

Fortunately, my baby girl was very distracted during our time in the waiting room.... especially by this talking box


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Lola wants to play with the "talking box"

That box contained the most vocal cat I've ever seen.  He was a fat little guy who meowed and meowed the entire time.  I wish I got a picture snapped when he was facing Lola.  She really wanted to play with him and was doing all those cute sideways/tilted head moves. 

Once we got in to see our awesome vet, things began sounding a little bleak.  Lola lost another 3.5 pounds of muscle mass from being on the prednisone and she really is looking a bit weak because of it.  When we pointed out the face/gum issue, Dr C was quite concerned.  It was a good thing that we had just noticed this swelling, however since we weren't sure what it was, our vet had to tell us that it could possibly be a tumor or something else going on in conjunction with the autoimmune disease we are treating.  She wasn't able to rule out anything at that time, and flat out said she was very concerned.  She stated it could be the result of a brain or nose tumor, talked about possibly having to go for an MRI, and of course, that we may have to consider a conversation about quality of life sooner than we would like.  --insert panic, and Mama having all she could do to hold back tears--  Of course, it could also just be an abscess that has absolutely nothing to do with the autoimmune thing... but because of Lola's rare diagnosis and everything going on, she really had to share all possibilities.

Lola was sent home with a pretty blue antibiotic (one that Dr. C says she loves for any nose/gum/throat issues), some pain meds and a decreased prednisone dosage of 15mg a day (which meant we're giving her 3/4 of a pill twice a day now... do you know what a pain it is to cut pills into 3/4?).  My poor baby girl was even more mopey and immediately curled up with a blanket on the couch.

My baby girl is not feeling well today and could use some good vibes... She had her check up and is still loosing weight (muscle mass) on the prednisone. Lumps have almost all disappeared, however she has swelling on one side of her face, which is obvious
Not feeling well...

I was a bit worried, indeed, but cautiously optimistic.  After being home for a few hours, it dawned on me that Lola had broken a large chunk of a marrow bone off on Sunday.  When I noticed it had a sharp pointy piece, I had tossed it.  Could she have possible pierced her gums with it?  I'd never hoped for an infection so badly before...

I woke up Wednesay morning, relived and nearly doing a happy dance.  The swollen had all but disappeared and my baby girl was more alert and upbeat!  When I got home from work last night, she was wagging her tail and feeling even better!  I was able to take a look at her gums and sure enough, there was a bit of puss coming out from the spot... eureka, we have an infection and the antibiotic is doing it's job! 

She's nearly back to her good 'ole self this morning, except for all that muscle mass she's lost on the prednisone.  It's a little scary to see her looking so boney, but the vet assures me this is a normal side effect. 

Thank you all for the continued good vibes... keep 'em coming!

Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Blah to Winter

This week's Ten on Tuesday topic is 10 Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs.  How appropriate, considering my drive home in the snow last night was rather lengthy. 

Zorvino Vineyards #newhampshire #wine #winery #winter
Zorvino Vineyards
1. Enjoy a lazy day inside, catching up on shows on the DVR.

2. Get out and do something/visit someplace you have not before.  Maybe even a local winery where you can then bring home a bottle (or 2) of wine to enjoy that night.

3. Have an auto-start installed in your vehicle.  I love mine!

The finished product! #Chicken noodle #Soup for #dinner #comfortfood #sodelicious #yumo #food #fall




4. Whip up your favorite comfort food... perhaps a nice mac 'n cheese, stew or casserole.

5. Go snowshoeing.  I haven't done this in years and keep saying I'm going to dust mine off and get out there... eventually!


Sophie_129116. Knit, knit, knit... (I was going to say organize your stash, but seriously, who are we kidding?)

7. Add some color to your life... whether it's a new sweater, towels or fresh flowers... bright colors are uplifting.

Untitled8. Get out to a hockey game... Go B's!

9. Enjoy a fun romp in the snow with the kids... 2 legged or 4.

10. Work on getting sponsors for the 2013 racing season... well, at least that's what I do anyway.  If you're interested in a really fun, unique form of advertising for your business, let me know!

Monday, January 28, 2013

Dogs: Hard at Work

Happy Monday (although it's actually Sunday night... I'm watching the Pro Bowl and scheduling our Monday Mischief entry to auto-post in the morning, since I know it's going to be another one of those manic Mondays)!

With all the health issues we've had going on, combined with me returning to the full time grind, we've gotten a little behind with our reviews.  But have no fear, that just means we have a lot of great products to tell you about in the coming weeks!  I spent what seemed like hours some time braving the cold over the weekend doing a review photo shoot... then, as soon as the sun went down on Sunday, I realized there was yet another stack of items waiting to be photographed.  Again, this just means we have a lot of stuff to tell you about, right? 

While I was trying to sort through boxes, the Lapdogs made things take three times as long as they should have created plenty of mischief.  Of course, they were happily sniffing out the treats and anticipating getting to work on their reviews!

Tut, "Hey Momma, diz all fur mez?" (note: The foot massager is not a review item, nor is it for the Lapdogs)

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Lola & Tut sniffing out Merrick's limited edition "Love Potion #9."   Is this what Sister-Brother love looks like?

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Zeus and Sophie both got caught clowning around with some treats from Tricky TrisKuts Bakery.  These gluten free treats are made right here in New Hampshire, so we're extra excited to share them with you!

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The biggest mischief maker of them all is still sitting there thinking this is all for him... and I'm thinking about pouring myself a glass of wine and plugging in that foot massager!
 
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Sunday, January 27, 2013

Black & White Sunday: Got Bed?

Happy Sunday!  Apparently Tut was a little confused about the whole bed thing this morning...

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Lola says, "Seriously Mom?  What's wrong with him?"

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Friday, January 25, 2013

brrrr!

Happy Fiber Arts Friday!  I survived my first week back to the daily grind... but sadly, that means there hasn't been much going on with my needles.  I hope to get at least one thing off the needles this weekend (baby boy hat #2) and cast on something with this Biggan Design yarn...

Going to cast on a #knitting project with #BigganYarns this weekend for #review ... Stay tuned! Love these vibrant colors! #Australia

I first discovered Biggan Design and her incredibly vibrant yarn at the Interweave Knitting Lab last fall.  I instantly fell in love with the colors and the fiber!  These 3 skeins have arrived for review, so stay tuned! 

It's been a bitterly cold week (I'm talking single digits during the day, and below zero at night... the just-can't-get-warm-no-matter-how-many-layers kind of cold), which got me to thinking I really should finish up this Amelia Scarf...

Really need to get the Amelia Scarf off the needles! #knitting #knitsofinstagram #debbiebliss

What are you working on this weekend?  Whatever it is, stay warm!

Yes, it's COLD! #newengland #newhampshire #winter

Thursday, January 24, 2013

Mavie the Blanket Bandit

Happy Dogs on Thursday / Thorsday / Thankful Thursday.  As you may have read on Monday, I've had the nerve to leave the Lapdogs at home all alone returned to the world of full time work... at least for a little while.  As a result, I haven't been able to do regular daily blogging.  Bear with me as I work on learning to auto-set posts on the weekends and at night... and stay tuned for tuns of great reviews we have coming up (the Lapdogs have been busy).

Back to Thankful Thursday... Of course I am thankful to have a full time pay check again, but I'm even more thankful that I get to share this video of our former foster Maverick with you.  Mavie's human sister is so awesome when it comes to putting together videos of he and his brother Zac for us.  I just can't decide what the best part of this one is...  Mavie chasing his tail?  Stealing the blankets?  Licking the birthday cake?  Or maybe his absolutely adorable bark/howl?!?!  What do you think?



Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Here We Go BRUINS, Here We Go!

Well, would you look at that?  It's time to get Wordless again...

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@bruinshockey #55 #Boychuk #boston #bruins practice #bruinsareback

@bruinshockey practice #boston #bruins #bruinsareback #hockey

@bruinshockey practice #22 #Thornton #bruinsareback #hockey #bruins

@bruinshockey practice! #bruins #bruinsareback #hockey #happy

Monday, January 21, 2013

Monday Mischief

We sure are late with our Monday Mischief post today! I was going to just skip it, but Zeus clearly wasn't thrilled with his Mama's mischief today and thought you all should know.  You see, I had the nerve to head back to the daily grind today... on a full time basis, although it is temporary (I'm covering someone's maternity leave at my old company).  Zeus would much rather have Mama working from home and doesn't quite understand why I would opt to disappear all day again. I'm with my big guy on this one, but unfortunately he hasn't landed that spokes doggy modeling contract that would pay the bills yet! 

I suspect this was the type of mischief going on at home today...

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Saturday, January 19, 2013

The Boys are Back in Town!

The NHL is baaaaaaacccccccckkkkkkkkkk!!!!!!!!!



Thursday, January 17, 2013

PREVIEW: TheraNeem Pet Care Line

TheraNeem Pet Care Line

Where to Find: Organix-South Inc.


Look for our preview on the blog tomorrow!

Late last fall, we received some of the TheraNeem Pets products from Organix-South and had planned to bring you one of our reviews.  Unfortunately, the timing wasn't great, as life truly got in the way.  We fought our first ever battle with fleas, some ongoing allergy issues with Sophie and then, Lola's autoimmune issue... not to mention, winter hit and we tend to not bathe the dogs during the colder months.  Needless to say, we have not been able to actually use and review the products.  I don't want to wait any longer to share this great line with all of you, so instead I'm opting to preview them today and am planning a full review (and hopefully a giveaway) this Spring!

In the fall of 2012, Organix-South expanded its TheraNeem Pet Care Line with four new pet products containing organic Neem oil and other powerful essential oils that help pets stay clean, healthy and protected all year long. Vegan and cruelty-free, the line does not contain alcohol, sodium lauryl sulphate or parabens. Along with the existing TheraNeem Pet Shampoo, the new line includes:
 
  • Soothing Therapé Pet Soap is a natural cold-pressed, hand crafted bar with certified organic Neem oil that leaves your dog’s sensitive skin and coat feeling clean and smelling great. 
  • Herbal Outdoor Therapé Pet Soap is perfect for the active dog with 10% certified organic Neem oil, offering protection for your pet’s skin from the challenges of the outdoors. 
  • Herbal Outdoor Spray for Pets contains powerful, skin-friendly Neem leaf and Neem oil combined with other soothing and nourishing botanicals to protect and balance your active dog's skin with no sticky or oily feel. 
  • Skin Soothing Spray for Pets offers an alcohol free, water-based blend of Neem and nourishing botanicals for a skin-balancing solution for dogs that soothes chronic skin irritation and cools sensitive skin.

We received samples of the Pet Shampoo, Soothing Therapé Pet Soap, and Skin Soothing Spray for Pets
 
Zeus is looking forward to testing the TheraNeem products! #dogstagram
Why Neem?  With high levels of natural anti-oxidants, Neem helps protect pets from toxic contaminants in the environment. TheraNeem Pet Shampoo has proven over the years to be a safe, natural solution for dogs and cats* to calm reactions to environmental stresses, soothe chronic skin irritation and promote a healthy response to minor inflammation. It cleanses and revitalizes a pet’s skin and coat without harsh chemicals, soaps or synthetic waxy thickeners.  All TheraNeem pet care products include supercritical Neem extracts, which offer super-concentrated, super-pure and super-therapeutic action for faster results especially when dry, itchy or irritated skin is present.

*Soothing Therapé Pet Soap and Skin Soothing Spray for Pets are not recommended for use on cats due to the essential oil content

Check out the entire line of TheraNeem products and stay tuned for our review this Spring!

Disclosure: Organix-South and The Olive Parent Media sent the TheraNeem products to Lapdog Creations, free of charge for review purposes. I was not compensated for this review and all opinions expressed are my own.  

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Sunny Side Up

Let's get Wordless... a sunrise, bacon egg & toast cups and a vineyard walk into a bar appear on a blog...

Happy Friday! #morning #sunrise The pic doesn't do the true color justice... it was even glowing a warm pink/red in my living room!! #beautiful #sky #tree #newengland #snow

Bacon, Egg & Toast Cups in the oven. Everyone has this pinned on #pinterest right? Anyone else try it yet? #breakfast #marthastewart

The finished product! Bacon, Egg & Toast Cups... #pinterest #marthastewart #breakfast

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Tuesday, January 15, 2013

The Incredible Disappearing Lumps (aka Lola Update)

Is it really only Tuesday? It's been one of those busy weeks already, but hopefully the rest of the week glides on by.  Lola & I just returned from a check up at the vet and all seems to be going well!  (if you missed any of our updates, click here

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Lola ~ January 1, 2013

The above picture was taken on New Year's Day, just 4 days after the second biopsy.  My  tired baby girl looks like a patchwork quilt, doesn't she (and that's just one side)? 

Last Monday, we started her on 30mg of prednisone, twice a day and our amazing vet suspected we would see results very quickly... especially if it was sterile granuloma, as she suspected.  A day later, I was already noticing some of the lumps getting smaller and by the end of the week, some had actually disappeared!  I am amazed! 

LolaZeus_1613
Lola & Zeus ~ January 6, 2013
Dr. C was quite pleased this afternoon with the incredible disappearing lumps and said we could decrease her prednisone dose to 20mg, twice a day!  Yay!  I was a bit concerned when we put her on the scale and realized she lost 4 pounds in the past week, however prednisone can effect the muscles and Dr. C feels it is simply lost muscle mass.  It's sure as heck not because of any loss of appetite - in fact, that has most certainly increased (another prednisone side effect)! 

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Tut & Lola lounging ~ January 11, 2013
We have another follow up appointment with Dr. C in 2 weeks.  She said we will continue to slowly decrease her prednisone over the next 4 - 5 months, and the goal is to hopefully be able to wean her off it completely! 

Thank you to everyone for all the continued good vibes and crossed paws!  It truly means the world to all of us.

Monday, January 14, 2013

Thank you Nutrish!

Is it Monday already?  We don't have much mischief in store for today, so we thought we'd tell you how cool the folks at Rachael Ray Nutrish are!

Nutrish_Zeus_1012dWe reviewed Rachael Ray Nutrish Naturally Delish dog food last fall and were more than pleased with all four varieties.   We use the wet food as a mix-in at dinner time, and the Lapdogs can't get enough. 

Imagine my surprise when just days after I posted our review, the folks from Nutrish contacted me and asked if they could use my photos and review in their newsletter.  My first reaction was... seriously?!?!  They wanted to use my photos and review... not some high end professionally shot photo? 

Here's what the Nutrish November 2012 newsletter looked like (that's one of my pics, along with a link to our review on the bottom left). 

RachaelRayNutrishNov2012

How cool is that?!?!  I am thrilled to have my photos and review recognized!  As if that wasn't enough, those same great folks sent us this awesome thank you package which arrived last week!

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I opened the box to find a cool Nutrish bag... stuffed full of goodies!  Which translates into Mama's got a new bag, plus a can cozy and the Lapdogs have lots of nom-noms... 3 tubs of Naturally Delish, 3 bags of Soup Bones and 14 coupons for free Naturally Delish, Nutrish Kibble and treats.  Yes, 14 coupons for free stuff....

Thank you Nutrish folks, you rock! 
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Tut thought it was all for him....

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If you haven't checked out Naturally Delish for your pack yet, we urge you to do so... the Lapdogs especially recommend the Chicken Mutballs with Pasta!  They think the Soup Bones they just received are pretty darn good as well!

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Sunday, January 13, 2013

Black & White Sunday - Go Pats!

We're ready for the game, are you?  GO PATS!!!

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Lola_11313BW

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