Nail Clipping Nightmare

Andy is the first dog I've owned that doesn't mind having his paws touched. My dogs of yore never tolerated paw touching, much less paw holding, so this is a nice change. I was nervous the first time we clipped Andy's claws because I've never owned a dog with black claws before. Makes it impossible to see the quick! I asked my vet for tips and he recommended making an initial cut up to where the claw begins to curve, then making smaller cuts until I start to see grayish-pink, which means I'm coming up on the quick. The quick is the bundle of blood vessels and nerves that feed the claw and if cut into will bleed and give your dog pain. Talk about pressure! I found this claw clipping guide from Washington State University's Vet Med program extremely helpful.

We have to clip Andy's claws every 3 weeks or so. The first 2 or 3 times we trimmed them it was a piece of cake. My husband held him while I systematically worked my way through each claw using a pair of spring-loaded clippers. He didn't put up a fight at all. The last time we trimmed them Andy put up a little bit of resistance. This time. Huh. This time was a nightmare. He fought us tooth and nail - literally! There was squirming, writhing, scratching, growling, attempted biting...the works. In hindsight we should have stopped and continued at a later time. Unfortunately I was stubborn and wanted to get it done. We were down to the last paw, only 3 more claws to go, and Andy jerked his paw right as I was clipping. I cut into his quick. There was blood. I felt like the worst pet owner ever. Sigh. So now the pup is running around with 3 nails that still need to be trimmed and I'm dreading having to do it. I'm thinking maybe I need to get sanding bands for my Dremel so I can just grind them down and avoid sharp cutting implements altogether. I'm a wuss when it comes to pain - my own and that of others. 

Doggy Surveillance

We had to run some errands yesterday and knew they would keep us from the house for a couple of hours...this meant Andy had be alone for some time...which also meant the potential for disaster. We never know what we're going to come home to when Andy 's left to his own devices. Sometimes everything's perfectly fine but more often than not the pup has gotten into some sort of mischief (About That New Routine, Ups and Downs).

I kind of wish we had a doggy surveillance system. A couple of video cameras strategically set up around the loft so we could see what Andy's up to when we're not around. In addition I'd like a way of communicating with him while we're out so if I catch him doing something naughty I could say, "Leave it Andy!"...big brother may not be watching but Mom is!

Wild, Weird & Wonderful Nature

I posted about the off-puttingly adorable Venezuelan Poodle Moth on Monday  and was reminded of some of the weird and wacky things we've encountered here in Pennsylvania. I stand in awe of the wonder of nature.

My husband actually came across this spider out back the other day. She's an Argiope aurantia, commonly referred to as the black and yellow garden spider. This sucker is huge (!) but completely harmless. Her web has a strange thick zigzag pattern in the center called a stabilimentum. Even though I generally HATE spiders I find her oddly fascinating.

This brightly-hued fungus popped up out of no where a couple of years ago. It lived for a short time on a tree stump out back by the creek. We think it was a variety of Laetiporus - sometimes referred to as chicken of the woods, because that's right, when prepared properly it's said to taste just like chicken. We weren't adventurous enough to harvest it and wok it up so we'll never know.

I came across this Imperial Moth our first fall in Pennsylvania. It's camouflage is perfectly suited for a forest floor...not so much for a door stoop. I almost stepped on this thing and I shudder to think how squishy it would have been. It was about the size of my hand. A good 4 inches across.

Bye-Bye Dog Days of Summer

First Day of September | Heartworm Preventative

It's the first of the month, which means Andy got his heartworm medication this morning. Heartworms are nasty little parasites that can do some serious harm to your pup's heart and lungs. As the summer comes to a close, and the whether starts to cool down, we should be seeing less mosquitoes but it pays to stay vigilant for the sake of our furry companions.

Andy on the Level