Simply Sunday and Sizes X-Large to X-Small

Ozzie is recovering from chemo treatment number 4 this weekend. All went well and the vet reports that he is a perfect patient as usual. Also good to know that his lymph nodes are normal in size and over all he seems fit. Yes he is fit all right, up to 81 pounds! I guess his appetite has not suffered! He has another treatment to go next month and then we will see where we are at. Knowing the outcome of this disease all we can pray for is his continued good health and time!

Last Sunday we attended the Columbus Avenue street fair in NYC. There was food galore and vendors of all sorts and music from Zeppelin to Sinatra. The day was sunny and mild and folks where out by the scores, a lot walking dogs of all kinds. Of course we came across a bulldog. She was very lovely, with coloring much like Ozzie. Her name was Dylan and she was a petite thing. Her owner told us that she was 4  years old and the runt of her litter. She weighed only 42 pounds. Wow, Ozzie is twice her weight! 

Here is the scoop on Bulldog's height and weight:

Height, Weight

Height: about 12-16 inches (31-40 cm.) (there is no prescribed height, but shorter Bulldogs are more prized when being shown) Weight: Dogs 53-55 pounds (24-25kg.) Bitches 49-51 pounds (22-23kg.)

Ozzie is at least 18 inches and weighs in at 81 pounds so I guess he is just off the charts!


Happy Sunday all!

Dylan the bulldog of the Upper West Side, New York City

Recall Alert on Bully Sticks!

The FDA just came out the other day with a recall of the brand Boots & Barkley American Beef Bully Sticks. It may be contaminated with Salmonella.

One of Ozzie's favorite treats is the one and only delicious bully stick. He wants all to know that this particular brand is on recall and should not be given to your special pooch!
The brand was sold at Target stores between April 2012  through September 2012. 

Please read the FDA link below to get the full scoop!


http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm320569.htm 

" All bully sticks are not created equal!"

Simply Sunday and a River Runs Through it!

Brrr! An evening rain storm has ushered in cooler temps and truly Fall is here! Time to plant mums and to think about Ozzie's Halloween outfit! 

So Ozzie's new idiosyncrasy is holding in his pee for an inordinate amount of time. Example extreme,....Ozzie's last visit to the back yard 4:45 PM. His next visit 11:30 AM! Of course when he finally lets loose he goes and goes, so much that he ends up standing in a river of his pee! What this means I am not sure but I will not fail to mention it to the vet when he goes this coming Friday for his 4th chemotherapy treatment. Other than that he seems fine. His appetite is good and his breathing even seems a bit better! Certainly the cooler weather helps in that department!

"So what, can't a guy decide when he needs to pee or not! Besides I'm busy now!"

It's 8:17  AM Sunday and Ozzie refuses to go out in the back yard to do his morning business. Husband suggests bribing him with cheese, that seems to work. Really? Do we have to bribe him to go to the bathroom?! Hmm, not so stubborn as smart perhaps!

Happy Sunday and enjoy the invigorating Fall weather! 

Suddenly Saturday and Smells Like Fall

We had a front come through last night that brought a little rain and some cooler air. This morning is glorious, sunny with a feel of Autumn in the air! Ozzie can definitely appreciate this weather and so can I!

Ozzie is feeling fine as of late. The only thing that bothers him (mostly bothers me) is his excessive panting. Especially after he exerts himself (i.e. going up stairs etc.), he just hyperventilates away! I know that this is a side effect of the Prednisone but it really is distressing to me. A good side effect if you will is that his skin has never been more irritant free and over all is clear from dermatitis of any kind! 

Last night I had a dream of finding a cat that was all white and bringing it home. Ozzie was cool with it and they seem to get along. I miss having a cat but perhaps that addition would not be good timing? I am sure there is some Freudian message in that dream but at the moment I will just take it for what it is!

Below is an interesting link to an article on the use of Prednisone for dogs with lymphoma if any of you out there are experiencing this same dilemma! 

For all of you, enjoy the wonderful weekend of weather and here is looking forward to the Fall! Yippee!

http://www.vetcancerspecialists.com/blog/2012/5/7/use-of-prednisone-in-canine-lymphoma-friend-or-foe/

Ozzie's Favorite Time of Year

Tool for Drool? Now Who's the Fool?!

This is an amendment to my previous post concerning the Shark steam mop. The following story is true and no names have been changed to protect the innocent!

As I got ready to clean my kitchen floor yesterday I plugged in my mop to get the steam up and running. I finished sweeping the floor and grabbed the steam mop and began to pump the handle in order to release the steam. To my surprise there was no steam coming out. The unit felt hot but no steam was being produced and as I looked at the mop head there was a big puddle of water on the floor the size of lake Michigan. What?! I began pumping the handle vigorously as if I were to get a pound of butter out of it. Notta, zip, zilch, zero! Hey, how can this be broke, I only had it for a year if that. I went on the internet and found others who had the same problem. The customer service reps at Shark told them to send $39.99 along with the cost of the shipping and they would send them a new one. I mentioned this today to my friend Terri who had recommended the Shark mop to me and she told me her's just broke the other day, She said that the Shark Customer Service rep told her the same thing and that for around $51.00 she would have a new mop. Hmm, do I want to buy another mop from them that's going to break down in another year's time? They are just about admitting that its defective and they know it's going to end up in the junk heap! Then I read online some guy who took it all apart and cleaned out all the hardened mineral deposits that gunk up the valves. He recommended that you only use distilled water not tap water or it will happen again. Why doesn't Shark tell you that?!

 "They don't make things like they use to huh?"

 I think its time to look around for another steam cleaner. Good-bye Shark it's been real but I don't want to get bitten again!

Suddenly Saturday and Tool for Drool

Work has me too busy and I find it hard to post Finally Friday on Friday's so I will have to settle for Suddenly Saturdays for now. Ozzie has done well after his chemo treatment last Friday. No side effects this time and he seems to be fine except for that over the top panting from the Prednisone! The end of September will be chemo treatment four for our big boy. I guess it is going well so I will just keep praying that this will give him more time than the vet predicts!

I want to share with you my secret for cleaning up drool on a wood floor or any other hard surface. Its the Shark steam mop. It works with just steam to clean up the mess left behind from copious amounts of drool and other fluids that will go unmentioned. The wonderful thing about it is that you can clean your floor without using chemicals that can transfer to your pets paws or can licked off the floor when a piece of cheese hits the ground! (You know that happens all the time in our house...oops!) It has become a part of my house cleaning arsenal.

Another domestic point I like to share today is a new treat I make for the Oz. Its broccoli fried rice. I cook up some brown organic rice and steam some organic broccoli. You can get the broccoli in the Wholefoods frozen section. It's reasonably priced along with their other store brand organic frozen veggies. Then I throw them together in a skillet and and add an egg that has been mixed with some milk (both organic) and throw it over the rice broccoli mix. That is then heated up until the egg is scramble (cooked). Of course you don't need to use all organic stuff but I am trying to keep it that way for Ozzie since his illness. Needless to say Ozzie loves this but then what doesn't he love to eat?!

Hoping you all enjoy the waning days of Summer, have a great weekend!

"When do we eat?!"

Suddenly Saturday and Chemo Round 3

Ozzie had his 3rd chemo treatment on Friday. All seemed to go well. He gained back the 7 pounds he lost probably with some help from his Pop who is constantly feeding him under the table! The vet said that his lymph nodes seem normal and overall he is in good shape. Oz is taking meds for his stomach now since the last round of chemo he experienced bloody diarrhea! (Oh my!) He will continue to take the steroids and there are 2 more treatments ahead. We just take it day by day and hope for the best!

I think the words pet owner are incorrect. It really should be pet steward. It is our responsibility to love them and take the best of care of them that we possibly can. In return they give us unconditional love and joy. It is our privilege in our life time to have a dog or cat or etc. No matter how long or short the time they spend with us. 

And with that philosophical moment I leave you and wish you all a safe and fun filled Labor Day weekend!

"Gak! That chemo leaves a rotten taste in my mouth! Hey where is my dinner!"