*Urgent* help needed for family's Golden Retriever

Before you panic - it's not one of mine! I have been contacted by a friend who works closely with the War Resisters Support Campaign.  A war resister and family have come to Canada and moved heaven and earth to bring their family dog with them, all the way from Texas.  Now they are faced with the heart wrenching possibility of losing their dog because of finances.  I can't let this family lose their dog after all they've been through. 

They urgently need good quality dog food.  Do you have any expired dog food you can donate, or would you be willing to make a small donation so that the family can buy dog food?  Even two or three dollars goes a long way when the cost of a bag of food is spread out among several people. 

The need is urgent, I don't know how much food they have and they will give their dog up before they let it go hungry.  This sweet soul can't have come all the way from Texas just to end up in an Ontario shelter. I'd like to be able to get the food on its way to them tomorrow, or Thursday at the latest.  All I can promise in return is good karma and the knowledge you've helped a family who has lost everything but one another keep their beloved companion.  If you can help please let me know asap.

Origin of Stupidity

A friend's facebook status about what an idiot Kirk Cameron is reminded me about this gem!

Young Artists for Haiti

I've loved K'naan's Wavin' Flag since the first time I heard it.  The lyrics are really powerful.  57 artists including many notable Canadians came together to record Wavin' Flag to raise money for Haiti relief efforts.  100% of the proceeds to go Free The Children, War Child Canada and World Vision Canada. Among my favourites are Jim Cuddy, Jacob Hoggard, K'naan, Jully Black, Kardinal Offishall, Lights and Drake. Avril Lavine Lavigne makes a respectable contribution as well and Nikki Yanofsky is outstanding.  I don't know if all of the artists are Canadian.  Is Justin Bieber Canadian? I don't think he is but he's kind of irrelevant to me so I can't be bothered to look it up. I get goosebumps every time I hear the track or watch the video so I've posted it below.  Jim Cuddy and Jake Hoggard in the same room? My fantasy come to life. If you'd like to support Young Artists for Haiti it's easy, just purchase the track here.

Last week's lesson: it's the little things

Last week was pretty much a perfect storm of events and circumstances that left all of my animals (except Kiera and Buster) quite ill.  Kiera was diagnosed as hypothyriod but that diagnosis was actually a blessing and she's well on her way to being healthy.  Through a haze of exhaustion, puke and um, other messes, I was reminded that it's the little things that can drive us around the bend, or give us the little push we need to keep on keepin' on.  Heartfelt thanks to Sarah Machell and Andrea Barker for your help in getting everyone healthy asap. A BIG thank you to my friends for keeping me somewhat sane ; P 

nothing i wouldn't do for my Roo

Yesterday I took Kiera and Chelsea to the vet for their annual health exam. Chelsea has to be kept current on all vaccines because of our participation in Pet-assisted Therapy so her check up was pretty straightforward. And she's healthy! Yay!  The vet also said she's approximately 8-10 years old, which is pretty consistent with my guess of 8 or 9.

With Kiera, as always, it was a little more complicated. I was anticipating some blood work because my vet recommends "wellness screening" in mature animals to catch problems in early stages if at all possible.

The decision whether to vaccinate Kiera is always a struggle for me.  Kiera has problems with allergies, and hair loss previously attributed to allergies. She gets "special baths" every two week with a medicated shampoo containing salicylic acid. And you probably know I'm extremely particular about everything that goes in to her, especially food. I don't even allow her treats unless I'm sure they don't contain potential allergens. So you can appreciate that I'm also very uncomfortable with injecting her with something that might wreck havoc on her already out of whack system. I turn myself inside out weighing the pros and cons and in the end I follow my instincts and pray I've made the right decision for my dog. She don't have a voice so I need to weigh the facts, the risks, and make the very best decision I can, even if it seems to be the less of two evils, because obviously there are inherent risks in not vaccinating pets against known diseases. It  helps to have a supportive vet who will provide information, and work with me and not try to talk me out of what I believe to be best for my pets.


I would never recommend making decisions about vaccinations or heartworm prevention lightly. If this is something you're considering I urge you to talk to your vet and do your own research. At the end of the day there are pros and cons to each path, it is not black and white in any way, shape or form. There are a number of variables to consider including the pet's health, lifestyle, possible exposure to diseases etc. A supportive vet who will provide information, and work with you to find a solution you're comfortable with as a pet owner is really a treasure, please don't settle for anything less.

My vet recommended a more comprehensive screening of Kiera's blood work that would include thyroid hormone levels. I walked out of the vet clinic $370 poorer but my vet called me today and Kiera has a significantly under-active thyroid. This could explain the loss of fur over the past few years that another vet had attributed to allergies. Hypothyroidism is not uncommon among Cocker Spaniels although they usually look like little snausages. Kiera is quite lean. Other than the thyroid issue and some slight anemia (which the vet suggested may be attributed to the hypothyroidism) Kiera's blood work was completely normal. Great news.

I kind of feel like she's starting a new life today. Not in terms of age, she will still be 7, but she's been one of the oldest 7 year old dogs I've ever known. I think of Sarah/Alpha at that age and it's like night and day (though they were very different dogs in many ways). Her skin and coat will probably improve, and maybe I can even loosen my death grip-ish control over what she eats so she can have the odd treat at a dog park if someone asks. And I feel good about myself. There will be repercussions for the $400 that just disappeared out of this month's budget but I'll never have to question whether I've done everything I can to help her be healthy and happy. That's the kind of furmom she deserves and it makes me happy that I can be that for her.

If anyone is interested the outstanding vet is Sarah Machell at North Oakville Animal Hospital 
Sarah has never steered me or my family wrong. She took exceptional care of our beloved Sarah (dog) aka. Alpha in her declining years and made a generous donation to canine cancer research in Sarah/Alpha's memory when she died.  My parents' rescued Australian Shepherd Reilly is epileptic and again Sarah worked with my parents to provide them with information and options so that they can make decisions they feel good about.  And then of course there's Kiera - ruptured cruciate ligaments and now hypothyroidism, Sarah has seen us through a lot.  She even volunteers her services at the Oakville & District Humane Society.

My own Olympic FAIL

I made no secret of my boycott of the Beijing Olympics - it was a no-brainer for me.  Somewhere along the way since that summer in 2008 my disgust with the International Olympic Committee along with the state of the economy, and a handful of other reasons, I surmised that the ethical thing to do would be to boycott all Olympic Games, so that's what I did. 

Now I find myself regretting that decision.  I would have loved nothing more than to watch the men's game tonight and be part of the celebrations. To be specific I would have loved nothing more than to take my younger brother into Toronto so he could be part of the celebrations too. That could have been his birthday present and it's something he would have enjoyed very much. 

I happened to be in Toronto the last time we took home hockey gold.  The celebration on the street was unlike anything I'd experience before, or since.  The atmosphere was pure euphoria and good will.  It was an incredible thing to witness, people brought and creating that kind of energy.  Just to be clear I am always moved when people come together in a positive way.  I was on cloud 9 when 200 people came together in Oakville to stand up for democracy.  People coming together strikes a very deep chord inside me, I'm just wired that way I guess.

I wrote an essay about the Toronto celebrations for my undergrad Popular Culture course, and I was really proud of it.  It was very well written and I was pleased with the way I captured the euphoric atmosphere that night.  My TA eviscerated that paper on the single basis that I had allowed myself to buy in the the euphoria that night. She told me I would have received a better mark if I'd identified that the reason for the euphoria was nothing but bullshit.  Like only simple minded folk would think the win was worth celebrating.  She thought I should be above that sort of thing.  And because I hadn't been above that sort of thing she thought less of me and I started doubting myself.

Intelligence is one of the qualities I admire most in others.  In this case I let a person I considered intellectually superior make me ashamed for not sharing her view on the topic.  And when I read people I respect denouncing the Olympics and Nationalism that insecurity came flooding back. Are there valid concerns about the 2010 Vancouver Olympics? Absolutely.  An astonishing amount of money was spent at a time we can least afford to spend it, and homelessness in Vancouver has actually increased since the games were announced.  I think we can be cognizant of  those issues and share what we know and still enjoy what's worth celebrating about the Olympics.  Like Gold in Women and Men's hockey.  I'm thrilled for the players and the fans, and I'm trying not to care who knows it ; )  

noticed: spring style

Almost everything 80's is out of the trailer park and back on the rack.  Remember black denim?  A number of designers have black jeans in their spring collections, including Calvin Klein. For those who can afford a splurge - and I mean splurge - the Pink Tartan collection is to die for.  No surprise there. 

The jewel tone trend continues - good news because jewel tones flatter every hair colour and complexion.  Bright, vibrant colours are big this spring.  Think canary yellow, lime green, periwinkle, fuchsia.  Unlike jewel tones not every colour in this palate is universally flattering but I guarantee you will easily find something that compliments your skin tone while adding something truly fresh to your wardrobe that really pops.  It's spring people, who doesn't want to pop?  Anyone downtown when the snow melts away is in for a bright colour extravaganza on the sidewalks and patios. Instant mood lift, guaranteed.