Category Archives: animals

So Grateful to my Vet: I Was As Sick as a Dog, but Better Now

Hello again, Barley here. You may remember my April 20 message, DogGoneIt! I was so afraid to go to the Vet for surgery. But…..

I am pleased to tell you that after oral surgery, surgery to remove a growth on my tongue, dialyses, a new renal prescription diet, plus two weeks of drugs, I am much better, am at home, and looking forward to more time with my mom.

My sincere thanks to my Vet, and to all of you who wished me well.

A very Grateful dog to an excellent Vet, with love, Barley

#gratitudelite

DogGone It!

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Hi. I’m Barley and I am worried. My mommy took me to the Vet this week and they took blood, and now I have to go to the Animal Hospital for two days, with fasting, IV, extra fluids, some oral surgery, and maybe more. My labs revealed kidney problems. Can you believe it?

I want to thank my mommy and the Vet, on the one hand, for taking good care of me, but I am fearful on the other hand. So for the next couple of days I am sending up doggie prayers that I will be ok. I also will go to the beach to watch the waves, birds, and people playing in the ocean. Please God a few more years helping my mommy recover from her illness would be nice, as she still needs me. With gratitude for nearly 13 years of life, and hoping I wake up after surgery. Love you all, Barley.

#gratitudelite

Grateful For the Love of My Pet

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Ten years ago I adopted this little two year old dog. He has now lost his hearing and is growing older like all of us, but each day he brings me increasing joy. Today I want to honor my little best friend. What a wonderful pet he continues to be.

Thank you buddy for your continued unconditional love. With deep gratitude, love you!

#gratitudezero

Be Grateful for Vegetables – They are Fun!

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Recently, @BetteMidler posted this picture on Twitter – a BrocCollie and Collieflower!

This photo made me smile. In fact, I tried to re-create it…

Look for fun activities in your life with those you love!

Eat more veggies. Improve your diets. Have fun with vegetables!

#gratitudezero

Tending to My Garden, Hair, and Fur – With Gratitude

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Plants need pruning regularly so they will product beautiful blooms. Some dogs need haircuts so they may see and stay healthy. As for me, in order to have good health, I have to suffer hair loss. So, this week it seems my theme is cutting, in a positive way.

It feels hard to find gratitude when losing one’s hair, but I try to look past the hair to hope for health. When gardening, I reflect upon the cutting of the plant to make it grow. I liken the cutting of each plant stem to targeting each tumor, newly growing within me.

My little dog’s fur was covering his face and eyes and was beginning to look like a mop on top of his head. He seems much cooler and happier with his recent haircut. I love to feel the softness of his warm fur when I hug him.

In summary, this week I am finding happiness through gardening, hair, and fur. It is these little instances of life that give me joy. Always be grateful!

#gratitudezero

I am SO Grateful for the Giraffe

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Today is the World Day of the Giraffe. I love giraffes, those large African mammals with long necks, and brown patches separated by lighter lines like fingerprints. I had the opportunity to see multiple herds of giraffes running in the wild in South Africa. I will never forget their grace and beauty in their natural habitat.

Giraffes are gregarious. One may often find them in feeding areas with humans feeding them by hand. They seem to be social animals. I love their long necks (the longest of all animals), and their big soft looking round eyes. I do not know why, but I just love giraffes. I love the way the mothers care for their offspring.

When I returned from South Africa and first observed a giraffe in a zoo, I felt so sad. They no longer had the open spaces to gracefully run and play. They had a limited selection of trees from which to select their food. I can hardly go to a zoo now to visit a giraffe, as I feel so sad that they must live in captivity so humans may look at them.

Giraffes are beautiful animals. I have deep gratitude for the giraffe. Enjoy the pics!

#gratitudelite

I’m So Grateful for Pumpkin. It Healed Me!

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For the past two days I could not keep anything in my stomach. I vomited everything I ate multiple times. It was horrible. My mom’s friend suggested I should eat pumpkin so I did. First, I started with a simple teaspoon, then a tablespoon, then I mixed pumpkin with a bit of food, and a bit more. Yeah….. I am so grateful for pumpkin. It healed my stomach. With gratitude… Thank you pumpkin!

#gratitudezero

Such Joy From Baby Animals

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Last week I had the opportunity to observe parents and children feeding and petting baby animals. I wondered why baby animals give us such joy when we watch them run and play, so I did a little searching to try to answer my question: Why are baby animals so cute?

I actually found sites, animalhow.com and lifegate.com, to explain “cuteness”. Apparently, we are drawn to baby animals’ big eyes, large heads, small faces, squat limbs, soft skin, funny gaits, and playful behavior as they learn to walk, and eat, and explore their new worlds. There is a scheme, called the “baby schema” which explains why we feel such positive emotions when looking at baby animals.

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Gratitude For Good Veterinarians

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Recently, a little dog my human mother was trying to help was boarded at a Vet for several weeks. Apparently, he got a terrible parasite while boarded and nearly died. Because of her experience, my mom started to search good Vets and bad Vets for me just like she searches for good and bad doctors, medical centers, etc. for herself. She is much more careful now with me and my care and I am grateful to learn that if I need medical care, I will go to a good Vet.

Vets must have lots of university training and degrees to practice, but that does not mean they will be a good Vet. My human mother recently found this on google:

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Grateful But Horrified That I Learned About Animal Rights

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Recently I watched my mother help a little Yorkie named Mickey. He was nearly killed because his human mother got sick, then he got a terrible parasite from a Vet, most likely, while he was boarded there. Fortunately, he was rescued by the Yorkie Rescue of America and rushed to an animal care hospital, placed in urgent critical care for a week and lived.

My human mother started to read all the various laws in different States about Animal Rights. Recently, she found a posting on Google (from June 5, 2017) that stated “according to law, dogs are property, making them no legally different from furniture or other items in your home”. This is just terrible news to me! I am sooooo lucky to have a human mom who treats me well and takes care of me. It seems that other dogs may not be so lucky.

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