It's been 6 weeks and 4 days since Gretel hurt her back and was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD).... not that I'm counting or anything :) The initial diagnosis of Gretel's IVDD was scary. I knew that Gretel wasn't past the "window" when IVDD is most likely to occur if it's going to at all - 4 - 7 years old - so in a way I had been waiting for the other shoe to drop. I suspected … [Read more...]

I often get asked what Chester and Gretel eat. It's been a series of transitions for us but I settled on a diet of raw food for them. Did you miss the posts on why and how Chester and Gretel transitioned their food from junk kibble? You can catch up here: Our Food Journey Pt. 1 – My Dogs Eat Better Than I Do Our Food Journey Pt. 2 – The Transition from Junk Kibble to Grain Free Dog Food Our … [Read more...]

My adventure down the Cannabidiol, aka. CBD, knowledge road started when I visited my first recreational marijuana store a few months ago. I live in Washington State where recreational pot is legal now, which is still feels really strange to me, so I thought I might as well see what a "pot store" looks like on the inside. I snooped around in the store a bit and discovered some CBD dog treats. I … [Read more...]

The story of my life is this: Shitty things happen to me but they happen in the best possible way. Look on the bright side, right? In this case, the shitty thing is happening to Gretel. The irony is shocking here. I've been blogging for 5 years. I JUST now decided to write about Dachshund back problems and IVDD. Gretel developed a skip in her step last month. I took her to a specialist and … [Read more...]

Chester and Gretel are active dogs so it makes sense that they need really good nutrition to keep them going. However, there are many reasons to improve your pet's diet from less vet bills to helping them live longer. I felt pretty good about myself for changing Chester and Gretel's food to grain free kibble. I knew it was an improvement in the quality of their diet and one small step toward … [Read more...]

If you haven't already, you will probably start hearing about Cannabidiol, or CBD, treats for dogs soon. One of your first questions might be, is CBD safe for my dog? Next, you are probably wondering if it's legal to buy and posses in your state. Before I'd heard of them, I discovered "weed cookies" in a local marijuana dispensary (it's legal here so I decided to check one out). Ok, … [Read more...]

Gretel and I have a couple of big plans this summer. We are planning to hike a 72-mile section of the Pacific Crest Trail near the end of August. To help us get shape for it, we started training for a dog friendly 5k near Seattle. However, a couple of weeks ago our plan came to a halt. One of the days that we were out running, I noticed that Gretel was skipping a step on her right back leg. It … [Read more...]

Chester was my first and only Dachshund until I adopted Gretel. I knew a little about the breed but we basically lived in a vacuum. We didn't know any other Dachshunds, or dogs for that matter, so I didn't have anything to compare him too. Originally, he was my roommate's dog. I just took care of him when she was out of town for work... which was often. I had wanted a dog desperately in college … [Read more...]

This year is my year to finally get healthy again.... or at least health-ier. What you put in your body - what you eat - is a super important part of being healthy. I have been keenly aware over the last few months that what I put in Chester and Gretel's body is way better than what I put in my own. People often ask me what I feed Chester and Gretel. I have largely dodged that question. Well, … [Read more...]

I previously wrote an article about the anesthesia-free teeth cleaning that Chester gets. My vet says that his teeth look great for his age and there are no signs that he should have a full dental cleaning under anesthesia. Due to his age (13) I prefer to not put him under anesthesia unless my vet deems it medically necessary. I don't brush his teeth though. I've written about this before too. … [Read more...]

Even though Gretel and I started our path to better fitness on December 31st, Tuesday was our first "run" of the Pooch to 5k training program. One of my goals this year is to run a 5k with her. I found over 40 dog friendly races in Western Washington! I know it's very important for people to be active on a regular basis. I can feel how important it is! I haven't regularly and consistently … [Read more...]

This post is primarily about me but, if you stick with me, I promise it will be about dogs too :) 2016 is my year! This is the year I will get back in shape! Maybe it's that this year marks the 20th anniversary since my Mom died and I am the same age that she was when her life ended. Maybe it's that I've been battling chronic back and knee pain for years and it's finally getting a bit … [Read more...]

Dogs make great running partners. Even small dogs can do it! Every dog, no matter the size, should get an OK from their vet before they take up running and, just like people, they have to start slow and work their way up to prevent injury. You might be surprised how far they can go though. My miniature Dachshund Chester used to run regularly with me and he could go 5 - 7 miles, depending on the … [Read more...]

I am not afraid to admit that I wasn't a very educated dog owner in the beginning. I tell people that "I made very mistake in the book" with Chester and I am not kidding. Although I consider myself a pretty educated pet parent now, I admit I still have a lot of learning to do. There are new things that pop up every day that make me wonder if I am doing the right things for Chester and … [Read more...]

"Just because a Doxie is small does not mean they can't do epic shit." ~ Catra Corbett You know am 100% behind that statement. I always tell people, the size of the dog doesn't necessarily determine what it can and can't do. Catra's mini Dachshund, TruMan, runs with her all of the time. He recently ran a 26.2 mile marathon to help a Doxie named Sunshine that was abandoned in the cold and … [Read more...]

Honestly, I didn't know a lot about Purina last month. I knew they make some generic-quality, affordable dog foods, they make some dog foods that canine athletes and show-ring dogs eat, that several of you, our readers, feed your dogs Purina foods and your dogs are happy and healthy, and that there is a lot of controversy swirling around online about Purina. Nestle Purina recently gave me the … [Read more...]

Chester is 14 years young and he's still "got it" in a lot of ways. He is spunky; He can out-hike a lot of dogs (and some people); and He's certainly up for mischief. However, he IS starting to show his age. He's slowed down over the years and pretty has much has two speeds - plod along or no-go. He is grumps at us more than he used to for seemingly no reason sometimes (ok... most of the … [Read more...]

We've been eagerly awaiting this challenge for some time. Well, it's finally here! What is GlycoFlex® Plus? It's one of the best joint supplements I have found. The new GlycoFlex® Plus contains a whole lot of helpful stuff besides just glucosamine, chrondroitin, and MSM - the standards for joint supplements. It also contains antioxidants such as omega 3 fatty acids, vitamin E, C, and grapeseed … [Read more...]