Raw Food Diet, Day 124- Hi Ho Hi Ho

We'll be away for a few days and that means no computer or internet.  We'll see you next week and while we're gone...

...don't have too much fun or eat too much cheese without us!

Raw Food Diet, Day 123- Making a Birthday List

Shout, cry, pout, lie... I know those things keep Santa Claus away (although my shouting didn't stop him from visiting me in April), but do they keep the Birthday Claus away?  Is there a Birthday Claus?  There should be, because I have begun to put together a list of birthday stuffies and treats that I would like to receive as an homage to myself.  This is just a cursory list, as my big day isn't until July 26 (dad made up my birthday, and I share it with another famous Stanislaw).  I've never had humans or friends before who were willing to dedicate a day just to me and tend to my feasting and gift-wanting.  I will be an estimated 2 years old and the big day is a Saturday.  That, my friends, is worthy of some animal-like partying.  

***

Dear humans, below please find a picture list of the many fun toys I would like to receive on the best day of the year.  Start stocking up now, as I will continue to add to my desired bounty as the next few weeks go on...

First up, a feasting possibility that is very near and dear to my heart, I would like a Roadkill Toy:

Big Pupi told me a story once... While on his way home from a run with mom, he found what looked like roadkill jerky that had baked to a fine crisp in the Texas sun, and was lying next to a curb.  Mom didn't notice it was there because it was wafer-thin, but when the cars stopped for pedestrians on the crosswalk she began to suspect something.  The drivers began pointing and laughing, and she looked down to find Pupi holding his head and tail high, prancing and dragging that flat feast across the road.  The best part is that your humans won't take it away from you!  It's too "gross" for them to touch!  Pupi eventually dropped the chewy feast but now I want some roadkill of my own.

I call this next set of toys "weebles and poobles," but they're actually called Pee and Poo:

Let's be honest - we're dogs and we eat things we shouldn't.  I'm thinking that if I have a toy version maybe I won't be so tempted when I'm outside?

From the I Heart Guts collection, I would like to have the following:

I play gently like a wrecking ball, and I'm always bonking my head on things.  Mom says that I could probably use a few extra brain cells so maybe she'll get me this!

I want this one for all my friends out there like Tadpole who have to keep away from the raw meaty feasts because they have an angry pancreas.  I'd like to thrash the grumpiness out of that pancreas and then feast on ice cream and cheese with them.

The next group, from the Giant Microbes shop, please place an order for:

Giardia.  I have no idea what it is but you said it makes my tummy sad and it made feasting not so much fun.  It also made me go to the vet many times and present them with gifts for testing, because I was a sickly boy when I first moved in with my humans.  I would like to shred the poop out of giardia.

Next microbe on the list is the bad breath germ.  Some people say that the raw diet gives you sweet breath, but my humans ensure that it's not entirely too enjoyable when I pant open-mouthed 2 centimeters from their face.  This has to change so I would like to eat him and see him out the other side.

My generosity is boundless, and while I often try to steal Big Pupi's food, I would like to get a toy just for him.  It's a heartworm, and since he was put in time-out for 6 weeks for having these yuckies inside of him, I think it's his turn to have the last thrash.

To round out my first list for my birthday extravaganza, I would like to add:

- a large bag of garbage;

- a human sleeping crate;

- a pet cow, preferably this one.

Thank you and I will get back to you with some additions to this list.

Man, it's great to be spoiled!

Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 122-Howling at the Moon

The other day, my human was telling me a bedtime story.  He happened to mention that some people believed that the moon was made out of cheese, until other humans went there and found out that it wasn't.  Well, I'm not completely convinced that this particular celestial body is not made out of deliciousness.  I like to sniff things out for myself.  I surely don't believe that Buzz Lightyear with his space helmet over his weak human nose was able to determine that the moon was, in fact, not constructed out of cheesy matter.  

I've seen this moon thing a few times when I've looked up in the sky at pigeons.  Looks to me like a round piece of cheese.  I'd like to travel to this moon and give it a sniff, maybe test some moon rocks by eating them.  I'm pretty sure that the big question here is not "is the moon made of cheese," but rather...

..."What kind of cheese is the moon made out of?"

Raw Food Diet, Day 121- Tagged again

***

Big Pupi taking over for today:

Hey folks.  I've been tagged by Stanislaw's girlfriend's brother, Mack, to play a game of 7 questions.  Here goes...

1. What were you doing 10 years ago?

Feasting.  Did you really have to ask?

2. What are 5 things on your to-do list for today?

1) feast; 2) nap; 3) thrash on the sofa; 4) thrash stuffed-Christmas-tree-mouse-toy; 5) feast

3. Snackies I enjoy:

Raw femur bones, cheese, dehydrated lamb lung, cheese, vanilla ice cream.  And cheese.

4. Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Build a spaceship to fly to the moon.  I heard it was made out of cheese.

5. Three of my bad habits:

1) I steal belly rubs from my humans; 2) I steal my brother's feasts; 3) I steal my brother's toys

6. Five places I have lived:

1 and 2) Places I have never spoken of; 3) the shelter; 4) at foster mom's; 5) at this new apartment that I own because I have marked the grass outside

7. Five jobs I have had:

1) Belly rub thief; 2) sprinkler; 3) professional feaster; 4) fertilizer provider; 5) stuffed-Christmas-tree-mouse-toy thrasher

***

Now I'm going to give you a quick update on my grandhuman's pups, Jake and Paisley~

They are still going strong on the raw diet!  They have been eating a pre-made raw food, and suffered no real side-effects from their introduction to the diet.  They did have some softer than usual poops the first week or so, but the digestive enzymes added to their food kept all that in check... well, it didn't keep the gas under control, but that also stopped after a few days.  Their humans think that their energy levels have increased, and although Jake's stinkhead issue hasn't gone away completely like Stanislaw's did, they are both as healthy as ever.  They are feasting on a variety of proteins that they wouldn't otherwise be getting from eating the same dry kibble day after day.  They are yet to have their first actual bone-in meat though... We'll let you know how that goes when their time comes.  Crunching bones is my favorite!  And it cleaned my yucky teeth to a pearly white shine.  So, Jake and Paisley are another happy raw feasting duo!

Eat up,

Big Pupi

Raw Food Diet, Day 120- I Said No No No

Yesterday was Memorial Day and Big Pupi and I got to go for a slow hunt through downtown to the park.  Our humans sat on a bench and watched a water-spitting monster while my brother and I kept a look-out for squirrels.  I tried to be Have but I couldn't control myself and screamed the entire time we were out.  It was a hot day and my over-excitement made me one steamy boy and we had to cut our walk short so I could cool off.  Big Pupi was a good boy as usual and he even sat nicely for a photograph:

I was a savage beast and looked a little bedraggled for my photo shoot:
You can see my tongue freckle in this picture.

While we were out I overheard my humans talking about an Animal Be Have-iorist and I thought that this particular beast sounded rather dull.  Having Have just doesn't make you much fun.  But then I heard them mention that I could use a little rehab so I can learn how to be Have, stop my screaming, and to remedy my lack of Walk Like Good Boy.  My mom even shot some video clips to send to the Be Have-iorist beast so that she could see what she was getting herself into.  

I told my humans that they can try to make me go to rehab, but I say No No No!

Here's a video of my manly screams, potted plant obsession, and bizarre need to squeeze myself through anything that is remotely fence-like... even if I'm not actually fenced in.  They just don't know how exciting and scary life is from 2 feet off the ground!  I refuse to be a wallflower, and my screaming gets me attention from humans and animals for miles around.  I refuse this rehab!  A handsome, manly boy like me deserves all of the attention he can get!! 

Raw Food Diet, Day 118- Race is an Awesome Guy

Yesterday the battle was on with Race.  My humans woke me up when it was still kind of dark outside and I got a really early feast.  Then they left wearing a paper pinned to their chests and dressed in their fast hunting gear.  I guess they won the battle with this thing called Race because they made it back home a few hours later and they didn't seem to have any bite or claw marks on them.  Race must have put up a good fight though, because they were exhausted for the whole rest of the day and Big Pupi and I got some major nappy time on the sofa with our humans.  Race also made them very hungry and there was some high quality feasting going on.

Dad gave me this medal when he got home from fighting Race:

I was a proud boy to have it!  He said I deserved an award for being such a good trainer and making him run harder and farther during our fast hunts for squirrels and rabbits.  Big Pupi got one too for his work in training our mom.  I always knew our humans depended on us for our beastly running skills and it feels good t0 have contributed to the defeat of such a fast-moving foe -- this monster thing called Race.

To celebrate the win, our humans took Big Pupi and me out to a feasting place that has this cold creamy stuff that drives us absolutely wild.  Vanilla ice cream turns me into more of a beast than anything else in this world... even raw meat!  I guess it makes Pupi a savage as well, and mom learned the hard way that she can't give him ice cream in a paper cup because he'll eat the cup too.  Here's a picture of Big Pupi jumping and jumping just to get a look at our servings of ice cream on the kitchen counter:

Our humans served us big juicy tablespoons of the creamy stuff, and I growled in ecstasy as I lapped up every last drip.  The deliciousness caused me to lose control of my body completely, and before I knew it I was flying through the air directly towards my dad's cup of ice cream and I crashed all 21 lbs of my beastliness on top of him.  I tried to stick my whole head into his feast but I got in trouble and was made to sit on the ground.  I couldn't help it!  I was possessed by the feast!  Before I knew it I had a full-blown addiction to the white stuff and just couldn't get enough.  I would do anything to get another hit of the deliciousness!  I'd even be this "have" that my humans are always telling me to be!!!

Later that day, once the ice cream no longer had control over me, I overheard my humans talking about the coming of Race once again.  This time, however, Race has a name and it is called "Half Marathon."  I don't think I'm as scared of Race this time, because it means I get medals, nappy time where I get to sleep on top of my humans, and best of all... vanilla ice cream!!!  So I say: 

Bring it on, Mr. Marathon!

Raw Food Diet, Day 117- You're Feeling Sleepy...

This video was filmed 2 days ago, when we got back from the doctor's office. Big Pupi gets so stressed when he's at the Place of Tile and Steel that he can barely keep his eyes open when we get home. He also likes to hold a toy in his mouth because it soothes him after an exhausting afternoon. There was some quality napping afterwards!

Raw Food Diet, Day 116- The Place of Tile and Steel

So, I was sitting at home on my favorite dirty stuffed chair, chewing the instruction booklet to my new halti headcollar which I detest, when mommy appeared around the corner with that dreadful thing.  

She also had my harness and I kind of got excited because the harness usually means fun things like Polish celebration parades and running.  She already had Big Pupi all suited up for an afternoon out, so I obliged and let mom dress me for an outing... despite the fact that it meant that the blasted headcollar was going on.  (She says that I have not perfected my Walk Like Good Boy, and I need to stop yanking the bones in her hands to bits with all my manly strength.)

We hit the streets and zig-zagged around herds of strange humans.  Little did I know that she was taking me to the horrible vomit-mobile!  Blech!  She snatched me into the air and seat-belted me into the back seat next to my brother, who oh-so angelically jumped into his spot in the car on command and Sat Like Good Boy.  Show-off.  I hate him sometimes.  We took a quick drive and I whimpered in the back but didn't get too queazy - I guess that extra little crunchy pill thing in my breakfast made me less car sick.  We wound up parked in a new place that was just waiting for me to leave my mark and claim it as my own.  We took another short walk and before I knew it....

...we were at the Place of Tile and Steel and too many dog smells to take in all at once.  Oh.  No.

Mom said something about "forgetting the samples" and I guess Big Pupi knew what she was talking about because he produced a new one right there on the floor for her.  His tummy always goes bad when he gets nervous!  When the nice lady came around to gather my brother's gift for her, I didn't want to look rude so I made an offering of my own and weebled all over the place.  I have no idea where we found all that because we had just emptied our tanks moments before.  I surprise myself sometimes!  I am such a clutch player.

We were ushered into a back room and weighed (I gained another pound!!) and I commenced my screaming so that everyone that works at the Place of Tile and Steel could come and lavish me with their adoring stares and belly rubs.  My call attracted a particular Dr. B who plopped me on the table and began to massage my neck and shoulders.  I got so relaxed that my head bobbled and was entranced by the attention, so I let this Dr. B check my beastly teeth and ears and continue with her exam.  She said I was so calm and in such good shape that my heart rate was incredibly slow for a dog my size - about 70 beats per minute.  I got paper things put into my eyes to check for tears (since I had one gland removed from a cherry eye surgery I need this checked every year) and I produce lots and lots of eye water so Dr. B was very proud of me.  I got a treat for that one!  Then she shoved something crazy yucky up my schnozzle, and mosquito-bit me with a rabies vaccine and a lepto vaccine.  Yup... mom decided to go ahead with the lepto for me because we don't know my vaccination history, and apparently living in a city with rats puts you at high risk.  (This will probably be my last one though.)  Dr. B also found a little yeasty ear infection that my mom had suspected I was brewing and she washed out my ears and gave me some meds.  

**See below for a great new way to put meds/ear wash in a dog's ear!**

Then I was put on the ground and screamed in protest while Big Pupi got his time with this fabulous, massaging Dr. B.  He was not nearly as relaxed as I was and kept flying through the air onto mommy's chest and she would have to catch him to keep him from falling to the ground.  He shook like a leaf and passed some terrible gas and the whole exam had to take place with him in mom's arms.  He shrieked like his legs were being cut off when he got the yucky stuff up his schnozzle, but he didn't have to get any shots.  Not fair!  Dr. B was surprised that his ears are in amazing shape and that he's only had 1 ear infection ever years ago.  Our humans never do any maintenance on him and think it's better to leave well enough alone.  Not fair again!

Mom said that she was super happy with Dr. B.  This doctor likes to look at the whole pup and addresses the entire animal (or in my case - beast) and not solely focus on issues or ailments.  She is not located at a holistic practice, but she's very up to date on lots of holistic-type stuff.  She is also a big believer in the raw diet, and quizzed our mom on what she's feeding and said that it looked like we had some pretty good feasting planned for us and that she wouldn't even recommend a multivitamin because our meals are so complete.  However... she did say that Big Pupi was way too skinny and needs to put on almost 2 pounds!!  Mom has been working hard to fatten my brother and me up but we just don't put on weight very easily because we are calorie infernos.  But, any doctor that prescribes more feasting is a friend of mine!

I screamed while we were checking out and Dr. B gave my mom card for something called an Animal Behaviorist that's supposed help figure out my howling habit.  Um... no thanks.  We then got back into the puke-wagen, drove back to the parking garage and walked home.  Big Pupi was so exhausted from his stressful day that he passed out on the dirty stuffed chair.  However, I had just learned of the appropriate thing to do with one of these chairs from my friend Petra, and I can't wait until he's off of it so I can practice my shredding techniques.

Oh well.  I guess I'll have to wait until next time.

Feast hard (the vet says you should!),

Stanislaw

***A New way to clean dog's ears***

Take 2 cotton balls and soak them in a cleaning solution.  Place one cotton ball in each ear and press it down into the canal so it's level with the ear's opening (don't stick it all the way down!).  Massage the base of the ear for 45 seconds, and make sure you hear that good squishy sound from the medication getting inside.  Then let the dog shake its head and the cotton balls will come whizzing out.  This is a much more comfortable way to get meds in there, as there is no squirting and splashing liquids into the ear.  I didn't mind it at all!  Thanks Dr. B!

Raw Food Diet, Day 115- Chat with Stanley!

He's a man of few words...

...but those ears are made for listening.

Raw Food Diet, Day 114- We Need Sox Fans!

***

Big Pupi is calling all Red Sox Fans!

Hey guys!  I'm taking over Stanley's blog for today to let you all in on a little game I'm playing with Mackenzie, the Yankees pup.  As some of you may already know, I am a HUGE Red Sox fan (just like my dad), and I keep a blog on the MLB page all about the game of baseball from a dog's point of view.  Well, this Mackenzie has challenged me to put everything I've got into my team and make a wager...

It's the Yankees versus the Red Sox.  Both teams play in the American League and only one team can make it to the top of the AL East in September.  We each need our fellow baseball dogs to sign up and pledge their allegiance to either the Red Sox or the Yankees.  When the AL East winner is determined, the losing team of pups must post pictures of themselves wearing the opposite team's gear.  Oh the horror!  That means I'll have to take off my rally gear and put on a Yankees cap!

All you need is a dog with a blog and some serious love for your team.  If you'd like to participate, please post a comment here or on my MLB blog.  State your name, link to your blog, and of course - you must let us know if you're a Red Sox or Yankees fan!

This can be a great way to gain some blog readers, make some new dog buddies, and have a good laugh when your team wins and there are lots of angry pups donning your team's gear.  We'll follow-up in June with an update and some more info for you all.  And if you know of a dog baseball fan out there, feel free to let them in on the game!  The more pups the better.

And don't forget... baseball games are an excellent feasting opportunity!

***

Stanislaw has to make a quick note:

Holy guacamole humans!  Can we PLEEEEEASE move here?  It's an apartment/condo building developed by Amacon, that includes a dog park on the 8th floor along with a bathing station and park benches for owners to kick back and watch their pups play.  

If only I knew where it was so that I could mark it and call it my own...

Raw Food Diet, Day 113- I Missed the Dog Dance Party

I got an invitation to attend a dog dance party at a local bar last weekend.  Unfortunately, my humans decided that it would be best for me not to attend due to my excitement issues.  What's wrong with getting a little revved-up once in a while?  The loud music, all the people and dogs - those are some serious reasons to get excited.  Plus I am a party animal.  Whenever I hear "We Like to Party" by the Vengaboys, I start sprinting around and busting out some sweet dance moves like The Play-Bow.  "Shipping Up to Boston" by the Dropkick Murphys also gets me particularly fired up.  This song gives me the courage to steal my brother's toys (he always kicks my bum afterwards) and jump up on my kitchen table to wrestle my humans' dinner away from them (I get put in time-out afterwards).  I'm just saying, I would have been the life of the Dog Dance Party.

Thrashing around as if in a raw meat rage.  Drinking hard from the toilet.  Flying through the air onto strange humans' laps.  But no.  My humans wouldn't let me go because I am too "excitable."  I wish they would stop cramping my style.

***

Big Pupi on the issues:

Stanislaw and I delighted in some excellent feasting yesterday.  There were many courses and many snacks, as we played very hard at the dog park and that makes us two very lunch-hungry boys.  Nothing was too out of the ordinary... a chicken-neck breakfast, scrambled egg and cottage cheese lunch... but then mom went to Trader Joe's for some groceries and came back with what she thought would be a healthy high-protein snack for us pups.  She got some dehydrated chicken breast.  No preservatives, no coloring, no-nothing but nice lean chicken meat.  She gave Stan and me a little sampling and we snarfled it down on the sofa.

It was a rather bland late afternoon snack.  Our metabolisms were in high-gear after all that exercise and generally that prevents food from sticking around for too long in our bellies and makes for an extra walk or two in the afternoon.  (Extra feasting = extra walks... win/win!)  But on this particular occasion the tasty goody was not budging.  It sat in its own bland juices and it swirled and bubbled in our tummies, creating friction and producing energy and making us somehow toxically and dangerously... gaseous.

Stanislaw let a particularly ripe one rip right in front of our humans and it was enough to stop their talking and make them stare for a while.  Stanley replied to the silence and gawking with saucer-round eyes and another massive fart.  I agreed with my brother and relieved myself of the internal pressure-cooker, but once that egg was laid I bailed and left to take a nap in another room.  Let them deal with the consequences.

This gas was enough to wake us from our sleep with a start, and as mom worked in the office she'd catch glimpses of Stanislaw and me as we levitated off the ground and ran tail-tucked away from where we had been napping.  Those things can scare the poobles out of you if you're not prepared for it!  More often than not I'd rouse myself from my nappy zone on the sofa, come into the office to set one free.  That way I could contain the poisonous stench and preserve my utopian sleepy spot.  It's also an excellent way to make a point - my point being that those chicken thingies were dangerously delicious.

We continued to bake air biscuits through the night, making our crates a veritable war zone and forcing our humans to leave the door open as their eyes watered and we all gasped for air.  By morning we were all half-expecting to find police tape and men in bio-hazard suits preparing to take us all into quarantine.  To our surprise we were able to make a mad dash out to the elevators and outside, where Stan and I made a wild mess of the lawn.  I went through 3 pooble bags myself.  It was a record-breaking morning and I am rather shocked and proud of myself for being able to pull that one off.

We got breakfast as usual with a little L-glutamine added to the mix to help our tummies recover from the chicken catastrophe.  This morning has been uneventful thus far, and I plan on spending my afternoon trying to contact the Guinness Book of World Records to see if my 3-baggy affair is worthy of any notoriety.

Breaking records,

Big Pupi

A Moving Movie

For my buddy Beckett~

Big Pupi and I were super helpful when we moved with our humans last October.  In fact, my humans made a little video to remember the specialness of the occasion.  Packing is super fun because there's a lot of ripping and unwrapping to do, and masking tape makes a tasty chew toy.

Good luck with your move!

Post #2 for today

Okay.  So maybe I was wrong.   A fast run to the dog park.  An hour sprinting and doing "speed bottom" all around while being chased by Jack Russell.  A snack feast of cottage cheese and scrambled eggs at home...  All this may be enough to take a dog out for the rest of the day after all.  Mom said I didn't make a peep all afternoon.  However, mom kept this annoying bright lamp on while she was working so I was forced to nap like this:

And then all of a sudden I woke up and dad (my favorite) was home and it was time to feast again!  So maybe this new exercise schedule isn't so bad after all...

Raw Food Diet, Day 112- Who is Race?

My brother and I have brought you all here to express our deep concern regarding a sudden change of our life patterns.  We used to be taken on nice long runs with our humans, and those runs have suddenly decreased severely in number.  I realize that my humans have been relying on the dog park more and more to make us run and get our exercise.  You see, my people are training for something called "Race."  I suppose that Race is a scary thing because they go out for very long runs that they say are too much for our little legs to handle.  But I want to know why we are not preparing for Race because Big Pupi and I should also be in shape for this monster-thing in case it comes around.  I have even overheard my people say that Race is indeed coming next Saturday, and now my brother and I are behind in our training!  But on the upside, and for reasons that I just can not comprehend, my humans are only going for short runs this week which means that we will get to sprint our little hearts out for the mile to the dog park and the mile back.  

This is a sub-par situation for me.  My brother and I are accustomed to running about 4 miles every day (I told you that we are super athletes) and at the half-way point we would get to play and splash in the big cold lake.  There is no lake at the dog park, and I certainly do NOT appreciate being sprayed with that spitting rope toy-looking thing you call Hose.  It is not a supplement for my lake (it's MY lake - I weebled in it), and while I do enjoy being all wet and stinky and dirty, Hose is not my favorite guy to be around.

This is also a sub-par situation for you humans.  How are you able to run without my beastliness leading the way?  I am shocked that at this point you haven't gotten yourselves lost.  I am convinced that you have let every squirrel-chasing and rabbit-hunting opportunity pass you by because I was not there to point them out and Big Pupi wasn't present to do his insanely high-pitched squirrel howl.  And I'm sure that you haven't been giving these runs your all because my brother and I aren't there to push you and make you run faster and farther.

So, even though at the end of the day Big Pupi and I are tired, exercised pups, I felt that I needed to express my concern about our sudden lack of crazy-boy, on-leash running.  I demand that we remedy this situation ASAP and that we hold a family discussion about how we will tackle this awful thing called Race that you humans have become so worried about.

Have your people call my people.

Stanislaw

***

Big Pupi agrees...

I second everything that Stanislaw has to say, and I want you to know that I am saving up my cheese to purchase this book which will enable us to draw up appropriate on-leash running terms in a matter that is both legally binding and beneficial to humans and dogs alike.  

Humans prepare yourselves.  You may want to seek legal counsel.

Big Pupi

Raw Food Diet, Day 109- How I Tricked My Humans

Last night my mom gave me a bully stick.  I love to chew on these things for a while but then I get this weird, almost primal urge to bury them.  The problem is I can't dig through a hardwood floor.  So I was walking around my apartment, whining and looking for a good place to bury my treat.  A few minutes later I heard my mom say, "Where's Stanley?"  My humans began searching the apartment for me.  They searched in the rooms, in my crate, in the closets, under the bed - I was no where to be found.  We don't have a balcony and the front door wasn't open, so I must be in the apartment somewhere.

Then I heard my dad come into the bathroom and open the closed shower curtain.  There I was, in the bathtub, licking on a bar of soap!  My humans had found me, although I had completely bamboozled them for 15 minutes!  I am one smart boy.  As for my bully stick... I can't really remember where I buried it.

Mommy wasn't thrilled that I left dog-park dirty paw prints all over her clean tub.

***

Big Pupi totally digs bully sticks:

Yesterday was a super fun day.  My female human works from home and her boss is on vacation Thursday and Friday of this week, so she has had a lot of free time to entertain Stanislaw and me.  We went for an early morning trip to the dog park where we got to run about like crazies for over an hour!  We had the entire park to ourselves and it was great -- I didn't have to share any of the tennis balls and Stanislaw could mark his trees and not worry about them being marked over 30 seconds later.  After a good romp we took a walk to the feasting, treat and toy store and picked up 4 bully sticks.  Mom got the 6-inch ones but I kept trying to tell her that the 12-inchers looked tastier and tried to emphasize that by continually pulled those out of the display case.  She said too much of a good thing makes our tummies sad but I don't believe a word of that.  The grooming lady came out of the back and rubbed our bellies while we thrashed in excitement all over her.  She knew we were there because Stanislaw did his phsycho-boy screaming all around the store.  You can't miss him that way.

We need a bit of advice...

Stanislaw's screaming embarrasses mom but she isn't quite sure how to stop it.  Stanislaw screams when the wind blows and screams when we're walking and have to stop at a red light.  He screams inside stores and screams when it's time to do our "weebles" outside.  He screams when the train passes by (the above-ground El) and he screams while racing along the perimeter of the dog park.  If anyone has any suggestions on how to curb Stanislaw's screaming my humans and I would like to know!  We've even been stopped on the street by policemen, so that they can question our humans and check Stanley for injuries.  He doesn't do it for attention and it seems to be more of a compulsion - it's almost like a tick.  Stan is also very obsessive and will stare at water reflections and blades of grass moving in the breeze so intensely that he will forget that he has a potty emergency and won't remember again until we are back inside the apartment building.  These behaviors have improved slightly since he's been living with us, but no amount of exercise, exposure or distraction & treats seems to work.  Any ideas?

Raw Food Diet, Day 108- My Humans Have One Sweet Sleeping Crate

So I was bathed the other day which stunk, except now that I've been clean my dad has let me jump up onto the sweet human sleeping crate to watch sports with him the last two nights.  I have to say that my humans really know how to roll when it comes to sleeping.  Their bed is crazy comfortable and filled with great human smells.  I didn't know what I was missing by sleeping in my own crate every night.  I'm planning on getting really dirty today at the dog park, so I may not be allowed on the human crate for much longer.  Just wondering if maybe we could switch blankies?  You can have all 5 of my fleece blankies for your 1 comforter?  Please humans, I promise not to puke on them.  Spoiled sleeping humans!  I'm going to take my frustrations out on a stuffy.

***

more vaccine talk by Big Pupi

Listen closely...  I have a lot to say today.

We got our titer test results back yesterday.  Turns out that Stanislaw and I have good immunity against Distemper, but our Leptospirosis count was low.  We will be going to camp at the end of the month and our kennel requires Bordatella, Distemper and Rabies.  So that means we can avoid the Distemper shot, but Bordatella is only good for 6 months so we'll need that yucky stuff shoved up our schnozzles.  As for Rabies - we're still up to date on that one.  

But... the Lepto vaccine is an issue for many reasons.  First, titers are by no means a fool-proof way to determine immunity.  In fact, they do very little to show the degree to which we are able to fight a disease or infection.  Titers measure the presence of antibodies in the blood, and determine the concentration of these antibodies as a ratio of the number of times the blood can be diluted and antibodies still be found.  For example, if a blood sample was diluted 3 times and at that point no more antibodies could be found, that ratio is said to be 1:3.  A higher ratio, say 1:1000, can indicate a higher level of immunity.

Titers get tricky because the real gangbusters of the immune system are the memory cells, and there is no way to measure those little guys.  Memory cells can hide until there is a Distemper invader, for example, and the Distemper memory cells jump into action and trigger the immune system to create antibodies against the infection.  Memory cells are responsible for detecting an enemy, and they send out their army of antibodies to fight the battles.

What titers can be useful for is determining whether a vaccine did its job.  If the test is given 2 weeks after a vaccine was administered, a titer test can show if there are antibodies present in which case the vaccine created the desired response by the immune system.  If there are no antibodies present then the vaccine did not work and did not cause the body to have an immune response - there is no protection in this situation.  

Antibodies appear in great numbers when there is an invader in the system.  Our titers came back positive for Distemper, which most likely means that Stanislaw and I have been exposed to the disease at some point in recent months.  It is also an indication that we still have immunity to the disease because our memory cells are still at the ready and capable of producing plenty of antibodies to keep the disease at bay.  But what about our Leptospirosis?  Well, just because our antibody count is low, that doesn't mean that the memory cells aren't waiting for their chance to produce an army of antibodies.  A low count for Lepto does not mean that we are not immune, but at the same time it doesn't mean that we are protected.

So what do we do now?  When we go to the vet next week (oh no!) we will receive our Bordatella vaccine, and then discuss the Lepto vaccine with our doctor.  To be honest, we aren't quite sure what to do.  Leptospirosis is a dangerous disease that effects the kidneys and can be spread to humans.  If caught early it can be treated, but the symptoms are vague (fever, vomiting, lethargy...) and too often it is not treated in time.  On the flip side, the Lepto vaccine has one of the highest rates of side effects and reactions.  In fact, my grandparents had a dog that collapsed from the vaccine as soon as she walked out of the vet's office, and my buddy Bo had to be rushed to the emergency vet just a few weeks ago because of a reaction.  For a boy like me with lots of allergies that is a really big concern.  And the vaccine does not protect against all strains of the disease so despite vaccination and full immunity, a dog can still get sick.  And we have to keep in mind that Stanislaw and I received our DHLPP vaccines (the "L" stands for Lepto) just a year ago and we should have maintained immunity, although there is no way to know for certain.  

A major factor in figuring all this out is our lifestyle.  Stanislaw and I are very social boys and we LOVE our visits to the dog park, we live in a big city with lots of pups around, we live in a building filled to the brim with our doggie neighbors, and we go to camp at a cageless kennel.  Our exposure rate is very very high.  So this is a case where we must truly weigh risks and benefits, and our new vet sounds amazing and wants to have a good long chat with us to determine how we should handle this situation.  So until then, we'll be giving this some serious thought, and we'll let you know what we've decided a week from today at our doctor's appointment.

Happy healthy feasting,

Big Pupi

Resources:

1.  "Titers: What do they tell us?" by Christie Keith

2.  "Titers and Canine Vaccination Decisions" by Christie Keith

3.  "Canine Leptospirosis: Current Issues on Infection and Vaccination" by Pamela A. Davol

Raw Food Diet, Day 107- Deep Thoughts by Stanislaw #3

Every so often our humans put on their loud clacky heals and don't-get-fur-on-me pants and leave Big Pupi and me home alone.  They will usually come back later in the evening smelling of deliciousness from a place that I have never been and from feasts that I have never had.  I usually let them get away with just a mild harassment when they return, but on this particular occasion the smells coming from their don't-get-fur-on-me pants were not too unlike my feast for that evening.  

Before my humans had left that night, I had been given some raw whiting fish to feast on for dinner, with a little leftover brown rice (yes, grains again) and some green veggie mush.  

I stared up at my humans and wondered why on earth I could sniff the same ingredients wafting from their clothing.  And most importantly, why they would LEAVE Big Pupi and me and go to a place that was serving the SAME THING I know we have in our meat locker at home!  I mean, it's bad enough that they will let me out of their sight even for a second and leave me home with my bully of a brother.  And it's worse to know that they will leave us home while they go out to FEAST, but now they're eating stuff that they can just have here in the company of their two fabulous dogs??  Big Pupi and I were not at all pleased with the situation.

Usually they come home stinking of deliciousness that I have never smelled before.  They say that mom isn't a good cook and can't make those foods, but I think that's just an excuse so they can go to these mysterious places of food smells and tastiness.  Why they've never taken me is a mystery, but I've let them get away with it up until now.  But when feasts can be shared and found at home - this is where I draw the line.

Sure, I've heard you say that when my manners and the weather improve I can sit outside with you at cafes and do my Sit Like Good Boy while you eat.  You tell me that I need to be-"have" but I assure you that I have plenty of this so-called "have" but only if there are treats involved.  And you can't possibly expect me to do Sit Like Good Boy while you're feasting on deliciousness and not sharing it with me!  Are you insane?!

You humans are a crazy bunch and some of the things that you do are just cruel.  But next time you're out feasting on the same foods that I eat, I must insist that you take me along.  A learning boy must see these magical feasting locations and sample some of their wares.  And I'm pretty sure I would find the raw fish, rice and veggies that you people eat in secret just as delicious as the stuff that I found in my bowl and spread all over the kitchen floor.  

http://sushipups.com

If anyone can explain to me why humans do this please let me know, as I need to come up with an air-tight argument as to why I must attend the next mystery feasting.

-Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 106- An Important Announcement

We have news!  We have news!

Our family is getting another dog!  No, not my immediate family, even though I have been asking for another doggy sibling for Christmas for months now.  (When is Christmas?  Isn't it tomorrow?)  But we are adding another adopted pooch to our extended family.  My mom's sister is getting a furry pal of her own!  No, it's not a cocker spaniel, but who cares?!  He sure looks like fun.  

Here are his stats:

-2 years old

-Border Collie/Lab mix

-45 lbs

My toes are crossed that I will get to meet him some day.  I do enjoy showing off my incredible running abilities and think he would be great at playing chase.  He lives in New York City, and although I haven't the slightest idea where that is I'm pretty sure if we ride in the puke-inducing car we could get there.  

My mom's sister is having some trouble and we're hoping that you can help.  You see, the dog's name is Rascal, and his new human has decided that this just will not do.  Does anyone have suggestions?  I highly recommend Stanislaw II.

The new pup moves in with auntie at the end of the month, and we'll let you know how it goes! 

Super pumped,

Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 105- Searching for Deliciousness

Some of the search terms people type into Google to find my blog are pretty hilarious.  I picked my top 10 favorites for the past few weeks.  Check them out, with my comments:

1. did Jesus ever eat buffalo wings 

(A spicy buffalo wing Communion.  That's my kind of church.)

2. my cocker spaniel stinks

(I stink too!)

3. why is it not good to stretch after you eat

(You got me on that one.)

4. must I clean a chow chow's anal gland

(If it's so bad you're searching about it, my guess is... yes.)

5. eat raw lizard

(With a dash of salt and some garlic.)

6. i got raw meat in a cut

(Suck the tasty juices out of there!)

7. what to do after eating raw beef

(Party, of course!)

8. man only eats raw meat

(This guy sounds awesome.)

9. compulsively eating raw meat

(My blog should come up first for this one.)

10. recipe chicken feet paws

(If your chickens have paws, perhaps that should be #1 on your search list before you try to find tasty ways to cook those birds.)

Can you believe that people typed in those terms and came to my blog?  I bet they were thrilled with their new discovery!  (So what if my blog doesn't actually answer their questions...)

Keep searching,

Stanislaw

Post #2 for Today

Raw Food Diet, Day 104- Filing a Formal Complaint

Dear Humans,

Things need to change around here.  

First of all, you need to stop stealing my hair.  Yesterday, I did not appreciate you taking that buzzy thing to my face and removing my manly beard and forehead fur that makes me appear larger and more beastly.  You call it "maintenance," but I think it's a fetish and you need to see a therapist.  I spoke to my pug buddy and he says he's never even seen a buzzy thing, which made me realize this is not normal practice.  I enjoy sprouting thick patches of fur in the most random of locations like a spaniel chia pet, and I don't know what this fascination is that you have with removing it.  It needs to stop.  

Secondly, I would like to relocate.  This 850 square-foot apartment thing is just not going to cut it any longer.  I realize that you make extra efforts to get my brother and me out and exercised every day, but I think it's time that we upgraded our living situation.  I have given this special consideration and have drawn up the following blueprint which I hope you follow to the smallest detail in the construction of our next home.  I also require the weather in this new place to always be running-appropriate and humid enough to encourage the healthy growth of my frogs in my frog pond.  

Finally, I would like feasting to commence at 7:30 each morning on the dot, and continue every hour thereafter until it's time for sleepies.  I would also like treats to happen on the half-hour when we are not feasting, to tide us over until the next meal.  I am a growing boy and need to obtain adequate nourishment to grow this fur back that you have so callously stolen from my face.  

Please have your people contact my people if there are issues with any of the above.

-Stanislaw

Big Pupi and me after our facial hair robbery.

Raw Food Diet, Day 102- I Would Win if I Were on Reality TV

I'm thinking about trying out for a reality TV show in order to make some money to put towards the purchase of cheese.  I've watched these wimps on these shows and I'm pretty confident that I would dominate.  Take the so-called "gross food" eating episode every reality show has.  There are guys choking down insects and organs, puking and gagging and taking an hour to do it.  If someone put a plate of bugs in front of me, I would eat it in about 2 seconds and then eat everyone else's plates too.  I'd get immunity every episode, which wouldn't matter anyway because - who would vote me out if I were up for elimination?  Everybody loves me!

So I applied to Survivor but since I am only 18 months old they wouldn't let me on.  That lugoed - I think they were afraid that I would just completely dominate, eat all the animals on the island and steal Jeff Probst's lunch.  But it's always been a dream of mine to be on this particular show.  You don't have to bathe, brush your teeth, get groomed and the food is usually raw and delicious.  You can go potty anywhere and any time because you live outside in good-boy potty zone, everyone is super stinky, days are spent either napping or hunting for food, and I'd be surrounded by a bunch of really bored humans that are just looking for something to do... like rub my belly?  Oh man.  It would be awesome.

Look out reality TV, this beast is coming at 'ya.

Stanislaw

My brother and me practicing our eating of gross things:

Okay, so maybe it was just zucchini spears, but I did eat a crunchy fly yesterday...

Raw Food Diet, Day 101- Memoir Meme

I have been tagged by Mr. Hero, a fellow rescued buddy, to take part in the memoir meme.  Here are the rules:

1.  Post a 6-word memoir on your blog and include visuals if you'd like.

2. Link to the blog and dog who tagged you, ideally to their original memoir post.

3. Tag at least 5 more pups with blogs, link to them, and leave them a comment with an invitation to play.

4. Have fun!

Stanislaw's 6-words (plus some):

comic (ridiculous)

**

chatty (very)

**

pierogi-lover (addict)

**

party-animal (crazy)

**

bird-hunter (extraordinaire)

**

feaster (professional)

**

I have invited these dogs to play:

Mr. Henry and Riley

Ella Bean and Louis Reginald

The lovely Miss Paris and Mack

The entire Fleas Gang

Fabulous Fenway

Momo and Pinot

and of course...

my brother Big Pupi

Is it time to eat now?

Stanislaw

***

Big Pupi wants you to know...

...what he does every single morning to celebrate his AM feast:

This is how you know that breakfast was TASTY.

Raw Food Diet, Day 100- Deep Thoughts by Stanislaw #2

Last Saturday morning I was just hanging out in my apartment waiting to go to the Polish parade when I heard a weird knocking on my window.  I went over to check out the scene and to my amazement I saw a human-like creature scaling my building.  It was like Spiderman or something.  I even have evidence in case you didn't believe me:

I mean, I know birds can fly.  And I know squirrels can fly.  But humans?!  This not only confused me, but also made me pretty scared.  After cowering and hiding for a little while, I worked up the bravery to try to communicate with this amazing flying human.  I have some footage of the conversation, which didn't go very well:

Another weird thing is once this super-human left, my windows were cleaner and I can now see pigeons out of them much more easily.  If any dog out there happens to see this flying breed of human around their neighborhood, please let me know.  I'm very interested in how they gained their ability to fly, which would be very helpful to me while bird hunting.

Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 99- Mornings are Stressful

So you may know that I sleep in a crate at night, which I love.  It's good to have a place all of my own where I can hide things like leather shoes, Chapstick, and cell phones that I steal from my humans.  The problem with my crate is that it stresses me out in the morning.  When I hear my humans get up, I wake up and realize that I'm hungry!!  I want to eat!!  But there's this stupid latch on my crate so I can't get out until my humans come save me.

Meanwhile, my people are taking baths like dorks and combing their fur and stuff.  What about my feast?!  I make sure to tell my humans how I feel about this every morning, but they don't seem to get the point.  I really do feel as if I will starve if I have to stay in my crate one minute longer in the morning.  I think I would like to start spending nights in my favorite spot on top of the sofa.  I have an excellent view of the kitchen from there, and can always hurdle my 22-pound body at my people if necessary.

Your favorite crate screamer,

Stanislaw

***

Big Pupi is on the DL... again

Some of you doggie readers may have noticed in recent photos that my paw is injured again.  It's making me crazy!  I wore away the pad on a toe on my right foot a few weeks ago, and I guess that spot is now a little bit weaker because I keep getting the same abrasive injury over and over again.  (It could also have something to do with the fact that I was dragging my human around at the parade, looking for horsofficers to bark at...)  This is what my foot looked like after the tiny bit of bleeding stopped and it had been cleaned:

Ouchies!  I've never had abrasive injuries this frequently before, and my people think that it is caused by running on cement and asphalt, whereas in Texas we always ran on soft dirt trails.  And I'm also a little too gung-ho sometimes when it comes to getting my exercise... I don't stop just because I have an injury!  No way!

When my humans first see that I have a sore paw, they will usually let me take care of the first round of cleaning myself.  I'm really good at getting all sorts of dirt and stuff away from the cut, and I've even been known to re-open a wound if it closed while there was dirt inside.  They say my instincts are pretty good when it comes to taking care of my toes.  Once I've cleaned the area, my humans will apply some Neosporin to prevent infection and then wrap my paw all the way up to my elbow.  This bandage only stays on for 24 hours or so, and is only meant to keep germies away while the cut closes.  Self-adherent wrap has been found to be the best type of wrap for this, as it doesn't stick to my fur, doesn't require tape, can just be thrown away when done and I can't seem to get it off.  If I need extra cushioning for an extra sore pad, I'll have a washable fabric bandage applied and secured with medical tape.  These items are worth keeping in your first aid kit.

It is important to know that us dogs "sweat" through our feet, and so a bandage left on for too long can actually become moist and cause infection.  Plus, a pad injury appears to heal fastest when it's allowed some air and kept dry.  Just make sure you don't get too obsessive over chewing on that foot!  Keep the area clean only as needed, or else your tongue will do more damage than good.  If you're licking too much, your human will have to keep your foot bandaged for longer.

There are lots of products that will prevent and help a sore paw.  One of the most popular is called Musher's Secret.  This is a waxy substance that keeps the paw pads supple and prevents cracking.  It also creates a barrier from salt, ice and other outdoor ouchies.  My humans used to have a container of this stuff and found it to be great for prevention, but not so great for healing.  Then Miss Lilly's mommy bought me some Paw Saver by All Terrain Co.  This stuff is a waxy herbal mix and it did a little more to help my pads stay soft, and it also made a bit of a difference in helping me heal.  It's an all-natural remedy that contains Rosemary, so if you have an issue with that herb I wouldn't recommend this product.  It sure smells nice though!

There are lots of products out there that are supposed to help make your pads stronger, and I think we'll try one of those next.  And in the mean time, we'll keep using waxes to keep my pads soft and to prevent cracking, and perhaps even try using some black tea.  Black tea contains tannins, and this compound can be used externally in a myriad of ways.  Soak a black tea bag in hot water, let it cool slightly, and hold up to minor scrapes and burns like you would an ice pack.  The tannins in black tea help to reduce swelling, stop (very) minor bleeding, and prevent infection.  In fact, once the tannins have been absorbed into the tissue they will continue to prevent infection at the injury site.  A boiled and cooled tea bag can be applied to bee stings and poison oak/ivy rashes, and my human has even used one when her wisdom tooth was infected and it worked better than any painkiller on the market.  Finally, tannins are what is used in the tanning process, and so it should help to toughen my pad.  I just have to sit still long enough to have a tea bag held onto my paw...

Never gonna happen,

Big Pupi.