Raw Food Diet, Day 370- Three Little Piggies

The Old Man (computer) is up and running again, thanks to Mr. Genius at the fruit store. Looks like the typing machine has avoided that big apple tree in the sky! Mom would have been so sad. This computer has never had issues and that was its first trip to the vet in almost 4 years. And it was a silly problem with the printer program! Ha! Thanks for all of your well-wishes. They worked! But now I must go on to more important things...

Like meat.

Mom was at the feasting store and was checking out the beast-feasting section for sales when she found a massive pork shoulder for $1 per pound! She snatched it right up and brought it home for the canines' feasting delight.It was over 4 pounds of meatiness, and almost all of it was pure piggy delicious feasting material - almost no bone.
In the mood to mix stuff up a bit, mom decided to cook this meat and turn it into meaty muffins that are easy to portion out. Because it is so important to balance calcium and phosphorous ratios in our meals, and since cooked bone is a seriously dangerous thing, mom added some bone meal powder to the mix - about 900mg calcium per pound of meat. (Phosphorous is found in the animal tissue, calcium is obviously from bone.)
She added plain yogurt, some pureed veggies, one egg (we have to go easy on the eggs or else our tummies get angry), a tiny touch of garlic and a bit of pureed chicken liver to the mix. It smelled SO GOOD!
I got a raw taste test. It made my tongue do cartwheels! My eyes tried to jump onto the spoon!
Big Pupi also lost control of his feasting device and it licked every inch of that mixing spoon to a nice spit polish.
After the feastables got our stamp of approval, they were spooned into 4oz servings and baked up. Our mixture didn't stick together very well because of the lack of starches, but we totally didn't care. If your human likes to feed you grains, then some overcooked brown rice or some oatmeal would be a nice binder to mix in along with more eggs - just decrease the amount of veggies in that case or else you'll be in fiber overload. Alternately, increase the amount of veggies if you go grain-free since you want to keep things moving!
Big Pupi stared at the oven counting down the seconds and breathing deeply as the toasty pig smells made their way from the vents. He didn't budge for over 20 minutes. I don't think he blinked either, lest some cabinet monster suddenly appear and nab his baking niblets. He wasn't about to let this one get by his feasting hole.
Mom set out our servings and let the mixture cool while she packaged the rest up and made a few more batches of mini meaty muffin meals.
Awwww man. The smells were intoxicating! Pupi and I whined and moaned and looked longingly at our bowls on the counter and mom was not giving us the feast! Arg! Doesn't she know that I DON'T CARE if I burn my tongue off trying to eat? It will grow back!

Dinner was still nice and warm when we FINALLY got to chow down and it just tasted SO GOOD. That mondo pork shoulder fed us for days. My belly was so happy.
But it's gone now and I miss it. I hope it enjoyed its brief stay in my tum.

So that ends the tale of the three little pigs - the pork shoulder, Big Pupi and me!

Happy feasting,
Stanislaw

For more information and recipes about a homemade cooked diet, please view the newsletters at B-Naturals.com or click this link.

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We got this awesome Honest Weblog award from our fellow feasters Maggie and Mitch. They think our blog is brilliant! Thank you so so much. We are crazy excited.

The rules:"When accepting this auspicious award, you must write a post bragging about it, including the name of the misguided soul who thinks you deserve such acclaim, and link back to said person so everyone knows he or she is real.

Choose a minimum of 7 blogs that you find brilliant in content or design. Or improvise by including bloggers who have no idea who you are because you don’t have 7 friends. Show the 7 random victims’ names and links and leave a harassing comment informing them that they were prized with “Honest Weblog.” Well, there’s no prize, but they can keep the nifty icon. List at least ten honest things about yourself. Then, pass it on! "

So, I guess after all these posts about bum explosions, air biscuits, projectile vomiting and everything else that goes in to and comes out of our little bodies warrants an award about honesty. Sure! The original intention of this blog was to chronicle our experiences dealing with our many food allergies and health issues as they happened in the moment, as apposed to a rose-colored, hindsight point of view. So we've got it all - the good, the bad, and the ugly... otherwise known as my stinky brother.

Let's start off with the 10 things about us:

1. If you offer Big Pupi a single piece of shredded cheese, he will study it carefully before eating.
2. The sound of velcro will send Big Pupi up a wall.
3. My howls sound like a deep-voiced man yelling "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!"
4. Pupi's howls sound like 2-day old puppy giving it his all.
5. Speaking of puppies, Big Pupi doesn't always enjoy being in the company of crazy wee ones.
6. I got too excited playing in the hall with dad the other day and I accidentally killed my neighbor's newspaper. I killed it dead. Seriously.
7. When I have a pooble accident I pick it up and put it on the sofa. (This is material for a post right here.)
8. Big Pupi is totally attached at the hip to mom.
9. I'm glued to my meat-eating dad.
10. I believe roadkill is like a fine wine... the older, the riper, the better.

Alright, so now I must pass it on. I give this award to:

1. Fenway. His approach is similar to mine - including stories about making messes on his "hinders." Gotta love that honesty.
2. Biggie Z. There's nothing like a good rant about dog park days with improperly socialized owners. Plus this dude eats raw meat!
3. Mack, Paris and Lilly. Because well... Paris is there. And that's just brilliant.
4. Tadpole. This dude lets it all hang out there. When he's not wearing shirts, that is. Now that's a guy with nothing to hide.
5. Beckett. Because we're all thinking about his mom right now and hoping she gets well soon.
6. Coco. Because when you're that tiny you really can't hide much of anything.
7. Bae Bae. You're a hammy chillin' with the big dogs. That's brilliant!

'Tis all, folks!

Raw Food Diet, Day 268- I've been missing!

Afternoons around here have been sending me into a dogatonic state, as mom CLICK CLICKS away on her glowy screen machine and I'm left to fend for myself.  Whazzup with that??

Sure, we have our morning jaunts about town which bring on an intense case of Sleepies once my belly is full and muscles are tired, but c'mon.  How much longer is a boy this cute...

...supposed to handle this lack of attention.  I simply am not used to it!

Well folks, I blame my absence on my humans' packed schedules.  I guess full time work, part-time school, wedding planning, doggy school and daily exercising of the canines - all between 2 people - leaves little time for blogging.  If my folks only had as much energy as I have!  Man.  People are lame-o. 

I've decided to make the afternoons a little more interesting, as mom tests Pupi's and my tummy reactions to poultry after a week+ of feasting bird-free.  Let me tell you... it was a BLAST!  And by "blast" I mean that I was baking air biscuits like it was going out of style!  (For the record, farts NEVER go out of style for us pups.)  I smoked mom out of the office on more than one occasion, and during one particular bark park outing I let one rip in the middle of a human huddle and boy did that get me attention!  Apparently, the louder they are the more popular you'll be.  Just a word to the wise about making yourself known.

Aside for the bum fireworks, Big Pupi's and my poobles weren't "ideal," and the symphony of tummy sounds made mom cut out the bird completely.  Now folks, I enjoy birds.  I hunt birds.  I have caught 2 birds in my day and it was a thrill.  I was not pleased when I learned of the sudden elimination of this fine creature from my diet... until I heard that extra goat and mutton was being added to my online raw meat feasting order!  Mom didn't seem happy because chicken doesn't cost a lot of cheese money to buy and goat is a tad more, but I guess the Biscuit Risk is too great... so goat it is!  Delish!

So anyway, tomorrow is my female human's birthday and I'm wondering if she gets vanilla ice cream in a bowl on the floor like Pupi and I do.  If that's the case, then I'm totally planning to steal a few licks!  I know she wanted to get in on my birthday feast, so she'll understand.  I'm an opportunistic feaster, and ice cream is my weakness.  I have no Have when there's ice cream!

To end my much delayed post, I wanted to say with much (HUGE!) excitement that my feather post has been nominated for Post of the Month over at the DWB Bone Zone.  I'm a little embarrassed that my humans put that little tale online as it was not what a bird dog does during his shining moments, but hey... it was true and it was terrifying.  Thanks to my therapist (stuffed tug raccoon) I think I have made a full recovery.  Anyway, if you're a fan of the post then vote for your fellow feaster!

That's it for now!  Gotta go scavenge some of my humans' dinner this evening.  Tasty!

Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 196- A Little Bit of This, and a Little Bit of That

Hey dog bloggerinis!  Stanislaw here.  Just chillin' and being as tiny as possible.

This morning Big Pupi and I went on a fast hunt through the public gardens.  He was so into running and I was so into naughty-ing.  There were squirrels and rabbits!  I just couldn't concentrate.  I think Pupi and mom dragged me half the distance.  I got to take in the view!  

During the trip home, a wee cairn terrier magically appeared right in our running path and since he was a super friendly guy mom stopped for a moment so we could say our Hellos.  He was attached to his human on an extendable leash, and even though his woman knew he was in the middle of two other dogs she kept walking ahead.  Our leashes got tangled, and the stinky poo-head lady never stopped to help!  The other dog's leash got wrapped around Pupi's ear, and that's when Mrs. Jerkface, who was still walking on ahead and watching, decided to give it a harsh tug.  Pupi squealed and reared back, starting a fight between the terrier and himself.  They were stuck!  Mom eventually managed to separate them and send the extendable leash snapped back at Bratty McBratface who never said a word and continued on her way.  Mom had some choice words for this evil human but said them only to us.  I can't type them here.  Can you tell that we're a little bitter?

In the end Pupi's ear wasn't badly hurt but he was on edge and barked and snarled at each dog we passed for the rest of the run.  Mom was fed up and we cut our run short and went home for some feasting.  After all that excitement I now find myself all tiny and warm on the sofa.  Pupi is all leggy and snoozely on the armchair.  I guess it all ended okay.

In other news, I've made a snood debut on the snood-maker's website!  She apparently found my makeshift dishtowel snoods "comical."  You all know that I don't take anything to do with feasting lightly!

Okay, so maybe I do look a little silly with my ears missing.  But if it must be done to get my chicken necks, then it must be done.  I can deal.

In yet MORE exciting news, Pupi and I are the oh-so proud recipients of more awards!  From Nottie Scottie, the handsome little devil, we've been given the Best Friend Gold Card!  Big Pupi did say that he wanted a credit card!  But we all know that friends are better than anything money can buy.  Thanks NS!
I guess we've made some pretty great buddies since we've started blogging, because from Rudolph and Goofy we received the Friendship award!
Thanks guys!  And the pup in the award image has ears like we do!  We're feeling very special today indeed.

Well, these awards need to be passed on, but after our fiasco this morning mom is running late and will need to do her research at a later time.  It can be tricky trying to figure out who's received the awards already and who hasn't!  So we'll get back to this soon.  Until then...

Happy hunting,

Tasty feasting,

Successful Naughty-ing!

Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 191- Animail

There are rows and rows of clangy boxy things at ground level of my apartment building, and day after day my humans return to the same one. After our noon weebles outing, my mom will usually stop by this clangy box place and make Big Pupi and me Sit Like Good Boy while she opens the little door to the box and fetches shredding materials. Yesterday a soft and flat package emerged from this clangy box, and mom said it was for me! (...and Big Pupi, I guess.) As we were headed to the elevators, Lisa - a super cool lady that works in the lobby, gives me pets and lets me cool my belly off each day on her floor - told me that I had a package and handed my mom a little brown box. More mail for ME?!

I skipped all the way back to my home with excitement. What could it be?! Mom opened the soft package first, and pulled out two snoods! Turns out that she had been looking for snoods for a long long time, and our grandma located some and sent them along. Our ears dangle in everything and even though the fur gets trimmed right up to the leather, we still manage to get them filthy with feasts and other stuff humans don't like. Snoods keep our dangly lobes neatly tucked away. Well, up to now we had makeshift dishtowel snoods that had been fashioned with a hair elastic, but I like the real thing much better. I just so happen to look smashing in my new snood.

I guess Big Pupi looks okay in his too.
Big Pupi absolutely HATES to have anything slipped over his head, so it was a bit of a struggle to get that on him. Someone should tell him that he'll wear it when feasting! Then maybe he'll be a bit more cooperative. Speaking of feasting, I had to test out my new attire.
Great success!

After a quick snooded snack of dehydrated salmon, we opened the small brown box. Inside we found an order of supplements from B-Naturals.

First we got the Green Blend, which is a mix of alfalfa, irish moss, algae, spirulina, seaweed and other good stuff. This is a great way to get all your minerals, and you only need a teeny tiny bit each day. Also in the box was the Immune Blend, which is jam-packed with all sorts of vitamins, probiotics and digestive enzymes. It's flavored with chicken liver and when the jar was opened Pupi and I started whining because we wanted to eat it!
Each of our supplements and our digestive enzymes used to be given separately, but to make our people's lives a little easier they now only have to measure out a teaspoon of the Immune Blend for each meal and toss in a fish oil pill. Simple! And you all know how I feel about efficient feasting. I need my meals ASAP. The Immune Blend is great for any pups that could use an immune system boost, and since Pupi and I are such social boys about town our folks feel it's best to keep our systems in tip top shape.

As if the day couldn't get any better, mom disappeared for a while and came back with a bag smelling of deliciousness. I was disappointed to learn that it was human deliciousness, and it all went into cupboards and the meat locker for safe keeping. Well, not all of it went into human storage... mom got us canned salmon!
Pupi is a salmon fanatic and goes to town on his meals when there's a scoop or two of the fishies on top. Delish! It's very important to get a variety of proteins to ensure that we are exposed to a wide nutrient profile, and also to avoid the development of food allergies. This canned salmon is a super easy way to mix things up.*

In other non-feasting news, I want to give a big howl of appreciation to Momo and Pinot for the Daily Blogger award!
We may take the weekends off, but this is inspiration to get my humans to take down my dictations on Saturdays and Sundays as well. Lazy people! From one set of spaniels to another... we love it! If any of our blogging pals post more days than not, and if you haven't yet received this award, consider it yours! We'd love to pass it on.

Keeping my ears clean while snacking on salmon,

Stanislaw

***

Big Pupi has to add a comment:

I just wanted to remind any raw feasters -- fish that swim upstream to breed should NEVER be fed raw. They may contain a parasite, and if this parasite is infected with a rickettsial organism it will cause Salmon Poisoning Disease. These types of fish are only safe after thoroughly cooking, as this kills the microorganism. Dogs are the only species susceptible to the disease, so if your human loves sushi tell them not to worry, but also not to share any with you!

Vanilla ice cream, on the other paw, carries no parasites and is creamy deliciousness. I am counting down the seconds to my birthday tomorrow, and I've been eyeing that container of creamy feasting that my humans got for Stanislaw's birthday and saved for mine. I need candles and stuffies and belly rubs and a morning at the bark park and sleepies in the human crate and...

Raw Food Diet, Day 182- The Magic of Raw Feasting

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Health Update by Big Pupi:

Stanislaw and I have been on an exclusively raw diet (no processed, kibble or canned food) for over 6 months now, so I felt that it was time for a health update. We've also been getting lots of emails from other pups interested in our feasting habits, wondering how, or if, we've really benefited from eating raw. For starters, I'll give a quick recap about why we started this diet in the first place~

I suffered from severe food and seasonal allergies which made me itch until I bled. My food allergies caused me at one point to lose 50% of my body weight and made it difficult for me to gain healthy fat and muscle. I also was having blood tests every 4-6 months to keep track of my kidney function, which was only heading downhill with every check. My breath was stinky and my teeth all browned and yellowed, and I was headed for anesthesia and a teeth cleaning.

Stanislaw came to us a little over a year ago at about 15 pounds. He spine was visible and even his jaw bone could easily be seen as he ate and played (the body will usually try to keep fat stores around the head for as long as it can, using the rest of the body first). He had no muscle to speak of and zero stamina. He also suffered from 5-7 bouts of diarrhea per day, and could barely keep food inside long enough to get any sort of nourishment from it. Constant ear infections were another issue that required more medication, on top of all of the antibiotics, de-worming and anti-parasitic meds that he was constantly prescribed. The vets finally decided that he suffered from a "malnutrative disorder," which basically means that his body just wasn't able to properly use his food.

We were put on Canidae, which is a super good kibble and canned food, but it didn't help Stanislaw's case any and my allergies were still out of control. Desperate, my mom talked to a Rhodesian Ridgeback breeder from my agility class, who had gorgeous, muscular dogs and found out that she fed raw. Well, the quest to learn about raw began, and a few months later (there's LOTS to learn and my humans were quite overwhelmed and nervous about it!) we were feasting on our first raw chicken wing. We've never looked back.

It took a few months for the diet to completely work its magic on us, but right away my humans began to notice some differences. Stanislaw's doggie-smelling, oily stinkhead was gone and his diarrhea stopped. He began to make normal bowel movements and only twice per day. That was a first! Our teeth became sparkling white and clean after only 4 weeks of working our way through bones, and I no longer need to have my dental appointment. My seasonal allergies disappeared and my kidney function numbers swung in the opposite direction and now I fall WAY within the healthy range and have remained stable. I no longer need blood tests multiple times per year, and can get away with seeing that yucky needle at annual appointments only. Stanislaw's once brittle, dull and brown-tinged coat grew in to a thick, shiny, blue-black. There has only been one ear infection between the two of us since, and that was only in one of Stanislaw's two ears. Does it count as 1/2 an infection?

It took a few months, but eventually we both began to put on some good muscle and healthy weight. Stanislaw went from a shelter weight of 15 pounds to today's 23 pounds of beast! Mom kept photos of his progress, and after his first 6 months with us with very little change, he suddenly began to pack it on after the switch to the raw diet. His middle used to be so tiny that mom could wrap her small hand around it and her fingers would touch! You can also see his funny rib in the early photos (from an old break that healed crooked). Look for the lower rib on his right side - it catches the light just a tad. You can't see it anymore!

As for me, I've finally put on that 2 pounds the vet wanted... well, it's more like 1.75 pounds, but I'm close! That puts me at a total of 21.5 pounds. I'm a small cocker boy, but I'm one lean, mean, playing machine.
So, all is well in feast-ville. This whole diet thing couldn't have worked out any better for us, but keep in mind that it's not for everyone, including my buddy Henry who is now giving a cooked diet a try (Henry suffers from epilepsy). Every dog is different and your humans need to find what works best for you. And no matter what you're feasting on, I think it's pretty safe to say that all of us bloggy doggies are very loved and very spoiled. We are certainly a lucky bunch.

Nibbles,

Big Pupi

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Stanislaw here, and I want to send love to my dearest Paris Rain for this lovely treat. I feel the same about you, baby... and your blog. How lucky am I? Who would have thought that a beast like me would get such a nice award? Things like this you just don't take for granted.

Blushing,

Stanislaw

Raw Food Diet, Day 177- From Rewards to Awards

I want you all to know that I have been working my furry little bum off, helping mom unpack her bags by removing her unmentionables and parading around the apartment with them.  I do what I can, you know?  Good times.  Good dog.  

After getting some good sleepies in my crate last night, I woke with the sun, filled to the brim with explosive energy and a terrible craving for meaty feasts.  Big Pupi, mom and I all rolled out of our crates and strapped ourselves together for an exciting fast hunt!  I kept my eyes peeled and watched for rabbits and squirrels as my beastliness ran through downtown to the bark park.  Sitting there, so quietly in the middle, was my beloved baby pool!  I was freed from mom's tether and ran as fast as my manly legs could carry me to the cool, crisp water when... WHAT WAS THIS?!  There was another DOG in MY POOL!  He was big and hairy and looked like Fenway with lots of freckles and he soaked his stinky belly in MY belly-soaking water!  I wanted to take that tennis ball right out of his evil mouth!  Thank goodness there was a sudden game of chase that distracted him and I had my pool returned to me, nice and dirty - just how I like it.

I was soaking my belly and taking stock of the park and folks inside of it, and I realized that there were many Fenway-esque dogs there!  I got so excited!  I shot out of the pool and assumed the play-bow, hoping for a solid game of chase.  But no!  These dogs were NO FUN!  Every time I got up some good "chase me" speed they would surround me and force me back to where I started!  No matter what I did, I just couldn't get anywhere without one of those stinky pups cutting me off, pushing me away, stalking me down and forcing me to play their games.  Grrr.  One got so annoying that I actually snarled in his face and I have NEVER gotten snarly-faced at another dog (bitey-face games excluded).  Big Pupi was having similar problems.  As he was trying to busy himself weebling on his territory, he kept being knocked over and pushed around by one of these herding dogs.  Double Grrr!  We didn't stay at the park for very long because there just wasn't much fun to be had with no running about and no craziness allowed by these silly dogs.  I'm a grown beast and I need my freedom!  You're not the boss of me!

We had a fast-hunt on the way home, then feasted on some ground lamb pre-made raw food (got to finish the bag we bought for our trip!) and then I continued work emptying out mom's suitcase.  Helping myself to socks and undies is way better than being herded around at the bark park!  To thank me for all of my hard work, mom took out my favorite treat -- STRING CHEESE!  I could hardly believe my good fortune and jumped all over mom like Naughty Boy.  But I can't help it, I'm a cheese addict!  This stuff clouds my mind and makes me act all crazy-like.

Big Pupi would fetch the moon for a taste of the cheesiness.  He magically transforms into a momma's boy of gargantuan proportions.

So that's been my morning so far: fast hunts, herding games, and cheesy feasts.  Good stuff.  We're glad to be back and can't wait to find out what everyone has been up to!

Cheese please,

Stanislaw

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Big Pupi is honored:

I consider us to be fairly spoiled boys.  Stanislaw and I are treated like beastly kings by our humans (as it should be), but what did we do to deserve this treatment from our blogging friends?  

We are so thrilled to be honored with this award!  It was a treat that's even better than cheese from our friends Fenway (please don't herd me!) and Charlie.  

Alrighty now, I need to:

1. Post the award on the blog

2. Link to the generous folks that gave it to me

3. Nominate 7 of my favorite blogs and link to them

4. Leave a comment to let those pups know they've received an award

How tasty!  Thanks guys!  This was super cool of you to think of Pupi and me.  I would like to pass this award along to Mack and Stanislaw's lovely Paris Rain, Louis Reginald and the fine Ella Bean, the Sox-loving duo Agatha and Archie, and my hamsterrific buddy, Girl Girl.  Hope you get extra cheesy treats for being so special!

Feasting,

Big Pupi

Raw Food Diet, Day 128- Reports and Awards

We're back from camp! Big Pupi and I spent the past couple of days at this super awesome camp that lets us run about like loonies and play with other dogs all day. It's crazy fun, and the days are jam-packed with some quality bum sniffing, territory marking and chasing. They even have a little outdoor play area with plastic jungle gyms and a wading pool (or as I see it: a belly-soaking frog-pond). We are only put in our crates for afternoon nap time and night time sleepies, so it's go go GO all day non-stop. I feasted like champ on my prepared raw deliciousness, and exercised my beastly muscles. The only down side to the whole experience was getting a bath right before I went home, but that didn't really matter because by that point I was so exhausted I didn't care what they did to me. All those days not having to be Have really take it out of you.

Pupi and I said our goodbyes to all of our new BFFs and our humans strapped us into the puke-mobile and took us home. Once back, Big Pupi thrashed each and every one of his beloved stuffies because he missed them so much. Mom doesn't let us take toys to camp - something about having to throw our camp toys out last time because they were covered in weebles. But seriously... when you party as hard as we do, sometimes poobles get eaten and toys get weebled on. It happens. And its inevitable.

We feasted on an early evening meal and I put myself immediately to bed on top of the sofa. Pupi tended to more stuffies and licked them head to toe for a few hours. That lasted until about 7pm, when Pupi and I just couldn't take it anymore and we put ourselves in our crates and called it a night. Mom didn't have the heart to wake us for our last weeble run of the evening, so instead we had her up at 4:30 this morning with the need to mark some territory. We feasted again on some breakfast, and it was back to bed. We usually need a few days of quality snoozeling to fully recover from camp.

When we were picked up from camp, our humans got a report card for Pupi and me. I didn't know I was being graded!! I thought this was a Have-free zone!! But apparently we got really high marks and our people are very proud of us. We are some friendly and social boys. Mom said something about not being surprised that we were good eaters, but I was shocked that they didn't have a grading system for being a handsome pup. I would have scored "Ridiculously Good-Looking" on that one. A++.

Now I must continue with my snoozels. I have 4 days of being a party animal to recover from. But first I think I'll lick the leather handle of mom's suitcase for a while. I can always peel my heavy eye lids open for a few more moments to lick some leather. Mmmm....

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Big Pupi has news!

Hey all! I'm pooped but I'm back and I'm blogging. While we were gone, we found out that the I Eat Raw Meat Blog has one Dogmark's best dog site of the month award for April 2008!! Thank you so so much for voting for us! We are honored and very very excited. We'll definitely celebrate this award... but we may have to postpone that until this weekend. I don't think I can take any more partying right now. Yaaaaawn....