PS Dogster

Dieting with Your Dog- Interview with Author Peggy Frezon

Posted by Barbara Techel

 

Today I have the honor of hosting popular pet columnist, Peggy Frezon, and author of her new book, Dieting with My Dog, One Full Life, Two Figures…and Unconditional Love.

I asked Peggy five different questions about her book and dieting with her dog and here is what she had to say:

1.  What was your favorite thing about dieting with your dog, Kelly?

Spending more time together. We used to pretty much laze around the house, me working at the computer and Kelly sleeping at my feet. Now I make it a priority to get out and get some exercise, take a walk together. It helps to know I’m doing something healthy for both of us. And it’s fun.

2.  What was your least favorite thing about dieting with your dog?

Sometimes she pesters me for food. She seems to get hungry late every evening. She’s quite persistant at nudging me, jumping up on the chair besie me, and even barking until I get her something to eat. Fortunately, ususally baby carrots will do the trick, and they’re good for her.

3.  What, if anything, did your dog teach you about dieting?

Kelly taught me that dieting is easier if you do it with a friend!

4.  Do you think dieting with your dog made it easier for you to stay on track?

Definetely. I’ve gone on diets before, and always gain the weight back. Kelly depends on me to keep her healthy… and to keep myself healthy too, so that we can keep sharing good times together. She even nudges me to get up and go out for walks when I’ve been working at the computer too long.

5.  What would you recommend to other dog owners who want to lose weight? What is the best way to start?

If you aren’t sure if your dog is overweight or not, have your dog evaluated by your veterinarian. Sometimes it’s difficult to see it on your own dog. Kelly is really furry, and I didn’t really think she weighed too much at first. If your dog needs to lose weight, the most important thing I learned is to measure her good. I was giving Kelly “one scoop” twice a day, but that scoop contained four times more food than she needed. Also, be sure you are giving your dog the highest quality nutrition you can afford. If you aren’t sure, your veterinarian can guide you. And finally, get active together. You can walk, run, jog, swim, fetch and play, according to your dog’s needs and stamina. It’s great for both of you!

 

Follow along on Peggy’s Weight Loss with a Wag Blog Tour to learn more about her new book!

 

Purchase Peggy’s book on Amazon, or Barnes and Noble

 

Special Needs Pet Feature: Selianka

Posted by Barbara Techel


What is your pet’s name? 

My pet’s name is Selianka, which supposedly means “a little girl from the town” in the Romanian/Croatian language.

How old is your pet?

Selianka is 2 ½ years old.

Where did you get your pet? 

I was whelping her mother at my house on March 14, 2009,  but at 1am, I knew something was wrong, so I drove to the Dog Hospital in our city, and around 2am she was born via C-Section. She has one live brother. Two siblings were stillborn.

What is your pet’s physical challenge?

She is so very small. She was 4.5 ounces at birth, and she grew properly until she was 5 weeks old. Then she slowed down, and at 14 weeks of age, she weighed 2 pounds, while her brother weighed  in at 5 pounds.  When she was 6 months old, she got very sick, and was in the Dog Hospital for 10 days. They finally found that she had a liver shunt, and were able to operate and save her life. Selianka now weighs 3 pounds and she is a pretty,  long legged little girl, with a height of 8 inches.  She is doing fine in the house and our fenced in back yard, but when we are out on the town, she must be carried, so she does not get stepped on by passers by. She is very nervous in large people crowds if she is on the ground.

What is your pet’s favorite thing to do?

Play with her  Russian Toy dog pals in the yard, chase the black Lab next door (on the other side of the fence). Chase other kritters in the yard.  AND she loves to sort clean laundry. 

What is your pet’s favorite thing to eat?

 People food. We are very careful not to  feed her “bad” food from our plates. But she gets a tiny piece of cheese with breakfast. And she loves the tiny, tiny pieces of chicken or duck jerky for midday snack. Being a Russian Toy dog, and with her small size, she can suffer from low blood sugar. We feed her in the morning and at dinner time. Then she getsa  very small snack midday, and before bed time.

What do you love most about your pet?

Her impishness, spunk and beauty is what I love the most.  Although she was born with a liver shunt, most Russian Toys are quite healthy.

What has your pet most taught you?

To be very gentle and kind to her. With her small size and light weight, it is easy to hoist her up in the air, or swirl/twirl her around. She does not appreciate that. She has also taught me that just because she is so small, it does not mean that she thinks she is small…oh no…in her mind she is a large dog, with a large dogs power. So she really needs to be protected from large vicious dogs, or she can be their snack. I am also in the yard with her at all times. She is no larger than a squirrel, and the hawk, fox or coyote can easily grab her for a meal.

 ***If you care for a special needs pet and would like your pet featured, please email me through my website contact. Send a photo and I will forward the questionnaire for your pet to be featured in an upcoming post.***

Why I love featuring special needs pets on my blog

My life changed for the better and my heart grew ten times it size when my dog, Frankie ruptured a disk and ended up in a doggie wheelchair.  That may sound odd, but it lead me to a calling that has brought me so much joy.

I love being an advocate for pets with special neeeds educating others that disabled pets are just as lovable as any other pet. I also feel so blessed to help kids of all ages see their challenges in a positive way through Frankie’s example. Frankie is an incredbile gift not only in my life, but she has helped thousands of children through the book series about her, as well as the visits we do to schools in WI and schools across the US and Canada via Skype.

Sharing other pets with special needs expands on the message that all animals deserve a chance. Sharing these pets helps to spread a positive message and every time I meet a new special needs pet I feel my heart grow even bigger.  I hope it does the same for you and you pass on the love.

Learn more about Barbara and her love of special needs pets

Learn more about Barbara’s special needs pet, Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog

Special Needs Pet Feature: Gus

Posted by Barbara Techel


What is your pet’s name?  

Gus

How old is your pet? 

 14

Where did you get your pet?  

I was there the day he was born. Friends of mine had both of the parents on their ranch. The sire was a papered heeler and the bitch was not but she was a heeler as well. So I call Gus a pure-bred but not well-bred heeler.  All my animals are rescues so I don’t care whether he is a pure-bred or not. The dogs were bred for herding purposes but he was really shy and only liked me so I was the lucky one to get him.

What is your pet’s physical challenge? 

He went blind at age 11 from cataracts so I had surgery done on one eye which brought his sight back. Then two years later when he was 13 he got glaucoma in his good eye and went blind again. There wasn’t anything further we could do surgically due to his age so we control pain management with four eye drops twice a day.

What is your pet’s favorite thing to do? 

Hang out with me; go to the park and car rides.  He would play tennis ball for hours until he went blind.

What is your pet’s favorite thing to eat? 

He loves his premium dog food and biscuit snacks and the occasional meat scraps. Of course, we would eat most anything tasty if I would let him.

What do you love most about your pet? 

He is loyal and smart and has put all his trust in me since he went blind.  He never questions my voice commands and will even step off a curb without hesitation when we are walking.  He has no idea whether it’s a 100 foot drop or just a few inches. He doesn’t fear the unknown because he trusts me so much. I am his “seeing-eye person”.

What has your pet most taught you?

Un-conditional love.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I cherish every day that I have with Gus because at 14 I know I probably don’t have a lot of time left with him.  I love the breed and will go to a local heeler rescue organization to adopt when Gus crosses the rainbow bridge.

 ***If you care for a special needs pet and would like your pet featured, please email me through my website contact. Send a photo and I will forward the questionnaire for your pet to be featured in an upcoming post.***

Why I Love Featuring Special Needs Pets on My Blog

My life changed for the better and my heart grew ten times it size when my dog, Frankie ruptured a disk and ended up in a doggie wheelchair.  That may sound odd, but it lead me to a calling that has brought me so much joy.

I love being an advocate for pets with special neeeds educating others that disabled pets are just as lovable as any other pet. I also feel so blessed to help kids of all ages see their challenges in a positive way through Frankie’s example. Frankie is an incredbile gift not only in my life, but she has helped thousands of children through the book series about her, as well as the visits we do to schools in WI and schools across the US and Canada via Skype.

Sharing other pets with special needs expands on the message that all animals deserve a chance. Sharing these pets helps to spread a positive message and every time I meet a new special needs pet I feel my heart grow even bigger.  I hope it does the same for you and you pass on the love.

Learn more about Barbara and her love of special needs pets

Learn more about Barbara’s special needs pet, Frankie the Walk ‘N Roll Dog