debbie's blog

As I've switched my own diet to a plant-based diet, I've been thinking a lot about nutrition. My own Opal, Dixie and Nini are fortunate enough to have home-cooked meals prepared by Yours Truly. My recipes are wholesome and balanced, and loaded with dark, leafy greens, carotene-rich foods and other good stuff. Now, although there is a great deal of healthy 'people food' that is equally healthy for pets, there are certain foods that are toxic and often deadly.

Below are some of the foods that animal-lovers should know are toxic to animals.

There are many more, so rather than sneak your pet a healthy food or treats for people assuming that they must also be healthy for animals, think twice. You may want to visit the American Animal Hospital Association website for a more exhaustive list of dangerous foods:

• Alcoholic beverages
• Apple seeds
• Apricot pits
• Avocados?toxic to birds, mice, rabbits, horses, cattle and dairy goats
• Cherry pits
• Candy (particularly chocolate, which is toxic to dogs, cats and ferrets, and any candy containing the sweetener Xylitol)
• Coffee (grounds, beans, chocolate covered espresso beans)
• Grapes
• Hops (used in home beer brewing)
• Macadamia nuts
• Moldy foods
• Mushroom plants
• Mustard seeds
• Onions and onion powder
• Peach pits
• Potato leaves and stems (green parts)
• Raisins
• Rhubarb leaves
• Salt
• Tea (caffeine)
• Tomato leaves and stems (green parts)
• Walnuts
• Yeast dough

This is my favorite ?get rid of cat pee? site.  Cat pee serves two purposes: to offend and destroy. Nini succeeds on both counts. Nini?s pee, packaged, would be an effective biological warfare weapon. It could wipe out an entire nation in moments. Mr. Ronning?s tips do remove the carpet pee smell as well as can be expected, but I've still had to take to surrounding Nini?s litter box with Depends.

Having just read of the upcoming August 2009 release of an American remake of the 1987 Japanese film, Hachiko monogatari, I wanted to recount this beautiful, touching tale of a dog's loyalty to its owner. The original film was the recipient of the prestigious Genesis award in 1988. Genesis Awards categories span television, film, print, radio, music, and the arts. The awards committee includes people from all walks of life who all share a genuine, demonstrated commitment to animals.  But, I digress. Really, having been reminded of the bittersweet story of Hachiko, I just wanted to share it with you.

A year after his birth on November 10, 1923 in Odate (in the Akita province of Japan), Professor Eizaburo Ueno, an agriculture professor at the University of Tokyo brought his dog, Hachi (later renamed Hachiko) to Tokyo. Hachiko followed Professor Ueno everywhere. One day, he accompanied Ueno to the Shibuya train station as he headed off to work. This became their daily morning routine. Hachiko would then return to the train station every afternoon and wait for Ueno to come home. But, one day in May 1925, Professor Ueno didn't come home; he'd suffered a fatal stroke at work. Upon his death, Mrs. Ueno gave the dog away to some of the professor's relatives, but the loyal and devoted Hachiko kept escaping, and for 11 years, until his own death on March 8, 1935, every afternoon at precisely the time that Ueno's train was due, he would return to the train station to await the professor.

In April of 1934, with Hachiko present, a bronze statue in his likeness was erected at Shibuya station. An identical statue of Hachiko would later be erected at the train station in Hachiko's hometown of Odate, and, in 2004, a statue of him was put in front of Odate's Akita Dog Museum. Hachiko's stuffed and mounted remains reside at the National Museum of Nature and Science in Tokyo.

The craziest thing! I could I have forgotten to share this story?

So there I was, just about to start my 2^nd cycle of chemo. As I'd been warned, my scalp would begin to get itchy and sore about a week or so before it would decide to fall out. Sure enough, it did get really, REALLY itchy. Almost unbearable. I hopped into the shower, and to my horror, I couldn't find my favorite Bumble & Bumble Tonic shampoo, the only tea tree oil-based shampoo that has ever soothed my scalp when it?s been sore before (typically from wearing my hair in a too-tight ponytail). None of my other shampoos are intended for that purpose, which left me emptyhanded and desperate. As I stood there, somehow, out of the blue, it occurred to me to try my dogs? shampoo ? Opie & Dixie?s Herbal Shampoo! Why had I not thought of this before? For crying out loud, that?s what it IS ? that?s what it DOES ? it?s specially formulated to target dermatitis, dandruff and itchy, flakey skin! I reached over and grabbed it out of ?The Girls? Bath Bucket? (yes, that?s what it?s called), foamed away, and ahhh... what a relief, and what a soothing, refreshing scent to boot! Well, let me tell you, as I dried my li'l head, I stood there grinning. NO MORE ITCHY SCALP! Who would've guessed?

I am often asked about the benefits of fish oil vs. flax for pets. Both fish oil and flax offer benefits. Both are excellent sources of Omega 3, an essential fatty acid that supports cardiovascular health, the immune system and healthy brain function. Omega 3 is anti-inflammatory (calming the effects of diseases such as arthritis), and it contributes to healthy skin and coat for pets and much healthier skin for us. Both fish oil and flaxseed oil are actually recommended to combat cancer, the number one killer of dogs.

Fish oil is made by separating the oil from the fish, after which the oil is cleansed and ?de-scented.? This makes fish oil significantly more processed than flax. Fish oil often also indicates the presence of ocean water pollutants such as mercury. Rather than use fish oil, I supplement my dogs' and cat?s diets with a variety of fresh, wild fish low in mercury ? unprocessed, and as healthy for them as it is for us! Both the NRDC -- Natural Resources Defend Fund and the Environmental Defense Fund offer valuable information regarding the safety of fish, both in terms of the environment and consumption.

A notable benefit of flaxseed, the seed of the flax plant, is that it is a plant-based source of lignans, one of the major classes of phytoestrogens. Phytoestrogens are plant compounds; estrogen-like chemicals that, among other things, act as antioxidants extremely rich in both soluble and insoluble dietary fiber. Neither fish oil (nor flaxseed oil) provide fiber. Fiber in your dog's diet is a terrific way to help your pet lose excess weight and ensure proper functioning of the intestines. Maintaining a healthy weight is crucial to the longevity and quality of your dog and cat?s life. More on pet obesity to follow!

Back on track! Had a successful surgery in December, recovered well enough to return to my day job part-time, and am now taking a little break as I embark on Caca Chemo and all the rest of it. Yippee (not for the upcoming treatments, but for the little break from work).

Nini, my hot-blooded kitty, has been planting herself on top of me more often than usual. When I sleep, she's right up on my pillow, curling up next to me like a cashmere scarf. When I'm on the sofa, I have a blanket of pets squishing up against me. I'm supposed to be relaxing during this time, and let me tell you, I am. Opal, Dixie and I go on long walks at Crissy Field, we play ball in the park and hang out in outdoor cafes, calmly watching the world go by. One of the best times of day is when we're out and about at the beach or in the park. I imagine that if it weren't for them, I wouldn't be exercising, which my docs have told me is key to remaining strong and energetic throughout chemo. If that chemo "exhaustion" side effect came on, I know just how easy it would be for me to sink into the couch and watch Law and Order reruns all afternoon. But that;s not even in the realm of possibilities thanks to my little beasts. I try to get them panting and sweating and getting a good daily workout. Inevitably, I wind up doing the same.

Ahhh. the break from commuting and working. What a joy to spend quality time with my girls. This is The Life! I realize that my life had been largely comprised of glaring into an office computer, shuffling papers from one end of a desk to the other, putting out fires and sitting in my car, on the freeway for hours. How ironic that it;s taken an illness for me to slow down, relax and realize what a treadmill I'd been on. My Opie & Dixie business is my passion, and passion is not work. Working for another entity? Much as I love that job, no matter which way I cut it, it's WORK. My husband's cousins in Spain once told us, "Aqui, trabajamos para vivir en los Estados Unidos, ustedes viven para trabajar." Ain't that the truth, baby.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer last month, and this may throw a little wrench in my blogging capabilities, depending upon what my treatment holds in store for me. My surgery will be the day before Christmas Eve, after which I hope my recovery will be speedy and I'll be back online before I can screech, "Happy New Year!" That said, it looks like Opie & Dixie may have to take a brief back seat... I repeat, "brief." I have ever-so-much faith in my ability to swim through whatever I have to swim through and bounce back sooner rather than later. 

See y'all soon!

Yikes... it's me again... the worst blogger on the planet. But I ask you again: where the hell does one find the time, for cryin' out loud? I've suddenly found myself with such a busy life, with barely time to do the laundry, vacuum or water the plants, let alone blog. But I'm going to be more diligent; I promise! So get this: I was recently on KRON Channel 4... one of the major local TV stations in the Bay Area. I was on talking about my fabulous wellness products for dogs and cats - Opie & Dixie - and their fabulous benefits. Dixie sat patiently on my lap, happy to be with mama, while Opal (Opie), with true Opal 'tude, looked up at me, said, "feh - I'm not even in camera range. Screw this...", after which she ceremoniously jumped off the couch, strolled over to the reporter's feet, and plopped herself there for the rest of the show. Check out my segment below!

The power of television is amazing. When I got home after the show and turned on my computer, YEOWZA! Emails, emails and more emails! And when I turned on my cellphone, YEOWZA number two -- messages, messages and more messages! Many questions about pets with stinkiness problems, dandruff, dermatitis and itchy, itchy skin (Try our Shampoo!), questions about nutrition, questions about this, that and the other things. I will never, ever "prescribe" treatments for pets, but am happy to talk about experience and results. I'm happy to offer other clients' testimonials. And of course, you buy? You no like? You return. Pure 'n simple.  I managed to call everyone back and answer every email, only to suddenly be bombarded find online orders to fulfill. When asked where viewers could find my products, I could KICK myself for not having mentioned any of my stores; San Francisco's The Animal Company in Noe Valley, North Beach Pet Supplies in North Beach, George in both Pacific Heights and Berkeley, Babies in both Hayes Valley and the SPCA in Potrero Hill, or some of my East Bay stores like the wonderful Wags 'n Whiskers in Oakland and Walnut Creek, or Murphy's Paw in Pleasanton. There are so, so many great stores here in San Francisco, and I'd plug them all if I could. I love that the smaller business are carrying my products. Hard as it may be to believe, these smaller boutiques are LESS EXPENSIVE than the Petcos and Petsmarts of the world. Yup -- shocking, but true. Would I love to sell to chains, catalogues and online retailers? Why, of course! Do birds fly? Do fish swim? Do bears... oh, forgive me. Can we show a little class here?

Now I've developed an amazing paw balm for sore, cracked and dry paw problems. The ingredients are soothing and moisturizing, and the product has worked so well on my girls' paws that I've begun using it for my cuticles. It works wonders, let me tell you. It's such a great product that I've just sold out of it and am freaking out because the last thing anyone has the patience for is an "out of stock." Rush-rush-rush. All my products' ingredients are sourced in the U.S., by the way, and all my products are manufactured in the U.S. as well. Yes, it's considerably more expensive than manufacturing in China or elsewhere overseas, but my commitment is to supporting U.S. workers. No only that, but I happen to trust the integrity of the U.S.A.'s regulatory and inspection processes more than countries whose practices I'm not quite familiar with. Are they percect? Nope. Do problems slip through the cracks? Of course. However, always better to trust the devil you know vs. the devil you don't.

Ok, folks. Sayonara for now. I'm watching Mad Men reruns, and for now, they are stealing away my valuable blogging time.  I promise to be better about blogging, although I have to confess, it's a little tough to turn your head away from Don Draper.