Woof Woof Wednesday

Pup Astrid is here today to stick her tongue out at Mother Nature.

Mother Nature has been teasing us. We had some warm, sunny days last week. Now it's back to freezing temperatures outside. What gives, Mother Nature?

If I'm being honest, Astrid probably stuck her tongue at Mother Nature more for my benefit than hers. While I'm not a fan of hot, sweltering summer days, I'm admittedly ready for some less freezing and more moderate days. Astrid actually loves cold weather. She'll sit outside in a blizzard for hours if you'll let her, but once it gets over 60°F, she'll happily keep her outside time minimal and opt for the air conditioned indoors.

As cliché of a question as it is, what's the weather like in your corner of the world? Is it ping-ponging back and forth like ours? Is it warm? Is it cold?

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As I've mentioned multiple times over the past couple of days, because of reasons like that silly ol' full-time job, I've clearly fallen far behind on the April A to Z Challenge. So, I'm now working on finishing up my drawings for the last letters of the alphabet so that I can share them all in one fell swoop. That'll take the final stretch of our A to Z doodles well into the first part of May, but so be it. As I work on those, we're sharing some flashback doodles from last year's April A to Z Challenge. These weird doodles are the same level of kooky as the stories I'm illustrating for this year's alphabetic challenge, so it seems fitting enough. That said, does anyone remember this zombie dog from last year?

Has anyone seen the movie Frankenweenie? This zombie dog was heavily inspired by that.

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Tip of the Day 

As Spring really gets underway, don't forget that our furbabies can have allergies just like we can. Just as with us, pollen, grass, and other airborne allergies can lead to itching, scratching, sneezing, and a number of other similar symptoms in our kitties and pups. If you notice any such symptoms in your furbaby, discuss this with your veterinarian. There are antihistamines and other treatments that can potentially help alleviate allergies for our furbabies.

In addition to veterinary and medicinal care, there are other considerations to make when it comes to helping a kitty or pup cope with seasonal allergies. For example, though we all love window whiffies, keep in mind that open windows can potentially exacerbate allergies, as the allergens then have easy access into the home. So, closed windows are often best for keeping the allergens down within the home. For furbabies who go outdoors, when they come inside, you can wipe off their paws and even wipe down their body to help remove allergens. Regularly cleaning floors, curtains, bedding, clothing, and so forth, can help keep a handle on allergens that might find their way into the home. Regularly changing the filter in your heating and cooling system is another important factor. In addition to this, an air purifier can also help.

As always, we of course want what's best for our furbabies. Allergies can lead to discomfort, so of course helping your furbaby cope with them is crucial. If you think or know that your furbaby has seasonal allergies, or any allergies at all, discuss this with your veterinarian and do all that you can to minimize their effects.