Woof Woof Wednesday: Treats, Tricks, Lumps, and Bumps

It's Woof Woof Wednesday, and it's a day filled with all treats and no tricks.

Those are just some of the Halloween cookies I bought for pup Astrid at our local pet store. She didn't get to eat those on the day of this photo shoot, but don't worry, because she did get another cookie. The reason Astrid is looking off to the side in those photos is because my sister was standing next to me holding up the cookie Astrid did get to enjoy on this day.

I even changed angles in an attempt to get Astrid to look more at the camera. Those attempts failed, in part because this pup honestly just didn't want to look toward the cookies she knew were not the ones she was eating that day. Astrid wouldn't even look toward me when my sister held the cookie of the day above my head. The pup was trying to refrain from being tempted to eat the other cookies nearby, because she's just such a good girl.

Another treat in this post relates to a vet appointment Astrid had just yesterday. Recently, we found a very small lump on Astrid's side. It's directly on the skin rather than under it, and it's no bigger than 0.5 cm. I was pretty sure it was a sebaceous adenoma, which is a benign tumor dogs can get especially as they age. We wanted to be certain it was just something harmless, though, especially given Astrid's history with cancer in her youth, and so off to the vet we went.

The tumor is indeed just a benign sebaceous adenoma, and since it's so small and not causing Astrid any issues, it can stay right where it is. Astrid's vet did give her yet another thorough exam to check for any other lumps and bumps, and she actually did find another new one that was not yet accounted for in her records. A fine needle aspirate was done on it, and it was deemed just another benign fatty lipoma. Astrid has at least half a dozen those already, and since she's had cancer in the past, her vet keeps tabs on every one of those and checks them every year.

The short version of the above is that Astrid simply has yet more benign tumors on her body, none of which are causing her any issues. She's still in good health and her usual hyperactive self. And that makes me very, very happy.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Yesterday's Halloween tip was about the benefits of feeding pumpkin to your furbabies. Today's tip is related to this, but is about a part of the pumpkin that isn't as often discussed with regard to a furbaby's diet. We're talking about those pumpkin seeds. If fed in a manner that is safe, pumpkin seeds can have health benefits for our furbabies, just as they can for humans. For example, pumpkin seeds contain valuable nutrients, and they can have anti-inflammatory properties. It is also believed by some that pumpkin seeds have some deworming properties as well.

All of the above being said, if you decide to offer pumpkin seeds to your kitty or pup, of course do so safely. First, feed them only as an occasional treat or food topper. In addition, if the seeds are a potential choking hazard, you can cut them into small pieces. Also, of course, ensure that the pumpkin seeds are plain, and that they do not contain any added ingredients, such as onion, garlic, or even salt or sugar. We'll again also add that, should your furbaby have any health concerns, of course first discuss adding anything such as pumpkin seeds to your furbaby's diet with your veterinarian.