The Healthy Hound

Pup Astrid had her annual exam and senior lab work last Thursday. We just got all of the results yesterday, and all is well for the 11-year-old lady! And you better believe the perfect little angel of chaos got her usual ice cream treat after her vet appointment.

Astrid has one liver value that's a bit elevated, but this is actually not new for her. She has osteoarthritis, and though she's on a supplement for this, which actually puts quite a pep in her step, the condition can still cause some of the liver values to be a bit off. Her vet is not concerned, though, and everything else looks great, so Astrid is overall in really good health.

We also had a newly discovered lump on Astrid tested by way of a fine needle aspirate. It came back as just yet another benign fatty lipoma. She has at least half a dozen of those, as well as some benign adenomas. She's a bumpy little lady, but as long as they're all benign, we're more than happy.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is from quite a few years ago, but it's one of the first spooky, Halloween-inspired doodles I created in the summer months. I scribbled it up after seeing a piece of Halloween decor during the summer, that piece being a spooky typewriter. So, I scribbled up my own.

And now this is yet another old doodle I really want to recreate.

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Tip of the Day

Today's pet parenting tip is a simple one about creating a masterpiece of a memory using your furbaby's adorable toesies. If your furbaby is willing to participate and does not get stressed, you can get non-toxic, pet-friendly paint in order to create some paw art. After finding somewhere in your home where you don't mind making a tad bit of a mess, put some of the pet-safe paint on your furbaby's feet and either have them walk on some paper, or press their paw on the paper yourself. You can then leave the paw prints as-is, or even get creative and turn some of them into flowers or other cute designs. Either way, this is one way to create a simple yet long-lasting memory of your furbaby.

As morbid as it sounds, in the future, you will likely be glad you created these such lasting memories while your furbaby was still with you. We all know that some similar items, such as clay paws, are often created during a time of grief. This is why the aforementioned paw art is one way to create such a memory in happier, healthier times. Again, as morbid as it may sound, it's never too early to think ahead about what memories you might want to have after your furbaby is gone. Of course, do take into consideration your furbaby's comfort. If your furbaby is too stressed to participate in paw art, for example, brainstorm and think of other ways to create lasting memories with them. The options are endless.