Dog 'poo!

Being the handmade soap addict that I am, I decided to check out Etsy when my last jug of dog shampoo ran out. I shopped around and found several products that I was interested in, but I was a bit concerned about the moisturizing effect of these soaps.

I know most people love dogs with soft hair, but I've got a wire-coated dog with a thick, oily coat. I asked a few sellers about whether they'd consider their dog 'poo to be conditioning, and only one came back to say that they couldn't claim the soap to be conditioning. Score!

(forgive the hair on the bar -- I took the pictures post doggie bath!)

Well, my girl needed a bath a few days ago, and I got to try out wwizebody's dog soap. I must say that I'm QUITE impressed with it!

What I love:

1. Size and shape of the bar make it easy to hold on to when wet.
2. Amazing lather made it a quick job to soap up the dog. A few swipes was all it took! The liquid shampoo concentrate I normally use doesn't suds up that much and takes a lot of work to get distributed.
3. The fresh smell wasn't overpowering but still managed to compete with the wet dog smell. It's been three days, and she doesn't smell like dog, yet! The fragrance from the soap didn't held in her coat, but she's not supposed to be an air freshener. :)
4. The great cleaning power! My pup's coat is shiny, clean, harsh, and not grubby feeling. No second wash needed with this stuff!
5. Less waste, if nothing else, makes this bar a great choice. Usually, I use about a cup of diluted, harsh-coat concentrate each time I shampoo my dog because the lather isn't very good. With this bar, the edges are barely rounded, and I don't have to worry about accidentally spilling the bottle!
6. It rinsed out easily and cleanly. 'Nuff said.
7. It's not conditioning, but it doesn't seem to dry out skin. No itching, no scratching, and no flaking. Hurrah!
8. The convenience. Usually, when I go out of town, I carry a premixed bottle of 'poo for her, in case she gets skunked, rolls in something nasty, or just gets filthy. There's nothing worse than finding you haven't mixed enough or having to clean up the ruptured container. Now, with air travel like it is, the liquid is pretty much impossible, and it's equally impossible to find in most locations. This little bar is a great size and it's SOLID -- perfect for travel.
9. The price. I have no doubt that this bar will last many more washes and be much more affordable, in the long run, than the concentrate I normally purchase.

The fun never ends.

Sometimes, I think there are little elves in my home set to torture me.

I had two orders to get out Tuesday, or they would have had to wait until next week. I pulled out my roll of tape...and it had two feet left! That's not enough when you need to reassemble boxes, tape plants in, seal, and attach labels. I knew I'd seen a roll lurking around somewhere, so I frantically searched the house for three hours before deciding that I was going to have to tell the people who ordered that I was going to have to delay the shipments. If I could legally drive, it wouldn't be a problem, but I can't.

I was lamenting this to the dog when she suddenly took off up the stairs...which got me thinking. Lo and behold, there was a partially masticated roll underneath the dog's blanket. Hurrah! The packages went out (with tape lacking chew marks) and life was good.

I wasn't feeling well, so I spent most of the day sorting seeds. I had about four cups of Rose of Sharon seeds on my lap and reached over to grab something off of the table. That yanked the blanket that the tray was on and all of the seeds dumped onto the floor. Yay. I'm just very glad that I have an indefinite supply of these and that they aren't the rolly kind of seeds.

So much fun I can barely stand it.

I took a bit of blogrest, as you might be able to tell. The dog had another bloat experience and we ended up having to do surgery. Then, two days after we got her back (Saturday), I got to make a trip to the ER in an ambulance with my SO. Everything is alright, but there is such a thing as having too much fun! Phew.

I've been involved in the beginning stages of the EtsyOrganicTeam, and that's actually been a lot of fun. We're still working on criteria, membership, etc., but I think it has the potential to be a really great thing! Check out the flickr group that's been set up, if you're interested in organic products or are interested in joining the team. The more the merrier!

Hopefully, it'll be a calm week. I've got 30 items in my shop, which is a constant surprise. I opened my etsy shop on kind of a whim. I listed a few things and forgot about it until I got a notice in my inbox. It seems funny to think that I've made over 50 sales and now have two pages of listings.

Doggy update

I would like to thank those of you who commented on my yesterday's blog with well wishes. My girl is doing great today, but is currently a bit angry that I'm not allowing her playtime today. She'll be really angry by the end of the week, but I'll feel more comfortable letting her run around like a crazed beast next week after her guts have had a chance to settle down a bit.

Today, we were featured in an article in the Storque by LittlePies, an awesome seller of dog goodies and treats.

Eugh, save me from this madness.

My dog, which has made a guest appearance on this blog, decided to put me through the wringer last night.

She's been, apparently, jumping over the gate, into the cat room, eating all of the cat's food (and we have to leave a lot out for the cat or she won't eat it), and jumping back over. We all know cat food isn't good for dogs, but I would advise you to move your cat food now, if your dog can get at it! :)

Last night, I noticed my dear, dear dog acting lethargic and noticed that she wasn't interested in food, at all. She was also drinking huge amounts of water. She came over to me in the middle of the night to tell me she felt badly when I noticed that her ribcage and abdomen were distended. I tapped them and it sounded like a drum.

I don't think I've ever been so scared in my entire life. Having grown up with big dogs, bloat (GDVT) is one of my greatest fears, and this was a nightmare. There's a veterinary clinic that's regular operating hours are after hours of a regular vet's (I think this is the one time I've loved living in an urban/suburban area), so I called to let them know I had a bloating dog and was on my way over.

I gave her a bit of hydrogen peroxide, as recommended, and we headed out. Half way there, she threw up, and I don't think I've ever been so relieved. She'd thrown up nine times by the time we got to the vet's, and it was all cat food. She had eaten probably 5 cups of cat food. They did an x-ray, anyway, but she'd lost about 16" around by the time we'd gotten to the vet.

So, it's back to soaking her food. The cat food is placed out of her reach (and mostly out of mine), and I will be putting in a taller gate. She's pretty much back to her old self, but she'll probably be laying around and coughing (puking so much is pretty tough!) for a couple of days. My SD will be on vacation for a couple of days, but I'll managed. :)

Make sure to read your Merck and know the symptoms of bloat, if you've got a large dog! It could save your pup's life.

Garden dog!

I went out this morning to take some pictures, and my dog decided she didn't like the wet grass. For her morning sunning, she laid down in an empty spot in my flower bed...and hammed it up when I brought out the camera.

She posed and I took probably 30 glamour shots of her. Can you tell I don't have kids? :D

Here's one of my favorites. The unimpressed look is a classic.




I also started a new flickr account for the 'hair talk' thread and that'll be my etsy flickr.

I'm all about these!

I LOVE these sunflowers! I'm all about these guys this year. This is the second year I've grown them, and all of the rain has turned them into something special. Their fuzzy little heads really make my day every morning when I take my lovely, lazy hound out for her morning sun. They're nice and short so they fit in my flower beds and I don't have to worry about staking them or wind taking them down.

Here's my girl with her new haircut. I gave her a nice summer trim -- down to 1/8" on her body and 1/16" on her flatwork! I'm so glad I don't have to worry about keeping her show coat on a roll.