Most Unbelievable Jack Russell!!!

Skateboard Dog

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Oh....MY...GAWD!!!!

Research Can Be Hard Work....

In my on-going search for answers on a safe, healthy food/diet for my beautiful Jack Russell, Michaelangelo, I stumbled upon a page that might also be helpful to other animal owners. Have you ever heard of Wysong? Learn more here....

I would love to know what other Jack Russell and other breed owners are feeding their dogs, and if everyone is as concerned about what they are "really" getting as I am. (I personally don't want to eat anything that has any ingredients that have come from China....I don't want my dog eating anything from China either! I guess it's in the vitamin ingredients that supposedly "everyone" in the US gets in their store-bought vitamins. Even if it's "made in the USA", the ingredients, apparently, are all brought in from China. A little disconcerting to me.)

I have mentioned, Michael currently eats Blue Buffalo Dog Food, and he seems to really live it...I add Brewers Yeast and Flax Seed Oil to his food, which he LOVES! I just want to make sure I am giving him the best food for a long, long life with us...

Please give me feedback if you would about what you are feeding your babydog!!
Thanks and I hope everyone is doing well!!

Happy for Dry Days!!!

We get much more exercise when it's not raining, don't we Michaelangelo??? We love those dry days, even though it's usually colder on dry days, it's alot more fun to go chasing baseballs when it's not raining!!!



Since the great NW is a really rainy place in winter, I only go out walking in rain boots! I have ruined countless shoes I adored walking in the rain with them. I Love my new winter walking boots! Can you see? PIRATE BOOTS! hehehehe.

Hope everyone is happy and well and having fun with the season!!

Finally on the Mend.....

I caught a bug of some kind and have been sick in bed for an entire week!!! Ugh! Horrible! But you know what got me through it all? My loving babydog. He stayed with me the whole time! He chewed his bones at my feet, and just in general stayed by my side...

WOW!

This weekend, I have managed to get to a LOT of projects around my house I wanted to do. One of my projects was my photos and my on line accounts. One of my places is flickr - and I happened to check on my Jack Russell group there, (I really wish I had checked it sooner! Now it's on my "daily check list") and I could not believe it - so many people responded to my question I put out there about "Itching Jacks" - I was wide eyed and blinking and realize what a super fabulous resource belonging to groups can be! How cool is this? Check it out here....

Also on some of my links I have gathered here on the sidebar, there is some great reference info there as well...I have been reading and finding a lot of great information and ideas about what others are finding successful with their Jacks!

And seeing as how so many people seem to use the benedryl, we are going to try it. I have given it to him a couple of times last year...I guess I just worry about putting chemicals into such a small little body and...what are the effects on them? All I really know is I want my babydog to be with me forrrreeeeevvvvvver and so...Anyway...I just love the power of feedback! Check out the Jack Russell photos too! So much cuteness in one place, it's unbelievable! We hope everyone is having a great holiday!!!
Oh hey! Check this out!!
November's Winning
Jack-of-the-Month!
It's Maximo the Surfing Dynamo!

To see more photos of Maximo click here!
WOW! I have GOT to get Michaelangelo in on some fun like this!!! YEAH!

Observation....

Michaelangelo's blog originaly started because I needed to write down and observe my findings when we were using these products in the first place! I wanted to track the changes, if any....

That's what I'm doing now, too! (helping myself keep track!!)


Tuesday Nov. 20th: 7:30pm Went to (disastrous) vet appt.
Began antibiotic
Began Genesis Spray (2 x per day for 7 days)

Wednesday Nov. 21: Gave antibiotic in the morning (damn, then i looked again and it's meant to be 1 per 24 hours)
Morning Spray before walk
Evening Spray before walk. Upon inspection Michael's tummy is
a much lighter shade of pink!

Thursay Nov. 22: Gave antibotic @ 7am
Spray before morning walk. Rear end area looks better.
Tummy looks better

Friday November 23: Gave antibitotic @ 7:30
Spray before morning walk. Seemed to be scratching a lot this morning after he woke up. Tummy looks good, except where he was scratching most recently.

Saturday November 24: Spray before walk. Tummy looks MUCH better, it's actually looking WHITE!! Stills scratching some though...
Anti-biotic at 7:30am. Back area looking much much better. I still don't think he needed the antibiotics though and I hope it's ok. The boyfriend says finish out the entire prescription.
Evening spray. Also gave him a small spray of Frontline, as I did find two fleas on him yesterday. Unbelievable. God, I hate fleas. Really, really hate them....Gggrrrr.

Update...

I'm pretty unhappy about my visit at the vets this evening...I'm still trying to wrap my mind around what went on in there, and I'm left thinking that I'm going to call tomorrow morning and talk with one of the gals I know there (I was hired to work there a year or so ago, but I turned it down) and let her know about my very disappointing visit.

Not only did I walk out of there paying much more than I should have, I felt hurried and rushed through the visit. I had never met that doctor before, and I'm not sure I want to meet her again - she totally talked down to me, "Did you READ the directions?" You would have to have heard the way she said it...anyway...$111.06 later, some antibiotics and a dermatologists' number. I felt basically thrown out and smacked in the face on the way out. I was just...I can't even explain it! That doctor was so not about to talk at any length with me about it. She sort of made me feel like an idiot for being one of these "loonies" who tries to live as chemical free as possible.

Sigh. In any event:

1. She (the so-called vet) said he has a skin allergy. To what she hasn't a clue. Could be a number of things. That is why I need to see the skin doctor.

2. She charged me $43.10 to shave my babydog's tail-end area, and "clean" the area.
I was staggered when I went from a $40 visit to suddenly $111!! I asked the receptionist, "Uuumm, where did the extra $70 come from ???" She too treated me like an idiot, with a look that said, "Oh, she's one of THOSE customers". I guess I'm crazy, but I thought that was a bit much to shave a 4x4 area on my dog's bum, and not even ask me first if that charge was ok with me. I knew they were going to shave the area, but I had no clue in the slightest I was about to be ripped off over it! My god, I don't even pay that much for my haircuts! Anyway, I just feel like, what just happened here???? Wow.

3. She said to spray the Genesis spray for immediate relief, that if I FOLLOWED the directions it would work. (You DID read the directions, didn't you?!?! Sigh.)

4. He's on antibiotics for a possible skin infection in the above-mentioned back-end area.

I guess I shouldn't feel so bad. I'll call the dermatologist and get some information about their visits, etc. I definitely want to get it figured out so my sweet babydog doesn't have to suffer allergies. Did I tell you that the vet told me, "It's not about YOU!" Yes, she really said that! I feel pretty deflated, and am considering I might need to find a different veterinarian.

Not Sure What To Do!!!

I'm feeling pretty worried about Michaelangelo and his skin issue at the moment, and I can't wait any more for things to change! And, I guess from what I hear, the flea problem here in the NW was way past awful this year. Usually, Michaelangelo receives a monthly flea treatment of Frontline. We also had done the internal one, which also works for heart worms as well. But this summer I saw no real help in those products. I also had been spraying his tummy area with Virbac Genesis Topical Spray. The only little problem here is that I am one of these people who tries to never use chemicals for myself OR my dog if I can at all avoid it.

So, since I wasn't seeing any real, viable results with the flea "usual vet recommended" remedy, and I was super-paranoid about continuing to use a steroidal spray with possible side-effects, I stopped that and went to some "natural" products.

One product I have recently started using is Doc Ackerman's Botanical Citronella Flea Spray. Who wouldn't want to use a product with such natural ingredients as:
Deionized Water,Oil of Citronella, Oil of Pennyroyal, Oil of Pine and Eucalyptus, Fresh Extracts of Wormwood, Rue and Cedarwood Oil,Extract of Black Walnut Leaves, Aloe Vera Extract,Chamomile Extract, Jojoba Oil,Rose Geranium Oil.

Maybe it's working on the fleas, (still I find a few every couple of days) but my baby is scratching himself raw in all kinds of places!!! I just can't stand to think of him in this pain! I know what I feel like when I have a rash and have to itch it till my skin comes off! It's horrible!! To help with his delicate skin, I purchased DermAllay, thinking that this will REALLY help, since it's all fatty acids and oatmeal! WRONG! He is scratching WORSE THAN EVER!!!

I also have recently purchased this product from Pet Alive! Flea Derm. I just can't tell if anything is doing ANYTHING because he bites at his back-side above his tail almost constantly now...and his belly is so pink and looks really painful.

I have made an appointment with our vets to see her tonight. I will bring everything in, including his food, which is Blue, and his only snacks, which are supposed to be healthy and natural too come from Trader Joe's! Peanut Butter & Molasses biscuits are his favorite and I put them in his kong or a natural bone.

SO, I guess it's best to go in and have him looked at and I will bring in all the stuff I have and his biscuits and see what direction we should go in next. I want my baby back to his normal self and his normal self isn't scratching from waking to sleep! It's agony for me to go to work, knowing he's home and probably scratching all day if I don't leave him puppy kong and/or bones to keep his mind off his itching.

Have you ever heard of a vet telling you to give your dog a human medicine? My doctor said to give Michael some allergy meds - a half a tab - when his scratching is really bad! But I never like to take that stuff for myself! Should I give it to my dog!? Does anyone have any ideas?! HELP! Jean? Anyone with any ideas or feedback, I welcome it, and thank you!!! Update coming soon!!

My Little Clothes Horse, I mean God, I mean Dog!!!

This is such beauty I wake up with every morning!!!
How lucky a girl I am!!! This is my bed warmer!!! Keeps his mamma warm on those cold Northwest winter nights!!!



Speaking of keeping warm and dry here in the beautiful Northwest!!! CHECK OUT these REALLY cute new slickers Michaelangelo got in the mail yesterday!!! Oh how I WISH I would have been ready with the video camera - you should have seen him tearing into his box!!! He was really excited to get some mail with his name on it!!! He LOVES his two new jackets, which I order from JP PET WHOLESALE!! They have some great stuff, and good prices! My order was shipped promptly, and I received it 6 days after my order was placed. (actually I ordered late on Friday, and received the shipment on the next Tuesday). The red slicker is really cool because the strips illuminate with light, and the blue slicker has the super warm sherpa inside! MMMMMmmmm Cozy. Michael loves them both!!!

The Sweetest Little Devil!!

Michaelangelo likes to dress up, actually!! This outfit was a little difficult to keep on for a long period of time, as it shifted this way and that, but, hey, HOW CUTE IS MY BABY!!!! Hope you had a fun Halloween, with safe, healthy treats!!!

Sweetner Alert for Dogs!!!

Some very upsetting but very important information about the sweetner called Xylitol! It is deadly for dogs! If you or anyone you know is using this product, PLEASE tell them that this is a very dangerous substance that can kill dogs if they were to eat any foods cooked with it. This story made me cry. I'm so sorry for the family...
http://www.kptv.com/video/14447243/index.html

Indian Summer in October.....

We've had an exceptional few days and now this weekend is just phenomenal!! Can you see the light pouring in from the windows here?? Michael is waiting oh so patiently until momma gets her gear ready to go out on our weekend adventure!!! It's still just a teeeeeney bit chilly and we don't mind that so much when the sun is shining brightly! We like to get dressed up and go on walks about town and in our favorite parks and such!



Check out how cool this little jersey is Michael has been wearing this month!! It gets just a little bit of light and glows brightly! It's super cool. I wish I had a matching one!!! (Michaelangelo's skeleton jersey came from Target by the way!!!) I can't wait to post Michael's Halloween costume pics here in a couple of days! Oh how well the costume suits him, too!!

We Are Gettin' Spooky Around Here....

Michaelangelo LOVES to wear clothes in the winter!! He lets me know he likes to and runs over to me when I ask him if he wants to get dressed. His Halloween costume is SUPER cute and cozy and he likes to wear it around the house!!! Hehehe....We have fun around here, can't you tell??? Hope ya'll are all having some pre-holiday fun too!!

Happy Hauntings!!!

Hangin' out Relaxin' with Friends at the Weekend...

Michaelangelo has healed up nicely from his little paw issue we had recently!!! He had to get stitches and he limped around for a few days and I had to keep him busy with bones with treats in them!!


Rick's buddy from our old hometown came to visit and brought his new little
cutie-baby, Star, what a doll-doggy!!!


Fun day of walks and doggie play...The late afternoon sun is a great way to relax at the end of the day!!!

BabyDog Got a Hurt Paw.....

Somehow, at some point today, Michaelangelo lacerated his left front paw, split it and punctured clear through, right down to the bone, imagine the pain of such and imagine my tears....Oh my baby! I have no real idea how it happened, the doctor did not find anything in there, which of course, we needed to make sure, so he was sedated and cleaned out, and stitched....



Michael had been napping on the couch while I was doing some housework and the like...I went in to cuddle him and wake him up for a little outside beak and I noticed right away he was limping, which I did not see him doing before! So I had him walk back to me on the couch, still really favoring that foot! So I swooped him up to look and see, I thought maybe he had a thorn in there or something like that, but I saw blood and he definitely let me know he didn't want it messed with! So....
Off we went to our local clinic, just at the end of the road....I thought they would take a look, clean it and put a little triple antibiotic type stuff and bandage it and the doctor said it might actually require some stitching!

I went off to the local pet store while I waited, and found some little boots that will protect his pads. I also have a set of red fleecey booties, for inside mostly, I would think, and it's kind of funny whenever I have tried them on him before, he walks all funny, as though a cat with little pieces of something stuck to his feet, it's pretty funny.....

What's NOT funny is the hospital bill, the pain and medication and just, the temporary hassle for him to get around with this big huge cast type bandage on his front paw and leg!! Thank God I have Monday off as a holiday! That's brilliant, as I surely feel the need to be with him tomorrow while this is so new....

Increasingly, my neighborhood is fraught with rebellious teenagers, gangs and various vagrants, and we can't go a block without coming up on a smashed bottle on the sidewalk or road where we are walking, constantly diverting and me picking Michaelangelo up to get him past any dangers. This is a daily occurrence, we walk everywhere and alot so to see it on every walk, it's a lot. It really is kind of depressing, actually, to think I can't just have a peaceful, happy walk with Michael in our local school grounds and park due to the fact that the local kids smash and vandalize our public and school areas every day. Hhhhmmm, this is a whole other story, and right now, I'm concerned about my babydog's health and safety......




I am deeply upset that I have not a clue what happened to him, and that I didn't prevent it in the first place! It's so odd that just yesterday I was talking about getting Michaelangelo a pair of outside walking boots to keep his beautiful feet protected. Sigh. Well, thank all the Goodness, he's gonna be ok, if not in a little pain for a week or so while he heals up......

In the mean time, think about that for your pets, too! I know it's hard to see everything that's up ahead, just remember to be on the lookout for dangers to your beautiful pet!

Michael and I hope everyone has had a nice long weekend! Ya'll please be safe!!!

Michael Movies!!!

Michael's walks are of primary importance!! Jack Russells are very athletic animals and their whole mindset is about running around hunting! Michael LOVES running and he is FAST! In the right situations, I can take him off his leash and let him run and chase his ball, or frisbee (which is readily destroyed!!)


Summer has been lots of fun, but lacking the types of adventures I had hoped we would get to do!! Like the "going to ground" races and Jack Russell activities, which do go on but they are a bit of a drive up to Washington....Still we plan to get involved in some of those things soon.

The worst thing about summer, as much as we love it, are the FLEAS!!! GGGGGGRRRRRRR! HOW WE HATE FLEAS!!! This summer it's been a bigger issue I think because Marley lives with us, and the cats are outside cats now, it's enhanced the difficulty of keeping them at bay. And Michael seems to be allergic to their bites, so he is constantly pink and scratching. The other part of the problem is that I am scared to administer too much chemical type products to him, not really understanding their long term effects. The vet said it's fine to use the steroid spray, but I use it rarely, it is also ok to give him Benydryl too, but I rarely do! We use Frontline spray on the dogs and the carpets, but, again, this summer, the fleas have been very difficult to control. Is anyone else having this problem or use anti-flea remedies on their dog or house? I'm curious to know about it!!!!





Well, I do hope you are all having fun adventures this summer! Be sure to check out my fabulous list of links! There are some great info & fun pages for you!!!

Amazing Scuba Cat & Doggie!!!! WOW!

Now, this is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time! CHECK OUT THIS TOTALLY COOL SCUBA DIVING CAT! AND DOG!!! I love it that people come up with such amazing ideas!!! I would love it if Michaelangelo and I could go scuba diving together, or even snorkeling!!! FUN!

More Squirrel Hunting Adventures.....

Michaelangelo keeps me pretty active and on my toes! This is just a sample of what our "walks" are like! He's pretty tuned in to the world around him....

Michael's here to show you what some chillin' is all about!!!

"Happy Birthday" & Second Anniversary Me & Michaelangelo!!!

Hiking Steep Trails with Michael

Michael and I are thinking of starting up our very own "Adventure Video Series" of the various places we like to go around town, and of course, the park wins out every time!!! More adventures coming soon!!!

Summertime's just getting started!!!!

dog

Well, I have no idea what they are saying, but THIS is a cute little shorty jack! hahaha.

Playing Dogs

Wild Dogs at Play! Notice how Marley scares me every time he runs up to Michael! hehehe. This kind of stuff can go on for hours! hahaha. WILD!

Jack Russell on the Squirrel Hunt at the Park

Here is a little video of Michael on the hunt!! Hence his nickname being "Hunter"..Gotta hang on tight when out for a walk in the park wtih this little guy. His hearing of anything other than animal action totally turns off while he becomes 100% focused on his goal: SEEK OUT AND DESTROY! Squirrles that is!!!

Ferocious Michael Playing with Marley

My son Rick's dog Marley having a ball with the wild, ferocious Alpha Dog, Michael.....

Michaelangelo Playing in the Snow

This is so fun! I meant to post this way back in January when we had the snow! It's pretty cute and really shows how Michael loves to play in the snow!!

More Important Information to Check Out on Foods...

Research Links for Pet Food Recall from the Humane Society:

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pets_related_news_and_events/recalled_pet_food_and_treats.html

Further Dog Food Reviews on Highest Rated Brands:

http://www.dogfoodanalysis.com/dog_food_reviews/

Michaelangelo, Adventuredog Update….

We’ve moved to Blue….and the verdict didn’t take long to be reached:

Michaelangelo LOVES IT!!! He was begging for more!

The more I read about the tragic pet food recall and the “by-products” in the foods and so on….the more upset I got about it all. Blue kept coming back to me, and the further I read about it, the more I knew that we want to be on this food. Human grade meats, antioxidants, no preservatives or unnatural additives, this is the food for us….

I feel very good about recommending this food for your dog or cat!

I would say go for as high a quality food - that is just as simple – as you possibly can. Just as we humans should stop eating any and all foods with additives and preservatives (and that damned High Fructose Corn Syrup!!!) as we can, so should our pet family members.

Currently I am in love with this item, found at PetSmart stores and on their website! I actually tried one out in the store, Michael sat in there all zipped up and he was fine with it ! I so so so so so so so hope to one day have the kind of cash that would allow me such fancies!!! hahaha. Check it out for yourself!

What Are You Feeding Your Pet???

This recent animal food recall & the death of pets who ate the wet food made & packaged in Canada, really has been on my mind and prompted me to do some further studies about the company I have been representing these past several months (Eukanuba) and re-think what I am feeding Michael. It's disturbing and pains me that people have lost their pets, and I hope their class action suits kicks some ass and helps to make some stricter guidelines for pet food manufacturing.

I feel I must share some links to some informtion you might want to read if you are in fact a pet owner, you might want to think seriously about what's in the food you are feeding your animal. I am definitely doing further research. I personally don't cook much, so cooking food for Michael might be harder for me than others, but his Daddy Dog and I might come up with something. In the mean time, do your research, as I am, and check out these links below. Blue Buffalo company is a great company from what I understand, I use to work with the rep from Blue every weekend and she swears the best food ever "made" for animals. I'm reading their "what's in the food" section of their site and I'm thinking this might be the food we switch to for now. This food was developed when the creator's animal was diagnosed with a life threatening illness. I am going to talk with her in closer detail. I will let you know more about my findings! Please send me any thoughts or information worth checking out! Thank you!

Get The Facts: What's REALLY in Pet Food

Selecting a Commercial Pet Food

The Blue Buffalo Company

How to Make Your Own Pet Food at E-how.com

Home Made Dog & Cat food at Pet Grub.com

Keep Your Dog Healthy With Homemade Food at Ezine Articles

Jack Russell Meet Up Group

AAAAhhhhh, the end of a wonderful Saturday.........

What did we do today, Michael?????

(Be Sure to Click on the photos!!!)


Recently (March 10) Michaelangelo went to the local Jack Russell Meet Up and had a great time meeting the other dogs!! He was the only shorty there. He was worn out at the end of the day last Saturday. As was his big dog (seen above)......

Ever the hunter, here, at the park, Michael is ready for action...I'm just along for the ride!!!

(That's Michael, over by the fence, on the right)

The Jacks we hung out with were all the "Parsons" Jack Russells, like the dog you would see on Frasier....The Parsons Jack Russells are taller, with longer legs and a shorter body than my Michaelangelo's "Shorty" Jack Russells. Michael's breed are considered the "English" or European stock. They are sometimes called "Puddin" Jacks....
The illustration at the top shows you the incredible athletic build the Jack Russells have and to illustrate their origins as pack hunters.....

In any case, I noticed a considerable difference between Michaelangelo's behavior and temperment than the Parsons' Jacks.....Hhhhhhmmm. Very different indeed!!! Michael is MUCH more mellow than the Parsons we've met. Much, much more chilled....

Jack Russells are incredible on the agility courses!!! I am hoping that Michael and I can try some agility training this summer! He has to go through his Intermediate Training with Debbie (see his recent graducation from "Beginner" class below!!) and then we can continue on to try to do some training and possibly RACING!!! WHOOOHOOOOOO! GO BOY!!

Here's a nice Parsons Jack named Bella, super sweet, funny dog. We like Bella. Love her half-mask!!!

Michael is not in this bunch of playing dogs....He's off on his own smelling around!!!
Michael's not a "run with the pack" dog, he's his own dog. Like his mamma.....

More Doggie Fun on our next installment of the adventures of
Michaelangelo, Adventuredog!!!!

My Dog Loves the Hairdryer!

A Typical Day with Adventuredog!!!!

Here we find Michael taking a little bone chewin' break on the bed and watching the kitties next door play outside in the spring-like sunshine!

Here, Michael gets his Big Dog to take a break from the computer long enough to get some cuddles!!!

One of Michael's TOP THREE things to do is kill squirrels in the park! But since I prefer not to deal with that every day I say we just "chase" the squirrels and maaaaaybe once and while kill a squirrel...GOOD DOG!!!

LET ME AT 'EM!

This is what Michael (and his Big Dog, "Daddy") look like in the morning....Yep. He's a cuddle-under-cover dog. He is happiest cuddled up in bed....Well, almost!!!.....

No morning, noon or night would be complete with the obligatory bone-chewing...Michael and Marley have worked on this bone now for quite sometime. Soon, it will be a throw away bone! hahaa, it was huge when I bought it! hehehehe. Michael is very skilled with his bone handling!

Sometimes when Michael and I are out walking on a particularly dry and warm-ish winter day, he'll decide to stop and take a rest...Chill out for a bit....And well, unless I want to drag him down the street about to slip all out of his harness, I might want to be stopping and chillin' out a bit too....This particular place is the playground of a little school close by...Sometimes the kids will say hi to him through the fence...Sometimes the school forgets to lock the gate and we go in and sniff around where the kids play....Michael loves kids.....

So here we are the end of our day.....Michael likes his little breaks, he helps me to stop and take it all in too.....We listen to all the sounds around us....We sniff at the air......MMmm. Spring and Summer are coming and more adventures are ahead! We love summer, huh Michael!!!!

Michael Graduates from Puppy Training Class!!!

Yyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyy !
Michael graduated from his "Beginner Education" class yesterday, and is now signed up to go on to the next level of training!!!

This is Debi, Michael's amazing trainer. She has trained any kind of animal you can think of! She has worked on movies, and even tv's Frasier's dog. I highly recommend her if anyone is thinking about taking their dog to classes!

Aaaaaaaawwwwwwwwww Michael!!!!! He loves Debi!!!
She just happens to have a Jack Russel and a Rat Terrier!!

WOW! LOOK AT THAT BEAUTY!!!!

Michaelangelo is incredibly handsome !!! He has a wonderful confidence about him that just makes me smile ear to ear! I believe he's star quality, and he definitely oughta be in pictures!! And that's why he IS!!!!!

Photos January 21, 2007