Getting Ready for First Chemo Treatment

It's Mischief Monday, but this weekend Cosmo spent his time preparing for his first chemo treatment since he had surgery to remove a lung tumor earlier this month. 

So what does that mean to a dog?... Pretty much business as usual.

Exploring.

Posing for pictures.

Running for treats.

Chasing the vacuum!

Cosmo also came to my agility class with me (the one I teach) and he couldn't wait to get on the equipment. And of course there was lots of strolling and walking!

This afternoon we head to the vet for the first of Cosmo's five chemo treatments. He looks like he feels really good going into this, eating well as usual and zooming around.

We'll let you know how it goes.

Update after today's chemo treatment: We got home from the vet around 6 p.m., Cosmo zoomed around the backyard, ate dinner and we're going for a stroll. He looks great and he handled the chemo treatment like a champ.  We go back next week for a checkup and then another chemo treatment is scheduled in three weeks. Paws and fingers crossed he continues to feel good.

Cosmo zooms around the backyard after chemo treatment #1

Now let's see what everyone else is up to!

Adventures with a Dog in Highlands, NC

Cosmo soaks in the view of the Smoky Mountains on our way into North Carolina

Cosmo Havanese continues his excellent adventure through life with a trip last weekend to Highlands, N.C., and a side trip to Asheville! We'll post a dog-friendly guide to Highlands soon, since we found many more dog-friendly places in person than we found by searching online. But for now, here's a bit about our weekend adventure for the Monday Mischief Blog Hop.

Cosmo enjoyed the ambiance at Wild Thyme Gourmet

First stop, a dog-friendly spot for a nice lunch at the Wild Thyme Gourmet Restaurant in Highlands, N.C.  Cosmo enjoyed nesting in the wood chip flooring on the outdoor patio. It was nice and cool for pups and humans with a canopy of trees and umbrellas!

slurp, slurp, slurp

Next, it was time to hit the shops of Highlands. The village was charming and most shops allow dogs inside. Water bowls and dog biscuits also were plentiful!

Cosmo says, "I'm proud to be an American Havanese, where at least I know there are plenty of noms!"

All the shops were decked out with 4th of July decorations!



There are plenty of dog-friendly hikes and waterfalls to enjoy. It was raining when we drove by Cullasaja falls, but I dodged a few raindrops so you can enjoy the sounds of the rushing water in this video!

Now let's check out what everyone else was up to last weekend! 

Review: Keep Your Dog Cool This Summer With ChillSpot

Cosmo is a hot dog. I'd been on the hunt for a bed to keep him cool on our deck during hot summer days for a long time. So when I heard about ChillSpot, a new cooling dog bed, I couldn't wait to try it out. 

It turns out the inventors of ChillSpot live not too far from us in Atlanta. Mark and Ken were nice enough to give us a demo in person, but if you're looking for a cool bed, they've also made it super easy to order one online. You can also check out their video at the bottom of this post.

Cosmo chills on our deck during a hot Atlanta afternoon

ChillSpot uses insulation and simple thermodynamics to replicate the feeling of a cool tile floor, no matter how hot the temperature.

Two ChillPods slide into each side of the ChillSpot

It comes with the grey insulated base, two ChillSpot tiles and four reusable ChillPods. I store the ChillPods in my freezer, and when Cosmo's ready for  chillin', I simply slide them into the slots of each tile.

Cosmo chills in his favorite spot where he can keep an eye on the squirrels

ChillSpot is 24" x 36" inches, big enough for a large dog or for several small dogs to share. At a total of 45 pounds, the weight concerned me at first. But each component (base, tiles and pods) weighs no more than 10 pounds, so I've been able to easily transport the ChillSpot throughout the house or in the back of my car. 

Cosmo chills with Havanese pals

I took the Chillspot with us when we attended a recent Havanese playday.  It was a sweltering hot day, and the pad provided some nice relief on a screened-in porch for Cosmo and his pals!

Cosmo relaxes in cool comfort despite 90 degree heat at this weekend's lure course event

Cosmo also competes in performance dog events where keeping a cool head and body are super important! During the Lure Coursing event we attended this weekend, the ChillSpot provided the perfect place to cool off from 90 degree temperatures.

Want to know more about how the ChillSpot works? Check out this video from Mark and Ken.



We give the ChillSpot a four paws up for its ingenious design and ability to keep my hot dog cool, even in the hottest conditions. The pods keep the ChillSpot cool for the entire day, then you can pop them in the freezer to cool overnight or purchase a spare set so you always have cool pods on hand.

Cosmo and I hope you have a chillin' summer!



Disclosure: We were provided with a ChillSpot for review purposes but were not financially compensated for this post.The opinions expressed are entirely our own based on our own experience.

Wordless Wednesday: Pool Dog!

Eye of the Ti(g)er: Agility with Cosmo Havanese!

Coming off the teeter, Cosmo keeps his eye on the tire, running agility at an AKC Trial in Alpharetta, Ga., last weekend...

The bigger picture...

Photos by In Motion Photos

♫♫♫♫

Risin' up straight to the top

Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance
Now I'm not gonna stop
Just a dog and his will to (run agility)!

It's the eye (on) the ti(g)er
It's the thrill of the (run) 

Risin' up to the challenge
Of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with his
Eye on the tire! 

♫♫♫♫

You can thank me for putting this song in your head for the rest of the day! 

Dining Out With Dogs: Lunch with Cosmo Havanese at Star Provisions

Cosmo Havanese had a nice lunch out at Star Provisions in Atlanta today. Ok, this wasn't really his lunch, but he did get to enjoy hanging out in the courtyard area.

Here's what it looks like from the other side. There's a nice, urban courtyard setting with shops and restaurants in the West Midtown area of Atlanta, and everywhere (except for inside the restaurants) is dog-friendly!

Wordless Wednesday: Agility Shoot!

Cosmo Havanese zooms through the shoot at an agility trial in Alpharetta, Ga., last weekend! Wheee!

Photos by Phyllis Ensley Photography

Wordless Wednesday: Camouflage Dog

Can you find Cosmo Havanese in this picture?!

What To Do If Your Dog is Wheezing

Cosmo rests comfortably in his favorite spot after his ordeal

What would you do if your dog started making strange wheezing sounds -- somewhere between a  reverse sneeze and a coughing/choking sound?

That's what happened to Cosmo this morning, resulting in an emergency trip to the vet, x-rays and a full exam to try to locate any obstructions. This story has a happy ending and Cosmo is just fine now, but here's how it all went down.

8:10 a.m. -- Cosmo heads to the backyard, does his usual sniffing around, searches for squirrels, eventually goes potty and heads back up to the kitchen for breakfast.

8:30 a.m.  -- Once inside, Cosmo starts snorting and sneezing. He seems to be breathing o.k., but he's clearly distressed and uncomfortable. After checking his mouth and looking and feeling for any obstructions I decide to head to the vet. 

8:50 a.m. -- Magically, once we entered the vet's doors Cosmo's wheezing calmed down, of course. But he still didn't seem like himself and he snorted a few times. Vet conducts full exam and x-rays and finds no obstructions. She sends us home with an antihistamine to try to calm his wheezing.

9:20 a.m. -- At the checkout area, our vet had a nice array of Hills treats to sample. I chose one of the Hypoallergenic treats to give Cosmo. He took one bite and started sneezing uncontrollably, batting at his face with his paw.  And then all sorts of nose snot, bits of blood and this flew out ...

That's right, it was a pretty impressive blade of grass. Even Cosmo's vet wanted a photo of it!

Cosmo peruses what just came out of his nose. Ewwww! 

 Returning to the scene of the crime, these tall blades are much like the one's Cosmo inhaled.

Some of the activity that likely led to the incident.

While eating grass isn't typically a dangerous activity, and Cosmo likely would have recovered without a trip to the vet (it seems the Hills treat was all we needed!), I wanted to play it safe since I didn't know what was causing the problem.

Here are a few tips from Cosmo's vet if your dog is making unusual wheezing sounds:

• Check your pet's mouth for anything that might obstruct breathing passages
• Observe if your pet is having trouble catching his breath
• If  they are having trouble breathing and the color of their gums are not pink (think blue or white) they are not getting enough oxygen and get to your vet immediately
• For other less serious respiratory ailments, like the upper respiratory discomfort Cosmo was having, antihistamines will typically provide relief

Most likely Cosmo inhaled the grass through his mouth and in the perfect storm of events, it got lodged in his nose, somehow. (Think about what happened when you were a kid drinking milk and someone told a funny joke.) Anyone else have a grass snorting experience?

That's my Cosmo!

Wordless Wednesday: Fire Safety Cosmo!

Like I always say, you can never have too many Halloween costumes or be too safe with your pets. Here Cosmo models his Fire Dog Costume from one of our neighborhood favorites,  Highland Pet Supply.

Surveying the backyard for potential fire hazards... and squirrels.

What will you be for Halloween?!

Recipe: Chicken Veggie Meatball Treats for Your Dog

At a recent Havanese play day, the dogs were treated to lots of homemade goodies baked especially for them.  These were one of Cosmo's favorites, and mine too. Nice and dry on the outside so they are easy to handle, but moist and meaty on the inside for optimal pup enjoyment! 

Doggie Chicken/Veggie Treatballs

Thanks Sharlene for sharing this recipe:

Ingredients
2 cups of chicken, cooked and cut up into chunks

1/2 cup applesauce unsweetened

1/2 cup veggies - can be green beans, spinach, zucchini, etc. These were made with green beans.
 
1/2 banana

Preparation

• Cook the green beans.
• Place all ingredients in blender or food processor to make a paste-like consistency. Drop by teaspoon or smaller drop for smaller dogs. In this batch, Sharlene used about 1/4 to 1/2 tsp because, she says, "I knew the dogs would be pigging out on treats!"
• Dehydrate for 3 to 5 hours depending on size. They should be dry on the outside and moist on the inside. Store in refrigerator and freeze if they won't be eaten within a week.

Since I don't have a dehydrator, I looked for an alternative. Sharlene suggested it might work in an oven at about two hours on low 200-250ish heat. These treatballs are all precooked so it's just a matter of drying on the outside, moist on the inside. I found a few other tips online for dehydrating in an oven.

I haven't tried to make these myself yet, since I imagine I may get a better result with a dehydrator.  A quick search also showed a wide range of dehydrators available. Does anyone have a favorite dehydrator and have you found them useful? Please comment below!

Now, grab yourself a Treatball and let's go to the Saturday Pet Blogger's Hop!

Wordless Wednesday: Havanese Leaf-Romping Style!

Havanese love a good romp in the leaves... in fact their breed standard calls for it! Here, Cosmo and his Hav pal Dasher enjoy a some play time after an agility trial at Wills Park in Alpharetta, Ga., last weekend!

If you're wondering what these goofy little fluffs are all about, here's a little more about the Havanese from the AKC Havanese Breed Standard:

The Havanese is a small sturdy dog of immense charm. He is slightly longer than tall, and covered with a profuse mantle of untrimmed long, silky, wavy hair. His plumed tail is carried loosely curled over his rump. A native of Cuba, he has evolved over the centuries from the pampered lap-dog of the aristocracy into what he is today - the quintessential family pet of a people living on a small tropical island. His duties traditionally have been those of companion, watchdog, child’s playmate and herder of the family poultry flock. His presentation in the show ring should reflect his function – always in excellent condition but never so elaborately coifed as to preclude an impromptu romp in the leaves, as his character is essentially playful rather than decorative.

Anyone who's met Cosmo, can attest to his charm and playfulness -- a quality he shares with all his Hav pals!

Pet Blogger Hop / Buckle-Down Collar and Lead Winner

It's been a busy week in To Dog With Love land... with Paws for Japan Day, Petfinder's Birthday and Dog Bless You, among other things. And, today's the day we announce the winner of the Buckle-Down Collar and Lead giveaway.

Drum roll please...


The winner, picked at random, is Wrigley Schnauzer! Wrigley left the comment, "I like the Born to Raise Hell collar because that is my motto!"

Congrats to you Wrigley. And for some reason, your comment makes me want to break out in this song... Straighten Up and Fly Right my Schnauzee pal!

First, a little jam with Natalie Cole and the late, great Ella Fitzgerald. Their jam starts at :40.

Want to listen to the whole song! Warning: you'll be snapping your fingers to this the rest of the day! Here's the Natalie Cole version in honor of her father, the amazing Nat King Cole.

Now, let's go to the hop, oh baby!

Travel to Italy with your dog: Seeing the sites of Rome

When we traveled to Italy with Cosmo, seeing the sites of Rome was as much fun for Cosmo as it was for us! There was plenty to sniff as well as see and we were able to do many of our excursions by foot and paw, although taking a quick subway ride was also no problem with a dog.

First stop was the Colosseum, one of the grandest of all Roman monuments. Then we walked past the Arch of Constantine down Via di San Gregorio...

... toward the Circus Maximus.  Once known as THE place for chariot racing, there's not much left to see there now. But it is possible to imagine the splendor of the site and now it's an excellent place for a dog walk. A little further down the road we had hoped to visit the Bocca della Verità, or Mouth of Truth... 

Here, Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck test the legend of the Mouth of Truth in the 1953 movie Roman Holiday. The story is that the sculpture represents the face of an ancient god who knows if you are telling the truth or lieing! If you tell a lie while inserting your hand in its mouth, it will bite it off! But since the sculpture is now sectioned off as part of a tour of the Church of Santa Maria in Cosmedin, we were not allowed in to try out Cosmo's paw at the truth! While we found dogs are seldom allowed inside of museums and churches, there are still plenty of historic sites to see from the outside.

Next we walked along the Tiber River toward the area known as the Jewish Ghetto, where we passed Rome's main synagogue near the east bank of the Tiber.

Strolling through the Jewish Ghetto, we saw many shops, restaurants and bakeries...

... and stopped for a quick bite of gelato! Most food establishments in Rome do allow dogs, making it very easy to enjoy the journey with your canine companion! After continuing on to the market in Piazza del Campo dei Fiori, we headed on to Piazza Navona.

We enjoyed views of the fountains and activity in the Piazza...

... as well as being able to spend some time viewing the Pantheon nearby. This time Cosmo was allowed inside...

... where he expressed worthy admiration of  the coffers in the concrete dome, and the central opening, or oculus, to the sky!

Nearby, Cosmo provided equal admiration to some meat -- after all he is a dog! The nice lady slicing the mortadella didn't mind too much until Cosmo leaned in just a little closer!!

Later than evening we strolled back toward the Piazza Navona...

And stopped at the famous Four Rivers Fountain. Then it was on to our new evening ritual of hot chocolate, Italian style.

As usual, Cosmo gets to enjoy the experience right along with us and was typically offered some tasty treat by the restauranteurs. After a long day enjoying all that Rome has to offer, there's only one thing to do...

Cosmo dreams about the adventures of the day and whatever lies ahead!...

If you're planning a trip to Italy or an international trip with your dog, here are a few other posts you might enjoy:

• International Paperwork Preparation
• How to Prepare Your Dog For a Long Plane Ride
• Arriving in Rome, Dog-Friendly InterContinental Hotel, Piazza del Popolo
• A Walk Through Parco della Villa Borghese
• Great restaurants to enjoy with your dog in Parco della Villa Borghese
• Circus Maximus: Cosmo says bring on the gladiators
• St. Francis Watches Over All Animals
• Milan: The Duomo

And now it's time to check out what our pals are doing at the Pet Blogger Hop!