The Best of Two Worlds: The Catio

in Barks and Blooms / cat / cat nip / indoor cat / outdoor cat / ratio  by November 25, 2013
What’s a Catio?  A hybrid of cat & patio and it’s the coolest thing for active cats in the country, suburbs, or city.  Of course it’s too cold for much outdoor time right now, but if you start planning now, you can have a Fabulous Catio by spring!  Take a look at these inspirations:




A Catio can be as simple as this portable pop-up:
A Catio can be an efficient, tidy box attached to a window.  You can DIY or purchase.
This Catio is like the one above, just fancier!  What a lucky cat!  (I saw a similar one while at the beach in North Carolina this summer.)

Look at this!  Exercise steps, ramps…and…is that catnip I see?
More happy cats experiencing freedom AND safety.  Perfection!
The Cottage Catio.  Sweet shade and the kitties can keep you company while you garden
Limited space?  How perfect is this?
Does your home have a catio?  Share your thoughts and your pics!!

Wednesday Adoptables–Oscar

in Barks and Blooms / lab / Lab-Rescue.org / labrador retriever / Oscar  by November 20, 2013
Happy Oscar!

Oscar is an 18 month old neutered black male, who is available for adoption or sponsorship by Lab Rescue. He is up to date on his shots and is heartworm negative. He is good with other dogs and is approved for kids aged 10 and up. He weighs 53 lbs and should gain about 10 lbs. 

Update from Oscar’s foster family – 11/9/2014


Oscar has developed a maneuver we call the sneaky snuggle. He starts at the opposite end of the couch and looks to be snoozing peacefully. Then he starts to wiggle and wave his front feet. Next thing you know he’s wiggled down the couch on his back and his head is in your lap. If you let him, he’ll be completely in your lap. Once he gives you the big “I’m so cute” eyes it’s impossible to not give in to the snuggles. Oscar is very happy around people, and he’s learning not to jump up for attention. He’s not bothered by cars, large trucks, bicycles, kids on scooters, runners, or anything else. Mostly Oscar just wants to check out the world, play with all the chew toys, and be as close to his people as possible. He crates easily but prefers to lay on the couch. Oscar is housebroken and quick about going first thing in the morning. 

Oscar does okay on an Easy Walk harness. With some encouragement Oscar will sit for treats and takes them well.  He also knows come. In true Lab fashion, his tail never stops wagging. Oscar has the sweetest face and despite being underweight, Oscar has a spectacular Lablean. He will go with a training addendum and is probably not the best choice for a first-time adopter. He’d love an active family and lots of places to sniff and play.

Oscar loves to play with other dogs. He would like to retrieve all day but can’t play as much as he would like as we want him to take it easy because of his torn ACL. He is going to be a wonderful, gorgeous dog for the family that is willing to give him the training, love, and attention he deserves. 

Silly Oscar!
If you have room in your heart or home (and couch) for Oscar, give the wonderful people at Lab Rescue a call.
(301) 299-6756 

Lovable Oscar!

What I Learned in Pet First Aid Class–How to Make an Emergency Muzzle

in 4 Paws Pet Services / Barks and Blooms / emergency muzzle / pet first aid  by September 5, 2013
Emergency Muzzle?  What’s that? 


Beagle with Emergency Muzzle made out of gauze.


If your pet is ill or injured, you need to get it to the veterinarian as calmly and efficiently as possible.  Even the sweetest, gentlest dog can become aggressive and bite when they are in pain.

If you do not have a muzzle, use a scarf, panty hose, strip of gauze, or cut off the bottom of a a soft t-shirt as an emergency muzzle.



          *Start in the middle at the bottom of the dog’s muzzle.

          *Wrap the bandage upward, tie, and then bring it back downward under the chin and tie.

           *Take the two loose ends and tie them behind the dog’s head securely.




Practice making the muzzle so you are familiar with how to do it and the motions won’t be foreign to your pet.

I found this video that will give you a better idea.



My Dog’s Food Has WHAT In It?

in Barks and Blooms / Dog Food Advisor / dogfoodadvisor.com / Mike Sagman / pet food  by August 26, 2013
It seems like there is a new dog food, dog treat recall every other week!   

There is such a variety of brands…flavors…grain-free…dry…wet…raw…it can get confusing.   

We have found a helpful resource in dogfoodadvisor.com  It is a blog, written and edited by one man, Mike Sagman.  

There are a number of ways you can search the site: 

Brands A to Z, Dry Dog Foods, Wet Dog Foods, Raw Dog Foods, Dog Food Recalls (you can sign up to get recall alerts by email), Dog Food Calculator, Most Popular Reviews, etc.

There are articles on how to choose the best dog food for your dog, how to make sense of dog food ingredients, and explains the process that DogFoodAdvisor uses to rate dog foods.

Consumers are encouraged to give their opinions through comments and conversations on the site’s forums.  

We believe it is worth your while to do a little exploring on this site and also have a conversation with your vet about your options.


Remember!  Healthy Dogs are Happy Dogs!!




Got Tick?

in arachnid / baby oil / Barks and Blooms / deer / hot / humid / Lyme Disease / Maryland / parasite / Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever / Tick Key / ticks / Vaseline  by August 14, 2013

Ticks are gross.  I got nauseous just looking at them with Google images.  Don’t look if you get queasy looking at creepy, crawly blood suckers.

Ticks are arachnids.  They are external parasites that live off of the blood of other animals.  They carry and spread diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and Lyme disease.  They thrive in warm, humid climates and tend to be in the same vicinity as herds of deer.  Can we say Hello Maryland!?!

Living where we do, we are going to encounter ticks.  On us and on our pets.  How do you remove a tick?  Some recommend slathering it with Vaseline or baby oil to make it lose suction.  Then, you use something like this:
A Tick Key. 
 It claims to be 99% effective in removing the whole tick.  Tweezers can squeeze and rip the tick, squirting infective fluids and leaving the head in the wound. 

Find out more about Tick Key HERE and join me in eliminating ticks, one tick at a time.  
YUCK.

Sage is a Hero–Your Dog Can Be One, Too!

in Barks and Blooms / Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank / BRVBB / canine blood donor / chocolate lab / lab / Sage  by August 8, 2013

The Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank has been in the news recently.  Two local TV stations ran stories last month:

7/14/13–WJZ-TV–Baltimore County Humane Society BRVBB Blood Drive


Not to wag our own tail….but…..Barks and Blooms first shared BRVBB on December 4,  2012.  Here is the original blogpost, starring one of our fabulous clients, Sage.


Meet Sage.  She is a vibrant, clever, goofy, rambunctious, gleeful Chocolate Lab.  I met Sage almost 3 years ago when she was just a wee puppy.
Sage, puppyCute, isn’t she?  Here’s another when she was just 12 weeks old.  (By the way, I’ve shamelessly stolen these pics from her owners Facebook page–Hi Linda!)
Sage, 12 weeksSage has grown up in the years since these were taken.  Here’s a more recent photo.
IMG_0468Still stinkin’ cute, right?    Sage is on her way to becoming a hero.   ‎
Sage met with the wonderful people representing the Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank  to determine if she would make a good voluntary canine blood donor.  I tagged along to the 4 Paws Spa in Forest Hill to observe the process.
First, Sage  gave the volunteers a good sniff.IMG_0156  The next step was to make her comfortable on the table.  IMG_0159
That step and the ones following were made easier (and yummier) for Sage because Linda kept a steady stream of kibble and peanut butter coming her way.  Sage was one happy pup.
IMG_0160
The Vet tech examined Sage, determining her comfort level with the process, and checking out the area of her neck where the blood would be drawn.
For that step, the other tech got into position and gave Sage a fully body hug while Linda kept up the flow of peanut butter and kibble.
IMG_0164
Sage was so delighted with the treats and the constant positive attention from Linda and the tech that she didn’t even notice the needle prick and the blood draw.  See how totally relaxed her legs are?  She’s practically melting off the side of the table.
IMG_0168
Sage’s blood will be tested to determine what her blood type is and screen it for any health issues that would make her unable to be a donor.   (We know she’s absurdly healthy, but it’s an important step)  And since Sage was so agreeable to this initial procedure Linda can now set up appointments for Sage to donate blood regularly.  To find out how your dog(s) can be heroes, please contact The Blue Ridge Veterinary Blood Bank for more information.
Tell them Sage sent you!

J.J…..Jamaican Me Crazy With Your Cute Self!

in Barks and Blooms / dog walker / J.J. / Jamaica / Jamaican Me Crazy / Roundhill  by August 1, 2013
One of our Fabulous walkers Tracey shared this story with us and I couldn’t help but pass it along to you…


“Our family has had a home at Roundhill, Jamaica for about 20 years.  A few days before we left for vacation, we received a call from one of our staff who said they thought a dog may have had a litter of pups under the foundation.  They made sure water and food were available in case the mother was still around.  

When we got to the house, we could hear the pups crying but could not get to them.  There were two, one was all black and one was black and white.  One night they cried all night long and we were heartbroken because we could not get to them.  The next day our gardener found the black and white puppy, who must have crawled out of his birthing place.”



“Our gardener said he was pretty sure another gardener from one of the surrounding properties had the black puppy.  My daughter, my son, and the four other kids with us immediately took over care of this sweet puppy and discovered it was covered in fleas.  However, it was nice and plump so the mother did a good job taking care of them until she abandoned them.  The girls gave the puppy (that they named JJ) a bath; combing and de-flea-ing him until he was shiny and smelling good.”




“Our cook Jerome, who had just lost his dog, named Whiskey, asked if he could have him.  Of course the girls wanted to bring JJ home, but that wasn’t possible.  Jerome wants to change JJ’s name to Scotch.   We are going back to Jamaica in November for a delayed celebration of my 50th birthday so I should see JJ “aka Scotch” and will update you with a picture. We miss him already!”