$40.00 [Kurgo Wander Bed]

We have one of each type:  a "hot" dog (Betelgeuse) who wants to sprawl out on a cold hard floor and a "cold" dog (Lulu) who is constantly looking for somewhere soft to curl up and snooze.  Traveling with our hot dog is easy -- she'll sleep anywhere -- but we needed a good compact travel bed for the cold dog.

A few years ago, we purchased the Kurgo Wander Bed (Medium, $40.00), and it's gone everywhere with us since then.  Two features make it different (and better) than most of the other travel dog beds on the market:
- It rolls up like a sleeping bag, secures with velcro, and has a handle, and
- It has a waterproof bottom, and it's thick enough to stay warm even if the ground is cold.

Great for camping, for car rides, and for visiting family and friends where dogs are not allowed on furniture -- a rule my dogs cannot even begin to comprehend.  We're in Vermont now, and the Wander Bed is a nice place for both pups to get comfy in an otherwise bare-bones room where they can't get up on the beds.

Because even our "hot" dog needs a warm bed in Vermont during the Polar Vortex of 2014.  It is -14 degrees Fahrenheit outside!

A bonus for us:  even the medium size is big enough for everyone (two dogs and a human baby).  $40.00 for a solidly constructed dog bed for the perfect mammal pile!

$11.00 [A Dog Toy the Size of Your Dog]

Betelgeuse has (finally) fully recovered from last week's sickness.  Thank you for your get well wishes!

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A few weeks ago, we shared a room at La Quinta Inn in Virginia Beach, Virginia with my brother, his lovely girlfriend, and their dog, Rigel.  My puppy nephew has gotten so big!

Rigel had this big plush squeaking bunny dog toy that he just loved.  He would squeak it, shake it, hold it, hump it.  I had never thought to get my little dogs such a big toy, but it was super cute to see Rigel and a Rigel-sized bunny locked in an embrace.  So on our way out of town, I stopped into a pet store to purchase Betelgeuse her own big plush squeaking bunny.  Only this pet store didn't sell big plush squeaking bunnies, so I got her a big plush squeaking blue dog instead.*  She loves it, guys.

And so now we have three dogs ($11).

*  I can't for the life of me find a link to the blue dog on the Internet.  It is difficult to come up with Google search terms for a dog toy that is also a dog.  Let me know if you come up with anything.

$428.25 [Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis]

Despite my love for them, my animal companions are constantly trying to find new and more costly ways to die.

In the last 48 hours, Betelgeuse, my three-year old 12 lb. spitz, came down with a case of Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis, more affectionately known by those in the field as "HGE."  I would rank this death attempt in second place behind last year's rat poison consumption.

Spoiler Alert:  Betel is feeling much better now.  (Not all dogs are so lucky, RIP Ansel.)

Our timeline:
00:00 Hours.  Out of nowhere, Betelgeuse threw up her dinner in our bed.  We cleaned it up.  Then she threw up in the bed again.  And again.  And then on the floor.  And then again.

08:00 Hours.  We woke up for the day, although I'm not sure that we actually slept.  For every sip of water Betelgeuse would take, she would throw up three times.  Lulu, our control variable, was fine.  Kyler and I reluctantly went to work.  I checked in on Betel every hour or so on the webcam.

16:30 Hours.  Kyler got home from work.  Betel refused to eat anything, including tasty things like cooked chicken.

18:30 Hours.  I got home from work.  Betel drank some water and threw up several times.  And then she had bloody diarrhea.  For those of you new to animal companions or stumbling on this page from a Google search, in the event of bloody diarrhea, seek veterinary care immediately.

19:00 Hours.  At the vet.  Blood work ($35.00) and x-ray ($145.00).  X-ray was fine, but blood work revealed an elevated hematocrit level, which is how Betel got her HGE diagnosis.  She was given subcutaneous fluids for dehydration ($45.00), a cerenia injection (anti-nausea medicine) ($47.00), and a famotidine injection (an H₂ blocker, which decreases the amount of acid made in the stomach) ($35.00).  We were told to monitor her overnight, and we made a follow-up appointment in the morning for additional blood work and more subcutaneous fluids.

32:20 Hours.  More bloody diarrhea, right outside the vet's office.  I took a picture of it with my iPhone to show the vet, which offended my husband.  I will spare your eyes and not post it here, but you can email me if you want to see it.  (And I know that some of you want to see it since "bloody diarrhea" is the search term that brought you here.  Note that in my email response to you, I will advise you to seek veterinary care immediately.)

32:30 Hours.  At the vet again.  Blood work ($35.00) and subcutaneous fluids ($45.00).  Betel's hemocrit level was lower, although still slightly elevated.  The vet said she could be treated on an outpatient basis and gave us medication for the next several days -- cerenia (anti-nausua) ($25.00) and flagyl (antibiotic effective against anaerobic bacteria and certain parasites/anti-diarrheal) ($16.25).  Kyler and I played with Leo the ferret and stunk for the rest of the day.

34:00 Hours.  Betelgeuse ate boiled chicken and white rice.  I decided to work from home.  Betel proceeded to sleep all day.  No vomit.  No diarrhea.

41:00 Hours.  She retrieved a ball from somewhere and tried to get me to play.  When I refused on account of work, she groomed Lulu.  She was clearly feeling better.

42:00 Hours.  She ate more boiled chicken and white rice with no adverse side effects.  She got her first at-home doses of the cerenia and flagyl.

45:00 Hours.  We are still waiting on a bowel movement from Betel.  And in the meantime I decided to blog about HGE in case any other pet owners out there are faced with these same sudden, inexplicable gastrointestinal symptoms.

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Hemorrhagic Gastroenteritis ("HGE")
Symptoms:  Sudden, profuse vomiting, bloody diarrhea, anorexia, depression.  Elevated hemocrit levels in blood, but no fever and a normal white blood cell count.
Causes:  Uncertain.
Contagious: No.
Treatment:  Intravenous fluid therapy to replace lost fluid volume.  Symptomatic treatment of vomiting and diarrhea.  Antibiotics targeting C. perfringens.
Level of seriousness:  The progression of HGE is so rapid that hypovolemic shock and death can occur within 24 hours if untreated.  Mortality is high in untreated dogs.  Less than 10% mortality with treatment.
Recurrence:  10-15% of cases will recur.

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We could have saved $145 if we turned down the x-ray, but at that point I wasn't sure that Betelgeuse hadn't eaten something weird that was lodged in her intestines.  I wasn't sure of anything.  But whatever.  With the help of our trusty veterinarian, and for a mere $428.25 (ugh.), we thwarted another death attempt and can rest easy.  For now.

$12.50 [Wagatha's Organic Dog Biscuits]

My childhood dog, Patches, would go nuts over Milk Bones.  He liked them so much that it made me want to taste them just to see what all the fuss was about

Do you know what my current dogs Betelgeuse and Lulu will do if you offer them a Milk Bone?  They either (1) sniff at it and refuse to accept it at all or (2) take it in their mouths and then spit it out -- yes, they will open their mouths and let the Milk Bone fall right off their tongues.  And it's always some well-meaning small business owner or family friend offering the Milk Bone, so it's just embarrassing that my spoiled little Brooklyn dogs are so unapologetically, Thanks, but no thanks, we're too good for a Milk Bone.

New York did the same thing to my husband's and my taste buds, but we will graciously accept and eat the bland boxed mashed potatoes you offer us and then complain about them later when we're alone.  We don't refuse or spit them out.  In any event, we're supposed to have refined tastes because we're human.

So what is the (over)budget pet version of a Milk Bone, then?  Easy -- it's Wagatha's Coconut Grove Organic Dog Biscuits ($12.50 for 16 oz.).

These wheat-free bone-shaped biscuits are made with human-grade certified organic ingredients, including coconut and tart cherries.  My dogs love these things!  Wagatha's biscuits also come in Little Bites ($7.00 for 8 oz.) and in a host of other flavors, big and little, none of which Betel and Lu have tried.

I like to give each pup a biscuit or half a biscuit when I leave for work in the morning.  It's a little routine we've developed that seems to make my daily departure easier on all of us.  Betel and Lulu used to stand right by the door, holding onto a final hope that I was not in fact going to work but rather was about to grab the leashes so we could all go somewhere awesome together.  And then I would close the door in their little doggie faces.  Now, they settle down happily on the rug with a biscuit as I leave.  Sure, Milk Bones would be cheaper, but these two are worth every penny of that $12.50.

Bon appétit!

$0.02 [Happy Birthday, Betelgeuse!]

Betelgeuse is three years old today!

This is actually unbelievable.  Little Betel Bailey with her puppy years well behind her.  She's turned out to be such a great dog, a friend to all.

Happy Birthday, Bebe!  And don't think I forgot -- I've got a Lazy Dog Happy Birthday Pup-PIE ($8) in my bag for you and Lulu to share tonight when I get home from work. <3

$4.50 [Collars]

Collars.  The mark of domestication.

I gave collars a lot of thought during our recent vacation in Costa Rica. There were dogs everywhere -- running loose in the streets (or on the sidewalks), sleeping outside in shady spots, or hanging out in most bars and restaurants. The only thing that distinguished these domesticated dogs from their feral cousins: collars. Some wore traditional collars, others just wore bandanas or swatches of fabric, but they all wore some type of collar. No tags, no leashes, just collars. Collars alone won't prevent the pup from getting lost or help him get home in the event he's found, but they're just a pretty effective way to signal that this dog is no stray, he's got a human.

This is a dog who came to visit our villa at Playa Avellanas. His human was nowhere in sight, but we knew there was a human somewhere because -- yep -- collar. He refused to cross the threshold into the villa. (We later learned that while dogs in Costa Rica are valued for their protection of people and property, they generally are not thought of as members of the family and are often not even allowed in the house.)

I always keep a collar on my cat Lola. She even has a bald ring around her neck from where her collar rubs. It serves as a vehicle for her tags in case she gets lost, plus it's cute. She currently sports a Red Dingo Classic Cat Collar ($4.50) in dark blue, pictured above.  It looks almost purple against her orange fur.  That little plastic fish clasp kills me. 

A quick tip:  When choosing a cat collar, you may be tempted to look at the selection for small dogs, but a breakaway collar is very important -- cats get into tight spots and the breakaway collars prevent Mr. Cuddles from getting snagged somewhere or, much worse, asphyxiated.

Lola used to wear a Coastal Pet Products Safe Cat Adjustable Breakaway Collar ($6) in light green, which you can see if you click on her name in the above paragraph. I love that these collars say "Safe Cat" -- it brings to mind images of animals in flotation vests or wearing crossing guard uniforms. The light green Safe Cat collar was retired because after several years part of the clasp broke. Kitty wore one in orange, which is in her urn with her ashes (sentimental much, AEB?)

My pups Betelgeuse and Lulu usually do not wear traditional collars. They used to wear them all the time, but they have such full Pomeranian-esc manes that the tight collars end up matting their fur. These days they wear bandanas instead, and their tags are on their harnesses when we go out.

In case you had a question, yes, in that last photo, Betelgeuse is wearing a bandana featuring a sexy marijuana leaf in a bikini (an Andrew Jeffrey Wright creation that came into my possession in Baltimore). I came home from work the other night to discover that Kyler had accessorized the dogs.  If she gets lost wearing this bandana, people will know she is domesticated and that has a human (or two), but I assume they might re-think giving her back to us.

$5.95 [Cloud Star Soft & Chewy Buddy Biscuits]

The humans and animals were reunited yesterday following the humans' return from Costa Rica.  And this particular human immediately commenced with guilt-induced post-vacation spoiling of said animals.  (Yes, this is different from my normal non-guilt-induced everyday spoiling of said animals.)

For the cat:  I gave Lola a good brushing with the Furminator ($32), which she loves.  She just rolls around on the floor meowing while I remove enough fur to construct a second Lola.  I did not, however, give Lola any treats because she's got a weigh-in at the vet on Saturday, and she's looking a little plumper following her week with the cat sitter.

Lola trying to break in to the Costa Rican beer and coffee.

For the dogs:  I took Betelgeuse and Lulu on a long early morning walk today, and we stopped by Unleash Brooklyn and picked up some Cloud Star Soft & Chewy Buddy Biscuits in the most junk-foodie flavor of all, Bacon & Cheese Madness ($5.95 for 6 oz.).

Cloud Star treats are great.  They're all natural and my somewhat picky dogs love them, and, if that wasn't enough, the company donates at least 10% of its net profits to non-profit organizations that benefit animals, women, children, and the environment.  [Cloud Star also makes grooming products that we've never tried but that have received positive reviews online.]  The dogs got treats in exchange for doing all the tricks in their repertoires -- which it turns out equals a lot of treats.

And then we commenced excessive cuddling on the couch, while the other human in the clan, Kyler, got ready for work.  His vacation is over, but I have another few days before I return to land of the law firm, and I plan to make the most of it by spending all my time and money on the creatures.

$150.00 [Animal Vacations]

Note: A version of this post may have previously shown up in your RSS feed, although it was deleted from this blog. If so, please excuse the re-post.

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By the time this post goes live, (1) the human members of the clan will (finally) be in Costa Rica, and (2) it will be the right time to wish you a HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY from us here at (over)budgetpet!  ♥♥♥

We're missing the animals, especially on this day celebrating love, but the three creatures are currently enjoying alternate vacation accommodations better suited to their tastes than Costa Rica.

Our dogs Betelgeuse and Lulu are vacationing in Long Island with Icarus. Long walks and romps in nature, cuddling, treats, etc. They love getting out of the city, and they love Icky and his humans. I dropped them off on Saturday in Long Island, and they were not the least bit sorry to see me go. Since then, I got word that Icky harnessed his inner wolf and took down a deer while my glorified dog-cats relaxed inside.

Our cat Lola is staycationing at our apartment in Brooklyn with the cat sitter. I am paying the cat sitter $150 to sleep in my bed -- and this is a good deal in New York. I scattered Lola's catnip toys around the house since the dogs aren't here to chew them up and break them open, and she's been having a blast.  She's spending Valentine's Day high as a kite on catnip and purring her little heart out.

I'm not sure what this blog will look like during the remainder of our trip. Maybe a guest post or two? Maybe a photo of me hangin' with monkeys? In any event, Happy Valentine's Day and best wishes from the rainforest. And until the next time my wallet opens for an animal who needs a home or a cute outfit, some portraits of my crew:

$0.02 [Puppy Fight Club]

1st RULE: You do not talk about FIGHT CLUB.
2nd RULE: You DO NOT talk about FIGHT CLUB.
3rd RULE: If someone says "stop" or goes limp, taps out the fight is over.
4th RULE: Only two dogs to a fight.
5th RULE: One fight at a time.
6th RULE: No shirts, no shoes.
7th RULE: Fights will go on as long as they have to.
8th RULE: If this is your first night at FIGHT CLUB, you HAVE to fight.

If I didn't already have a billion useless tags, I would tag this "Helena Bonham Carter."

$499.99 [iPad]

I've blogged about the iPad ($499.99) before, but some new uses for the device have come to light in recent days.

It turns out that not only can my dog Betelgeuse use the iPad to FaceTime with cat cousin Future Cat [post here], she can also use it to FaceTime with Future Cat's new puppy brother, Rigel.  It shrinks the 700+ miles between Brooklyn, New York and Columbia, South Carolina to almost nothing.  Human and environmental costs aside, the results couldn't be cuter.

Betelgeuse:  Seriously, Rigel, you gotta try the cat food.

What else is the iPad good for?  Well, it makes a great puppy length and width measuring device.

Yes, he's smaller than an iPad.

For measuring puppy weight, however, the iPad won't help you.  You'll still have to use a traditional scale.  I would recommend using the biggest scale you can find.

2.9 lbs. of cute.

$7.99 [Lamb Chop]

I nailed it again.

Lamb Chop ($7.99), purchased at Unleash Brooklyn.  Think she's just another sheep toy?  Think again.  Betelgeuse went completely nuts for her.  Squeaking her, carrying her around the apartment.  It's unclear whether it was love or love to hate, but either way, Betel was really into her.

Icarus, who visited while Lamb Chop was in rotation, also went nuts for the little puppet. Icky even took her out in the backyard to toss her around. Unfortunately, Icky also ate some cat poop while he was in the backyard tossing her around, so poop-stricken Lamb Chop ended up in plastic bag quarantine pending a trip to the laundromat.

After Lamb Chop was washed and dried, she went back into the dog toy box.  Betel dug through the box, scattering other plush toys and chew toys to the side, to retrieve Lamb Chop.

Some more squeaking.  Some more carrying her around.  And then the most amazing thing that can happen to a dog . . . Betel punctured Lamb Chop's exterior and out came some stuffing.  Her eyes lit up.  I wish you all could have been there.  Betel was just totally manic -- squeaking and pulling out stuffing and throwing Lamb Chop around.  The more stuffing that came out of the toy, the happier Betel became.  She made the same little Joker face that she makes when she sees a Frisbee.

And then even Lulu, who only plays with toys secretly and rarely squeaks them, got in on the action once the stuffing was out -- pouncing on Lamb Chop and biting and squeaking her.

Kyler aptly observed, "I hope they never actually get a hold of something dead."

So true.

$43.00 [Paw Pads v. NYC Sidewalk Slush]

Below freezing temperatures and snow this weekend -- a brief interlude from our otherwise unseasonably warm winter weather.  As circumstances would have it, we were also dog sitting the rescued Peruvian Hairless puppy, Cheska, during the weekend's winter storm.

My understanding is that it gets quite cold in at least certain regions in Peru, but maybe the hairless dogs weather the inclement weather (pun intended) in a warm cave deep in the Andes.  Cheska was NOT made for the snow.  Even a full-body onesie + coat is not enough to stop her from shivering and protesting any outdoor activities.  Ever watched a puppy stage a full-on poop strike?  Poor Cheska.

Poor poor Cheska.

My dogs, Betel and Lulu, come with their own fur coats...

Just not their own boots.  They do fine walking through snow, but if it's slush (or even better, special NYC sidewalk slush, which is mixed with salt and chemicals to become SUPER cold), the pups spend our "walk" hopping on three legs while trying to defrost a frozen paw in their mouth.  And even after all the slush has melted, the lingering salt and de-icing chemicals on the sidewalk can irritate their paw pads and cause dryness and painful cracking.  There are two products in my arsenal that help protect the bubs' paws in winter:

[1] Mushers Secret ($14 for 60 grams), which is a wax that forms a semi-permeable shield on the pups' paws to protect them from snow (including ice build-up between paws), salt, chemicals, grit, rough terrain, and other paw pad irritants.  Apply once a week or more often.  All three pups had their paws waxed this weekend.

[2] Pawz Natural Rubber Dog Boots ($14 for X-Small, i.e., Lu, $15 for Small, i.e., Betel), which are disposable (but reusable!), biodegradable waterproof dog boots.  They're thick rubber balloons that slide right on the pups' feet.  They come in seven sizes (from "Tiny" to "X-Large") and there are twelve boots to a package.

The dogs walk funny when you first put them on (videos of Betelgeuse from last winter in our old apartment below) but then they forget they're even wearing them.  They don't need Pawz on every snowy or icy walk -- these boots are made for those terrible slushy days or if you're going to be out for a long time in the cold.  As a bonus:  these boots protect their paws from even coming into contact with salt, which can cause vomiting and diarrhea when licked.  Yuck.

After our one frozen weekend, we're back to sunny skies and mild temps in New York.  So I've stored these winter goods again.  If you don't already own Mushers Secret wax or Pawz boots, you may want to hold off on buying -- they may be rendered obsolete by global warming.

I'm sure Lulu won't mind.

$99.00 [Found My Animal Rope Leashes]

Leash upgrade!

Blew the remainder of my January pet budget on new leashes for Betelgeuse and Lulu.  Their old leashes were frayed and nasty because we like to "drop the leash" and let the dogs run free at parks and on back streets and the India Street pier at night.  So for 2012 (and thereafter), I invested in two seriously awesome durable leashes made right here in Brooklyn.

The Found My Animal leashes are made out of all-weather, UV-resistant marine-grade rope (the rope is handmade by professional New England rope-makers).  The ropes are hand-spliced to withstand thousands of pounds of pull -- in case I need to walk a GIANT Pomeranain -- and, for added durability, the ends are "whipped" (an old nautical term) -- i.e., NO MORE FRAYING!  The metal hardware is all marine-grade as well, and the leashes are hand- and machine-washable.

Found My Animal makes both a standard and adjustable version of its rope leash.  I like the adjustable leash, which has two solid brass o-rings and two solid bronze clips.  The adjustable leash is more expensive than the standard one but offers a lot of versatility.  You can change the length of it when using it as a hand-held leash, meaning one leash does the job of two:  make it short for walks on narrow NYC sidewalks or long for strolls through the woods.  You can also hook it around your waist, over your shoulder, or across your chest, so on cold nights, you can keep your hands in your pockets or around your hot cocoa.  Running into a coffee shop?  Quickly clip your pup to a fence, tree or post, and don't worry about the security of your knot or untying the knot with a coffee cup in your hand.  You can even clip your dogs to each other (a great joke).

The leashes come in a variety of thicknesses from S (1/4") to XL (1/2"), which you select from based on the weight of your pooch.  I like the look of the thick rope leashes, but that would be too much leash for Betel and Lu.

For Betel, the Adjustable, Hand-Spliced Rope Leash (solid brass + natural rope), 7 ft., size S (1/4" rope diameter), $56, purchased from Unleash Brooklyn during an all-day Saturday stroll around Greenpoint and Williamsburg -- it's been so unseasonably warm this winter, and we've been taking advantage of it.

For Lulu, the Adjustable, Hand-Spliced, 100% Recycled P.E.T. Rope Leash (solid blass + black rope), 7 ft., size S (1/4" rope diameter), $43, purchased from PS9 Pet Supplies on the same stroll.  The recycled P.E.T. rope is lighter than the natural rope for the smaller pup, although the brass hardware is still a bit heavy for such a petite creature.

These leashes seem a bit pricey, but they also seem like they will last.  We've gone through quite a few cheaper standard nylon leashes -- they end up frayed, knotted, and filthy.  My 2012 philosophy: pay more, but buy it just once.  These leashes are beautiful, high-quality, and locally made and purchased.  If that's not enough:  Found My Animal does so much for rescued animals.  And lest you forget who was rescued...

Oh man.  Lulu.