Hello everyone,

Welcome to my site!

Here are some impressions of the the workplace at Pride and Pedigree.  I’m an independent contractor petstylist at this doggie daycare/dog training/boarding facility .

A typical day is grooming daycare/boarding Pride and Pedigree dogs as well as my own clients daily.  I only provide private grooming appointments, one on one-cage free with no interruptions for up most safety.  The daycare I work inside is a high social environment with occasional barkers of small and large dogs which may be too much sound for the skittish type.

Cage free grooming is a minority and not for everyone since pets must be picked up immediately after grooming and/or agreed pick up time (usually 1 or 2 hrs from appointment time).

I am available for a private appointment Monday through Friday at various times. Weekends are reserved for dog shows and dog events. 

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Before & after photos in my portfolio , photos added daily.

For over 18 months the Humane Society of the United States has conducted the most comprehensive investigation of large-scale commercial dog breeders, known as puppy mills, ever undertaken.  Its primary target: the largest puppy-selling retailer in the country, Petland.
This film chronicles this massive effort, focusing on its final phase.  It follows “Mike,” a young animal cruelty investigator, as he assumes a new identity, goes undercover with a covert camera, and talks his way into dozens of puppy mills in the Midwest suspected to be key suppliers to Petland

These dogs get into the web of craigslist among other pet stores.

Educate yourself!!!!!!

on Animal Planet May 17th at 10pm (ES/PST)

Foxtails, I hate them.  It’s that time again and on 4/1/2010, I picked out 4 infected foxtails out of the armpits of a dog being groomed with mats making the matters worse.  This will be a part of my daily work until end of October so here it goes….

They are a weed that looks like a bushy tail and when dry or brittle can enter your pet’s body like a fish hook that can cause a world of problems on short and long hair breeds.  It goes into the skin, spines can break.  In fact, there are barbs on the barbs.
Once these things get started in, they can embed firmly and don’t come out very easily.

If you have a medium to long hair dog, combing and brushing after EVERY outing at dog parks, hikes, yards, etc is helpful.   Check in and around pets ears, eyes, between toes and pads, underarms, everywhere.  Early detection can help you prevent an infection or abcess.
Unfortunately this is a problem until Fall.

Last year,  about 5 dogs a week in the my grooming world had foxtails, only to return with the same scenario on the next visit with explanations of how they went on hikes or  dog parks yet didn’t remove them.  This is routine for a groomer and we’re there to help.

The barbs can initially be caught on the fur or hair then later that night when you pet is rolling in its bed cause the barb to get closer to its body or enter the skin.  They can travel within the body and in severe cases have been known to hit vital organs or even death in very extreme cases.

Last year, I personally know of three short haired dogs who had to go to Berkeley ER in the same week

One up the nostril with symptoms of constant sneezing and pawing at nose.  Simply from sniffing near a cluster of them caused this $$$ vet bill.

One in the eye, hidden in the eyelid with symptoms pawing at eyes

One in the ear straight heading near the eardrum  with constant head shaking like getting water out of the ear.

Beetle had swallowed some last year and a trip to the vet with anesthesia, probed down the throat and no trace of evidence.  $300 bill.   The symptoms were wretching, hacking, can’t swallow, and vomiting.  I also have to pull them out of my indoor/outdoor cat’s fur, thank god he’s black for easy detection.

I am so not looking forward to this for my pets after a horrible time last year.

Like a cactus, keep them away as much as possible or be informed how to keep your pet be safe and pain free.

Tripod is a term used for a dog with three legs, they tend to do just fine and may exceed the activity of other dogs with 4 legs.  I saw this woman who was trying to raise money for her dog Lulu by making tshirts to pay for her dog’s surgery with a rare cancer affecting the leg to be amputated.  I loved the design and the ability to make a change with a great idea.

Lulu lived through all her trials of cancer but passed away in August 2009.  Now the site is dedicated to helping others and love ones with cats & dogs to help pay for costly vet expenses with their t-shirts and totes with Lulu modeling.

More of the story of Lulu and information

http://www.ihearttripods.com/2007/04/more_blog_love_.html

The word teacup is something that makes me immediately think scam and heartache to those who are not familiar.  Very small dogs sold under the term “teacup” are usually sold to people that have no idea that the term is made up and a great marketing strategy which can bring in $$$. If a breeder says they specialize in “teacups” RUN, RUN, RUN !  “TEACUP” puppies are in reality premature puppies SOMETIMES purposely being separated early from mom earlier than 8 weeks  to promote stunted growth which can be very dangerous with improper development but bring in $$$ from uninformed owners.

The word “Teacup” has been used to merely describe the size of a puppy, meaning it is very small and will probably be under the standard size which is 4 to 7 pounds.  Their bones are VERY fragile and can be broken by jumping off of a couch, falling off of a bed, being stepped on or worse.

Some of the problems that may be encountered are both genetic and congenital in these pups.

The risk of open fontanels (soft spot from the cranial bone not forming), portosystemic shunts (PSS- abnormal vessel that allows blood to bypass the liver. As a result the blood is not cleansed by one of the bodies filters: the liver.), hypoglycemia, cardiac problems, collapsing trachea, luxating patellas, Leggs Calves Perthes disease, seizures, hydroencephaly, blindness and digestive problems can be increased.

Problems such as respiratory problems can remain or worsen throughout their lives. These pups are so fragile that they do not live more than a few years. There is no such thing as a “tea cup” Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, Poodle, or ANY other breed for that matter.  They simply do not exist. “Tea-cup” is just a marketing ploy given by unethical and unscrupulous breeders to drive up the price of their puppies!

Do your homework and if you are looking for a toy breed, don’t fall for the scam of “teacup” anything. Toy breeds each have their own guidelines and reputable clubs that work hard to educate and preserve.  Unfortunately I know more horror stories than good ones in regards to people buying online without any physical meeting.

Check with AKC.org to see what is appropriate for the dog of your choice.