Mom's fencing me in

Mom and I have a more-or-less private deck just outside her office. She likes to relax out there when Dad is watching sports she doesn't care about on the patio. It's a little tiring for me - I have to run back and forth around the house to keep an eye on both of them. 

The patio is on the other side and end of the house! They couldn't get any farther apart and still be attached to the house. Parents!

Mom's deck is a nice, quiet place, especially early on a Saturday morning before the sun rises over the mountain. In the evenings, we can watch the deer sneak through the yard. There's a problem with chasing them, though.  

It takes too long to go down the steps. The deer see me move and are gone in a white-tailed flash. I don't stand a chance of catching them unless I jump off the deck and therein lies the rub. 

Mom is fencing me in. 

It seems I worried her by behaving as though I was going to jump off. She says it's way too high and I'll land on my nose and break my neck. I don't know - my neck is pretty strong and Mom has always said my head is hard. Anyway, she and Dad went to Lowes without me and ordered railing for along the far end and the front of the deck. 

Mom says it'll be nice, that I'll be safe. I guess Mom is right but somehow I get the impression I'll be staring at the deer through bars. You know. Like jail. 

I'm Deuce! I'm a free spirit! Don't fence me in!

I glow in the dark!

I'm a black dog so when Mom and I go outside after dark, I disappear. Apparently, I've worried Mom a few times, so much so she got me a fancy lighted collar. 

The blue glow makes me feel prancy. When I go around the corner, I can see better, too. It mostly shows me things I'd like to pick up off the ground and taste, but Mom doesn't like me to do that. 

Anyway, Mom and I walked out the lane and she didn't have to call for me to come back at all. I went up into the thicket to see if a deer was there and she said, "I see you. Don't go any farther." So I didn't. 

Then Mom took a couple of pictures, one with flash and one without. I look like an alien dog! Pretty cool, if I do say so myself. 

 

Xylitol is bad for me

Xylitol is bad for dogs. Mom found this on the Internet. She says you need to go read the entire article, but here are the main points.

http://www.pethealthnetwork.com/dog-health/dog-toxins-poisons/xylitol-poisoning-dogs-a-deadly-sugar-substitue

Xylitol is sugar-free, and reduces caloric intake for humans, but it’s toxic to dogs. It’s found in many household products including the following:

• Diabetic snacks (e.g., gums)
• Diabetic foods
• Baked goods
• Gums
• Mints
• Candies
• Mouthwashes
• Toothpastes (in large amounts!)
• Chewable sugar-free multivitamins
• Chewable sugar-free prenatal medications
• Nasal sprays
• Some peanut butters
• Medications (including oral pills over-the-counter like melatonin or prescription medications like gabapentin)

While it’s completely safe for humans, it results in a severe insulin release when ingested by non-primate species (e.g., dogs!). Acute poisoning will occur in dogs, resulting in two main syndromes: hypoglycemia (i.e., a life-threateningly low blood sugar) and acute hepatic necrosis (i.e., severe liver failure).

Symptoms of xylitol poisoning in dogs include the following:

• Weakness or lethargy
• Depression
• Walking drunk
• Acute collapse
• Vomiting
• Trembling or tremoring
• Seizures
• A racing heart rate
• Jaundiced gums
• Black-tarry stool
• Diarrhea
• Bruising
• Abnormal mentation
• Clotting problems
• Death

The general rule is that if xylitol is listed in the first 3-5 ingredients (typically in order of the amount that they appear in the food or product), it is going to be poisonous!*

*If your dog does get into something sugar-free, always check the ingredient list. Note that other sound-a-likes like sorbitol, maltitol, and erythritol are not poisonous to dogs. Likewise, other sugar-free products such as stevia, saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, etc. are also not poisonous to dogs. If your dog gets into one of these other sound-a-likes, it’s not poisonous. No need to worry, as long as you’re positive there’s no xylitol!

I'm glad Mom's doing her best to stay informed and keep me safe. I want to be with her for a long time!