pet naturals of vermont

I’m angry.  I’m bitter.  I don’t understand why she had to die.  And, I know what caused her to die.  It was obvious. 

We had 2 choices.  We could have done a toxicollogy autopsy or we could have a simple autopsy.  We chose the simple autopsy since the other one would take $1000’s and would have been a long trip to a University several hours away.  And, so, we took her to our vet.

The result came shortly.  She died of gas bloating her stomach and rupturing her spleen.  The vet said she could not determine since we chose not to have the toxicollogy autopsy done.  But, she had seen this happen due to rat poison or some other type of poison.  Her heart and lungs were healthy.  She was a healthy dog- 75 lbs of muscle.  The only thing she had ingested was the Pet Naturals of Vermont vitamin.  Therefore, I’ll let you come to your own conclusion-  toxicollogy autopsy or not!  I don’t use cleaners unless they are non toxic natural cleaners.  So, there was no possible way for her to ingest or even be around any other toxin.

Of course the Pet Natural people think they are in the clear since we chose the simple autopsy.  They don’t really care that they could be poisoning other animals.  They only cared about what we were going to do and once they found out we weren’t going to get the autopsy to give us the toxicollogy report they could care less about our Belle. 

And so, Belle died unneccesarily.  And, the obvious killers could care less if others suffer the same fate.

Belle

I just buried my dog- a lovely place by the pond where she used to swim and play.  We covered her with her blanket and toys- lots of them since she used to steal all of our tennis balls.  In fact, that’s what she was doing right before she got sick- playing fetch with my nephew- having a great day making sure that everyone who had come to visit had come strictly to visit her. (because clearly the world revolved around her- and the longer she’s gone the more I know she was right)

It wouldn’t be so bad- so painful- if she hadn’t died so suddenly and for such terrible reasons!  At 3 she was fine and happy and playing.  We gave her a new vitamin treat- Pet Naturals of vermont soft chews daily vitamins.  That was the only thing she had eaten during the day (she always ate at night when we ate dinner).  And, since she was making sure the world was revolving around her, she was never out of our site.  So, it’s a fact that the vitamin was the only thing she had eaten. 

30 minutes later, she was sick- not violently ill, just sick.  My husband and I took her outside and spent the next few hours watching her.  She would walk around, lay down, and sometimes act like she was going to vomit.  But, she never really did.  And, at 5:30 I called our vet.  They were leaving for the day and said to take her food and water away.  We made an appointment for the next day in case she wasn’t better.  They told us about an after hours clinic 30 minutes away if she got worse.  But, she didn’t.  She seemed to get better after that.  We researched her symptoms and they all led to the same conclusion.  She was suffering from vitamin toxicity or some sort of poison in her system.  And, they all suggested the same treatment.  She needs to just get it out of her system.  And, so it seemed she was doing that.  She was getting better- perking her ears when the neighborhood dogs barked, no longer getting sick, responding to our calling her name.  And so, we decided after 4 hours to come inside. 

At 7:30, we brought her inside.  She went and laid down in the kitchen.  She acted like she was going to vomit again and we thought walking up the stairs may have stressed her out.  So, we let her just lay and rest.  And, we went in the other room to do something or other and decided to check on her every 10 minutes or so.  And, that’s what I was doing when I found her barely responsive when I spoke to her.  I could tell she was having a hard time even raising her head- although her eyes told me she was trying to.  And, I wanted to see if she could get up, so I encouraged her to try and saw that she had no ability to get her hind legs up.  I ran to get my husband.  As he was going out to the kitchen I was already getting ready to take her to the after hours clinic- grabbing my shoes, keys, wallet, etc.  I went to the car to make sure there was a space for a 75 lb dog in the back seat.  I left the door open and called my son- who was less than 5 minutes from being home.  I would need his help to carry her to the car.  I walked back in to the house and walked into the kitchen and I knew.

My amazing Belle had gone.

My Happy Family

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Aren’t We Cute?

Create your own FACEinHOLE

To My Cousin

Create your own FACEinHOLE

Weekly News for Kids- Or Not

     I just discovered this site and am finding it way too amusing to actually be news.  I tend to be on the sarcastic side myself- no really, I am!  So, this is right up my alley.  This site talks about the news of the previous week in a humorous, sarcastic tone.  And, it’s all geared toward kids!  Is it really for kids?  I’ve only watched a few so I’m not really sure.  But, I know I’m amused by it.  Uncle Jay gives a straight forward monologue of what’s going on- probably saying things we all think when we hear the news. 

     So, I urge you to check out this site and see what you think- http://www.unclejayexplains.com/

Cake Wrecks

There isn’t really much I can say about this site.  You know when you see an accident, a train wreck, some other catastophe and you just can’t look away?  Well, think of that and then think cakes and you have this site described to a tee.  Some of these cakes you have to see to believe!  And, then you just have to wonder about the person who made the cake.  Now, what they really need to do is show the cake and then the person who made the cake!  I think that would be like watching an explosion or something!

So, without further delay, here’s the site.  I know, you’re trying not to click the link but you just can’t help yourself… http://cakewrecks.blogspot.com/

Creating a Mission Statement

After a particularly stressful discussion, I went online to search for some inspiration.  Trying to regain focus in my life, I referred back to something from my highschool days.  I was in a test program for Stephen Covey’s 7 Habit’s of Highly Effective People.  They were in the process of creating a high school class and I was lucky enough to be one of the guinea pigs!  So, I went online and did a search for his website. The result was that I created a mission statement for my life- in about 15 minutes!  With the philosophy that the first thoughts that come to mind are the most important to a person, they use thoughtful, yet simple, questions to get people to realize thier values and thier purpose.  These answers are then repeated back in order to create action sentences- ways people will live thier values and purposes. Check out this link to create your own mission statement.  You can read mine below.  I might make some changes to it- mainly the order it’s written in.  But that’s ok.  Here is the great quote they gave as soon as the mission statement was saved.  “Creating,defining, and refining your mission statement is an ongoing process because life is an ongoing process.”  Interesting thought.

Your Kickstart Mission Statement:
I will try to respect all people, places, and things.
I will help my son to become the wonderful person he has the potential to be.
I will do what I can to have a happy and loving relationship with my husband.
I will try to laugh rather than cry, to look at the lighter side of things.
I will work to be a person of integrity.
I will put God higher in my life by listening to the direction He is trying to lead me in and by trying to follow it.
I will be honest- both with other people and myself.
I will try to be a good friend to others- listening to them and helping them when they need me.
I will try to listen to what others have to say and put myself in their shoes in order to understand where they are coming from.
I will try to be a happy, light- hearted, likeable person- easy to be around.
I will work to achieve happiness. Whether it is my original plan or I have been thrown a curve, I will try to make the best of the situation I am in.
I will spend time with my family, immediate and extended, knowing that they are very dear to me.
I will follow through with what I commit to doing, and also let others know I expect the same of them.
I will also look at the situation and try to understand if someone does not follow through with their commitment to me- realizing that I cannot change others, only my response to them.

Click here to create your own mission statement- http://www.franklincovey.com/missionbuilder/flash/missionIntro.html?c=MissionStmntC

Dear Lou

At 97, you still got up early on Sunday to get the Tribune on your front door.  You read it thoroughly- still concerned with politics and news.  There were books everywhere in your apartment- and you had read them all.  The contents varied between politics, history, art and opera, with fiction thrown in once in awhile.  We were both reading Willa Cather together, but you stuck it out longer than I did.  I have always meant to go back.  I only stopped because the book was overdue at the library.  My Antonia.  I really did enjoy it- it just took awhile.

I loved to listen to the stories- to bring my son to hear them, too.  What better way to learn history than to hear it told by someone who had been there.  I mentioned you the other day when I was discussing the civil war with someone.   (That’s what we’re studying now.)  I was telling her that you were the only person I knew that had known people from the civil war.  I remember you talking about them coming regularly to see your family.  How much you saw in 97 years!  How many things had changed- some for the good and others for the bad.

It was always so nice to hear you talk of the fond memories you had- of your life, your family, of gran, of me.  You always made me feel like I was someone special.  And, I hope you always knew that you were someone special to me, as well.  There were times you helped me out when I needed it most.  And, although I appreciated that greatly, it was not what I appreciated most.  

You were one of the most kind, generous, loving, interesting, brilliant men I knew.  I will always remember sitting in your apartment talking with you, listening to you.  And, sharing my thoughts and life with you.  Because you always asked, always remembered what was going on with me, and I knew you always cared about me. 

Although circumstances and people made it impossible to see you in recent months, I still thought about you often.  And, I know you are happy now- that you deeply missed your family and friends who had already gone.  But, selfishly, I am sad.  Just as you missed them, I will now miss you.   Goodbye, my friend- until we meet again someday.

Lou Vandenberg- January 16, 1910- September 15, 2007

New York

Last weekend was great!  I can’t believe another weekend is here again!  This one won’t be as fun!  I have so much to catch up on since I was gone for a few days!  But, it was all worth it. 

One great thing about this weekend is that everyone is home again.  My son came home from camp and so the 3 of us are enjoying some time together.  That is, after he came home from work this morning and before I go to work this afternoon!  Unfortunately, most of our quality time will be spent cleaning and doing laundry!

I had such a great time in New York that I don’t know where to start!  Everyone was doing great, as you can see in the pics from my last post.  I went to a silly party while I was there.  The kids all got to play in a pool filled with flour and then rinse off in a pool of water.  How cool is that when you are under the age of 5?  Here’s a picture of flour filled fun!

I had my first ever pedicure.  That could be addicting.  I had never been really excited about the idea- until I actually had the chance to get one this weekend.  My cousin and I have decided our husbands/boyfriends should pay for our pedicures every time we get to visit each other.  What a great relaxing ritual!  Of course, after my pedicure I had to go buy some new shoes to show off my toes!  I’ll spare adding a picture of my toes to this blog!

I loved spending time with Jonas!  He is getting so much older.  One of his favorite things to do is look at books.  So, of course, I had a chance to read to him.  And, I figured he might as well learn something.  So, I had just come across a book my cousin had gotten called “How to Be an Italian”.  It was very cheesy!  Here we are learning all about Italians.  Of course, I had to make up the words to most of the book because evidently not many things about being Italian are fit for a 3 year old.  Here we are reading the book and learning how to wear a hat mafia style.

       

I guess I have procrastinated cleaning long enough!