Birdhouse! What types of bird houses are important for winter? Bird houses should be designed to provide protection from the elements, including snow and cold temperatures. They should also have a tight entrance hole that is small enough for the birds of interest to fit through, but not so small as to exclude larger birds. Some of the best bird houses for winter are made with insulated materials like wood or metal—ideally with some kind of weatherproof coating. Bird House for PNW House Wrens The PNW House Wren is common Wrens are small, bold and don’t back down to other species. The House ..read more

Bird Feeder You don’t have to be a birder to enjoy the native birds around you.  The Stellar’s Jay wakes us up every morning with its recognizable screech. Every bird lover in the PNW learns to love this persistent blue bird, a little smaller than a crow, that takes over every birdfeeder in the yard. There are many perks like this of having a birdfeeder or two in your yard.  Have you ever noticed how the sight and sound of birds can make your day brighter? Observing these small yet incredibly fascinating creatures can be such a joy. If you already have a love for our feathered frien ..read more

Mix with food or sprinkle over food. Mix with food or sprinkle over food. Are you interested in learning about probiotics and toppers like pumpkin? Are you looking at these because your dog was diagnosed with pancreatitis? Or is there another reason you’re suddenly researching GI-related supplements? When you need to feed a bland diet, feeding probiotics and pumpkin comes up when you search online and in Facebook groups. Every dog should be taking a probiotic. And even if there is a lot of fiber in your dog’s food, adding a fiber supplement is also smart. These are the two reasons I’m w ..read more

https://wagandcluck.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/20230625_083939.mp4 Bullies are helpful! We’re having quite a summer. We were on a hike in a FOREST, and Herschel ended up walking on something that cut his paw pad in half. It was a nightmare. I have literally no idea how this happened! My biggest advice which I know is crazy, is to train your dog to wear an Elizabethan collar and soft cone. Do this now before any emergencies. The past weeks would have been horrible if Herschel had not been comfy with his cone. Also, train your dog to wear boots. He’s wearing a wound boot (below) and now Ruff ..read more

Yes, ample research supports the fact that dogs enjoy the company of other dogs. I’ve lived with three dogs for a decade and then two dogs for the past five years. I’ve never lived with one dog for over three or four months. Walter was the wild card as he lived with two dogs his entire life but is dog reactive on leash with strange dogs. We added a puppy, and it took them many months to work out their relationship. Now, they are happier together than apart. And they do seek out each other during the day. I did a little research to see what studies there are that prove this is mostly true. Sin ..read more

Both my dogs had surgery this year! Walter went through an epic lumpectomy, and Herschel just wrapped up two weeks of recovery after his neuter. We are so grateful both of these surgeries are behind us! Having multiple surgeries was like a master class in how to make sure your dog’s sutures are protected and don’t get infected! A tee worked great for Walter, but the suitical did not work for Hersch…at all! Here are various ways that you can protect your dog’s sutures post-surgery: 1. Keep your dog indoors: Limit your dog’s movement post-surgery. Keep them indoors for the first few days followi ..read more

This is a guest article from a colleague with Jope and is being contributed by founders Christine Colamonico and Jeremy Adjovi Boco.  A common misconception about aging is that it’s a synonym for fatigue and decreased activity. But did you know that fatigue and reduced activity often show osteoarthritic pain?   In 2021, 15 million adult dogs in the U.S. suffered from osteoarthritis and senior dogs, eight years and up, are most affected. A study showed that 70% of dogs suffer from osteoarthritis and mobility issues at this age. Now ask yourself if it’s normal for your senior dog ..read more

Our dog Sherman lived for over a year with kidney disease and eventually died from cancer. However, his kidneys were stable when he passed. I wanted to share some valuable tips I learned as he thrived with renal disease, and it didn’t keep us from crossing almost everything off his bucket list. Sherman was diagnosed in April 2021 and passed away in July 2022. The worst thing about renal disease is inappetence. So my advice – grab an appetite stimulant ASAP. We used Entyce, and it was clear this would improve the quality of Sherm’s life. We didn’t hyperfocus on what stage of the disease he was ..read more

Anna’s Hummingbird (Calypte anna) above bird bath, San Francisco, California, USA The Anna’s Hummingbird stays throughout the winter visiting the Pacific states  I was shocked to look up from my laptop and see a male Anna’s Hummingbird at our Fushia basket in the middle of December, right before the snow returned to the Pacific Northwest. I immediately researched the migration pattern of this hummingbird to make sure I didn’t see (or hear) a ghost.  Anna’s Hummingbirds are seen, heard, or photographed in the Christmas Bird Count circles for the region every year. Many in the commun ..read more

Yes, it is true. The Kardashians also spent their July 4th holiday here in Idaho but we didn’t see them. This city is super pet-friendly! This was probably one of the best trips we’ve taken with the hounds. I’m going to include a few pics and some places to go while you’re there. We rented a house about three exits away from the city center. We actually found it using TripAdvisor but here is where we were for a week. We also planned to be far away from fireworks as our dogs really stress out. Mission accomplished! A trip to Coeur d’Alene, Idaho is worth every penny and your dogs need to come ..read more