As you are well aware of by now if you have been following Metal Mouth Style lately I have a new puppy named California. She is 5 months old and I’ve had her for about a month and half. She’s my first dog as an adult. I had one dog as a teenager named Pogo. That was a short lived experience due to her getting run over by my Stepfather while I was in the car after only having her for a month. That ordeal really traumatized me and since then I always loved dogs from afar but had a fear of ever getting attached to one again. By rescuing California here in Tijuana I was able to get over that past experience and start a new much more positive one. Due to all this here are our talking points for today’s post below:
1. 5 Key Things No One Told Me Before Getting A Dog 2. California’s Top 3 Style Moments 3. My Top 3 Moments Of The Week
10/20/2019
5 Key Things To Know Before Getting A Dog
1. Choose Your Breed With Caution
Which breed of dog you choose to rescue/buy has a lot to do with what health problems they will also come with. Free of charge! In no way am I saying don’t get a dog off this list due to them being more prone to health issues. However, it is important to be aware of the dogs with the least amount of health issues if your want to try to avoid a lot of trips to the long term. It’s great to be informed in case you want a dog off this list so you can prepare yourself for potential health issues and keep a closer eye out for such things.
– Chihuahua (12-16 yrs)
– Border Collie (12-15yrs)
– Siberian Husky (12.14yrs)
– German Pinscher (12-14yrs)
– Cardigan Welsh Corgi (12-15yrs)
– Australian Shepard (12-16yrs)
– Australian Cattle Dog (12-16yrs)
– Belgian Malinois (14-16yrs)
2. Preventative Daily Deworming Is Just As Important As Deworming This is a big one no one told me about clearly because it’s kind of disgusting to even think about. Not even my Vet told me about these at home tricks. I had to go deep on Google in order to find out if Cali had worms few weeks ago when the Vet was closed. Turns out she did have worms from the previous owner not maintaining a regular deworming schedule in her first few months of age. Then I went deep on Google again to find out what I could do better as a dog owner to prevent this situation from arising again. Worms are fucking disgusting! Not only that they cause a lot of unnecessary inflammation to your pups gut and discomfort. I’m glad I caught Cali’s worms when I did because she had a lot of them… Until now that is!
If your in Mexico, can’t get to a Vet & need a quick fix for your puppies worms this worked for California
Your first step if you diagnose that your dog has worms is to obviously take them to get a treatment from a vet. You can pick a tablet/liquid/shot dewormer. They all work differently. In my case I went for an over the counter puppy dewormer from a trusted local Tijuana grooming shop Villa Animal. I get a lot of Cali’s clothes there. The owner Jeanette is really friends and so is her staff. Press play for our adventures there down below.
California’s fashion haul from Villa Animal
Calle Pedregal 700, Beaches, Playas de Tijuana Gardens, 22500 Tijuana, BC
My vet was closed (Sunday’s is the national holiday here in Mexico) the day I noticed that Cali had some odd dried rice shaped pieces stuck to her rear end fur (tape worms). That’s why I went with an OTC brand. Once I knew there was an issue I had to act fast. I went with a liquid syringe of dewormer for Cali. It worked really quickly and well for her. She vomited worms about 10 minutes post drinking the liquid medication which is normal. Then over the next 24 hours in her stool where these dead long spaghetti like worms leaving her body (roundworms 2 types of worms at once!). Again, fucking DISGUSTING and this is why people don’t really talk about it enough. Yet, worms are as common as they are preventable and here’s a few cost effective ways your can add all natural internal parasite inhibitors to your dogs daily routine. This should always be combined with a regular deworming schedule.
RawCoconut Flakes/Raw Coconut Oil/Coconut Water
Add 1/2-1 teaspoons of Coconut Flakes to your morning dog food! Cali loves them. 1 teaspoon of Coconut Oil per day or 1/2 cup of Coconut Water per day. Pick 1 or switch it up each day.
Grated Carrots
Add 1 teaspoon per 10lbs of dogs weight per day
Organic Apple Cider Vinegar
Add 1 teaspoon in your dogs water dish each day
These are my top 3 ways to get keep my dogs gut microbiome in good shape. I’ve noticed a change in her coat since I started this routine. It’s more shiny, smells better and softer. I do each of these daily. Don’t just take my word for it. You can find a full list here of other options of foods that are good to feed your dog to prevent worms/parasites.
3. Don’t Scream/Yell At Your Dog!
Especially when your have a puppy. They can be bull headed and no matter how many times you say one thing over and over some times (also don’t repeat it over and over if their not in the mood to train) they just will not listen. Being stern and raising your voice an octave or two (max 3) is important to re-enforce obedience. Screaming/Yelling is quite another. We as humans know the difference from being overly overt and being more subtle in our approach with animals.
There are many times I’ve been walking Cali on the street (every day right now) where she will lie down in the middle of the road where there is oncoming traffic. Not okay. In that case I have been known to raise by voice to make her understand that this is unsafe behavior. Followed by some stern No’s! If that doesn’t work I pick her up and we move on. It’s an ongoing process and it’s never ending at this point 5 months of age we all must come to accept.
One day I made the mistake of yelling at her when I came home to my prescription glasses smashed apart from the coffee table. It was my first night leaving her alone at home alone to go to a fine dining restaurant. I saw the glasses and yelled at her. She cowered in the corner and immediately I felt horrible. I’ve never done that again. Dog have zero memory of most things. Especially things they did more than 2 seconds ago. For that reason yelling only makes us as owners look abusive,stupid and uneducated. The animal doesn’t understand what they did by the time we start yelling we have already lost. Since that night I now move everything off the coffee table when I’m not home. It’s easier re-arrange your environment for your pet than try to over train them to not mess with your stuff.
4. Your Lifestyle Will Change Completely If Your Doing It Right!
This is by far the best part of the whole experience for me thus far. It means I was truly ready for a dog. It only took me 20 years since my last dog tragedy to be read to commit again but it happened! I love that I have something that requires a lot of my attention. Before California I had a rabbit (still do!). Her name is Baja. See what I did there? I love Baja she’s been a relatively easy pet to care for in the past 2 years.
This is Baja!
My life changed a little bit around her but not totally. She grounded me so I would stop trying to travel every other month and be the female Anthony Bourdain. I traded in 3 suitcases & a carry on for a 2 bedroom apartment in Tijuana and have stayed still since. Rabbits are prey animals which makes long walks and travel trips pretty much a non option. It’s a pain to take a rabbit most places and their not really into leaving their safe havens. That’s why my lifestyle only changed a little bit.
Now with California she pretty much comes with me everywhere. From the Dentist to the Doctor to the grocery store to Wal-Mart. If I’m there, Cali’s there. Unless it’s not a dog friendly restaurant or a show ( movies, concerts, & the like). I now live my life with her and for her to enjoy with me. It makes me even more accountable. By having her with me I can tell when she’s over things and wants to go home or do something else.
844 Market St, San Diego, CA 92101
A big part of what has changed for me is where I go to get my weekly libation. More often that not you’ll find me now frequenting dog friendly bars. One I recently was impressed with was Knotty Barrel in San Diego. It was the staff above everything that made this place memorable. The crowd was your typical post college 30/40 something Sportsbar crowd. People not really there to meet people outside of their friend circles. Definitely not a place to mingle. They have a really killer outdoor backyard area that is perfect for dogs & people. I’d highly recommend it for a quick happy hour drink or two solo with your dog as the bar staff are friendly and attentive. I had several occasions I had to run out to let Cali take a bathroom break or just take a quick walk. The Bartender I had Brittany was super sweet and watched my bag and drink while I took breaks from my spot at the bar.
5. Be Hyper Aware Of Butt Stuff!
No one told me this at all but dogs butts can smell! Bad! It was as if a bad fish collided with a trash can in July. California had this little/big problem pop up a few weeks back. I noticed it right away as she usually doesn’t have any harsh odors. I keep her really clean, feed her premium organic dog food and get her checked up regularly. Yet, there was this foul smell starting to emit from here rear end that would come and go throughout the day. Everyone I spoke to about it ( some dog owners themselves) said it’s just her being a puppy with hormones and part of her growing. Nothing to worry about. This lasted about 3 days until I saw her doing the butt scoot across my work out mat one morning. That’s when I knew something was up and took her into the Vet.
At the Vet she was diagnosed with inflamed anal glands and a high fever. She was put on one week of antibiotics to stop the infection and the Vet exposed her anal glands that same day. He said there was a mild blockage and we caught it right in time to treat it. Since that point there has been no more stank smells emitting from her rear end or butt scooting. Happy butt happy pup!
That’s why I’m say be hyper aware of butt stuff with your pups. No matter what anyone tells you no one knows your dog better than you. You spend the most time with him/her and if you feel something is off then don’t wait to get a check up. If I hadn’t things would only have gotten worse for Cali. Inflamed glands happen and it’s actually really common in smaller dogs her size. If left untreated is when you have bigger more complicated problems. When you catch things early your dog and you get way less headaches in the future. So be Hyper aware of butt stuff!
Let’s get on to the fashion show portion of today’s post now shall we? First California then me.
California’s Top 3 Style Moments
Here are my last 3 looks for the week that I was pretty stoked on styling before I let you go today. Don’t forget you can now be a part of Metal Mouth Style & Metal Art here on my Patreon page. I post daily updates there for my friends.
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