Ollie was the biggest dacshund in his litter. At his first vet visit, he weighed a whopping 1.8 pounds. At yesterday’s vet visit, he weighed 13 pounds. We’re going to have to exchange his leash for some english saddles if this keeps up.

Actually, the vet said he’s at a perfect weight. You can feel his ribs with gentle pressure, and his coat is soft and shiney, meaning he’s getting the right amount of right food.

At Ollie’s vet visit, the technician drew blood for a heartwork test and bandaged up Ollie’s leg. Even though he wasn’t in pain, I almost had to call movers New York to get Ollie out to the car because he would not walk with the bandage on. He just stood there with his paw dangling in the air, pulling at my heartstrings, so I carried him to the car and took him to McDonald’s for an Egg McMuffin.

Ollie is off to the vet this morning. No worries, he doesn’t need a portable oxygen concentrator, just his yearly shots and check-up so he’s ready for his next stay at the Doggy Hotel.

He’s normally pretty calm on his trips to the vet, but he’s visiting a new vet this year so he’s sure to pee on the exam table and bark at the receptionist.

There are lots of things I would rather be doing today instead of working, but the top two are booking European cruises and watching television in bed with Oliver. Sadly, neither are going to happen this week, but Monday is a holiday so there is hope!

If they gave out trophies for being lazy, I think Ollie would have an entire mantel full. As soon as the sun starts to peak through the blinds in the morning, he moves from the bed to the floor to soak up the rays. Now that fall is coming, the sun shifts from the dining room window to the living room window mid-day, and Ollie follows it through the house so he doesn’t miss a minute of sun.

Mike recently mentioned how attached Oliver is to me. I just figured he was jealous, but when I couldn’t even go to the bathroom without Oliver by my side, I realized he was right.

Yes, that is me sitting in the bathroom, and not on discount home theater seating. I know it’s a little much, but it proves Mike’s point.

Oliver woke me up extra early this morning to go outside. Before I heard his whining, I heard his stomach grinding and squeaking, which I knew was a bad sign.

As soon as we stepped outside, Ollie started eating grass, which he’s done many times before. He did his business, and on the way back in, he ate more grass. Mike took him out an hour later, and without me saying anything, mentioned that Ollie was munching on grass.

I finally did some research, and found that vets believe that dogs eat grass when they have an upset stomach or diarrhea to make themselves throw-up and start to feel better. The more I thought about it, the more I realized that every time I’ve seen him eat grass, he’s been sick!

Turns out, grass is the equivalent of Pepto or Ipecac for dogs!

They say that the best way to meet people, is to buy a dog, and I believe it. Since we’ve gotten Ollie, random people strike up conversations with us, tell us stories about their dachshunds, and try to love on Ollie (until he barks).

Pet networking has now gone beyond a walk around the block with ZooToo, a social networking site for pets. After creating a profile, pet owners can journal, review products and services, meet others with the same type of pet, and support their local shelters and rescue facilities through a point system that can earn one shelter a make-over! Also, for every pet owner that signs up for ZooToo, one pound of pet food will be donated in their name.

You don’t even have to do anything special on the site to earn points. Just login, interact with other pet owners, and go enjoy networking! The points tally up automatically to support a great cause, and you’ll quickly be addicted to uploading your profile, talking about your pet, and looking at adorable puppies, as well as learning more about your pets and how you can help.

So, sign up for for ZooToo, earn a pound of pet food for a needy shelter, and search for Ollie!

There is a chaotic summer storm whipping through the area right now, and while Ollie is calm, he’s on full alert. Instead of curling up underneath the covers at this time of night, he’s sprawled out on top of the covers at the foot of the bed so he can see down the hallway.

He must have had a memory upgrade that doesn’t apply to following commands, but remembers being locked in the bathroom the last time a storm like this came through!

Mike is worried that Oliver needs a charlotte cosmetic dentist for his stinky breath.

About a year ago, Ollie had surgery to remove two puppy teeth that never fell out when the adult teeth grew in. We wanted to take care of any tooth problems before they became urgent, and Ollie had some real skank breath we wanted to get rid of.

Fast forward a year, and Ollie’s stinky breath is back, and it appears that one of the teeth wasn’t removed completely. We’re in a different part of the state now and will be seeing another vet, so hopefully this is an easy fix and another surgery won’t be involved. I’m not sure the original vet would compensate us for another surgery!