Category: Moxie

My Dog Has a Zipper on his Belly

2/8/2014

Is this a zipper or a stapled incision?

Bo finally came home from the hospital yesterday. The vet tech said she wished they could put zippers in all the dogs who eat weird stuff and then get obstructed so that the vet could just unzip their guts, reach in, and remove the offending item.

And ironically, Bo's stapled incision looks like a zipper.

He's doing pretty well considering he had one surgery to remove a foreign object from his stomach AND large intestine, and another to remove the drain inserted into his intestine during the first surgery. He's rather subdued, which is to be expected after having major surgery and being on pain meds. Hell, I felt pretty damn bad a week after my bilateral hip replacement surgery, so I can certainly empathize.

But he's happy to be back home with me, the hubs, and his canine pal, Moxie. Three of our five cats--Ernie, Sabrina, and Zoe--are also glad he's back. It's been a regular reunion around here at Casa Sullivan.

I want to thank everyone who has supported "Buy Books for Bo," from buying books to sharing the message through social media and good old fashioned conversation. If you haven't had a chance to yet, there's still time to tweet and share Bo's story on Facebook by posting a link to this blog or by joining the "Buy Books for Bo" event page on Facebook and "sharing" it on your profile.

If you're new to Bo's saga, check out my two previous posts.

Reunited and it feels so good...

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Buy Books for Bo: an Update

2/6/2014

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Me and Bo at Christmas

Bo has been in the animal hospital since last Saturday for two surgeries: one to remove a stomach/intestinal blockage and another to remove the drain inserted into his intestine during the first surgery.

He's doing well, happy and alert, and will hopefully get to come home tonight. Bo might be the most challenging dog we've ever had due to his OCD/Pica issues (see my previous post for more details on his mental disorder), but he's also the most affectionate dog I've ever had.

Bo is seventy-five pounds of cuddle bunny. His favorite thing to do when he's not eating the wood hot tub or a collectible that a cat knocked off a shelf onto the floor is to sit in the hubs' lap. When the hubs comes home from work, Bo wags his entire body. He adores his canine pal, Moxie--it was love at first sight for the two of them.

Bo's medical care costs are now at $3400 and still climbing. So if you'd like to help us help Bo, please buy books. Specifically, MY books.

I have two novels and two short story
collections available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com, Kobo, and many other online retailers (plus Books-A-Million brick & mortar locations as a POD: print on demand). Novels are in print AND eBook; collections are eBook only. My second novel, The Weredog Whisperer is part of a series, but can be read as a stand alone novel.

If you've bought/read all of my books, please consider "sharing" the link to this page on your social media sites and verbally with friends and co-workers who like dogs and/or books. I've set up a fundraising event on Facebook--Buy Books for Bo--that is open to the public.

I also have several copies of Weredog Whisperer and a few Haunted Housewives if you'd like to buy a personalized, signed copy/copies from me. $15 + shipping for one book; $25 + shipping for any two books. Media Mail is $3 or I can ship up to 2 books in one Priority Mail padded flat rate envelope for $6. I accept PayPal. Or cash, if you're local. Cash is good. LOL

Thanks for everyone's support!

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Do Pit Bulls and Snow Mix?

1/29/2014

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Bo didn't want to go out into the snow to potty

Pit Bull Terriers aren't snow dogs. That would be breeds like the Saint Bernard, Great Pyrenees, and Newfoundland. Pit bulls like to soak up the sun. They are one of the few breeds that will choose sun over shade.

So when yesterday's surprise snow storm deposited four inches of pretty powder on northeast Alabama, Bo (our hound/pit mix) didn't want to go outside to potty. In fact, when I opened the door, he turned tail and tried to slink away. I had to literally SHOVE seventy-five pounds of dog out the door because he and Moxie are too big to do their business inside the house.

Bo did not like snow.

But you know what? Once he got across the deck and down the steps, he decided it wasn't so bad after all.

And on his 3rd, 4th, and 5th times to go out yesterday, he ran right out the back door and positively frolicked, running willy-nilly around the yard like a crazy dog, jumping on Moxie in play, and stealing her tennis ball.

Moxie would do her business and come back to the door. But Bo made several circuits of the fence perimeter, making sure no wild animals, stray cats, or unauthorized humans had entered the property.

So I suppose Bo and snow do mix.

Slide show below. Click on "play" and then wait a few seconds and it'll start.

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The Origin of Brown Nosing

1/22/2014

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Moxie "brown nosing" our cat, Ernie

The origin of the term "brown nosing" has GOT to come from dogs. If I didn't know better, I'd totally think it was inspired by my pit bull, Moxie.

Notice where brown-nosing-the-cats falls on Moxie's list of favorite things to do:

1. Eat wild animal poop in the backyard.

2. Eat cat poop from the litter boxes.

3. Lick the cats' butts, aka, brown nosing.

4. Lick Bo's junk (Bo is our other dog).

5. Tie: play with her tennis ball; swim in the pool.

6. Eat any food that isn't hers.

7. Eat actual dog food.

8. Sleep.

9. Play with Bo.

10. Get a back scratch and/or belly rub from her humans.

Here's the thing about the dogs brown nosing the cats . . . the cats LOVE it. They ASK for it. They writhe with pleasure, the little hedonists. And apparently the dogs get something out of it, too, although it may be an addiction like gambling where they keep hoping they'll hit the jackpot of golden poop popping out of a cat butt.

So now you know the (unofficial) origin of the term "brown nosing." Yes, thank you very much. I'm always happy to provide educational tidbits on this blog. Ha!

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Canine Siamese Twins?

1/20/2014

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Joined at the hip? Moxie and Bo

Dogs certainly know how to relax. Moxie and Bo are so comfortable with each other that they appear joined at the hip as if they were a new breed of canine Siamese twins or maybe a canine push-me-pull-you (from Dr. Doolittle).

If people were to glean any wisdom from dogs it would be: play hard, eat heartily, and sleep long and deeply.

Happy MLK Day! Hope you enjoy your day as much as Moxie and Bo are enjoying theirs.

Click on each picture in the gallery below to enlarge each photo.

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Who let the (were)dogs out?

1/2/2014

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It's official! My second novel The Weredog Whisperer--published by World Weaver Press--has officially launched. Click on the specific tab to the left to read a synopsis, reviews, and purchasing info.

The Weredog Whisperer is my love song to the Florida Gulf Coast and my American pitbull terrier, Moxie. It's chock full of zany characters, humorous paranormal situations, and surprising plot twists.

I had a ton of fun writing this book and I hope it shows. There were times when I laughed so hard at a scene that I cried. My comedy-writing philosophy is that if it doesn't make me laugh, ain't no one else gonna laugh.

I drew inspiration from the Chevy Chase Vacation movies and An American Werewolf in London, as well as family vacations to Panama City Beach, Florida when my family lived in Alabama, and later, life as a resident of Florida when my family moved to Gulf Breeze (near Pensacola). Plus life with two pitbull terriers who are smart, loyal, and absolutely the most affectionate dogs I've ever had.

The Weredog Whisperer can also be read as a stand alone novel, so if you haven't read The Haunted Housewives of Allister, Alabama, you can go right ahead and dive into Weredog Whisperer. Or read both. You have a buffet of options.

Keep this writer writing and go out there and buy my book. I think you'll enjoy the ride.

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Moxie Gets a Hammydown

11/15/2013

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Moxie wearing her Hand-Me-Down coat

Hammydown: Southern slang for Hand-Me-Down--used clothing that is passed from an older relative to a younger one.

Once upon a time, we had a pet pig at Casa Sullivan. Her name was Pepper and she was a Vietnamese pot-bellied pig.

Pepper lived indoors with us and had an array of personal items such as her own bed, a harness, special shampoo, hoof trimmers, toys, a wading pool, a ramp for the mini-van, and even a special cart on wheels to corral her when we went to the vet.

She also had her very own, custom-made coat. Made of fuzzy fabric on the underside and water-resistant material on the outside, it fit over her like a horse blanket and snapped around her chest like a dog harness. Pigs get cold in the winter just like people, so the warm coat was wonderful to wear on her potty trips outside during the cold months.

Pepper lived to the ripe old age of 13. She went to Hog Heaven in 2005.

Flash forward to this week. I pulled out a sweater box under the guest bed and discovered Pepper's old coat. Our pit bull, Moxie, is now somewhere between 11-14 years old and has arthritis. Seemed to me that wearing Pepper's coat would not only keep Moxie warm indoors, but would keep her joints warm.

And that's how Moxie came to get a "Hammy down" from a pig. Pretty fitting, huh? Pig . . . ham . . . HAMMY down. The coat's a little large, so she can't wear it safely outdoors, but it's great for indoor napping. [photo gallery below: click on each photo to enlarge it]

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My Dog Has a Zipper on his Belly

Buy Books for Bo: an Update

Do Pit Bulls and Snow Mix?

The Origin of Brown Nosing

Canine Siamese Twins?

Who let the (were)dogs out?

Moxie Gets a Hammydown

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