Little Ones On The Lake

Posted on June 14, 2017 by Ammo

I bet you can tell by my excited zoomies here that I recently got to go on a lake day adventure!

Little Ones On The Lake

And yes, I brought along my favorite little sidekick, Baby P! Of course she met the lake and powered right in (girl after my own heart)!

Little Ones On The Lake

In fact, she acted like the cold water didn’t even bother her!

Little Ones On The Lake

I was slightly worried she might just start swimming away…..without me!

Little Ones On The Lake

So I had to jump in too. Just so she knew I wasn’t a total wimp.

Little Ones On The Lake

After my fun in the lake I met a new friend. I was so excited to play with him I could hardly wait.

Little Ones On The Lake

Only neither of us could get it together properly and he ran one way and I ran the other way, and our fun playtime ended up with both of us confused and lost. Sigh.

Little Ones On The Lake

After all that fun in the lake I started to get a little chilly. My towel wasn’t quite doing the trick but that’s ok, because….

Little Ones On The Lake

…rolling on your back in the sun always fixes everything!

What’s your dog’s favorite thing about a lake day?

First Spring Adventures

Posted on March 23, 2016 by Ammo

First Spring Adventures with Ammo the Dachshund

Over the weekend Spring arrived. Although it didn’t really feel like it (hence my bundled up self on the farm in the picture above). While my first Spring adventures didn’t involve weekend hiking trips, camping, or travels, I still got to spend time with my family – which is really all the adventure I need!

First Spring Adventures with Ammo the Dachshund

From good morning kisses with my best friend Trooper on the farm…

First Spring Adventures with Ammo the Dachshund

(even when he maybe found them a bit embarrassing in front of the ponies!)

First Spring Adventures with Ammo the Dachshund

….to waiting for mom to finish painting my basement playroom….

First Spring Adventures with Ammo the Dachshund

…and even napping on the couch after farm chores…

First Spring Adventures with Ammo the Dachshund

…the best part of every adventure is getting to share it with the ones I love!

I’m looking forward to many more “adventures” this year. How about you?

Should you be worried about Skin Cancer on your Dog?

Posted on September 24, 2015 by Ammo

Just like many dachshunds (or really any dog) I love the feeling of laying in a patch of warm sun. If you ~~own~~ are owned by a dachshund, then you know what I’m talking about.

Skin Cancer and Dogs. What to look for and should you be worried?

I’m sure this scene is all too familiar, your dog parks themselves in front of a big patch of sun laying there until they are visibly panting and hot to the touch. As much as I enjoy getting all toasty in the sun, my mom started to worry about what the sun might be doing to my skin. Is skin cancer something us dogs should be worried about, and if so how can we prevent it?

Skin Cancer and Dogs. What to look for and should you be worried?

Well instead of just wondering, my mom decided to find out. So she did a little research, and even took a trip to my vet to find out more.

Skin Cancer and Dogs. What to look for and should you be worried?

See in the beginning of the summer a new (black) mole popped up on my chest. And seeing as how I have the very common dachshund pattern baldness on my belly, mom worried my exposure to the sun on a daily basis was starting to catch up to me.

Skin Cancer and Dogs. What to look for and should you be worried?

So away we went to the vet to find out if in fact dogs can get skin cancer, what we should be looking for, and how we can prevent it.

First, the good news is I didn’t have any moles or bumps that look pre-cancerous (at least not yet), so phew! But, the risk of skin cancer in dogs is just the same as it would be for humans, especially in areas where your dog may not have as much hair and for dogs that have lighter colored fur.

Skin Cancer and Dogs. What to look for and should you be worried?

My vet informed me that although I do have the occasional mole, discoloration, or skin growth pop up, that this can also be a sign of aging skin and will happen as the years pass. Documenting your dog’s skin abnormalities can be a great way to make sure there isn’t anything out of the ordinary happening that might require a biopsy or further investigation.

Skin Cancer and Dogs. What to look for and should you be worried?

Tips for Preventing Skin Cancer in Dogs:

Document all of your dog’s moles and abnormal skin growths with pictures and measurements. Update and check them every few months looking for changes or new growth
Use a pet-safe sunscreen* if your pet will be exposed to the sun for long periods of time
Familiarize yourself with what abnormal moles might look like on your dog (see below)
Consider covering windows with a UV protecting film* if your dog sun bathes a lot
Talk to your vet about any suspicious looking skin growths

*contains affiliate links

Skin Cancer and Dogs. What to look for and should you be worried?

We found this helpful chart online (source unknown) that can be useful if any of your dog’s moles might warrant a trip to the vet. The same characteristics in moles can be seen on humans and are also a sign of pre-cancerous areas.

Skin Cancer and Dogs. What to look for and should you be worried?

While preventing me from “sunning” probably isn’t going to happen (sorry, I just enjoy my sun naps way too much), mom has been making me wear pet sunscreen when it looks like I’ll be napping for a while. She also plans to add a UV film to the window at the shop where I like to sun myself a lot during the day.

Has your dog had any skin cancer scares? Do you routinely check your pet for moles and skin abnormalities?

Disclaimer: I am not a veterinarian, just an owner who cares an awful lot about my pet’s health. Please be sure to consult your own vet if you think your pet may have some abnormal skin issues. This post is not meant to replace veterinarian care, just simply a reference for the information we have learned in our own studies.

The Happiest Place on Earth

Posted on September 18, 2015 by Ammo

If you’re having a bad day, or you need a reason to smile, then you are in luck, because I’m going to share with you the happiest place on Earth! You can’t help but smile when you find out where I recently took a trip to.

The Happiest Place on Earth - Ammo the Dachshund visits a Sunflower field

See where I live in Chester County, Pennsylvania we have rolling farmland practically right out my backdoor. But it’s still not everyday that I get to see this type of crop pop up seemingly overnight….

The Happiest Place on Earth - Ammo the Dachshund visits a Sunflower field

So on a warm sunny afternoon I took a trip out to a very special place with my family, a place where you can’t help but smile.

The Happiest Place on Earth - Ammo the Dachshund visits a Sunflower field

Sunflower fields!

The Happiest Place on Earth - Ammo the Dachshund visits a Sunflower field

I got to meet the wonderful family that plants these fields every 4 years (which means I’ll have to wait until 2019 to see them again!), and happily welcomed visitors to their property so that everyone could enjoy the beautiful view. I even learned that they have two dachshunds too!

The Happiest Place on Earth - Ammo the Dachshund visits a Sunflower field

There were lots of people visiting the Sunflower Fields, and just like everyone else I couldn’t wait to get a picture among the beautiful flowers (while being respectful to the crops of course).

The Happiest Place on Earth - Ammo the Dachshund visits a Sunflower field

Even my mom and dad got in on the action, and then we broke out the selfie stick…

The Happiest Place on Earth - Ammo the Dachshund visits a Sunflower field

I think my selfie smile might need a little more work. 🙂

The Happiest Place on Earth - Ammo the Dachshund visits a Sunflower field

I learned that these sunflowers will soon be making their way into bird seed, so that the happiness will continue!

I’m already counting down the days until fall 2019 when I can visit the sunflowers again! What’s your happiest place to visit with your dog?

Oh The Places You Sleep: Vol. 1

Posted on April 9, 2015 by Ammo

Dogs tend to sleep between 12 – 14 hours a day, and considering that makes up the majority of our day, we sometimes have to get a little creative with our napping spots. It could get quite boring if you slept the same way hour after hour, so I like to vary it up a little each time. So here’s a collection of some of my favorite ways to take a nap throughout the day!

Oh the Places You Sleep // Ammo the Dachshund - Dog - Nap

As you see this could go on and on forever – but then I wouldn’t get any naps in!

What’s your dog’s favorite place to sleep? And if you need any new ones to add to your dog’s resume, check out my post of creative napping spots at work.

A Day at the Beach

Posted on August 21, 2014 by Ammo

Summer is quickly coming to an end (how sad) so I knew I had to squeeze in a fun adventure to one of my favorite places before it was over. So over the weekend I hopped in the car and drove 2 hours to the Delaware State Park Beaches for a day of fun in the sand!