It’s been more than a year since my dog Rex died. And I still think of him. I think when you have a dog since you were growing up and he dies it can be a very saddening and traumatic effect, even moreso than normal because it is all you know. Our whole family was really shaken up by it too. We knew that our dog had limited time life because he had lymphoma cancer. I cried that day and many other times. Yes as a man, I admit I cried. We tried to fight it, but his cancer was obviously too advanced and we had to put him to sleep when he got severely sick and stopped wanting to eat about 3 weeks after we found out he had lymphoma.

Putting a dog to sleep when he is terminally sick is such a horrible experience. On one hand you know it is the right thing, but you don’t want to be the one to actually do it either. I don’t see how someone could let an animal suffer though and die at their home if they are really sick. In the end I just think an animal doesn’t know what is happening, so if they are terminally ill and suffering you shouldn’t let it continue.

Most people can’t really relate to those who make a big deal out of a dog’s death. Some people just aren’t the animal loving type for whatever reason. I don’t understand it, but some people just seem to never really care for their dogs or want them. For the rest of us dog lovers, it becomes a family member. Every dog is so different and we love them so much they can never be replaced once they die, just like anyone else in our family.

After a couple weeks when we called the vet she asked if we were getting another dog. I thought that was absurd. Here we are mourning over the current one, like as if getting a new dog is gonna replace or get us over the grieving of the one we just lost. Even more than a year later we still haven’t gotten a new dog for a variety of reasons, including it is emotionally draining. I’m not ready to go through the attachment cycle again, I’ll be thinking of Rex too much. I’m sure there will be a time when we are ready, but not yet.

When your dog dies the best thing to do is just take it easy from work for a few days. Take a vacation and mourn their loss. Get support at a Dog Memorial forum and talk to other dog lovers in similiar situations. Realize it won’t be easy and you probably won’t want a new dog for a long while as you grieve. Don’t worry what people think, you lost your dog not them, so they don’t understand.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of AccuWeather. All opinions are 100% mine.

When you sit down and really think about it the weather really controls your life and not the other way around? How many people go shopping or go to the beach or vacation during a storm or during the height of winter? Even when people buy cars and homes stats have shown its seasonal, which is why economist seasonally adjust their stats for times of the year for all kinds of consumer related data.

The weather has impacted my life a lot. I remember there was a big storm ready to blow through on the day of our planned wedding according to the weather forecast. It was supposed to be an outdoor wedding, so we weren’t sure what to do. We were almost ready to cancel, but as the day approached it looked like the storm was going to come in late that day. The wedding and reception was nearly over by that time it hit. Everytime I make travel plans im looking at the weather forecast outlook to find the best day in the week to go.

A good site to check out is AccuWeather . They just updated their site this year and has a lot of cool new features to help you. I encourage you to take a look. Compared to the old weather website I used to use its much better. I think you’ll find it has more features and more detailed information than the competitor weather websites.

Our German Shepherd Mix dog suffered from Hip Dysplasia for most of his life. We had always heard that German Shepherds are in particular suspectible to it. Genetics appear not to be the only cause though, weight gains as they grow as a puppy may be another factor.

Signs your dog may be developing Hip Dysplasia

From my personal experience I’m going to list some things I noticed that were caused by my dog’s hip dysplasia.

1) After very vigorous excercise your dog starts to limp.

2) Your dog has trouble getting up after laying down.

3) Your dog has trouble climbing things.

4) Your dog runs with his back legs suddenly in a different way, (i.e, not alternating his back legs properly or favoring one side of his back legs during running).

Treatment of Dog Hip Dysplasia

Dog Hip Dysplasia can become very painful and debilitating so it’s important to look for a treatment if you can. Our dog died of cancer and we didn’t have to put him to sleep because of hip dysplasia, but as he got older his hip dysplasia got worse. I had always thought Hip Dysplasia was genetically caused and there wasn’t much you could do to reverse it once it developed. Eventually we found a supplement called Arthroionx, that claimed to help dog arthritis and hip dysplasia. Arthroionx really helped my dog’s hip dysplasia and arthritis pain. I was very surprised that it worked as well as it did, I bought it because it had a moneyback guarantee. If your dog is showing signs of hip dysplasia, I would put him on ArthroIonx. You can read my ArthroIonx Review where I take a look at the ingredients and why they work more on our experience. Sometimes the hip dysplasia is so far advanced that not even supplements or prescriptions can help. You may need to look into surgery for severe cases, which can increase mobility and reduce pain.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of HealthyTuna.com. All opinions are 100% mine.

We all have heard about the supposed mercury in high amounts in seafood and possible dangers of women during pregnancy or to watch how much they eat per week. However, there is a lot of misconceptions with this. Women SHOULD stay away from very high sources of mercury during pregnancy like; shark, mackerel, swordfish, tilefish, however some sources of seafood like healthy tuna are actually recommended.

One reason why tuna and other sources of seafood are good for you is they are high in healthy fats called omega 3’s. These fats are very important for brain function, especially for a growing baby. They also play a role in hormones, and vital body functions. Omega 3’s are very beneficial for adult women and men and you can develop a deficiency without it. One study found that women who didn’t have seafood during pregnancy had higher likelihood of depression. Omega 3’s are also very good for helping to eliminate inflammation in the body and helping to reduce the incidence of inflammatory diseases like alzheimers, diabetes, arthritis, etc.

My favorite way to eat tuna is either in a sandwich with some mayonnaise or in a delicious tuna casserole. The recipe I use adds olive oil which is rich in monunsaturated fats, and mushroom soup and both of these are very healthy for you. So eat up on your tuna frequently as it is good for you!

H2OiONX was developed by the supplement company VetiONX. They claim that tap water is full of toxins and industrial chemicals, which is definitely true. Our tap water is full of natural toxins and even some toxins are added like chlorine and fluoride. They then go on to say that bottled water is probably even less safe because of less stringent requirements. They then claim that the only way to reverse the toxic damage from all the things in the water is to add H2OiONX, a blend of compounds that neutralize the effects, reduces damage, and even helps remove them from the body.

Unfortunately, we cannot actually look at the exact compounds added to H2OiONX to see how it works because it is a secret proprietary blend. Vetionx did studies on pet dogs to see how H2OiONX worked on them. After 6 months, researchers studied the differences in effects between dogs who drank H2OiONX and those who didn’t. They found that the H2OiONX group had more energy and were showing signs of better health. They also found it helped against free radical damage to pancreatic islet B cells. This is thought to be the cause for diabetes. Pet owners themselves who used H2OiONX, have also reported ancedotally an improvement in their dogs energy.

VetiONX provides a 90 day money back guarantee on H2Oionx. This is among the only 4 products they sale because they thoroughly research each product and only bring forth products they believe in. You can only buy H2OiONX directly through Vetionx.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Hiltons of Branson. All opinions are 100% mine.

Branson Missouri is having their Italian Culinary Weekend Friday, February 26th through Saturday, February 27th. Here you will learn how to cook italian food from a cooking school and enjoy delicious italian food and wines.

Branson Missouri is the entertainment capital of the midwest. Branson is home to more than fifty theaters, featuring numerous shows and productions. 2010 is going to be an exciting year. “See The World In Branson” during April and May, It will be possible to experience Russian, Chinese, Japanese, Samoan and American, and many other cultures in a single visit to Branson! Silver Dollar City opens its new $7 million ride Tom and Huck’s RiverBlast, America’s Biggest Water Battle, a supersoaking water raft ride.

Branson is a very beautiful town and you will get your moneys worth learning the cooking and all the other things you can do in town. I remember going to Branson and seeing one of the shows. There was a lot of different stuff to do in Branson. I was a bit young, so can’t recall exactly who I seen, but there were many shows and different stuff to do. It’s a lot more exciting than most places in the midwest to go on a vacation. Its like the las vegas of the midwest.

Two popular locations in beautiful downtown Branson to stay at for your vacation are the Hilton Branson Convention Center Hotel and the Hilton Promenade. The convention center hotel is much taller than the Hilton Promenade, so you can get a better view than the other hotel. You also are allowed pets unlike the Promenade. The Hilton Branson Convention Center hotel also has indoor and outdoor pools, 47,000 Sq. Ft. of Exhibit Space, Ballroom Accommodates 1,600, and more. Both hotels offer special holiday packages for Thanksgiving, New Years, and Christmas, and the Italian culinary week.

Some other stuff they have in Branson Missouri is a roller coaster at the Silver Dollar City amusement park in Branson Missouri. They have a huge IMAX theater to watch movies on. They have a beautiful shopping downtown area with many little stores. You can take a cruise on the Branson Landing Cruises which lead up to the downtown Branson Missouri.

There is so many other things to do in Branson Missouri. You could easily spend 4 or 5 days just shopping, hitting the amusement park, watching all the different shows, and doing other things in the area.

MSM (Methylsulfonylmethane) is commonly used for dogs in joint care supplements. MSM is often used in conjunction with Glucosamine, to help treat and prevent arthritis and hip dysplasia for dogs. MSM is also in most joint care supplements for humans. MSM has a lot of research suggesting it works well. There is a lot of ancedotal evidence by health experts, who have given MSM to people with arthritis and it reduced their pain and stiffness.

MSM Science

There is many double blind placebo studies backing up MSM working to reduce arthritis pain. MSM doesn’t seem to do much for reducing inflammation or repairing joints. It is more for reducing arthritis pain. That is why it is best to use MSM in conjunction with Glucosamine. The best joint care supplements should contain Glucosamine with MSM because Glucosamine is the most powerful joint care ingredient out there I believe. Glucosamine converts to the compound that constitutes most of the structure of the joint and it is proven to reduce joint inflammation. Reducing inflammation and repairing the joint is getting at the root cause of arthritis. Arthritis is usually caused by the misdirection of inflammation at the joints causing pain and continuous damage. Therefore, it is suggested to be taken along with Glucosamine and other joint health ingredients like MSM, Chondroitin, Boron, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Calcium, etc to work synergistically for better results.

Best MSM Supplement for dogs

I have had great results on our dog using Flexpet. It is a MSM based supplement made for dogs. Flex Pet also contains high doses of Glucosamine and a few other great ingredients including their proprietary ingredient CM8, which I haven’t seen in any other joint supplement.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Allison Maslan, author of “Blast Off!”. All opinions are 100% mine.

Allison Maslan is launching the sale of a book titled by the name
available on Amazon starting on sale January 19th 2010. The book is great for someone who wants a life, Career & Business Success Coach. This is especially helpful for those entrepreneurs, however it can help everyone. She shares her success and her own personal failures in life as a 25 year entreprenuer. She can help you in every aspect of your life and guide you through a specific plan on how to get there. This isn’t just about climbing the corporate ladder, she can help you in your spirituality, health, finances, career goals, business ideas, and relationships, personal life and feelings, and how you interact with others. There is also a workbook package available that can be used in partnership with the book. She also is selling an audio version of the package.

I’m definitely going to be checking out this book and possibly buying it because I’m a entreprenuer and I definitely could use some tips not only in business, but also in how to further my goals in my personal life and relationships and spirituality. Some areas of that could definitely use a little guidance from someone who knows how to do it.

The book can be bought at Amazon, Borders, Barnes and Noble websites and stores and all other major book retailers. The book will be selling for 24 dollars, but even less if you buy it through Amazon. Right now it is Blast Off! for only $17.96! You really can’t get a better deal than that for a brand new book that can actually play a critical role in changing your life.

Cosequin is a supplement to help alleviate arthritis pain and joint problems in Dogs, Cats, and other pets. Cosequin is one of the hottest selling supplements for dog’s because many dog’s suffer from joint problems and it is a very effective supplement.

Cosequin DS (Double strength) for dogs ingredients are: Glucosamine (500mg), Sodium Chondroitin Sulfate (400mg), Ascorbate (33mg), and Manganese (5mg). If you already have a lot of knowledge like me in supplements, you will know how important Glucosamine and Chondroitin Sulfate are in helping with joint problems. Many humans already take that exact supplement combination together for helping their own joint problems. Glucosamine and Chondroitin have a wide range of research supporting their ability to help alleviate and even reverse joint problems and pain. Cosequin can be useful for arthritis pain and even hip displasia, a common hip problem seen in large dog breeds.

When Glucosamine and Chondroitin are taken together, like in Cosequin, they have a much more significant synergistic effect according to research. According to research it takes a few weeks for Glucosamine and Chondroitin to take a significant effect, so be patient and don’t expect the results immediately. You can purchase Cosequin DS at EntirelyPets.com, which is a store I recommend.

Another very effective joint supplement for pets you might be interested in trying at a lower price, is called Arthroionx. Arthroionx contains a more comprehensive range of effective joint products than Cosequin. I have personally tried ArthroIonx on my dogs and found it very effective. They also have a moneyback guarantee for 90 days, allowing you to try the product risk free. You can read my Arthroionx review for more information.

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of iCoke.ca. All opinions are 100% mine.

If you are a Coca cola drinker or thinking of buying some soda now you have a chance to win a FREE Coca-Cola Collectible Medallion ! All you have to do is buy two Coca Cola 591ml products at Mac’s stores. You can check out the website to find the nearest Mac store to you. Macs is a convenience store in Canada and there is a high likelihood that one is in your area.

Coca cola is a exclusive partner for the Olympics so they are doing this promotion to help promote it in Canada which is hosting the Olympics in 2010! I’ve always enjoyed Coke soda over other similiar brands of soda or their other flavor products. Most people think that Coke is the only flavor of soda Coca Cola has, but Sprite and other flavors of Coke like Diet Coke are also eligible for the medallion giveaway. The offer is only subject to availability and will expire in February or march (depending on the province) so hurry up and get your soda now! This offer is only available in Mac stores, no where else. You must buy the 2 sodas together you can’t buy one soda one day and then another a another time to get the medallion. Next time you gotta fill up for gas or fill the urge to quench your thirst roll up to a Macs and get your free medallion when you buy Coke. Ive found Macs stores have great prices and are a good place to go. Lets hope Canada is well represented in the Olympics this year!