Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

You cannot shame the shameless.

Accused of treason; bitches about the ratings. I am in awe.

The words do not have to be perfect.

Let me eat cake. The rest of you could stand to lose some weight, frankly.

They traffic in fear. it is their only currency. if we are fearful, they are winning.

I did not have this on my fuck 2022 bingo card.

It’s the corruption, stupid.

Republicans are radicals, not conservatives.

rich, arrogant assholes who equate luck with genius

Make the republican party small enough to drown in a bathtub.

if you can’t see it, then you are useless in the fight to stop it.

When your entire life is steeped in white supremacy, equality feels like discrimination.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Black Jesus loves a paper trail.

A snarling mass of vitriolic jackals

… riddled with inexplicable and elementary errors of law and fact

Putin must be throwing ketchup at the walls.

Republican obstruction dressed up as bipartisanship. Again.

Presidents are not kings, and Plaintiff is not President.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

I did not have telepathic declassification on my 2022 bingo card.

Jesus, Mary, & Joseph how is that election even close?

If you’re pissed about Biden’s speech, he was talking about you.

A Senator Walker would also be an insult to reason, rationality, and decency.

You are here: Home / Pet Blogging / Dog Blogging / Umpteen Down, One to Go!

Reader Interactions

82Comments

  15. 15.

    DCrefugee

    Yeah, baby!

    (John, for the love of goddess, please take a photography course…)

  19. 19.

    Martin

    This is why I’m pessimistic that we’ll really find out about Epstein (from TPM):

    “Is the Epstein case going to cause a problem [for confirmation hearings]?” Acosta had been asked. Acosta had explained, breezily, apparently, that back in the day he’d had just one meeting on the Epstein case. He’d cut the non-prosecution deal with one of Epstein’s attorneys because he had “been told” to back off, that Epstein was above his pay grade. “I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone,” he told his interviewers in the Trump transition, who evidently thought that was a sufficient answer and went ahead and hired Acosta. (The Labor Department had no comment when asked about this.)

    This fits into the larger pattern. Epstein has some serious dirt on some extremely powerful people. Foreigners, sure, but clearly Americans as well. Let’s say hypothetically that one of those Girl [name] + [name] tapes has Trump’s name on it. Does anyone think that will ever come out? Everything in this country, including figures like Pelosi and Obama and lots of others that we respect, defer to the institutionalist instinct to say ‘no, that’s too far, that will destroy the presidency’ as if that hadn’t already happened.

    It is part of culture where we’ll excuse child abuse and child sexual assault at the border, because hauling a cabinet member into Congress and walking them out in handcuffs is ‘too much’, it breaks too many norms, as if there are any norms left when the government is systematically abusing children. Epstein will have some fireworks, sure, but I don’t see any way that they don’t bury a lot of it.

  22. 22.

    jl

    @Martin: The most important and sacred norm in the US today is that rich and powerful people don’t have to pay for their misbehavior, unless they harm other rich and powerful people.

  24. 24.

    Brachiator

    @Martin:
    I didn’t really want to step on a non political thread, but…

    It is part of culture where we’ll excuse child abuse and child sexual assault at the border, because hauling a cabinet member into Congress and walking them out in handcuffs is ‘too much’, it breaks too many norms, as if there are any norms left when the government is systematically abusing children.

    You make some great points, but it’s not about the government and its norms. There is something strange about human beings, where we are reluctant to rock the boat when it comes to sex and powerful people and institutions. It could be the Catholic Church, the Boy Scouts, a powerful sports university.

    And Epstein was getting special treatment long before Trump became president. His coddling is just a continuation of elitist privilege.

  25. 25.

    Arm The Homeless

    What a good girl

    Did everyone catch the FDA study on grain-free pet foods? I use one of these brands and now I feel like I have to change

    In July 2018, the FDA announced that it had begun investigating reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, many labeled as “grain-free,” which contained a high proportion of peas, lentils, other legume seeds (pulses), and/or potatoes in various forms (whole, flour, protein, etc.) as main ingredients (listed within the first 10 ingredients in the ingredient list, before vitamins and minerals). Many of these case reports included breeds of dogs not previously known to have a genetic predisposition to the disease. The FDA’s Center for Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and the Veterinary Laboratory Investigation and Response Network (Vet-LIRN), a collaboration of government and veterinary diagnostic laboratories, continue to investigate this potential association. Based on the data collected and analyzed thus far, the agency believes that the potential association between diet and DCM in dogs is a complex scientific issue that may involve multiple factors.

    We understand the concern that pet owners have about these reports: the illnesses can be severe, even fatal, and many cases report eating “grain-free” labeled pet food. The FDA is using a range of science-based investigative tools as it strives to learn more about this emergence of DCM and its potential link to certain diets or ingredients.

    https://www.fda.gov/animal-veterinary/news-events/fda-investigation-potential-link-between-certain-diets-and-canine-dilated-cardiomyopathy

  26. 26.

    Brachiator

    @jl:

    The most important and sacred norm in the US today is that rich and powerful people don’t have to pay for their misbehavior, unless they harm other rich and powerful people.

    If you look into the history of scandals, you quickly find that the rich and powerful will even sacrifice one of their own.

    And it’s not just a US thing.

  27. 27.

    skyweaver

    Lily, you are a pretty girl! I’m glad it’s almost over for the both of you. Best wishes.

  28. 28.

    Brachiator

    @Arm The Homeless:

    In July 2018, the FDA announced that it had begun investigating reports of canine dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) in dogs eating certain pet foods, many labeled as “grain-free,” which contained a high proportion of peas, lentils, other legume seeds (pulses), and/or potatoes in various forms (whole, flour, protein, etc.) as main ingredients (listed within the first 10 ingredients in the ingredient list, before vitamins and minerals)

    Why are people feeding peas and vegetables to carnivores??

    I saw this story earlier and hope that researchers can get to the bottom of it.

  32. 32.

    Baud

    @Brachiator:

    There is something strange about human beings, where we are reluctant to rock the boat when it comes to sex and powerful people and institutions.

    Agreed.

  33. 33.

    Served

    @Brachiator: I feed my dog a grain-free food after a recommendation from the vet. She had consistent digestion issues, and nothing we did could get her back to normal until we switched to grain free. I was skeptical (mostly that it was some mumbo-jumbo tied up in the human gluten-free trend), but the issue did resolve after the transition.

  36. 36.

    Gravenstone

    @Martin:

    hauling a cabinet member into Congress and walking them out in handcuffs is ‘too much’, it breaks too many norms

    For this administration, I’d be happy to make that the new “norm”. I understand the danger it creates going forward, essentially hastening our plunge to Banana Republicdom in the hands of a future manifestly corrupt administration. But just maybe it will shock some sense into the complacent observers who surround us in here and now. An animated and engaged electorate is our best defense in the near term against Trump and all his enablers and associated parasites.

  37. 37.

    Brachiator

    @Baud:

    Cats are carnivores. Dogs are omnivores.

    I like to say that dogs are opportunistic carnivores.

  39. 39.

    frosty

    Back to the post …. Yay Lily!!! I’m so happy for her, you, and the whole menagerie.

  40. 40.

    mrmoshpotato

    Hooray for Lily! Hooray for Cole! No hooray for the willow tree – it’s too close to the house.

  42. 42.

    geg6

    @Brachiator:

    Dogs are omnivores. My Koda loves veggies, including even things like broccoli and greens. And most people I know who switched to these foods with peas and veggies (including myself) did it because we were getting a ton of advice about the dangers of dog foods with grains, especially corn. My vet has always praised us for the “quality” kibble we give our fur babies. So it’s not like we were doing something off the grid here. This is what we were being advised to feed our doggies. Now, I supplement my pups’ kibble with Fresh Pet chicken recipe for the high protein and because they love the taste and gobble it up: https://freshpet.com/dog/freshpet-select/fresh-from-the-kitchen-home-cooked-chicken-dog-food/. So, although I will ask the vet about this the next time we’re there, I’m not a stupid pet owner who feeds her dogs stupid shit because she’s stupid. Which is sort of what you are implying and which I find insulting.

  44. 44.

    geg6

    And John, my love to Lily. She’s so sweet and adorable and has been such a trooper through all of this.

  45. 45.

    Redshift

    @Brachiator:

    Why are people feeding peas and vegetables to carnivores??

    Probably because pet food marketing tells people their dogs are practically wolves, and claims it’s a terrible thing that “that other brand” has “cereal,” but all meat is too expensive to sell.

    It’s particularly obnoxious because generic studies have shown that one of the big difference between dogs and wolves is that dogs have many more copies of the genes for digesting grain.

  46. 46.

    jl

    @geg6: Had a cat growing up that loved certain fruits and veggies. Cut a cantaloupe and it was there instantly, begging. Also, string beans. It was a cat with very doggy overtones in its personality.

    Forgot in previous comment to thank Cole or nicw petpic, and congrats to Lily!

  47. 47.

    trollhattan

    @Redshift:
    Yup, adaptation at work. Once wolves were separated from wolfdom to come live with humans they began adapting to our diets and leaving the wolf diet behind. Their GI systems are very different now.

    Also the reason “paleo” diets for hoomans are so moronic.

  48. 48.

    stinger

    @Brachiator: When a dog eats a dead animal, it eats the “meat” but also eats the stomach and intestines, thereby getting the partially digested vegetation that was in the rabbit or deer or whatever.

  49. 49.

    JR

    @Brachiator: Pea and soy protein are common nutritive fillers. One of the reasons why carnivores eat meat is nutrient density. But that’s less of a problem when you’ve purified the protein out of a vegetative source. There are essential nutrients in animal tissue that you don’t find in plants (like arachidonic acid) that some carnivores need. So you can’t substitute meat completely (barring genetically engineering).

  50. 50.

    Brachiator

    @geg6:

    So, although I will ask the vet about this the next time we’re there, I’m not a stupid pet owner who feeds her dogs stupid shit because she’s stupid. Which is sort of what you are implying and which I find insulting.

    People are funny about their pets and people love their pets.

    I have NEVER criticized anyone here or in the real world over issues of pet ownership, or called anyone stupid over anything having to do with their pets.

    If you want to feel insulted, it’s on you.

    If there is an issue with grains, as opposed to vegetables in general, that would be very interesting. As I mentioned earlier, I hope that researchers get to the bottom of any real issue.

    That’s what I care about.

  52. 52.

    trollhattan

    WNT’s NY parade is over but the video is posted here. If nothing else, listen to mPinos’s speech at 2:22. She’s something else, seldom is an accomplished athlete so at ease in public.

  53. 53.

    Citizen Alan

    @jl:

    This. The only reason Madoff ever did jail time is that he cheated other rich assholes.

  54. 54.

    Roger Moore

    @Brachiator:

    Why are people feeding peas and vegetables to carnivores??

    Dogs are carnivores in that they are members of Carnivora, but they are not obligate carnivores the way cats are. Canids as a group are capable of digesting plant matter, and a key genetic difference between dogs and their wild relatives is increases in digestive enzymes that help them digest plant-based foods.

  56. 56.

    Brachiator

    @JR:
    @stinger:
    @Redshift:

    Pea and soy protein are common nutritive fillers. One of the reasons why carnivores eat meat is nutrient density

    Okay folks, please stop. I know all this. I have studied a chunk of shit related to this.

    But you are all so cute. ;)

  57. 57.

    Brachiator

    @Roger Moore:

    Dogs are carnivores in that they are members of Carnivora, but they are not obligate carnivores the way cats are

    Hence, why I called doggies opportunistic carnivores.

  58. 58.

    geg6

    @Brachiator:

    Many dogs have allergies to grains, especially corn, which is what the problem with my two has been. Since we took them off grains, their skin doesn’t flake as much, their ear problems have disappeared and they certainly don’t sneeze like they used to.

  59. 59.

    Brachiator

    @Citizen Alan:

    The only reason Madoff ever did jail time is that he cheated other rich assholes

    Elie Wiesel lost his life savings to Madoff. The charity he set up was wiped out. Lots of other stories like this.

  62. 62.

    Brachiator

    @geg6:

    Many dogs have allergies to grains, especially corn, which is what the problem with my two has been.

    I would love it if it turns out that grains is the issue and a relatively simple change would make the difference in the heart health of dogs.

  63. 63.

    Redshift

    @Brachiator: Oh, hey everyone, the master of all things is here, no one else is allowed to speak!

    I mean, the fact that he led off with a question didn’t mean he actually wanted anyone to answer, since we couldn’t possibly know anything he doesn’t!

  64. 64.

    Raven

    Lil Bit and Bohdi have eaten Fish and Sweet Potato for over decade. Bohdi is 15 years old and doing as well as he can be expected to, I guess I better switch his dog food

  65. 65.

    CarolPW

    My vet just sent me an email about the pet food advisory. The problem identified (so far) is a combination of grain-free plus peas and/or lentils. I will be avoiding peas and lentils from now on, but will continue feeding my pup grain free. She also gets the heart and liver (high taurine) whenever I get a whole turkey or chicken, and also gets some of the liver when I make liver and onions.

  68. 68.

    J R in WV

    @Brachiator:

    Why are people feeding peas and vegetables to carnivores??

    Cats are obligate carnivores, they must eat meat. Dogs are much closer to omnivores, but evidently the high levels of pulse foodstuffs [beans, peas, lentils, etc] doesn’t work as well as a diet with grains as well as meats and a more limited amount of pulse foods.

    My dogs love a crust of sandwich with meat, cheese and bread. But so do I, so they only get a tiny treat.

  69. 69.

    Brachiator

    @Redshift:

    Oh, hey everyone, the master of all things is here, no one else is allowed to speak!

    Damn, you are determined to be an asshole!

    Someone with half a brain would see that I was trying to be light-hearted in my reply. And if I have to be ultra explicit, I think that explanatory comments might be informative for many readers in a general interest blog.

    So, again to be blunt, I have never and will never suggest that anyone does not have a right to speak. Never.

    And I am not the master of all things, but I am damn motherfucking sure the master of a few.

    Do you need a “fuck you” or can we just all get along?

  71. 71.

    Another Scott

    @J R in WV: Late to the party, but I asked my vet about this (grain-free feed, etc.) a few years ago. She said that wolves and other carnivores eat stomachs of the animals they eat, animals that eat grains and grasses. And it doesn’t seem to hurt them very much. Reading between the lines, she didn’t think that grain-free made much sense.

    All of our dogs have chewed on grasses (but only particular types), and our Ellie scrounges for fallen cherries and crabapples and acorns and just about anything she can sink her teeth into… :-/

    There does seem to be something about some of the grain-free foods in some breeds in some circumstances. FDA has the horse’s mouth information. It’s still not clear what’s going on…

    FWIW.

    Cheers,
    Scott.

  75. 75.

    Elmo

    @Brachiator: Dogs in the wild are not obligate carnivores. They often eat greens, will steal fruit, and usually consume the half-digested vegetation in an herbivore’s stomach. What they *don’t* eat is wheat, processed rice, sorghum, and soy – and that’s what peas and potatoes in grain-free food is there to replace.

    The current theory is that *some* dogs may suffer from a lack of taurine in the grain-free diet. But it’s far from conclusive, and most dogs thrive on grain-free. There is also a problem of selection bias in the study. The people who successfully identify heart disease in their dogs are also the kind of people who have necropsies done, who get first rate veterinary care, and *those people tend to feed higher end foods.* So you’re getting a self-selected group of people identifying a possible correlation, but you’re not even examining the whole population of pet owners out there who are oblivious, who are keeping the dog in the back yard, or on a chain, and when it keels over dead nobody knows or cares why. They just get another dog from the neighbor whose bitch just whelped her fourth mixed breed litter under the porch.

  77. 77.

    CliosFanBoy

    my dogs thinkt here are three food groups.
    1. what I put in their dish
    2. what I drop on the floor and don;t grab quickly enough
    3. poop in our back yard… blech

  78. 78.

    Brachiator

    @Elmo:

    There is also a problem of selection bias in the study. The people who successfully identify heart disease in their dogs are also the kind of people who have necropsies done, who get first rate veterinary care, and *those people tend to feed higher end foods.* So you’re getting a self-selected group of people identifying a possible correlation, but you’re not even examining the whole population of pet owners out there who are oblivious, who are keeping the dog in the back yard, or on a chain, and when it keels over dead nobody knows or cares why.

    This is a good point, and why medical research (animal or human) is a fascinating detective story. Good researchers have to tease out the bias of what has been reported and unrepresentative samples, and to account for selection bias.

  79. 79.

    Aleta

    Wolves eat mice, fox eat mice, felines eat mice, everybody eats a lot of mice to get by. Why no dog/cat food made out of mice. Large mice breeding operations are already mastered, they can happen in rural areas; also canning organic wild mice could be a quaint cottage industry. (I know, it won’t sell if it looks disgusting. But it might be less contaminated than the ? coming from China. More affordable than brands whose first ingredient is US-raised big meat.)

    Kind of joking, but still.

  80. 80.

    laura

    Dear Blog Father, I remember your post when Lily was ailing and diagnosed and you were bereft as anyone is when faced with a life altering health challenge.
    You are now at the other end and proof that we live in a time of miracles and wonder in medical advancements.
    People like Lamh36 work to ensure that keeps advancing.
    Yay, Lily, Yay Cole, Yay Lamh36 and co.!

  81. 81.

    Chacal Charles Calthrop

    @Aleta: I read somewhere that someone tried to sell canned lab mice as cat food, but failed to get the project off the ground. A quick Google search doesn’t back me up, but I do remember that.

    meanwhile, yeah Lilly! One more & she’s home!
    Except how will we know if she needs any more treatments?
    Do they do MRIs on dogs?

Comments are closed.