This weekend I had to make an emergency trip to another town to take my lhasa apso to the vet. This small town I live in has no emergency pet services on the weekend. Thankfully my son-in-law drove us there and helped me with taking care of Patches while the vet did tests, and while waiting for test results.

I don’t know if any of you have heard of reverse sneezing but it is very strange and scary to watch. Have a look at the video clip below and I am sure you would agree with me. Strange as it is, it actually is not a health concern.

What concerned me about it though was that when he was doing this reverse sneezing thing  he was coughing up blood which ended up all over his face. He also refused to eat or drink anything and would not follow me around like he always does. He just sat and stared at me. I am sure this also scared him as he was shaking a lot. The end result of the tests showed that he has an infection in the back of his throat  which produced an excess amount of fluid; hence the reverse sneezing and the blood on his face. After 3 days of taking medication he is now beginning to settle down a bit. Hopefully he will be well soon.

In the  meantime I am shopping for pet products to help comfort him while recuperating. A heated massage bed? Naturopathic calming supplement? A new snuggly plush toy? Maybe a fleece jogging suit to keep him warm? LOL Too many choices. Check out our dogs category for even more great ideas.

As many of you know we got ourselves a lab puppy a few weeks ago. I have been looking for new toys for her and things to keep her entertained and out of mischief. I am amazed at what is out on the market these days. LOL

There is everything from a dog snuggie, outdoor pet fountain, agility training gear, nail polish, dog costumes, dog clothing, heated massage beds, and much much more. You could spend a fortune keeping your furry little friends happy.

I did come across a totally useless puppy item in my searching that I just might have to buy when it is released. It is Puppy Tweets by Mattel. You just hang it on your puppy’s collar and as they move and nap throughout the day it will send tweets out to your dog’s own twitter account. There are about 500 programmed tweets that it chooses from. It is supposed to be about $30 and will be available through Amazon (among other places) in June.

Oh the things we do to our pets to keep us entertained. :-) If you are looking for more dog items to buy check out our selection here.

Yesterday I had to make a trek to my chiropractor and ended up coming home with a puppy. What could be a better Valentine’s Present?! His Chocolate Lab female had puppies and I just couldn’t resist. :-) Our 15-year-old Pomeranian passed away in September, and we were finally ready to get another dog when this opportunity presented itself.

She is a chocolate lab/border collie cross. The owners called her Buttons because she has an outie belly button. :-) We just got her yesterday and are trying to find a name, or stick with Buttons. We could use some input! She is mostly dark brown, but has a small white goatee and white patch on her chest.

Now that I have your help on that I can concentrate on the dog-related shopping. LOL

My first purchase was “How to Raise the Perfect Dog” by Cesar Millan. Now on to the Shoptoit.ca Dog section to load up on all the essentials!

This week’s photo gallery was so much fun to put together – I had to look for cute gift ideas for our pets… or owners! So I went through over 1500 products and came out with my top 8 for Christmas 2009.

If there is a person on your list that you have absolutely no idea what to get, but that his a loving pet owner, a great idea would be to get them something to either make their life easier with their cat or dog or that would please their four-legged friend. Opt for a practical electronic feeder or a fun NHL frisbee for hours of playtime with fido.

This Christmas get creative and please the pet owner in your life or just include your furry friend in the family gift exchange – check out my picks here.

If you love spoiling your dog, you will be thrilled to know that the new line of pooch products “Good Dog: Trixie Koontz”, was just launched in over 1,137 PetSmart stores in North America.

This collection was inspired by Dean Koontz’s book titled, ‘Bliss to You, Trixie’s Guide to a Happy Life’ and consists of a ton of products for your four-legged friends like toys, bones, leashes and other accessories perfect to play with him or her.

The Good Dog: Trixie Koontz Collection also includes office accessories and gifts like coffee cups, picture frames, keychains and pens.  You will even find mess kits and food distributors!

A system communicating with an electronic chip implanted in the skin of your pet will directly open the door for him!

Developed in the United Kingdom, where it has enjoyed great popularity, the system will soon be distributed via EIDAP Inc., the largest pet chip distribution company in Canada.

Sureflap automatically opens your door’s trap when your cat is ready to get in, letting him go around as he pleases, but without the risk of letting a stray animal into your kitchen!

One of the advantages of this new technology is that it functions with existing microchips.  If your cat is already microchipped, all you have to do is press a button for the system to recognize it.

If you have more than one animal, no problem – Sureflap allows you to register up to 32 cats!

Sureflap uses AAA batteries and does not require an electrical outlet.  It will be available in Canada starting August 20, 2009 for $250.00.