It's Leap Day! February is Pet Dental Health Month, BUT - Everyday is Dental Health Care!

While February is ‪Pet Dental Health Month‬ and comes to a close today, every day should be pet dental health care! Today's Monday Meme is of Harley flashing her great Sibe smile!

Read my article "Flash Your Pet's Pearly Whites" starting on page 12 in Hudson Valley Paw Print Magazine for important info and vet tips so your pets can flash their healthy pearly whites! 

Read the article here (page 12): 

And today is a special "extra" day - Leap Day! 
Another full day of treats, love, and hugs! Woo! Here's our (now furangel) Gibson leaping in the snow a few winter's back!

What's Cookin'? A Recipe for Fun Memories of Gibson on a FiveSibes Flashback Friday

"Oh, hey, Mom! Just checking out some recipes!"

This week the weather has been very damp, raining, and we even had a few rare northeast February thunder and lightning storms! With the inclement weather, it's a perfect time to warm  up by doing a little baking. As I reached for one of my favorite cookbooks and removed it from the shelf, I smiled through tears as I traced the chewed up cover, and the taped up spine and torn pages, remembering back to when the cover was destroyed. Gibson had another bout of hind end weakness and his rehabilitation included being in a stability harness brace and my walking him in a sling harness to keep weight off his hind end, combined with rest on his water bed along with supplements and laser therapy. He obviously became very bored one night when I walked out into the kitchen and caught him in the middle of chomping on my cookbooks! The expression on his face was priceless! He had removed several of them off the lowest shelf and just looking at that smile, made me smile! He was always such a character and always knew how to make me laugh! He did manage to empty the lower book shelf, which he ultimately used as a headrest! (I think that may have been his plan all the long!)

I have kept some of the cookbooks that have Gibbie wear and tear; like my favorite Fanny Farmer Cookbook, which is now a chewed, cherished book that will always be a memorable part of my collection. Sure, I could buy a replacement book in perfect condition, but why would I? The beauty of it is in the memory. This book, with all its imperfections,  makes it a perfect keepsake book for me. Looking at it will always bring Gib's innocent sweet face to my mind...as he happily rested surrounded by pages from my cookbooks.  

 I sure do miss you, buddy. Things are just not the same here without you.

"Life is not a race, but rather a journey to be savored each step of the way."  ~Stephen Richards

 

Flashback Fridays are brought to you by us - the FiveSibes - and our co-host, Love is being owned by a Husky, each Friday. We hope you'll find a photo or video from Memory Lane, post it, and link up to our Blog Hop each week! If you don't catch it on Friday, you can link up any time during the week! To catch our past Flashbacks, just enter "Flashback Friday" in the search box. We hope you'll come join us!

We are also joining in the

Pet Parade Blog Hop with Rascal and Rocco, Bionic Basil’s Blog, Love is being owned by a Husky, and Barking From the Bayou!

 

It's Our 6th Blogiversary and We're Celebrating With a FiveSibes Tales Giveaway!

Wow! It's a special newsy Tuesday as we here at FiveSibes are celebrating our SIXTH Blogiversary this month! As a photojournalist by trade, I was inspired to start blogging by my five Siberian Huskies: Harely, Gibson, Wolfgang, Chloe, and Bandit. Their personalities and antics and our love of the breed spurred me to begin writing about them. 

My first blog post February 23, 2010

My very first FiveSibes blog post was on February 23, 2010 with an article on proper dental care for Pet Dental Health Month. Blogging is an something I enjoy very much. I love to write and I love being a photographer. This blog gives me the opportunity to share my work in the pet arena...and I have fabulous models in the FiveSibes! I enjoy sharing stories about their lives, and bringing information about the Siberian Husky breed as well as healthcare issues, diet and nutrition, and holistic and traditional therapies that benefits not only Huskies, but all dogs. And as equally enjoyable is getting to know you all from your comments and your blogs!

When my beloved furangel Gibson began his journey with Canine Epilepsy and first started having seizures in 2009, shortly after his third birthday, I also began to advocate for dogs with Canine Epilepsy and help bring awareness that these amazing dogs, with some special care, can and do live full, happy lives. And his legacy lives on for in the end, it was Canine Cancer: hemangiosarcoma, NOT Canine Epilepsy, that suddenly earned him his wings. We had managed his seizures with a mix of medications, supplements, and alternative therapies, and even though he battled many side effects that he continued to bravely overcome, he lived seizure free for the last seven years of his life! So his #LiveGibStrong message will continue on to help bring hope and help to other Epi-dogs and their families and my beautiful brave boy shall #LiveGibStrongForever.

There are so many blog highlights - from favorite stories, videos, and product/book/movie reviews to awards to the publication of my books - that to single out a single favorite or to highlight them all, would be so much! I just love blogging! And I, along with my FiveSibes, appreciate all the friends we have made along the way and want to send out a big "Thank You" for being loyal readers! We look forward to many more years of sharing our tales of our furry tails with you!

As our special way of saying "Thank You" for your loyal readership, we're hosting a Blogiversary Giveaway! 

 

Winner will be randomly selected and the thank you gift will be an autographed FiveSibes Tale of your choice ~ What's Wrong With Gibson? Learning About K-9 Epilepsy -OR- Getting Healthy With Harley: Learning About Health & Fitness! Open to all...just follow the directions in the Rafflecopter, including answering our trivia question! Good luck, and thank you again!

***UPDATE - WINNER ANNOUNCED***
CONGRATS TO J. BARNABY!!!
Please contact us with your doghouse addy so we can get the book out to you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

A Day for Love: Valentine's Day

Happy Valentine's Day from all of us here at FiveSibes! My boy Wolf loves to smell roses, and he loved the bouquet of red ones my hubby gave me today. As he went over to give them a sniff, I photographed him framed against the sunlight pouring in the window, casting him in a shadowy glow for today's Shadow Shot Sunday!

Shadow Shot Sunday 2

In other Valentine's Day news...

On today's Valentine's Day episode of my Dog Works Radio show, "The Sibe Vibe," my featured guest is Nanette Willis of Sassy's Goodies in Missouri. Named after one of Nanette's Huskies, Sassy's Goodies are all natural, home-baked canine cookies and "Pupcakes" that are gluten-free, and now even some grain-free selections! 

Inspired to cook and bake healthy choices for her dogs after

her previous Husky, Nala, passed away from complications of canine diabetes. A fun, informative hour of talking sweet treats for our dogs! You can check out Sassy's Goodies on Facebook too!

Check Out Pets Podcasts at Blog Talk Radio with Dog Works Radio Show on BlogTalkRadio with Dog Works Radio Shows on BlogTalkRadio

 

***February 15 Update ~ Congrats to listener JEANETTE DABALDO on winning the Sassy's Goodies Valentine Treat Giveaway on our live show!***

A lovely flashback to last year when we celebrated Valentine's Day with a special heart-shaped "Pupcake" from Sassy's Goodies. Boy, I sure do miss my boy, Gibson. He loved howlidays...and treats!

 Wolf and his beautiful galpal Faith from Illinois shared Valentine's for their second year! Oh, love is in the air for these two Siberian Huskies!

Faith's mom, Jeanette DaBaldo, an admin at Snowdogs Appreciation Group on Facebook, also created this great video featuring beautiful Valentine dogs from near and far! (And you can see our Harley and Gibson at :50, right after Jeanette's beautiful Faith, who happens to be Wolf's Valentine!)

And...love will always and forever be in the air for our pack lovebirds ~ (furangel) Gibson and Harley. 

 And for my beloved Gibson...

"I loved you yesterday. I love you still. I always have and I always will." 
~Tim Walters

We hope everyone's Valentine's Day 
was filled with lots of love.

Love on a Flashback Friday: Day 3 of the 3-Day Quote Challenge

"I know no ways to mince it in love, but directly to say, 'I love you.'" 

~William Shakespeare

This is an absolute favorite photo of my daughter and Chloe. Flashing back to July 2012, sweet Chloe blew out both of her CCL's at the same time while mid-air jumping on the bed, and went in for emergency double imbrication surgery. (Full story HERE). I snapped this photo of my daughter comforting Chloe upon her return back home post-surgery, and all I can say is...pure love.

I was nominated by All Things Collie to participate in this challenge. Please see the past two days' posts for my Day 1 and Day 2 quotes, photos, and nominees.

There are three rules to this challenge, and they are:

1. Post for three consecutive days.
2. Choose and share one or three quotes each day.
3. Challenge three additional bloggers each day.

Today, on my final day of posting for the challenge, I nominate:

1. Confessions of a Rescue Mom

2. The Daily Pip

3. And our kitty furpals at Brian's Home

Flashback Fridays are brought to you by us - the FiveSibes - and our co-host, Love is being owned by a Husky, each Friday. We hope you'll find a photo or video from Memory Lane, post it, and link up to our Blog Hop each week! If you don't catch it on Friday, you can link up any time during the week! To catch our past Flashbacks, just enter "Flashback Friday" in the search box. We hope you'll come join us!

We're also joining The Pet Parade Blog Hop

hosted by Rascal and Rocco, Bionic Basil’s Blog, Love is being owned by a Husky, and Barking from the Bayou.  

Three Day Quote Challenge - Day Two: Dreams

Another of my favorite quotes from Pulitzer Prize winner, Marsha Norman, and one of my favorite photographs I shot of Harley. 

"Dreams are illustrations from the book your soul is writing about you."
 

What is your soul writing about you? 

I was nominated by All Things Collie to participate in this challenge. Please see yesterday's post for my Day 1 quote, photo, and nominees.

There are three rules to this challenge, and they are:

1. Post for three consecutive days.
2. Choose and share one or three quotes each day.
3. Challenge three additional bloggers each day.

 

Today, I nominate:

1. A Husky Life

2. 24 Paws of Love

3. Two French Bulldogs

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for our final Day 3 of the 3-Day Quote Challenge and our three new nominees, plus it's our Flashback Friday Blog Hop! Hope you'll join us!

Three-Day Quote Challenge on a (Not Quite) Wordless Wednesday

Today, we here at FiveSibes are doing a bit of fun double-duty as it is Wordless Wednesday and I was asked to particpate in the 3-Day Quote Challenge by our beautiful furfriends over at All Things Collie, and gladly accepted! So, today's Wordless Wednesday will be an almost wordless post! 

As many of you know, I have always loved pairing quotes with photographs and posts, and today I'm starting off with reposting one of my favorites. Gibson was such a strong warrior with his Canine Epilepsy and all of his health issues, that one day when we were sitting out on the grass, I snapped this photo of him just enjoying the sunshine. We used to do that...just sit and enjoy some quiet time together. Especially outdoors when he was feeling good, it was a real treat for him. He just loved to go for walks with me and hang together outside. When I had created this, he had just finished yet another stint of rehab, and was just simply enjoying the afternoon. He taught me how to do that...to feel the sun on my face and be strong in the face of adversity. Gibson overcame so many trials, that this quote, by Wilma Rudolph, fit him perfectly; my canine superhero. 

Now it's my turn to nominate other blogs...

There are three rules to this challenge, and they are:

1. Post for three consecutive days.
2. Choose and share one or three quotes each day.
3. Challenge three additional bloggers each day.

Today, I nominate:

1. The OP Pack of The Chronicle of Woos

2. Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them

3. Love is Being Owned by a Husky

Be sure to stop back tomorrow for our Day 2 of the 3-Day Quote Challenge and our three new nominees!

It's Mardi Gras Time! Featuring Krewe of FiveSibes, Texas Sled Dog Rescue Parading Pups & a Tasty Fat Tuesday Treat!

One of my favorite Mardi Gras collages

What is the Krewe of Barkus? It's the only canine Mardi Gras krewe (and parade) in  New Orleans! It is also a non-profit organizaton that raises funds every year to benefit local animal shelters and national humane societies. It's motto is "Humane Treatment for All of God's Creatures."

 According to the Hall of Festivities Mardi Gras, the Barkus Krewe: "...was created in November of 1992 at a meeting of the Margaret Orr Fan Club (Margaret Orr being a WDSU-TV Weather Anchor). Its membership limited to canines, the Krewe of Barkus is headquartered in the vicinity of the "Flea Market" and includes such rules as: "Cats, while welcome, will not be provided security." The first official Krewe of Barkus meeting was held in Janaury 1993, when the first King and Queen Barkus were chosen. The event is always open to the public.

Here's a look back at the beautiful adoptable and adopted Huskies, Malamutes, and Sled Dogs from Texas Sled Dog Rescue (TSDR) who were part of the Mardi Paws 2015 Parade! Many thanks to TSDR volunteer Lillian Malm for her assistance!

Check out these fab photos of Texas Sled Dog Rescue's beautiful pups in this year's Mardi Paws Galvenston 2016 Parade HERE!
 

We here at FiveSibes would like to congratulation the King and Queen of Barkus 2016 - King Alex, an 8-year-old Weimaraner, and Queen Nee Nee, a 10-year-old long-haired Chihuahua! Hmmm...again, just wondering when a Siberian Husky will be crowned...just wooin' out loud!

This photo is in honor of our Krewe of FiveSibes King Gibson and Queen Harley, our pack's true loves, forever!

 

 ❤ "Woooo...mon amour...my love," 

our King Gibson 

whispers to his Queen Harley. ❤

Since it is Fat Tuesday, the closing celebration of Mardi Gras, we're all about the treats! Here's our FiveSibes Canine Cooking Corner's recipe for Whipped Green Bean Kibble Omelette:

 

International #EpilepsyDay: #LiveGibStrong

Today is International Epilepsy Day. A joint initiative by the International Bureau for Epilepsy (IBE) and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE), Epilepsy Day is a global event takes place on the second Monday of February each year to highlight Epilepsy and those who live with it and their families. Here at FiveSibes, where we highlight Canine Epilepsy, we are choosing to celebrate the #yesIcan theme and our continual message of our #LiveGibStrong campaign - that dogs can~and DO~live happy, full lives with Canine Epilepsy. As many of you know, my Epi-dog (epileptic dog) and K9 Epilepsy Ambassador, Gibson, was diagnosed at age three and he so loved life! While we managed to keep him seizure-free for seven years, he did battle plenty of side effects of medications, but slayed each battle as the true warrior he was. Holistic treatments and supplements, combined with his Epilepsy medications, helped him every step of the way. He loved to talk. He loved to run. He loved to play. He loved the snow. He loved to dance his special Gibbie hip-hop dance. He loved me. He loved his packmates. He loved life!

Gibson, my Epi-dog, loved life.

This is my first Epilepsy awareness post that I've written without him by my side. It's not easy. It's actually downright difficult and sad because he was always my champion. I could reach over and rub his velvety nose or pet his beautiful wooly fur as I wrote. Gibson was my heart dog and my canine superhero. I was blindsided when he suddenly fell ill, and devastated when I lost him shortly before Christmas...from a sneaky,  hiding cancer. But, then I look at his videos taken the days before he had to leave...and he was so healthy and happy and seizure free! And it reminds me of that great Gibson zest for life. And I smile. I know he is by my side always. And his message will continue on, to offer hope to other Epi-dog families finding themselves on this journey so well-travelled by me and my boy these past seven years.

We want folks who begin this journey to know they are not alone. There is support. There are so many wonderful and caring people who are also on this journey who can share their experiences. There are many resources available for information, assistance, and networking with others about Canine Epilepsy. And, we are always happy to help! Just drop us an Email at FiveSibesLiveGibStrong(at)gmail(dot)com.

And, I'm thrilled to announce that I will be launching our new FiveSibes.com website soon, a project I have been working on for a long time, that will include an extensive section for Canine Epilepsy information, links, and shared resources. There is also a great resource section I compiled over the years in the back of my EPIc Dog Tales: Heartfelt Stories About Amazing Dogs Living & Loving Life With Canine Epilepsy book available through ArcticHouse Publishing and Amazon (a portion of books sales are donated to Canine Epilepsy Resources/Epil-K9 Foundation "Emma's Fund" house at the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine).

I also want to remind folks that House Woof Dog Biscuits formulated a special wholesome treat specifically created for the canine epileptic and named "Gibbie Snacks" after my boy. House Woof donates $1 per bag of Gibbie Snacks sold to The Wally Foundation-Canine Epilepsy (TWF). TWF offers possible financial assistance for much-needed Epi-medications to families of dogs diagnosed with idiopathic Canine Epilepsy.

www.Epilepsy.org

So, today, on International Epilepsy Day, we hope our message rings out loud and clear that a diagnosis of Canine Epilepsy is not the end. For Gibson and me, it was actually a beginning...of a truly beautiful, bonding, and close relationship based on trust. I learned so much from him about pushing through illness, seeing the joy all around, no matter what, and loving those who love us.

Bracelets available at ArcticHouse Publishing

With my courageous, beautiful, brave boy's spirit always by my side, we want everyone to remember to #LiveGibStrong by doing what he loved to do: 

Enjoy each day. 

Woo to the moon. 

Let snow gently fall on your face. 

Nuzzle a loved one. 

Give big Gibbie kisses to family and friends. 

And do the Gibbie hip-hop dance across the floor with a big, happy Husky smile! 

He had so much fight in him...he fought the seizure monster...and won! He had such zest and amazing spirit. This video was shot just two weeks before he journeyed to the Rainbow Bridge from cancer.  He was fight strong. He lived happy and Gib Strong.

#LiveGibStrongFOREVER 

on #EpilepsyDay and Always.