Author #FiveSibesMom & Her #FiveSibes
"When you live with Siberian Huskies, you always have a story to tell!"
DIY Purple Pumpkin From Our Epi-Pal, Ru!
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W ith Howloween being the eve of November's Epilepsy Awareness Month (#NEAM), you'll be seeing a of posts from us about The Purple Pumpkin Project (read my previous post HERE explaining that and/or check out our FiveSibes Purple Day video below)! And, of course, I'll be posting about Canine Epilepsy throughout the month!
Note:
This post may contain an Amazon affiliate link, which simply means that
if you click on it and make a qualifying purchase, I may receive a
small commission *at no cost to you.* Thank you!
Today, as we prepare for Halloween, our dear furangel and furpal, Ruby, the Therapy Dog, who was also an Epi-dog like Gibson, has a fun, super-easy DIY project to make cool purple pumpkins with your kids and then put on proud display!
Ruby, an Epi-Dog and an honorary member of the Epilepsy Foundation's
Kids Crew, with a finished purple pumpkin. How cute!
Photo Courtesy of Jan/Ruby, the Therapy dog
If you don't know Ruby, she was a registered Therapy Dog who also lived with epilepsy, and was an honorary member of the Epilepsy Foundation's Kids Crew! What an honor for a canine! Even though Ru has now earned her furangel wings, Jan still continues on her legacy over on Ruby, the Therapy Dog's Facebook page.
Having epilepsy never stopped Ruby from being #RuBeStrong: an amazing ambassadog for awareness, and when she was working, she loved being with children, and one year had fun when the kids painted some purple pumpkins.
"We spray painted a bunch of our purple pumpkins
for kids in their epilepsy support group, and they got to decorate them," states Jan. "We
also did it for a celebration for our volunteers one October. Everybody used their own inspiration."
Look at all of Ru's kids awesome purple pumpkins!
Photo Courtesy of Jan/Ruby, the Therapy Dog on Facebook
Pin Me!
Supplies Needed:
*Plain Pumpkin Shapes *Can of Purple Spray Paint
*Book of Face Stickers
According to Ruby's hu-mom, Jan, one year they purchased some plain pumpkins from (she says they are available at Dollar Tree and Hobby Lobby. Note, these are only helpful suggestions. We are not affiliates for either store). You can also purchase these types from Amazon by clicking on the image):
These come in 5" and 3" sizes. Click image to purchase.
Click on image to purchase.
STEP ONE: Find a spot outdoors to spray paint. Line a table or the grass with a cover to protect the table or lawn from paint. (Also a good tip, have your dog and child wear an old t-shirt so they don't get paint on them either!) Lay out the pumpkin shapes.
Notes Jane, "Any pumpkin will do. I like the flat ones for easy storage. Then I
just got a can of purple spray paint and colored them."
STEP TWO: Let Dry.
STEP THREE: Have fun decorating! Suggests Jan, "Any book of face
stickers will do, then let the kiddos have fun decorating their own" all the while learning about what Purple Pumpkins mean."
Sample face stickers:
Click on image to order from Amazon
STEP FOUR: Tie or glue a piece of string on the pumpkin, or glue a magnet on the back, so you can display your pumpkins!
"Easy Peasy!" notes Jan.
Ruby had fun making a purple pumpkin with her hu-mom and the kids!
Photo Courtesy of Jan/Ruby, the Therapy Dog on Facebook
Jan says about the project and working with the children, "I learned a lot from them. One boy was asked how he knew a
seizure was coming. 'My leg starts twitching,' he replied. Ru would also have her leg
twitch before a seizure. And, when we found very little steroids helped her,
some parents confirmed that (the clinic) sometimes prescribed steroids for
the kiddos as well."
There is so much we can learn through the "One Health" connected approach to healthcare for both humans and dogs. The hope is one day, that when they find a cure for one, they find it for all.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Many Thanks to Ru and Jan for sharing their fun DIY project with us! We hope you all have a Happy and Safe Howloween! And when someone asks you "Why is your pumpkin purple?" You can tell them all about dogs like Ruby and Gibson who didn't let having epilepsy stop them from living life to the fullest!
FiveSibes #Flashback Photo ~ Gibson & His Purple Pumpkin ~ 2014 W oo! Or, should I say Booooo! It's that time of the year when pumpkin hunting and carving is fun thing to do! And, while we are all busy carving and displaying our artworks on the gourds, did you remember to make a purple pumpkin? "Woo! What's in my purple pumpkin? Treats?!" ~Gibson/FiveSibes A Purple pumpkin? What?! If you've been a FiveSibes follower, you know how important the color of purple is to us, and why Purple Pumpkins are a staple here.If you are new to us here at FiveSibes, I initially joined in the Purple Pumpkin Project because we made our pumpkin purple for my Epi-dog Gibson. So, you might be asking yourself, Why was Gibson's pumpkin purple? For Canine Epilepsy Awareness! You can read more about it in our video further down in this post, or by visiting a previous explanatory post HERE. Follow the Purple Pumpkin Project on Facebook! In a pumpkin shell—as many of y
*Updated March 2022 Our Vet-Approved FiveSibes #LiveGibStrong "Cooling Down an Epi-Dog: Where Do I Put Cold Packs?" Informational Poster Poster Is A Great Resource for: ✔︎ Veterinarian Offices ✔︎ Vet ER Hospitals ✔︎ Rescues & Shelters ✔︎ Dog Wardens & Animal Control Officers ✔︎ Trainers ✔︎ Groomers ✔︎ Dog Walkers ✔︎ Dog Parks ✔︎ Pet Supply Stores & Boutiques ✔︎ Dog Friendly Businesses ✔︎ Police Departments ✔︎ Fire Departments To request FREE* printed copies, simply send an Email with #Paws4Purple Materials in Subject line and what you'd like copies of and how many, to: Debra@AKFUS.org of the Purple Day® Every Day as Presented by The Anita Kaufmann Foundation For More Info on Canine Epilepsy, Please Visit Our #LiveGibStrong Online Library & Resource Page HERE. Here's a great tip, diagram and explanation from Tallgrass Acupuncture Institute as to why ice on certain acupressure points can be a relief for a dog with seizures and
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Love the pumpkins, the purple is beautiful.
ReplyDeleteRuby is a cutie pie. Love the pumpkins.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day and week. Scritches to the pups. ♥