Last Minute Dog Biscuits

These beautiful girls are owners of my good friend Lane, who helped me so much with my book. She is also a fine writer and devoted pet lover. Her short stories are just great. Check them - and her dogs - out at www.laneswrite.blogspot.com

Dog Biscuit Recipe:

Last minute Christmas presents for pets can be expensive but a few home made dog bones or biscuits are quick and easy and much appreciated. Okay, these aren't hugely healthy - well they are in comparison to some commercial dog food - but if you allow only three or four per pet - making sure, of course, that the dogs aren't gluten allergic and that the family has no children with nut allergies, these peanut butter treats go down well.

You'll need:

12oz Plain flour
20oz cheese
50ml milk
Three quarters Tbs baking powder
Three quarters Tbs peanut butter

Mix peanut butter and milk together first until fairly smooth
In another bowl, mix flour and baking powder
Mix everything together - help yourself to a Christmas sherry at this point:)
Knead the mixture and then - on a floured surface, roll out and cut into shapes or small squares.
Sprinkle grated chesse on top of biscuits
Bake for 15 - 20 mins
Cool and then wrap in spare wrapping paper and deliver to your clients.

I'm sure there are better recipes out there so do share please:)

Happy petsitting and Happy Christmas

The Sharp End

So far I haven't pet sat a diabetic hamster. It's just a matter of time. Giving insulin either by pills or injection, has become part of the job. For my first diabetic pet, I asked not only the owner to show me what to do, but my vet as well. And I was so worried. 'Sammy will hate me,'I'd cried to the owner of a long haired tabby when she explained my duties.

Sammy, who's eleven with a waistline bigger than the whole of him, didn't even flinch as I eased the needle into a fold of skin between his shoulders. But just to make sure I was still on his Dead Mouse to Go list, I played ping pong with him - not with bats you understand, just paws - for half and hour before leaving him on squirrel watch.

Tip: practise injecting an orange first and make sure you push up a drop of insulin out before you inject. You want to make sure you eliminate air bubbles. Oh, and rub the injection site before and after injecting to relieve any nerve pain.