Karma the Pom

We Want To Be A Part Of Movember Too!

Mustache + November = Movember

Men, it’s time to get your mustaches ready for Movember because November has begun! Movember was started (every November, yearly) to raise awareness and money for men’s health, like prostate cancer and mental health. Raising awareness and money can help push men to get check-ups, to get educated on their health, and to fund the Prostate Cancer Foundation for research and health services.

Your ‘mo’ustache will make a difference this month because it will become a conversation starter and it will inspire donations. The mustache is the ribbon for the Movember fundraiser, supporting your passion in the importance of men’s health. Men, get creative, grow your mustache, and donate the money you’d normally be spending on shaving.

Us dogs want to be included in Movember too. If your dog feels left out this November without a stache, check out BlackCatStitches for a mustache bow tie. You can also donate to my fundraiser and a get mustache pin along with great coupon codes to ThePassportPuppy and BlackCatStitches while helping support men’s health.

My fur was shaved into a ‘Mo’hawk, and I will grow it out all of November for my Movember foundation. I have set my goal to $2,000, and if I reach it, my mom will personally donate $1,500 to the humane society as well. So both the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Humane Society will both be getting reasonably large checks. Help us spread awareness and raise money for the cause! The money goes straight to the Foundation.

Please let me know if you have donated; I would love to show my thanks.

Grow a mo, save a bro.

Thank you in advance,

Karma the Pom

Keeping Your Pup-kin Safe This Halloween!

I see people dressed up in weird costumes. I see my furfriends dressed up in silly costumes. I smell candy and treats on the counter. You know what that means—right? Yappy Halloween! Halloween means all fun and games, but it could leave potential danger for us animals to deal with! Don’t be pet-rified because I would love to share some spook-tacular tips for everyone to stay safe during the holiday!

The Crazy Costumes

Make sure your dog loves his costume
-We don’t want to be stressed
-We don’t want out breathing restricted

Dogs usually don’t want masks
-This can also stress us out

Try to limit the chew pieces available
-We can choke on the small pieces

And stop using hair dye
-It’s not good for our fur and health

The Dramatic Decor

Chew pieces should be out of the way
-Not only on costumes, but also in party decoration
-And human costumes too, we love to pick random objects up

Cords and wires should be inaccessible
-They can cause choking and electrical hazards

Use caution around glow sticks
-Contain toxic liquid to pets

Avoid candlesticks
-We like to knock things over; be careful of the flames

The Haunted Host

Constant visitors will stress your dog out
-We like to be kept in a comfortable, quiet room
Do not leave your doggo unattended
-Doors open and close throughout the night
-If you do, make sure we are micro-chipped and have an identification tag

The Frightening Foods

Avoid keepng food and cocktails in places your dog can reach
-Example: coffee tables, low counters

Apples
-They have a core that we can choke on

Candy
-It contains an ingredient called xylitol
-This is toxic to us

Chocolate
-It has an ingredient called theobromine
-This is also poisonous to us

Cocktails
-Be mindful of where you place these
-These are potentially toxic to us

The purpose of this article isn’t to scare you from having a great time; it is to help you have a safe, enjoyable, and stress-free Halloween. Make your doggo fun pumpkin treats (recipe below) to reward him for good behavior. Happy Halloween to the humans, and Yappy Halloween to all of my furfriends!

If you are concerned that your dog has ingested any of your Halloween candy, please call your vet!

Quick & Easy Recipe:
-1/2 can of plain pumpkin puree
NOT pumpkin pie mix, which contains sugar and spice
-2 tbsp of no salt, all peanut- peanut butter
-2 tbsp water
-Mix it all together
-Pour into ice tray
-Freeze and serve!

Yappy Halloween my friends!

-Karma the Pom

Do You Know How Important Our Grooming Is?

If your human is overprotective or if you just like a nice spa day every once in awhile then this article is for you. It’s important for our pawrents to find the perfect groomer for us like they find the perfect hair stylists for themselves. Changes through our skin and nails can happen among other things and a great groomer will not only notice, but also notify our humans in our best interest. An average groomer will give us a mediocre bath then a cut and send us home. An exceptional groomer will provide excellent services by giving baths and furcuts using the best quality products. It has taken some time, but my human finally found the groomer that meets all of my and my siblings’ needs.

It’s important for your human to ask your groomer, or future groomer, some questions before you start with them to make sure they are the perfect fit for you. My human asked Tess at Best in Show Grooming 21 questions before she left us with her for our spa day and she answered with confidence, with passion, and with expertise. After that interview going above and beyond giving 42 answers, we could have basically slept at Tess’ house and it would have been fine! Kidding, but she was so terrific.

Did you know there’s no regulation in the grooming industry as far as licensing? Neither did we. It’s so important you find a reputable groomer that stays on top of the latest health and style trends, and of course has good Yelp reviews, or you could be looking at some real troubles down the road!

Here’s a list of questions that are so important for your human to ask the groomer you are using or are going to use: (Thanks to the help of Tess at Best in Show Grooming)

Are you insured?
Is your business licensed?
Are you a mobile groomer?
1. Maybe mobile is the best fit for your schedule.
Are you a member of any grooming organizations?
1. Example: National Dog Groomers Association of America
  1. Since no licensing is required for dog groomers, this means that there are no requirements for any formal courses or certifications
2. Have you attended/joined any other organizations?
  1. Example: certifications processes and extensive education
  2. Example: attending seminars, competitions, conventions, expos, and maybe even dog shows
3. Is the equipment being used during grooming professional grade?
4. What vaccinations do you require your clients to have?
5. Do you specialize in anything?
  1. Example: seniors, difficult dogs, specific breeds
6. Where will my dog be during grooming?
  1. Even if humans aren’t insured in the grooming area, they should still be able to get a sneak peak of where their pet will be
    1. Is it clean?
    2. Are the kennels/crates cleaned between each dog?
7. How many dogs can be worked on at a time?
  1. Example: high volume rotation vs. one on one private care
8. What is included during my dogs grooming?
  1. What are your costs?
9. Are the products that are being used high quality?
  1. What are the products?
10. Will you notify me on how my dog did at their spa day?
  1. Good communication and honesty is so important
    1. Example: changes in skin, rash, anything new
    2. Example: was my dog well behaved?
11. After all of that, do you feel as if this person could build a worthy relationship with you and your pet?
  1. You have to feel as if your doggo will feel comfortable and trusting around this person
  2. You especially have to trust them – that overprotective human

When you’re choosing a groomer for us, it’s not just about maintaining our beauty, but it’s maintaining our physical health as well. Although you can groom us at home with brushing our fur and teeth, it’s also a good choice to bring us to a professional. They’re not afraid to get into our ears and places you humans are too lazy to get to. If the profession is as exceptional as they claim to be, they’ll be able to spot any abnormalities in our skin that our humans might miss at home, they will have passion for their work, they will extremely educated in the field, and they will be worthy enough for your family. Don’t wait, make sure doggo’s groomer has the best credentials!

And if you’re in the Miami area click here to get to Tess’ website.

& Check out my previous blog about my Movember fundraiser – reason for my mohawk!

-Karma the Pom

Prostate Cancer Awareness Month

September is “Prostate Cancer Awareness Month.” It’s not only the awareness month for men’s health, but for many other cancers as well. While September is still here, I wanted to start this page. During October I will be shaving my hair into a the style of a Mohawk, while we fall into November for Movember. Movember is No- Shave November, where the mustache is the ribbon being represented for prostate cancer. Help me reach the fundraising goal of $1,500. My mom says that if we raise $1,500 for the Movember Foundation, she will donate $1,500 of her personal money to an animal shelter. We will update pictures once my hair is cute! Please let us know if you donate, we would love to show our thanks, and also with a pin and coupon codes for the clothes by @passportpuppy and bow ties @blackcatstitches for those that donate $20 or more! 😀🐶🎉➰💙

Click here to reach my Movember Foundation page!

Thank you in advance!!!

-Karma the Pom

It’s Wellness Wednesday for the Buyers

Did you know we help our humans reach their wellness goals? So much so that studies from SunTrust claim millennials are finding them to search for homes solely based on our needs instead of their own or maybe their future children.

We help our humans:

1)Achieve physical wellness by increasing their activity and exercise – even just from our walks outside,

2)Reach emotional wellness because we give them comfort by acting as a companion and give them unconditional love,

3)and we bring them social wellness since we promote interactions between our humans and that can lead to further topics of conversations.

When we help you reach these stages of wellness, there’s no way you could move somewhere that says “no dogs.” It’s wonderful knowing we are such a priority in our pawrents’ life that they are willing to have their mortgage go straight to us. Our humans are our companions in return so we wouldn’t want it any other way.

Why did your family buy their first home?

I hope this Wednesday brings wellness to your life!

-Karma the Pom

Karma10 for 10% off Baylors Bow Ties

Is Taco Tuesday Bad For Your Dog?

Tuesdays are usually for Tongue Out Tuesday (#tot) or Tip Tuesday (#tt), but today it’s about the “tips” on Taco Tuesday (#tt).

Did you know that a lot of foods served during Taco Tuesday are toxic to your dogs?

These foods include: 1) onions, 2) garlic, 3) salt, 4) avocado, 5) cheese, 6) soda, and 7) alcohol.

1&2: Onions and Garlic: Did you know that if we consume onions and garlic (even powder form), our red blood cells can rupture or leave us anemic? If we become weak, have trouble breathing, or our gums become pale… call our vet!!

3: Salt: We want to try your food… all of your food… but with all of that sodium, you need to say “NO!” We can suffer from sodium ion poisoning and get very sick if we overindulge salt. Taco toppings, tortillas, meat, chips, and sauces are filled with salt.

4: Avocados: While avocados have been controversial on whether or not they’re harmful to us, we should stay away from them. The large pit alone is a choking hazard, and it contains the toxin Persin. Avocados are also used to make guacamole during Taco Tuesday, and often salt and onions are thrown into the mix.

5: Cheese: I know that we love yogurt and our pills in slices of cheese, but some of us handle dairy better than others, and some of us handle different portion sizes better than others. Cheese is a big part of Taco Tuesday because it is sprinkled all over the salty tacos and made into queso for the salty chips. It is best if you keep it away from us on days like today.

6&7: Soda and Alcohol: Maybe you want a glass of soda or a margarita, but you shouldn’t let us have any. Methylxanthine, the stimulant in caffeine (like soda), can be fatal to us. And if you want a margarita, the alcohol is extremely toxic to us too. Even just a lick can cause us to have a seizure or start to vomit.

If you want to involve us in your Taco Tuesday, then boil us some plain chicken and rice or give us treats!!! But please, no people food. 🙂

-Karma the Pom

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Mindful Monday

Big or small, black, white, or multicolor, American or European, it doesn’t matter what you are because I love making new fur-friends! Luckily my friend, Sammy, tossed me the ball for the #tossaroundtheworld2017 challenge all the way from Maryland! I hadn’t noticed any earlier posts related to this challenge so I looked through the hashtag pictures and saw almost 1,000 dogs from around the world had been participated in this challenge too! I like that challenges, like this one, enable us to get involved, motivated, and connected with each other. Hello to Canada, Europe, and Australia from America! I hope you get chosen for a challenge so you can get involved with your fur-friends or whatever community you are in and maybe learn more about other cultures in the process… my human says that’s really important for the future. Have a relaxing a stress free Monday!

-Karma the Pom

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My First Baseball Game

Today I went to my first baseball game! It was the Marlins vs the Padres Bark at the Park game. There were 24,000 people and 500 fur-friends. All of the proceeds from our tickets today went to the humane society so we were happy to help! Big crowds like that usually scare my siblings because they suffer from anxiety, but I do okay in them. My human dressed me up in my pawfect for the game baseball bow tie from Baylors Bow Tie Boutique ** (description and coupon below). Being cute wasn’t our only priority during the game, the humans made sure that we were hydrated with water the whole time! It was important, especially since I saw some dogs overheat and need special attention. I had so much fun and met so many new people and fur-friends, I even got a new bandana! I can’t wait until Bark at the Park next year! Don’t forget to check out Baylors Bow Ties!

**My baseball bow tie from Baylors Bow Tie Boutique was such a hit at the game. It caused so much attention! It wasn’t because I am so cute, but because of how good the fabric is. It comes with a Velcro loop that will fit around your collar. They’re already at the perfect price… but what’s better than a coupon?? You have one week so get your bow ties! KARMA10 for 10% off your order!!

-Karma the Pom

First Beach Experience

It’s Saturday! That means my local beach allows me and all of my fur-friends to have fun in the sand starting at 5pm from March – September. The reason for this is because it gets really hot for us pups during the day so the later it is, the cooler it gets. This was not only my first sandy beach experience, but it was the first time I have ever been in any water besides my filled up bathtub! I will admit I was so scared at first, but I had so much fun meeting new friends and running around that I forgot how I scared I was. My humans packed lots of stuff in their backpacks like: water in their amazing Swell bottles, waste pick up bags, towels, sunscreen [even though it’s late], and some treats for Brandy and I! I had such a supaw great time and I cannot wait to go back!