Golden Mountain

05/07/2023

12/21/2022

😂😂😂

That’s one unhappy kitty 🙀😹

12/21/2022

Whoo hoo! I can finally get on back on here! Had some health issues going on which kept me off of here for a while, but when FB or At&t did a update I have been unable to get onto my page. Finally FB got back to me and helped me get back on here! Two of you are been asking for your papers(pups were spayed or neutered ) and now that I have your addresses (that I haven’t been able to retrieve from here) I will send them with my husband tomorrow on his way to work to mail. Sorry it’s taken so long! Hope all the pups & parents are doing well, and you all have a wonderful Christmas and New Year’s! We have over 2ft of snow, so it most definitely will be a white Christmas for us here. 💜

09/28/2022

I haven’t posted in a while because we literally were in a living nightmare that lasted almost 3 weeks. The puppies and their Mom(Willow) all came down with Parvo, we lost 8 of the 10 to parvo and one of the two surviving puppies, a little girl just past from complications due to parvo. Saying that we are devastated doesn’t even begin to describe our pain. We will be closing down Golden Mountain Kennel for at least 2yrs(parvo can live for up to 2yrs) and possibly forever…at this point we mentally and physically just can’t go through this again, hard to say right now, but maybe time will change that.
Much thanks to all the parents of our puppies who still periodically send us pictures and updates, I hope that will continue. Each puppy that we were so fortunate to have here for their first 10 weeks have meant so much to us, we truly loved our time with each and everyone of them.
The 9 puppies that I helped bring into this world were very much loved from the moment they were born to the moment that they passed in my arms, each taking a part of my heart with them. The 10th and only survivor will be staying here with us, he’s one tough pup who has literally gone through hell and back..we have named him Gunner. RIP Willow, you are very much missed. Some of your ashes will be buried with your pups and the rest will be scattered with us when that day comes.
I’m had the very best job anyone could have, nothing beats spending the day with a bunch of puppies, I’m going to really miss it…💜

08/29/2022

Puppy overload 💜💜💜

08/29/2022

Graduation day! Out of the whelping box and into the kennel and doggy motel. First thing they did was head for the water to play in that. We’ll let Mom in a few times a day, but she’s pretty much done with them…she’s more interested in eating their food and taking their toys 😂

08/29/2022

Put the coffee down and get me my breakfast Mom!!!

08/21/2022

Good to the last tiny bit and now sound asleep 😂

08/21/2022

First time eating goats milk with ground puppy chow was a huge success. Now it’s nap time

08/19/2022

Getting so big! They’ll be three weeks this Sunday💜💜💜

08/18/2022

Super hot today in Idaho and these little guys have totally figured out the cooling mat 💜

08/01/2022

Stella and her puppies. Yes, she’s muddy, it’s a 100 degrees here and she decided to get into her pool and than lay in the dirt. Still haven’t looked to see what we have. We moved her and her pups to a cooler area and it really stressed her out and she kept trying to move them back, so I’ve just left her alone and not bothered her too much 💜💜💜

07/31/2022

It was a long night, I actually attempted to sleep in the whelping box last night, huge fail for me and Willow. Her first pup was at 7:30 pm and the last one, a large beautiful female was born around 2-2:30…unfortunately she was a stillborn, I worked on her(yes, mouth to mouth) for about 30 minutes and just couldn’t get her to take a breath, breaks my heart and it never gets easier. My husband buried her here on our property 😞. But out of the heartbreak there’s extreme happiness! We( us and Willow) have 10 beautiful? very vocal pups, I don’t know why but her pups (the majority) are really sassy and they continue that as they grow. We kept one of her pups from the last litter and she keeps us on our toes…in a wonderful way! This is her as I’m attempting to type this, demanding lap time😂 I have no idea what we have as far males and females,our day has been spent trying and keeping the outdoor and indoor animals watered & cool, with our well acting up it’s been a chore. I’ll post pictures and look to see what we have, but first I’m going to attempt to get a little nap in 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻

07/31/2022

It’s time! So far 5 with more to come. 💜💜💜💜💜

07/19/2022

Looks like we may of had a “whoopsie” happen. Was out with the girls & Bo filling up their pool, when I noticed that Willow is getting bigger instead of thinner. All three had gained weight over the winter and so I’ve been trying to get some weight off of them, especially Stella so not to cause any more problems with her injured meniscus. I had planned on not breeding this last heat since life has been so crazy busy and had kept Bo away from them…but apparently not long enough! I’m guessing that we 3 wks or so before she whelps...thank goodness we love having puppies 💜

07/08/2022

07/08/2022

Just a quick note. We’re still working on my Mom’s house in MT trying to get it ready to sell…..my Mom never threw anything away, it’s insane! We literally are going through 2 estates, my Mom brought home EVERYTHING from my Grandmother’s house when she passed 20 plus years ago…all still in boxes. So this huge undertaking is taking forever, so no puppies for awhile.

We had mama. Stella spayed a few weeks ago. Three months before we bred her last, I heard her yip when she was playing with her sister, I checked her and didn’t see or feel anything and she was limping just a tiny bit for about 2 days and then seemed fine. We went ahead and bred her and she did great until the last couple of weeks…could tell she was hurting and she was sitting odd. She had her pups and lost her Mom weight along with a little that she needed to lose , walks fine but sits weird. I was positive it was her hip(which is fairly common in this breed), so I made an appt to get an x-ray and spay her. Turns out that it wasn’t her hip, she tore her meniscus. Vet doesn’t think it’s a complete tear because she walks fine, it does likely bother her some so vet said to keep a eye on her and if she starts limping or shows signs of pain to call for a anti inflammatory. She doesn’t run around as much as her sister but still plays etc. I decided that we would retire her and get her spayed, the extra weight from pregnancy is just too much for her and I don’t want her in pain. I’d like to adopt her out to someone who would like a ”older” (she’s a little over 3) dog, she’s super sweet and would love to have a lap to sit on. She’s full AKC English Cream Golden Retriever, spayed and chipped. Her sister is horrible in the house, so both girls sleep in a huge (10’x11’), heated doghouse. Stella has been really good inside the house with both litters, only had one accident with her first litter, she learned quick on how to use the doggy door which was awesome. Since she may need surgery or have to go on meds in the future, we will not be charging a fee for her. If you know someone who is interested please let us know. Hope everyone of doing great, I have gotten several updates(which always makes my day) that I need to get on here and post….Thank to those who have 💜

04/03/2022

This!!!! After working in hospital labs for years, I feel the same about humans….I’m not anti vax, just limiting the vaccines and have a titer done before just automatically giving boosters.

DOES YOUR PET REALLY NEED BOOSTERS EVERY YEAR? 💉

Spring means annual shots, and soon you’ll be getting that email or postcard📧 from your vet letting you know your dog or cat is due for their annual boosters.

We all want our pets protected from life threatening diseases, but did you know your pet may be carrying enough protection from their puppy and kitten shots to last a lifetime?! (Just like your childhood immunizations).

Your pets may not need to be “boosted” at all, and giving more shots to an already-immunized animal is not only a waste of money, but in worst case scenarios, may cause serious immune issues of all types.

In today’s Inside Scoop episode, immunologist and titer expert Dr. Laurie Larson will be joining us to discuss pet vaccinations and titers, including:

🔥Why it is important to measure antibody titers

🔥How often should you check titers

🔥Puppy and kitten vaccinations: when and what do they really need

Join Rodney Habib and Dr. Karen Becker today at 12pm ET for this Live discussion. Looking forward to seeing you in the comments! 🙌

Dr. Laurie Larson runs the Companion Animal Vaccines and Immuno Diagnostic Service Lab and Titer Service at the UW-Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and also teaches veterinary immunology.

👉If you haven’t joined our subscription group of 2.0 pet parents and want to learn more, just head over to the About section on the Planet Paws page and click the blue "Become a Subscriber” button to join our weekly Livestreams + Archives! https://www.facebook.com/PlanetPawsMedia/supporters/

04/01/2022

Josie outside playing with the momma’s. That her Mom(Willow) on the ground letting Josie climb all over her. They played like this for over 2 hrs all were filthy and exhausted by the time I brought Josie in. 💜😊

03/31/2022

Disgusting! We used to buy the big bags of these, but after reading about how bad they were a few months ago, we no longer give them to our dogs.

THE MOST DANGEROUS PET CHEW EVER: RAWHIDE!

How can one of the most popular chew sticks on the planet be so dangerous for your pets, you ask? I mean, most dogs chew on rawhide for hours on end, and not only does it keep them busy, but they seem to last forever.

Well if you understood what it took to make this toxic “raw” leather stick, you would quickly understand what the problem is.

Aside from the horror stories circulating all over social media these days, of pets needing emergency surgery after consuming rawhide, the majority of pet parents today, especially the newbies, believe that this chew is some sort of dried up meat stick. Let me debunk that myth right away!

A rawhide stick is not the by-product of the beef industry nor is it made of dehydrated meat. Rather, rawhide is the by-product of the “Leather Industry”, so theoretically it is a leather chew. Sounds awesome, right?

“Producing rawhide begins with the splitting of an animal hide, usually from cattle. The top grain is generally tanned and made into leather products, while the inner portion, in its “raw” state, goes to the dogs.” TheBark.com

So, how does this leather, which is conveniently rolled up into pretty shapes, actually get made into those rawhide chews?

Follow along my friends and I will enlighten you on how this hide travels through a leathery process where it transforms from hide to a not-so beautiful, colorful, chew stick. Here is a paraphrased tutorial that was explained by the whole dog journal several years back:

STEP 1: Normally, cattle hides are shipped from slaughterhouses to tanneries for processing. These hides are then treated with a chemical bath to help “preserve” the product during transport to help prevent spoilage.

(No one wants to purchase a black, spoiled rawhide stick!)

Once at the tannery: the hides are soaked and treated with either an ash-lye solution or a highly toxic recipe of sodium sulphide liming. This process will help strip the hair and fat that maybe attached to the hides themselves.

(No, no one wants to see a hairy hide…)

Next on this glorious journey, these hides are then treated with chemicals that help “puff” the hide, making it easier to split into layers.

The outer layer of the hide is used for goods like car seats, clothing, shoes, purses, etc. But, it’s the inner layer that is needed to make the rawhide. (Oh and other things like gelatin, cosmetics, and glue as well!)

STEP 2: Now that we have the inner layer of the hide, it’s time to go to the post-tannery stage! Hides are washed and whitened using a solution of hydrogen peroxide and/or bleach; this will also help remove the smell of the rotten or putrid leather. Bonus!
(Research also shows that other chemicals maybe used here to help the whitening process if the bleach isn’t strong enough.)

STEP 3: Now it’s time to make these whitened sheets of this “leathery by-product” look delicious! So, here is where the artistic painting process comes in.

“Basted, smoked, and decoratively tinted products might be any color (or odor) underneath the coating of (often artificial) dyes and flavors. They can even be painted with a coating of titanium oxide to make them appear white and pretty on the pet store shelves.” - whole-dog-journal.com

“…the Material Safety Data Sheet reveals a toxic confection containing the carcinogen FD&C Red 40, along with preservatives like sodium benzoate. But tracking the effects of chemical exposure is nearly impossible when it’s a matter of slow, low-dose poisoning.”– thebark.com

Ok, now that these hides have been painted, it’s time for the final process.

STEP 4: Getting it to last forever!

Because the FDA does not consider these chews to be food, really it’s a free for all when it comes to the manufacturers of these leather strips, and the products they may want to add to these chews, to get them to last forever. Any sort of glue can be added here to get these bad boys to never come apart.

When tested: Lead, arsenic, mercury, chromium salts, formaldehyde, and other toxic chemicals have been detected in raw hides. So it’s safe to say that any sort of glues can be used as well!

Finally, it’s time to package and attach all the glorious marketing labels to the product.

Check out the fine print warning that’s attached with some of these rawhides:
“Choking or blockages. If your dog swallows large pieces of rawhide, the rawhide can get stuck in the esophagus or other parts of the digestive tract. Sometimes, abdominal surgery is needed to remove them from the stomach or intestines. If it isn’t resolved, a blockage can lead to death.“

(Oh, how lovely…)

And there it is! It’s now ready to be shipped to store shelves where it can be purchased for our loving animal companions.

How do proactive veterinarians feel about these chews?

Here is world-renowned veterinarian Dr. Karen Becker's take on the matter:

“The name ‘rawhide’ is technically incorrect. A more accurate name would be processed-hide, because the skin isn’t raw at all. But the term “rawhide” has stuck.

Rawhide chews start out hard, but as your dog works the chew it becomes softer, and eventually he can unknot the knots on each end and the chew takes on the consistency of a slimy piece of taffy or bubble gum. And by that time your dog cannot stop working it -- it becomes almost addictive.

At this point, there’s no longer any dental benefit to the chew because it has turned soft and gooey, and, in fact, it has become a choking and intestinal obstruction hazard.“

P.S. Ready for the jaw dropper?

An investigation by Humane Society International stated in their report, “In a particularly grisly twist, the skins of brutally slaughtered dogs in Thailand are mixed with other bits of skin to produce rawhide chew toys for pet dogs. Manufacturers told investigators that these chew toys are regularly exported to and sold in U.S. stores.” – dogingtonpost.com

Rodney Habib Pet Health Site

"An educated, informed and well-researched community of pet owners can only put more pressure on the pet food industry to be better! When pet owners know better, they will only do better!"

03/31/2022

Had no idea! We use a stainless steel bucket that I got from Cabalas many years ago. We have one of those plastic ones that have a float that makes them have to lick the float to help stop the water mess. Josie(the puppy I kept) likes to play with it and attempt to sink the float, after reading this and cleaning up a lake last night, it’s getting replaced with a stainless.

THE INVISIBLE SLIMY MONSTER IN THE WATER BOWL

Ever rub your fingers on the inside of your pet's water bowl and you feel a slippery slime of sorts? Well that invisible goo is called Biofilm.

Biofilm is a collection of organic and inorganic, living and dead materials collected on a surface. It is made up of many different types of bacteria bound together in a thick substance that acts as a glue to both hold the bacteria together and adhere it to a surface.

Biofilm can often be good bacteria but there is also the bad!

Biofilms provide a safe haven for organisms like Listeria, E. coli and legionella where they can reproduce to levels where contamination of products passing through that water becomes inevitable.

Bad Biofilms have been found to be involved in a wide variety of microbial infections in the body such as urinary tract infections, middle-ear infections and bladder infections.

Many pet parents are guilty of simply refilling the water bowl over and over without a wash and this becomes a wonderful environment for biofilm to soak around in.

How to reduce Biofilm:

Remember to clean your pet’s water bowl at least once a week if you can and change water daily.

For pet daycares where a host of different bacteria float around in water bowls, wash daily!

For best results, run your water bowls through a hot cycle in the dishwasher with an eco friendly, non-toxic soap to really clean out the biofilm!

Rodney Habib Pet Health Site

"An educated, informed and well-researched community of pet owners can only put more pressure on the pet food industry to be better! When pet owners know better, they will only do better!"

(P.S. - I am going to get lambasted over the "wash once a week at least" concept. However, after a wonderful discussion with a well known pro-active veterinarian/scientist, when she studied the bacteria looming in pets' water bowls she found if you have a healthy beast, biofilm can actually be full of wonderful, healthy bacteria. It's like playing in the mud as kids and having good bacteria all over you! So sometimes cleaning regularly can wash all the good stuff away. ;) )

03/27/2022

Duchess the Diva(aka Lotus) rocked her vet appt 💜💜💜

03/27/2022

Mango AKA Heather. This girl is a smarty already knows to sit, wait and leave it. Such a sweet girl and was always on the go with her brother Ren looking for mischief 😂💜

03/27/2022

Our handsome boy Bo 💜💜💜

03/27/2022

Josie pouting after being put to bed for the night, no barking or crying…just a pout😂

03/25/2022

Our newest guard dog! Practicing on not going after the bunnies, she’s really watching their every move. 😂💜

03/23/2022

Kleenex alert: This is Bud meeting his kids. This family had a Golden that they deeply loved who had passed away, that oldest daughter had grown up with. The kids had no idea that they were getting a new puppy. I literally had happy tears watching their reaction to their new puppy. Watching this and the reactions was the best present! Thank you to this family for sharing! Enjoy 💜💜💜💜

03/23/2022

Duchess(Lotus) looks like she’s living up to her name! Can’t love this enough! 💜💜💜💜

03/23/2022

Puppies with their new families. It was so nice getting to put a face with the names. I can truly say, that when all the puppies left there wasn’t one puppy that I was worried about who they went home with, everyone was so excited and thrilled with their pups. It was a really good day with lots of smiles, laughter and happiness 💜💜💜

03/20/2022

All the puppies have gone to their new homes and our little girl Josie is fast to sleep with her snuggie dog that has a heartbeat and looks like her litter mates. It was a sad day, but at the same time a happy day, getting to meet all the excited new parents. All the pups went home with amazing people and it was so fun to see the excitement when they came in the door to meet their newest family member. I’m looking forward to watching them grow up from afar and getting to witness the love, joy and comfort that my pups will bring to each family. And with that, goodnight and sweet dreams! 💜💜💜💜