Bebe's Brave Battle

Bebe’s 8^th birthday last Sunday the 14^th started as any beautiful crisp April day…a walk in the park with her sister, Cece and my husband, Matt.  I was preparing her birthday breakfast once they returned but noticed that Bebe was favoring her left eye.  I took a look and saw that something was wrong.  Matt recalled that she had leaned in to smell a rose but had jumped back quickly and seemed fine. It turns out that smelling the roses on her birthday caused a rose thorn to pierce Bebe’s eye!  Off to the emergency vet we all went (including Cece) on Bebe’s 8^th birthday!

We were sent home from the vet and ordered to keep watch for any complications.  Bebe spent a restless, painful night and the next morning her eye was worse. That day she had emergency surgery by an animal eye specialist, Dr. Nancy Park at Eye Care for Animals in Chicago, to remove the infection from her eye and graft it from the healthy part of her eye. OUCH!  There was a high risk that she would lose her eye sight in that eye but we were hopeful.

Unfortunately things took another turn for the worse. The infection returned to the injured eye. It was looking like another emergency surgery was in store for poor little Bebe.  Dr. Park consulted with their Wheeling office and decided to aggressively treat Bebe’s eye infection for two days and then decide about surgery.  Bebe was put on a strong regimen of antibiotics: eye drops every hour and pain shots (that I had to give her) in order to save her eye. It was touch and go and Bebe was given a 50/50 chance of having her eye removed.  Brave little Bebe is a fighter.  Two days of this tough regimen and then back to see Dr. Parks.  Lot of prayers and love from everyone poured in for our little Bebe.  Cece, her worried sister, was by her side the whole time whispering in her ear that she would be okay.  Friday came and Bobbi took her back to Dr. Park to see what was next for our little Bebe.  With fingers crossed Dr. Park took Bebe into her arms and smiled widely.  “She’s getting a little better,” Dr. Park declared with delight.  Bebe wasn’t out of the woods yet, but was on her way to recovery!   Home Bebe went with 10 more days of intense treatments but no second surgery.  Bebe even did one of her favorite things the very next day…looking out the window!

Cece is very worried about her big sister and is keeping very close by her. Even though Cece is youngest, Bebe is the baby and Cece takes care of her.

  

Sunday Bebe started to eat again and is sleeping through the night. We are so relieved to begin to see our brave little girl return!  Thanks to all the prayers, well wishes and love…Bebe is on the mend. We still have a ways to go in Bebe's recovery but so far she has proven to be tough for her size and we are very cautiously optimistic.

Anna Maria Island, Florida -- Second home for Bobbi Panter Pet Products

I have been a part-time resident of Anna Maria Island (AMI) since I was a kid and LOVE it! I practically grew up there on family vacations since I was 9 years old. Living in Florida for so much of my life impacted the products I developed for my all natural dog shampoos. I learned how hard salt is on your hair and skin after spending many hours in the Gulf of Mexico.  This is the reason I decided to make my products SALT FREE--I do not put sodium chloride (table salt) or sodium lauryl sulfate in any of my products. What a big difference having no salt makes.  The essential oils that I use in my products are actually allowed to penetrate the skin and fur so that they work to solve problems. 

Bebe and Cece relaxing after one of their "spa" days.

Since Bebe and Cece spend lots of time on AMI and love it as much as I do, I have found out what problems they both get when they are there.  Bebe almost instantly gets hot spots from the grass so I use Itchy Dog on her right away!  In fact, I put some on my fingers and rub it into the hot spots and leave it in.  She is instantly relieved. Itchy Dog is Bebe’s saving  grace!

Being a celebrity spokesdog is not as glamorous as it sounds!

Since fleas and ticks in Florida are a huge issue I developed my all natural flea and tick shampoo, Charlie Dog, named after my dad Chuck. I know, he would much rather have a martini named after him but dog shampoo is what I do!  Charlie Dog is loaded with Clove Oil, Cedarwood Oil, Citronella and Lavender Oil which kills and repels fleas, ticks, mosquitoes and lice!  Guess what--school nurses have used Charlie Dog on the heads of their students when they have gotten lice and it is so gentle but--WORKS!  In fact, it is so gentle that it is even safe for puppies and kittens of all ages, even newborns.

So, when I am in Florida, which is very often, I use a combination of Itchy Dog and Charlie Dog on both Bebe and Cece and they stay safe from insects and hot spots leaving them looking and smelling fabulous!

My products are carried all over Florida but I really love when local stores carry them.  Last October a new store opened on AMI. It’s called AMI Outfitters and they sell great coastal gear and apparel, mostly for men. They also have a natural dog section with terrific products including my Signature Line of products. It’s great to see this kind of partnership form from a love of AMI.  Thanks AMI Outfitters!  See you next time Bebe, Cece and I are on the island!!  I can’t wait.

Owner Steve in front of his store AMI Outfitters.

Check out AMI Outfitter's Facebook page!

Happy Valentine's Day & Heart Month!

February is Go Red for Women/Heart Month! 

Here at Bobbi Panter Pet Products we’re all about taking care of your dog or cat’s fur and skin. We pride ourselves on producing all natural, salt-free and tear-free products because nothing is too good for our pets. Unfortunately, women are known for not taking the best care of themselves.  We are wonderful caregivers while we tend to put our health last.

That’s why it is so important to celebrate the American Heart Association’s Go Red for Women© movement. It is in it's tenth year of getting the important message out to women about the risks of heart disease. Here’s why:

• Heart disease is still the No. 1 killer of women, causing 1 in 3 deaths each year.

• Heart disease kills more women than men, at an average rate of one death per minute.

• Heart disease kills more women than all kinds of cancer combined.

February 1^st was National Wear Red Day©, although it has passed it is not too late to wear red to show your support of women’s heart health during February, or for Valentine's Day! Let everyone know that you are taking care of your heart and yourself so you will be here for your family and pets!

Happy Valentine's Day from Bobbi Panter Pet Products!

Grooming Bebe, Cece and Shih Tzus

I created Bobbi Panter Pet Products after my beloved, Bobo, had eye surgery that left his skin and coat a mess.  So as a Shih Tzu owner and pet shampoo creator, I am often asked how I groom my own dogs, Bebe and Cece.

Weekly, while I am in Chicago, Bebe and Cece go to Groomer Laura Rosen at The Kennel Limited(1347 N. Sedgwick Chicago, IL 312-654-1973) for their "puppy cut".  Gorgeous Dog Shampoo is the original and still their favorite!

While in Florida, I often use Charlie Dog Flea and Tick Shampoo to keep all the local pesky insects away.  That was one of the reasons I created Charlie Dog Flea and Tick Shampoo.

 Two more tips:

 1.        I recommend Bad Hair Day Dog for the Shih Tzu long silky coat.

2.      Tear Free Products are very important for Shih Tzu’s senstive eyes.  All Bobbi Panter Pet Products are tear free.

Bobbi Panter at BayFest 2012

Last Saturday, I was  happy to be back at my “second home” on Anna Maria Island, FL  Since 2006, I have arranged to make this trip home in October to participate in BayFest, an island festival with local vendors.  It is a great way to be part of the community.  This year, we had great weather, saw many friends and helped Safe Haven Animal Rescue get doggies adopted.

As a resident of Anna Maria Island and owner of Bobbi Panter Pet Products, I enjoy supporting this event and being present to greet my neighbors.  It was good to see so many of stores that carry and owners that use Bobbi Panter Shampoos & Conditioners. 

Safe Haven brought lots of gorgeous dogs that needed homes.  I fell in love with all of them but Maggie, a 3 year old beagle grabbed my heart!  Her owner passed away and she is looking for a caring home.  She was beautiful and so well behaved.  A caretaker, Maggie needs someone to "look after" and feel needed.  Her picture is below with the other doggies.  We always get about 5 dogs adopted and this year was no exception!

Enjoy the images from our booth:



Bobbi at BayFest 2012




Safe Haven Animal Rescue



Maggie



Lady was adopted 3 yrs ago at BayFest

 

Joyce from The Paw Spa





Bebe, Cece and Matt

Nylabone War - Part 2

On our last blog we wrote about the upcoming Luke Laudolff Pet Carnival at Petco in Geneva. Well, the event was a huge success! Lots of people came, and with their dogs of course, and had a great time.  We mingled with the crowd, had our caricature done and gave out "pawtographs." Georgia was there with her new sister Zoe, the Laudolffs are their parents, and everyone got to meet them.  There were dog massages, we didn't have time for one, but lots of dogs were getting them and they looked like great fun! Anderson Animal Shelter was there with dogs and kittens up for adoption. The kittens were inside near where we were staying and Cece would have loved to have one come home with her. But, out of the four kittens, three went to new homes! And, five dogs were adopted too! That is what the carnival and Luke's legacy is all about, loving all animals and taking care of them.  The silent auction was a huge success and a lot of money was raised for the shelter.

Our friend Dolly the Doxie was here again at the office last week. She brought her favorite Nylabones from home, and sure enough, Cece took right off with one. And it was brand new, one her mom Sandra bought for her at the pet carnival. Well, Dolly wasn't going to stand for that, so she went and took the one Cece had. It was a new one that "Uncle" Brad (our sales manager) had given her, and she really liked it. So basically that is what went on all day, what one dog had the other wanted and on and on.

Today Dolly is here again and it's her birthday! She is two years old now.  Silly dog brought her Nylabones again and we saw a repeat of last week.  It looks like the girls will never get tired of the Nylabone Wars. Stay tuned for more adventures and don't forget to follow Bebe and Cece on Twitter @sassyshihtzus. Pictures of the carnival can be see on our Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151778769330058.851444.236126845057&type=3. Love Bebe and Cece xoxox

It's a very exciting time at Bobbi Panter Pet Products.  Everyone is preparing for Saturday's 5th Annual Luke Laudolff Pet Carnival.  The pet carnival is very special to Bebe and Cece's mom Bobbi. She started the carnival when good friends of hers, Paul and Joanne Laudolff, lost their 10-year old son Luke. Bobbi learned after his death about how much Luke loved animals. He loved animals of every kind but especially his beloved Border Collie Georgia.  Luke even volunteered at Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin, IL. That is an amazing accomplishment for someone so young. To honor his memory and love of animals Bobbi started the pet carnival in partnership with Petco in Geneva to raise money for Anderson Animal Shelter. Last year's event raised over $3,000 for the shelter and this year we all hope to raise more money. Petco is having a huge grand re-opening sale on the same day to celebrate their remodeling and new look. There will be lots of in-store specials only so a huge crowd should be at the event.  The pet carnival is lots of fun for families and it is pet-friendly, of course! Mom Bobbi will be busy doing pet beauty consultations and encouraging the crowd with the microphone.  A huge silent auction with lots of great items will be ongoing, popcorn and balloons will be given away all while a pet masseuse will be offering her services, a dog trainer will answer questions and a talented pet caricaturist will make a fun likeness of your pet. Of course, Anderson Animal Shelter will be there with adorable animals for adoption and each adoption will get a special Luke gift. But the best of all is that Bebe and Cece will be there! The girls will be making a personal appearance to help raise money for the shelter and will even be giving out "pawtographs!" The girls are very excited to see everyone, of course they had a spa day yesterday so they could look their best, and can't wait to get there!

On a sad note, Bebe and Cece lost their beloved grandad Cal on May 22. Cal loved the girls but Cece had a very special relationship with him so she was very upset and sad when her doggie instinct told her that she was going to lose him.  Cece knows that he is in a good place now and will sit in his lap again someday.