Allergies in Dogs Coughing and Sneezing in Dogs

Allergies in dogs are  difficult to diagnose. The best indicator is that once your pet is removed from the house the COUGHING STOPS.  This CANNOT be done in a Vets office. If you dogs spirits are up, the eating habits normal and the tail is wagging your dog is NOT sick. Allergies, like allergies in people cannot be cured. Like people dogs can develop allergies over time, especially small breeds.

If you have cats in the house your dogs allergies most likely stem from this. Start by removing all the dander that you can. Vacuum the bed, the carpets, brush the cats and buy an air purifier. Symptoms will include a dry cough, watery eyes and the most telling sign sneezing.

To get your dog comfort I have found that a teaspoon of a children allergy medicine will help calm the cough. You can also give your dog a half of Claritin. After you have done you best to remove the allergen WAIT. This will not happen over night. Dander can be microscopic and your dogs have this in his lungs. It will take a couple of days to find out if this is the cause.

Also you should remove all pillows, bed covers and anything that might contain allergens.

And if your dog shares a water bowl with the cats give him  a seperate one. Fine cat hair gets in the water and can cause a cough.

Dogs can also be allergic to certain kinds of kitty litter so you might want to consider changing it as well and GOOD LUCK!!!

Coughing in Dogs- What Vets don't Want you to Know

Coughing in dogs falls into three distinct groups.

The worst by far is heart worm but fear not. Most dogs are vaccinated for this disease.  Also be comforted by the fact that heart worm appears mostly in dry hot places where mosquitoes thrive. The symptoms do include coughing but they are accompanied by definitive signs that your dog is sick. Appetite changes, the dog gets fever is listless and obviously sick. Heart worm is rare and develops over time. Your vet will want to immediately want to do a heart worm exam.and this will run you around four-hundred dollars. If indeed you get a heart worm confirmation the treatment is brutal. They use arsenic to treat your dog which is essentially poison. Your vet will advise you but in my opinion heartworm means the end. There are actual worms which have entered your dogs heart. Sometimes the cure is worst then the disease and this must be considered thoughtfully for the dogs best interest not the owners.

Another reason your dog may cough is Kennel Cough. Kennel cough is highly contagious and is transmitted between dogs.  A dog from the pound will most likely develop this cough as well as some Kennels. DO NOT panic. Kennel cough is easily cured with some antibiotics. Also, kennel cough gets worst at night. When your dog coughs this is the first option for treatment. Advise your vet that you would like to try antibiotics for two weeks before aggressive testing is necessary.

The other reason your dog may cough is that your dog may have ALLERGIES. The coughing will continue even if antibiotics are introduced.
DO NOT RUSH TO THE VET. The vet cannot magically treat allergies because a diagnosis requires time. Please read the next blog for diagnosis the allergies this is something only an owner can do.
"Allergies in Dogs"

Celebrity Apprentice Wrong Call? Fire Lisa Lampanelli

Is it possible that the decision to fire Dayana Mendoza was the wrong call? (see Dayana on the right).
I'm sorry Mr. Trump I think you called this one for the ratings and I can't blame you for that. However, this particular call stuck with me because of the message that it sends. Lisa Lampanelli (on the left), insulted and called this girl names publicly so with such consistency and violence that I would get a restraining order and sure.  Mr. Trump what would you do if someone attached Ivanka like that?

This was a infantile verbal assault on a young woman- a guest in our country.

In every boardroom that I have ever been in the prize goes to whoever keeps their cool. There is no organization that I know of in which verbal abuse is tolerated. I don't want kids thinking that if you scream, cry, and insult people that you even have a place in the boardroom!!

I am also ashamed by the way that celebrities in this country welcomed a young woman like Dayana who is learning the language, learning the culture and has come to NYC to further her carrier. While Clay Aiken was complaining about her lack of musical knowledge he should have thought that  Dayana did not grow up in American culture.

Clay, you have went down many notches in my eyes by the catty way you decided to act towards this young girl. Where is that Southern Gentleman who I have come to love?

I wonder how Dayana would have treated the celebrities if they were guest in her country and impaired by language nuances? I suspect she would do her best to make them feel welcome.

We cannot let Lisa Lampanelli's bad manners be what the world sees that we do with guests to the wonderful City of New York.

And that's why Donald Trump that you shouldn't have hesitated for a moment to fire Lisa

Here is goes. Dayana Mendoza welcome to New York. We are not all like Lisa Lampanelli.
It was really wonderful to meet you and welcome to New York City.  I'm not sure going on the show was the best decision for you but you handled yourself with class and grace. Best of luck!!!.

Green Cab's in New York City... I don't think

You don't crush and Icon

Yesterday it was announced that New York City was receiving a test run on 18,000 cabs on the Upper East side and the other Boroughs. The kicker is that it is NOT a yellow cab!!!..Nope in fact it's a green colored "bile-like" color.

Yellow cabs have become an iconic image for the city of New York since they were introduced. Everyone around the world knows that a yellow cab means New York City.  Yellow cabs are as iconic as the saying "the Green Apple". Maybe we should change that to the "Crab Apple or the Yellow Pear".

This CAN'T happen because this will  rip at the very fabric of the identity of the city. And  in these delicate financial times the "yellow cab" is the one thing we count on to make us feel special... the one thing we can always count on at 3'oclock  in the morning on a rainy summer night.

The mayor's office claims  that the green is preferable because you can see it from far away. From far away? Have you ever tried to get a cab in the city? If you see a cab from far away trust me it's already taken.There is a customer on every block! In midtown in rush hours the savvy cab takers set a "cabbie Trap"  These well healed travelers.stand in front of hotels with dragging small suitcases with wheels so that the cabbie mistakenly believes that this is a airport call and rushes to pick up the ride.  By the time the customer gets in the cabby has no choice but to take them to their destination. Cabs can be very hard to find. No need to see one a mile away. I wonder... are these glow in the dark cabs?

I think that the approach to introducing this green cab was like an ambush. I never hear a word about it then ca-boom!! All of a sudden we have a fleet of 18,000 cabs/ I wonder how much that cost? Is it really the right financial climate to introduce a pilot project?

 If the cabs don't work out we have paid an undisclosed amount for them. Why not test with 500 or 250 green cabs?

Unfortunately, it sounds to me like the deal is done. We are getting green cabs and we aren't going to have much say about it.  Sneaky right?.

When I came to NYC we had the sedans for years/ They were lovely, comfortable, rode well.(see image at top). Then, over the past five years we've been getting all these hybrids, that look like boxes like the cabs from an Arnold Schwarzenegger sci-fi movie that I cannot recall just now. ( he lives in some world in which air is bought and sold like electricity) These hybrids are loud, uncomfortable for anyone over 6 ft, with what I swear are missing shocks.(see above paragraph)

New Yorkers get on this quick before our fate is sealed. Give your input!!!

Cheap Eats Upper East Side: Dallas BBQ for $9.99 for TWO!!!

By far the Dallas BBQ has a fabulous early bird special!!! It is located on 3rd ave between 72nd and 73rd. The attraction for me in the outside seating which is really a plus for any restaurant. You will feel like a King or Queen.

And if you like fancy drinks you can indulge. For ten dollars, yes only $10.00 you can order Margaritas, Strawberry Daiquiris and a wide selection of other fruity fun get me drunk fast stuff conplete with shot.

From Monday to Thursday you can get the special on Monday till Thursdays on the weekends you have to make it before five o'clock.

This fab meal includes a small bowl of really great chicken soup, and a perfectly roasted half chicken with your choice of baked potato, rice, French Fries, and a generous piece of corn bread.

You say it right. That is nine dollars and ninety nine cents for two people ( that is not each) All this for $9.99.) to eat healthy well prepared food in an outdoor setting on the Upper East Side.

I throw in the shrimp cocktail the (small one) with extra huge shrimp and your out of there for under $30.00.

The weird thing is that Dallas BBQ does not serve desert so have a fancy drink instead. And most importantly beware Texas size portions which loosely translated means really really big.

At these prices you can afford to treat some friends to dinner. Above is a pic of my husband Peter G. Pereira enjoying his dinner at our favorite table.

The Sheik parade in New York City

New York City loves a parade. During the coming summer there will be a parade almost every weekend. There will be a Indian Parade, a Israeli Parade, a Greek parade and every other reason to have a parade that you can think of. Today was the first for me a Sheik parade. That's right folks there is a Sheik parade... who knew?

Cheap Eats in NYC

If your ever down on 34th street probably vising Macy's, you'll want to check out this place on 34th about 3/4 of a block down. For 5 bucks that's 5 bucks folks you will receive your choice of a huge block long buffet. You'll get five fantastic items to fill you plate and a soda is an extra buck. I strongly suggest you give this place a try. How can you go wrong. The place is called Lunch Box/

Celebrity Apprentice Rocks

This Sunday Celebrity Apprentice kicked off to a great start. The cast was fun, the women bitchy and the boys full of tetesterone. Great entertainment value. Good job Donald Trump. This is the only show that would love to be on. Maybe some day... Until then I'm a big fan.

I did think however that the challenge that involved Ivanka's Trumps clothing line tipped the scales in the woman's team. I hope that they even this unfair situation out in future challenges.

Ivanka Trump's clothing line proved practical, classy, understated and looked like something real women like myself could. She captured a real goal of many New York woman to look well put together but not over the top.

I think Ivanka Trump could very well run her own fashion house one day. She certaintly has the backing but what she really needs is a geometric visual shape like Fendi or Chanel or Yves St. Laurent that could accent her clothing. This would set her apart and propel her into the future.

This suggestion however. is no small feat. A graphic artist cannot accomplish this. She needs to hire the real thin...g an authentic New York artist who can understand the larger picture, and capture her essence. If you reading this Ivanka, may I suggest that you work with my company and my artist Peter G. Pereira to develop something real fab. He has made patterns for some of the top designers in the world.

Calorie Myths Part One

I have started this little hobby because I have found that not all marketing is created equal when it comes to counting calories.

Thumbs Down for Kid Rock, on Letterman

Excuse me if I'm wrong but is Kid Rock actually wearing a real wolf fur coat? I couldn't believe my eyes last night. I thought this guy was cool and hip and informed. FUR IS NOT COOL...Kid Rock. This was established years ago. Did you miss the traps the electrocutions the needless suffering and killing so that you can wear wolf on your back? And on stage no less?
Indoors???? What were you thinking?
I feel very disappointed and sad. I'm a fan no more.

Subway Sexual Crimes Increase and My Solution

I believe that sexual crimes against women in the subway will increase dramatically over the next year and let me explain why.

I have had the unfortunate experience lately of riding the subway on a regular bases especially during rush hour. It is a humiliating and degrading experience for me. I am routinely jammed in so tight that I had my hip in one guys crotch, my breasts up against another's back, my shoulders against a foreign body. I am packed so tight that I can smell the breath of ten different people, I know which woman are menstruating and the smell of body gas make me want to puke. Can you imagine that mothers are letting their young daughters experience this as a normal subway scenario? I will no longer let any daughter of mine ride the subway period.

This is a definitively disgusting way to journey to and from work on a daily bases. On top of that, this scenario has pervert plastered all over it. Where else can a good perv get a little touchy feely action without being caught? I am absolutely sure that pervs take the train at rush hours purposely just to enjoy a little harmless action and yes they get worked up enough to attempt a rape.

The SOLUTION? Well yes... I actually have one. Two cars at the back of the train should be reserved. One for men and one for women. That way I can have a choice of which way I want to experience my commute. Not only that women caught with infant that need to be fed can do it comfortably in the Women Only car.

Rape at Bowery Station on Lower East Side

Mr Torres was arrested yesterday for the rape of a 29 year old woman at the Bowery subway station on the lower east side. With a screwdriver in hand he threw the woman onto the tracks and began raping her. Thankfully due to the surveillance cameras Mr. Torres did not get far. Actually he was on his way back to the homeless shelter in the area.

I feel this is just a series of attacks on woman in the subway system that is going to continue to grow and if you read my next blog you will find out why.

SuperBowl Congratulations NYC

I am not a big sports fan but the finals of anything are exciting. I'd like to give a big shout out to NY. Congratulations!!
This wouldn't be a super bowl blog without however commenting on the commercials. Sadly the quality of this years Superbowl commercials has taken a big step back. Through a plethora of average car commercials to some really tasteless 30 second spots.
Even Jerry Seinfield got into the game selling an Accura.
By far the worst car commercial was for the Fiat 500, which was immature and insulting.
The car commercial I liked the best was for the Mustang. Not so much for the commercial but I really liked that car.

The two top commercials go to E-trade and Sketchers. E-trade didn't reinvent the wheel here. They stuck to what has been tired and true- those adorable little babies taking stock shop. Sketchers had this really cute French Bulldog named Quigly running around. I guess you just can't loose with dogs and babies.

The worst commercial really stood out for me. Tax Act.com told a story of a little boy who while in his swimming pool needs to urinate. Consequently, he runs inside the house to discover that there are no bathrooms available. What is his solution? Well, he jumps back into the pool where his sister is frolicking and lets it rip. I was absolutely disgusted. What does this have to do with filing taxes? Whoever wrote this one was a suppressed golden shower fetishist.

The other commercial that absolutely disgusted me was CarreerBuilding.com. I actually like this company and know many people that have had great success with their website. The commercial however was inhumane and irresponsible and showed many chimp babies walking around. Do you know what happens to most of these animals when they reach maturity and can no longer be managed? The majority suffer greatly.  Some are caged, sold as roadside spectacles and chained up for the rest of their lives. Some are sold as lab animals and will be housed in 3 x 4ft cages in which they can barely stand and most likely be isolated from all contact with their own kind.  I was disgusted by the lack of education that some of use have strived so hard to impart. You might want to check out a great organization called savethechimps if you want to get involved.

And there we have it.

Kay Hall signing off.                                                                                                                                

Stephanie Madoff says Bernie Riuned my Life

There is no question in my mind that when you come home so find your husband hanging from a dog leash in the living room your life is changed forever. No family should have to go through that. But according to  Bazaar magazine Stephanie Madoff has moved on, changed her name and vows that her father-in law Bernie Madoff has ruined her life. In fact in the article she vows that she won't allow him to continue to do so.

Funny, however, I'm not sure how exactly Bernie has ruined her life. Seems he ruined it by the very nature of getting caught. Before that happened Stephanie, lived in the lap of luxury enjoying all the spoils that Bernie had to offer. I wonder if it ever occurred to her to even asked how such a fortune was amassed. Did she wonder where her diamonds came from or how that yacht got funded?. Come on Stephanie... Bernie didn't ruin your life. You loved Bernie, you loved his status and you loved the lifestyle afforded to you.  And if he hadn't been caught you'd still be enjoying his fortune.

Happy New Year Where Have I Been?

Welcome back my dear friends and Happy New Year. My husband had a really bad accident and my landlord Kosbel Reality managed by RTD reality decided somewhere along the line that they wanted me out of my rent stabilized apartment. Well somehow this has turned into an ugly battle and every month papers come to my home from the office of Allison Furman to drag me back to court. I have endured over 54 court appearances over the last three years. And get this. The landlord Michael Kosta and the managing Agent Orrin Fiengold have not appeared even once in court not even once.
As you can imagine this had caused great stress in my life and continues to cause I go back to court tomorrow.

I was personally told by Michael Kosta himself that, "he does not care how much it cost him, his attorney Allison Furman will continue to harrass me". So there you have it in a nutshell. Oh and last January Orrin Fiengold threw a hard rubber dog toy as I walked away from him. The attack was so violent that two strangers called the police for me and a harassment report was filed.
I know right? This should be a movie.

So this has put a great damper on my blog time but I'm back now ande ready to rock and roll.

Technology Rape The Disposable Generations

You want to know why this country is in debt? Well, let me present this theory to you. We have a technologically based disposable culture that is in a feeding frenzy that has put this country and this economy in the dumps. Not to mention the huge increase in landfill pollution something never been experienced before. How ironic for a culture that prides itself on protecting the environment.

Where did we go wrong? First we took the manufacturing base from the economy and gave it to China. Then we were sold a bill of goods. It goes like this... give it to us cheap and new and make us buy the same item over and over again.

So what happens here? Why don't you have any money? You have a good job you make ok money why don't you have a downpayment saved on your house? Why don't you have a savings account?

Let me tell you why. Fifty years ago a family bought a television that lasted around 10 or 15 years. Now let me break this down for you. This is how we purchases items now. The companies that sell techonogy based products look at you as a customer over a lifetime. In this exapmle of where your money is going I am going to be very conservative in my numbers, but you will get the picture.

If you start having purchasing power at 25 years old and continue to 75 that is 50 (FIFTY) years of purchasing power. These days you have to buy at least one television set every three years to keep up with the technology so over the course of FIFTY years you will have bought about 17 television sets. ( Don't forget that most people have two or three sets in their homes) OK, so that's 17 televisions at about $2000.00 each makes a total of $32,000 dollars over your lifetime to purchase televisions. And you know, this is a very conservative number.

You will have thrown out 17 televisions and put out $32,000.00 in buying televisions.

But that's not all lets factor in the cell phone. You've got to replace that thing every 2 years at a cost of say $200.00? So thats 25 cell phones over your lifetime and that's another $5000.00.

So far on just two technological items you have spent about $40,000.00 over your lifetime and I know and you know that is a very, very lowball number.

Now let's take the computer under consideration. . You need a new one of those every 3 (three years). That is 17 (seventeen computers) at $1500.00 each. Thats another $25,500.00.

Then there's the internet at about $40.00 a month for 50 years is $24,000.00.

With only those four items you have spent $85,0000.00 over your lifetime. That's the downpayment for your house. Ripped right out from underneath you.

This is where all our disposable income is going. WE MUST look for ways to stop this frenzy, we must demand that technological items are made to last. Not only for our pocket book but for our landfills. Can you imagine how may teckno gadgets are thrown away? There is no such thing as repairing. When you get a new something please keep in mind that the old something has to go somewhere.

So let's stop the rape. Americans make make good money and work hard we can't let this continue to happen. We can't let corporate America sell us this bills of goods or we are going to literally bury ourselves in technology.

Cat Deely Racist Slur

Did anyone hear what I heard on the show So you Think You can Dance Last Night.

It was brief but to the point. Cat Deely actually refered to a pair of sister dancers as "the other half of the Oreo Cookie". I tjink that Cat Deely should be called out on this obviously racist slur. African american siblings are not Oreo cookies Cat.

Weinergate? Where have all the flashers gone?

Have you ever wondered where all the flashers of late have gone. We don't see them on subways anymore or lurking in the dark waiting for a woman. In fact it has occured to me that we don't see them at all. So where did they go? It is hard to believe that this age old fetish would just disappear from our very visual culture.

Well Weiner has answered this question for me. The flashers have changed their forum. The flashers have flocked to the internet. Weiner is an internet flasher. Merely one amoung hundreds of other flashing folk. In fact I think that maybe the internet has increased the numbers of people who partake in this fetish. I think internet flashers have become the norm.

So, people let's get off this guys back ok. So he flashed his stuff to a girl. Covered stuff I may add which is better than uncovered stuff. Could be he was working his way up to the real thing and just got caught. Let's have a laugh first and then figure out what to do. Enjoy the moment.

Arnold Schwarzenegger and his main Squeeze

I picked up the New York Post today and could not believe what I was reading. Apparently the media is up in arms calling Arnold's girlfriend ugly. What gives anyone the right to label this woman as ugly. What makes a woman beautiful these days? Skinny and sickly and white?

This discrimiation should not be tolerated. Men love women of all types of shapes and sizes and apparently the feeling was mutual ten years later and a baby. Even my main girl Andrea Peyser can't seem to fathom why a big guy would love a thick gal. Maybe she's been handing around too many white folks.

Women in American unite no woman deserves to be labelled as ugly or unattractive because she is not stick thin and white. I cannot believe this name calling is being tolerated. What's more important here is Arnold's behaviour not whether the media thinks his mistress is attractive or not. Obviously she turned his crank so leave the woman alone. She is a beautiful classy and full bodied gal. Here's one for the big gals!!!!!

PS. I predict that he will marry her.

Marlee Matlin Makes Fatal Apprentice Decision

Celebrity Apprentice on Sunday night was WOW! The money raised for the charities was over the top. I sat home with warm and fuzzy feelings, the generosity the giving the true American "can do" spirit was alive and well. Then jnfortunately, the shit hit the fan, my world was erased. All goodwill trashed all faith smashed. And the catalyst of it all? Well Star Jones could be expected to do this diry work but Marlee Matlin made the fatal mistake. When Trump turned to her and asked "You can made the decision if I should fire the men," Marlee riding high on her win and obvious ego rush said unequivically "yes.".I believe her statement was ,"We went through hell so they should to". (Come on Marlee do you know what this message sends to young girls and women and aspiring business people? Well let me tell you it's a really shitty one). Basically Marlee believes that because she went through hell she should pass it on to others. Great message Marlee. That's right...if get shit on I should shit on someone else. And with that disgusting decision you brought anger and chaos and hate and conflict to what could have been a perfect evening. You are no business woman Marlee, heart is what it takes and you have none. And yes while you might be able to earn big bucks for charity there is no charity in your heart. You ruined my evening and thousands of other people who were watching and hoping you'd do the right thing. What was required was to follow the good feeling the sense of charity and of love. YOU DID NOT and this karma is going to come back and bite you in the ass. I personally can't wait.