Welcome to our Pet Moms Page!

We created this section of RichmondMom.com so that moms of those loveable non-human creatures could find information, share stories, and see what’s going on in the greater Richmond pet community. Please send us your feedback, story ideas, and photos any time!

RichmondPetLovers.com

It’s THE site for Richmond pet lovers, and pet parents of all types. RichmondPetLovers.com.

Pet Lover and Richmond mom offers advice on parenting humans and four-legged creatures.

The pet section on RichmondMom.com focuses on two of my favorite subjects – being a mom and being a pet lover. As a working mom of two adorable little girls and a pet owner/enthusiast, I was able to combine my two passions when I found Premier Pet Products 5 years ago. I’ve got to say that both my children and my pets have helped me get where I am today. Below is some of the wisdom both have given me throughout the years:

WHAT I HAVE LEARNED FROM MY PETS:

•Love unconditionally – If you find something you are truly passionate about, it doesn’t feel at all like work.

•Sometimes poop happens – on the carpet or in the boardroom, it’s not about what happens as much as how you deal it. If you handle the situation with tact and diplomacy, it will be remembered.

•Dogged determination – there is a reason this has become a cliché. Most good things in life are worth working really hard for.

WHAT I LEARNED FROM MY KIDS:

•Hold onto recess – We all need an outlet in our lives. Letting off steam allows us to be even more productive and focused when it counts, so strive for balance in your work and home life.

•If you don’t have anything nice to say – don’t say anything at all. By all means, do not put it in an email.

•Believe in yourself – remember when your mom told you that you could be an astronaut? She was right. Surround yourself with positive people who support you unconditionally. Throw in a few realists, just for good measure. Then go for it and take a chance. We are generally our own biggest hurdle.

As you can imagine, I could go on all day. But take a moment and soak in the meaningfulness that both children and pets add to your life – they make us the best versions of ourselves.

Krista Nixon,Senior Brand Manager
Premier Pet Products

The Richmond Pet Nanny!
by Carla Dryden

I’m Carla Dryden and I think I have the best job, I am The Pet Nanny! I get to spend my time taking care of other peoples pets. It is the best feeling to walk in the door to visit a dog or cat and they are so happy to see you, even if you don’t know them that well they just know that you are there just for them! There was a couple times I was taking care of kitty’s that were not so sure of me and ran and hid when I came in the house, so I just sat and talked to them so they would get use to my voice. After a couple of visit’s we were friends! I know it’s hard to leave your pets when you are gone so I treat other people’s pets the way I would want mine treated! You can visit www.petnanny-va.com to learn more about me!
Richmond Animal League – www.ral.org
SPCA 643-6785

Comforting kids after pet’s loss helps Richmond parents, too

Shanna Sonnier, RichmondMom.com reader shared with us the story of her beloved dog Paco.

Paco “We adopted Paco from the SPCA 7 years ago, wanting to find our American bulldog a play mate. He immediately grabbed my heart. He had a great personality, very energetic and gave our bulldog some extra spunk as well. He was wonderful with our kids, he loved to play with them, lie on the floor and let them crawl all over him. “

Paco was exceedingly patient, says Shanna, “He never once seemed to mind my son tugging on his ears or my daughter laying on him with her blanket. He loved to snuggle with you and would pull his blanket over him on his dog bed at night to be under the covers, which was another one of his favorite things to do.”

At Paco’s yearly check up they found a lymph node that was inflamed and immediately thought it was lymphoma, the biopsy came back negative, so the Sonniers were over joyed and thankful. They took Paco back in a week later to have the stitches removed from the biopsy and the vet determined Paco punctured his saliva gland by chewing on stick, which made the lymph node inflamed from an infection. The vet gave Paco a clean bill of health and said there would be no alarm for concern.

“The next day I noticed Paco was having a hard time coming up the stairs and was very unstable on his feet. I called the vet immediately and took him in, it was determined Paco had a seizure. Later that evening Paco suffered another seizure. They ran test and could not come up with why he was having them. They told me to take him home and Paco should be better by morning.”

Unfortunately, the next morning Paco still could not function was not able to walk well and appeared to be in a state he could not recover from. The Sonniers took Paco to their regular vet; they sedated him, and determined he had a lesion on his brain, caused from the seizures the night before, something he would not be able to recover from.

Sadly the Sonniers had to put him down that evening.

Shanna’s children took it hard; especially her older daughter. To ease the pain, they took helium balloons outside and released them, sending them up to “Paco, in doggy heaven.” It was comforting—even for the adults.

Thank you for this sweet idea, and for being a great Richmond mom—to pets and kiddos alike—Shanna.