Ann Silverthorn

Contrary to what many people think, more family members care for their older relatives themselves than put them in nursing homes. An estimated 43.5 million people in the United States provide long-term care for a family member with a chronic illness according to an article in the June 2015 issue of Harvard Health Letter. Often caregivers find themselves in…

We’re always being told to read the labels on food products, if we want to be healthy or lose weight. The trouble is, those labels are confusing. It doesn’t help that there are two government agencies involved. The FDA oversees labels for packaged foods and seafood, and the USDA oversees labels for fresh produce, meat,…

As a negative-cash-flow writer, who left a perfectly good job to pursue a passion, I am keenly conscious of money. When it comes to fitness, there’s no more gym membership in our budget, and that’s okay, because I don’t need one. With a little bit of imagination and creativity, getting fit and staying fit is easy—and…

There’s a great article in the 2015 Annual Natural Dog magazine entitled, “15 Natural Tips to Optimize Your Dog’s Health.” Seven are particularly interesting, so I will share them with you here. So, there you have it. Seven ways to keep your dog healthy that you might not have already considered. Now, go hug your dog (and…

On Monday, I took Nora for another ACTH Stimulation blood test and fully anticipated a good report. Nora’s been almost back to normal after a pretty rough few weeks following her diagnosis of Cushing’s disease. Things got so bad at one point, I didn’t know if she would survive long enough for the Vetoryl to work. The recent increase…

Have you noticed that grocery stores carry more organic products than in the recent past? Some grocery chains used to dedicate entire sections of the store to organics. Now, in many stores, gluten-free aisles have replaced the organic sections, and organic products now occupy the same shelf space as their non-organic counterparts. Organic is [almost] becoming…

Thinking about buying a drone for a new and entertaining hobby? Well, you’ll find lots of models to choose from. One with a camera can be yours for as little as $50. Fancy drones cost a lot more. Before you buy, you might want to check out what the FAA has to say about drone safety.…

Crossing my fingers, but Nora has had some good days since her meds for Cushing’s disease were increased. She almost seems like she’s back to normal. It’s weird to think that this isn’t a medication that we’ll be done with at some point. She supposed to take it for the rest of her life. And if she…

Nora spent some more time at the vet last week. She wasn’t too happy about being left there and gave me genuine “puppy dog eyes” that tore my heart out. She had another X-ray to see if her bladder stones were gone and also an ACTH stimulation test to see if the Vetoryl is being…

When we adopt dogs, we gain furry friends who entertain us, we experience their unconditional love, and we avoid thinking about the inevitable. Several years ago, after losing two young dogs, in rapid succession, to cancer, we adopted two-year-old Cairn terrier sisters, Nutmeg and Nora. Their owner had died, and they had been housed at a kennel for two…