After creating 100+ websites through various free web 2.0 platforms I decided it was time to actually own and control my own destiny, content, and images. I’ve been pretty successful, and currently bring over 35,000 visitors a month to Squidoo through 70 of my websites. My Squidoo name is Flowergardener.
I believe it’s time to take the kid gloves off, venture back out on my own, and not be controlled by what I want to write about, the words I want to use, the amount of links I supply, the advertizements and their placements on my pages, etc., etc., etc.
Please don’t misunderstand. I’m not bashing Squidoo, as it is a great place to hone your internet skills. It’s just time for me to have total control of my websites’ content once again.
I’m a disabled 55 (in a couple of months) year old woman and avid animal lover all my life. One of those little girls that would find the abandoned wild baby rabbits and birds, bring them home and try to raise them. In my younger years I did go to college and study to be a veternarian assistant; although I never finished the college, I was employed by a veternarian and accomplished/performed many of the duties my graduated title afforded.
In my own little way, I’ve helped pet owners make more informed decisions about their pet’s health and medicines, which is the entire driving force and reason to put this information on my website.
Recently I was catching up on the telephone with a friend who informed me that she had taken her dog to the vet for 2 surgeries, and the vet has prescribed prednisone for the dog. Earlier this year I repeatedly gave her the link to my website about dog allergies, and another link stating prednisone’s side effects. Now her beautiful dog has yeast infections because it’s allergies were never eliminated, and has had to endure 2 surgeries…….simply because some people have the tendacy to put a Doctor’s words and recommendations (and a Veternarian’s) upon the same level as God. Needless to say, my friend and I don’t speak very much anymore. I think she thinks I’m a whacko. That’s ok. This whacko didn’t have to pay for Veternarian office visits, 2 surgeries, and have to administer a drug to her pets that will in the long run make matters worse.
My 3 dogs: Zima, Sissy, Mocha.
Many of the comments I’ve received from creating websites were heartwarming. Here’s just a few:
“I wish every dog owner would read this. Such valuable information and so interesting how much we and our companions may have in common.”
“I’m reluctant to go to my local vet because every time he opens his mouth I get the impression of a slot machine, and his eyes seem to roll until the $$$ signs appear! (I’m sure I can hear ‘kerch-ing’ like a cash register between every other syllable!) I don’t mind paying the vet if necessary, but maybe you have come across something like this which will spare me the pain of opening my wallet!
“Thanks so much for this page. I will pass it along to everyone I know who owns a dog. Great Job.”
“VERY good information. I don’t think that most of our population knows that natural medicines are powerful medicines without sided effects. Good Job! 5 stars from this Herbalist/Reflexologist.”
“I’ve read over lots of your natural products and I really believe in them. Thanks so much for a wonderful site!”
“I’ve learned so much from many of your lenses. I think God puts people in places at certain times. Thank you for all the info. I am a nurse (LPN) and even though everyone tells me to continue my studies to get an RN I feel the direction I need to be going is towards Natural/Alternative Medicine.”
“Just before leaving Puerto Rico when I was in the Navy a gal gave me her dog Sheeba. When we returned to the States I knew something was wrong when she did not act like her normal bouncy self. Diagnosis: Heartworms! The treatment is harsh, the poor dog went through H E double L after the conventional treatment of strychnine injections to kill the worms! Sheeba lived through it, although we have a few gray hairs over it. Prevention is key! Thanks for all this great info.”
“Fantastic page! Wow! You power packed your lenses with heaps of herbal info! Great products and great structure!”
“I like this page. It is very helpful to people who own or hope to own a dog. I have a dog a Samoyed, and she is getting older and as a result some ailments have arrived. I don’t think there is a Pdf for Vets or at least one for the public to use, and this is a great step in that direction. Thank You.”
“You truly are a lady on a mission and led by God. You planted He watered and you have grown and continue to grow. You persevered and I will continue to cheer you on as you grow and grow. May God Bless You!!”
“I’ve noticed that you have written a number of high quality pages. I own a number of websites am and always looking for quality content. Would you be interested in making content for a flat fee? If you are interested, contact me at ****** with the rates you would charge for your service. Thank you for your time.”
“Wow I had no idea! You think you just take your pet and they give them what they need and that’s it. I’m glad you opened my eyes to this!”
“Great great great info – my rat terrier is on prednisone, and has gained weight like crazy. He’s got a nasty cough that the vet has never figured out. Thank you for the tips!”
“I have to say you have a great page here! I like many other people trust their vets for sound advice, but now I’m starting to really wonder. Thank you so much!”
“Our youngest dog has had arthritis since she was a puppy. It is really bad now. Thank you for this page. I will be referring back to it after our vet appointment next week. You’ve been a big help.”
“Excellent Page packed with a ton of good info. You are also one of my favorites. I agree with you that Organic Medicinal Herbs are nature’s perfect medicine.”
“Thanks for the info on skin problems, my dog has been itching this summer and I think it could be allergies.”
“Great page. Love your honesty and integrity. Look forward to reading more of your pages when I have time.”
“Thanks for the great page. My stomach has been giving me problems so my humans and doc took me off Rimadyl and then starved me for a day (hey, can I help it if they don’t like the way I decorate their carpets 
Didn’t know Rimadyl was so bad…that’s ruff. Still not feelin’ great, but getting there. Your buddy, Shilo”
“Thanks for posting. I love my dogs and don’t want anything harm happens to them. Thank God I read this.”
“Came over to this page about giving dogs being in pain and giving them aspirin and what the side effects are. Thank God for your lens! You hear so much about canine genetic makeup being so much like man’s – that you almost start to believe that if we can take it…..they can too. Your page is a life-saver! Thank You!”
“Thanks for taking the time to put this together! This is a wonderful page filled with useful information.”
“Great page. I had no idea and never really thought about the different meds my vet used, but I will now! I have 3 dogs and 3 cats. They are my children. Thanks for the heads-up. 5 stars on this 1. Stumbled it, tweeted it, and added it to favorites too 
) Excellent!!”
“How I wish I should have read this earlier. My son’s dog died because of a medicine side effect. His pet was just a few month’s old and the effects must have triggered fast. Anyway, you have put a very useful information here that people will be more aware of what medicine to give their dog. 5 stars ”
“Your page truly tells the story of your love for animals. I can sincerely appreciate it; have a Shih Tzu hanging on to life with congestive heart failure. Thank you for sharing this with everyone!”
“Excellent page! Very educating and very well put together. We have a dog so we are all very happy to learn something about side medicine of pet medicine. My parrot (she is in heaven) was on prednisone for 3 years. It was the only medicine the vet said would help her insulinoma. I will never give prednisone to a pet again. It did some horrible things to her. This is a great topic with so much information.”
“It’s scarry. I trust my doctor and I trust my vet. I’m starting to think that trust is misplaced. Great page, Lizzy.”
“One of the best I read. You speak from the heart and deserve all the best.”
“Great page! We own a dog so appreciate all the information about the diseases they might get and how to cure them. So this page about arthritis is no exception!”
“I think you are a great specialist. You are on the right way, good job.”
“My vet diagnosed my dog with autoimmune disease based on physical symptoms since I couldn’t afford the $200 blood test. Symptoms included: recurring conjunctivitis, rectal itching, infection between same two toes of back foot, continued yeast infection in both ears, itching around mouth. So he put him on prednisone – 10mg a day. About 5 months ago I noticed hair on both flanks turning to stubble, first on one side in small area and growing to cover both flanks, a strip of hair about 1 inch wide gone on belly, itching on mouth and rectum returning, grey goup coming back from 1 eye, and yeast infection never did go away or lessen. Also this past July he had another terrible episode of what the vet thought to be a viral infection that nearly cost him his life. I want to take him off prednisone after reading the side effects, and realizing that the viral infection could possibly have happened because the prednisone suppressed his immune system. I too am forever in love with my Lord and Savior Jesus! I am believing God for Dante’s total healing. I simply cannot lose my boy — I just can’t.”
“Very informative! Thanks for sharing! One of my dogs died of a wrong medicine. This is just very helpful!”
“My yorkie has been having grand mal seizure for over a year. My vet put him on phenobarbitol 1 time a day. I’m going to try some of the natural ways to see if they help him.”
“I do not currently have a pet, but this all makes so much sense! It is very similar to the problems of side effects in the medicines we take for ourselves. What’s the sense of taking something to fix one thing but causes so many other problems? We try to make 1 think well while weaking other areas that were healthy? We need to make sure that whatever we use, for our pets and ourselves, makes the whole body stronger.”
“Great information. We have a 9 year old golden that’s getting a little stiff and looking into adopting a 5 year old golden with elbow dysplasia. Just the info I was looking for.”