A pet can be your very best friend. Owning a pet is also a very big responsibility. This is a difficult article for me to write. Daisy, my little best friend is in the hospital, a very sick little puppy. Even though I have always tried my best to be careful and responsible for my pets, I have learned that even a little mistake can cause a great deal of sadness and worry. This week I'm going to share Daisy's story. If you own a pet, or are hoping for one in the future, maybe this will help keep your little friend healthy and safe.

Daisy is a seven month old poi dog. Here in Hawaii a poi dog is a dog of mixed breed. Our Daisy (we believe) is a mixture of Golden Lab, German Shepard and Husky. She was born a wild pup, in the Hawaiian rainforest. When Daisy was a few weeks old she was found in the forest by hunters. By luck or by chance she was passed on to my son Zachary and she became our little girl.

Even though Daisy became an indoor dog, she always had a streak of the wild dog in her. Full of energy and life, she made sure we knew she was the boss. Most of all Daisy loves to eat, and she will eat anything! Her favorite treats are fruits and vegetables. Daisy also loves shoes, and we have to keep them out of reach or she will chew them to pieces. We took good care of our Daisy every way we knew how

One morning just about two weeks ago my husband Robert and I decided to get away from the computers and experience some nature. We drove to a beautiful nature trail and spent an hour in the rainforest. The path was a bit muddy with a lot of squashed guava underfoot, the scenery was so nice we didn't let that bother us.

What we didn't know was that in this beautiful place was a deadly disease which we carried home on the bottoms of our shoes. Almost immediately after we arrived home, Daisy grabbed my shoe and started licking the bottoms, guava is one of her favorite fruits. Within a few days she was very ill. We couldn't understand how she had become so sick. We make sure she has everything she needs. She never goes outside, and no other ill dogs have been around her. It was only when the test results suggested that she had a disease, Leptospirosis did we begin to understand what had happened. We had brought the disease home on our shoes.

Daisy still isn't doing well but is getting the best care in the hospital. We have been told it is amazing she has made it at all. She's our little mountain dog, with a lot of fight in her. We are hoping for the best, of course, but it's up to Daisy now. It's been a difficult lesson in responsibility for our family. To help you avoid accidents and illness with your pet I've found some resources to provide the best care for your best friend.

Vaccinations - the best prevention.

Dog Medicine at The Mining Company.

Cat Medicine at The Mining Company.

Guinea Pig Medicine at The Mining Company.

Hamster Medicine at The Mining Company.

Rabbit Medicine at The Mining Company.

Cat Care at the Mining Company.

Choosing and Caring for Your New Cat.

American Animal Hospital Association.

Choosing the Right Dog.

Best Friend Games.

Special First Aid for Pets.

What You Should Know About Ticks.

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