In Or Out?

Here's where two hard-heads meet. Pepper wants outside, Rocky wants inside. This provided quite a stand-off for what seemed like an eternity, until Rocky finally abided by the "ladies first" rule. (What you can't see ~ the main door was open the entire time!)

The Graduate

Here's a picture of Tess at her graduation from her obedience class. She's not only proud of her diploma, but she really liked the biscuit that came with it too! Now that class is over, she's still looking for things to do on weekends, so we've started agility training.

Here she is learning to go through a tunnel, which at first she thought was very scary...

And here she and I are navigating the weave poles.

She goes pretty quickly even on 3 legs (much faster than me!)

Happy Thanksgiving!

From all of us here, we wish you and your families, including your furkids, a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

We count our blessings everyday ~ the wonderful animals that live with us, the celebration of life and spirit that surrounds us, our family, and especially you who believe in a safe haven for all critters, no matter how fast they walk or run, or how many teeth they have left, or how much hair they have.

Thank you for caring, we couldn't do it without your help!

Meet Lily!

Lily came from a litter of kittens a private rescuer was fostering in Santee. She was the only tailess kitten, and the only one with urinary and fecal incontinence too - a definite problem in trying to find her a forever home. So, when asked if we could take her in, how could we say "no" to this cute face? She's been with us for a little while now, and has definitely won over all of our hearts!

We're working on finding a diet and medication combination that will work for her. She's sharing Scooter's prescription I/D (much to his dismay!) and so far, it seems to be helping; she's happy to have fewer baths during the day. She's very sweet and also pretty darned opinionated too. We don't know what other problems she may have, so we'll be watching her closely, and I'm sure she'll have lots to say about that!

We're Back Online!

With some patience and tech support on the phone, finally, the "blue screen of death" is gone and it's back to blogging! So it's time to catch-up with what's happening here at the sanctuary...

The Rancho Bernardo Park Dog Walk event not only gave us the opportunity to receive donations, spread the word about the sanctuary and hospice care, but also put us in contact with a North County Times reporter who wrote up a little about us; you can read the story here ~
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/11/09/news/inland/vc/20_34_5511_8_06.txt

We had one "reporter" day and one "photo" day, so the critters were really excited to have so much attention from visitors!

Watch For Us This Weekend!

Looking for something fun to do with your dog this weekend? Why not take a walk - a Dog Walk, at Rancho Bernardo Park. They are holding their annual dog walk fundraiser this Sunday, from 8am-noon.

There are many rescues and vendors who will be there too - including us! Stop by and say hi to Luna, or pick-up information about animal care and animal hospice, or even sign-up to volunteer.

We look forward to seeing you!

Time To Catch Up...

It's hard to believe so much time has gone by since I last wrote anything about the sanctuary happenings. Now it's time to bring you up to date:

Bob was neutered almost 2 weeks ago. The picture above was taken before surgery (when he's still happy!). He's healing very well!

Waldo is in the small crate, he went to see Dr. Booman the same day for a recheck of his mouth. We're still struggling with getting him to eat. I've been syringe feeding him twice a day, but he's having trouble swallowing. He's on a heavy-duty medication and supplement regime in the hopes his mouth will heal very soon. He's now spending his days in the Cabana with Leonard and friends, which he really enjoys.

Roger Rabbit

Meet Roger Rabbit. He's darn lucky to be here. Remember the last hot spell we had? Well, this poor guy was out back in a cage in at a local feed store basically left to die. As they were trying to sell beautiful tan and grey lops, this guy sat at the back, in a dirty cage, not even under the shade. Who wants an overheated, urine-soaked rabbit? No second thoughts, I "bargained" for his life at a measly $5, hauled buns (pun intended) out of there to get him cooled down, and called animal control; the store got a visit from them, and many of their animals are now gone (yeah!).

He's been with us for a couple of weeks now, gradually starting to trust us, really enjoying fresh produce and fresh hay. He's learning about playing, he loves the dogs and the cats, and as he's shedding out his coat, he's becoming a beautiful grey chinchilla color. He's a real sweetheart, and I'm happy he got a second chance at life!

Wrestle Mania

TV is not the only place you can catch wrestling - I tried to catch these three during their morning wrestling match, but of course they had to stop and look at the camera! Part of the morning and evening routines include a post-meal wrestling match for Maverick, Melody, and Tess. Generally, one is on the ground, upside down, while the other two are tugging on legs or ears. Then they switch, and the game continues until naptime. Hulk Hogan - look out!

Tess Goes To School!

Tess & I started Basic Obedience class today with our favorite trainer Liz Palika of Kindred Spirits Dog Training. Tess was a little unsure of the car ride at first (after all, she did go by herself) but then became very excited when she saw dogs of all shapes and sizes ready to play - at least that's what she thought!

Today was an introductory day, so most of our time was spent sitting and listening (or trying to in a class of 25 excited dogs or so!) We then worked on the "sit" command and did some more talking afterward. Obedience in a group class is an important step in the overall socializing and training process for Tess as she works toward her career as sanctuary ambassador. This last picture is a tired Tess on her way home, where she took an even longer nap!

Where's Waldo?

Sleeping ~ at least for the next couple of days. Waldo went to TriCity Veterinary Clinic yesterday and had a dental. Not just a simple clean and polish, Waldo had all of his teeth removed (yes, every last one!) to effect a cure of his dental troubles. Waldo has all of the symptoms of Lymphocytic-Plasmacytic Gingivitis Stomatitis, in which the body becomes allergic to the plaque around the teeth. You can find more information (and pictures) of it here. Waldo has a very severe case of it - his gums were swollen and his mouth not only had ulcers in the back of it, but on his tongue, causing difficulty eating and swallowing. There was a very poor prognosis when 3 weeks after a steroid injection and antibiotics, all symptoms returned worse than before.

Waldo's spending the next few days with some really good pain medication, a quiet carrier to sleep in, and all of the baby food he'll let me feed him by syringe. He will be on antibiotics for several weeks until his gums are healed too. This picture shows the "recovery ward" with Waldo sleeping behind the towel-covered door. The empty crate next to him is Scooter's dining hall, and dog toy basket is on the other side.

Dental procedure: $263.70 ~ Pain-free life for Waldo: Priceless!!

TV Kitty

MeiLi has found a new location to spend the day - it's clean, free of dogs, and gives her a great perspective on what's going on in the house. The TV! Though I'm not sure why she's watching a Christmas movie (it's way to early to think about that!) she spent most of her morning sleeping up there. I'm hoping she doesn't fall off - that would be a rude awakening! Her favorite part of her new location - she's right by the front door, so she's almost at eye level with anyone walking in. It's quite a surprise the first time she meows at you!

Friends Come In All Sizes

It took some time, but Waldo's finally come to accept there are dogs in his life now. He's even taken to snuggling up with them at naptime too. Here he is with Luna while he waits for breakfast - she doesn't mind, she makes sure that all the canned food is completely cleaned up!
Waldo went to TriCity Veterinary Clinic yesterday to see Dr. Porte. We talked about the best way to deal with his ouchy mouth problems. On Tuesday, Waldo will go in to have his teeth pulled and the growth in his mouth will be evaluated and biopsied. Mouth problems such as his are often remedied by pulling all the teeth, as the body "attacks" them. Aside from "gumming" his food afterward, he should do just fine, without the constant need for steroids. Dr. Porte will also be able to get a close-up look at everything going on in Waldo's mouth without poor Waldo being awake for it!

Vet Day!

Today was vet day for Melody, Tess, and Waldo. The "crew" and I went to see Dr. Booman, our primary care vet. Tess had a rabies vaccination so she can be licensed, and Dr. Booman had the chance to thoroughly look at her deformity. After her physical exam, she determined that Tess is perfectly healthy and shouldn't have any trouble with her leg!

Melody had blood drawn to check her Phenobarbitol blood levels. While Melody thought it was quite unfair she had blood drawn, I thought it was important to make sure she's on an appropriate medication dose for her epilepsy!

Waldo thought it was completely ridiculous to ride in the car with dogs! He had initially responded quite well to the steroid injection, so today was a recheck. We were very sad to see that, while most of his mouth looks good, he has a growth about the size of a kidney bean under his tongue. It may be just irritated gum tissue, worst case scenario is cancer. The most common form of oral cancer is squamous cell carcinoma, which has no treatments that offer a cure. Cancer may have reared its ugly head yet again...

Dr. Booman also found a growth in one eye that may be a tumor too, we have to watch it closely. At his first exam, it just looked like a little color change. The borders of his ears have started to change since he's been with us, so I asked her to look at them too. With pigment changes and small areas of skin starting to disintegrate, Dr. Booman feels it's probably vasculitis, a lack of circulation to the affected area.

Waldo is now in our "Pawspice" care (animal hospice) program. We will provide palliative care to keep him comfortable and make his remaining "golden days" as happy as possible! If you would like to learn more about pawspice care, please click here.

New Friendships

It hasn't taken long for Tess to make friends with everyone. I was afraid a new dog would be a hard sell for Melody, who can be really ugly in new situations. Tess and Melody became fast friends, as did Tess and Maverick, Quincy and Luna too.

Tess can be found running and playing hard or wrestling after breakfast first with Melody, then when she's worn out, Tess moves on to play chase with Maverick. That continues till he's tired, then she grabs a tennis ball and plays fetch with herself - she tosses the ball in the air and then chases it, which rounds out her morning. The whole cycle repeats itself after dinner - boy I wish I had her energy!

The crates in the picture above are used for feeding Scooter and Waldo, in order to make sure each kitty eats only his meal. Tonight, they got a dinnertime show too!

A New Sweetheart

Meet Nessy (new name Tess), a Border Collie/Retriever mix who just arrived from the Humane Society of Utah, via Stacy's dad and his travels. While she looks pretty normal and happy, she was born with a severe deformity to her left front leg.

The ulna and radius (the forearm of a person) didn't grow down and straight with a paw (or hand) at the end. One bone grew too short with one toe, while the other curved, and a partial paw, with 2 pads and 3 toes rests at the end of it.

The wonderful folks at the Humane Society tried for quite a while to place her with no luck. I gave them suggestions of messageboards and forums to post her story which they did, and while many people thought she was cute, no one wanted a young dog who doesn't look normal. When asked if she could come here, of course we said yes! With some time and training, we hope she'll make a wonderful ambassador for the sanctuary and play an important part in our humane education and pet therapy programs that are in development.

We're calling her "Tess" because it's pretty close to Nessy, and we thought it important to have a name not so close to Loch Ness monster fame. She's really brought new life to the other dogs, because at 18 months old, she's still all puppy, and Border Collies can play all day!

A New Name & New Attitude!

Can you believe this is the same kitty who's in our July 29th post? This is Swope, who is now known as Waldo! He's feeling much better, thank you! His response to steroid treatment is amazing, the hole in his tongue is filling in, and the swelling is down in his gums. He's making up for lost time, eating 1 1/2 cans of food a day. (The "D" word is in his future, but I haven't told him yet!)
In the photo, he's trying out one of the dog beds, and while he doesn't mind dogs, he's certainly not planning on befriending them yet. He enjoys spending a good part of the day out in Shiloh's Yard, a small yard designed for newcomers. His favorite activity ~ anything involving people, as he truly wants nothing more than sit next to anyone who will provide continuous attention!

Can You Find The Kitty In This Photo?

Tara & Uno work hard to open the closet that holds both the blankets and the dog food, each with a different goal. As a matter of fact, it's a daily ritual. If at first you don't succeed ~ well, keep on tryin'. Today proved it ~ Tara enjoyed the blankets while Uno tried hard to unscrew the lid to the dog food. The dog food never opened, and all the blankets were on the floor before all was said and done. But they had fun (and needed a nap afterward!)

A New Way to Support the Sanctuary

There's an easy way you can support the sanctuary animals! We've signed up with GoodSearch.com, which allows the sanctuary to earn while you use their Yahoo powered search engine.

I've been trying it out, and it works very well. Just go to www.goodsearch.com, and in the second box down, type in "Golden Hearts Animal Sanctuary" and click "verify". Then, search away. There is a feature that even allows you to track how much the sanctuary has earned.

Every little bit helps, so please, give it a try, and if you like it, spread the word to your friends and family!

Kitty Update!

A couple of the boys have ongoing medical issues that we're hoping are either resolved or will be soon. Here's a run-down on who we're watching ~

Scooter - this afternoon his purse-string suture was removed, and hopefully his rectal prolapse episodes are over. His medication (Lactulose) has been increased, he's back on a low residue diet (which produces low stool volume), and he's spending a good part of his day in the main house so we can keep a close eye on him.

Leonard - has been slowly dropping some weight. He had lab work done last week and an abdominal ultrasound looking for cancer, hyperthyroidism, or a heart-related cause. His heart looks great, the Atenolol dose he's on is working well. That leaves us with the potential diagnoses of intestinal lymphosarcoma (yuck, don't want that one!) or tapeworms that we haven't seen yet (much easier to fix).
As he's the primary groomer of all cats, we're first eliminating the parasite possibility with a dose of Droncit. Reweighing him in a couple of weeks will determine whether we need to proceed with an endoscopy to look for cancer.

Swope - (still working on his name!) had completely quit eating over the weekend, in spite of the antibiotics and pain meds he was taking for his mouth. We began subcutaneous fluids daily as well as force feeding. After much research, and talking with Dr. Booman, we opted to try a steroid injection, treating him as a stomatitis kitty. This is more of a "shotgun" approach to dealing with the problem, but we felt he just wouldn't do well at this point with anesthesia and the subsequent healing from a biopsy.
He got the injection Tuesday afternoon, and now he's feeling great! He's eating, drinking and feeling much more comfortable. There are potential side effects we have to watch for, but the benefits far outweigh them. If he continues to improve, he'll receive a second injection in a few weeks, then start on oral meds which will taper over the next month. He will also stay on antibiotics to combat infection too.

He's Got A Hearty Appetite...

And a pretty big mouth too! This is Ballou quietly requesting his dinnertime meal (not!) Most of the kitties start asking for dinner about 3:30-4:00 in the afternoon, and dinner is at 6pm, which never changes. I believe they're hoping I forget someday and maybe feed twice!

It took Ballou a whole week to figure out the routine, he chimes in during the early afternoon requests, then like everyone else, waits till later. I still don't have pictures yet of his post-meal bath time, he gets embarrassed easily!

A New Face With An Ouchy Problem!

This sweet face belongs to Swope, a kitty first on the euthanasia list at the Grayson County Humane Society in Kentucky. He arrived in California last week on Monday evening, and I picked him up Tuesday afternoon. This is his first photo opportunity since he's been here.

How'd he get cross-country? Does he know where the cheap gas prices are? Does he have a secret transporter device? Kentucky Beth (there are 2 Beths - 1 in Kentucky, 1 in Florida) and I have been e-mailing back and forth about this guy trying to figure out what's going on with him. I told her if there was ever an opportunity for him to come to California, he'd be welcome here. She found one! It turns out that her family friends Robert and Carla had a direct flight from Nashville to Los Angeles, so Swope packed his bags for a whirl-wind day of adventure! They kept him overnight until we could meet the next day so he could come home to the sanctuary.

Swope has inflamed gum tissue and a tongue ulcer that makes it really difficult to eat. He's a senior citizen by all accounts, with a (low) estimated age of 15 years old. He's had lab work and a cardiac ultrasound since he's been here to make sure it's safe for him to have anesthesia ~ and he can!

He's pretty handsome, isn't he? He's not particularly attached to his name either ~ any ideas for a new name?

Wow It's Warm!

Here's wishing everyone cool summer breezes as the weather continues to heat up across the country. At an unseasonable (and unreasonable) 112 degrees today, I found myself praying to the rain gods while trying hard to keep everyone cool. All critters fared pretty well, with the Cabana kitties getting the worst of the weather (if I just had a fan big enough to cool the entire outdoors!) All of the dogs and most of the Cabana cats received cooling baths this afternoon, and the only complaint came from Hot Rod, who thought that was the dumbest idea I'd ever come up with!

How Can Someone This Cute...

Cause such an uproar that dinner is delayed? (Only by a couple of hours!)

Scooter had a rectal prolapse happen late this afternoon, probably an hour or so before dinner tonight. He had an emergency visit to our veterinarian Dr. Booman (who fortunately was available) and we managed to "put everything back" and put in a purse-string suture. This allows stool to pass, but should keep the bowel inside where it belongs.

Scooter will be on antibiotics and subcutaneous fluids for several days. He's also now moved in to an extra large dog crate in the kitchen (where he spent many days as a kitten) so he can be closely monitored and receive 6 small meals a day (he's hatin' that part!) He'll have to have an x-ray or ultrasound in the next 24 hours to make sure that he doesn't have an intussusception, a serious condition in which the bowel telescopes inside of itself.

We're also discussing surgery for him also. This is, unfortunately, the third time this has happened, and the problem is incrementally worse each time. The surgical fix is an abdominal surgery to go in and actually tack the bowel to the abdominal wall so it physically stays in place. With his deformities, general anesthesia and surgery are an especially big concern. We'll keep you updated as we know more information.

A Boy Named Ballou

This handsome boy, Ballou, arrived late this afternoon after a long journey with his rescuer Beth. Their adventure began very early this morning in Florida ~ yes, Ballou has now traveled coast-to-coast, making friends and racking up those "frequent flyer" miles! Thanks to Beth, the folks at Delta airlines, and Beth's friend Paul, Ballou's adventure to his forever home is now complete.

Ballou looks like pretty much any other handsome black cat you would meet, that is, until you watch him eat. Due to an accident earlier in his life, part of his tongue was amputated, leaving him unable to groom himself or eat mashed up canned food (he needs the can shape so he can grab it to eat it!) His forever home in Florida turned out not to be the case, and Feline Friends has been working hard to place him during the heat of kitten season. When asked if he could live here if they could get him here, I said "Why not?" (Maybe Phoenix would consider grooming him instead of herself!)

He's pretty shy, and I'm sure trying to figure out what the last 24 hours we're all about, so here's a picture of him before he left Florida, contentedly "making biscuits" with his paws. I hope that with some time, he will learn there are many friends here who can help him stay clean!

Visitors!

It was a warm yet exciting afternoon for the animals today. One of our Friends of the Sanctuary stopped by to visit, meet the animals, and best of all, deliver chicken jerky treats! Thank you, D.C., the dogs are still wagging their tails!

Thanks For Your Patience...

Our phone troubles are over and you may now leave a message if you need to!

Phone Troubles...

If you've tried to leave a message for us at the sanctuary over the last several days, we're having phone troubles, which should be resolved by tomorrow. If you call our phone number, it will let you know how to reach us. Thanks for your patience!

Fidelity Leaves Us...

But will forever remain in our hearts. Our "Head Dog in Charge of Cats" lost her battle with kidney failure and chronic sinusitis, and passed away at home last night. She was surrounded by her human, canine, and yes, even some of her feline family. The picture above is one of our last trips to the Del Mar dog beach, where she introduced Luna to the ocean and swimming!

She also leaves behind a large void in the daily sanctuary operations, which now takes 3 dogs to fill ~ Maverick, our Aussie, is now in charge of cats, Luna is Sanctuary Ambassador, and Quincy is in charge of keeping me out of trouble.

This morning, as I went out to care for the Cabana Kitties, I noticed all of the Hibiscus I planted along their yard was blooming ~ proof to me that "Diddle" (her nickname) is still watching over all of us, especially her kitties!

San Diego County Fair Pics

Here, finally, are our pictures from this year's booth at the San Diego County Fair. This was taken before the fair opened on Saturday. We had an excellent location near the entrance to this new building, so Luna, pictured in this photo with me, spent a long weekend as Sanctuary Ambassador. She and I had a 12 hour shift, including the early morning set-up. I really thought she'd be exhausted after such a long day, so Scooter took a bath in preparation to work on Sunday. When Sunday morning came, Luna was at the door, ready to go ~ sorry Scooter, how could I say no? This was a wonderful weekend, with the opportunity to share the sanctuary's purpose, stories of the animals, and to answer questions about special needs animals. To those who we met ~ thank you, it was a pleasure!
Special thanks to Sandra, the sanctuary's treasurer, as she and her Aussie Jake spent almost all day of both days helping out in the booth. As a large wind came through the building on Saturday, she even caught the display before the entire row of booths collapsed! Luna thought Jake was a pretty handsome guy too (he's pictured in the crate taking a nap). Both dogs got to see chinchillas for the first time too, which provided endless entertainment!

Looking For A Weekend Outing?

Stop by and visit Luna on Saturday and Scooter on Sunday at the San Diego County Fair! It's a fun way to stay cool along the coast!

We will post pictures early next week!

Now He's Got A Fan Club!

Scooter expects fan mail any day now! And he tells me he'll read and reply to every letter, signing it "Scooter, GHAS Ambassador". Scooter and I, along with Dr. Booman, our regular veterinarian (and my boss!) hit the road Friday night to do a presentation for a troop of Junior and Senior Girl Scouts in Oceanside. Dr. Booman spoke about animal laws, environmental hazards and careers with animals. I, on the other hand, had laryngitis, so Scooter did most of the talking! We told the girls about the sanctuary and its variety of residents. Scooter demonstrated his charm; they were surprised he doesn't expect sympathy, he just wants to have a chance at life (and to play!), just like all of the animals here.

This is just the start to our educational outreach programs. There may be no living with Scooter, now that he's a star!

Road Trip!

Look for Scooter, Luna and myself at the San Diego County Fair Pet Care Center on Saturday, June 17, and Sunday, June 18.

We are hitting the road to spread the word about the joys of living with senior and handicapped pets, and offer ideas and resources for people who live with pets in their "golden years".

Come by and introduce yourself as you enjoy the 2006 fair!

Healing Touch for Animals

Healing Touch for Animals is incorporated into every animal's wellness program at the sanctuary. What is it? From the website and brochure:

"Healing Touch for Animals® / Komitor Healing Method, Inc. (HTA/KHM) uses bio-field therapies – recognized by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – to integrate, balance and clear the energy body. It works by releasing endorphins to establish a deeper relaxation and state of being, allowing the body to function at a greater level. By allowing muscles to relax, circulation is increased, sending more oxygen, nutrients, and hormones into the body to support healing...HTA/KHM Techniques work on all levels of the body: physical, mental, emotional and spiritual. These techniques allow the animals to come into a deeper instinctual presence and knowing of their body."

It's a wonderful way for all of our residents to relax and work in to daily life here. I, along with Sandra, the sanctuary's Treasurer, were able to attend a Level 2 (of 4 levels) seminar at the beginning of May. We work in class with dogs on day 2, horses on day 3, starting every level with a lecture the first day. The photo above show how happy and relaxed one of the horses was by the end of the day; we saw a whole barn of performance horses snooze as feeding time rolled around at the end of the day! Please visit their website to learn more ~ our animals highly recommend it!

Sweet 16!

Sweet Fidelity turned "Sweet 16" years old a couple of weeks ago, so I thought I'd share a picture of her enjoying her Birthday treat. Every critter gets to enjoy a birthday celebration, with kitties receiving a tuna treat, dogs receiving a grilled chicken treat, and goats enjoying grain. Yes, we even sing "Happy Birthday"!

The day a new resident moves in becomes his or her "birthday"; we feel everyone deserves the chance to be fussed over as we celebrate life and spirit, surrounded with love and treats!

Geez, I Can't Even Get A Nap Around Here...

At least that's what Fidelity says! Fidelity has always been in charge of raising cats, welcoming cats, playing with cats, and everything else cat-related. Here she is trying to take a nap, because at 16 years old, it's okay to do that, when along comes MeiLi wanting to share the bed and nap with her. Maverick actually spends most of his day watching (or quietly trying to herd) MeiLi, giving Fidelity a much deserved break from kitty care.

Time to Catch Up!

It's truly hard to believe June is here, yet the sudden onset of summer weather confirms it! It's time to catch you up on everything that's been going on here at the sanctuary.

Steve & I continue to improve existing structures on the property in order to create comfortable living quarters for our special residents; we do all of the work ourselves, with help from wonderful friends. We also fund it ourselves ~ your donations do indeed go strictly to food, litter, medication, and veterinary services for the animals.

The Kitty Office Staff are enjoying their newly finished office and outdoor enclosure. In order to handle urinary incontinence and the resulting sanitation issues, the room was repainted in bright glossy paint, the carriers used at feeding time and for kitty beds were given a bright coat of paint, and the floor was recovered in an easy-to-clean vinyl. The enclosure was expanded outside, doubling it in size, bringing it up to the house; the kitties have a door and ramp, and can go in and out at their leisure! Now, if I could just get them to take phone messages!

The photos above show the new office, complete with the fish tank (the stand was turned around to make a cat hiding spot), and the armoire keeps all kitty paws out of the computer, printer, and makes sure they won't be sending unauthorized faxes! The crates are used to separate everyone for morning and evening feedings, as they all have different dietary & medication needs. They make great beds too!

Our great hunters Scooter & Marci found a frog lurking around their enclosure last night. They gave chase, so he stopped once there was a chain link fence between them! Drying litter boxes also double as a shield when you're huntin'!

This is MeiLi enjoying the smaller outdoor exercise yard we call "Shiloh's Yard", and enjoying a nap with Steve. We found during her laryngeal exam that she had sinus passages that were incredibly tiny, due to scarring from chronic disease. Her biospy showed evidence of feline herpes virus causing the sinus problems, so at this point she will stay on steroids for inflammation, cyproheptadine (an antihistamine), and chinese herbs to thin mucous and act as an antibacterial agent.

At this point, we know that she has a finite number of comfortable days remaining. She has her own room with a Hepa filter running constantly, she gets plenty of lap time (she likes Steve's the best!) and she's even decided that the dogs are okay. We take it one day at a time, and treasure each of those days!

A Very Busy Week (Or Two!)

It's been pretty busy here lately, so here's one large blog to give you an update to everything!
~ April 28 we welcomed MeiLi, an elderly Siamese from New Beginnings for Animals in Orange County, here into her own room at the sanctuary.

~ My dad has been out to visit and help with projects. He brought his 3 young adult Labs with him; they enjoyed a vacation filled with digging in the dirt and wrestling, while dad's mechanic and construction skills were put to good use! Thanks dad!

~ May 1st was Scooter's 1 year birthday. Happy birthday little one!

~ Yesterday brought exams at the internist for Leonard and MeiLi. Leonard's heart is responding to his medication, so he'll stay at his current dose and have a recheck in 3 months. MeiLi also had an exam. She came to us with a lung cancer diagnosis, so we asked Dr. Slusser to review her records; he wanted to test her for Cryptococcus, a fungal infection to rule it out too.

~ Today we received MeiLi's blood results, which were negative. She's scheduled to have anesthesia next Thursday to have fine needle aspirates and cytology done.

~ Today Luna had an exam and urinalysis. She's started losing bladder control while lying down. She doesn't have a bladder infection, but does have at least 3 vertebrae along her spine which are causing discomfort. She'll have an x-ray next week to see if these are arthritic changes or something more serious. In the meantime, she's taking Rimadyl as an anti-inflammatory medication.

~ Friday through Sunday brings the wonderful opportunity to attend a Level 2 Healing Touch for Animals course in Tucson. This leaves the sanctuary critters in Steve's capable hands. Next week I will have pictures of MeiLi, the Tucson course, and more from the sanctuary!

Leonard Gets His Results

Leonard returned from his cardiac ultrasound appointment today with a diagnosis and some medication! He has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a disease of the heart muscle. His heart has to work harder than it used to; there is no cure, but the condition can be managed with medications designed to help ease the heart's workload. Leonard is starting a medication called Atenolol, which is a beta blocker (just like humans with heart disease!)
Dr. Slusser will be rechecking him every 2 weeks until we get his medication adjusted correctly. It's a good thing Leonard doesn't mind car rides!

Leonard Gets A Check-Up

Today, Leonard saw Dr. Booman for a routine senior check-up (though he doesn't consider himself a senior). He thinks he's just "Sweet 16". He's lost a little weight and he'll need to have his teeth brushed too as he has some gingivitis. His heart rate was slightly elevated even when he was relaxed, plus he had a murmur which was new. So, we decided to run some lab work that includes a thyroid level too. As wonderful as he is, he kept his good nature even during the blood draw, purring the entire time!

Older cats are prone to a couple of disease processes that have an elevated heart rate as one of the symptoms. Hyperthyroidism is very common, as is primary heart disease; the murmur can be a symptom or can be as a result of an elevated heart rate. He has an appointment next Friday with our internist Dr. Slusser for a cardiac ultrasound.

We're hoping for a condition that can be controlled with medication. As you can see in the photo above, he just doesn't have time for much more than that, it would cramp his style! When we got home, he really wanted to patrol the yard and make sure everything was okay, but had to settle for checking all the beds and food bowls inside as it was raining (and rather hard too!) If all goes well and his health is good, we will continue working with him on his pet therapy certification.

Shop, Shop, Shop!

You can now help support the animals and spread the word about the sanctuary with our Golden Hearts gear!

CafePress both produces the items and handles the ordering, payment and shipping process. There's no cost to us, and, for every item sold, the sanctuary makes about $2.

You can find:
~T-shirts
~Sweatshirts
~Dog t-shirts
~Teddy bears
~Tote bags
~Coffee mugs
~and more to come!

Here's the link:
http://www.cafepress.com/ghas

A New Name!

Well finally, we have a new name for the new guy. Thank you for all of your suggestions! We've decided to call him "Bob". He answers with a hearty "baaa" when we're outside and say "Where's Bob?" He's pictured above on a walk stopping to munch on some weeds. He walks on a lead better than many dogs!