Just Hangin' Out

Melody decided to spend some quality nap time with Sparky today. He's been pretty bummed out since he can't do his normal daily routine - at least until his knee heals. Just outside the picture on the couches are Quincy and Holly, making it a full living room of blondes!

Hank

A former Kentucky boy, Hank was very surprised to hear that there is sun in San Diego, and today he spent as much time as he could following the sunbeams around. Here he is rolling around on the bench in the kitty room. It's a wonderful day to be a kitten!

A Sparky Update

While Sparky's front leg is healing well, and his knee is healing slowly, we had another blow to his health yesterday ~ he had a little cough as he walked in to work with me, and an x-ray revealed fluid in his lungs. Uh oh. Then an ultrasound of his heart found the cause ~ a tumor in his chest. Big uh oh.

We did a procedure called a thoracocentesis, in which a needle is inserted into the chest cavity and fluid is drained off. After 850 ml's were drained off (a little over a quart) he was feeling much better. And he sat through all the work-up and procedures like a perfect gentleman! An analysis of the fluid we drained from his chest is pending, as it may reveal what type of tumor this is.

Today he saw our holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin, both to work on his orthopedic issues and deal with his newly diagnosed cancer. He received a chiropractic treatment and energy work, and will be starting some Chinese herbs and nutraceuticals and vitamins to help support his body. Healing Touch, Reiki and a fresh, whole food diet are also in store for him. In the picture above, he's outside in his favorite spot, on a blanket, where he can watch everything going on. The yellow rope handles belong to the sling that I use to assist him as he walks ~ 80lbs is a lot of dog to lift! I'll post updates on the blog, and hope that you will keep him in your thoughts!

Sparky

Poor Sparky! As arthritic as he is, it doesn't take much to cause him trouble. Whether he tried to get up wrong, or too fast, or another dog ran into him we'll never know for sure, but what we do know ~ Sparky has torn a ligament in one of his knees. In addition, the "wrist" of the opposite front leg has been strained too. The result is an 80lb dog with two gimp legs.

Not a super great way to start out the new year.

Sparky saw our orthopedic surgeon Dr. Lenehan on Thursday. We took some x-rays and were relieved to see that the injury to his front leg is just that, and not the beginning of a bone tumor - he's just the right age for that to happen. We are weaning him off the Prednisone that he's been taking for his arthritis in the hopes of starting an NSAID such as Previcox or Metacam which he can use long term without the steroid side effects (he's been drinking like crazy - not fun if you can't easily get up to pee!) Our fingers are crossed that his knee will scar down and heal, but that takes 8 weeks to know for sure. All other issues considered, surgery is not our first choice, as his recovery would be very difficult.

Sparky will be seeing Dr. Laflin, our holistic veterinarian, this coming week, for supportive care - acupuncture and Chinese herbs. In the meantime, he's getting the best maid service one could hope for and he's taken up residence in the living room where he can immediately order room service!

2 New Faces

Two cute feline faces joined us over the weekend. Xanadu and Hank came from the Grayson County Humane Society in Kentucky. Their sweet personalities endeared them to the staff, who tried desperately to find them forever homes. It just wasn't meant to happen.

Xan (as his friends call him) had a spinal cord injury at some point in his pre-shelter life, causing him to have bowel troubles and the inability to carry his tail normally. His veterinarians in Kentucky amputated his tail so it was no longer a source of pain or a place for hygiene troubles. He's had to be "cleaned out" more than once under anesthesia, and even had a colectomy (a partial colon removal) to keep everything moving through. He needs daily monitoring to make sure everything works like it's supposed to!

Hank is a Manx by breed, so his troubles are similar to Scooters, with both fecal and urinary incontinence. He doesn't always know when he needs to urinate, so his bladder has to be checked and expressed when needed. His nerve function to his colon is also lacking, so he needs someone to keep an eye on his rear end too!

These 2 have prompted us to consider building a new kitty room in the future, where all those who are incontinent can live worry-free, named of course "Poo Corner".

Ringing In The New Year!

This is how most of the critters are spending New Year's Day ~ napping because it's so windy outside there's not much else to do! This is also how Holly has been spending most of her time since she's been here. If she's not napping on the floor in the living room, then she's sleeping behind the chairs in the living room or on my side of the bed. She's trying to play a little, but isn't sure how to work into the wrestling matches yet.

We wish you the best in 2008!

Caring For Each Other

The friendships that form amongst animals are amazing and we witness unlikely pairs bond frequently. Several of the animals that live here with us have personalities that make it difficult for them to blend into a normal household, age and disabilities aside. MeiLi is one of those critters ~ always preferring to be the "only cat" in most any situation. She hasn't been feeling well the last few days, suffering from a sinus infection.

Today I found Scooter spending a good part of the morning with her, giving her a bath. He stopped every time he saw the camera, so that's why he's just sitting beside her, trying to look like he doesn't care. As soon as the camera disappeared, he went back to work, making sure her whole body received attention. They spent quiet time napping together afterward too. She looked a little better tonight, wanting to get up and eat with the other cats, so that's a good sign (if you can't smell with a stuffed up nose, why eat?)

I'm hoping that the rainstorms coming in a couple of days will help her out. 50mph+ winds are blowing dirt and pollen around today, so the HEPA filters are running to help us all breathe better. But nothing matches the care that Scooter has given MeiLi today. Who would have thought it?

A Balancing Act

As I'm cleaning the kitty room in the house, I often pile up the laundry and move stuff around in order to mop every nook and cranny, because Scooter tends to leak urine everywhere! I couldn't resist stopping to snap this picture of Tara who somehow managed to climb into one of the cubes for a nap while it's perched precariously on top of several other cat beds. I'm not sure how she did it - this pile easily fell over on me when I went to grab it to wash. She's more agile and lightweight than I thought!

A New Bed

MeiLi got a new bed for Christmas. We purchased a heated kitty bed for her as she's often found sitting so close to the space heater it looks like she wants to climb in it! We've tried shirts and sweaters, but clearly I don't share her sense of fashion! The chair with the bed is MeiLi's domain now, but Uno and Poppy are allowed to sneak in it and Scooter's allowed to sit beside her too!

Home For the Holidays!

We have been very blessed with wonderful donations during this holiday season! As a result, we are able to help a couple of more seniors find a warm bed and love. This sweet girl is here with us as a result of your kindness.

Meet Holly (her new name!) who joined us today. She came from the Riverside county's Coachella shelter, where she was turned in at their front counter as a "stray". She'd been at the shelter for almost a month, and her time was almost up (I didn't know that until I read her paperwork once she was home). The shelter staff was free-feeding her to help her gain weight, but she seemed so depressed when I first met her I'm sure she wasn't eating very well. As I first came across her in the kennels, she was curled up in a little ball, trying her best to stay out of the puddle of water inside her run.

Once she was on a leash, in my hands, she transformed into a little old lady with spring in her step and she ran out of the shelter door, never looking back! This afternoon, she received the "Four B's" - bath, brush, blow dry, and biscuits - and loved them all. She's an incredibly sweet love sponge, who craves constant touch by humans. All of the other dogs have welcomed her, and enjoy the extra biscuits that have come as a result of her moving in.

Thank you for giving us the opportunity to provide Holly with the warm bed and love she deserves!

Quincy's Favorite Present...

From the early Christmas we had yesterday is the fuzzy snowman. He loves to carry a fuzzy toy around and sleeps with it too until someone tries to steal it away!Spending the day with his fuzzy wears him out though, as you can see, he needs a nap after a hard day of fuzzy play!

Christmas Came Early...

When our Girl Scout friends visited today. They asked to bring a few presents for the animals, which I gratefully said "yes" to. I had no idea what they had in mind ~ large bags of dog and cat food, cat toys, dog toys, hay for Roger rabbit and so much more! It was so wonderful and so overwhelming ~ we can feed the dogs for over a month and the cats for a couple of months!

Favorites for the dogs include the kong toys with treats inside, the rawhide candy canes, and the biscuits! The cats really enjoyed new flavors of canned food and the catnip mice too. Roger dined on timothy hay and he and the goats and horses enjoyed celery sticks. Roger also has new chew toys. Sparky was the official dog-in-charge of treat distribution!

Thank you girls, you have made Christmas extra special!

Poppy's Tummy Troubles...

Continue. He responded somewhat to the new medication trial, but the "miracle cure" we were hoping for just didn't happen. His medication has been changed to continue the new steroid Budesonide, but also adds in Leukeran, a chemotherapeutic-type drug to suppress his immune system, and Metronidazole, an antibiotic used quite a bit for intestinal infections. We'll also be consulting with our holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin for her input as well. With any luck, maybe we can avoid the heavy-duty medications with the help of homeopathy or herbs!

Don't Bug Me...

I'm napping! Pepper was the first one to the tallest cat tree after breakfast, the one with the best view and best bed! She's getting along well with the other kitties, and as long as they agree she gets this particular spot for napping, all remains well!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Here's wishing you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving Holiday!

Stacy & Steve & the Animals

The Website...

Has been updated with a fresh look, including better colors and fonts. There is also more information on visiting and volunteering with the animals, plus an updated wish list!

Animal Updates...

Poppy's biopsy results came in ~ he has a moderate/severe case of IBD. Since he no longer responds to Prednisolone, our Internist Dr. Slusser has prescribed a newer steroid called Budesonide. The good side - fewer side effects. The down side - it's pretty expensive, since it has to be formulated by a veterinary compounding pharmacy. We should see some improvement in his symptoms a few days in to treatment, which will last a minimum of 2 weeks.

Scooter is also on a new medication called Cisapride, which helps the GI tract "move along" like it's supposed to, hopefully keeping him from future bowel troubles. This is as a result of his passing stool that was almost as large as he is! He has the potential for developing a condition called megacolon in which the colon becomes static and no longer moves stool through normally. Cisapride also must be formulated by the compounding pharmacy, since it's no longer available (it was originally a human medication).

Mel & Ernie died this week. They bravely fought coyotes that came into the yard, something we haven't had for well over 2 years now; the fires must have disrupted our local ecosystem. They gave their lives to do their job, protect the goats. The goats are doing okay, keeping close to the horses for extra protection. They will be buried in our memorial garden, as is every animal who comes through our door.

Poor Leonard!

Leonard must have had a way to up-close meeting with a spider or bee today, hence the swollen eye! He wasn't very happy about my photographing it, or even medicating him for it for that matter. A quick call to our internist got the correct medication dosages for him ~ with his heart condition, we have to be careful! His cocktail of medication - a small dose of steroids, Benedryl, and Lasix to counteract any side effects of the steroid. By tonight, the swelling had gone down a little bit. He still may get an abscess, but we'll also start antibiotics just to be on the safe side.

Poppy Has An Endoscopy...

And feels incredibly sorry for himself afterward! He's been losing weight and having trouble with diarrhea and gas pains. The steroid injections and diet changes worked for a few months, but seemed to lose their effectiveness. He had an abdominal ultrasound a couple of weeks ago, which was pretty boring (that's good!) and had a fecal culture done too. With all tests negative and normal, endoscopy became the next step.

An endoscopy for cats (and dogs) is done the same as it is for people, under general anesthesia. A flexible endoscope is passed first down the esophagus, looking at the first part of the digestive tract; then, kitty is turned around and the scope goes the other direction! Biopsies are taken along the way in both directions. They've been sent out for a pathologist to read and we should have results by Wednesday.

Poppy hated not having breakfast, and he didn't find an enema much fun either. The pictures were taken after the procedure, when he was awake but probably seeing double, and definitely when he felt sorry for himself! He was a good patient, and spent much of the day hiding under the towels in his cage. I think he was worried we'd come up with other ideas for torture!

All Is Well...

This morning. We have almost no wind this morning, and very little ash overnight, compared to previous nights. That makes it much easier to keep the water clear for horses, goats and geese ~ who wants to drink ash-flavored water?

The animals are returning to more of their regular routines; the air is still smokey but not as bad as it has been, so more kitties are spending some time outside again. The dogs are anxious to spend time outside too, since wonderful new smells have blown in!

Our local feed store is open today, as is our market, so if our evacuation orders are not lifted, at least we can pick-up the fly spray, grain and can cat food we need. As you can see above, Scooter's back to napping outside again!

It's Quiet This Evening...

And we're very grateful! All is still calm on our end of town, and our fingers remain crossed that nothing decides to flare overnight. Here are some photos of our view. You'll notice the shade for the geese is blown down and trash and trash cans are well-scattered. Hopefully it will stay calm as the Santa Ana winds die down and we can start cleaning up a little!

Things are improving, but we're still under evacuation orders, so we can travel the roads, even leave to go into Escondido, but we can't get back home again. So here we sit, patiently, just a little longer, hoping we can restock cat food and horse grain soon!

It's A New Day!

The new morning brings a new opportunity for firefighters to get a handle on all of the fires in San Diego. The fires closest to us are starting to merge, creating a huge fire line. Fortunately, it is still on the outskirts of town. Unfortunately, the quiet winds we had yesterday evening and overnight are now picking up speed again. Sounds like one of those "I've got good news & bad news" situations!

The animals are doing well. The cats have all been let back out into their play yards after I washed and watered them down. The goats and geese and horses are all doing well also. Our biggest chore is keeping clean water available because of the blowing dirt and ash. Inside, the dogs are napping after spending the night watching the latest "visitor" to the household - our neighbor's bunny, who's not quite sure what to make of the situation!

4pm Fire Update

We are doing great this afternoon! The fire to our north is not in town at this point, and the winds have calmed, even stopping for the first time in 2 days. While we have a heavy blanket of smoke to deal with (less than 100 ft. visability), we still have our water & electricity & phone service, so who can complain??

The animals are doing pretty well through this situation. They of course picked up on our stress, but seem to understand the need to just play it cool for a while. The dogs are napping, disappointed they can't go investigate the new smells in the backyard. The cats are wondering why they're locked into their rooms, but aren't complaining too much! The goats & horses are enjoying munching on the leaves that blew into their yards, and the geese are surprisingly quiet! Those with asthma & heart conditions are taking it all in stride.

All is quiet and smokey for now. Roads are closed in to Valley Center, so if we leave, we can't get back in at this point, which won't be a problem until Thursday, when our can cat food supply will be running low. Thank you for all of your support!!

Rapidly Changing Circumstances

We now have a fire on the Indian Reservations slightly to our north and east of us which has caused part of our town to evacuate as in the fires of 2003. Fingers crossed!

We will be here as long as is safely possible. We're fortunate because the power is still on at this point.

Since we still have phone & internet, we can keep updated on changing conditions. Also, we have found our Ham radio network to be invaluable. If you're not a "ham" it's not hard to do and a great way to communicate!

Fire Update

Thank you for your prayers and blessings ~ for the time being, the sanctuary is safe. Winds around us changed to blow from the due east instead of the northeast. However, 4 new fires are being reported in our county, and 2 of them are in the northern portion of the county, where we're located. The link at http://www.sandiegocountyemergency.com/ is pretty up-to-date with fire information.

Steve & I are both at home (with freeways closed) and cat carriers are in every room. All kitties are confined in their rooms for ease of catching them quickly if needed. Our motorhome is loaded with all of the "people stuff" so we can concentrate on the animals should we need to evacuate.

Your offers of help are greatly appreciated & we will let you know if they are needed!

Holy Smoke.....

October often brings "Santa Ana" winds to us ~ dry, hot winds often 40mph or more. We expect it every year... but not this.

This is the view off our patio this Monday morning. There are 7 wildfires burning in San Diego county and they encompass the whole county. We were close to evacuating last night, as one of the fires was headed our way, but fortunately made a turn at the San Diego Wild Animal Park to head due east. There are so many starting so quickly, we may not be out of the woods for long.

Today, with wind gusts over 55 mph, our county's in deep trouble - those wonderful air tankers and helicopters can't fly. Uh oh. Now we're at the mercy of the winds. Keep your fingers crossed & say a prayer or two for us!

Our Day in Rancho Bernardo!

Sparky had a wonderful morning in Rancho Bernardo Park at the Dog Walk! He took the job as ambassador seriously as you can see! It was a very, very windy day as the Santa Ana winds picked up and carried many shade covers away. The picture on the top is our display about 8:15 this morning...

The picture below is our display by 9:30... as you can see, the winds really picked up!

Please Join Us On Sunday!

Sparky & I will be at our sanctuary's booth tomorrow, Sunday, at the Rancho Bernardo Park Dog Walk from 8am-noon. Grab a leash, your dog, and visit wonderful doggie vendor displays while supporting a great park. Please join us, Sparky would love extra pets on the head!

The Girl Scouts Are Coming!

Girl Scout Troop 1230 in Carlsbad came out to meet the sanctuary animals today. They have asked to make the sanctuary their service project for this school year as they work toward their Bronze Award. Sparky held the title of "Official Sanctuary Ambassador" and greeted everyone with enthusiasm! While most kitties thought the whole thing too scary, Scooter and MeiLi made sure to say hello, and Roger was most appreciative of the carrots that appeared!

We are truly blessed to have a group of such compassionate individuals who are full of ideas & ways to help the animals befriend us! We look forward to working with a group of girls who can spread enthusiasm and compassion for animals of all ages and types as they go through life!

Waldo's Woes

Poor Waldo, trouble just seems to seek him out! He's been doing pretty well, enjoying life with Marci, Phoenix & Ballou, but the incredibly hot Labor Day weekend brought another life-threatening health issue to light - Waldo has feline asthma. With a dose of Prednisolone, he felt much better; he's been on a reducing schedule of pred. ever since. He's been drug-free for about a week now, and once again the weather changed on him.

The rainstorm making its way through San Diego county today brought enough wind to once again irritate his lungs ~ so back on Pred. he goes, for now. He's in good company, the rain has brought forth the aches and pains of arthritis for Melody, Sparky, Leonard, Pepper and Violet the goat. In typical So. Cal. style, the rain will soon give way to clear skies and much happier critters!

Luna Left Us...

Last night. What a wonderful friend she's been! She helped me care for many who have come through the doors over the last few years. She was my constant shadow from the time she arrived until her last few days when she could no longer get around.

Renal failure is much, much more difficult to manage in dogs than cats. Large volumes of subcutaneous fluids, phosphate binders, and other appropriate medications are used to keep kidneys working as long as possible. In Luna's case, she rallied for about 6 weeks after severe renal failure was diagnosed; then her blood values began to slowly creep up higher and higher and wouldn't decrease again.

Most dogs never leave the hospital, but Luna was able to initially stay on IV fluids with me at work during the day, then stay on fluids at night at home. She didn't have to be hospitalized at all. We then combined subcutaneous fluids, phosphate binders, BUN/creatinine binders, Pepcid, anti-nausea and ulcer medications with acupuncture & Chinese herbs.

As Sanctuary Ambassador, she leaves behind large shoes to fill. As my shadow, there's now an empty spot at my feet as I sit and watch TV in the evening.

Rest in peace, beautiful spirit, we will miss you!

Mister

If you're an 8 year old bunny with medical problems, where do you go to find sanctuary? Here, of course! Mister came to live with us. He has some chronic eye trouble, and is growing some extra lumps with age. His teeth need to be trimmed as many bunnies need to, and he has also lost some weight with his health issues.

He has a wonderful personality and loves to be held and adored! We're introducing him to alfalfa/molasses, which is finely chopped alfalfa covered in molasses which is easy on his teeth. He's also enjoying dried papaya bits, green leaf lettuce, and banana as we introduce healthier bunny foods to him.

Roger Rabbit knows there's a new guy around, but he's okay with it. After all, new treats have appeared too!

Siamese In A Basket

MeiLi found Scooter's travel basket today, and has claimed it as hers! It sits near the air conditioner, so she has one of the coolest spots in the house. As the daytime temperatures are well over 100 degrees this weekend, I think there may be some arguments over who gets this prime napping spot!

How Cute Am I?

Exhausted after an afternoon round of tennis ball playing, Tess can still find time for a photo session. She squishes all of the blankets on the futon into a little ball and either buries herself under them or pushes them aside so she can stretch out.

We just celebrated her 1 year birthday with us too! (The day someone arrives becomes his or her "birthday" we celebrate every year). We look forward to many more!

Luna

I've been slow to post anything on the blog lately because Luna requires some pretty intensive nursing care. She's been having trouble getting around, so we've been waiting anxiously for her next chiropractic visit, but she also developed a cough, so she went for x-rays. Fortunately, nothing showed on x-ray in her chest, but she was placed on antibiotics for 10 days as a "just in case" measure.

A week ago Monday, she had some blood work done, since it had been last checked in May, and she had some kidney disease at that point. It was quite a shock to see that she is now in renal failure, with very high numbers. She spent last week on IV fluids, coming home on fluids at night, and on them during the day with me at work. Rechecking her blood values after 4 days of diuresis, they really hadn't changed much. Not a good sign for the long haul.

She's now on subcutaneous fluids, plus Chinese herbs, plus Pepcid & Carafate & Slippery Elm (for her GI system), Epakitin and Azodyl. She's also on the "whatever you want to eat" diet, since her appetite has decreased. We rechecked her blood work yesterday and it has indeed improved. The 3 primary blood chemistry values looked at in kidney problems, BUN, creatinine, and phosphorus, have all come down.

I'll update the blog as I can with her progress ~ our current battle is the anemia secondary to the kidney issues. It's hit her pretty hard, so she spends most of the day sleeping. While she's enjoying her newly discovered "maid service" the other dogs are most disappointed it only applies to her!

A Snotty Nose, A Tortoise & A Disagreement

What do these all have in common? They've all happened in the past 10 days!

The Snotty Nose - MeiLi's herpes virus has reared its ugly head again. Poor kitty has been on antibiotics, subcutaneous fluids, antihistamines, lysine, and a regular force-feeding schedule to get her feeling better. Cats tend not to eat when they can't smell their food, and that's certainly the case here. I'll update the blog and let you know how she's feeling, for now, she's pretty unhappy when she sees me, aka the "pill-popping, fluid running, force-feeding" person in her life!

The Tortoise - yes, you guessed it, a tortoise has come to live with us! He (I think) is an African Spurred Tortoise and about 5 lbs. He was found cruising our veterinarian's property. We're trying hard to locate his family, with no luck so far. He's a very well-socialized little guy, who is welcome to stay if his family can't be located.

The Disagreement - the tortoise has definitely sparked interest in all of the dogs, old and young, unfortunately so much so that Maverick decided to make him his own and go after anyone found getting too close. So old, slow-poke Sparky was the first to learn of the new "rules"; fortunately Maverick doesn't know how to "fight" well and Sparky has a lot of hair. Sparky received a couple of puncture wounds & Maverick received a "time out"; he now understands the tortoise is not a new toy just for him!

I'm happy to report Scooter's doing well, and his suture removal is planned for this weekend, when I can keep a close eye on him. Marci is doing great too ~ she's now back out with Ballou and friends. Speaking of Ballou, we celebrated his one year birthday with us on Saturday. He got a special canned food treat which he happily shared with his roommates! We're hangin' in there, hoping everything returns to normal and all are feeling better soon!

Sutures & A Late Night...

For Scooter (& me!). Scooter suffered yet another rectal prolapse tonight. When I knew that I couldn't reduce it alone, I asked our general practitioner Dr. Booman for help. She "put everything back" and then placed a pursestring suture, designed to close up an opening. This was truly the worst episode he's had, and it required a light anesthetic so he was "loopy" enough for us to put everything back in place. A light anesthetic kept Scooter from pushing against us (and his colon) & he's recovering well tonight as I write this.

For Scooter, the pursestring's purpose is to help keep his colon on the inside while all swelling subsides and the motility in his gut returns to normal (for him!). And once again we try to figure out what diet & medication combo will prevent future episodes. (Sigh) It's been a tough road for this little guy!

A Close Call For Marci...

Marci gave us quite a scare last night. She's been doing very well living with Phoenix, Ballou & Waldo in the "House of Ballou", our newest kitty room & yard. Last night's feeding time found her reluctant to come in for dinner. Handling her caused her to pant.

Unsure of the reason behind her difficulty breathing, into the house she went, where she went into a crate with a fan blowing nearby, both to cool if needed & circulate air to make breathing a little easier. She also received a large dose of lactulose (stool softener) and subcutaneous fluids to make sure all systems were working well. A little Healing Touch for Animals and flower essences were used too.

It was a long night, but the dogs sat up with me to keep an eye on her, and around 1am, Marci decided she felt a little better and nibbled at some baby food. She also used her litter box - a good sign! This morning, she was no longer breathing hard, but was at the door of her crate demanding breakfast ~ yeah!

I'm not sure exactly what the cause of this "episode" was, but Marci's feeling back to normal now and wants to play. She'll be living at the house with Scooter & friends for a while until we make sure everything stays cool!

Mel & Ernie...

Get their own yard! These two guys were "hired" to provide protection for the goats and warn of predators. Unfortunately, one of their favorite hobbies is herding the goats. Fun for them, but goaties really didn't find it entertaining; this often meant confining them just to give the goats a break. So, we made the decision to move them beside the goats, giving them their own space, but still leaving them in a prime guard goose location.

They have a 6'x10' shaded "goose" run for cleaning time confinement & afternoon shade, 2 large pools for swimming (and yes, they will often share the same one), a "goose house" for shelter, and a 12'x32' yard to play in.

Now the geese can patrol and the goaties can nap in peace!

Melody vs. the Purple Bucket

Melody thought that wrestling the purple bucket this afternoon may lead to dinner being served quicker. It backfired, since I had to grab the camera and take pictures!

The House of Ballou

Finally, here are some pictures of the "House of Ballou" ~ named of course, for our beautiful Ballou, who really wanted a yard to play in. It's been about 3 weeks now, and he, Phoenix, Marci and Waldo are having a great time! The landscape is a little bleak right now since it's so warm, but they have oak trees for shade and a picnic table with benches too.
I didn't get any pictures of the inside yet, but what other color would you paint it but blue? Because this foursome is able-bodied, we installed ramps inside so they can sit above the window or sleep in the upstairs "bunk". Feeding time involves Ballou eating outside, Waldo inside with the 2 girls inside in crates so they each eat only one meal.

Their yard runs alongside the horse pasture, so our horses can grudgingly watch the cats get fed first!

His Big Heart...

Is getting bigger. Oh Austin! I went out to feed the Cabana kitties this morning, and began to count heads, and came up one short. Uh oh. The search was on to find Austin, who was "missing in action" from the breakfast brigade. I found him, laying in the yard, in the sprinklers. Uh oh...

After a hurried serving of breakfast, a quick search for the "big carrier" (he's no tiny boy) he was off with me to work. This is when my profession comes in handy, as does the generosity of the veterinarians I work with. Dr. Slusser, our Internist & Dr. Farrell his associate, both looked at Austin. We did some bloodwork and a urinalysis, which all looked pretty good.

Nothing explained his sudden change. Until we did an ultrasound of his heart. We know that Austin has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) which is why he's with us. In the back of my mind is the fact that someday, he will be in heart failure as a natural progression of his disease. I did not ever guess it would be so soon. While most of his heart hadn't changed much from the ultrasound of October 2006, his left atrium is now huge. He's on the "brink" of left-sided heart failure.

He now has a new medication regime - one that I'm sure many human heart patients can appreciate. He is taking Enalapril (an ACE inhibitor) twice a day, Diltiazem (a calcium channel blocker) once a day, a small amount of baby aspirin twice a week (to prevent blood clots), and now Lasix (a diuretic) every other day. He'll also be on Clavamox, an antibiotic, for a week just to cover all bases.

I haven't broken the news to him yet, but he also now will need monthly bloodwork for a while to monitor his kidney values, thanks to the addition of Lasix. I'll post updates on the blog as we go along and let you know how he does ~ for now, tonight, after a dose of Lasix, he feels good enough to have dinner and cruise the yard. Whew!

A Tired Scooter & Luna

Want to thank everyone they met for the love and pets they received at the San Diego County Fair today! We had an overwhelming crowd of people of all ages who met myself, Sandra our Treasurer, Luna, Scooter and Jake (Sandra's Aussie).

It was a wonderful opportunity to educate the public about the joys of older and disabled pets and tips for living with them. What a wonderful day!

Watch For Us At The Fair!

Saturday, June 16, please join us at the San Diego County Fair. Scooter and Luna will be graciously accepting hugs and pets, and we will be distributing information about the sanctuary and about caring for senior pets.

We will be in the Wyland building all day ~ we look forward to seeing you there!

Luna & Her Kidneys

Luna has been slowly dropping a little weight again, so we checked her labwork to make sure her thyroid level's holding. Well she surprised us with a major change in her kidney values. She's headed toward kidney failure, with elevated BUN and Creatinine levels. She's also anemic, which goes hand-in-hand with kidney disease.

So Dr. Laflin, our holistic veterinarian, and Dr. Booman, our general practitioner, have developed at treatment plan for her. She will start receiving subcutaneous fluids twice a week, a B vitamin/iron supplement, and Chinese herbs to support her kidneys. Her bloodwork will be monitored closely for changes too.

This certainly won't slow down her public appearances this summer ~ she won't turn away from the opportunity for treats and pets!