Meet Puddin' Pig

Miss Puddin' Pig came to us around July 4 ~ it's taken some time to gain her trust for her photo opportunity! "Piggie" (I know, what an original nickname!) came to us through a referral from the SD Herpetological Society. A strange connection, true, but Piggie was quickly becoming homeless due to divorce. As an older and not well-socialized pig, we all knew that her chance to find a home at the county shelter was slim-to-none.

So, we helped convince her to load in a trailer, and home with us she came. The goats were afraid of her for the first couple of weeks, but have now decided she's okay. She lives next to the goat pasture so she has them for company. She's lost a little weight since she's been here, but probably won't get to the point to play in their pasture since it's on a hillside. We're working to find her a good quality senior diet and joint supplements to keep her in the best of health. As we re-fence the goat pasture this winter, her pen will be redone and expanded too. In the meantime, she's enjoying mudbaths and strawberries, the perfect summer for a pig!

Meet Liberty!

Sweet Liberty (Libby to her friends!) came to us last Wednesday from the county animal shelter. She was turned in by her owner, and unfortunately, due to her medical problems, was set to be euthanized. An animal turned in by his or her owner doesn't get the 'extra' time that a stray does when it enters the shelter.

As it turns out, Liberty does have some arthritis and some eye problems. She also has some chronic skin issues around her eyes and ears too. These are all problems noted also by the shelter staff. What went unnoticed was the strong odor coming from her mouth. Now, I cleaned her eyes, her ears, and removed tarter from her teeth and gave her a bath. Yet the odor remained.

Off to work she went with me today, where we could anesthetize her and get a closer look at her mouth. It turns out that she does have a limited range of motion in her jaw. And then there's the huge clump of foxtails that were lodged behind her last molar ~ ah, the cause of the smell! We removed those and cleaned out her mouth, and our internist Dr. Slusser also made a keen observation as he was looking at her mouth - her eye bulged out as he opened her jaw - a tell-tale sign of a retrobulbar mass, a tumor located behind her eye ~ and the big surprise of the day!

Off to Dr. Steele, the opthamologist at Eye Clinic for Animals, where the area behind her eye and the area behind her molar were explored. We didn't find anymore foxtails, and at this point she will be on a pretty hefty steroid dose and major antibiotics for the next week; then we'll recheck and regroup. Hopefully, the growth is related to a chronic problem from the foxtails, and when it goes away, so will the restricted jaw movement.

Liberty has a 'black eye' tonight after her procedure today. She ate pretty well tonight and is snoozing away! Please keep your fingers crossed for this sweetheart!

Leo Pictures

Here is a new picture of Leo the Lionhearted enjoying his new favorite hobby ~ mealtime! I really think he'd eat non-stop if given the chance. He's a skinny guy under all of that long hair, so he has some missed meals to make up for. You can see his hair is very short on his head and neck, that's where his scabs were from his mange problem. He also has some areas on parts of his feet (from grooming) that are affected too. Everything appears to be healing back in; we'll get the results of a skin scraping that checks for mange mites today, and a fungal culture within the next couple of weeks. Once his mange problem is resolved, we'll move on to do some bloodwork and neuter and rabies vaccinate him too.

Happy July 4!

Here's wishing you and your families a wonderful and safe July 4,

and as always, please keep your critters inside today and don't forget - spay and neuter!

He Has A Guardian Angel...

When I heard the phone message asking for help for this little guy, I said "yes" sight unseen. Labeled "feral" and with a mange-type skin condition, he really didn't stand a chance in the county shelter just before the July 4 weekend. And he wouldn't let anyone handle him either, a huge strike against his chance at a home.

This tough-guy feral cat is really just a sweet old tom cat who can't see because his eyelids are swollen due to the bad skin. He growls and hisses when he hears anything resembling a cage door opening (like his new crate "home" with us) but a few soft words have him quietly waiting for someone to hold him. It looks like he does have mange, which the shelter started to treat and we will continue. His eyes look a little less ouchy today after some antibiotic eye ointment treatments which he easily took to here. He's eating well and enjoys lap time and petting, he even has a pretty good purr motor!

It will take some time to heal all of the wounds from what this guy has gone through. He already looks like a changed cat from the photo you see above (his shelter photo). I hope to post some pictures of him in the next couple of days. I don't know what his name will be, but for now I've been calling him "Leo the Lionhearted" because it's a brave kitty that went through everything he did. Thank you Renee and all of you shelter angels, who work so hard on behalf of the animals ~ "Leo" and those like him wouldn't be here without you!

Leonard Left Us...

Sweet Leonard, our beautiful moustached kitty, crossed the Rainbow Bridge Friday morning. He fought hard in his battle with cancer, but it had spread, and his colon, lymph nodes, and liver had all become involved.

He quit eating on Wednesday, but let me syringe feed him baby food. He came in the house and spent time watching TV on our laps Wednesday and Thursday. I could tell onThursday that he was uncomfortable, since he was going to work with me during the day. I gave him a little Torbugesic elixir (a pain medication) on Thursday night and I held him in my arms as we tearfully euthanized him on Friday morning.

I let Hot Rod and Rocky see him afterward so they would understand that their guardian, "Chief Cat" was not coming home. Hot Rod curled up with him and bathed him for a couple of minutes; Rocky came over and sniffed and disappeared under a bush. He didn't come out for a meal until Sunday night. Leonard's warm outgoing personality and his gentle way of caring for our kitties in need are irreplaceable and will be deeply missed....

Rest in peace gentle spirit!

A Day At The Fair

Scooter, Holly & Tess spent the day at the San Diego County Fair today, where it was "Kids Day" and they had a blast! Kids, kids everywhere and everyone there to pet them. While Tess needed a 3 hour nap, Scooter needed several little ones, and Holly stayed awake the entire day, just in case she missed a set of hands to pet her!

We made some great new friends, and had the wonderful opportunity to share the joys of owning senior and handicapped pets ~ Scooter and I even gave a little presentation on the stage at the Ag Education building!

Charlie Died This Morning...

Quietly at home surrounded by all of us. Our last check of his bloodwork on Thursday confirmed his time with us would be short. His anemia had worsened, and his white blood cell count had soared, very common in late stages of cancer.

He continued to eat pretty well until Friday, and "demanded" help to go outside so he could potty and cruise the property; he needed to stop and rest, but he still helped to feed the farm animals and the cats too.

I decided to take him to the beach last night ~ I knew deep down he would be passing soon, and it's the one place I hadn't taken him yet. We loaded him into the car and went to Del Mar dog beach to watch the sunset. He rode in the wagon down to the water and watched a couple of dogs playing ball and walked a little in the sand. We met a group of people who sat with us and spent some time petting and talking to him. To see so many people doting over a dog who was discarded to die just 3 weeks ago was a wonderful sight that brought tears to my eyes. The pictures below were taken after dark once they had left.

It seems silly to say the house feels empty without him, but his presence is missed by all of us, especially Melody and Holly, who spent some time this morning grooming his ears and face.

Rest in peace, handsome prince ~ we loved the time we spent with you!

Pepper, Do You Feel A Breeze?

Pepper had a little mishap of "unknown origin" that left a laceration in her rear end which needed some attention and a couple of sutures too! The poor girl had a dime-size hole in a very inconvenient location, so with a little sedation, our general practitioner Dr. Booman was able to do a good exam and found that her anal gland is still intact. Then we clipped and cleaned the area and she place 3 sutures to help the hole heal faster. Until the sutures come out ~ 2 weeks ~ she's relocated to indoor accomodations, namely Scooter's crate. She's enjoying the attention and eating meals without anyone to steal her food, but is missing her afternoon naps in the sun. We're all hoping she looks before she sits down once she's back in the Cabana!

Golden Love

The last 24 hours have been tough for Charlie. His cough worsened, and a recheck of his x-rays and labwork show that he is more anemic and his lungs are declining too, definitely full of "mets" (metastasis from a primary tumor somewhere). We now have no doubts that he does have cancer.

Charlie has started Chinese herbs and supportive care. Our holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin is working on a homeopathic remedy for him, and he's on antibiotics and prednisolone too. As of tonight, he is eating again, with a preference for hamburgers! The other animals intuitively hang closer with someone who's not doing well. Quincy is in the picture hanging out with Charlie, and just out of camera range, Tess and Melody have started their bedside vigil too.

We knew when he came home with us that Charlie may not be with us long, but that's why we started the sanctuary in the first place. Every cloudy-eyed, grey-muzzled furpurson deserves a chance to have a warm bed and know love!

He Has A Name...

And it's Charlie! He's adjusting well to life filled with treats, nylabones, and tennis balls. His x-rays we had done last Friday took a few days to have our general practitioner Dr. Booman and our internist Dr. Slusser review them. We also asked our favorite surgeon Dr. Lenehan to take a peek at them too. He has a fuzzy area on one rib which may be the start of osteosarcoma, but no one wants to call it cancer yet, since it doesn't fit the classic presentation. We all collectively agreed to re-xray him in a month to see if there are any changes.

In the meantime, Charlie has gained 5lbs in a week, loving any form of food at any time! He has started a cough ~ probably kennel cough, so for now his activities are limited; no trips out shopping or to the beach until he heals! He's starting to play with toys a little and has even taken Tess' tennis ball away from her once or twice, leaving her I'm sure to wonder why he didn't bring his own!

A New Grey-Muzzled Guy...

Came to us this afternoon from the SD county central shelter, where he had been turned in as a stray. He's had a rough last few days. The folks who took him into the shelter said he was wandering as a stray, but that he was unable to stand. At the shelter, they never saw him up, although he moved around in his kennel. He only ate when hand-fed, had a cough and brown urine too so the story goes. Oh yeah, then there's the testicular tumor - he's unneutered too.

When I picked him up, they wheeled a gurney out to the van so we could load him up. He reeked of urine, and just lay on his bed, pretty oblivious to the world. Our next stop was to our internist, where we took some x-rays and drew some blood, and weighed him in - at a whopping 53 lbs!

This "old dog" who was written off as too old and unable to walk, was standing up in the car and took a long potty walk all under his own power, and inhaled 1 can of dog food and 2 jars of baby food before he even got home. He had a bath and more food, then it was time for sleep, which he did fitfully until about 3am, when his tummy alarm went off again - so early morning breakfast it was!

He's a real love-sponge, and he gets around just fine thank you! He gets along with all of the other dogs, who really enjoy the extra treats they get now. He will have vet visits during the week to make sure that everything checks out okay; our main concern is that his heart/lungs are okay - they are a little fuzzy on x-ray, but his bloodwork looks pretty good.

Please keep your fingers crossed for this handsome boy!

Oh Leonard...

Leonard went back to the internist today since it seemed he was just a little 'off'. Reweighing him, I found that he lost a few more ounces since his last 'trip to work with mom.' We rechecked bloodwork, and his kidney values are stable since starting Azodyl. Nothing explained his continued weight loss. So off to ultrasound we went.

The above picture is his pre-ultrasound shaved tummy. Now he's sporting a naked tummy just in time for his summer swimsuit! His kidneys were small on ultrasound, but everything else looked pretty normal for a fur-man his age. Until we got to his GI tract. Leonard has a mass in his intestine, at the ileocolic junction, a prime location for GI cancers to grow. At this point, stool can still pass, but the opening's smaller than normal. We were unsuccessful in obtaining a needle aspirate of the growth in spite of Leonard's good nature about the whole procedure.

The best option to treat this tumor is surgery. And we would in a heartbeat if he had one less medical problem. But his cardiomyopathy and kidney disease are 2 major strikes against doing such a major surgery. And there's a strong possibility that this is much worse that what we can see on ultrasound. We've opted to medically manage him at this point, placing him on antibiotics, and reserving the possibility of using steriods and a diuretic for a later date. We will also incorporate our Eastern medicine as well, so herbs and homeopathics will be used too.

I'm still working out the logistics of feeding him several small meals a day because everyone needs to eat if he does ~ just ask them!

Dinner Anyone?

Waldo was the keeper of the food bowls tonight. He began campaigning about 2:00 this afternoon, and wasn't successful until sometime after 5:00. I've given in early before, only to have the kitties complaining when the regular mealtime came and went. Someday I might forget, you never know!

A Leonard Update

Leonard is doing very well in his "golden years" but he needed his annual check-up anyway. He had a physical exam and a cardiac ultrasound with our internist Dr. Slusser at Animal Internal Medicine this past week.

He has hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, a condition in which the walls of his heart are enlarged, so its not performing optimally for him. He takes a medication called Atenolol, which is a beta blocker used for humans. We're very happy that his heart is stable!

He has lost a pound in body weight over the last 18 months, which isn't surprising given that he's about 18 years old! He also had a little labwork done too, and his BUN and Creatinine are elevated which are signs of renal failure. It's normally managed with supportive care, generally with subcutaneous fluid therapy, sometimes a diet change, and nutriceuticals such as Azodyl and Epakitin. With Leonard's heart disease, the fluid therapy is out ~ we could put him in heart failure very quickly. So we've opted to use Azodyl, a twice daily capsule which binds to the toxins the kidneys can't filter out properly. We will also continue a good quality diet, and add in Epakitin when his blood phosphorus levels rise.

Leonard doesn't know there's anything wrong with his kidneys or his heart. He's not very fond of his new twice daily medication regime, but takes it in stride and is still purring when we're done!

Sanctuary Updates!

It's been quite a while since this blog's been updated, so here goes. Please enjoy the following series of stories about life with our Golden Hearts critters!

The Girl Scouts Finished Their Projects...

for the Sanctuary animals and they are beautiful! Troop 1230 in Carlsbad earned their Bronze Star Award through helping the animals over this past year. The final big projects were created on the hottest day we've had in Valley Center all year, with temperatures in the upper 90's!

A beautiful play area for the goats, allowing them to jump and climb and nap up high was created, which Bob dutifully helped construct. He then tried it out first, got stuck underneath it, and came out looking for someone to take pity on him. When that didn't work, he just asked for the spaces between the steps to be blocked off!

The second project was the beginnings of a dream we've had here for years - a Memorial Garden to honor those we have loved in their Golden Years. It's beautiful! The building in the background on the right is the Cabana, so the kitties get to enjoy it too!

These girls have learned about the beauty in all creatures, old or young, normal or disfigured. We hope that they continue to spread the message of compassion, and the critters ask that they return for visits anytime. Thank you Troop 1230, you've made all of us smile!

Haircut Day!

A streak of warm weather prompted a little haircut for Austin - and check out the pile of hair left behind! His long, beautiful hair is gorgeous, but tangles as he sheds, and catches every sticker in the yard; brushing is not his favorite form of attention either! I was concerned that a haircut would be a stress to his heart, so this was a decision not taken lightly! However, I crated and carried him in to the bathroom in the house (the unofficial 'salon') and pulled out the clippers. I turned them on cautiously, fully expecting him to freak out. Imagine my surprise when he began purring and leaning in to them! His cheeks got a little more trimmed than I had planned because he wouldn't quit rubbing on them! Of course, this prompted a change in weather, so he needed some clothes. His blue t-shirt really brings out his eyes (although he doesn't appreciate that fact!)

Marci & MeiLi

MeiLi has had trouble off and on with her snotty nose, and what seems to be some asthma too. She has an appointment so see our holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin at Cardiff Animal Hospital coming soon. She suggested a homeopathic remedy which is working pretty well so far and it, coupled with an albuterol inhaler, seem to be helping. She's gained back some of the weight she lost (it's pretty noticeable when you're only 5lbs) because she couldn't smell her food. And she's back to her crabby self! She's in the picture with Poppy enjoying a little sunshine!

Marci had some breathing problems which after a few days on hairball medication had resolved. She surprised us this weekend with a little abscess on her cheek - probably from playing too rough with claws. She's doing well, it's healing nicely!

Xanadu Left Us...

This handsome boy had such little time with us, but I believe he had a great time while he was here! Xanadu suffered from problems related to old injuries to his spinal cord, giving him upper motor neuron damage. It inhibited his ability to know when he had to urinate or defecate, or for the bladder and bowel to just empty on their own when full - a 'reflex' bladder or bowel. Thanks to his fan club at the Grayson County Humane Society , he had a colectomy and had been deobstipated more than once before he came to us. It had kept him going until he could get here for better veterinary care.


He had trouble off and on with his colon upon his arrival in late January, but then began having trouble with bladder infections also. We fixed one problem, then the other would crop back up. And then he began to have trouble with back pain too. He became unable to empty his bladder on his own, so I would have to express him daily, most of the time with some sedation in an attempt to keep my fingers. Unfortunately, at his last recheck exam (of course with sedation) we emptied his bladder and actually it was improving, but once it was empty, we discovered that his colon had became static too. Big uh oh. Into an emergency laparotomy to see what was going on.


One of the hardest decisions we ever make is that of euthanasia. Are there more bad days than good days? Is this condition painful? Is there quality of life? These are the questions we ask and then tearfully answer. I painfully made the decision that Xan shouldn't wake up from anesthesia. He peacefully crossed the Bridge with lots of love on April 11. His spunky dog-like personality touched everyone who met him.

Rest in peace, sweet prince!

Xanadu & Marci

Xanadu started feeling poorly as the rainstorm moved through Friday night. The poor guy just didn't seem to rally even with extra TLC. He also ran a fever and had an elevated white blood cell count when he went to see our internist on Monday. Prior to getting the labwork finished, we also did a couple of xrays and ultrasounded his abdomen. With his life-long history of bowel troubles, we wanted to make sure that trouble wasn't beginning to brew again. His gut looked okay, but boy his poor spine!

At some point in his life, he did have a traumatic injury (possibly a kick) that damaged 3 ribs and 4 thoracic vertebrae - and they do cause him discomfort. He has two vertebrae over his hips that are fused as one - a birth defect. And, when he had his tail amputated, a piece of vertebrae was left behind - another source of pain. Poor guy! Once he's feeling better, we will work on long-term pain management for him. In the meantime, he's on Amoxicillin and Metronidazole, subcutaneous fluids, and Pepcid to deal with the infection he has going on. He's starting to feel better today, his fever's down and he's eating again.

Marci had some difficulty breathing again, also late last week. Since our cats are doing their springtime shedding, I guessed there was a hairball issue. This pretty girl keeps her long hair stunning all the time! Into the house she came for some close monitoring in a quiet atmosphere. I also gave her a fan, turned on "low" so the air movement would make it easier to breathe. Large doses of laxatone and lactulose to lubricate things through, plus some added fiber in her diet all made a difference. By late Friday night, Marci was feeling better; she was back to normal by Saturday morning.

It's been a busy weekend with these kitties, but slowly we are returning to quiet and normal!

King of the Loft!

Ballou's House of Blues has a loft on one end of it, and most of the kitties find their way up there at bedtime. Today, Ballou claimed the entire loft for himself, perched in such a way as to keep others away and his view of the room at its best! He often prefers one of the crates in the loft, like the one behind him, for bedtime. He picked the perfect place to hang out today, as our sunshine disappeared and we spent the day in heavy drizzly fog.

Summer Tans

Leonard and Pepper decided to spend some time working on their tans, sprawled out in the little bit of sunshine they could find today. Everyone else could be found napping inside. These two are the most senior of our seniors, so afternoon sun opportunities are especially important to them!

Sparky Left Us Today

While his new chemo drug Cytoxan had made him tired, and cause a little diarrhea, Sparky continued to eat and get around pretty well. He was enjoying new-found foods in his diet - home-cooked chicken and rice, baby food, Gerber meat sticks, and sugar cookies! He slept in his old favorite sleeping spot last night, barking once for me to get up and change his bed when he had peed. This morning, he had a 105 fever and could barely walk. Off to work he went with me. He shuffled into the hospital, barely making in the door, and as we were drawing blood and placing an IV catheter, he quietly passed away.

Sparky was with us only a little over a year, but what an amazing year we had together! I'll miss his daily companionship during chore-time and his wonderful warm personality as he greeted visitors. We will all miss his eyes, the windows to his soul and spirit, that after some time and lots of love, began to shine again.... That sweet blonde teddy bear of a dog touched all of our hearts and taught us all about learning to love again....

Rest in peace sweet spirit, you will be missed!

Sparky Week 2

Today he began an oral chemotherapy drug called Cytoxan, given once daily for 4 days. He has a high white blood cell count, so we've added in antibiotics to help fight infection. He had fluid tapped from his chest today, so he's breathing easier. Ultrasound showed that the tumor has reduced in size, and the fluid in his chest is looking better, so this is all very encouraging news.

His energy level is down a little, but he's still getting around to help feed the animals. He continues his Chinese herb regime along with his traditional medications. We'll keep the blog updated!

Sparky Begins Chemotherapy

Sparky's knee is healing pretty well ~ he can put some weight on it and even walk a few steps on a level surface. The fluid cytology came back and confirmed that it is indeed chyle, which is caused by leakage from the thoracic duct or one of the lymph vessels that drain to it. The most common causes are a tumor, a trauma, heartworm disease, or right-sided heart failure.

We know he has a mass - the most common mediastinal (middle of the chest) tumors are either a lymphoma or a thymoma. One can be reduced and managed with chemotherapy while the other one can't; surgery is just not an option for this sweet ol' guy either. So, after quite a bit of discussion with our internist Dr. Slusser, and our holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin, we've opted to try chemotherapy. If the tumor is due to lymphoma, it should respond to the chemo by reducing in size, which will keep the fluid from building back up in his chest. If it's not, well, we'll cross that bridge when we need to.

Sparky received a dose of vincristine today, a small intervenous injection, and also had his chest tapped again. Today, we removed 1400mls from it, and he was feeling much better afterward! He has a recheck in a week, and we'll evaluate how well it worked.

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.