The Pet Food Recall...

Unfortunately has reared its ugly head amongst our sanctuary animals. Someone started vomiting late last week in Poppy & MeiLi's room. It took a day or so to figure out who the culprit was - no one would 'fess up to it! Poppy has been on a diet trial for the last couple of weeks on Royal Canin's HP23, a hypoallergenic diet. He got sick roughly 3 days before the recall of his food...

Vomiting, lethargy, & lack of appetite have been his primary problems. His lab work has been okay so far, but he does have the telltale crystals in his urine which indicate melamine is working its way through his kidneys. He is at home, where our primary care veterinarian Dr. Booman is providing supportive care, which is all we can do for him. He's receiving subcutaneous fluids 3 times daily now, plus B Complex, Reglan (for nausea) and antibiotic injections as needed. He's also taking Pepcid, and Cyproheptadine, which is an appetite stimulant.

While he's feeling perkier and the vomiting has stopped, he still won't eat ~ at least more than a teaspoon a day. That's not much for an 11 pound kitty! We're walking a tight rope now, balancing his IBD problem with finding something he'll eat on his own. I'm hoping that syringe feeding him for a few days will jump-start his appetite.

Please keep Poppy & all of those affected by the pet food recalls in your thoughts & prayers.

Please check the FDA's website for current recall lists ~ don't rely on the news media to keep you up-to-date. You can find the list at www.fda.gov.

An Old Timer Update

Friday brought some "routine maintenance" for a couple of the older furkids here. Luna has an eyelid growth which from time to time begins to grow down and irritate her eye. She's such a patient girl, that with a local and a topical anesthetic and plenty of cookies afterward, our primary care veterinarian Dr. Booman is able to trim off the part that rubs on the eye. Luna gets eye medication at least two to three times daily ongoing now to keep both eyes lubricated and comfortable for her.

Leonard had some dental tartar scraped from his teeth (always a two-person proposition!) plus some blood work done too. The dogs and cats who qualify as "senior" or who have ongoing medical problems have blood panels done yearly (or more often if needed). It was Leonard's turn, and he took it all in stride, purring the entire time!

Results came back for Leonard on Saturday, and he's looking great! He has early kidney disease, which is to be expected at 17 years old. The values are low, however, so coupled with his heart disease, everything's manageable at this point. He actually looks better "on paper" than he did last year!

Happy Easter!

Here's wishing you and your family a wonderful Easter holiday!

Interested in Volunteering?

Please join us on Saturday, April 28, from 10am to noon, for our first monthly volunteer orientation. There are many ways you can help us help the animals from Kitty Cuddling and Dog Hugging to Fundraising to Gardening, and much more. If you would like more information, please send us an e-mail at info@goldenheartsas.org, or leave us a message at 760-749-6122. We look forward to seeing you there!

It's Been A Year...

And she's still going strong! As a matter of fact, she's even gained a pound. Here's wishing MeiLi a happy 1 year birthday! Everyone who comes to live here gets a birthday which we celebrate on his or her arrival date. No one misses out on biscuits or kitty tuna that way!

For a little one who was given only weeks to live, she looks pretty good. In the picture, she's helping me feed the other cats. She always watches to see if anyone gets better canned food, and will steal it if it suits her better. Right now, she's recovering from a bug bite above her eye that we've treated with antibiotics and steroids. She's almost healed now, but insists that lots of kitty tuna speeds the healing process.

Happy birthday little one!

Happy Birthday...

To my "old grey mare" who is 24 years old today! Yes, Osa was born on April Fool's Day, so her registered name is Oh So Foolish (not my idea!) She is pictured with Syd, who's not far behind her at 23 years old. Our "senior" horses are retired now and spend most of their day begging for treats. They're enjoying some wild oats that were growing on another part of the property ~ it's easy to recycle greens waste when there are horses and goats to help!

A Sneak Preview...

This is the new building and play yard for the kitties. It's an 8'x12' building with a cat door and large window, plus a yard full of oak trees with a view of the horses and the wildlife garden. Steve's putting the chicken wire cover over the yard. That, plus a little insulation inside, some plywood and paint, and a couple of finishing touches, and we'll be done!

Ballou and Poppy will be moving out here, giving everyone more room to play, and they'll have real grass too!

Leonard the Hunter

While the others were napping, Leonard spent his afternoon attempting to hunt the elusive gopher that continues to pop up in the Cabana's yard. I'm not sure if it's more entertaining for the gopher or the cats, but they've spent a couple of weeks now in this "cat-and-gopher" game!

Kitties in Disguise

How many kitties are in the picture? Just two ~ there were three until I left to get the camera. Austin, on the right, and Hot Rod, on the left, spent a nice warm San Diego afternoon napping in the shade of the butterfly bush. That's where they stayed until dinnertime!

Dog Walk Pictures!

Thanks to Mike, the sanctuary's secretary, we have pictures from the Escondido Humane Society's Paws in the Park dog walk! It started as a foggy, chilly morning but was sunny and warm by noon. We met many terrific people, and their dogs too. Our treasurer Sandra was also on hand to answer questions about the animals.

Luna and Sparky both attended and received many pets on the head. It was Sparky's first public appearance, so I was a little unsure about how he'd act, it turns out he loves the attention! He and Luna walked around and looked at the displays, and sampled biscuits too!

We received $90.22 in donations, which we truly appreciate.

A huge thank you from all of us for your generosity!

The Bathing Service

Waldo never has to groom again, now that Marci is in his life! I caught her in the act washing his face after breakfast today. Phoenix even joins in on occasion too. They can all be found napping together along with Scooter for most of the day as well. Ah, it's a tough life!

It's Been A Busy Month...

And now things can get back to normal. My courses for my RVT license are finished, now it's a matter of waiting for (and passing) the exam. The whole thing has worn Sparky out, as you can see in the photo! Our spring newsletter will be in the mail to you by late next week, which will include information about our volunteer program too.

Also, please join us on Sunday, March 25, at Kit Carson Park in Escondido for the Escondido Humane Society's fundraiser Paws in the Park. We will have a display there, and you will have the opportunity to meet Luna and Sparky too! We look forward to seeing you!

Poor Mellie...

Normally happy, smiling Melody may look young, but she has the body of a little ol' lady. She often forgets and spends a great part of the day wrestling with Tess and Maverick. However she played a little too hard this evening, and like any weekend warrior, soreness warranted a little medication. We hope that with some Rimadyl, Healing Touch, and strict rest, she'll be back to playing in no time.

If you notice the blog's slowing down, it's not for lack of anything to blog about. Rather, it's because my "spare" time is focused on completing the final education requirements for my RVT application. Online courses are wonderful, but are truly as time consuming as standard college courses, especially when Scooter helps at the keyboard!

Spa Day!

The weather finally cooperated a little, with daytime temperatures actually above 50, it finally seemed reasonable to give Sparky a bath. We were afraid his thick undercoat just wouldn't dry without Mother Nature's help (plus our trusty blow dryer). He and Luna both had hypoallergenic baths with cream rinse, nail trim and ear cleaning too. Luna supervised as Sparky was brushed and dried, both pictured above with the "tools of torture" (brush, blow dryer, towel, nail clippers, & muzzle). He needs to wear a muzzle for grooming, it seems he doesn't feel like it's necessary to be brushed when he's already so handsome!

His New Name...

is Sparky! We thought long and hard about a name that would reflect his special spirit, & Sparky won. This is a picture of him out in the backyard, next to one of Melody's "caverns," enjoying the afternoon sun and breeze. He continues to improve daily, taking part in more and more activities with the other dogs, walking and moving slowly but steadily. He's on medication for hypothyroidism now, plus liver support, joint support and Rimadyl as needed. He has quite an assortment of medication, but it's okay, these are his golden years, right?

Buddha On Ice

In San Diego, we certainly can't complain about the weather, our extremes are nothing like those across the country. Our ponds froze over yesterday morning, and Buddha was frozen inside! The goats and the horses patiently waited for the ice to be broken out of their water tanks, and the geese were wondering where the sun was too. 15 & 20 degree temperatures are not letting us live up to our sunny southern California reputation!

Hey Fella, Nice Hat!

The lab results are in for our New Guy, who's still awaiting his new name. His bloodwork was pretty good overall, though his liver has been stressed (which could have been all the medication he was on at the shelter) and his thyroid is a little low, which should probably be supplemented.

He's starting to feel much perkier, Luna & I have been taking him on short walks, and it seems like the more he moves around the better he feels. He's hoping to slim down in time for summer swimwear!

Vet Day!

Today was vet day for some of the sanctuary residents. Our primary care veterinarian, Dr. Booman, came out to see everyone (much easier than asking 12 cats, 2 dogs to ride in the car!)

So much was accomplished in 3 hours ~

~ 7 kitties received their Rabies & FVRCP vaccines. We do vaccinate every 3 years, per the American Association of Feline Practitioners and American Animal Hospital Association's guidelines, those who aren't immune compromised, as so many of our residents come straight from the shelter to us.

~ Melody had the lump on her hip checked. It's a sebaceous cyst, which isn't a medical problem, just a cosmetic one. We'll watch it & remove it if needed.

~ Poppy had a steroid injection, since his IBD is beginning to flare again. I'm not able to find a can or dry cat food that meets his basic beef/potato requirements, so it looks like I'm home cookin' for him for quite a while! (And maybe he needs to quit getting into the trash can!)

~ Ballou had a urinalysis done as part of his exam. He has a low-grade kidney infection, so he's on antibiotics for the next couple of weeks.

~ Austin's exam revealed that he's not 5 - 6 years old as the rescue group was told. The iris atrophy in both eyes is consistent with a cat over 10 years old!

~ Pepper was told she'll need a dental unless she lets me brush her teeth. I'm hoping she agrees, since she doesn't need to floss.

~ The "New Guy" had an exam and bloodwork done. His ears have chronic infections, which will need medication for at least a month. He was treated for tapeworms & fleas; I'm hoping his chronic skin problems are tied into the fleas & will heal over time. His dental tartar isn't bad enough to warrant a dental at this point - I'll start brushing his teeth too. The changes in his eyes put him well over 10 years old, more like 13-14; his elbows, shoulders, hips and hocks are all arthritic. He's started Adequan injections, a medication to increase synovial joint fluid. It will take at least 4 weeks to see any improvement. He was a very brave boy, he even let us trim his toenails, which should help him walk better too. His weight loss program for now will be increased exercise (he follows the other dogs everywhere) and a good quality food (Natural Balance). We'll give him at least a month to see if he's dropped weight before initiating more drastic changes like prescription diet food.

Looking at it all in writing, no wonder everyone wants to go to bed early tonight, including me!

A Second Chance...

Really came to this handsome elder gentleman. The kind folks at the SD South County Animal Shelter plus the hard work of Penny Adams at the Foundation for the Care of Indigent Animals saved his life today.

Known as "Scooter" at the shelter (a new name's coming his way), this old-timer started 2007 off with tragedy in his life. He and his previous animal family found themselves in the shelter after their owner committed suicide. Scooter's huge list of medical problems unfortunately ranked him high on the euthanasia list, low on the adoptability list. His time was up, but Penny pleaded for an extra day; late last night she & I talked, and I agreed to go down to the shelter to meet him this afternoon.

So stiff he could barely get up, he greeted me with a half-hearted tail wag. His ears were oily due to the ear medication he's receiving, his eyes are cloudy, his teeth have some tartar, he's grossly overweight (a whopping 98lbs.!), and he has pressure sores on his hindquarters and his elbows. He also needs assistance getting up due to severe arthritis. How could I say no? If there was ever anyone who deserves a soft bed at the sanctuary....

He enjoyed a meal tonight of Natural Balance canned chicken, as he has difficulty chewing kibble. Introductions with the other dogs went very well, and he's learning about life indoors. It's 7:30pm, and he's already crawled into a bed for the night! He'll have an exam and blood work done on Friday with our veterinarian Dr. Booman, and we'll post the results here.

Happy New Year!

Here's wishing you and your family a festive but safe New Year!

We look forward to sharing more stories about the sanctuary animals in 2007!