Esmerelda

Last Thursday afternoon, I spotted the city animal control truck pulling into the parking lot.  Which is rarely a good thing.  Usually it's me getting hit up for free tranquilizers, free medications, free services, etc.  Which I wouldn't mind helping out if I could, if the City were more amicable to deal with.   There are 2 veterinary hospitals in town, and I am about 5th on the list of hospitals that sees any referral business from them.

The dog catcher brings in a pet carrier, and says, "I need to have this kitten put to sleep. It has an upper respiratory infection."  Which sometimes, respiratory infections can be quite severe-  with eye lesions, corneal ulcerations, infections, etc.  So I look into the carrier expecting to see a really sick kitten. 

Instead, I see a little kitten purring with a slightly weepy eye.  "This kitten doesn't look that ill . . .  how long have you had it?", I ask.   "10-15 minutes", he says.   The look of disappointment and shock and on my face had to be apparent, as he added,  "I have another cat that I can't find a home for . . . I can't be bothered with a kitten."

And I'm thinking to myself,  Yeah, and I can't be bothered euthanizing a kitten just out of convenience on a Thursday.

So I have to  think fast and sort through the options. 
1. Put the kitten to sleep and make the dog catcher happy.
2. Refuse to put the kitten to sleep.  Which I know is gonna end badly for her.
3. Keep the kitten and find it a home when she is better. 

So that is what I did- #3.

Meet Esmerelda.

She got a bath on Friday. Her weepy eye cleared up over the weekend. She was really, really wormy, and got dewormer for 3 days over the weekend.  Flea medication for the ear mites.  She still has a little rattle in her chest, but I am waiting to see if that will clear up on it's own.  Antibiotics won't help if it is viral in origin.   I suspect part of it is malnutrition and the intestinal parasites.  She's been eating great.

Here's her video from Friday.



 Here she is today. You can see how her eye looks better. With about 2 applications of eye ointment.




She'll be up for adoption in a few days.  If you know anyone who wants a grey tabby kitten, with a loud motor, get in touch.   I'll probably put her on petfinder as well.

Jack is Still Looking for his Forever Home

You saw Jack back in July.  He is still looking for his forever home.  He boarded last week along with his foster family.

He's small to medium size. 22 lbs. He has been vaccinated for everything, neutered, and is on heartworm prevention.   He lives with his foster home that is full of other dogs and cats and gets along well with everyone.

If anyone is interested is meeting him, or adopting him, or know someone or a family that might be, let them know, and get in touch with me. 

Notice Lucky, the Cat Shark, circling and stalking his prey . . . . .

 

Lucky has a thing for Brunettes

Shih Tzus it seems.

Since putting Leon to sleep in July, no one has claimed his chair in the exam room.  Lucky is about the only one who'll sit in it while clients and patients are in there.  Sometimes he is so in the way, that he has to have time out in his own cage during office visits.  When clients aren't here, sometimes Sunshine or Priscilla are sitting or snoozing in it.

But strange things started happening a few weeks ago.  When Holly came in for annual checkup.

 Holly is a Shih Tzu, 5, maybe 6? years old now.  She has several middle nicknames- from Cockeyed to Jumps like a Frog- but the one that has stuck the most is McNasty.  She got that one as a puppy when she devoured a dead rat carcass before anyone could get it away from her.

Holly McNasty.

-

So Holly was on the table and Lucky proceeds to get on the table too.  And starts getting all amorous as if he is Pepe LePew.  Rubbing on her, grabbing her leg, etc.
 





So the next week another little Shih Tzu comes in. This time it is Chloe who is about 13.  She is getting a haircut.  and the same thing happens again.

Hershey

jumped off the bed.  He's 6-7 months old. Chihuahua.  

He came in a little over a week ago.   Check out that leg he is holding up.

This happened several days before these photos were taken. A callus has already formed trying to stabilize the fracture site.  You can't move the bones around.  It happens rather fast in puppies and kittens.   Ideally, if he had come in after it happened, we probably could have put a spoon splint on it.  A spoon splint won't fit on it at this angle.   Referring him to an orthopedic surgeon wasn't an option, and neither was anesthetizing him and refracturing the fracture.  As it heals, I think it will remodel and not be at such a severe angle.

We sent him home on some pain meds and orders for strict confinement so it can finish healing.  No more jumping off the bed.

Happy a Cupcake in Celebration of Friday

Hi all- 
Who wants a cupcake?  For dogs? 

I made 10 of these late last night.  Carrot and Blueberry Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting.  No sugar in it so it is dog safe.

There is probably some health code about selling them, so I am giving them away for a $3 charity donation.  The special little box to keep them from getting squished costs a $1.  

Stop by if you want one, I only made 10 and Daisy has already eaten one . . . . . 

Enjoy your weekend-

barn kitties

I have clients who live out in the county and strays are always showing up at their house.  After awhile some have to be delegated as  "barn cats".  Then the problem becomes trying to catch them, (or trap them), and get them spayed or neutered before they have more "barn cats". 

While they are out of town, their "pets" are boarding, and they brought a Mama Cat, her 2 kittens, and another kitten in to be neutered and/or spayed.  Check them out. 

The kittens are part siamese. The 3rd kitten, from another litter,  is solid black and he is hiding in back of the carrier. Probably can't see him well at all.  The little female kitten won't be spayed for a few weeks. She came along for companionship as she would be lost without her mom and siblings according to the owners.  And they were right- she started meowing as her two brothers were taken out of the cage, anesthetized, and neutered.  They'll be awake enough to return by late this afternoon.

Here's a video of them-




In other news, July and August are flying by. It's been over a month since I sent Leon to Cat Heaven.  I mentioned it here and there, but I don't think I officially mentioned it here on my blog.  Clients have asked about him as they come in, and they don't see him anywhere.  If you were following along with his bad kidneys,  he got worse over the 4th of July weekend- depressed, dehydrated, etc.  And when he got to where he wasn't interested in eating his treats, (he NEVER refused cat treats.  Even with tooth gel on them, he would eat them.)  I knew it was time to set him free.   He had been here from almost the beginning of Granite Hills Animal Care so it was rather different not having him around.  I told someone I sort felt like I did when my last grandparent passed away.  You always have grandparents, and then one day, you don't.   He sits on a shelf here in the office with Jezabelle and Jethro.

I have also been working on some gift ideas for the holidays and beyond.   I needed to take photos of some of the items, so I bought some flowers yesterday and got out the camera to photograph this vase- 

 

Well . . . today we find "You Know Who" grazing on the salad bar and upchucking all over the office. 

I wasn't messin' with the flowers.   Honest.

We finally had to put the flowers in a cage to keep Lucky away from them.   Sunshine enjoyed the salad bar a little as well, but not nearly to the extent that Lucky did.

So what's new with you?  Ready for the summer to be over with?  Looking forward to Pumppkin Pie?

Tuki and Her Pups

You saw Tuki as a puppy when she was about 9 weeks old in this post.

She is all grown up now and having puppies of her own.  These 3 came in today for their 6 week vaccinations.  1 boy, 2 girls.  Pebbles is the name of the little grey one. 

They are all cute, but check out runty little Pebbles again. All 2.2 lbs. of her.  Uno, the male is about 3 lbs., and the other little female is in the middle at 2.7 lbs.  They like their pedigree puppy food mixed with vienna sausages. 

Here's a short video of them. Tuki is in there too.

Pit Bulls in Animal Abuse Case for Adoption

A week ago, the police charged a person with animal abuse and confiscated several pit bulls.  Some were euthanized, but this young Mom and 2 puppies were spared.  They are up for adoption.  The Mom is young, about a 1 year to a 1 1/2 old, I'm guessing from her teeth.  She is heartworm negative.     The 2 puppies are about 6-7 months old.   They all were in for a bath and flea medication yesterday. 

The Mom reminds me of my first dog, Jezabelle.



Contact Animal Control, through the Elberton Ga Police Department, if anyone is interested in adopting them. 

Tony Boots

This is Tony Boots.  He was a stray kitten, rescued off the side of the road, a few weeks ago.  He had a eye injury at the time-  ulcer, rupture of the globe.  It doesn't seem to bother him much though.  When he gets a little larger, probably when he is neutered, the bad eye will be removed.    He was in today for his vaccinations.  About 12 weeks old now.



His owner reports that he'll sail off a second floor balcony if given the chance.  With only 1 good eye his depth perception might be a little off.   Or maybe he thinks he is SuperKitty. 

The Immaculate Conception of Jill

Y'all remember Jibby, right?  From last summer?   Her post. She was a stray that showed up at her owner's home.  A sort of different looking mixed breed dog.  Her ears and the texture of her hair remind me of a Shar-pei.  Does she remind anyone else of a frog? Just me?

While at first glance, she might not be considered the prettiest dog, she makes up for it in personality and character.

So last summer she got her shots, treated for heartworms, etc.  and everything was fine until November.  Black Friday- the day after Thanksgiving.  When this thing popped out.

First of March- her 3rd puppy vaccination.

Meet Jill.  

So while y'all were outside, standing in line, waiting for the mall to open, Jill arrived in this world.  Just her.  No one knew Jibby was with child . . .  No one saw her in heat . . . .  or any male dogs hanging around. . . . and what medium sized dog has only 1 puppy?  It had to be divine intervention and immaculate conception.  Just like Jesus.

End of March- her last puppy vaccination.

So Jill, being the only puppy, has her choice of 10 dining locations. Some days it might be a table upstairs,  next day downstairs . . . next to rear leg . . .  a front leg next to an elbow. . . . lots of options.

Sort of like me at Fat Tuesdays with all those frozen drink machines.  Same thing.

So when Jill came in for her first vaccinations at 6 weeks old, her body was way too big for her head.   That was understandable as she had been eating for at least 8.

This past week, this Mother and Daughter pair decided to make a day of it.  While some ladies go to the spa, shoe shopping, get their nails done, etc.,  these two decided to have their lady parts removed.   This was them the next day.  Don't they look thinner, relaxed, and refreshed?