The Website is done!

The newly designed website is up and running!

Please be patient while all of the animal stories get entered, but once again we can be reached by e-mail. Let us know what you think!

Invisible Kitty

MeiLi found the new stroller that was generously donated to us over the weekend. We set it up, I left to feed dinner, and came back to find MeiLi blending in quite nicely with the color. She spent several hours napping there, very happy to have a new super-secret nap spot!

No Pictures, Please...

I'm just out of the bath! Cameron got a bath today because it was time for her to "freshen up" a little. She loved it, and spent the entire time purring away!

Skyler Had His Surgery...

And he's feeling much better, thank you! The Animal Dermatology Clinic was kind enough to both consult and do surgery very quickly, so he didn't have to sit with ouchy ears for long! There's a great chance that, if he stays out of the sun, his cancer won't continue to spread in spite of some narrow margins on his ears. He had 2 bowls of food that afternoon after surgery, and another 2 bowls when he got home. He has to wait 2 weeks to get the e-collar off, since that's when his sutures come out. He's doing great, very happy and extra purry and hungry too!

Meet Skyler!

Skyler is a gorgeous long-hair kitty with enchanting blue eyes! He came from the Central Shelter, where he was scheduled to be euthanized because of his ears. Skyler has cancer, squamous cell carcinoma to be exact, on both of his ears. Most kitties can have laser surgery and the affected ears are essentially removed. His right ear is too advanced for surgery. We're consulting with our holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin for input on using homeopathy to slow the progression of his cancer.
In the meantime, Skyler eats, and purrs, and eats more! He's not painful, but does prefer you don't touch his ears ~ feel free to scratch around them though. He was also covered in fleas, which the shelter treated with frontline, however he still got a bath this afternoon which he loved - he purred the entire time!
Please keep this little guy in your prayers. He won't be with us a long time, but we intend to make it a great time while he's here!

Sure I Fit!

Pilot has decided that he does fit anywhere, including Steve's chair! This didn't last long, though, because his favorite way to sleep is s-t-r-e-t-c-h-e-d out on one of the couches! He saw our favorite holistic veterinarian Dr. Laflin on Thursday, and he had a chiropractic adjustment as well as an acupuncture treatment. He is moving around with a lot more energy, and although he is a little stiff today, I think he will continue to improve!

I Love My Bed!

Libby loves her crate, I mean loves her crate, after a hard day outside playing. She's curled up with her favorite Kong toy, which she can't pick up, but likes sleeping with. Crates are rarely used around here for anything aside from feeding Scooter at mealtime (since he's so food aggressive), but we have one in the living room serving as an "end table" as well as a dog bed. Holly was the first one to enjoy hiding in her little cave, but over time she's decided she doesn't need it anymore. Then, just as I was thinking of taking it down, Liberty moved in, and once again, the crate has a purpose!

Our Website & Some Technical Difficulties...

While you can now follow us on Twitter, I'm afraid I screwed something up during today's website update, and now the menu is gone. Please be patient while I try to figure out what happened!

Man, You Smell Funny!

Here's the scene I found this evening as I went out to feed dinner~ no one can believe Ballou is Ballou, since he got a wonderfully scented aloe bath along with his haircut!

A New Summer Hairdo...

For Ballou today ~ lucky guy! He gets a haircut twice a year, and a bath once a month or so, since he can't clean himself. He's pictured above in his "jungle kitty" mode, making sure that he gets his time in front of the camera, but making sure that all who view the picture know that he's quite the great hunter!

Ballou lost his tongue in an accident several years ago, and he eventually wound up here after being adopted and returned. He doesn't realize it's a problem, he just uses his lower teeth to bathe himself, which unfortunately leads to pretty big messes in a long hair coat. We compromised last year by deciding just to keep him body shaved ~ no more brushing that he hates, no more unsanitary mess that I hate!

Meet Kismet!

Kismet joined us a couple of weeks ago. He hails from the Central shelter, where there was concern about upper respiratory infection and a drooling problem that he had. It turns out that the respiratory infection cleared quickly and the drooling ~ well, that's just what he does when he's happy.

And when is he happy? When ever someone is petting him, talking to him, or near him! He is a larger boy, weighing in at 15lbs, with, well, a little extra in the middle. He does like to eat! But, he enjoys humans so much more that he leaves his food for the chance at a lap!

We always change the name of an animal as it comes from the shelter, that is until now. Kismet fits this handsome guy so well, we just decided it should stick! He is living in the Cabana, which now has the nickname "grey tabby manor" since everyone there is a grey tabby to some degree. While Pepper thinks he's cute, she's quick to point out her "queen" status. And the boys are a little intimidated by his size, but all are settling in well together!

Meet Pax!

Pax joined our family a couple of months ago. He (she?) broke his leg in an outdoor aviary. Birds can heal pretty quickly, and by the time the injury was discovered, the leg already began to heal at an almost 90 degree angle. It made him unable to use it, and unable to stay with other birds who would pick on the weakened one. Pax is a beautiful Ring-neck Dove, who lives in a 28"x 42" enclosure situated on the top of Roger rabbit's hotel ~ keeping him up high where he can see everything going on and the dogs can't "play" with him!

Now, you may ask, how do you accomodate a handicapped bird? He has a shallow dish (a plant saucer) for bathing, a carpeted floor, and low dishes for food and drinking water. Not being able to perch poses some challenges. The carpet keeps sores from forming on his legs as he hops around. The plant saucer bathing dish gives him a chance to stay clean without worrying about drowning!

Pax will work with us to teach people that with a little imagination, even special needs birds can have a full life!

What Do You Think Of My New Bed?

It's been busy around here as we continue our daily animal care chores, our regular 7-6 jobs, and our special projects for the animals ~ the dog yards/rooms are our largest undertaking yet! We were able to take a break this past weekend with the opportunity to introduce some wonderful animal advocates to our golden oldies! Leo had a chance to meet his shelter angel Renee and two of her friends in person, and darn it if I didn't get out the camera....

Renee also brought wonderful treasures including cat food, cat toys and beds, and dog food. The animals were excited to meet everyone, with Scooter charming as always, the dogs happy to enjoy hugs, and Leo cuddling in Renee's arms ~ a really neat moment! What was just as amazing was to watch the "Lil' Old Lady Coffee Club" when they got new beds. MeiLi snuggled right in, Maggie curled up after inspecting them, and Cameron, well as you can see, she enjoyed a photo opportunity with a purr of satisfaction!

I'm happy to report that Cameron's latest recheck of her labwork shows that the supplements and subcutaneous fluids have lowered her kidney values considerably ~ 2 of the 3 numbers are normal! I don't know how long it will last, but that coupled with weight gain - she's now 5lbs - are good signs for her future. She is on a new antibiotic for her high white blood cell count which seems to be helping too. This perky little girl runs to the fridge as fast as Scooter!

2 New Ladies...

Have joined us in the last two weeks. A gorgeous long-haired tortie girl, who we named Maggie, and a spit-fire long hair orange tabby girl who we named Cameron. Both ladies came from the Central Animal Shelter, and both were on the euthanasia list because of medical concerns.

Maggie has a rapid heart rate which, once she's over her "shelter sniffles" we will have checked out. She has beautiful blood work, but is thin and really needs a haircut. The haircut is waiting until we can make sure it's okay to sedate her a little since, well, grooming is not on her list of things to do! She is living with MeiLi, and the two curmudgeonly old ladies have agreed the couch and the sunshine can be shared!

Cameron just joined us this past weekend. She is a very frail-looking girl, weighing in at 4 1/2 lbs, and was matted from her ribcage back to her tail in one very large grotesque shell. It was a very slow process trimming by hand to free her ~ once we were done, she was like a new kitty! Her bloodwork is still pending, but we're anticipating serious medical problems. While we know she doesn't have much time, she seems to have a "bucket list" that she still has to finish, so I don't think she's going anywhere for a little while!

Miss B Left Us...

late Friday night. She had some post-op "little old lady" complications we found on Thursday morning. She had become anemic and developed diabetes. She started insulin and she went back on IV fluids. She also had a transfusion, courtesy of Tara. BB is at home on Thursday night in the picture. She spent the night on the couch beside me with her IV fluids hanging from a picture hook on the wall. By Friday morning, she was feeling great, meowing for breakfast and happily eating Fancy Feast next to MeiLi. But by Friday evening things had changed ~ she had become acutely painful in her abdomen. The wonderful purr motor had stopped....

We met with our housecall vet Dr. Booman, and she and I decided to anesthetize BB for a good exam, including palpating her abdomen, but without causing Miss B any pain. A section of her intestine developed an intussusception, where a portion of the intestine telescopes into itself, and nothing can pass. Surgery to fix it didn't have a good prognosis due to her age, the condition of her colon, and already having had one surgery. The kindest and most difficult thing was to have her not wake up from anesthesia. She passed quietly in my arms, painfree and at peace....

Rest in peace, sweet Beautiful B, we really miss you!

Hopin' and Wishin'...

finally paid off! BB is finally starting to poop, and yes, I did a little happy dance! It's been a tough week post-op for her. She's been getting routine syringe feedings to fight hepatic lipidosis. She's been getting subcutaneous fluids and medications injected daily, but they just haven't been enough.

Yesterday she went back in for x-rays and another ultrasound, which showed that things were on their way out, just moving very slowly. We changed around her medications ~ BB now takes the same medications as Scooter. Lactulose is a medication that softens stool, and Cisapride is a medication to help improve motility. Both of these are very untasty (unless your name is Scooter!) so we've created a concoction of medications and baby food that she now takes 3 times a day. 24 hours into the new medication regime, we have success, which makes her prognosis much better. The longer she went, the more grim the outlook.

And, after opening many cans of everything from Friskies to Fancy Feast, we've finally found a food she likes ~ skinless chicken breast. Now she and MeiLi are both enjoying chicken 3 times a day too!

BB's Update ~

Here's a picture of BB while she was in the hospital. She had her surgery Tuesday, and she came home with me Wednesday night. She started eating beef baby food on Wednesday morning, so she was given the green light to bust out!

She went back to work with me Thursday morning because, aside from the baby food, she hadn't eaten anymore. We did some bloodwork, and found that her white blood cell count was elevated and her albumin was lower, both consistent with the intestinal mass and surgery. Her liver values were also elevated ~ uh oh! They point to early hepatic lipidosis, or "fatty liver disease", a condition that kitties who quit eating or eat very little, are prone to. You can read more about it here. The "treatment" is food!

BB is now being syringe-fed 6-8 times a day in an effort to get calories in, which will "jump start" her eating again. She also gets antibiotics and a GI motility drug by injection and subcutaneous fluids daily too.

The good news ~ her tumor is an adenocarcinoma, a type of tumor that is pretty uncommon in cats. There are good margins around the sample submitted, so it was adequately excised; the down side is that it metastasizes to surrounding tissue, and it may have already done so.

Tonight, Miss B is talking and playing a little with her toys. She has some interest in food but isn't eating. She'll need syringe feeding for possibly a couple of weeks. She loves her heated bed, but isn't thrilled with MeiLi's nursing care, especially the baths! Our next big obstacle is the "poo" issue ~ her intestines need to get back to functioning normally. Keep your fingers crossed for her!

Hot Rod Gives A Gift...

And it's the best gift possible ~ the gift of life! Hot Rod signed up quite a while ago to be a blood donor. Okay, maybe it wasn't voluntary on his part, but we felt that he could be a kitty who could give back. After all, his problems are only orthopedic, so he doesn't take any medications.

How do you donate blood if you are a kitty? Do you sit in a chair with a tourniquet on your arm, then get orange juice and cookies afterward? For a cat, the safest way for him to donate blood is with a little sedation. There's no squirming around so it goes quicker, and there are no claws flying which is always safer for everyone involved! Cats who are blood donors have to have perfect blood work and be healthy; they are also blood typed ~ cats have a "type A" and "type B", type A's can donate to type B cats without a reaction, but B's can only donate to B's. If a type B kitty donates to an A, a transfusion reaction can occur.

Hot Rod donated 60ml's of blood, which I'm happy to report helped a senior kitty in need who was hospitalized with our internist ~ she's doing much better! Hot Rod spent the night in the house with us afterward and got to be spoiled rotten. I swear he struts around with a little attitude now too!

Miss B's Vet Visit...

yielded some pretty decent labwork and quite a surprise ~ BB has an intestinal mass. It explains the little quirks that we'd seen. Poor kitty, this has been going on for quite some time ~ kitties are so stoic! She wouldn't have shown any major symptoms until it was too late.

The ultrasound of her abdomen looked pretty normal otherwise, so we decided to take her to surgery, which was performed today. Our internist Dr. Slusser managed her care, and our surgeon Dr. Lenehan did the surgery. I'm happy to report that tonight, BB is doing very well & she's made many friends at the hospital! The biopsy report will be back in a couple of days, and BB should be home with us tomorrow night, which is good, because MeiLi misses her already!

A New Friend for MeiLi...

Arrived this morning! Here are the girls enjoying a lunchtime snack. BB is a sweet lil' ol' lady kitty who was left somehow to fend for herself on the San Diego streets, and a very kind lady came to her rescue. The shelter told her that this cutie was at least 15 years old and would be euthanized due to her 'old' age, so she did what any of us animal loving folks would do ~ she took her home!
We had put out an "APCB" (all-points cat bulletin) several weeks ago, looking for a buddy for MeiLi. In spite of our best efforts, MeiLi was no longer thriving as she had been when she was a "nurse" for Poppy. We had hoped that at some point, there would be a senior in need, someone who would enjoy long naps on a heated blanket and puttering around; most of our seniors really enjoy playing outside in their yards all day, and couldn't be bothered to slow down!

Through the folks at Rescue House, we connected with BB's guardian who was trying to find a suitable retirement home for her (her own 4 young kitties just didn't fit the ticket!). They braved a pretty impressive rainstorm to come out this morning. BB will have an exam and some bloodwork done on Monday to make sure everything's okay, as she may have some kidney disease and she certainly has arthritis.

Thanks BB (and Christina) for making an old Siamese happy!

A Living Room of Dogs

Our early spring came to a quick and windy end today. The dogs decided that, while outside was great fun, and the mud was great to play in, that inside won. This was the scene this evening while the wind was howling and the rain was pouring outside. Everyone wanted a bed!

Just out of the picture is Maverick in the purple bed, Melody's in the green/blue bed, Pilot is asleep right next to Roger rabbit, Holly is just barely in the picture (with her feet crossed!) and Liberty is sleeping in the striped bed. Tess is asleep in my bed, and Quincy is asleep on the couch next to me. It was definitely toasty warm with so many furries wanting to share body heat!

Sweet Austin Left Us Today...

After his long battle with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. One of the potential problems that is always lurking in the background is the chance that he could pass a clot, or thrombus, that would impede circulation somewhere in his body. And sadly, Austin passed a clot, a "saddle thrombus", which cuts down the circulation to the hind limbs. With hospitalization, pain medication, and heparin to thin the blood, sometimes the situation can improve.

We made the hard decision to let him go, knowing that he wouldn't do well in a hospital, in fact he didn't really like being medicated twice a day. And spending two weeks minimum waiting to see if he'd improve just didn't seem fair for a kitty used to spending his days roaming a large grassy yard.

He passed peacefully in my arms, and his "groupies" Rocky and Hot Rod had the chance to say goodbye too. Even Pepper paid her respects.

Rest in peace sweet prince, you will be deeply missed...

Many Thanks...

To the Escondido 4H Club Zoology Project members who visited the animals today! They brought blankets, biscuits, canned dog food. The best part for the animals ~ they also brought hands for petting, and laps to sit in! We hope they enjoyed their visit, as the animals had a great time!

The Breakfast Club...

Of the feline variety! All of the animals have been enjoying the unseasonably warm weather we've been having lately. Here, Rocky, Hot Rod, and Austin are all enjoying a post-breakfast snooze. It's hard work, after all, there's a noon-time nap headed their way too!

Golden Bliss!

Liberty has had trouble with opening her mouth wide enough to do things that most retrievers enjoy ~ like playing with balls. It's as a result of scar tissue in her temporomandibular joints (tmj). Today, she managed to actually get a tennis ball in her mouth, and although you wouldn't know by the picture, she carried it around most of the afternoon! It was a tight fit, and she looked a little relieved when she finally put it down.
Libby won't ever have normal jaw function, but at least for a little while, she got to have "golden fun!"

Happy New Year!

Here's wishing you and your family a wonderful New Year!

May your 'Golden Hearts' shine in 2009!

Liberty Visits the Neurologist...

And gets a pretty good report! While she is neurologically "not normal," at this point, anti-inflammatory medication should take care of her troubles. Her back will probably continue to be a problem as she ages, so it will be important for her to stay on the thin side, and stay as active as possible. We are planning for her to see Dr. Laflin, our holistic veterinarian, after the first of the year for a little acupuncture too!

Oh Liberty...

Running one day, unable to get up the next... that's where we found ourselves with Liberty this weekend. I spent Saturday morning as well as this morning helping her get out of bed. It's off to x-ray tomorrow, as she has significant spinal pain. Fortunately, she's still moving once she's helped up. We'll post the results Monday night, in the meantime, cross your fingers ~ any type of problem which would require rest would really dampen her hole digging routine!

We Said Goodbye to Poppy Today...

After his long battle with IBD, cancer, and pancreatitis. His symptoms had worsened over the last few days, and this morning he didn't want to help feed, or be held, or do any of his favorite activities. We tearfully told MeiLi it was time to help him along in his journey, as she maintained a constant bedside vigil with him, grooming his face and snuggling with him. He passed very peacefully in my arms as Dr. Booman euthanized him.



We also said tearful goodbyes to "Honorary Golden Heart" Murphy, who spent 15 wonderful years caring for his guardian Valerie. He was always welcomed by all of our dogs during his visits with us. He will be deeply missed, and our hearts go out to his mom.

It's never easy to say goodbye, as we have had to do all too often this past year.

Rest in peace, sweet boys. You will always be close to our hearts...

Merry Christmas!

Here's wishing you and your family a wonderful Christmas!

Stacy & Steve & the Golden Hearts Critters

Leo's Christmas Angel

Leo had a wonderful package arrive today, just in time for Christmas. His wonderful angel Karen, sent him a box of warm fuzzy blankets to share with his kitty friends, and a terrific book. The story was about the "Christmas Kitten" who was left outside in the cold, then found a purpose and a family to love. As I read the book with Leo, there were tears in my eyes, because it sounded just like him. She also included a Christmas card with a check to pay for his eye surgery ~ a wonderful Christmas surprise! Thank you Karen, for loving this sweet old cat!

Happy Day!

Leo had his sutures removed, and received a great report from Dr. Steele. He's healed great, and his 'bad' eye is comfortable for him at this point. He has another recheck in a month to make sure things continue to improve.

Today was "Leo Liberation Day" as he got to lose the e-collar and doesn't have to stay crated anymore. He's moved into the cat room in the main house, where we can continue to monitor his eye, and he lives where he seems to be the happiest ~ in the house. He really never enjoyed the outdoors as much as I hoped he would. As a matter of fact, when we brought our Christmas tree indoors, he growled at it for a couple of days every time he went past it!

A Break in the Weather...

Is a welcome relief! We've made up our rain deficit for the year within the last 3 days. Our rainfall since Monday comes to a grand total of 3.75", which is practically unheard of in that short amount of time. There are many news stories about the Tijuana River Valley flooding, and unfortunately while a huge number of horses were rescued, 4 still lost their lives; many animals are still unaccounted for. We are located much farther north within the county, so fortunately those flood waters did not affect us. We are, however, looking at potential snowfall with the next storm over Christmas!

And Piggie Is All Nestled...

Snug in her new bed, ready for the coming rainstorms! Today, we were able to finish Piggie's permanent shelter, which has real sides rather than shade cloth. We also added a stall mat, used most often for a comfortable place in horse corrals. Shavings top off the mat, so she can snuggle in to keep cozy. Trying to convince her that she really would enjoy her new house if she'd just go in it took some doing. It's hard to reason with a pig! Once she decided to try it, she curled up where you see her above, and hasn't moved yet!
This was our final big project to get ready for a week of rain, something really needed after a dry year!

Leo and Melody Updates

Leo had a recheck today, and he's healing well. We are able to reduce his eye medications to once a day, something he and I are both happy about!

Melody's labwork was normal. There are many things to rule out within the scope of "brain problems" but the best picture is painted with an MRI of the brain. It's a pretty costly test, something which we need to 'save up' for. In the meantime, we will be doing a trial of Prednisone for a couple of weeks to see if her symptoms improve. She's really enjoying the extra treats!

Recovery's Not So Bad!

Leo is recovering from his eye surgery quite well, thank you! We were able to wean him off of his pain medication about 4 days after surgery, and he is more active and almost back to normal (except for that darned cone on his head!) He sees his opthamologist on Wednesday for a recheck, and if his attitude is any indication, it should be a great report!

Wait for Me!!

It's 4:00, is it dinner time?? Liberty saw the back door open, and was afraid of missing dinner ~ after all, it gets dark early, maybe someone will slip up and think it's late? The poor girl doesn't hear very well, so it generally takes loud hand-clapping to get this kind of reaction from her at any other time of day!

A Post-Thanksgiving Emergency...

Just when we thought things were calming down a little ~ Leo had an emergency. Acutely painful eyes are nothin' to mess around with, and the poor boy became very frightened because he was blind and painful. He began to lash out at everything in fear, including us.

Leo was seen by one of our favorite opthamologists at the Eye Clinic for Animals, Dr. Schorling, who ever so gently looked at Leo. We knew he had entropian eyelids (lids that turn in) that we were hoping would resolve once his skin healed. His skin is looking pretty good, but the eyelid problem persisted and daily medication wasn't enough. Dr. Schorling says he, like Phoenix and MeiLi, has feline herpes virus; herpes cats tend to squint too much, and in Leo's case, caused his misshapen eyelids to rub directly on his eyes. He ruptured one of his corneas as a result.

Leo had emergency surgery to fix his lids, essentially a kitty "face lift". Dr. Schorling also did a corneal graft to try to repair his damaged eye. We will have to wait and see if it will take ~ it may heal or he may lose his eye, but this is the best chance he has to keep it. Tonight Leo is much more comfortable, sporting an Elizabethan collar to keep him from scratching out his sutures. I hope to have a picture of him in the next couple of days - he's a little camera-shy right now!

Happy Thanksgiving!

We wish you and your family the best during this Thanksgiving!

Stacy & Steve & the Golden Hearts Critters

A Pile of Goldens!

Liberty and Pilot and Melody are sharing the same bed ~ the orthopedic mattress with a canine cooler bed on top is the most sought-after space in the house! It's been quite a while since there's been an update on our blog, so here goes:

Pilot is healing great. He has lost weight, and sports an 88lb figure. He's working on muscle-building and range-of-motion in his rehab program.

Melody has had an evaluation by our favorite neurologist Dr. Stevenson. Melody has had some changes in her behavior patterns that are concerning. Knowing that she is already epileptic, there is a worry that something is changing in her brain. We'll keep you updated on what the tests show.

And, let's not forget the cats~

Scooter has had four rectal prolapses in the last 3 weeks. Once again, we're trying to find the right balance of medications to keep this at bay. It's probably due to grooming and too much hair ingestion, so it will hopefully end soon!

MeiLi had a severe episode of respiratory trouble. She became so stuffed up that she actually went into respiratory arrest early one morning ~ and yes, you can rescue breathe for a kitty! Like a newborn animal who needs stimulation to breathe, I gently hung her upside down and swung her (not as violent as it sounds, trust me!) to let gravity help drain her out. She's doing better now, and is recovering from an insect bite on her head!

Poppy is continuing to decline in spite of our best efforts. He is not only battling IBD, but is also dealing with a secondary pancreatitis. Cats don't often do as well as dogs with pancreatitis. Please send healing thoughts his way.

It's been more like living on an "ER" or "MASH" episode over the last couple of months!

It's Melody's Turn!

Melody had her turn at a veterinary work-up recently too. As I was brushing her teeth, I discovered a good-sized mass, about the size of a marble, along her gumline. Most lumps that grow in the mouth are bad news, so we acted quickly. She was into the office with me just a day later.

We sedated her and biopsied the lump, as its base was too large to just lop off and expect it not to bleed much. It was a quick procedure, most of the time was spent with direct pressure on the site to stop the bleeding.

Melody was pampered with canned food for a few days, the down side was ~ no nylabones with such a fresh wound in her mouth! The results are great ~ the lump is epulus,a benign overgrowth of gum tissue. A good explanation of oral cancer and benign lumps can be found here. In her case, it's probably because she spends so much time chewing on rope toys and nylabones. Lucky girl, she never really realized how worried we were!

Good News For Liberty!

Liberty had a recheck two weeks ago with Dr. Steele at the Eye Clinic for Animals, and we're happy to report that the abscess behind her eye has healed! She has some damage to the optic nerve in that same eye resulting in tunnel vision, but she gets to keep her eye.

Today she had a recheck with Dr. Slusser our internist where once again she was anesthetized. This time, she had skull radiographs done, just to make sure that she didn't have a tumor or bone infection as the primary cause of her inability to open her mouth normally. Great news here too ~ everything looks normal and her tempromandibular joints are intact. So, the cause of her inability to open her mouth normally stems from scar tissue that built up over time because of the abscess.

How frustrating ~ this all could have been prevented with some simple routine maintenance ~ foxtail checks or toothbrushing would have unveiled this situation early on, before it became a problem. We worked to break down the scar tissue a little today, but she won't be undergoing ongoing procedures since she can eat and drink just fine.

She's a very happy girl, who has really taken a liking to Maverick!

A Feline's Touch

Not to be outdone by the dog nursing crew, MeiLi decided to join in the recovery of our newest Golden guy. She left people laps and climbed upon his leg, sitting there for probably 10 minutes or so. I believe all of the animals here understand the healing that happens here, and once they are healed mentally and physically, the 'job' I give them is to care for each other.

Whether she was sending healing energy to him or merely admiring his scar, I'll never know for sure. Either way, he didn't seem to mind spending part of his evening with a kitty!

Home From Surgery

Tonight he's home and very sore but doing well. The new guy (still needs a new name) had surgery today at Acacia Animal Hospital in Escondido, and thanks to the generosity of Dr. Carmen Bausone, DVM, one of the practice owners, and Dr. Dennis Aron, DVM, DACVS, this surgery was generously discounted.

We only take in those critters who we know we can support in all ways, including financial support. The sanctuary runs on a shoe-string budget covering the costs of food, litter, and veterinary diagnostics and treatment. This kid's surgery estimate far exceeded the budget, so Steve & I paid for his fracture repair; we pick up where the sanctuary donations leave off.

The four-legged nursing staff has taken over, as you can see above, here's hoping for a speedy recovery!

The Decision...

After thinking it over, talking with our wonderful veterinarians and consulting with a veterinary orthopedic surgeon, we've decided that the "Big Guy" (he still needs a new name) will go to surgery. His surgery is scheduled for this Friday, please keep your fingers crossed!!

Nap Time

Scooter has enjoyed this crate since he was just a little tyke. When he grew up and could move in with the grown up kitties, we put the crate outside on their patio so he could still use it. He rediscovered it today, and invited MeiLi to nap with him!

A Shocking Twist of Events...

Brings our newest Golden guy back home tonight with his broken leg. His x-rays prior to surgery showed that he has hip dysplasia, and his classification is considered "severe", which is as bad as it gets. It turns out his better hip is the one with the broken leg.

Our new options ~ amputate and plan on his remaining hip going bad quickly, euthanize him and say 'well we tried' or fix the fractured femur.

This is never an easy decision to make, but we have made a commitment to him for the best life he can have as long as he can have it. We will be doing a lot of soul-searching this weekend, as well as consulting with other veterinary orthopedic surgeons. We will let you know what the decision is!

A New Guy With A Big Problem

This sweet big guy joined us today. You wouldn't know by looking at him, but he has a fractured femur - ouch! He was set to be euthanized due to this problem because his family couldn't afford to fix him. Fractured femurs are difficult and time-consuming to repair, which all adds up to more money to fix it.

He has a couple of options at this point ~ fix the fracture, or amputate the affected leg. He will be seeing Dr. Porte at TriCity Veterinary Clinic on Friday for amputation surgery. He remains on pain medication and antibiotics until then. He has also started medication for hypothyroidism ~ hopefully he'll drop a little weight, making getting around on 3 legs much easier!

Ballou's Yard

Well it finally happened for Ballou and his crew - grass! Their yard was just an empty bunch of dirt for quite a while. We laid sod about 2-3 weeks ago now and added some other plants too. It's all really taken off and is doing well - now we just have to convince the cats (except Hank) that it's okay to walk on - so far everyone else still goes around it! If you click on the picture above to enlarge it, you can find Marci and Waldo in the background, behind their new lawn!

A Leo Update

I realized it's been a little while since posting a Leo update ~ he's doing great! As you can see, his hair is growing in nicely. We introduced him to the cats living in the Cabana, which has the largest yard and sleeping area, and he's doing very well with the other cats. He really enjoys playing in the tall grasses, but is sure to never miss a meal!

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!