Jump to content

Menu

Cindy in the NH Woods

Members
  • Posts

    607
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by Cindy in the NH Woods

  1. I have a GSD, and she is an excellent animal, but she has a very high prey drive and I wouldn't trust her for a minute with chickens running around her. I really would love to raise chickens for eggs, but as of right now would find it too stressful worrying that the dog would kill them. I think Tessa really just wants to "herd" little things that scuttle around (like chickens & cats) but she gets too excited and would need quite a bit of supervision to be certain that she wouldn't grab one. Our cats know to stay away from her.
  2. Here is a great article, from a website our veterinarian recommends: http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=2750
  3. Guinea pigs need lots of vitamin C, so I would pick up some parsley or dark leafy greens or fruit (mangos, apples, etc.) the next time you went grocery shopping. Have fun! http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?A=2750
  4. Our gp's loved greens :drool: , so maybe a sprig of parsley or dill or a hunk of mango would bring a bright spot to little Fudge. You are sweet to care so well for her.
  5. :grouphug: :grouphug: :grouphug: Our preemie boy had problems with obstructive apnea, due to reflux. He took meds for the reflux, and was on an apnea monitor for several months; a couple of times I had to stimulate him after he had triggered the alarm. He would not choke or gasp out loud, just lay there and succumb to the reflux, and it was very frightening. He is now a strapping, healthy thirteen year old, thank the Lord. :) Will your doctor prescribe an apnea monitor for a few months so you can get a good night's rest?
  6. And watch out for hawks and other birds of prey. :ohmy: I remember seeing shadows of various birds flying overhead to check out our little piggie~burgers. As was mentioned, pigs are also very sensitive to heat. :)
  7. This is how I was thinking. Also, I believe the first terrible incident of 45 killed in Bath, MI was due to a bomb and not guns. So many variables.... :(
  8. Hi~ did the statistics you mention compare numbers based strictly on the number of deaths per nation, per capita, per one thousand people, etc.? This basis of comparison is important to know, as the USA has almost ten times the population of Canada. ( Population of USA: 314,976,056 vs. Population of Canada: 33,476,688) Thanks!
  9. Not a tree pic, but last year I noticed this shadow play on the wall and took a picture. :001_smile: ETA: Oops, picture won't load.
  10. Kirkegaard's *Fear and Trembling* starts with this conundrum. Worth a read!
  11. :iagree: Our German shepherd dog breeder said to watch liver, and cat food as they can cause diarrhea. Our GSD had diarrhea quite a lot as a pup. Stress, sudden food changes, and exposure at obedience classes often triggered her. Oh, and sweet potato as treats and additive in her dog food bugs her too. She is three now, and rarely gets diarrhea. I hope your pup grows out of it too! :) FWIW, here is what I feed her: Once a day, some cooked fresh chicken, beef or lamb, mixed with some high quality kibble (I like Wellness, mixed with a cheaper brand Iams large breed) I may add a crushed multivitamin to this. Once a day, a can of dog food (Wellness stew, or Taste of the Wild) or a small can of tuna, mixed with kibble. Sometimes I mix in a tablespoon or two of canned salmon with the kibble, but salmon tends to loosen her up so I am careful. When our dog had diarrhea as a pup, I gave her boiled chicken mixed with cooked rice. And I am careful not to exercise her right before or right after a meal. Training treat wise, our dog goes nuts for a pinch of cold cuts like ham, turkey or roast beef. And cooked chicken as mentioned above. :) She could care less for biscuits. Good luck!
  12. I'm so very sorry for your loss! The ladies here have such sound and compassionate advice. I would just add that I don't think you can make a "wrong" decision. Personally, I would probably wait a couple of days to see if any bleeding was going to start. If it did start, I would most likely have my blood levels re~checked, then have the D & E. I had a miscarriage at home at twelve weeks, and it hurt like crazy, and I hemmorhaged a lot. (I was very fearful back then to have the procedure, but wouldn't be as apprehensive about it now.) :grouphug::grouphug::grouphug:
  13. I am re~reading each one of your posts tonight before I take the kitty to the vets tomorrow morning. Thank you all so much for sharing your experiences and thoughts with me.
  14. Hi! Jenny's "in house" FIV test was positive, but two Western blot tests were negative. Just to make things simple, right? Kitty and her brother definitely have got something up with their immune system though. Jenny also has "pillow foot" which is immune related. Thanks for the input! I need it!
  15. Thanks so much for the replies! I think at this point, I am having more difficulty with the cat's pain than with putting her down. Also, I think my guilt stems from the fact that if it were my "favorite" cat, I don't think I could do it. And the dog.... I would probably donate a kidney to her if it would help. (And the dog really is useful to us as a portable security system, which was our intention when we got her. Initially.) Is it unethical to think this way??? <blush>
  16. ***update*** Again, I thank everyone for telling me their stories. I so understand what you have been or are going through, and appreciate the compassion and advice shown to me here. Thank you! We took Jenny in this morning. The vet noticed some black ulcers developing in her mouth due to the uremic poisoning from her kidneys failing. We decided it would be best for the cat to put her down. I'm not gonna lie, it was pretty awful feeling, but now I am relieved and feel at peace with the decision. My sweet daughter, Jenny's favorite person, went with me and petted the kitty while we waited, and then held her in her arms while we waited for the sedative to take effect. I am so proud of her for doing that. I know it made a difference for the cat. If I'm not mistaken, I believe C.S. Lewis (Oxford don, and author of The Chronicles of Narnia and more) believed that animals went to heaven. Whether this is true or not, I know in my heart that God is good and I imagine my little kitty girl playing in the grass. Take care all! Love, Cindy I think we really need to euthanize one of our cats, but I feel like an utter heel about it. Here is the situation: Jenny, one of a pair of siblings we adopted from a shelter, is about four years old. She is in kidney failure, has some immune system issues (positive for feline aids with a quick test, negative on two Western blots), and most likely has stomatitis, a condition her brother also had, but was cured by having all of his teeth extracted. Cha ching. The vet proscribed antibiotics, which seemed to help her for awhile, but now she is hardly eating and her mouth is getting goey and pus~filled. I am sure she is in a lot of pain. She continues to drink like crazy, and pee outside the litter box. I will call the vet's office tomorrow and bring Jenny back in. We have already recently spent about $400.00 on her for her annual exam, shots, lab tests, etc. I don't want the kitty to suffer, but assuming she could tolerate the surgery, I know that having the procedures done and hospital stay will probably cost about $1800.00. Gulp. That is what it cost to care for her brother Oliver, who is now getting more huge by the day, and generally bullying the other cats. :glare: My plan is to get the cat pain relief and antibiotics, but I can't justify the surgery. My fear is that I will get her meds and she is going to die as I welcome visiting guests, host Thanksgiving, and try to prep. Maybe the vet will give her blessing about euthanizing the cat tomorrow. But so far I haven't gotten that. Help? Thank you.
  17. Ooh, I wouldn't accept that mind set... in my humble opinion, the dog must learn that he is in the lowest spot on the totem pole. Even with the kids. But it is probably going to take some time. ;) Our GSD is now three years old, and she was a royal terror when she was a puppy. She used to attack the kids when they went sledding, shred their coats, nip them, ugh. She learned that this was not okay, and now respects the kids. I wouldn't hesitate to talk to a pro or GSD breeder for some help. Different folks have different approaches. In our case, when our dog got territorial or crazy with the kids, we had to give her a shake down, then walk away and ignore her for a bit. Also, we cut back on treats and did down stays. Yelling or a loud voice usually made things worse, but shaking a coffee can with a few coins, or physically blocking her gently but firmly pushing her out of the way with my body worked well. I still have to assert my dominance by a calm body block once in awhile when she goes after the vacuum cleaner. Tessa has mellowed out a lot, but she still requires lots of exercise, play, mental stimulation, and companionship. She is very good with visitors who are invited to our home. (We crate her for a little while when someone new visits, then let her out to greet them.) She is very suspicious of strangers when we are hiking, etc., but we got her to be a watch dog, so this isn't a problem for us. She is the smartest, most loyal dog ever, and I love her to bits. You could take filet mignon out of her mouth, crawl in her dog crate with her or take her toys, whatever and she would never growl or snap.. But two things I would appreciate advice for is her dog aggression, and cat harassment. :glare: Please take my advice with a grain of salt, but these are some things that have helped us. I do feel your pain & frustration! Sincerely, Cindy
  18. Our dd's CD 57 is in the 20's. Sorry you are going through this, too. :grouphug:
  19. Sadly, this is not always cut and dried. Especially when the person initiating the weirdness is the very person who is supposed to love and protect you the most. Like coach. Or even worse, like Daddy.
  20. Regarding the bold text.... how sadly true! Literally the first time our fourteen year old dd walked on her own near our home, with our German shepherd dog, a middle aged man in a car stopped her to "ask directions" to the town store just up the road. (We routinely do the buddy system to walk in our area, as it is very rural. I don't have a problem with the kids walking alone in town.) Big deal for a grown man to approach a young girl alone in a more secluded area? In my book, yeah it is. When my dh and I were first married, a similar thing happened to me as well; a man pulling up and mumbling quietly so I would approach his car. And no, I really am not paranoid. I have worked in inner city projects and been in urban environments. For reasons of privacy, I won't elaborate, but the worst of predators may be closer (and "nicer") than one thinks. That sick feeling in the pit of the gut, the one that is so easy to justify or ignore, is a potent tool. I found the saddest part of the article cited was that essentially no one was hearing those kids' subtle cries for help. While we truly value kindness and love, our kids know that they do not have to worry about being polite toward people who make them feel very uncomfortable whether it is because that person is very "affectionate/touchy" or is frequently trying to spend time with them alone. :tongue_smilie:
  21. I was going to say the same thing. My husband often thanks me... for smiling at him.
  22. The Historian, by Elizabeth Kostova oh, yes!!!! and The Little Stranger, by Sarah Waters (this one raised the hair on the back of my neck) :)
×
×
  • Create New...