Let's try again...

                                        HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANNA!!!!



Monday!   Back to the routine. Emma left yesterday so the house is now quiet. Jacky and I have been trying to eat all the extra food in the house so Lori can get that trim figure back again...Lunch was leftover stir fry and supper was stroganof made from leftover beef strips. I used Hungarian paprika and it was wonderful! We both ate too much though.
Not too busy at work. Only 4 dogs were boarding and they left pretty early. I was float and ended up getting together an order for a pork producer. 2 bags of Iron for baby piglets - I had to add Penicillin and Vitamin B (which smells like nutritional yeast and stains your skin orange!). The Vitamin B is an appetite stimulant and iron is for anemia. It's a big problem in baby pigs and expensive. Each bag costs them about $200. I try not to think how expensive some of the product is that I have to mix. Because if I goof up, that's lots of dollars someone has to pay for! I had to get 2 boxes of estrumate (brings females into heat), 4 bottles of oral Vitamin D, 3 gallons of disinfectant and then I had to find a bottle of MJ PRRS vaccine. Finally I had to mix up vaccine. First I thought it was one product that we didn't have enough of. After a couple of hours, Pam was talking to me and we realized it was a different vaccine that had to be mixed up. So I got that all together. It takes me a while because I don't do it very often. I'm always afraid of messing up because each pork grower gets something different. With help, I finally figured it all out and made it up with about an hour to spare.
That took up all morning. Mike was busy with an ACL surgery and I had lots of laundry - still from holidays. This afternoon I was kept busy trying to fix the blood chemistry machines. Pam hadn't been keeping up with weekly maintenance and the machines start refusing to work. She was busy in surgery so I tackled the IDEXX machines and finally got everything taken care of. Helped Mike take x rays of a labradoodle who may have swallowed a rubber ball. When I left work, he and Pam were tackling exploratory surgery to see if they could find that ball.
Had 1 behavioral consult. Wish I could charge money for these! Someone adopted a labradoodle on Saturday and it wants to eat her cats....hmmmm. I told her the 10 month old could be trained but it would take a strong commitment and leadership (as well as a crate). The new owner and husband had already thought about taking the dog back but they did like him. I told her if they kept him I could help with obedience lessons. Called Jill about the mini dachshund Zoey that I might be getting. She hasn't heard back from her husbands cousin so we'll see. This dog has gotten the short end of a divorce and is being ignored. They won't pay attention to her and she has accidents because they're not paying attention to her - and then they yell at her and crate her all day...Jill says she's the sweetest dog. And then Julie called about our private obedience lesson tomorrow and wanted to get a prong collar. I told her to wait since she has a chain training collar which is what I prefer.
My day off tomorrow is not off I guess. I have to go in for training on the new digital xray machine. 3 hours long...last week I fell asleep during training. Maybe I'll be more awake in the morning!
See you tomorrow!

I'm back!

I'm trying to get back here again. Right now I can't put any photos on my blog but, I don't really have the time anyway.
Thursday again. No surgeries so I didn't get to participate in my favorite activity. Next week there's an ACL surgery on my Thursday though so I really really hope they don't move it!
Instead I kept busy with other things. I had to do kennels since there weren't enough dogs to warrant Tony coming out. Max, whose dad is taking a travel group down the Panama Canal (Larry works for a travel agency. His blog is great - http://w.angelfire.com/mn/4seasons/PANAMA12.html ). Also Louie, a chocolate lab who had severe entropion on both eyes and had surgery to correct that Monday. Entropion is where the eyelids turn inwards toward the eyeball and the eyelashes literally rub against the eyeball. It is extremely painful and this poor dog came in squinting. He was also very nervous and growly. After the surgery, which involves cutting out a piece of eyelid and suturing the eyelids, Louie could see again without pain and became a completely different dog. Now he wags his tail and jumps all over me when he sees me. Much better! Sometimes it's not the dogs temperament but a medical condition that makes them aggressive or defensive.
That was all the boarders until Sophie came in. She's an apricot miniature poodle that had a penrose drain in that we had to take out today. The dog had been bitten by a family members dog over Thanksgiving and had a penrose drain put in, which is a rubber collapsible tube that enables serum and infection to drain out of the wound to allow healing to take place. This dog was a rescue who had been adopted last year. A beautiful calm purebred poodle found wandering on the street of Minneapolis. I really don't understand people. I'm glad she found this special lady to love her.
Other things - sterilized bottles of water, sterilized plastic bottles, answered phones, did laundry, changed the outside mercury light, just this and that...
Speaking of dogs....I came home at lunch and found a house full of poo. All 10 dogs ( or most of them) had gone potty while I was at work. Possibly because it was raining (Yea!) this morning and I left earlier than usual since Jacky left at 5:15 and I left at 6:30. So it was dark also. I was not happy at all and had to spend  my lunch hour cleaning the floor. Plus I had to move horses and llamas outside at noon since it was raining when I left this morning. SueBee and Piper had accidently closed the gate which prevented them from going outside. It meant that they were stuck inside the barn while poor Brandy was stuck outside in the rain,. Oh well, everyone survived and Jacky got home at 4:30 so he got to clean up the barns (sorry!).
Jacky fixed hamburger patties on the forman grill tonight. They were very good. Aren sent me a picture of Truely curled up next to Cedric. Looks like they're getting along! That makes me feel good. I love my two kitten boys. It's true nothing is safe, but they come find you when they want to nap, they know their names (Eli and Sambo), and they purr like crazy when you hold them. Must say I'm happier with them today then with the dogs! Hope tomorrow goes better. Night!

November 13

Well, it's my day off again and people probably wonder how I spend my time off.... Not that it's exciting but it does come under the heading "my life with animals".
This morning was starting the Christmas shopping on line. I sometimes put it off too long and then things can't get here by Christmas. So at least I've started! Then I talked to Mom while watching a DVD we made from an old VHS tape. It was so fun seeing the kids when they were little. Such happy times! I have to transfer all the old VHS tapes to DVDs' so we don't lose them. Already you almost can't find a VHS player to watch them on. I also need to send some old old 8mm family movies in to be transferred. We don't even know what's on most of them!
To Albert Lea to fill up my car (the empty light went on as I pulled into the station), pick up some dog food, and meet Jacky for lunch. We went to Taco John's where they make an excellent meat and potato burrito. I can't ever finish mine - wish we could just order one and split it but it isn't enough for Jacky then.
When I got back home, I figured I'd better start on the horse stalls. It's been cold and night, and blowing, so the horses have gotten to come inside at night. They love it, but I'm always reminded the next day why I wish I didn't have animals...each stall has to be 'picked' of manure. I use a wheel barrow and have to dump it in the manure piles outside each barn. By the time winter is over, the manure piles are quite large! There's two 'stalls' in the pony barn, and 5 'stalls' or areas in the horse barn. You're talking 3 wheel barrow loads today. This is the door we get to use for the wheel barrow. The animals like it when I have it open too!

We also haven't quite winterized the barns. In the horse barn the water buckets were freezing up. So I dumped four buckets of water and ice, and replaced them with heated water buckets. May not have to plug them in yet because the horses body heat warms up the barn somewhat. But at least everything's ready. Oh yes, also had to throw new bales of hay down from the hay loft. They eat about a half a bale a day right now but that will go up to a whole bale in about a week or two. The llamas have to eat twice a day as there is no grass left in their pen.

The cats are getting more hungry now too. Every time someone goes out, they all run to the bowls to eat. What a life!

Bryn has have her  herding instinct satisfied as well - but with cats instead of sheep. At least she doesn't try to bite them like Willy does...

Had to stop just now and feed the dogs and kittens. They certainly eat better than people do - a balanced diet made just for them without any junk food or fillers, including no grains. They love it - a natural raw meat diet. Traeh, who was diagnosed almost a year ago with Degenerative Myolopathy, has been doing fantastic - in fact better than when she was diagnosed. I certainly attribute her well being to the new diet as well as not getting any vaccinations or heart worm prevention (which sets up an inflammatory response in the body).

Jacky accomplished something big this Sunday. He finished putting down the dining room floor!!! It looks beautiful. All we need now is the molding at the bottom. But we need to paint those first. So I can't put anything back in the hutch yet. Just look at this!...

One last Pic. Saturday we were in Rochester picking up a few more boxes of flooring. In the Wal Mart parking lot guess what we saw...

New Post!

Someone who shall remain nameless has reminded me that I have not been keeping up my blog like I'm supposed to. So this is is semi-catch up post with lots of photos and few words....Lets go backwards, shall we?
Yesterday was voting for our next president. This is not a political stand so all I want to show you is where we have to go vote. It is out on a farmer's property which is REALLY hard to find. From the blacktop that takes you to Clarks Grove, you go north on a gravel road, take another gravel road west, then turn north again on a third gravel road (none of which have road names). We have witnessed other people getting lost trying to find the place to vote (are they trying to keep people away??). I myself always have Jacky take me because I can't remember how to get there!

After voting, there was the farrier. I already have pics of him and the horses so we won't go there.

Last night Teddi and I went to the City Arena. Teddi got to take his Canine Good Citizen test again. There were a lot of people and dogs there we didn't know but Teddi did ok. He passed his test! That was after a LOT of hard work to get him to trust people and not bite them1

 Here we are after the good news...

I also got Tracy and Sharon to help me take pictures of Teddi so I can register him with AKC. If he gets an ILP number, I can compete in obedience events with him. That could be a lot of fun!

Last week we celebrated our 30th anniversary. Monday we went to Wabasha and the Nat'l Eagle Center...

Tuesday we went to the Minnesota Science Museum.Playing at the Omni theater was a tornado film that we watched being make on a Discovery Channel show. That was really good. Here is the TIV vehicle that they drove around in...

Also at the museum was an Egyptian exhibit. Jacky and I had fun taking a 'ride' on this gentleman -

I think I have the more 'natural' seat, what do you think? I also can see Mom and Dad's camel saddle on this guy!

One last picture. The kittens are growing. I haven't been taking them to work...Beth really doesn't want them and will only throw them outside in the barn. These little guys wouldn't last a week at this age. Guess I'll keep  feeding them for a while. By the way (BTW) they really don't help when you're trying to type up a post... Oh yes, there isn't any good pictures of the kittens because they never hold still long enough!

Kittens!

Beth's kittens - I'm bottle feeding the 3 dark colored ones, and Beth is raising the 3 light colored ones. I have  a blue cream I call "Truly" from Chitty Chitty Bang Bang  (Truly Scrumptious), Tab ( a gray tabby) and Tracker, my favorite, a dark striped tabby. Tracker has the best temperament and is also the prettiest.
He looks like a baby wild cat  - maybe a lynx. He may have to stay!

Tracker

Tracker, Tab and Truly...and me!

Wednesday

It's been super super busy for 2 weeks. I was appointment today - not too much going on there. Had to do kennels,but there was a lot of surgery dogs and drop offs to take care of - along with many many cats. I also brought 3 of my dogs this morning to practice training after work, as well as my 3 bottle kittens which are 3 weeks old. Two trips loaded down to get to the car, and then from car to inside clinic. Plus I was a little late this morning. The sunrise was literally out of this world. I kept stopping the car and taking pictures!

Isn't that gorgeous! This was the best one because of the clouds but the color was spectacular. I admit, I wouldn't be up for the sunrise if I didn't have to be at work so I guess I'm glad I had to get up this morning!

The weather was cooler today - windy! I'm glad yesterday was nice. Mother and I went to Faribault and ate at The Depot. Then we drove the back road to Nerstrand, visited the meat market there (and bought some wonderful jerky, bologna, and weiners!), stopped at the Nerstrand Bid Woods State Park (didn't walk any trails), and finally visited the Valley Grove Norwegian Lutheran churches that are on the Historical Registry. The day started out rainy but ended up really nice - not cold nor warm with a breeze.

Good thing we didn't try to go today, the weather was perfect yesterday! What was really nice about the churches was, of course, the history, but also that the Preservation Society bought up the land around the churches and restored it to original prairie. The song birds yesterday were everywhere, and singing!!! It was just so peaceful. I tell you, I'd like to live like that now, without the 'farm' but out in the woods or prairie (rolling not flat!).

Let's see, not too much from work. Training went well. I'm helping John and "Ida Mae" get ready for the Canine Good Citizen Test on Nov 6. I will be taking Teddi to try again since he failed the first time so he was with me tonight.

Bryn and Gertie were with me also, helping to demonstrate. Bryn is working on her Rally so she got to practice too. Gertie just likes to go. When I got home and finally sat down on the sofa, I had a few of the animals join me. They miss me when I'm at work!

If you want an actual count, there's 2 cats (Leia and Juju), Candy, Uli, Teddi, Bryn (herding Leia), Gertie (cleaning Bryn's ears), Casey...Traeh in foreground. 

One last sunrise picture before we go...

Are clients really necessary?

What a week. Still have Friday and Saturday to go . Hope I make it. People don't tell you that one of the most exhausting jobs at a vet clinic is dealing with the clients. Yesterday was dealing with a woman who bought a golden retriever puppy about 9 weeks ago. Paid $1200. Anyway, the puppy has had diarrhea ever since she bought it. She's never brought the dog in but brings in fecal samples. We've diagnosed giardia and campylobator ( I know, but I'm not explaining them right now). Every medicine we've went home has not gotten rid of the problem. She's frustrated, and has a daughter with Crohn's disease so she's very careful about the meds and such - people can get campy, especially with compromised immune systems. The puppy acts fine but is not 'right'. Yesterday I had two 30 minute conversations about her latest fecal she brought in, the meds, a change in food suggestion....and finally do I think this all should be covered under the health guarantee? This is all fine and good but there's other things I need to be doing! As far as being appointment tech yesterday, I think I helped with only 2 out of maybe 8 or 9 because of phone calls, helping with a surgery to remove a lump and then giving a dental to the same dog (started as an appointment), giving fluids to a dehydrated cat, running blood work on a sick dog....Whew! I was sooo tired when I got home.

Today was a remake of yesterday. Instead of the diarrhea puppy calls, I had a dental on a dachshund whose owner lives in Rochester. She called twice to check on the dog, then came early and questioned EVERYTHING! I mean questioned the charges, questioned the antibiotics prescribed, questioned the pain meds prescribed...Questions on dog behavior and dog antidepressants....the list goes on and on and on.
She started with Holly and then on to me. She was very nice about it but since her divorce 2 years ago, the dog hasn't been the same. Well, all the behaviors she was describing sounded EXACTLY like typical dachshund behavior. And I should know what that is! Nothing I said made any difference. I'll probably be getting at least one phone call from her tomorrow...Oh Joy.

One spay - a Yorkie mix spoiled rotten - and 6 baby teeth that had to be pulled at the same time. One dental on the dachshund who had 5 teeth pulled - including 2 molars. Tomorrow looks like a German Shepherd spay. She's quite lovely - all white - and her name is "Aoiffe". I asked and it's pronounced "eefa" and is Irish. Cool name! Also a lump removal.

Cool weather has come today. I picked the last tomatoes yesterday. Not enough to can (thank goodness - I canned 7 pints Tuesday) but there's more potatoes to be dug. We're laying them on the floor of the garage. I have a picture but I'm too tired to go fetch my camera and transfer the pics. Another time, after there's more collected. The blue one are pretty cool!

Better go to bed. I'm surgery tomorrow too since Megan is on vacation. Pam has to be appointment again because Emily is on vacation also. Also doing kennels for the 3rd time in a row. Not enough dogs to have Tony or Gloria out. In fact tonight there's no boarders! MEA is coming up soon so I hope things will pick up. Night!