#tails from GP vet

[reptile-garden]

I had a client (who’s a “breeder”) who picked up a golden doodle pup from Texas and brought her In for her first puppy exam, and while the room tech was weighing and temping said “oh by the she’s been having diarrhea And vomiting” great possible Parvo.

Dogs nine weeks.

So work wife and I gown up and go in to do treatments, making small talk while the Parvo test is running, and the blood work is running,

She’s like

“Yeah my husbands allergic to dogs so we have to get the hypoallergenic breeds like doodles.”

I’m 90% sure I controlled my eyebrows. Thank god I was wearing a mask cause yeah my face would have said everything.

I felt my soul leave my body for a moment.

Lady is nice, and will do what ever we need to do to keep the pup healthy and happy, but that was not what I was expecting when I was told she was a breeder, cause 98% of the clients we see that are breeders are legit and not as I call “greeders.”

[thiscrimsonsoul]

{out of paprikash} I'll try to do what I can today with regard to writing, but I don’t have much of a brain for it tonight. I’m a little heartbroken. I lost a very special hammie today to natural causes. He was about 26 months old, and my favorite of all the 20+ hamsters I've owned in my life. His name was Smudgie. For those who are interested, I've attached his story and a short video of him below the cut.

My previous hamster died just before the start of the whole pandemic and widespread shutdowns in the U.S. In mid March 2020, I welcomed Smudgie into my home, a male teddy bear hammie with white fur and soot gray ears like little smudges. I've had numerous hammies all my life since I was around five, I know the drill. Some nipping, squeaking, a little fear... and then a system of pets and food based on a business transaction of cuteness for resources. They put up with me, they get food. I get cuteness. But Smudgie was different. He was the sweetest most personable little guy right from the get-go. As a baby and on the first day home, he was letting me hold him without fear. Within a week, I was in love.

But then one day I went to see him... and everything changed. He was thin, weak, and he had diarrhea. I knew the smell well. Wet tail. It's a vicious and fast-developing bacterial infection, unfortunately common in pet store hamsters that have been kept together and thus exposed to each other's germs. Death occurs within 48 hours in many cases.

Now imagine my shy self... someone with social anxiety so severe that a phone call takes a week and many panic attacks to build up to. I'm home alone and cradling this hamster who's a precious sweetheart in my hand, crying, telling him he's gonna be okay. I call my dad, he doesn't answer. I'm on my own. And that's terrifying. But I'm cradling this tiny life in my hand who's depending on me to protect him and take care of him... and it just cut right through my usual terror, and I picked up my cell phone.

I called every place Google told me was within an hour drive. It was the height of the pandemic by that point. Everything in my state had just shut down a week ago. Most vets were closed until further notice. The ones that weren't? Oh sorry. We only take dogs and cats. Smudgie is lying in my hand, curled up, oh how his tummy must have hurt him, and I'm failing him with every new phone call I make. I'm apologizing, shaking, crying... and then... I get an answer. Finally. A place that treats hamsters that's open 35 minutes away, but.... their next appointment is a week away. I break down on the phone, telling the secretary I'm an experienced hamster owner and a microbiologist. I know he has wet tail. And he'll die within 48 hours if I can't get him help. There's a silence. Okay come on over now and we'll see him.

I get Smudgie into a tupperware container (not an airtight lid of course) and put the address into my gps. Getting lost while driving is a huge phobia of mine. I panic badly if it happens. But he'll die if I don't try, so I hope for the best, and I get him there. I don't remember most of the drive. That's typical of things that trigger my anxiety. But it doesn't matter because I'm here and now he can get the help he needs.

I had to leave him overnight while they ran some tests to determine the type of wet tail he had (there are a number of bacteria that can cause it, each requiring different antibiotics), and if he had any other issues. I drove home and... waited. I couldn't at all sleep that night because at any moment I knew I could get a call saying he'd lost his little fight. At around 9am the next morning, I saw the number for the vet on my phone. I hesitated to answer, but eventually did.

Diagnosis? Bacterial wet tail, three species of pathogenic bacteria. And dehydration. Not surprising given all the diarrhea. And he had a few parasite eggs in his stool. Like... tapeworms. The vet explained this to me and then paused before he said the treatment course. Shots of ivermectin two weeks apart. Antibiotics twice daily. Therapeutic liquid food three times daily. They do the first week and then I take him home, doing the feedings and the antibiotics, only bringing him back for ivermectin shots. I had a little scale at home, I could chart his weight. No guarantees, hamsters are so small and fragile, but... he has a chance.

The vet paused here. There was a long silence. With the cost of the meds, them keeping him for two weeks, and follow-up visits, it was going to cost around $2K. Another long pause. Do you... want to go ahead with this? I could hear the emotion in his voice. He was expecting me to say no. And as a doctor who wanted to help, that killed him, I could tell. But I said yes. Let's do it. I said listen, I've owned a lot of hamsters, and within one week of ownership, I've fallen in love with this little guy. He's special. And I wanna do everything I can for him. Now... I am not made of money. I lost my research job because of the pandemic. Online teaching pays shit. I'd have to seriously scrape to afford this. But Smudgie was depending on me, and I was not about to let him down.

The vet was... shocked. He said....... oh! Okay! Great! I could feel his happiness over the phone. He said that most people didn't consider hamsters worth saving, so most of the time, they were forced to just let them die, and that was heartbreaking for them. Not only that, but he said they have a lot of techs and vets in training that rarely get to treat and care for animals like hamsters because the owners just aren't willing to pay the cost. I said well... I'm willing. I love this little guy. Do what you can for him. The vet was... ecstatic. He thanked me. It was such a warm phone call.

Over the next several days, he kept me updated on Smudgie's condition. At one point, he managed my expectations. Smudgie wasn't looking good. But then... a turnaround! He was more alert. He was gaining weight. It seemed he was turning a corner here. Finally, I had an appointment to pick him up, and I got to meet the guy I'd been talking to on the phone and the woman vet who'd been assisting him with this case. Smudgie had been a teaching opportunity for many techs at the practice, and frankly, an inspiration. This little guy had a harrowing, painful illness, shots, people grabbing him, people shoving syringes into his mouth with gritty health food... but he was THE SWEETEST. They told me that the medical technicians were fighting over who got to feed him because he was that precious. Everyone wanted to hold and pet Smudgie. He was the darling of their practice, and everyone was rooting for him. When I walked in to pick him up, everyone smiled. I was engulfed in affection and well-wishes. Everyone loved Smudgie.

Then he came home with me and I was terrified. I'm a microbiologist, but environmental, not clinical. Not human or animal... but bacterial, fungal, I understand how bacteria grow in soil, water, sediment, that's my forte. But medical stuff.........total black box. I didn't want to fail Smudgie. So I worked hard. I set alarms. I did all the feedings and medications around the clock for three weeks. I didn't let him give me shit (he gave me a lot of it). I weighed him every day. I pushed past my own anxiety and fears to help this hammie I cared so much about and that had touched me and so many others.

Weeks of syringe feedings and vet visits followed. He gained weight. Everything looked great. It was time for his last follow-up visit. The vet thanked me for being willing to go the distance for such a tiny life, and I wholeheartedly thanked him for saving my hamster. I got to meet several people who had a hand in treating Smudgie. They even took a picture of him for their billboard of memorable pets. It was... one of the most feel-good situations I've ever experienced in my life.

Smudgie lived for over two years past this point, past when most pet stores and pet owners would have let him die. He was a fat, happy, pampered little mush, who loved to run on his wheel, loved cashews, and often loafed himself before his food bowl, content in his happy home. We had a routine, he and I. I would call his name sweetly to get his attention, he would come out of his plastic house, towards the end he had arthritic hips (I feel you buddy, I've had rheumatoid arthritis since I was two) and I had to help him onto it. Once on his house, I would, as I called it, give him "the full-body rub-down." I rub his ears, his neck, his shoulders, his hips, his sides, etc. Most hamsters, when you start touching them, duck away like yeah okay, enough, screw off. Smudgie always liked it. He wanted the rub-down. And then he knew he got his bowl filled with seeds, nuts, and other treats like veggies, dried fruits, fortune cookies, etc. to supplement his health biscuits. So he'd drop off his house and wait by his bowl, front paws on the rim, waiting for me to drop the goods. I'd give him a mix of sunflower seeds, various biscuits, and his favorite... dried cranberries. This went on for two years. I’d tell him, "Mommy loves you," and "You're such a good little boy," and give him all the pats and loves and treats.

If any hamster ever had cause to be the biggest, nastiest, feistiest jerk on earth, it was this guy. He'd really been through it from a young age. He'd gotten so many shots, been handled by so many unfamiliar humans, gotten syringes of liquid food sludge thrust in his face, and endured so many terrifying, jostling car rides inside a tupperware container, that if any hammie was going to be like HUMANS FREAKING SUCK, I would've expected it to be him. But nope. He liked to be around humans. He liked to be pet. He sought it out. First hammie ever of mine that felt that way. He was a true treasure. A sweet, positive, beautiful little guy.

Last night... I noticed a change. He was weak, lethargic, breathing very hard. The telltale signs of age-related heart failure in hammies. He was 2.5 years old, so... not unexpected. Most pet-store-bought male hammies live an average of 18 months. My hammies typically live longer. Smudgie was 26 months. Usually once I see them start to labor with breathing, it's 1-2 weeks until they die. The decline is excruciating. Sad. Painful. But I followed the routine. "Hey, Smudgie! Hi!" He tried to climb onto his house but was too weak. So I lifted him up onto it. "It's okay, I have arthritis too," I told him. Then I gave him the best massage to date. Ears, shoulders, hips, pudgy midsection... I figured, he's not feeling well, I should let him rest. But he goes to his food bowl and looks up at me expectantly, even as he's having trouble breathing, eyes half-lidded. I give him seeds and nuts but he noses around and still looks at me. He wants a dried cranberry. I had been giving him those for awhile now and he adored them. So I get one, and it doesn't even make it into his bowl, because he's making grabby-hands at it even before I can lower it down fully. He takes it, loafs himself in a round ball of hammie floof (he was a long-haired hammie, extremely floofy), and gorges. I smile, say, "Enjoy, baby boy. Mommy loves you. You enjoy yourself," and then I went to bed.

And this morning... he was peacefully gone, just laying down, as if asleep. No pain, no stress. Best little guy ever. 15/10, would be his momma again. But it hurts. A lot. Although... there's really nothing bad here. Smudgie had a long, happy, spoiled, pudgy life, one he likely wouldn't have had, had he ended up anywhere else. But this is always the worst part of pet ownership... the end.

I'm not in a hurry to get another hamster. Usually I run right out after one dies, eager to fill the void, but this time... no. I need some time. I need to reflect on this tiny life that had such an impact on mine. I'm not ready yet. There's no rush.

The video below was taken about three months ago. It's Smudgie half awake in his holding bin after I woke him up to clean his cage. I hope you enjoy.

[okamigekidoo]

Ferret Care Guide by Okami

Ferret Hygiene 

Do NOT bathe your ferret more frequently than once a month. Often times I hear it suggested that a ferret should be bathed only twice a year. And when you do, use an all natural, sensitive baby skin shampoo, or do an “oatmeal soak”. Bathing your ferret can make their smell WORSE by drying out their skin, so afterwards it will overproduce the natural oils and intensify the stench. Ferrets just smell, and if you cant handle that, do NOT get a ferret. 

Ferrets also need weekly or bi-weekly nail trimmings. Older ferrets may need them more frequently, as with my experience, their claws grow MUCH faster. Also, talk to your vet about cleaning your ferrets teeth. The procedure is VERY expensive, so try to get information on how to clean their teeth at home. Keep in mind that older ferrets have weaker teeth, so be extra gentle. A lack of cleaning can cause teeth to chip and fall out. Or, it can even lead to gum diseases, which you do NOT want. 

Enclosures

A ferret nation or critter nation is the best enclosure for your ferret. Each floor can house two ferrets comfortably, so PLEASE do not overload your cage with too many ferrets. Although, those two cages are very expensive. Always try to take a look at second-hand sites (like craigslist in NC) for cages of the appropriate size. Or, use a website called CHEWY. It’s my go-to pet website. 

And please, do not let you ferret roam in a cage where the floor is made of bars/wire. That is self explanatory, do NOT do that. 

https://www.chewy.com/

Beds, and Bedding

So! This here is the fun part. My favorite things, are hammocks. Whether they be tunnel hammocks, double stack hammocks, or “hammock houses” as I call them. Or, you could go for “snuggle sacks”-some of which that hang on the wall of a cage (so do corner beds). A fantastic website for beds, fleeces, hammocks, etc-is etsy! Many of my ferret beds come from that site, check it out! Amazon also has a grat selection of hammocks and beds, just make sure they’re the right size : )

https://www.etsy.com/?ref=lgo

And now, here’s something of personal preference. I suggest NOT using any sort of kaytee bedding. (Or any in general). And only use fragrance and dust free bedding, if you decide to use it anyway. But, the bedding in the image below killed my first ferret. It was an uneducated fault of mine, I suppose, but I still see everyone use it. This bedding, when wet, SWELLS. 

(TW) I had a young ferret at the time, and she ate it while I wasnt home. It swelled in her throat/stomach and killed her by suffocating her. So I highly suggest you do NOT use this bedding. 

I’d rather suggest fleece, peepads, etc. You don’t want their floor to be hard. And again, I highly suggest not using any product similar to in the photo below. Don’t use wood shavings of any kind, either. 

Toys

Another fun part! I love watching my ferrets play with their toys, stash them, or try to tear them apart. It’s entertainment for both of us, so it’s fun either way. BUT there are some things you should know. For one, only let your furbabies play with toys containing bells, squeakers, and etc, when they are being supervised. If they manage to rip those pieces out of said toys, they CAN choke on them, or eat them. You dont want that to happen. Also, toys with stuffing in them-keep an eye of those toys. When you start to see they are being torn or ripped, replace the toy, because again, the stuffing is a choking hazard for them. The ferret industry is rather small, and most products are sold by Marshalls (which, do not buy from them. They’re a puppymill but with...ferrets. If you want info on that watch THIS video)

Here’s an amazon list of toys I love to use for my ferrets! Forewarning, some of these toys contain bells, squeakers, and etc: https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3EBXT78TF029U/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_1?_encoding=UTF8&type=wishlist

Ferret Food

I will just link the foods and supplements I use on my ferrets below, the final link is to the food I use for my senior ferrets. One has it as her whole diet, the other senior has it as a supplement alongside her other food. And yes, it’s supposed to be a facebook link. You order from the admin herself : D

https://www.chewy.com/ziwi-peak-air-dried-mackerel-lamb/dp/184243

https://www.chewy.com/wysong-epigen-90-digestive-support/dp/131361

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B074N4XWVQ/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

https://www.facebook.com/groups/mamadawnsmagicsoupie/

Helpful channels to teach you how to care for, and train your ferrets

Throughout my 3 or 4 years of having ferrets, I’ve learned a lot through several YouTubers who only give their ferrets the BEST care. Each one is highly educated. Some by schooling, others just by history. Either way, they each have great information and resources!

Pazuandfriends (personal favorite!)

Emzotic

The Modern Ferret

Ferret Tails

Ferret-World (yet another personal favorite!)

Ferret Starter kit (by me!)

This is a lists of purchases you’re going to want to make, in order to prepare for your ferret coming home! (You might be able to get better deals elsewhere, but this is a list made on amazon for ease of access to the necessities for you to have) These will definitely help you start up with your new baby, or may improve issues you’re having with a ferret you already have. (No corner boxes for using the bathroom, ferrets don’t like those!)

https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3R6WI97QLVCFU/ref=nav_wishlist_lists_2?_encoding=UTF8&type=wishlist

This post may be edited in the future to add more information, or to add something I MAY have forgotten. If you want me to add something, ask, or tell me, and id be glad to edit this post. Hope this was useful!

[hms-chill]

The Long Way

A nice fun Liam/Spencer fic, because these boys deserve the world.

Summary: (Alternately titled "SOMEONE GIVE LIAM A HUG" or "Stronk Farm Boyfriends")Liam's just finishing up vet school, and he's a month shy of achieving the thing he's been working for since he was a kid. When he gets called out to a farm to witness a calf birth and notices something wrong, under-researched, and curable, it's the perfect thing to treat and document so he can write a paper that will jump-start his career. Of course, the fact that the calf is owned by a cute dairy farmer doesn't hurt, either.

Chapter 1: 

Liam is just getting back to his apartment when he gets the call, and he's back out the door before he even sets his bag down. His boss's contact's cow has gone into labor, and as much as she should be able to do it on her own, if he wants to pass his farm residency requirement, Liam has to be there when she gives birth. It's probably unnecessary, but he doesn't really mind; it'll be nice to spend a bit of time on a ranch before he's got to get back to studying. The ranch is a reasonable drive, and it's a nice night out. Really, exam aside, the calf picked a beautiful time to come into the world. The bluebells are in bloom, and it's looking like they'll have a gorgeous sunset, so if they come along soon enough, their first view of the sky will be a fantastic one.

His phone's GPS takes him to the ranch gate, and he grins as he drives over the cattle guard. Something about the way his tires jolt always feels special somehow; it takes him out of a world of exams and bills and exhaustion and into the fantasy ranch of his childhood dreams. There's a big farm house, a few barns, and then open pasture as far as the eye can see, a small herd grazing against the backdrop of the setting sun.

He finds the right barn easily enough, and though he doesn't see his boss's truck, he parks outside. When he opens the door, he's hit with the unmistakable scent of a farm. Objectively, it's an awful smell, but he just grins and lets it wash over him for a second before he grabs his bag and goes into the barn, which is apparently full of nicely bedded cattle boxes. There's the buzz of an overhead electric light, the gentle lowing of cattle, and a quiet human voice cutting through the sounds of the barn.

"You're doing great; I'm so proud of you. Yeah, it's alright. Ooh, that was a big one. You're doing so well, and the doctors will be here soon, just to see if you need any help. Yes, you could do this all by yourself, because you're a big girl, but I want to make sure you're okay." It's a nice voice, and Liam tracks it down to a nice looking man, one sitting in the hay of a box with a cow's head in his lap. She's breathing heavily, her sides heaving as he pets her face. There's a calf just starting to emerge below her tail.

"I'm Liam; I'm one of the doctors coming to make sure she's doing alright. How's it been so far?" he asks, crouching beside the farmer. He looks up, and Liam registers somewhere that he's cute.

"I'm Spencer. She's doing well, from what I can tell. It's been longer than some of the other births I've been here for, but they always feel longer in the moment than they really are." The cow heaves another labored breath, and Spencer turns back to petting her face, quietly promising her that he's going to look after her and telling her that she's doing great. It's very, very sweet.

Liam turns to the cow, too, moving her tail aside gently and rubbing her back as he checks on how the calf's doing. Another push, and the calf emerges a bit more. "It looks like she's doing well," he says, and Spencer spares him a smile. Liam digs through his bag, finding gloves for when it's time to make sure the calf is alright and double checking to make sure he has what he needs in case something's wrong. In all likelihood, everything will be find and he won't have needed to be here at all, but he's supposed to see a cow birth before he becomes a full-fledged vet, and it doesn't hurt to reassure the farmer. Especially not when the farmer is as sweet as this one.

It's a tense few moments, full of quiet reassurances and gentle pats, but finally, the cow heaves a final deep breath, gives a final push, and the calf slides into the world. Liam pulls the gloves on just in case, then offers a pair to Spencer, who takes them with a smile. The cow is getting up to check her calf, so they back away a bit, Spencer giving her a last pat as they do.

"She did good," Liam says, and Spencer nods. Liam's boss comes running in just as the calf staggers to their feet, and he's just in time to see them stumble and fall. Spencer's ready to go help them immediately, but Liam holds him back, giving them a few more chances to stand and stumble before he eventually steps forward to see what's wrong. What he finds is a pair of curved front legs, bowing outward at the knee. He helps the calf to stand, and they can hold it, but when they step forward to try to suckle, they stumble. Spencer cries out and hurries to help them, and Liam can hear his boss sigh.

"Crooked calf," his boss says. Spencer wraps his arms around the slimy calf and helps them stumble forward to suckle, stepping back a bit when they latch but refusing to go far. Liam steps back, too, watching them for a moment. At a bigger farm, or one where the farmer didn't care so much, a calf whose crooked legs were this bad would be put down. But watching Spencer support them, watching him pet the mom and calm her, something twists inside Liam.

"Can I talk to you? Outside, just for a minute?" His boss nods and leads the way outside.

"You know, in a case this bad--"

"I know. But he... I've seen a calf heal from this before. Maybe not this bad, but growing up, it happened to a neighbor's calf and with splints and therapy, they got better. You'd never have known. And I think... I don't know this farmer as well as you do, but I think if there's a farmer in the world who's going to fight for a calf and give them the care they'll need to get better, I think it's this one."

"You think you can save the calf?"

"I think I can try. And I think, at a farm like this, they have a chance."

"Alright. I'll get someone else to take over your morning shift tomorrow; if you can get this calf walking you'll have done a miracle."

"Well, it's not a bad place to hang out for a bit," Liam says, eyes wandering out over the pastures that surround the barn. "Bell would love it here."

"I bet she would, all this open space."

"I'm going to get her a place like this someday; she deserves it," Liam says.

"Who?" he turns, and Spencer's standing in the door of the barn, the front of his shirt covered in gunk from the newborn calf.

"Bell; she's my baby girl. But we're here for your baby. They've got--"

"She. She's... she's a girl. And I know something's wrong with her, and I know when the vet doesn't want you there for a conversation it's not usually a good sign, but if there's anything we can do, I--"

"We're going to try," Liam says, making his mind up right then and there. "It's going to be tough, but I've seen a calf heal from this, and so we're going to fight for her, alright?"

Spencer nods, and Liam says goodbye to his boss, then leads the way back into the barn. Spencer trails him, looking anxious. "So, what she's got is called crooked calf. It's not well researched, and in a case this bad, there's a chance she won't be able to move, and at that point it would be more humane to put her down. But we're going to do our best for her. I know calves who've had it and have gotten better, so we can do our best with her."

"I'll do whatever she needs me to." Spencer's more determined than Liam could have even guessed, and he nods.

"I know. That's... honestly, that's part of why I think she can make it. Right now, we've got to get mom away from her for a bit, so we can get her legs in splints and get an idea of what exactly is going on. There's also a bigger chance that mom will bully her, so we'll have to keep an eye on that to know if we need to find her another mamma cow to spend time with." Spencer nods, and he talks to the cow gently as he leads her out of the box and away from her sleeping baby. When she's out, Liam steps into the box, sinking to his knees in the hay next to the baby and gently taking her leg in his hands, massaging her knee. He feels her muscles relax slowly, then reaches for his bag, pulling out an emergency splint. He'd hoped he wouldn't have to use this, but really, he always hopes he won't have to use his bag.

"What's that?" It's Spencer's voice behind him, and Liam turns, smiling a bit.

"A splint, so hopefully we can get her legs to straighten out a bit. We'll need to make something more permanent for her soon, but this will work for now. Do you have a band saw or a drill anywhere?"

"I think so."

"Perfect. We'll get some PVC tomorrow, and I'll show you how to make a splint before I have to go to work. But for now, come join me; I'll show you how to massage her knee muscles so we can reshape them and they'll grow right."

Spencer kneels beside him in the hay, and Liam shows him how to rub the calf's knee, gently loosening her muscles until they're ready to be shaped by the splint. He teaches Spencer to realize when he's rubbed them enough, then shows him how to fasten a makeshift splint onto her leg. Spencer watches and learns quickly, and as he ties a knot, Liam can't help but notice how easily his hands move, strong and sure even as they're gentle on the sleeping calf's leg.

"That looks great. Now, I think... If you have some calf milk; we'll maybe get her some colostrum and calcium and go from there. Did you get the navel cord?"

Spencer nods and stands, just as Liam's stomach grumbles. "I did. I'll get mom on a milker so we can make sure she stays fed, and can I get anything for you? Do you... Are you headed home right away, or you could come in and get cleaned up a bit? I should probably get cleaned up." He sounds almost sheepish, as if having helped a baby calf into the world and holding her up for her first meal is something to be embarrassed of.

"I was... she'll need her legs massaged a lot tonight, and might need another meal or two. If it's alright with you, I was actually thinking of spending the night with her? I don't need to, but I want to be able to give her the best shot I can, and tonight is going to be crucial. We won't charge you."

"Oh, of course, feel free. I had... I'm not completely sure what I have left over, but do you want to come in and see what you can find? You should probably get cleaned up a bit before you eat, anyway." Liam looks at the sleeping calf, then nods, scratching between her ears a bit before he stands and follows Spencer out of the barn.

"You've got a gorgeous farm," he says as they step outside. Spencer smiles.

"Thanks. It's been in my family four generations now. As long as it's been a working ranch, really."

"That's amazing. Anyone out here helping you look after it?”

Spencer shakes his head. "Not really. I mean, we have some staff, but in terms of family, it's just me. My parents retired last year and moved in a bit closer to town, and they’re still doing some bookkeeping and things, more of the business side, but a lot of this work… it takes a toll on you. It’s hard work, being out here in the sun and working all day. Their joints aren't what they used to be.”

"I get that. We had family friends with cattle growing up; it's rough on your body. But good on you looking after everything like this. We need more farmers like you."

Spencer smiles at him, then opens the back door of the farm house and waves Liam in ahead of him. “This is the kitchen; feel free to help yourself to anything in the fridge. I’m going to go get cleaned up a bit; get the cow slime cleaned off me.”

Liam nods, pulling off his gloves and throwing them away before going to the big farm sink in the corner to wash up before he opens the refrigerator. He's met with a variety of vegetables and jugs labeled MILK FOR PEOPLE and MILK FOR COWS in big letters. He grins and rolls his eyes, poking around a bit.

“If you don’t see anything in there, I think there’s some chili mac in the freezer I could heat up,” Spencer’s voice says. Liam turns to see him in the doorway, now with clean forearms and no shirt. Objectively, he’s a very attractive man, the sort of roguish farm boy Liam grew up crushing on. And he moves confidently through the kitchen, grabbing the right container from the freezer and offering a Shiner from the fridge when Liam steps aside. But there’s a tiredness to his movements and the way he holds himself that Liam can’t ignore. He refuses the Shiner, and Spencer puts it back with a nod and a smile.

"Thank you. You don't have to do this; I have stuff in the car I could eat."

"It's the least I can do. If you're really going to be here overnight, feeding you should be a given."

"You're a saint," Liam says with a smile. "Are we planning on milking mom tonight, or should I get her formula from the fridge if she wakes up hungry?"

"I'll get mom milked and make sure you've got it handy, but I can get you a key for this door, too. But you... I can stay with her; you showed me how to massage her legs and everything. I can do it if you want to go home or stay in the house, and I can call you if something goes wrong."

“I don’t mind. I’ve slept in worse places, trust me.”

“If you’re sure. I can get things heated up and brought out in a bit if you’d rather not just wait around in a stranger’s kitchen. Or, I guess maybe it’s better than the barn? I--”

“I’ll be out there,” Liam says, saving Spencer from his floundering. Spencer smiles.

“Thank you. Seriously. You don’t have to stay.”

"I know. This is just me being overprotective and trying to prove crooked calf is curable. t’s something I’ve sort of known for a while, but there’s no research on it or anything, and if it’s alright with you, if I can record what we’re doing and write it up in a paper, it could really help other small farmers like you who have the time to dedicate to it, or it could help animal rescuers… it could save calves.”

“I don’t mind at all. Do they know what caused it?” He's clearly trying to appear nonchalant, but there's the worry in his stance and tone. He's so scared that he's somehow caused this.

"They think it's something the cow ate while she was pregnant. It happens in grazing herds sometimes; there are some plants we know cause it but it's not always predictable. It's not anything you did."

Spencer's whole body relaxes, and he smiles just a bit brighter. Liam tries not to find it endearing how much he cares about the cattle, because really, lusting after a handsome shirtless dairy farmer's care for his cows is absolutely not what Liam needs to be doing right now. "So it's just... something that happens sometimes?" Spencer asks, and Liam nods.

"Basically. I can give you a list of plants to keep an eye on, but there's a pretty low chance of it, and depending on the size of your pastures it might not make sense to try and weed the whole thing."

The microwave dings before Spencer can answer, and he pulls out the bowl of chili mac. “Here’s this; I’ll go put a shirt on, then get mom milked and find some blankets. You’re sure you won’t sleep in the house?”

Liam shakes his head. “I want to monitor her overnight. Call it part of the research process. I’m just… I’ll take some measurements now to compare to when she’s better. Maybe some video if she tries to get up. Watch The Dodo or somebody want to do a special on her.” Spencer smiles at that, and Liam pulls a fork out of the dish rack to enjoy his meal.

“Alright, well, if you insist.” Spencer digs through his pockets, then gets out a key ring and takes one off. “Here’s the key to this back door. I’ll be out in a bit; you can eat here or take the food out if you’d rather.”

“I’ll head out to the barn. Thank you for dinner.”

"Of course." Spencer turns, and Liam watches him go. He most definitely doesn’t notice that, from a purely objective standpoint, Spencer has very nice back muscles. He just takes a bite of the very delicious chili mac this beautiful farm boy prepared for him and heads out to the barn.

--

When Spencer comes out to the barn with bottles of milk and a stack of blankets, he finds Liam in the box with the calf, settled comfortably on fresh hay. There's a laptop open in front of him, and notebooks and flashcards are scattered around them. He's talking to her in a baby voice, and she's draped across one of his legs, her head nestled in his lap.

"What causes maxillary sinusitis in horses, huh?” Liam coos, scratching her forehead. “That’s easy, isn’t it, baby. Ooh, this applies to you a little bit. If a pregnant cow has bovine viral diarrhea, which neurological abnormality could the calf have?”

“Do I want to know what’s going on here?” Spencer asks, a slight smile on his face, and Liam looks up from his laptop sheepishly.

"Studying. I've got the NAVLE, the big vet exam, coming up in about a month. She's helping me study."

"Would you like any human help? I might not be as good of a cuddler or as cute as she is, but I might be better at reading flashcards."

Liam laughs a bit at that, then asks, "are you headed to bed soon? I don’t want to keep you up.”

“I don’t mind, if you’d like company out here for a bit. Aside from Annie, I guess.”

“Annie?”

“For Ms. Oakley. Figured if anyone deserves a fighting name like hers, it’s this little girl.”

Liam smiles, reaching over to rub Annie’s knee absently as he turns a page in a notebook. Somehow, he looks completely natural here, studying in the light of a laptop with a calf draped over his leg. She rubs her head against him, and he laughs, moving his hand to scratch the same spot on her forehead he’d been rubbing when Spencer came in. Spencer just watches him quietly, feeling honored just to get to see how gentle Liam is with Annie. Of all the vets in the world, this sweet, dedicated, handsome one came to his farm for this. He got the one vet who would give a calf with messed up legs all this love and support, who would look after her and help her even if her chances are slim. It feels like some kind of miracle.

He has to stop. Not only does he know next to nothing about Liam, but one of the things he does know is that Liam has a girlfriend. He wants to buy that girlfriend a ranch like this, and that means they're serious, so even if Liam is bi or pan or any variation of into guys, he's still off limits. Hell, maybe his 'baby girl' is an actual baby, and Liam's got a partner and a kid he's going to buy a ranch for. Whatever the case, he's not available, no matter how cute he is with Annie or how much Spencer likes him.

“Do you have any flashcards or anything?” Spencer asks, interrupting both the quiet scene and his own thoughts before they can go any further. “It’s been a bit since I helped someone study, but I’m more than willing to quiz you if it would help.”

“Oh, yeah, thanks.” Liam hands over the flashcards, then goes back to rubbing Annie’s ears as Spencer looks through them. He seems a bit more focused on the calf cuddling him than on the papers around him, but with the test a month away, the fact that he’s studying at all is better than Spencer would probably do.

“I’m not sure how many of these I’ll be able to pronounce, but I’ll do my best.”

Liam looks up with a grin. “Oh, yeah. Well, Latin every letter is pronounced, since they were literally carving it in stone, if that helps. Thanks for trying; it… it’s been ages since I had someone who wanted to help me.”

“Of course, And, hey, some of these things might be nice for me to know, too. If you feel like explaining them would help you make sure you’ve got them down, I’d be happy to hear it.”

“Sure. If any especially common cow issues come up, we’ll talk about them more.”

Spencer nods, and Annie licks Liam before putting her head on his leg, her eyes closing as he pets her face. The night settles in around them as Spencer stumbles over Latin words and Liam helps him get it right, explaining whatever Spencer has questions about without ever making Spencer feel inferior. They work through the flashcards twice before he’s yawning enough that Liam tells him to go to bed, insisting he’s fine in the barn. Still, in the farmhouse that night, Spencer can’t stop thinking about him.

On AO3

Notes:

I now know... so many things about dairy farming. So many. Anyway, the information on Crooked Calf syndrome (which is a real birth defect in free range dairy cattle) is as accurate as I could get without a vet school library to help me access scholarly sources, but a lot of the cures I found were anecdotal, so I sort of did my best to find something that would help our girl. As for the actual birthing process, I shifted the timeline a bit to make it fit the story better, and also you wouldn't typically call a vet for a cow birth, but you know. I needed to get Liam there somehow. -- Fun dairy farming fact, baby cows aren't born with any antibodies! If they don't get milk from their moms, they have no way to fight infections! -- The title is stolen from a Badger Clark poem, because cowboy poetry is the best poetry, and you can find it here .

--

Want to support the Hannah-Makes-Art fund? You can tip me in ko-fi here!

[tss-grimmverse]

Chapter 19- Carnation

Now the boys have to deal with the fallout...and what’s this? Someone new? Who could it be...?

New to the story? Want to start at the beginning? Here’s the AO3 link and the Wattpad link.

An excerpt from Chapter 19:

Sound returned first: car doors slamming, a motor turning over, soft voices.

Then sensation: the floor, swaying, vibrating beneath him, a warm body next to his, a pounding in his head like an army of goblin hammers.

Virgil groaned and opened his eyes to find himself stretched out in the back of Logan’s blue Fit.

“Virgil!” Roman whipped around from the front passenger seat. “Thank the gods of Arcadia.”

“Princey,” Virgil croaked, and swallowed. “You look like shit.”

Roman laughed, which turned into a hiss of pain. He sported a nasty scrape across his temple and forehead, blood-matted hair, and a clean slice across one cheek, but his dark eyes were clear and wide with concern.

Virgil pushed himself up to look out the back window. They were still in DeLand, it looked like; somewhere on a back road.

“Where are we going?”

Logan spoke up for the first time.

“The hospital.”

His voice was placid but cold, so cold. Physically, he was an uncharacteristic mess: hair falling out of its tail, blue necktie hanging loose around his collar, glasses perched precariously at the end of his nose.

A soft whimper drew Virgil’s attention to the warmth next to him.

Nic lay stretched across the back, wrapped in Virgil’s hoodie, brown fur matted with blood, eyes closed…but at least he was alive. The black plaid jacket hid the worst of the damage Deceit’s nails had done, but Virgil could tell it was bad.

Really bad.

He rubbed his hoodie-less arms, and reached over…

“Don’t touch him!” Logan snapped.

Virgil jerked away like he’d been stung. The half-faery took a deep breath, his knuckles tightening on the wheel.

“We will not know the extent of his injuries until I can get him to a vet,” he said in a calmer voice. “Therefore it is imperative that we disturb him as little as possible.”

Virgil exhaled shakily, guilt welling up in his stomach like acid.

“Then let’s go now,” he said, meeting Logan’s gray eyes in the rear view mirror. “Forget the hospital. Nic needs help more than we do.”

“Are you sure?” Roman turned to eyeball him again. “You were—”

“Thrall’s a bitch but I’m fine,” Virgil insisted.

Logan’s fingers drummed on the wheel as he considered it.

“We are less than five minutes from the emergency room,” he said at last. “Are you both absolutely sure?”

They had paused at a deserted neighborhood intersection.

“Virgil’s right,” Roman said softly. “He says he’s fine, and I can wait. Nic can’t.”

“Very well.”

Logan hit a button on the steering wheel and commanded the GPS to take them to the DeLand Animal Hospital.

“Thank you,” the half-faery added as they continued on, and the relief in his voice told Virgil he was far more worried about Nic than he’d let on.

He loves that damned dog so much, Virgil thought miserably. And yet he would have absolutely driven Roman and I to the hospital first, no hesitation.

We don’t fucking deserve Logan Ursae.

The whole chapter can be found over on AO3 or Wattpad. And as always, tell me what you think! :)

[sillybitchynerd]

The Pet Store Myth

A super annoying trend I tend to see is people lying about big chain pet stores and some of the things that go on in them. 

Now you can make any kind of argument you want about the places pet store get their animals from and the breeding conditions in those places. Granted that’s not a pet stores call and they need to find animals that do not cost them 500 bucks a pop as well as shipping, and are also able to supply them with healthy movable animals at a decent rate. For example the store I work in sells Bearded Dragons at least once a week, so getting a shipment of 6 babies still only last us about 5-6 weeks, a lot of smaller breeders want 200-400 per dragon not including shipping fee’s. At the price of 50 a dragon we can’t keep up. Go after the breeders, not the minimum wage workers over THOSE conditions.

Now I’m all for judging a store by the conditions of the animals, there are rules in place at my store that demand a level of cleanliness and even ‘display’ that can get management fired if they are not met. Every hour if you stand in a Petco long enough you will hear an animal sound go off over the loud speaker, this lets an manager know they need to do an hourly animal walk. This means misting any reptiles that need it, checking water and food dishes in all cages and scooping any dead feeder fish. In the morning all reps and small animals get greens, fruits and veggies and their water is swapped out. All animals are normally handled or checked over for any signs of illness or injury and everyone is fed. Night time is the same thing, dirty and empty bowls are swapped, everyone is checked and night lights go on.  

Small animal bedding is changed twice a week with all items and the tank itself scrubbed down, animals that need dust baths or baths in general get them. Reps are once a week with spot cleaning done in between and soaks are done during this time and normally snake feeds as well. Fish water is tested twice a week, and all filtration and carbon pillows are changed monthly or as needed depending if it’s salt or fresh water. There is at least one full time aquatics worker on staff who’s sole job it is to tend to all things fish, it’s that hefty and complex. 

A lot of people think that animals are just killed or shoved in a freezer if they are sick or hurt. Not at all, we could be ARRESTED for doing that in some states. At the first sign of illness or injury the animal is put into the wellness room in the back, if it’s something minor like a scrape or wet tail we keep them quarantined until they are better but anything at all that we are unsure about there is a vet visit set up in 24 hours. Snakes have feeding and weight charts to keep them on track and believe me when they say ANY ANIMAL. We have had feed mice go to the vet after injury in a tank fight. Fish are tricky, we can’t always safely take a fish to the vet and unless there is one willing to drive out we often take pictures and send them to the proper vet who will recommend treatment. Due to tank cycling issues we normally quarantine the tank on the wall and allow the fish to heal on the floor. So if you ever see things like ick which can come in shipments from the breeders please don’t flip a tit. 99% of the time they know and are currently treating the whole tank system just in case. 

There are check lists on check lists on check lists of when things get done and how. If an animal is beyond saving WE don’t make that call, a vet does. And WE don’t put them down, a vet does. And it’s often only in very extreme cases will we ever put a treatable animal down and that normally has to do with quality of life and expense. If an animal need $900 meds daily it’s not possible for us to keep up with that and if the animal can not be rescued out it’s up to the vet. If the animal ends up as special needs it’s adopted out to a knowledgeable family or rescue (we have had a few ferrets with diabetes) if an animal has been in our care for too long (fuckin iguanas...) we also lower their price until they are free, if they are still not picked up we add free supplies and if THAT doesn't work we are in touch with reptile rescues and sanctuary’s. Often times the animals that can not be homed are just taken in by staff members. 3 of my pets currently are returned / surrendered / adoptions. We also cycle animals to different stores. Perhaps someone in a different town is looking or able to take in an animal we have, they just don’t know about it so giving it to another store gives that animal a higher chance of adoption.

In the case of cage size all animal habitats are step up as TEMPORARY housing, we don’t expect most of our animals to be in these tanks for more than a month in the best case and as stated above if they do out grow their cages we adopt them out as quickly as possible OR if we need to we shelf pull tanks and supplies to set up enclosures in the back room or on the floor for them. If it looks like we have to many, chances are we do but it’s not the staffs fault. In my stores case someone dropped off 4 large adult GPs the day we got our shipment of babies in. In the morning we only had two, we ordered enough to fill the large end cap cage big enough to house 3 ferrets, one empty long tank big enough for 3-4 babies and one more to add to the tank with the last two babies. We know based on sales trend that our pigs tend to go in days if not by the end of the week..but having 4 large adult males show up out of the blue and us having to take them in for their own safety we ended up putting 2 in each long tank leaving only the last empty end cap tank for literally all our other babies. Which is okay, the pen is big and they live in large groups, the 4 females were pulled and put together in a 40g in the back so we were left with 10 males in the end cap. That’s too many, we know. They all have room to move around and stretch out, no one is cram packed in and they are so small they can fit in your palm no problem but it’s still to many. We are fully aware, we did not plan on this, we HAD the room until about an hour before the babies got there. 2 females in with the 2 we still have 3 boys in the long and the last few in the big tank. Perfect. 

“But why didn’t you just put the big ones in the back?!” Because they would never be seen or adopted out, they would sit back there alone for days until we had the tank space for them and adopting out grown adult pigs is hard enough without having to tell everyone we happen to have them. It worked, they went home in about a week and the babies are all nice and spread out....but boy for that week did literally everyone get yelled at.

In the most cynical way possible our top branch looks at animals like product. Just like frozen food it needs to be housed and handled carefully or it’s worthless. If your product is damaged (sick or hurt) it can’t be sold and if it looks like it’s kept in shitty conditions no one is going to buy it in case it’s been spoiled. If we don’t take care of the animals it cuts into their profit. No one is harming or hurting these animals out of hate. All of our animals are counted and accounted for INCLUDING FISH. If more than a normal natural amount of animals die we get a visit from a specialist team and people could lose their jobs. An a normal amount is often one or two hamsters a month IF that. They ask questions, they look into shit. They don’t mess around. We can’t throw Iguanas away in the trash, we would get a call next count asking were the hell over 1000 bucks in animals went over night and if it’s just over a month they will ask why our otherwise healthy animals are suddenly dying.

That being said if you do see something that is CLEARLY not okay say something. A tank filled with dead fish, a dead mouse or animal in a tank. When you handle and deal with animals things happen, we don’t know the health of every single feeder mouse. One that looks fine and acts fine could be riddled with cancer and die suddenly between walks. We could have gotten a 6 year old hamster from the breeder without knowing and it passes in it’s sleep. We might not notice a nipped fin on a Blood Parrot fish and a bird might have gotten a toe stuck in a toy. 

It can vary from store to store. I’ve been brought in to help understaffed and under trained stores get their shit together which is why talking to an employee and understanding what’s going on is important. If you see a hamster breathing a bit heavy say something, let us know. Chances are it just started. If you see poor conditions don’t write a bad review on yelp, CALL THE CORP LINE and they will send someone out. Call out bad stores but don’t shame the whole company because there are people who really care and really take amazing care of their animals. Our store has names for every single beta fish, we know all our animals down to their personalities in most cases and we are obsessive about their health and well being. Telling people on facebook to never trust a pet store EVER because you went to a shitty one spreads a fear and distrust when there shouldn’t be. Spread that about SPECIFIC stores. Not all of us. Shop around at your local store and get to know the employees. If you see the same faces every month or year and the animal care is always amazing spread the word and make sure people know they care. 

I’ve been screamed at by would be activists who saw a bad post on facebook about a petco once and made it their mission to come in a harass every petco they could find within diving distance. Don’t be that person, and don’t be the person that started it. 

[wellesleyunderground]

Wellesley in STEM: Jenn Wiegel ‘08, Veterinarian

WU STEM series editor Katie Kinnaird interviews Jenn Wiegel ‘08, a practicing veterinarian.

WU: Jenn, thanks for taking time to chat with us! You are a practicing veterinarian in Gibsonville, North Carolina. What drew you to being a vet?

JW: Every since I was a little girl I wanted to be a veterinarian. I always loved animals and this loved was sealed when I received my first kitten for my 7th birthday.

WU: Do you have a favorite part of your job?

JW: I most enjoy surgery and pleasant clients. :) Puppy and kitten visits are usually fun too. My favorite appointments are those with young children (though not so young that mostly all they do is fuss). I always offer to let them listen to their pet’s heart with the stethoscope. I usually ask them if the pet’s heart sounds okay and they almost always answer with authority that it does. It’s so cute!

WU: You majored in Econ with a minor in Astronomy at Wellesley. This seems like a less tradition pre-vet major. How did you decide to go into veterinary medicine? Did your major prepare you to be a vet in unexpected (or expected) ways?

JW: I’ve always wanted to be a veterinarian, but during my first year at Wellesley, I attended a pre-professional meeting that made it sound next to impossible to get into some of these professions (vet, MD, JD, etc). So I lost a little confidence in myself. It wasn’t until the summer before senior year that I decided I would go back to the dream of being a vet. I don’t know that this really influenced my major choice, however. I was never very interested in being a biology major because I never wanted to teach biology or work in a lab. I’m sure there are more things you can do with a biology degree than that, but 18 year-old me didn’t know this. I am a very practical person, so majoring in Econ was logical in that I could always fall back into any sort of business or finance job with this degree.

And Astronomy? Well, Astronomy was just fun! And I love math! Also, while I do love Star Wars, I will always chuckle at Han Solo’s line about making the Kessel run in “12 parsecs” because parsecs are a measure of distance, not time. Oh Astronomy nerdiness!

WU: How did Wellesley more generally prepare you to work with animals and their human caretakers? Where there any courses or professors at Wellesley that had a particular impact on you and your chosen career?

JW: I had many great professors at Wellesley who helped me along the way with recommendations, but I can’t say I think there was a certain course at Wellesley that helped with the animal or “pet parent” aspect of my job. I recall Professor Marc Tetel being very encouraging when I was the only senior in Bio 101. He was a great professor! There were other professors that I still regard as influential in my life path (Prof. Ryan Frace in history and Prof. Randall Collaizzi in Classics), but I think they just helped contribute to my lifelong love of learning and not specifically anything to do with veterinary medicine.

WU: What is the process for becoming a vet? What is the schooling like? Is there residency?

JW: Becoming a vet requires a 4-year undergraduate degree and then a 4-year veterinary medical doctorate. There are prerequisite courses that all veterinary schools require (the usual sciences and often public speaking as well), but many schools also want you to demonstrate animal or veterinary work experience as well. There are residencies for veterinarians. We essentially have all the specialties that physicians have and they all require a residency with the exception of being a general practitioner. All veterinarians graduate as GPs. If a vet does want to specialize, she would need to do an internship for a year prior to residency.

WU: A prerequisite in public speaking for working with animals is super surprising! Could you say a bit more about how this requirement fits into your veterinarian life?

One of the biggest and most important aspects of my job is client education. Veterinarians spend a lot of time speaking with people in order to help their animals. Taking public speaking as a course helped me be more comfortable speaking in public, particularly strangers (I took public speaking at UConn one summer and knew no one in the class). It’s very important to be clear and concise with what you’re saying and to be able to present medical conditions or treatments in a way that is easy to understand.

WU: What is the most interesting experience that you’ve had as a vet? What was the funniest or most unexpected experience?

JW: I’ve had so many incredible experiences on this journey. Prior to graduating from veterinary school, I did multiple study abroad trips where we worked with native wildlife/animals and people in those countries. These places included Australia, South Africa, Jordan, Ecuador & the Galapagos, Hawaii, and the Florida keys. In Ecuador, I got to draw blood from the jugular vein of a jaguar and in South Africa, took part in an enrichment program for cheetahs. I really love big cats and so these experiences were incredible. In Florida, I did an externship at a 24 hour hospital that sees a large amount of exotic animals (birds, reptiles, small mammals, etc). While there, the Animal Planet TV show “Gator Boys” brought one of their gators to have his jaw repaired by the owner veterinarian of this practice. I got to be the anesthetist for the alligator which was awesome and nerve-wracking at the same time. I may have even been on TV! (I don’t have cable, so I don’t know!) I would say that was the most unexpected experience I’ve had.

The funniest experience I’ve had as a vet happened my second year out of school. I had an appointment on my books for a wellness cat visit for a 10 year old female spayed kitty named “Tabitha”. This cat had been with the current owners for about 8 years and had been to 3-4 previous veterinarians. I had the documents from this cat’s previous visits so I knew her history. When we perform physical exams, veterinarian usually do a “nose-to-tail” evaluation. Well, I got to Tabitha’s tail, lifted it, and,to my surprise, saw that Tabitha was actually a neutered male cat. Luckily the owner had a good sense of humor when I announced “It’s a boy!” Somehow it had been missed that Tabitha, who had wandered up about 8 years prior, was actually a neutered male and not a spayed female. The owner and I certainly had a laugh about that one for quite some time.

WU: For those of us who considering adding an animal into our families, what recommendations do you have for making this decision? Do you have any suggestions for making the decision and/or preparing our homes?

JW: Actually, there are some great online resources for this. For first time pet parents, they may want to check out this page. The AVMA is our national professional organization and they are very devoted to public education, so they have several pages to help individuals decide what kind of pet is right for you. If you already have an established relationship with a veterinarian, then you may want to ask him or her for a recommendation. If your vet knows you well, they may know whether a cat or dog or a certain breed of pet would work best for you and your family.

WU: Healthcare for humans and the associate costs are big talking points in the US right now. Are there similar conversations or issues surrounding animal healthcare?

JW: Yes and no. There is health insurance for animals, but it works completely differently than human health insurance. I would encourage pet parents to consider getting pet insurance. It does not cover routine care (exams, vaccines, etc), but would could accident or illness and might make having to make a tough decision a lot easier. I worked as an emergency veterinarian full time for about 13 months and unfortunately there is a lot of finance-driven euthanasia because people are not financially prepared for an emergency. Having accident/illness insurance (which is basically what pet health insurance is) could mean life or death for a pet.

There are some veterinarians who are worried that animal healthcare will become as crazy as human healthcare, but I just don’t see how this could happen.

WU: Wellesley Alums seem to be everywhere! Where’s the most unexpected situation where you’ve met a Wellesley alum?

JW: Actually, I just bumped into a Wellesley alum (even an ‘08er) at the top of the Seattle Space Needle in July! I happened to be wearing a Wellesley hat that I bought my husband at reunion. Berenice Rodriguez stopped me and asked if I had gone to Wellesley. I realized I recognized her and we discovered that we were the same class year. We never knew each other well at Wellesley, but well enough to recognize each other! Neither of us live in Seattle, we were both there on vacation!

WU: So many STEM fields are mostly male, and as a result, many women experience challenges breaking into and being part of their chosen communities. As a female veterinarian, have you faced any challenges? What helped you keep moving forward to become the effective vet that you are?

JW: I have not personally experienced any challenges to becoming a veterinarian as a woman. The vast majority of veterinarians are female. In veterinary schools nationwide, 80% of the students are female so it's a lady-dominated field. There are plenty of women-owned practices, etc. I really only find that the biggest issues come when other strong-willed women (as clients) try to play a virtual spitting game to try to one up me intellectually. I have experienced a lot of negativity from these female clients. Whenever I’ve had a client complaint, it has always been a woman. Unfortunately, the general populous is not as supportive of successful, strong women as Wellesley.

WU: What about your life, beyond your work as veterinarian, are you most proud of?

JW: Most proud of? I guess I’m not sure. Oh wait - maybe it was the epic road trip I took in 2010 prior to going to veterinary school. (Blog here: http://lifeisahighway2010.blogspot.com/) I still love telling people about that. Enjoy the most? That’s easy - travel! I love going to new places and experiencing new things. I’ve been to all 50 states (by the age of 27) and 20+ countries. My husband and I love going to the movies, playing trivia, and taking day-trips. I enjoy cross-stitching and crafting.

WU: Okay, time for the big controversial question. Are you a cat person or dog person? … Just kidding! What I meant to ask is “do you have a special animal companion in your life?”

JW: No controversy here! I am 100% a cat person. Always have been, always will be. Don’t get me wrong, I like dogs and I certainly enjoy seeing them at work, but kitties are where my heart is! My (most recent) best kitty companion passed away suddenly last year. His name was “Major Tom” and, boy, was he handsome. Big yellow eyes, fluffy orange tail, and huge paws. I’m still a bit misty eyed about his passing, but got to be his cat-mom for a glorious decade. I do have some great kitty companions at home right now - Smokey Jo (Major Tom’s sister and my little shadow), Carolina Jane (a princess cat if I ever met one), Sergeant Boots (the shy, gentle, sweet type with an arresting meow), and Marigold Marie (who despite her permanent limp, is very handicapable, thank you very much!). They’re all very sweet, loving companions. They greet me and my husband each and every day as we get home from work, can hardly wait for you to sit down before they’re in your lap (and I mean all of them, at once), and stand guard patiently outside our bedroom in the morning for food and affection. I’ve always had great cats who do all these things.

[nox-lathiaen]

Veterinarian, General Practice (TX)

Multiple Positions opened in two locations: Houston TX San Antonio TX THRIVE’S Sister Company “Pathway Vet Alliance” operates 200 hospitals. They are unable to accept candidates from Pathway Hospital. DO NOT disclose the name of the client if you are speaking with your candidate, while he or she is at their place of work. Make sure that you go into the details and mention THRIVE only when the candidate is able to talk privately. JOB DESCRIPTION: Veterinarian, GP Do you want to just go to work every day? Or do you want to THRIVE, THRIVE, THRIVE!? THRIVE is a bold new veterinary company that is challenging the status quo by creating innovative unique experiences for both its clients and its team members. We are growing rapidly and looking for talented, friendly, passionate veterinarians of all experience levels to add to our teams. Click here to learn more about why you should choose to THRIVE: https://youtu.be/rW-yy-5ykbU THRIVE is focused on raising the bar in veterinary medicine while lowering costs for our clients. From nose to tail, we specialize in the kind of thorough, routine treatment that makes up 90% of all veterinary visits. Our preventive care caseload is challenging, diverse and includes radiology, dental, diagnostics, and surgery all performed with state of the art equipment. We value independent thinking and entrepreneurial spirit. We have high technician to doctor ratios creating a fast-paced, fun and friendly environment. And most importantly, we put quality medicine first. Our call center keeps our team focused on patient care rather than phones. And our schedules allow our teams to maintain a work-life balance. Candidates must have solid medical knowledge, patient care and communication skills, work efficiently, and have a great sense of humor. Vets with all levels of experience, including new graduates, are welcome to apply! Want to see the inside of a THRIVE Practice? Click here to watch a tour: https://www.thrivevet.com/careers-at-thrive/ BENEFITS Competitive Salary Monthly Bonus Opportunity / Profit sharing No Negative Accrual 3.5 and 4 day work weeks A dedicated call center to allow you to practice medicine 3 weeks annual PTO 1 week additional paid time for CE $3,500 annual CE allowance for licenses, dues, conference expenses, etc. Medical, Dental & Vision Basic Life Insurance Paid Parental Leave Veterinary Staff Health & Wellness Program Student Loan Repayment Program Upward Mobility THRIVE will accept a relocating candidate and will consider providing some relocation assistance Reference : Veterinarian, General Practice (TX) jobs Source: http://jobrealtime.com/jobs/technology/veterinarian-general-practice-tx_i6900

[jobsaggregation2]

Veterinarian, General Practice (OH, IN)

Multiple Positions opened in three locations: Fairview Park OH Wadsworth OH Indianapolis IN THRIVE’S Sister Company “Pathway Vet Alliance” operates 200 hospitals. They are unable to accept candidates from Pathway Hospital. DO NOT disclose the name of the client if you are speaking with your candidate, while he or she is at their place of work. Make sure that you go into the details and mention THRIVE only when the candidate is able to talk privately. JOB DESCRIPTION: Veterinarian, GP Do you want to just go to work every day? Or do you want to THRIVE, THRIVE, THRIVE!? THRIVE is a bold new veterinary company that is challenging the status quo by creating innovative unique experiences for both its clients and its team members. We are growing rapidly and looking for talented, friendly, passionate veterinarians of all experience levels to add to our teams. Click here to learn more about why you should choose to THRIVE: https://youtu.be/rW-yy-5ykbU THRIVE is focused on raising the bar in veterinary medicine while lowering costs for our clients. From nose to tail, we specialize in the kind of thorough, routine treatment that makes up 90% of all veterinary visits. Our preventive care caseload is challenging, diverse and includes radiology, dental, diagnostics, and surgery all performed with state of the art equipment. We value independent thinking and entrepreneurial spirit. We have high technician to doctor ratios creating a fast-paced, fun and friendly environment. And most importantly, we put quality medicine first. Our call center keeps our team focused on patient care rather than phones. And our schedules allow our teams to maintain a work-life balance. Candidates must have solid medical knowledge, patient care and communication skills, work efficiently, and have a great sense of humor. Vets with all levels of experience, including new graduates, are welcome to apply! Want to see the inside of a THRIVE Practice? Click here to watch a tour: https://www.thrivevet.com/careers-at-thrive/ BENEFITS Competitive Salary Monthly Bonus Opportunity / Profit sharing No Negative Accrual 3.5 and 4 day work weeks A dedicated call center to allow you to practice medicine 3 weeks annual PTO 1 week additional paid time for CE $3,500 annual CE allowance for licenses, dues, conference expenses, etc. Medical, Dental & Vision Basic Life Insurance Paid Parental Leave Veterinary Staff Health & Wellness Program Student Loan Repayment Program Upward Mobility THRIVE will accept a relocating candidate and will consider providing some relocation assistance Reference : Veterinarian, General Practice (OH, IN) jobs from Latest listings added - JobsAggregation http://jobsaggregation.com/jobs/technology/veterinarian-general-practice-oh-in_i6507

[travelingtheusa]

UTAH

26 May 2019 (Sun) - I apologize.  We have been so busy with the caravan that I have not had a chance to write anything in this blog.  The caravan will be over on June 11.  Things should return to normal then.

 We have been rafting on the Colorado River, driven a UTV through the desert, and hiked/driven some of the most incredible landscape imaginable.  This has been an incredible experience.

 20 May 2019 (Mon) – We pulled up stakes and left Torrey at 9 a.m. with four rigs in our group.  One member of the caravan, Hank & Brenda, had to dive further south to Freightliner to get their rig repaired.  They’ve been having problems with power trying to go uphill.  Hank changed the fuel filter but it didn’t help.  Hope they can find the problem quickly and they can get back with us.

     Another member of the caravan, Shirley, broke down just after leaving the campground.  Our tail gunner, Jon, and another rig driven by Jim & Lida stopped to help.  Group four and five were combined and sent on. Shirley had her 19’ class B RV towed to a repair shop.  

 19 May 2019 (Sun) – We did the laundry this morning.  We went to one building but it was locked (reserved for housekeeping – they wash the linens for the cabins).  We went to the second building which had two washers and two dryers stacked one on top of the other.  Both washers had laundry in them.  As we started to leave, Steve (a fellow SMART member) came up and moved his clothes to the dryers.  We loaded our clothes in the two washers and when we put in the coins, one machine broke down.  We had to unload that washer and just let the one washer go.  When we came back, we moved the wash to the dryer and put the second batch of clothes in the washer.  It took longer to do the wash than usual.  Ugh.

     At noon, we drove down the road to the general store.  We couldn’t find most of what we wanted so we just got travel tissues and post cards for the grandsons.  Then we went to the Wild Rabbit Café for lunch.  They had a very limited menu – two sandwiches or a salad. We both got BLTs.

     It was back to the campground and finishing up with the caravan materials.  At 5:00 p.m. we had a potluck dinner.  Paul managed to hang a tarp over one of the open doorways to cut down on the wind. Jon brought over his propane fireplace, which added a nice warmth to the pavilion.  The food was, as usual, good and plentiful.  At 6:30 p.m. we had our travel meeting.  The weather turned nasty and cold.  Some kind of cold weather system blew in.  Brrrrr.

 18 May 2019 (Sat) – At 9:00 a.m. we pulled out of the campground with 8 cars following; 19 of us looking forward to a great day of exploration. The temperatures were warmer than yesterday and most of the clouds were gone.  With John Denver songs playing on the stereo, we led the group down Route 12, America’s Byway.  The scenery was very lush.  As we moved into higher elevations, forests of pine and aspen lined the roadway. Soon, whole sides of the mountain were filled with quaking aspen waiting to explode into their springtime bloom. We stopped at several overlooks to admire the grandeur spread before us.

     When we reached the end of Route 12, one couple turned back and four stopped to tour the Anasazi Village Museum.  Four of us turned left onto the Burr Trail.  John Denver done, we slipped in a CD of music of the American Southwest. The sound of screaming eagles and howling coyotes joined in with flutes and drums.  We drove along the two lane road, admiring the ever changing scenery before us.  The variety of colors and shapes was incredible.  After about two hours of driving, we pulled onto a turn out that overlooked the Black Canyon and had lunch.  For half an hour, we gazed out over the land below and were filled with awe at the Creator’s handiwork.

     Lunch all done, we continued on the Burr Trail.  That’s where things got really interesting.  A little after turning heading out, the pavement ended and we were driving on a dirt road.  A little further on, we came upon a series of switchbacks with deep downgrades.  It was an adrenaline pumping ride!  We turned off Burr Trail on to Notom Trail and the road soon found pavement again. The entire ride was about five hours long.  

     At 5:00 p.m. we all drove to the Capitol Reef Inn & Café. There was some confusion and the group wound up arriving too early and ordering things that were different than the pre-ordered food.  Most of the food was good and the service was excellent.

 17 May 2019 (Fri) – We packed up and left Bryce Canyon City at 9:00 a.m.  We led four other rigs on a 110-mile route to Torrey.  The scenery was absolutely beautiful!  We had free range cows wandering in the road, there was a skunk walking on the side of the road in the bushes, cows grazing in wide open grasslands, and hawks flying overhead.  The weather was cold when we started out and got colder.  Eventually, we had sleet and snow in small spurts.  The wind was really cold.

     When we arrived at the campground, I went in the office to pay the bill.  The clerk gave me campground maps to hand out to everyone and informed me that ten sites were 50-amp and eleven were 30-amp.  That is bad news in the camping world.  You always want 50-amp.  I waited until Jon got in and then we went in to talk to the manager about the situation. I couldn’t believe she didn’t see any difference between 30-amp and 50-amp sites except if you needed to use air conditioners.  Ugh.

     The group tried to have social hour at 4:00 p.m. but the weather was cold and the wind was blowing so we all retreated to our rigs.  I hope tomorrow is nice for our ride on Route 12.

 16 May 2019 (Thu) – Paul and I drove part of the route for tomorrow’s move just to ensure everyone would be able to negotiate it alright. There were two herds of cows wandering on the roadway and a creek was very full and touching the roadway.  If we get rain tonight, the road may be flooded when we try to drive it.  Otherwise the drive was pleasant.  We stopped in Panguitch and looked at the boyhood home of Butch Cassidy.  It was just a log cabin with a storyboard outside. Not much to see.  We had lunch at the Cowboy Café.  Their roasted red pepper soup and cole slaw were so good that we bought more to take home.

      We had social hour at 4:00 p.m. and travel meeting following.  The wind was blowing fiercely and the temperatures have dropped dramatically.  We have a freeze warning for tonight.  Also, it rained heavily for an hour.  Paul will have to get up early and drive tomorrow’s route to make sure the road is open. Otherwise, we will have to use an alternate route.

     After the meeting, we went to dinner at Ruby’s Inn Restaurant with Rick & Brenda and Hank & Brenda.  The food and company were good.

 15 May 2019 (Wed) – The National Park Service provided a special bus for us to take a tour of Bryce Canyon.  The bus arrived at 10:00 a.m. and we took a three hour tour.  The driver drove all the way to the end of the 17-mile loop then stopped at various overlooks on the way back.  He was a retired vet and provided an entertaining and informative ride.

     At 7:00 p.m. we went to a cowboy dinner show at Ebenezer’s Barn & Grill.  There was food and music and lots of clapping and singing.  We had a very good time.

 14 May 2019 (Tue) – We moved from Zion to Bryce Canyon City today. We packed up and left at 9 a.m. with four rigs following behind us.  The ride was easy and we arrived around noon.  The campground is very nice.  We are in a new part where the campsites are very roomy and each has a large grassy plot. The interior roads are nicely graded.

     Bryce Canyon City is an interesting town.  It is owned entirely by the family of the original founder. The entrance to the National Park is just a block away.

13 May 2019 (Mon) – We got up at 4:30 a.m., fed the animals, and packed up for a sunrise hike to Zion Canyon Overlook.  We met Rick & Brenda at 5:30 a.m. and they drove us up the route through the Mount Carmel Tunnel.  We climbed up the trail

     We had a potluck dinner and travel meeting today.  The food was so plentiful.  It was a delightful day.  The cell phone serve and wifi in this area sucks!  Whenever I try to send a message, I get an error message saying the message could not be sent.  The jet pack can’t connect to the internet.  I have been unable to connect to Tumblr or to post anything on Facebook. I don’t know what it’s so bad. It’s hard to try to download anything or to make calls.  I can’t wait to get out of this area.

 12 May 2019 (Sun-Mother’s Day) – Jan & Nancy gave all the ladies a red rose this morning.  We all drove into Zion National Park today.  Some hiked trails and others drove scenic routes.  We rode with Rick & Brenda into the park.  We left the car at the visitor’s center and caught the shuttle to stop 6 where we hiked to The Grotto.  Then we hiked to the lower Emerald Pools.  The upper Emerald Pools and Kayenta Trail were closed due to recent flooding.

     I checked in at 12:15 and got tickets for everyone.  At 12:45 p.m. everyone gathered at the foot of the stairs to the Red Rock Grill.  I turned in the tickets to the head waiter and we were all seated on the second floor. The restaurant served a taco salad bar. The choices were plentiful.

     Afterward, we returned to the campground and worked on caravan stuff.

 11 May 2019 (Sat) – We left Boulder City, NV, at 8:00 a.m. and drove 170 miles to Zion Canyon.  We are staying in Zion River RV Resort in Virgin, UT.  It is a very nice campground with pool, spacy sites, grass at each site, concrete pads, picnic tables, fire pits, wifi (poor), and asphalt roadways.

    We had group 4 follow their GPS rather than the prescribed route and they wound up driving through Las Vegas.  Sadly, they missed a very scenic route through Lake Mead National Recreation Area.  Everyone was finally arrived by 3:00 p.m.

[cipher-fresh]

You asked for a prompt: Alien craft lands in the Australian outback. After run ins with several deadly creatures, alien makes it to a rural petrol station, run by an old guy and his 15yo daughter, who decide to adopt the alien in return for the alien tech that came with the ship. Truck driver turns up a month later to the most decked out truck stop in the world.

-

Yamdah Raptoh of Sipni X ran around his spaceship. It was about the size of a school bathroom. When Raptoh had passed the moon, it threw his ship out of whack and flung it toward the planet. He was struggling to open the escape pod, and caught a glimpse of his destination. A big, weirdly shaped island. “s-ss-canners say...aup-!” The computer kept glitching. Yamdah cursed. He held out one of four arms and slammed the refresh button for his computer. “Australia!” The computer yelled. He ran into the escape pod, and it blasted off. 

-

“Sqaaa!” Yamdah cursed again. The escape pod hand landed in the water and brought out by the fisherman. Yamdah performed percussive maintenance and the escape pod began to fly. He was silently glad the fisherman were nowhere to be seen. The pod flew into the sky so no one could see it. Hopefully, he’d find his ship. 

-

The escape pod just dropped after an hour of fast travel. “I was just here, for a simple reason.” Yamdah complained. “Find the probe. I didn’t want to get stuck on some planet.” He looked down. Then, the probe started falling. “Whuh...aaaAAAAa!” He screeched. he slammed the sides, starting to become dizzy as the escape pod was spinning. The engine small engine sparked life feet from the ground, going from a spinning football nosedive to a near-death several g’s of force turnaround. It went down once again, yamdah using his four arms and three legs to hold himself back. The pod let out smoke, and Yamdah wheezed. “Hm.” He went. “I can breathe.” 

-

After stealing a wagon from a small child, he put found a ramp and put the escape pod in the wagon. Yamdah stood at an intimidating two feet. He was overheating, and wished had gotten some water from when his escape pod was in the water. “”Computer said the ship would be somewhere near...” He kicked the machine again. The GPS fizzled out “20 klams.” Yamdah sighed. “I have walking to do. he grabbed the wagon handle and started walking. 

-

Two miles and four hours later, he was getting close. A large biped with a long tail-kangaroo, the computer said, had nearly killed him. He found a baby, presumably, and the bigger one used its teeth to bite him and put it in its stomach pocket. The other two had bitten him, and Yamdah was barely able to escape before being confronted by something that was definitely not real. It attacked him anyway. 

-

Yamdah could tell that he was near the ship. Unfortunately, two humans were checking it out. He shrieked. That caught the attention of the two humans. They were right by some sort of building with large moving things. They were called...racks? Cars? Cars. They were hooked up to a long wire, then the wire was taken out and they drive off. “This is my ship!” Yamdah yelled. The younger one...female? Female. She backed off. Yamdah fell over. he started cursing. Sipnis were tolerant to injuries for a while, but they could still get injured. “It’s hurt!” the girl cried. “Amanda, no.” The other hissed. “But dad!” Amanda yelled.Yamdah blacked out. 

-

“Yeah. G’bye.” The girl closed something. “ She frowned. “Thing seems to be okay. The...ship and...escape pod? Are salvageable.” Amanda narrated. Yamdah opened his eighteen eyes. “Wah!” He yelled. Amanda held out her hands. “Chill. I’m going to help.” Help. That was good. He saw a big, long car outside. He was under a long slab, a roof held up by four tall poles. He was offered some berries, which he took. “I do not understand.” Yamdah said. “Why are you being hospitable?” Yamdah questioned. The girl smiled. “I’m Amanda. You’re?” He looked at her. “Oh. Yamdah.” She held out her hand. “I’m being nice because I’m a vet. I study animals. you are quite the case. And you’re injured.” He said nothing, but questions swarmed in his head. He cleared his throat. “If you heal me, I can help you.” Amanda frowned. “I'm already helping you.” She replied awkwardly. “Yes.” Yamdah articulated. He stopped, then announced. “I have a deal. Where is the other one? And where’s my stuff?” He questioned. 

-

“Markus” and not “Dad” brought his stuff over in the big car. “Truck.” Yamdah jumped off the table and studied the machine. “Using parts from my ship, I can upgrade Truck. Amanda can verify if I am in need of more intense care...” He paused. Amanda clapped. Markus walked over. “Amanda, I knew moving here would be an adventure.” He smiled and rubbed the top of his daughter’s head. 

-

Yamdah had gauze on two legs and an arm, casts having recently being removed. It had been a month since Yamdah landed on Earth. Markus Bradley had the most advanced vehicle in the world. With enough power, it could fly. And, he sold some other parts to buy the truck stop/gas station. Markus and Amanda kept their secret of a small alien living with them. Yamdah was almost seen by the entire town, but remains a mystery. 

[askforhannah-blog]

All You Need To Know About Bottle Feeding

Ah, bottle feeding. Helping poor orphaned kittens regain their strength and having a little life in your hands. Maybe your mum cat was unable to fulfill her motherly duties to this kitten, so you were forced to step in and take over, or you agreed to foster a kitten who requires bottle feeding. Either way, this blog post should help you along your way! Bottle feeding is very rewarding, but also a very tiring and demanding job. Lets not lie and pretend it is all rainbows and smiles. It takes lots of patience, perseverance and care to bottle feed, burp and stimulate these defenseless souls, so if you are doing this/planning on doing this, thank you so much. You really are making a difference and you really are amazing! So, I will be answering some frequently asked questions, using my experience to answer them all! As I said. It was not easy at first, so if you are struggling, do not panic or get upset. You CAN do this! Please note, I am not a vet, nor claim to be. I speak from my own experience and own knowledge on bottle feeding and kitten care. How do I bottle feed a kitten? First of all, NEVER feed a kitten laying on its back. This can be very dangerous to the kitten, as it causes choking hazards and can also get fluid into his/her lungs, so it is a big no no. Make sure your kitten has his belly down at all times, with his head looking forward, or slightly up. It is easier to bottle feed when you sit the kitten on your knee. I am right handed, so I hold his chest with my left hand (to stop him pushing forward and scratching, as naturally they move their paws when they suckle) My right hand holds the bottle between my thumb and 'pointing finger' as you can see in the video. As the kitten becomes older, holding the bottle this way, allows the kitten to rest his chin on your hand while he suckles from the bottle. When you have prepared the formula and ensured it is free from clumps and at room temperature, insert the teat into the kittens mouth using a prying motion. The kitten should then start to suckle on his own.This can sometimes take a few attempts, so please have patience. The kitten does not understand what you are trying to do, so will sometimes look away. While feeding, you do not need to squeeze the bottle. The kitten will suckle on his own. Squeezing the bottle can cause the kitten to inhale the milk, rather than swallow. What formula do I use and how do I prepare the bottle for use? Personally, I use Royal Canin baby cat milk. I have found this to be a great formula for kitten growth and they love it! It is inexpensive and provides you with a bottle (with measurements on the bottle) teats (usually with small holes already pierced) x3 packs of baby cat milk powder and a measurement scoop. It is a great 'starter pack' as everything you need to bottle feed is in here. You can get this on amazon, or in your local supermarket. You should only pierce a small hole in the teat to avoid the kitten consuming too much milk at once, as again, this can cause choking and fluid in the lungs. Should you need to create a hole, or re-pierce an existing one, I use a tooth pick and push this through the top of the teat. Remove and dispose of the toothpick once the hole is created. You can now wash and sterilise the bottle before first use. How often should I feed my kitten? You should work out how many ml your kitten needs feeding, per feed, based on his body weight. A very sick and underweight kitten should have high calorie supplements added to his diet and be fed every 2 hours. An average kitten should be fed warm milk, from new born to 2 weeks - Every 2 hours. By 2 -3 weeks - Every 3-4 hours. By 3 - 4 weeks - Every 4-5 hours. By week 4, Kitten will be ready to start slurry (A mix of good quality wet kitten pate and formula) This gives him the taste for wet food and prepares him into the transition. By week 5, Kitten should be able to comfortably eat wet food from a shallow dish and some dry kitten food. Wet food is great to keep up the kittens hydration, so do make sure he is getting more wet food than dry. I even add some extra water to the kitten food, along with 1/4 teaspoon of coconut oil.Feed every 5 to 6 hours and always check he is hydrated! Please keep in mind that every kitten is different and it is important to listen to what kitty tells you.If for example, he is 3 weeks old and has waited 3.5 hours for food, but you want him to wait 5, just give him some damn formula! haha. He is hungry and wouldn't be desperately suckling your hand if he wasn't. If you think about when they are with their mother, they are always drinking little and often.Of course, you do not want to over feed kitty, so if he wants feeding a bit earlier, just reset your alarm for another 4-5 hours after you finish feeding him and go from there. It is important to test the milks temperature on your wrist before feeding it to the kitten, so that you do not burn him! Why is my kitten not bottle feeding? Some kittens do struggle to latch on. It could be a problem as simple as the hole in the teat is not big enough for the milk to pass through, or the formula is too thick/clumped and is therefore lodged in the bottle. Wet the outside of the teat to encourage the kitten to latch on. The kitten does not understand what you are trying to do, so you do need to sometimes gently hold their face and move the teat back and forth on his mouth (prying motion) until he understands and latches on. If this is your first time at bottle feeding, please have patience. Once you get the hang of it, so will your kitty! stay calm and be understanding. It is not the kittens fault, he just has not figured out what you are trying to do, or if he is sick, he may not have the strength to latch on and suckle. As a last resort, if the kitten is still refusing to suckle on the bottle, you can try letting him suckle from a syringe. If the kitten is still unwilling to take the milk, consult your vet immediately, as this could indicate the kitten is unwell and needs urgent medical attention. How do I clean the bottle? You should follow the instructions on the bottle pack, as it will depend on the type of bottle you have and if this is safe to sterilise. The one I use, is included in the Royal Canin 'Baby Cat Milk' and is safe to sterilise. Before first use and after every feed, you should first wash the bottle and teat in hot soapy water, followed by sterilising the bottle and teat in boiling hot water. Do allow time for the bottle and teat to soak in the water. I leave mine for around 10-15 minutes before drying with a paper towel. Burping And Potty Help Make sure after every feed you burp and stimulate the kitten. This is a very important step, as the kitten is unable to do this on his own for the first 0-6 weeks of his life.

How do I burp my kitten? Hold the kitten with his tummy against the palm of your hand and gently, yet firmly, pat its back until it burps. I also lightly pulsate the side of his tummy, creating little vibrations until he burps. How do I stimulate my kitten? Using a soft cotton ball, gently rub the areas located under the tail in a circular motion. This may take some time, or it may happen right away, but the kitten should pee and/or poo during this time. Once this occurs, take your fragrance free baby wipe and clean the kittens bottom. If the kitten is new born, it would be better if you wet the cotton ball with warm water to help kitty do his business. When the kitten is a few weeks old, you can just use a dry soft cotton ball, but it is always handy to have some fragrance free baby wipes to hand (I use Huggies Pure) Trust me! poop goes everywhere, especially if you have a wriggly kitty in your hands! Extra tips: You should weigh your kitten each day, to ensure they are putting on weight.When kittens are born, they usually weigh between 3 - 5 ounces. Kittens should on average, put on 1/2 an ounce each day. It is important to follow a kitten weight chart to monitor they are healthy and feeding enough. I use an kitchen electrical weighing scale. I find it is very helpful to set various alarms on my phone for the whole day and night, so I do not miss a feed. Missing a feed can cause kittens to develop dehydration or diarrhea. To check a kitten's hydration, you can pull the skin on his neck (the scuff) upwards. If this stays up and does not go down on its own, the kitten is very dehydrated and you should contact your vet immediately. You can also re-hydrate him with Elete. However, please read the dosage instructions carefully, so that you do not give the kitten too much. It will all depend on his weight and age. You can purchase Elete for a good price on Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003VJTMI8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Please note that it is not normal for a kitten to have diarrhea longer than 24 hours, so if this persists, call your vet and make sure kitty is hydrated.

[valheartandfriendsllc]

Preparing an Emergency Lost Cat Covid Kit

2020 Lost Cat Tips & Prevention

Kim Freeman, Cat Detective at www.LostCatFinder.com

A guest post from the Lost Cat Finder Kim Freeman, who does search & rescue for missing cats.

With our increased time at home and new routines, here are some new tips for 2020 to prevent your cat from escaping when kids are careless, door accidents happen, and search access is limited.

Cats are more difficult to recover than dogs and require special techniques beyond social media, flyers, and a visit to the shelter. Would you know what to do if someone left a door open and your cat slipped out?

Take these steps to prevent your cat from making a sneaky exit and know how to be ready in case of this emergency situation.

HAVE THE PERFECT PHOTO READY

Take a special photo of your cat so you have the ideal pose for a lost cat flyer and poster. The most useful image is your cat standing in a side view (including their tail) facing the camera. This helps if someone spots your cat flash past outdoors. I find that most people have cute sleeping poses or silly cute kitty photos, but rarely a simple standing side-view. Take one now, just in case you ever need it!

PREPARE A LOST CAT KIT

With their normal routine upset and everyone home so much, cats who are used to having the entire place to themselves may be stressed and eager to slip out, especially in the spring and summer months.

Store photos, microchip number and a mock-up lost cat flyer with your cat’s Emergency GO Kit or simply where it’s easy to access. Should you ever need them, this kit will save you precious time and tons of stress. The ultimate preparation is to skim or download the ebook, the Professional Guide on How to Find a Lost Cat so you know the right steps for your situation – as well as the common mistakes to avoid (like putting out food and kitty litter).

SECURE YOUR BORDERS

Take ten minutes to check along perimeter of your fence for any spaces or holes that you could fit a closed fist into. Cats can get through tiny spaces, so add rocks or pack dirt to close them up. Cats can jump five times their height, so unless you have secured the holes AND have a catio or roll-top fence, your cat may surprise you with ninja escape abilities.

Remove any items leaning on or next to your fence. Woodpiles, garbage containers, kid toys, boxes, etc. next to a fence are a great springboard for cats to get over any fence, so make sure you are not offering an easy hop up and over – but no way to get back.

GPS TRACKERS

Everyone seems to think GPS is the ideal solution for lost cats, but it’s actually less than ideal because it depends on Global Positioning Satellites when cats hide tend to hide UNDER things.

For owners who insist on GPS (despite the research) a new device I’m field testing is the PAWTRACK collar. This is a good solution for cats as the hardware is part of the collar instead of a big box attachment. Even better is that it’s weighted so the communication unit is always up, facing the sky. This has to be recharged nightly, which involves taking it apart, switching out batteries, and plugging in overnight.

If your cat gets out, their “heavy necklace” is useless if the 48-hour battery has died.

An alternative system few people know about are the RF cat tracking devices, which are smaller and based on radio waves that can find cats under things like decks and porches –even down storm drains.

Even simpler and totally independent of glitchy apps, SIM cards, and texting plans is a simple LED lighted collar strip. The glow will show where your cat is hiding, whether as under a car, behind bushes, or up a tree. This is especially useful for cats who go out, but hide when it’s time to come back in at night.

PROOF OF OWNERSHIP

Be able to offer proof you own your cat in case someone takes him in. The best method to show proof of ownership is to have your pet microchipped. Check with your local shelter, rescue groups, or veterinarian to get this simple, inexpensive procedure.

Take a close-up photo of your cat’s nose and whisker pattern as these two features are unique to every cat, just like human fingerprinting.  If your pet has any special markings, scars, or ear nicks, photograph these areas and keep these photos in a special location with your cat’s vet records.

SAFE TRANSPORT

This sounds basic, but you’d be surprised how many pet owners put their cats at risk. A cat inside a car can escape when involved in a traffic accident. They can jump out prematurely when a door is opened (see case of cat lost at a gas station at night). Cat carriers have been known to break open during traffic accidents, in vet parking lots, and on conveyor belts at airports.

No matter how crabby your cat becomes with confinement, make sure you transport them in a secure carrier. Most accidents I’ve seen were the result of a “clamshell carrier” being dropped or the bottom falling out. There seem to be fewer incidents with zipper carriers–as long as you make sure the zippers are fully closed every time.

Image by paperelements from Pixabay

ORANGE COLLAR & MICROCHIP

Even if you never let your cat out, you never know when an emergency will happen. A kid may open a window or door at night, cat carriers can (and do) break open, or worst of all, a burglar could break in, leaving a door open for your cat to escape outside. Paramedics and other first responders often leave doors open during emergency procedures. I’ve even had cases of cats thrown from cars in traffic accidents.

Most people never think any of this could happen to them. Then it does. A bight collar with ID and a microchip are both important so your cat has identification both inside and out.

Even indoor-only cats should have a collar and chip because if they ever do get out, they’re at risk of ending up in an animal shelter months after you’ve stopped searching.

For collars, orange is known as the most noticeable color. It’s also known in the cat world as the sign of an escaped cat, so people will take note. In addition to orange, a lighted collar to be seen at night that’s also wide enough to accommodate big ID lettering is ideal for cats who will not let strangers pick them up or even get close enough to check a tag. A lighted collar makes them easy to spot at night.

Get your cat chipped this week, then go home and register the chip to YOU at your CURRENT address and phone number. Otherwise, it’s just a unknown number with no way to reach you.

NOTE YOUR CAT’S HABITS

Get to know when your cat sleeps, what hours they are the most active, and whether they prefer to be up in high places or down low. All this will be useful info should your cat ever get out. If they are allowed outside, take note on which way they go when leaving, how they behave, where they seek cover, and what yards they tend to visit. Get them used to being picked up and put back down.

Above all, if your indoor cat does slip out the door, resist the urge to chase or you may never see them again. Stay calm, keep an eye on them, and try to lure them back by sitting near your doorstep or near a dark/shady area with an open can of tuna.  Learn how to do the “kitty Burrito wrap” in case you ever need to scoop up a cat you will need to carry more than ten feet.

BE NEIGHBORLY

In case your cat ever disappears make sure your neighbors know you have a cat –whether your cat is indoor only or outdoor-access. That way, they know who it belongs to and will be more likely to call when spotted. If you’re not already a member of Next-door, sign up and add your pet to their local pets file.

If your cat routinely roams and stalks birds, walks on cars, or poops on your neighbor’s property, make sure to preempt any complaints: ask neighbors to let you know if your cat is a problem for them in any way.

BIRD ALERTS

Should your cat ever escape and you have no idea which way they went, listen to the birds. They will make racous alarm calls to let each other know there is a predator in the area. Listen to bird language so you know when your cat has been spotted by these air spies.

Blue jays and mockingbirds are especially vocal when they spot a cat. Examples of various bird alarms on cats are included in the ebook, How to Find a Lost Cat by the Lost Cat Finder.

HOME RELATIONS

If your cat slips out, even for just a few hours, beware of the dynamics if you have other cats. Your recovered cat “smells different” and may not be immediately accepted back by the others, creating potential conflict.

Rather than assuming your cats are mad, vengeful or crazy, look into what’s creating the stress and how it’s displayed. Think of it as a cry for help, and get help! Friends will have their opinions, but find out from your cat’s point of view what is really going on with a consult with Val Heart.

Kim Freeman

“The Cat Detective”

www.LostCatFinder.com

Lost Cat reunion stories

https://www.facebook.com/LostCatFinder

Image by Philipp T from Pixabay

  If you’re ready to start your journey in the wonderful world of Animal Communication, it’s time to start!

Download my FREE Ebook: Hidden Secrets to Communicating with Pets HERE.

Or dive into the complete Talking With Animals program with my Beginning Core Foundations Animal Communication Course.

Maybe you’ve already begun your journey in Animal Communication. If so, it’s time to go to the next level.

Find out how to access the Masterclass here

All my courses are fully guaranteed, so there’s no risk to taking the next step.

Enjoyed this article? Here are three more to help you:

Is Your Pet Afraid of Fireworks or Storms?

How to Keep Your Pets Safe From Coyotes

COVID-19 and Mother Earth Gaia’s Perspective, I Wonder?

The post Preparing an Emergency Lost Cat Covid Kit appeared first on Val Heart.

from Val Heart https://valheart.com/preparing-an-emergency-lost-cat-covid-kit/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=preparing-an-emergency-lost-cat-covid-kit

[kristablogs]

Pet trackers that help you keep tabs on your furry friends

It's 9 a.m. Do you know where your pets are? (Alvan Nee via Unsplash/)

Every pet parent worries about a worst-case scenario, where your best friend gets spooked and runs off, or gets into trouble on their daily prowl of the neighborhood. If you have an elderly or ailing pet, knowing that they are up and moving about while you’re at work can help you feel better about the time you have to spend apart. None of these devices are meant as a substitute for leashes, supervision, or to replace regular vet visits. However, they are a wonderful adaptation of wearable wellness gadgets to help pets live their best life in a forever home with you.

Insurance for when Rover lives up to her namesake. (Amazon/)

This comprehensive GPS tracking system for pups (or cooperative cats) over eight pounds lets you see on Google Maps when Agnes is at the dog park with her walker, monitor for obsessive scratching or licking, and measure activity levels from resting to play. Choose from an array of colorful trackers, attach one to your dog’s collar, and purchase a subscription plan to connect the device to AT&T’s nationwide network. Then use the Whistle app to collect location data on your pooch, personalize notifications, and score badges for reaching fitness goals (yay for epic walkies!). The Explore model gives you battery life up to 20 days and also has a light you can use as a beacon in the dark. Keep in mind that location tracking is only as good as the cellular reception where your dog is, though it will still work if your dog somehow hops a train to a faraway city with reception.

You hit 10,000 steps. Did he? (Amazon /)

If you aren’t interested in location tracking but want to make sure your pets are getting enough exercise, the Petble SmartTag is a light and waterproof solution for both cats and dogs. Monitor exercise, active time, and calories burned, and get a better sense of how they can reach and maintain a healthy weight and fitness level. The tracker weighs just 10 grams and uses Bluetooth to sync with the Petble mobile app for iOS and Android. It’s even waterproof, so throwing a stick in the pond for your Louie to fetch will still count as a workout. You can also monitor their food intake within the app by buying one of Petble’s SmartBowls. If you have more than one pet, the SmartBowl can recognize individual SmartTags to see who’s eating nicely, and who snuck a second helping from their sister’s bowl.

Doesn’t require a cellular connection. (Amazon/)

The Findster is a tracking solution and activity tracker that relies on radio frequency communication between two devices: one for you and one for your pet. When in GPS mode, it works in a variable range depending on geographic and weather conditions: up to a half-mile radius in dense areas like city blocks, and up to three miles in open areas like fields. If your dog is off-leash and dashes up the path ahead of you, you can set preferences on the Findster app to notify you when she’s outside a chosen radius—and then find her before she gets too far away. The device is just two inches square and weighs less than an ounce, so grumpy cats don’t have too much to complain about.

Don’t let them get away with hiding from the vet. (Amazon/)

When you’ve got a shape-shifting cat that can slip into small hiding places, radiofrequency technology can be a better choice than cellular-dependent GPS. Think small range but highly accurate coverage—up to 400 feet away, and within an inch of their swishing tail. When you suspect Boris got himself locked in the neighbor’s garage again, press the locate button on your handset, and a series of lights and beeps will connect to his sleek round homing tag and guide you to his grateful mew. The homing tag technology doesn’t require a pet to work and the tracker comes with two—so you can also use it to find frequently misplaced objects.

[scootoaster]

Pet trackers that help you keep tabs on your furry friends

It's 9 a.m. Do you know where your pets are? (Alvan Nee via Unsplash/)

Every pet parent worries about a worst-case scenario, where your best friend gets spooked and runs off, or gets into trouble on their daily prowl of the neighborhood. If you have an elderly or ailing pet, knowing that they are up and moving about while you’re at work can help you feel better about the time you have to spend apart. None of these devices are meant as a substitute for leashes, supervision, or to replace regular vet visits. However, they are a wonderful adaptation of wearable wellness gadgets to help pets live their best life in a forever home with you.

Insurance for when Rover lives up to her namesake. (Amazon/)

This comprehensive GPS tracking system for pups (or cooperative cats) over eight pounds lets you see on Google Maps when Agnes is at the dog park with her walker, monitor for obsessive scratching or licking, and measure activity levels from resting to play. Choose from an array of colorful trackers, attach one to your dog’s collar, and purchase a subscription plan to connect the device to AT&T’s nationwide network. Then use the Whistle app to collect location data on your pooch, personalize notifications, and score badges for reaching fitness goals (yay for epic walkies!). The Explore model gives you battery life up to 20 days and also has a light you can use as a beacon in the dark. Keep in mind that location tracking is only as good as the cellular reception where your dog is, though it will still work if your dog somehow hops a train to a faraway city with reception.

You hit 10,000 steps. Did he? (Amazon /)

If you aren’t interested in location tracking but want to make sure your pets are getting enough exercise, the Petble SmartTag is a light and waterproof solution for both cats and dogs. Monitor exercise, active time, and calories burned, and get a better sense of how they can reach and maintain a healthy weight and fitness level. The tracker weighs just 10 grams and uses Bluetooth to sync with the Petble mobile app for iOS and Android. It’s even waterproof, so throwing a stick in the pond for your Louie to fetch will still count as a workout. You can also monitor their food intake within the app by buying one of Petble’s SmartBowls. If you have more than one pet, the SmartBowl can recognize individual SmartTags to see who’s eating nicely, and who snuck a second helping from their sister’s bowl.

Doesn’t require a cellular connection. (Amazon/)

The Findster is a tracking solution and activity tracker that relies on radio frequency communication between two devices: one for you and one for your pet. When in GPS mode, it works in a variable range depending on geographic and weather conditions: up to a half-mile radius in dense areas like city blocks, and up to three miles in open areas like fields. If your dog is off-leash and dashes up the path ahead of you, you can set preferences on the Findster app to notify you when she’s outside a chosen radius—and then find her before she gets too far away. The device is just two inches square and weighs less than an ounce, so grumpy cats don’t have too much to complain about.

Don’t let them get away with hiding from the vet. (Amazon/)

When you’ve got a shape-shifting cat that can slip into small hiding places, radiofrequency technology can be a better choice than cellular-dependent GPS. Think small range but highly accurate coverage—up to 400 feet away, and within an inch of their swishing tail. When you suspect Boris got himself locked in the neighbor’s garage again, press the locate button on your handset, and a series of lights and beeps will connect to his sleek round homing tag and guide you to his grateful mew. The homing tag technology doesn’t require a pet to work and the tracker comes with two—so you can also use it to find frequently misplaced objects.

[linkhellojobs]

Veterinarian, General Practice (OH, IN)

Multiple Positions opened in three locations: Fairview Park OH Wadsworth OH Indianapolis IN THRIVE’S Sister Company “Pathway Vet Alliance” operates 200 hospitals. They are unable to accept candidates from Pathway Hospital. DO NOT disclose the name of the client if you are speaking with your candidate, while he or she is at their place of work. Make sure that you go into the details and mention THRIVE only when the candidate is able to talk privately. JOB DESCRIPTION: Veterinarian, GP Do you want to just go to work every day? Or do you want to THRIVE, THRIVE, THRIVE!? THRIVE is a bold new veterinary company that is challenging the status quo by creating innovative unique experiences for both its clients and its team members. We are growing rapidly and looking for talented, friendly, passionate veterinarians of all experience levels to add to our teams. Click here to learn more about why you should choose to THRIVE: https://youtu.be/rW-yy-5ykbU THRIVE is focused on raising the bar in veterinary medicine while lowering costs for our clients. From nose to tail, we specialize in the kind of thorough, routine treatment that makes up 90% of all veterinary visits. Our preventive care caseload is challenging, diverse and includes radiology, dental, diagnostics, and surgery all performed with state of the art equipment. We value independent thinking and entrepreneurial spirit. We have high technician to doctor ratios creating a fast-paced, fun and friendly environment. And most importantly, we put quality medicine first. Our call center keeps our team focused on patient care rather than phones. And our schedules allow our teams to maintain a work-life balance. Candidates must have solid medical knowledge, patient care and communication skills, work efficiently, and have a great sense of humor. Vets with all levels of experience, including new graduates, are welcome to apply! Want to see the inside of a THRIVE Practice? Click here to watch a tour: https://www.thrivevet.com/careers-at-thrive/ BENEFITS Competitive Salary Monthly Bonus Opportunity / Profit sharing No Negative Accrual 3.5 and 4 day work weeks A dedicated call center to allow you to practice medicine 3 weeks annual PTO 1 week additional paid time for CE $3,500 annual CE allowance for licenses, dues, conference expenses, etc. Medical, Dental & Vision Basic Life Insurance Paid Parental Leave Veterinary Staff Health & Wellness Program Student Loan Repayment Program Upward Mobility THRIVE will accept a relocating candidate and will consider providing some relocation assistance Reference : Veterinarian, General Practice (OH, IN) jobs from Latest listings added - LinkHello http://linkhello.com/jobs/technology/veterinarian-general-practice-oh-in_i7091