Greyhound Worries

My last post was about Iris, the blind kitty residing at my vet's office who needs a 'furever' home.  What I didn't mention was my reason for the visit to the vet.

I wasn't ready to talk about it, was holding my breath.  Still am.  You see our Greyhound girl, HiLite, (that's her below) suddenly was not able to walk.

 There's nothing wrong with her in this photo.  The ace bandage wrap is our version of a Thundershirt.  HiLite suffers from storm anxiety and this form of gently 'wrapping' her makes her feel secure and calm.  (Go to http://www.thundershirt.com/ to learn more about a thundershirt) 




The reason I am holding my breath is because nearly every spring when I return from Arizona, I lose one of my fur babies, hence I am a little gun shy.  I realize it is all coincidental and has nothing to do with me coming home for the summer, still......!  The real problem is that since we stopped showing and breeding English Cocker Spaniels, our furkids, like us, have become senior citizens. 

We found out that HiLite, who is 14, (elderly for a Greyhound) most likely has a ruptured disc.  Our wonderful vet's kept her in the Doggie Hospital for three days and pumped her up on steroids. They let us know that if there was no improvement, it is likely permanent damage has occurred and we could be facing that ultimate decision that no one ever wants to make. 

HiLite showed no improvement by her second night.  On Day three, the Doc called and said she was standing, moving her affected leg and able to go to the bathroom on her own and we could come and get her.  He warned there might not be further improvement and it is possible that now being off the steroids, she could totally revert to being unable to walk.  

That was 5 days ago and she is still walking, Hallelujah!  She is not, however, out of the woods.  Today we had to take her back to the vet because she is not eating, and had some small, weepy sores on her back.  A bacterial infection of some sort!  Just like human's in a hospital environment, dogs are susceptible to infectious bugs as well.  I'm worried that her immune system is  compromised but I know she is vulnerable because she has not been eating well, in pain, and stressed over her whole ordeal.  She's a very sensitive girl. 

Warning.....warning........this is not a pretty picture below!!!!!!!! 

That is my vet sitting on the floor holding her to clean up the area.  It didn't look like this when she went in, only appeared to be about a half inch around and crusty, but this is what it looked like after he flushed and cleaned it.  Greyhounds have such amazingly thin skin that the smallest of wounds can become a big issue in seconds.  And this infection came up so fast, within only a couple of days. 

She is now on mega-dose antibiotics, as well as, Pepto-Bismol for her tummy and hopefully she will start eating again soon and nothing else goes wrong!

I'd like to stop holding my breath for her. C'mon HiLite Girl, you can do this!!

Iris Needs a Home

Meet Iris!

Iris is a 9 week old special needs kitty that needs a furever home.  Sorry about the picture quality, my cellphone camera doesn't seem to be taking the best photos these days.  

I met Iris on a recent trip to my vet's office.  She's living there until the right family comes along.  She is a very lucky little kitty too, though some might not think so.  You see, Iris has no eyes, they just aren't there, never were.  But...a wonderful person found this lucky little girl and took her in to Dr. Carter's office where they have vetted her and will keep her until a home is found. 

Iris doesn't have any idea that she is different than other kitties because she has never known life any differently.  She plays just like other kits the same age and has the best purr ever!  She responds well to voices and her hearing is just fine!  Iris is very smart too and knows exactly where the door is to get out of her kennel when someone comes to visit her.  

She needs to go to a home that has no stairs and someone who is willing to love a blind furbaby, but what is not to love!  She is absolutely adorable!!!

And besides, who wouldn't want a kitty that will probably never learn to jump up on counters and the table, because, she won't know they are there!!!! 

Do you know anyone who could give her a home?

They Flew the Coop

Just like that, they were gone.  

I'm talking about the baby Robbin's from my last post.  I thought I'd get to see them leave the nest but I didn't.  They were there one day and gone the next.  How do they disappear like that, where do they go?  Mom and Dad are gone too.  Do they all fly away together or do the babies fly away and the parents are just done.....?  


Anyway, we've been busy here at the new place.  I've met a few neighbors and am especially thrilled about the one right next door to me!

Meet Bella.

 Bella is an English Bulldog who is not quite two years old.  I had a hard time getting her to sit still for a picture so it's not the best.

Here is Bella and her 'furmom' Amy.  Amy just adopted Bella.  I am so happy to have them for neighbors.    There are other four-footed neighbors that I haven't met yet but it certainly appears to be a dog-friendly neighborhood! 


And I have to share a picture of Mr. Fix-its granddaughter, Lacie, 'helping' in the kitchen. 

 Lacie is about the same age as Bella!

Hope to get back to posting a bit more often when/if things slow down.

Feathering My Nest!

Wow it's been a crazy week since getting back home to Indiana!  It's crazy enough just living in two States for months at a time but buying and moving into a home you've never seen and is mostly empty, is downright whirlwind crazy! 

Dad loves his new home and so do I. 

Although this place is in a neighborhood, it is somewhat rural.  At least we have a bean field behind our backyard.  And...I was excited to learn that this is the last house next to a cul-de-sac that hasn't been developed yet.  So even more views and very little traffic!!

I just can't appreciate enough my brother, sister-in-law and Mr. Fix-it.  
They had things fixed up nicely for us. 

Dad LOVES his new flat screen tv with HiDef.  I like the new kitchen table.

But ....ya wanna know what I am most excited about?????

Baby Robbins!!!!

They are in a tree right outside our back patio door and I can watch the mom and dad come and go bringing them food.  

It's not like going home to FenceRow Farms for the summer but at least there is wildlife with a view!!  

Back

Dad and I are back in Indiana.  Safe and sound.  His new house is awesome and I will post pictures soon. 

A New Skill

Well great, I have a new skill to add to my resume.  Head drip system fixer!

Here in Arizona we don't have sprinkler systems that water the lawns because our lawns are gravel.  We have what's called a 'drip system'.  It is a system of plumbing pipes that run all around your yard underneath the gravel.  Attached to those plumbing pipes will be tiny quarter inch water lines that peek above the rock and are placed to provide water to specific plants and trees.  It basically 'drips' out of the tiny water line for an hour or two each day providing a much needed drink to those plants.  

These pipes and hoses are famous for bursting, especially in older homes.  They get dried out and also the sharp gravel rubs on the pipes and eventually everyone ends up with a leak.  Usually it happens when you are away for the summer and who ever is looking after your house fixes it.  

Thankfully, I've successfully avoided dealing with the drip system for 5 winters now.  I mean, come on, I have to deal with everything else, can't I get a break on this one thing?!?!  Unfortunately, all that changed this morning.....a day before I am leaving to go home.  When I went out to get the morning paper, I found a note on my door telling me that I had a leak out front.  A good Samaritan riding her bike at 7:00am when the drip goes off happened by my house and spotted it.  NO!!!!!

Truth to tell, I kinda knew it was there......had noticed it a week ago but was in denial.  I just thought I would let my summer caretaker fix it for me.  But no, I had to face it because dad found out and started obsessing over getting it fixed and he was going to fix it himself come hell or high-water.  So at 9am this morning and 90 degrees, dad and I are out front trying to figure it all out.  I was hoping it was just a bad emitter cap and changed it, whew, that was easy.  Too easy.....it wasn't the problem.   

So....after having to find the book on how to manually operate the drip system, (I hate to read how to fix things, I just want to do!) we turned it on and found out that an underground pipe had sprung a leak.  Shovel in hand, I dug out the gravel around the suspected area and sure enough, the pipe had dried out and was spewing water all over from many, not just one, tiny pinprick size leaks. 

  (Here is where I had to cut a 5" piece out of the leaking underground plumbing hose)

 

Now....let me just say, all this is happening when I should be packing the truck for the trip home, getting dad and me packed, cleaning out the fridge....well, you get the idea.  

Off to the hardware I go to buy hose and coupler caps.  Dad thinks he needs to go with me, but even though he taught all he knew to my 3 brothers, dad didn't raise no dummy daughter.  I 'can' learn to figure things out even when I don't really want to!  The hardware store had just what I needed and lo and behold, I was able to fix the leak before dad even knew I was back!  He was amazed.  And so was I, and I don't know why I ever dreaded tackling that monster. 

 Here I am inserting the coupler onto the old hose that wasn't leaking.

Notice of course, that in honor of going home, I just had my nails done yesterday!!!   GRRRR.

 And here is the finished job!

And...there was no damage to newly done nails!!

So I can now proudly say that I can fix an Arizona drip system....ok, maybe just a little leak on one, but I CAN do it!!   I am woman....hear me roar!!!

 

And....this is my last post for a couple of days until we get back home and settled in.  Don't forget about me, I WILL be back!

Bye for now,

Karen

Last One

That's it.  Last grooming job of this season.  

 

Mimi, a teeny Yorkshire Terrier looks none to happy about it either!! 

But she survived and so did I! 

She wanted to eat me for trimming her little toe nails!!

Here she models a Fourth of July collar that I made for her. 

So...time to pack up the grooming stuff....until fall!

Time Flies!

Six days to go and I am starting to get a bit nervous over what needs to be done to pack and what needs to be done at dad's new house where we are going!  

My brother and Mr. Fix-it have been working hard to get things in order so that all dad and I have to do is get off the plane and walk in the door of the new place.  They sent me a picture of some of my furniture that was moved into the living room.

It's looking pretty good.  I will need to paint some walls, hang some pictures and decorate with all my knick knacks but so far it looks great.  Very different decor than the southwest Chach ka that I am used to in the Phoenix house!

New beds are being delivered today and cable/internet installed as well.  My sister-in-law shopped for kitchen stuff last night and think she enjoyed herself!  The last thing to be done is buy a kitchen table and chairs and I think I've pretty well got that locked down too.  There will still be lots of little stuff I will need to buy when I get home but that will be fun.  

On another subject, for those of you that remember my foster dog Dottie.  I've gotten several emails from her lately!!  It seems she's learned how to do that now just like she learned how to Blog!   She says she loves her new home and has LOTS of bunnies to chase.  

And I got a picture from home.

This is Hilight.  

She says she is excited that I will be home soon.   

So.....lots and lots happening right now!