30 Monday Jul 2018
Posted in Animal Sciences, Rheumatoid Arthritis
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I’ll be honest, though, when they act up (at the exact same time, of course) as well as get sick in a group, taking care of them is no joke. And, it gets less hysterical when I myself am ill.
https://rheumatoidarthritis.net/living/got-pets-in-flare-try-these-tips-for-the-same-level-of-care/
Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.
23 Saturday Dec 2017
Posted in Animal Sciences
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I grew it up in a gorgeous wooded neighborhood. It was a protected area where homeowners could only expand their homes vertically and not horizontally so they wouldn’t disturb the forest. Because of this, the houses were generally small with large, untouched yards wrapped around them. Fun fact: One was built by Andrew Lloyd Wright and remained in his family!
I know it sounds like I grew up in a quiet rural environment but actually I lived in the suburbs of Washington DC! The city and it’s neighboring counties took their environment seriously.
The surrounding streets connected through loops and general roundabouts with multiple outlets to the “main road”. This kind of made us one big happy neighboorhood, even if we didn’t know everyone who lived in the gorgeous 50 and 60 style houses.
Mine was not small but it was one story with a basement. It looked it, though, because of the vast garden. I was lucky that we had such an expansive yard. I had a lot of room to play and the dogs had plenty of space to run.
When we got Affie (our first dog) we decided to take advantage of this great big space and put in an invisible fence. I know it is a controversial topic but we thought it was a great idea because the dog had unblocked access to the entire property.
It was perfect for the Affie and Saachi (our second dog). They ran around all day (hours upon hours) as if they were farm animals and especially loved to trot next to other people walking their pets.
In retrospect, this is probably why our pets are so aloof and self reliant. They preferred the outdoors and were not interested in playing fetch or Frisbee.
We liked to keep Affie’s fur short. It matted easily and I couldn’t keep up with the grooming. But, during late Fall, early winter we grew her hair out so she could stay outside and not freeze her little doggie butt.
The problem with this, we found out, was she would disregard her fence collar. We didn’t keep the shock too high but it was high enough that we thought she could feel it through inches of fur. Even now, we’re not convinced that she didn’t feel it.
One weekday while I was at school a neighbor from three “neighborhoods” away rang our doorbell and handed Affie over to my father.
“We found her marching along the road!” she explained. My father was flabbergasted. He didn’t know the woman but thankfully she recognized Affie from when she walked her own dogs.
I don’t know how this lady caught this nutty dog but I have the upmost respect for her. Affie never came when she was called and played chase with anyone who looked at her.
Now, this is probably a good time to mention we checked on the dogs when they were outside but since they had full use of the property (front and back of the house) we never worried too much if we couldn’t see them. They explored every inch of the yard (and remember I mentioned it was very wooded) so we just assumed they were in some cranny inaccessible to us.
The woman was kind enough to remove Affie’s collar and it was still buzzing when she handed it over. She laughed “I can’t believe she didn’t feel it!”
We couldn’t believe it either.
After that, we checked on Affie more frequently and I did catch her making a break for freedom a couple of times. I think she chose to ignore the zap to continue her carefree exploratory existence outside of her usual four corners.
Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.
13 Saturday May 2017
Posted in Animal Sciences
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Here is the next installment of the Furry Friends tag! Today, I answer the questions for Marmalade who is my oldest and first pet! She holds a special place in my heart and I in hers. After all, she does think she’s my mother!
Enjoy!
What is your pet’s name?
Marmalade. Her “birth” name was Samantha. She is sooo not a Samantha!
What kind of pet is she and what breed?
She is a feline tabby. A tabby is basically the mutt of the feline world.
How long have you had your pet friend?
Almost 15 years.
How did you get your pet friend?
We adopted Marmalade one week after my mother passed away in August 2002. She was one year old. She was a “hospital cat” at the clinic I work at. Her owner could not take Marmalade to her new apartment and asked the vet to find her a new home. The first time we met she just rolled over onto her back and showed us her belly. We knew she was ours.
She must have picked up on something because she immediately took on the role of “mom”. She protected and took care of me.
She is a very maternal and loving cat!
How old is your pet?
She will be 16 in July.
What are some quirky things about your pet?
She loves the color red.
She looks and acts like a 5-7 year old. Nobody believes she is actually 16 because she has boundless energy and is still as limber as a kitten.
She is the alpha of the house and she knows it. She controls everyone, gets first dibs at the litter box and gets the most attention. This being said, she is surprisingly benign to Sunsilk. Marmalade lets her eat first and does not crowd her.
As she has gotten older, though, Marmalade has become more jealous. She needs more attention and sometimes does not let Sunsilk near me! I guess this is a consequence of aging.
What does your relationship to your pet mean to you?
She takes care of and protects me (in her own way). She sticks to me like glue whenever I am sick. She will wait until I fall asleep to eat, drink and use the litter box and she will beat up anyone who comes near me. I can’t ask for a better protector than her!
She is the best first cat I could have asked for. She is patient and loving and lets me get away with a whole lot like pinching her ears and pulling her whiskers.
Without her, I would not have gotten through half the “downs” in my life.
What are some of your favorite past times with your pet?
Honestly, just being together. Whenever she is with me I feel safe.
Nicknames?
Parmpi, Parmpi-Marmpi, Gorg (short for gorgeous), Bestest Friend in the Whole Wide World (magic words for her to stop grumbling…seriously!)
Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.
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13 Thursday Apr 2017
Posted in Animal Sciences
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Blogging A to Z, dog, jaw, pets, surgery
I don’t think I ever really went into detail about Affie’s attack four years ago. Saachi tore Affie’s lower mandible off her face. It was possibly the most dramatic event to ever happen to me.
It was Saturday morning. I was warming up the dogs’ AM meal in the microwave (they eat home cooked food). My aunt was at the sink washing dishes. Suddenly, we heard Affie cry and we turned to see Saachi shaking her like a rag doll.
My aunt shrieked bloody murder and grabbed Saachi by her neck. I grabbed whatever part of Affie I could and pulled in the other direction.
Our yelling woke the entire household and they came running from every direction. I was still in complete shock. There were pools of blood all over the floor.
We rushed her to our clinic. My dad drove while I kept Affie conscious. We were almost at the hospital when she went into shock. The light left her eyes…I tried to stay calm and said “Come on Affie, wake up…wake up”. Dad freaked and almost crashed into the car ahead of us. I didn’t know what to do except grab Affie’s tongue and yank and pull almost hard enough to pull it off. She woke up (thankfully, because that would have been the end) just as we pulled into the parking lot.
Our vets called the closest emergency clinic and made calls to friends (dental surgeons) to get her into surgery as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the earliest appointment was Monday so we took her to emergency. I don’t know why we didn’t initially go there first. We probably should have but we were on autopilot and went to my work instead.
The veterinarian-on-call told me Affie’s lower mandible was separated from the top. I did not understand her words. I couldn’t fathom that my dog’s head was in two pieces and she was still alive.
Affie stayed in emergency, with her jaw taped closed, through the weekend. She, being the stubborn brat that she was, kept tearing off the tape. Her doctor worried she was very anxious to which I laughed and said she just didn’t like it and she wasn’t going to wear it!
Monday came and we took her to the surgeon. He took x-rays and showed us (read: me) the breaks (Dad can’t stomach this kind of thing). The right break was while the left was shattered pieces of jaw. He wired her mouth closed but left enough space for her tongue to grab food. He knew the right side would heal while it was a waiting game for the left. If the bone did not repair itself properly Affie faced paralysis for the rest of her life.
Affie wore the wires for six months and it took just as long for her broken leg to heal. Thankfully, given her diet, she had no trouble eating (the food is mostly ground). She was on house arrest and cranky but her bones healed perfectly.
Affie felt better within 10 days of the attack and immediately forgave Saachi. She wanted to run and play with her. She wanted to jump up on her face and lick her (which is how we ended up in this debacle). It was a full time job separating the dogs and keeping Affie from injuring herself more.
Affie was a stubborn dog. An obstinate and hard-headed dog. She was resilient and refused to die. I frequently called her my Nalgene bottle because no matter what happened she never broke.
“Mom! Look! I got my wires out!
It’s weird to think Affie might not be here today. She should have died. It’s unnerving to think about that sometimes. What is even more amazing it’s like nothing happened! She is as strong as ever and has the exact same temperament (even around Saachi). She has frequently has nightmares but hey, if that’s the only trauma that came from this then I consider her extremely lucky!
Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.
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05 Wednesday Apr 2017
Posted in Animal Sciences
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Saachi and Sunsilk both start with S so I had to be creative in doing Saachi’s Furry Friends tag! Saachi passed away just over two years ago from Hemangiosarcoma (cancer of the blood). She may be gone but she remains part of the pack.
What is your pet’s name?
Saachi. Her “birth” name was Lottie.
What kind of pet is she and what breed?
Saachi was a purebred Bullmastiff dog.
How long have you had your pet friend?
Almost 9 years! We adopted her at two months and she passed away at eight and a half years.
How did you get your pet?
Saachi was our fourth adoption. Soon after we adopted Affie, Dad exclaimed he wanted his own dog. He traveled a lot for work and the first three kind of attached themselves to me. I agreed but only if it was a giant breed. I specifically wanted a Great Dane. To this day, I don’t remember why this was so important to me.
Dad disagreed. He thought they were too common…even though I had only ever seen one near our home.
Second choice? A mastiff. My father set to work and researched mastiffs. One day, I heard him yelling from his office and he excitedly showed me pictures of this silly looking pup up for adoption in Kentucky.
“What do you think??”
“She’s cute…kind of chubby…but really cute..”
“Good, because I already emailed the owners”.
My father was ecstatic. He emailed EVERYONE photos of Lottie and captioned them ‘the new addition to the family’. Now would be a good time to mention the adoption was not yet final! Hah!
How old is your pet?
Saachi passed away at 8.5 years.
What are some quirky things about your pet’s personality?
Hmmm…she hated me? She just strongly disliked me. I was the disciplinarian of the family and she was a spoilt, spoilt dog! It was not until I returned from college that she realized she actually loved and missed me!
“Wouldn’t it be funny if the phrase ‘distance makes the heart grow fonder’ held true with her?”
“I wouldn’t count on it, she really doesn’t like you!” -Dad
It was not until after I returned home from school that first break that she did a complete 180 and actually liked me!
But, I digress. An actual quirk? Saachi believed she was a cat. She grew up in a family with two adult cats, who she adored. She wanted to be part of Sunsilk and Marmalade’s club but they wouldn’t let her. In order to be more like them, she kneaded blankets, beds and bodies and came up with her own version of purring!
What does your relationship to your pet mean to you?
My pets mean the world to me. My father traveled a lot for work so my pack was my family. Even though I was not Saachi’s favorite person she was extremely protective of me. She would bark at every little noise and stand guard at the front door whenever I was alone in the house. Her love was unfailing and unwavering.
What are some of your favorite past times with your pet?
Nap time. Saachi was the perfect blanket. She lay on top of me and since she was bigger than me I was never cold!
Tug of war — Best ab work out ever.
Nicknames?
“No!” Saachi was so big she never got away with anything.
“Ugly” …I feel sort of bad about this one…When she was little her head grew too big for her body and she looked rather comical. It was a couple of months before her body caught up but the nickname stuck!
Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.
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03 Monday Apr 2017
Posted in Animal Sciences
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I completed the Furry Friends tag a couple of years ago but I wrote about all four pets in one very long post. During this month, I will re-do the tag but in smaller bite-size amounts.
Yes, April 1st would technically make more sense since “Affie” starts with A but I already had my nails set up and I wanted to post them! So, for today, B is for Binky (#AtoZChallenge).
What is your pet’s name?
Affie. Her birth name is Aphrodite. The name does not suit her so we shorten it.
What kind of pet is she and what breed?
She is a purebred Coton de Tulear. This breed is similar to a Bichon except the fur is longer and more coton-like. She does not shed which is a plus for me since I am allergic to animal dander!
How long have you had your pet friend?
About 13 years. Her birthday is in July.
How did you get your pet?
“I grew up with dogs. I want a dog.”
“Uhm….okay? She has to hypoallergenic though”
“Okay!”
Two days later we had a puppy. My father is not a particularly impulsive man. He thinks everything through with an analytical eye. Adopting Affie was a different decision for him. He found her. He wanted her. He got her.
(By the way, we already had two cats…and little did we know, six months down the line, a second dog!)
How old is your pet?
Affie is almost 14 years old.
What are some quirky things about your pet’s personality?
She is like a living stuffed animal. She is the most aloof, self-sufficient dog I have ever met. Most dogs spend time with their masters and shadow every step they take. They sleep at their feet, respond to their voice and are constant companions. Well, not Affie. She would make a great farm animal.
It’s not that she doesn’t love us. She just doesn’t need us. She is perfectly content being on her own. She sits at the window (rooms away from us) and watches the day float by.
The pets have a bowl of toys for when we are not around. Even when we are, Affie would rather play by herself.
Dad frequently makes fun of me and calls her my spitting image which, I guess, is very true.
What does your relationship to your pet mean to you?
My pets mean the world to me. My father travels a lot for work so my pack is my family. Sure, Affie is aloof and prefers to be on her own but her love is unwavering. She knows I am her owner, she knows I am her master and she knows I am “Mom”. She may not need me on the day to day but when she does, I am her first stop. When she is scared, I am the lap she sits in. On the off chance she needs me. I am there.
And, vice versa.
What are some of your favorite past times with your pet?
Nap time.
And, fetch. She runs around with a toy I chase her trying to get it back.
Nicknames?
Affie-Taffie, Affs, Binky-Stinky, Binker.
Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.
Website | Social Media Tag: #atozchallenge
08 Sunday May 2016
Posted in Animal Sciences
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Strange fact: My cats have both been in my life longer than my mother.
We adopted Marmalade 14 years ago and Sunsilk, 13. My mother passed away 14 years ago.
If you were to ask me…would I trade the pets for my mom you are a cruel person.
I would give anything to have my mother back in my life. Twelve years was not a long enough time to get to know or appreciate her. But, if she hadn’t died then I would not have had Marmalade, Sunsilk, Affie or Saachi. I’m sure at some point we would have a pet it would have been a different one because the timing was different.
I wish I had the best of both worlds but of course, that was not possible. But no, I wouldn’t trade. That might make me a bad person but I’m a firm believer in things happening for reason and people/animals come into your life at the right time.
My mother protected and taught me. She was the best mom I could ask for. But, so were the pets. They taught me patience. They taught me responsibility and in their capacity they protected me.
Would I trade? No. Could I choose? No. I would be a different person if my mother lived or these animals were not in my life.
Hi, my name is Monica and I have RA.
