On Fridays I write about our pets
The ladder may be optional, but apparently the complaining is mandatory.
Showing posts with label Fuzzy Friday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fuzzy Friday. Show all posts
Friday, June 26, 2009
Friday, May 22, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
Fuzzy Friday: Wreath Cat
The holidays are over, and we have set aside the wreath from the front of the bus to donate to charity. Of course, no feline can resist a round, cat-sized nest, and I couldn't resist taking this picture.
Later, Sean was able to get the wreath plugged in without disturbing George at all. I think she would make a nice centerpiece.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Friday, March 21, 2008
Fuzzy Friday: Nesting Carriers
On Fridays I write about our pets
If you have more than one pet, and live in a small space, you might consider portable carriers that nest.
Each of our three pets has their own kennel/carrier. Because we believe strongly in crate training for dogs, Opal's carrier is out and available for her at all times. It lives under the bed.
The two cat carriers are rarely used but important to have. We pull them out to take George and Angel to the vet or to be kenneled when we are away from Odyssey. For example, when we took our long cruise to South America, the two cats stayed with a woman up in the Santa Cruz hills. Her road was not accessible by bus and we transported the cats in a borrowed car, securely tucked in their carriers.
We chose the Kennel Cab brand of carrier because they disassemble easily and the parts nest together. Here are the two cat carriers ready for cats:
Here they are nested and ready for storage:
Because the two kennels break down and stack into a space smaller than one assembled carrier, we can store them in the short bay with the litterbox:
As you can see, even one complete carrier would be too tall for this space. For clarity, I removed some items from this bay. Usually there are several more things stored inside the stacked carriers.
Our Kennel Cabs are an older model. We owned one when we moved into Odyssey. In order for them to nest properly, we needed two of the same model, so we purchased a second one, used, on eBay.
The newest model is slightly different, using clips instead of screws to hold the two halves together. I'm not sure if they nest as well, so if you're in the market for pet carriers you'd need to test them at a store.
If you have more than one pet, and live in a small space, you might consider portable carriers that nest.
Each of our three pets has their own kennel/carrier. Because we believe strongly in crate training for dogs, Opal's carrier is out and available for her at all times. It lives under the bed.
The two cat carriers are rarely used but important to have. We pull them out to take George and Angel to the vet or to be kenneled when we are away from Odyssey. For example, when we took our long cruise to South America, the two cats stayed with a woman up in the Santa Cruz hills. Her road was not accessible by bus and we transported the cats in a borrowed car, securely tucked in their carriers.
We chose the Kennel Cab brand of carrier because they disassemble easily and the parts nest together. Here are the two cat carriers ready for cats:
Here they are nested and ready for storage:
Because the two kennels break down and stack into a space smaller than one assembled carrier, we can store them in the short bay with the litterbox:
As you can see, even one complete carrier would be too tall for this space. For clarity, I removed some items from this bay. Usually there are several more things stored inside the stacked carriers.
Our Kennel Cabs are an older model. We owned one when we moved into Odyssey. In order for them to nest properly, we needed two of the same model, so we purchased a second one, used, on eBay.
The newest model is slightly different, using clips instead of screws to hold the two halves together. I'm not sure if they nest as well, so if you're in the market for pet carriers you'd need to test them at a store.
Friday, January 18, 2008
Fuzzy Friday: Kat Kube
On Fridays I write about our pets
Our most recent pet bed acquisition, a Kat Kube:
While the folded blanket on top makes it look fairly sturdy, it won't hold up a cat sleeping or walking on top. The whole thing is made from foam covered with fabric, no cardboard or other stiffeners that I can tell.
George and Angel have been taking turns using it. Voted "paws up" by both of them, we may get another. Available at Wal-Mart, the color choices were brown, navy blue and pink (I think).
Our most recent pet bed acquisition, a Kat Kube:
While the folded blanket on top makes it look fairly sturdy, it won't hold up a cat sleeping or walking on top. The whole thing is made from foam covered with fabric, no cardboard or other stiffeners that I can tell.
George and Angel have been taking turns using it. Voted "paws up" by both of them, we may get another. Available at Wal-Mart, the color choices were brown, navy blue and pink (I think).
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Super Sunday: Sleeping with the Fishes
On Sundays I write about one of the joys of full-timing
If your full-timing lifestyle involves any stays in rest areas or truck stops, it really helps to be a good sleeper. I don't mind the white noise of idling engines, the whoosh of passing vehicles, or even the blast of train whistles.
I find it also helps that I have a bedtime ritual that soothes me to sleep. Our small fresh-water aquarium sits on my bedside table. I feed the fish just as I go to bed, and spend 5 minutes watching them swim and eat. The filter hums very softly and the water gurgles gently like a fountain. The fish dart and flutter in a soothing and repetitive way. It never fails to knock me right out!
They are so bright and lovely, gorgeous live jewels. Currently the tank holds one blue and red striped Neon Tetra; one red, yellow and navy blue male Guppy, and two female Guppies. The females tend to be drab, but these two have bright yellow tails. All four shimmer with the vitality of good health.
Watching these little creatures, my last waking thoughts are of peace and gratitude that the universe is full of beauty and life even in the secret depths underwater. And even in a truck stop. I often dream that they swim out into the air and happily follow me around, although I've never dreamt that they follow me into the convenience store at Flying J.
Another upside of this ritual is that I spend a little time each day with the fishes. That feels like good pet stewardship. I've had fish tanks for many years. I spent hours staring into the water when I set up my first tank at age 10, but over the years they tended to become part of the landscape. I fed the fish every day, but only watched them extensively when a new species was added.
Space is too tight in Odyssey to waste it on something that just becomes part of the background. By having the tank right by my pillow, I really do enjoy it every day. I also have to pay attention to carefully preparing the tank for travel. If the tank wasn't "earning its keep" in some way, that chore would grow old quickly.
So every night I enjoy 5 minutes of fish beauty, and then (because, let's face it, four fish aren't THAT exciting) they put me right to sleep. It may be Peterbilts and Kenworths outside, but inside the bus it is a small tropical paradise of Neons and Guppies.
If your full-timing lifestyle involves any stays in rest areas or truck stops, it really helps to be a good sleeper. I don't mind the white noise of idling engines, the whoosh of passing vehicles, or even the blast of train whistles.
I find it also helps that I have a bedtime ritual that soothes me to sleep. Our small fresh-water aquarium sits on my bedside table. I feed the fish just as I go to bed, and spend 5 minutes watching them swim and eat. The filter hums very softly and the water gurgles gently like a fountain. The fish dart and flutter in a soothing and repetitive way. It never fails to knock me right out!
They are so bright and lovely, gorgeous live jewels. Currently the tank holds one blue and red striped Neon Tetra; one red, yellow and navy blue male Guppy, and two female Guppies. The females tend to be drab, but these two have bright yellow tails. All four shimmer with the vitality of good health.
Watching these little creatures, my last waking thoughts are of peace and gratitude that the universe is full of beauty and life even in the secret depths underwater. And even in a truck stop. I often dream that they swim out into the air and happily follow me around, although I've never dreamt that they follow me into the convenience store at Flying J.
Another upside of this ritual is that I spend a little time each day with the fishes. That feels like good pet stewardship. I've had fish tanks for many years. I spent hours staring into the water when I set up my first tank at age 10, but over the years they tended to become part of the landscape. I fed the fish every day, but only watched them extensively when a new species was added.
Space is too tight in Odyssey to waste it on something that just becomes part of the background. By having the tank right by my pillow, I really do enjoy it every day. I also have to pay attention to carefully preparing the tank for travel. If the tank wasn't "earning its keep" in some way, that chore would grow old quickly.
So every night I enjoy 5 minutes of fish beauty, and then (because, let's face it, four fish aren't THAT exciting) they put me right to sleep. It may be Peterbilts and Kenworths outside, but inside the bus it is a small tropical paradise of Neons and Guppies.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Friday, December 21, 2007
Fuzzy Friday: Oh, rats!
On Fridays I write about our pets
I was touched by this story about the loss of a pet rat. We become so attached to our animal companions.
I've always wanted to have a rat, ever since a friend in 4th grade had one. I don't remember the girl's name, but I remember the rat's: Sassy. I was amazed at how clean and affectionate the little rodent was. So alert and fun.
My god-daughter had a rat named Velvet for several years. That was one very spoiled and well-loved creature. We all shed a tear when Velvet passed over the Rainbow Bridge, even the Mom of the house, my friend L. L resisted getting a rat for many months and surprised herself at how fond she became of Velvet, I think.
We rat-sat Velvet once, and it didn't work out so well. Opal and our older cat, Granette, spent Velvet's entire visit staring at the cage. Granette managed to get her front leg into the cage up to her armpit and swung it wildly around at poor, cowering Velvet until we locked the predators out of the room. That unfortunate incident convinced me that cats and rats probably shouldn't cohabitate.
I would think a rat would make a pretty good RV pet. Anyone traveling with one?
I was touched by this story about the loss of a pet rat. We become so attached to our animal companions.
I've always wanted to have a rat, ever since a friend in 4th grade had one. I don't remember the girl's name, but I remember the rat's: Sassy. I was amazed at how clean and affectionate the little rodent was. So alert and fun.
My god-daughter had a rat named Velvet for several years. That was one very spoiled and well-loved creature. We all shed a tear when Velvet passed over the Rainbow Bridge, even the Mom of the house, my friend L. L resisted getting a rat for many months and surprised herself at how fond she became of Velvet, I think.
We rat-sat Velvet once, and it didn't work out so well. Opal and our older cat, Granette, spent Velvet's entire visit staring at the cage. Granette managed to get her front leg into the cage up to her armpit and swung it wildly around at poor, cowering Velvet until we locked the predators out of the room. That unfortunate incident convinced me that cats and rats probably shouldn't cohabitate.
I would think a rat would make a pretty good RV pet. Anyone traveling with one?
Friday, December 14, 2007
Fuzzy Friday: Fish Water
On Fridays I write about our pets
As many of you know, Odyssey has two clean water tanks. One is the large Fresh Water tank that we use for taking showers, washing dishes, and flushing the toilet. The other is a smaller Drinking Water tank with special spigots at the kitchen and bathrooms sinks. This water is used for drinking, brushing teeth, making coffee, and topping off the fish tank.
The drinking water tank has extra filters, one of which removes chlorine. This makes safe water for the fishes, and I haven't noticed any issues with water that has been in this tank.
Until now. It's cold here in Portland, hovering around freezing each night and only getting into the low 40's during the day. The heaters are keeping the inside of the coach comfortable, but the water tanks are chilly. In order to add water to the fish tank, I'd need to fill a cup and let it stand for hours to warm up.
Fortunately, my co-workers have solved this dilemma. We have bottled water available to drink on the job, so everyone totes around a bottle. We try to write our names on the bottles so they don't get mixed up, but at the end of every day there are several half-empty, unmarked bottles in our department.
Of course no one is willing to drink out of a mystery bottle, so they've been marking them "FISH" giving them to me. The fish don't care whose lips have touched the water, the temperature is a comfortable 70 degrees, and nothing is wasted. I'll top off the tank with those bottles for weeks. It's a win-win situation.
As many of you know, Odyssey has two clean water tanks. One is the large Fresh Water tank that we use for taking showers, washing dishes, and flushing the toilet. The other is a smaller Drinking Water tank with special spigots at the kitchen and bathrooms sinks. This water is used for drinking, brushing teeth, making coffee, and topping off the fish tank.
The drinking water tank has extra filters, one of which removes chlorine. This makes safe water for the fishes, and I haven't noticed any issues with water that has been in this tank.
Until now. It's cold here in Portland, hovering around freezing each night and only getting into the low 40's during the day. The heaters are keeping the inside of the coach comfortable, but the water tanks are chilly. In order to add water to the fish tank, I'd need to fill a cup and let it stand for hours to warm up.
Fortunately, my co-workers have solved this dilemma. We have bottled water available to drink on the job, so everyone totes around a bottle. We try to write our names on the bottles so they don't get mixed up, but at the end of every day there are several half-empty, unmarked bottles in our department.
Of course no one is willing to drink out of a mystery bottle, so they've been marking them "FISH" giving them to me. The fish don't care whose lips have touched the water, the temperature is a comfortable 70 degrees, and nothing is wasted. I'll top off the tank with those bottles for weeks. It's a win-win situation.
Friday, November 30, 2007
Fuzzy Friday: Cat Scratch Fever
On Fridays I write about our pets
Even though our two cats wear SoftPaws nail caps, they still need a place to scratch. (If you don't know what SoftPaws are, read this post.) Scratching is an instinctive cat behavior, used to mark territory, to slough the old claws, and for exercise.
In order for that to happen, the cats need to "get a grip" into something. The SoftPaws keep George and Angel from poking sharp claws into soft material like fabric or carpet. When they try, the smooth plastic caps just slide over the couch.
We needed to find alternative scratching materials that were inexpensive, widely available, and had an open enough structure to accommodate the nail caps. We found this one at the grocery store:
If you can't see the video, George is going to town on a cardboard scratch pad. It is simply a flat box with strips of cardboard mounted on edge inside. I think we paid about $5 for one and it lasts about six months. The holes in the cardboard edges must have just the right feel for her toenails, because she loves this thing. A little catnip inside doesn't hurt, either.
Angel found the second scratcher:
This loosely woven sisal-type basket was originally purchased to hide a box of Kleenex from the dog. Opal loves to snack on tissues. After a couple of days, Angel started clawing at the box, probably to see what was inside. Curiosity didn't kill the cat, it showed her a great scratching post. She returned to the box again and again, knocking it over and exposing the tissues. Eventually it was just easier to give her the box and let her enjoy it. I paid about $8 for this basket which should last for years. It looks pretty ratty, so it lives behind my chair.
Even though our two cats wear SoftPaws nail caps, they still need a place to scratch. (If you don't know what SoftPaws are, read this post.) Scratching is an instinctive cat behavior, used to mark territory, to slough the old claws, and for exercise.
In order for that to happen, the cats need to "get a grip" into something. The SoftPaws keep George and Angel from poking sharp claws into soft material like fabric or carpet. When they try, the smooth plastic caps just slide over the couch.
We needed to find alternative scratching materials that were inexpensive, widely available, and had an open enough structure to accommodate the nail caps. We found this one at the grocery store:
If you can't see the video, George is going to town on a cardboard scratch pad. It is simply a flat box with strips of cardboard mounted on edge inside. I think we paid about $5 for one and it lasts about six months. The holes in the cardboard edges must have just the right feel for her toenails, because she loves this thing. A little catnip inside doesn't hurt, either.
Angel found the second scratcher:
This loosely woven sisal-type basket was originally purchased to hide a box of Kleenex from the dog. Opal loves to snack on tissues. After a couple of days, Angel started clawing at the box, probably to see what was inside. Curiosity didn't kill the cat, it showed her a great scratching post. She returned to the box again and again, knocking it over and exposing the tissues. Eventually it was just easier to give her the box and let her enjoy it. I paid about $8 for this basket which should last for years. It looks pretty ratty, so it lives behind my chair.
Friday, October 12, 2007
Fuzzy Friday: Pet bed photos
On Fridays I write about our pets
No earth-shattering insights today, just pictures of our animal companions in their beds. The beds are fairly new; after we got rid of the carpeting it seemed unkind to make Opal sleep on the hard floor. While I was looking at dog beds, the cat beds were so cute I had to try one of those, too.
Angel is the main user of the cat bed. As an unexpected bonus, it has been keeping the couch cleaner. Most of her fur is now in the bed.
George will sleep anywhere, but prefers whichever chair has just been vacated by a human. Extra credit if you were planning to come right back to your chair; George will have settled in and will have to be booted off. She also likes the dog bed, but since Opal isn't allowed in the cat bed, we boot George out of the dog's.
She does occasionally sleep in the kitty bed. It's a tight fit.
Opal's bed is covered in a stylish bone-shaped camouflage pattern. Who designs these things?
No earth-shattering insights today, just pictures of our animal companions in their beds. The beds are fairly new; after we got rid of the carpeting it seemed unkind to make Opal sleep on the hard floor. While I was looking at dog beds, the cat beds were so cute I had to try one of those, too.
Angel is the main user of the cat bed. As an unexpected bonus, it has been keeping the couch cleaner. Most of her fur is now in the bed.
George will sleep anywhere, but prefers whichever chair has just been vacated by a human. Extra credit if you were planning to come right back to your chair; George will have settled in and will have to be booted off. She also likes the dog bed, but since Opal isn't allowed in the cat bed, we boot George out of the dog's.
She does occasionally sleep in the kitty bed. It's a tight fit.
Opal's bed is covered in a stylish bone-shaped camouflage pattern. Who designs these things?
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Fuzzy Friday: Opal's Recovery
Every Friday I write about our pets
On Thursday, we took Opal to a local vet here in Houston to have her stitches removed. While she wasn't very happy about that procedure, her scar looks really good and the fur on her tummy is growing back nicely.
The vet also took some blood for a CBC (Complete Blood Count). You may recall that what initially prompted concerns about her spleen was a lingering anemia that showed up months ago when we took her in for a bad cough. The surgeon asked us to check her blood two weeks after the splenectomy to make sure the anemia had improved, and it has. Her red blood and white blood counts are right in the middle of the normal range.
Her platelet count is way up, and we're not quite sure what that means, so we've emailed all the info to Dr. Gillum in Little Rock. We think the platelet increase is a natural part of Opal's recovery from losing her spleen.
Opal is full of energy, eating normally and ready for fun. She is still squirrelly about having her tummy touched, but that's always been true. Having it x-rayed, shaved, ultrasounded, biopsied, shaved again, sliced open, stitched, poked, prodded, wiped with alcohol, and the stitches pulled out has made her veeeeeeery protective of her belly. She's always been an NLD (Nervous Little Dog), a Drama Queen, and a bit Obsessive-Compulsive. Those things are often par for the course with an American Eskimo. But we're cutting her a lot of slack. She's been a trooper and we're thrilled that she's doing so well. We hope she'll travel with us for many more years.
On Thursday, we took Opal to a local vet here in Houston to have her stitches removed. While she wasn't very happy about that procedure, her scar looks really good and the fur on her tummy is growing back nicely.
The vet also took some blood for a CBC (Complete Blood Count). You may recall that what initially prompted concerns about her spleen was a lingering anemia that showed up months ago when we took her in for a bad cough. The surgeon asked us to check her blood two weeks after the splenectomy to make sure the anemia had improved, and it has. Her red blood and white blood counts are right in the middle of the normal range.
Her platelet count is way up, and we're not quite sure what that means, so we've emailed all the info to Dr. Gillum in Little Rock. We think the platelet increase is a natural part of Opal's recovery from losing her spleen.
Opal is full of energy, eating normally and ready for fun. She is still squirrelly about having her tummy touched, but that's always been true. Having it x-rayed, shaved, ultrasounded, biopsied, shaved again, sliced open, stitched, poked, prodded, wiped with alcohol, and the stitches pulled out has made her veeeeeeery protective of her belly. She's always been an NLD (Nervous Little Dog), a Drama Queen, and a bit Obsessive-Compulsive. Those things are often par for the course with an American Eskimo. But we're cutting her a lot of slack. She's been a trooper and we're thrilled that she's doing so well. We hope she'll travel with us for many more years.
Friday, September 21, 2007
Fuzzy Friday: No spill water bowl
Every Friday I write about our pets
Opal continues to recover from her surgery, having her first drink of water this afternoon. The vet was concerned that she hadn't had any water or food yet and she spent much of today resting inside the clinic.
As soon as we brought her outside, she immediately relieved herself on the back step of the building. I guess most dogs will eliminate in the kennel when they are on as many painkillers as she is, but Opal had been holding it for several hours.
She then marched up the bus stairs into the kitchen and started to drink out of her no-spill water dish:
Opal shares this bowl with the two cats. The wrap-around lip design really does keep the water from sloshing out of the dish when Odyssey is under way. I had to add non-skid rubber to the bottom to keep it from sliding across the kitchen floor. The bowl is made of a single piece of molded hard plastic and is very durable.
The bowl is easy to wash, but difficult to rinse. After all, it is designed to keep the water in. Once it is full of suds, when Sean* turns it over to pour out the soapy water, he has to shake it and rinse it quite a few times to make sure it rinses clear.
In hindsight, we should have bought this no-spill bowl:
The idea is the same: the lid curves up to control splashing. But in this bowl, the lid is removable, which would make washing and rinsing it much easier. I don't think it holds as much water, however, and the distance from the edge to the center water hold might be harder for the cats to negotiate.
In either case, a spill-proof bowl is an idea that has worked really well for us in our travels. If you have pets and are planning to hit the road, you may want to buy one for them.
*Sean washes all the dishes. How I managed to get out of this tiresome chore is the subject of a different post!
Opal continues to recover from her surgery, having her first drink of water this afternoon. The vet was concerned that she hadn't had any water or food yet and she spent much of today resting inside the clinic.
As soon as we brought her outside, she immediately relieved herself on the back step of the building. I guess most dogs will eliminate in the kennel when they are on as many painkillers as she is, but Opal had been holding it for several hours.
She then marched up the bus stairs into the kitchen and started to drink out of her no-spill water dish:
Opal shares this bowl with the two cats. The wrap-around lip design really does keep the water from sloshing out of the dish when Odyssey is under way. I had to add non-skid rubber to the bottom to keep it from sliding across the kitchen floor. The bowl is made of a single piece of molded hard plastic and is very durable.
The bowl is easy to wash, but difficult to rinse. After all, it is designed to keep the water in. Once it is full of suds, when Sean* turns it over to pour out the soapy water, he has to shake it and rinse it quite a few times to make sure it rinses clear.
In hindsight, we should have bought this no-spill bowl:
The idea is the same: the lid curves up to control splashing. But in this bowl, the lid is removable, which would make washing and rinsing it much easier. I don't think it holds as much water, however, and the distance from the edge to the center water hold might be harder for the cats to negotiate.
In either case, a spill-proof bowl is an idea that has worked really well for us in our travels. If you have pets and are planning to hit the road, you may want to buy one for them.
*Sean washes all the dishes. How I managed to get out of this tiresome chore is the subject of a different post!
Friday, September 14, 2007
Fuzzy Friday: Sad and worried about Opal
We are at the Wal-Mart in Naperville (map), across from one of my old haunts, the Fox Valley Mall.
As I wrote on Wednesday, we had hoped to be in Indiana by now, but things did not work out that way. We took Opal in for a routine teeth cleaning Wednesday, mostly because the vet was right across the street from Red Cross HQ, so it was convenient. Ideally, we would have taken her in earlier in the relief operation, so we would not have to spend an extra day there, but, as is often the case, we could not get away from HQ long enough to get her in and do all the paperwork.
When we called Tuesday night for an appointment, they asked us to bring her in at 8:45 (so much for sleeping in late on our first day after the relief operation). After looking at her blood work from the last vet visit, a couple months ago when she had some kind of cough, the doctor was concerned about her red blood cell count. The pre-op bood work they did for this visit was more disturbing -- even though the dog had made what appeared to be a full recovery from the coughing episode, the red count had dropped even further. With the dog being so anemic, they did not put her under, and instead took X-rays to look for possible tumors.
The X-rays came back inconclusive, and all her other blood work and urinalysis came back normal at the end of the day, so the doctor referred us to a specialty clinic a few miles away for ultrasound analysis. They made a case on our behalf that we needed to get in early, since we were not local, and the clinic was able to see Opal yesterday afternoon. So we spent another night at the Painters' Union. With the place empty in the morning, though, we were finally able to wash Odyssey for the first time in many months.
The ultrasound revealed some lesions on her spleen, as well as some anomalies in the liver. They were able to use the ultrasound to guide a needle in to the largest lesion for a biopsy, and we dropped the slides off yesterday afternoon. We should have results in another couple of days, but, in the meantime, we are very worried. The combination of anemia and lesions on the spleen is serious, even though the rest of the blood work is normal and the dog is, right now, asymptomatic (and probably wondering why we are doting on her).
After we finished with the vet we came here -- we had shopping to do nearby, and it was already too late to head over to the Naperville sewage treatment plant, where we need to dump. We'll be heading there in a few minutes. We did take advantage of our digs here to walk over to Olive Garden last night for some comfort food after a difficult day.
As I wrote on Wednesday, we had hoped to be in Indiana by now, but things did not work out that way. We took Opal in for a routine teeth cleaning Wednesday, mostly because the vet was right across the street from Red Cross HQ, so it was convenient. Ideally, we would have taken her in earlier in the relief operation, so we would not have to spend an extra day there, but, as is often the case, we could not get away from HQ long enough to get her in and do all the paperwork.
When we called Tuesday night for an appointment, they asked us to bring her in at 8:45 (so much for sleeping in late on our first day after the relief operation). After looking at her blood work from the last vet visit, a couple months ago when she had some kind of cough, the doctor was concerned about her red blood cell count. The pre-op bood work they did for this visit was more disturbing -- even though the dog had made what appeared to be a full recovery from the coughing episode, the red count had dropped even further. With the dog being so anemic, they did not put her under, and instead took X-rays to look for possible tumors.
The X-rays came back inconclusive, and all her other blood work and urinalysis came back normal at the end of the day, so the doctor referred us to a specialty clinic a few miles away for ultrasound analysis. They made a case on our behalf that we needed to get in early, since we were not local, and the clinic was able to see Opal yesterday afternoon. So we spent another night at the Painters' Union. With the place empty in the morning, though, we were finally able to wash Odyssey for the first time in many months.
The ultrasound revealed some lesions on her spleen, as well as some anomalies in the liver. They were able to use the ultrasound to guide a needle in to the largest lesion for a biopsy, and we dropped the slides off yesterday afternoon. We should have results in another couple of days, but, in the meantime, we are very worried. The combination of anemia and lesions on the spleen is serious, even though the rest of the blood work is normal and the dog is, right now, asymptomatic (and probably wondering why we are doting on her).
After we finished with the vet we came here -- we had shopping to do nearby, and it was already too late to head over to the Naperville sewage treatment plant, where we need to dump. We'll be heading there in a few minutes. We did take advantage of our digs here to walk over to Olive Garden last night for some comfort food after a difficult day.
Friday, August 24, 2007
Fuzzy Friday: From the Archives
Every Friday I write about our pets
It has been a very long, hot day here in Tennessee and I'm too pooped to write something creative. So I thought I'd dig into the archives for this video that shows how we loaded Opal on and off the piggy back caravan train flatcar through the Copper Canyon in Mexico.
If you've been reading the blog for a while, you've probably already seen this.
Click here to watch the video.
If you have trouble viewing the video, try this link directly to our video storage site, blip.tv.
(For more about our trip to Mexico via caravan, click on the "Mexico" label in the right hand column of the blog.)
It has been a very long, hot day here in Tennessee and I'm too pooped to write something creative. So I thought I'd dig into the archives for this video that shows how we loaded Opal on and off the piggy back caravan train flatcar through the Copper Canyon in Mexico.
If you've been reading the blog for a while, you've probably already seen this.
Click here to watch the video.
If you have trouble viewing the video, try this link directly to our video storage site, blip.tv.
(For more about our trip to Mexico via caravan, click on the "Mexico" label in the right hand column of the blog.)
Friday, August 17, 2007
Fuzzy Friday: Entropy Equation
Every Friday I write about our pets
This highly organized plastic parts container with over 30 individual compartments and thousands of small electrical connectors, balanced carefully on top of the tool box:
Plus this deceptively beautiful yet exceedingly curious Russian Blue cat:
Equals brand new curse words created just for the occasion:
This highly organized plastic parts container with over 30 individual compartments and thousands of small electrical connectors, balanced carefully on top of the tool box:
Plus this deceptively beautiful yet exceedingly curious Russian Blue cat:
Equals brand new curse words created just for the occasion:
Friday, August 10, 2007
Fuzzy Friday: Boarding for Full Timers
Every Friday I write about our pets
Into every full-timer’s life comes a time when you will need to leave your rig behind to travel by train, plane or boat. For instance, in the last two years, I had to fly to California several times for family medical emergencies. We have also taken several cruises. You may want to fly to Hawaii for a week or take Amtrak’s Coast Starlight for a fun adventure.
If you live with pets, how do you find a place to board them while you are away? Here are the steps I take to find someone to care for Opal, George, Angel and the fishes.
Ideally, we leave the animals with trusted friends or relatives. Since we started full-timing three years ago, this has only worked out once, but it was great. We left from our old hometown, San Jose, for a long cruise. Good friends watched Opal and the fishes. Our cats were boarded with an acquaintance who has a stray cat rescue operation in her garage, and they were well tended.
Most of our trips, however, have started from some other part of the country. I have to find a kennel or animal hospital that does boarding. Animal hospitals are good choices. Their boarding areas are often just as nice as a kennel’s, their prices are reasonable, and they have the added advantage of being able to take care of any medical problems directly. Opal is elderly enough now that we like to know she’s covered for any emergency.
The best way to find a kennel is to get a name from a friend. If we have a flight out of Phoenix and know someone in that city, one of us emails them in advance and asks for recommendations. If they don’t use kennels, we ask them to ask their friends.
The next best thing to a recommendation from a friend is a recommendation from a complete stranger on the Internet. I start by posting a request on the pet-specific forum of RV.net. Okay, these are not complete strangers. I know they at least share my love of animals and the Rving lifestyle. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t. Once I got the name of a great kennel, and once I only got the name of a kennel to avoid. That’s good information, though.
My next strategy is to Google “kennel reviews Phoenix” and see what comes up. Many cities have on-line discussion groups where people can rate local businesses. In general, these reviews are either “loved it” or “hated it.” People are generally too lazy to post something in-between; they have to feel pretty strongly to bother with a review.
Finally, no matter who recommends a kennel, I check with the Better Business Bureau on-line to make sure the kennel doesn’t have any outstanding problems. Again, people are usually too lazy to pursue a BBB complaint unless they had a really bad experience. If a kennel has any bad history with the BBB, I don’t use it. Hopefully at the end of this process I have the names of a couple of boarding facilities and at least one of them can accommodate our schedule.
We’ve boarded our pets about 5 times in 3 years and so far all of our experiences have been positive.
Into every full-timer’s life comes a time when you will need to leave your rig behind to travel by train, plane or boat. For instance, in the last two years, I had to fly to California several times for family medical emergencies. We have also taken several cruises. You may want to fly to Hawaii for a week or take Amtrak’s Coast Starlight for a fun adventure.
If you live with pets, how do you find a place to board them while you are away? Here are the steps I take to find someone to care for Opal, George, Angel and the fishes.
Ideally, we leave the animals with trusted friends or relatives. Since we started full-timing three years ago, this has only worked out once, but it was great. We left from our old hometown, San Jose, for a long cruise. Good friends watched Opal and the fishes. Our cats were boarded with an acquaintance who has a stray cat rescue operation in her garage, and they were well tended.
Most of our trips, however, have started from some other part of the country. I have to find a kennel or animal hospital that does boarding. Animal hospitals are good choices. Their boarding areas are often just as nice as a kennel’s, their prices are reasonable, and they have the added advantage of being able to take care of any medical problems directly. Opal is elderly enough now that we like to know she’s covered for any emergency.
The best way to find a kennel is to get a name from a friend. If we have a flight out of Phoenix and know someone in that city, one of us emails them in advance and asks for recommendations. If they don’t use kennels, we ask them to ask their friends.
The next best thing to a recommendation from a friend is a recommendation from a complete stranger on the Internet. I start by posting a request on the pet-specific forum of RV.net. Okay, these are not complete strangers. I know they at least share my love of animals and the Rving lifestyle. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn’t. Once I got the name of a great kennel, and once I only got the name of a kennel to avoid. That’s good information, though.
My next strategy is to Google “kennel reviews Phoenix” and see what comes up. Many cities have on-line discussion groups where people can rate local businesses. In general, these reviews are either “loved it” or “hated it.” People are generally too lazy to post something in-between; they have to feel pretty strongly to bother with a review.
Finally, no matter who recommends a kennel, I check with the Better Business Bureau on-line to make sure the kennel doesn’t have any outstanding problems. Again, people are usually too lazy to pursue a BBB complaint unless they had a really bad experience. If a kennel has any bad history with the BBB, I don’t use it. Hopefully at the end of this process I have the names of a couple of boarding facilities and at least one of them can accommodate our schedule.
We’ve boarded our pets about 5 times in 3 years and so far all of our experiences have been positive.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Not Declawed
When people see our cats, often the first thing they say is, "Oh! They have painted nails!" Actually, our cats are wearing a product called SoftPaws, plastic nail caps that glue in place.
Angel wears blue caps:
George wears pink caps:
The caps are hollow and come with small bottles of SuperGlue and nozzles to squeeze the glue into the caps. They come in several sizes (our cats wear Medium). Once the cap is slipped on with the glue, they immediately stick in place.
The different colors serve a purpose beyond fashion. Each cap, once glued in place, remains on the claw until that claw is shed, or sloughed off. This takes between 6 and 8 weeks, so on average, each cat sheds about 1-2 claws per week. When we find, say, a pink claw floating around the bus, we know it's time for George to get another cap. Don't like pink or blue? SoftPaws come in thirteen colors. I occasionally get emails from the company trying to sell me "seasonal" colors for different holidays. I suppose if you're really into decorating, you could choose orange and black for Halloween...
The caps don't seem to bother the cats at all. They don't shake their paws or try to bite or lick the caps. The only time they were unhappy was during the very first application, when 10 caps were put on at once (we only cap the claws on their front feet.) I think they disliked having their paws held for that long. Now, though, with only 1 or 2 caps going on at once, they don't object. In hindsight, I could have put on a few caps a day and made it easier initially.
SoftPaws don't stop the cats from scratching. They still stretch out and try to dig into soft surfaces. However, the blunt ends of the caps don't catch on anything, so no damage is done. George and Angel are strictly inside cats and don't need their claws to climb or fight. While they could be surgically declawed, that is a major medical procedure. SoftPaws is easy, safe, completely reversible, and relative inexpensive. Certainly less expensive than replacing damaged furniture! After almost three years, we have been completely satisfied with this product.
On edit: Sean just read this post and said it sounds like an advertisement. Just to be clear, we have nothing to do with this company except as happy customers. It was time to reorder more claw caps and I decided to blog about them.
Angel wears blue caps:
George wears pink caps:
The caps are hollow and come with small bottles of SuperGlue and nozzles to squeeze the glue into the caps. They come in several sizes (our cats wear Medium). Once the cap is slipped on with the glue, they immediately stick in place.
The different colors serve a purpose beyond fashion. Each cap, once glued in place, remains on the claw until that claw is shed, or sloughed off. This takes between 6 and 8 weeks, so on average, each cat sheds about 1-2 claws per week. When we find, say, a pink claw floating around the bus, we know it's time for George to get another cap. Don't like pink or blue? SoftPaws come in thirteen colors. I occasionally get emails from the company trying to sell me "seasonal" colors for different holidays. I suppose if you're really into decorating, you could choose orange and black for Halloween...
The caps don't seem to bother the cats at all. They don't shake their paws or try to bite or lick the caps. The only time they were unhappy was during the very first application, when 10 caps were put on at once (we only cap the claws on their front feet.) I think they disliked having their paws held for that long. Now, though, with only 1 or 2 caps going on at once, they don't object. In hindsight, I could have put on a few caps a day and made it easier initially.
SoftPaws don't stop the cats from scratching. They still stretch out and try to dig into soft surfaces. However, the blunt ends of the caps don't catch on anything, so no damage is done. George and Angel are strictly inside cats and don't need their claws to climb or fight. While they could be surgically declawed, that is a major medical procedure. SoftPaws is easy, safe, completely reversible, and relative inexpensive. Certainly less expensive than replacing damaged furniture! After almost three years, we have been completely satisfied with this product.
On edit: Sean just read this post and said it sounds like an advertisement. Just to be clear, we have nothing to do with this company except as happy customers. It was time to reorder more claw caps and I decided to blog about them.
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