7 Things We Learned This Week

Friday Fragments is hosted my Half-Past Kissin' Time for bloggers to post a list of short things on their minds that aren't really enough for a whole post. Here we go:

Van Repairs

So far so good with the duct tape holding up my mirror on the driver's side of my van. It just dropped off while I was driving last Saturday, held only by a wire! My van passenger door stripping came loose again, and our repair shop said I needed to take it to a body shop to get that fixed, ugh.

A Hole In Our House

When the guys came to upgrade our new water meter, they told us our dryer cover came off where the dryer pipe is. Again, duct tape to the rescue until we can get to Home Depot or Loew's for some caulking to put around it. Good thing they told us, it's on the side of our house that we really don't pass by in the winter. Who knows how long its been off!

Vet News

Spunky and Abby went to the vet Monday. Spunky went from being obese down to being overweight and everything was good for her . . . until we got the results of her stool sample the next day--Giardias (intestinal disease)! They say I should brush her teeth every day though instead of just once a week. Abby was all good except she has a broken tooth and needs an x-ray of it and a dental cleaning. They may have to pull the tooth out too depending on what the x-ray shows. Manny goes next month. Going to the vet is very stressful--never know what they'll find!

Power of Cute

Spunky Doodle as a Kitten

Looking at cute kitten pictures promotes positive emotions in both male and females which promotes more focused attention according to findings at Hiroshima University:

Each test proved that viewing images of kittens and puppies prior to performing a task led to an improved performance, even when compared to seeing pictures of adult dogs and cats, or extremely appetizing food.

But what is it about cute animals that makes a better impression on our attitudes towards work? Each experiment showed candidates had more focused attention after the adorable images triggered positive emotions in both female and male subjects.

--See whole article: Kawaii--The Power of Cute

Monopoly Token Vote

Over at Acting Balanced's post Classic Monopoly, Changes are Coming! I learned that one of the tokens will be discontinued and a new one will take its place. People can vote for their favorite tokens on a Facebook page. Follow the link to read all about it and go vote! I voted to keep the car and of course I chose the cat for the new token. I think they should get rid of the iron.

Super Bowl Commercial Preview

You can see several Doritos 30 sec. commercial choices over at Dogtime and vote for your favorite. Two feature dogs and one a goat. Did you know one 30 sec. Super Bowl commercial costs $3.8 million? This is insane! I can't help but think how that money could be better spent making the world a better place and helping people in need.

Cat Owners

Know what state has the most cat owners? I didn't until I played the Freekibble game today and learned it is Vermont with Maine coming in second. That surprised me about Vermont because it's such a little state.

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My Vet Made a Video of Me and I Got A New Harness by Abby

Today I wore my new harness for the first time when I walked with mom and dad to the mailbox. My mom got it for me from the Animal Rescue Site because my regular collar has a section of metal that she thought might hurt my neck if I pulled on the leash or if my daddy wanted me to go in a different direction. It's soft and does not bother my neck at all. I can wear my collar with my tags again with it. I just got most of my stitches out on Saturday (except for those by the hole by my back leg).  The good news is that the vet said I can go for 30-minute walks.  That's good because I have been anyway!

Unfortunately, I still have to wear the cone collar so I don't lick back there-hee, hee. I still manage to get at it and I even figured out how to get that clunky cone off!  Sometimes that bottom snap opens if I bang it against something hard enough and then I can slip out. The staff at Bartels and Busack were very happy to see me today. They all pet me up and were so impressed that I was walking so well and looking so good.  My blood work came back normal so I only have to take the antibiotic pills to keep my open hole from getting infected. They said my mommy and daddy did a good job with me too and that's why I made such good progress. They even made a video about me on their Facebook page: Abby's Story. Here it is:






I must say though that God is the one who gave those doctors the ability to put me back together and who healed me. My mom got people praying for my recovery that night and I know she and my dad both prayed very fervently for me to be okay and get better. She was so thankful that the vet was still there when she called and that a bunch stayed way past their normal working hours to save my life. It's good to have a good vet for a friend!

Woof!  Woof!  Thanks to everyone who prayed for me!  I am now a "miracle" dog!  Praise God!

Visit Bozo at Pet Pride for more posts about pets or link up yours! (50 cents per legitimate comment goes to Caroline's Kids Pet Rescue for February in honor of cat appreciation month!)

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On The Road To Recovery by Abby

I'm getting better, so happy daddy and mommy came to visit me!

 I am more alert today so wanted to thank all of you kind people who are praying for me. I know Karen already wrote all about my being attacked but if you want to read the gory details, go see the post right before this one called Our Sweet Dog, Abby is Fighting for her Life. It was very scary and I don't know why those two big dogs didn't like me. I wasn't even by their house!

Karen told me there are lots of people praying for me and that God will help me get better. I ate today for the first time but it wasn't food I am used to. It was some soft brown mushy stuff but I didn't have to chew it. My humans will be bringing me supper tonight with my normal food.

I have pain patches which give me relief all through the day. I was so excited to see my mom and dad this morning that as soon as the gate to this cage I am in was open, I sat up and started coming out but they told me to stay. The doctor removed that big clunky round thing from my neck so that Karen and Gerard could pet me better. They were allowed to stay and visit me much longer than they did yesterday too. I can't go home with them yet but if I can't be home, Bartels is my favorite place away from home. Lots of people love me here and visit me. Karen and Gerard brought me a couple of their shirts with their scent to comfort me and to let me know they are constantly thinking of me and love me so much. I know they do.

I peed outside today and hopefully will poop soon too. I can't go home until I do but that gives me incentive. I was able to stand up on my own and walk a little bit but won't be able to do stairs for awhile and it will be a long time before I'll be able to enjoy long walks again. I was really hurt bad, but I did walk to the car when Karen came to the scene of the crime. Even though I was in lots of pain, I didn't growl or strike out in any way at the people who were helping me. Karen and Gerard both keep telling me what a good dog I am and how proud they are of me. I love hearing that!

I am sad that Gerard got hurt too trying to protect me. His hand is all wrapped up and hurts him a little bit. It hurt a LOT when that mean dog chomped down on him. It's the hand he uses most too so I don't know if he'll be able to lift me in and out of the house and handle the door and all or not once I get home. Karen didn't have her camera this morning so she'll post an updated picture of me on here later she said.

Thanks again for praying for all of us--it will be a long road to full recovery, but I think I can do it! I'll give it my very best! Hope you never have to experience this--it was definitely NOT a good adventure.

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Abby's Big Day

Abby was in the mood to walk last weekend so she went to two parks on Saturday and then also a long walk in the evening in our neighborhood.  It was a beautiful day.  Then on Sunday, she walked farther than usual but I noticed she was limping after we ate lunch on Sunday.  

Yesterday after work Gerard took her to the vet to get her checked out. They told us they didn't think her leg was broken but would take an x-ray to make sure it wasn't fractured. They think she just sprained it somehow. Gerard got brave and decided to have her teeth cleaned too. We hope she doesn't need any pulled like Manny did. The good news is that she lost the fat and is now considered to be an ideal weight at 43.5 lbs. We are glad she is no longer considered obese.

These vet bills are really draining but we love our pets so much and want them to be healthy so guess it's necessary.  Hers is even more than Manny's was! It works out well actually because she'll be at the vet while we're at work tomorrow and then Gerard will pick her up after work. I am off tomorrow so will be able to be with her most of the day.

UPDATED AT 10:10 P.M. TUESDAY, OCT. 12:

Abby's visit cost us $1,000 but yes, she's worth it.  She's such a good dog and we love her so much.  She's part of our family.  The x-rays showed her shoulder and elbow are sprained but nothing is fractured or broke.  A couple weeks on pain medicine and short walks instead of long ones and she should be fine.  She did have to get a tooth pulled though so is off the dry food for 10 days.  That canned food is really expensive! 

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Two Cats--Two Completely Different Personalities

Last week we took both our cats to the vet. We went to Banfield's because (1) it is close by; (2) we had a coupon for a free exam and (3) it is less expensive than Bartels. I was very pleased with the thoroughness of the exam and the technician and doctor were both friendly and liked cats.

Manny's trip to the vet--his horrible day:

Manny is the cautious, tentative cat in our house. He is a big scaredy cat. It is always a task to get Manny into the carrier but with Gerard's help, this time we managed to do it. He had to get a distemper shot. I thought he was due for a rabies shot too but that's not until next year. He was so scared. I was surprised to learn he was overweight. I knew he was solid and pretty heavy. He weighed in at a whopping 15 pounds! Manny needs to go for a teeth cleaning this Saturday. I am nervous about this because they put him out for it and keep him there the whole day! I am going to miss my big guy. I sure hope he comes through it all right. They say it's important to do it because he has quite a bit of tartar built up.

Spunky Doodle's Adventure at the vet:

Spunky Doodle, however, couldn't wait to go when it was her turn. I just open the gate to the carrier and she walks right in. Spunky Doodle was all curious and quickly left the carrier to explore the room. She just had to inspect everything. I wish I could understand what she was meowing about because she seldom meows. She makes other noises, but not like that. You can hear her clearly on the video. She actually gained weight since her last visit and is now up to 14.8 pounds--almost as heavy as Manny. I was very surprised at this!

It seems we are overfeeding all our pets. Even Abby has gained some weight back. She is at 45 pounds now and should be 35 according to the vet. I think that would be too thin though. I will just put out less food for the cats and give Abby a little less for breakfast. I will also make time each day to play with Manny and Spunky so they get some more exercise. The vet said overweight cats are more prone to get Diabetes and other health problems so they have to eat less and start moving more.

Who do you think will lose the most by Halloween? Abby, Spunky Doodle or Manny? If we can get Manny weighed, we'll let you know how they're doing. Do you take your pets for regular vet care? Ever had them put out for a teeth cleaning? I sure could use some reassurance about this!

Here are links to the posts by Spunky Doodle and Manny about their experience:
I am So Much Braver Than Manny by Spunky Doodle
I Hate Going To The Vet by Manny

This is part of Saturday Samplings--best posts of the week and Pet Pride--visit for more pet posts or link up yours.

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Visiting A New Vet For Abby, Spunky and Almost Manny

We have a very good vet who gives a multi-cat discount but is bout half an hour's drive away and always has a full waiting room. You have to call about a month ahead to get an appointment there too and the whole reason we went there was because Dr. Hart is so nice. That's the vet who saved our Moe by getting him to eat on his own again after force feeding him at her own house for a week! The last few times we went though, we didn't get her so we decided to look for a closer vet to cut down on the stress to our kitties.

We decided to try the Broadview Bird and Animal Hospital. Abby seemed to like it and did quite well. She was a hit with everyone except for one little growly dog that kept growling at her. There were a lot of birds--big colorful parrots! Abby didn't express any interest in any of them. We got a 3-month supply of heartworm medicine and some "greenies" that she liked to keep her teeth in good shape. The vet gave her a small biscuit treat too so she was happy, wagging her tail with the dental chew in her mouth as she left. She also lost some weight since we got her going from 55 pounds to 48 so that was good too. We were told to just keep doing what we're doing. Abby wrote about her vet visit in her Dogster Diary at "My Trip To The Vet Was Fun.

Yesterday it was the cats' turn. Manny decided he wasn't going and I could not get him into the carrier so just took Spunky Doodle and off we went. I am actually glad Manny didn't come because the vet said it wasn't necessary for him to come since the annual shot wasn't that important and he still had two years left on his rabies shot. Whew! He saved me $97! Yes, the wellness exam, stool analysis and the annual shot for Spunky Doodle came to $97.00! Oh, and the exam involved petting Spunky, and looking at her ears. I don't recall her even checking her teeth but was happy she said I didn't have to bring Manny. Of course, he wrote about this on his blog at "No, No, I Wont Go!" which you might enjoy read.

I did a price comparison with another vet place nearby and it came out the same but they didn't even have the heartworm medicine there but said they could order it. Maybe we'll be sticking with Dr. Hart after all. I have one more area one I'd like to check out first. What a hassle!!