oh, rats!

We had two new additions to our family today. A couple of rats named Funny and Geoffrey.



We scored a cage setup at the Salvation Army thrift shop for $10 last week and the kids have been wanting a new pet for a while now. We decided on rats after talking to the pet shop people and doing a bit of research online. They seem like they will be fun to have around. So far everyone is very excited but we are trying to give the new boys a chance to settle into their home before handling them a whole lot. So here are a few pictures- I'm sure there will be more to come!

treats for the birds

When life hands you oranges (and you leave them in the refrigerator drawer until they get mushy and nobody wants to eat them), make bird food!

We have several types of birds here that love to eat fruit. So on the rare occasion that we have some get too old, I set it out for them. I also set out watermelon rinds and pineapple skins- there is still a lot on those that the birds can pick off even after we are through, and they love anything with extra moisture in it here in the desert. The big wooden feeder we have with the open sides is perfect for creating a fruit buffet for our feathered friends.

surgery

Our dog, Chloe, had to have minor surgery today. Here is the shortest and least gross version I can come up with:

Saturday evening Hazel spotted a weird swollen spot under Chloe's tail ("Mom, Chloe has something on her butt! And it's not poop!") After some quick internet research we concluded that she had an impacted anal gland, which had formed an abscess. (I will spare you the gory details and I promise not to take any photos, but you can Google it if you are really interested. Suffice it to say that she was uncomfortable and was licking herself a lot. And allowing it to get worse could have resulted in a very painful and messy rupture. Ewwww.) We could not get her into the vet on post so we had to take her into Barstow first thing Monday. They said she needed surgery, to lance the abscess (I know- EWwwwwwwww again) and fix things up- but they were booked for Monday for surgeries. So she spent the night, had her surgery first thing this morning, and I picked her up this evening. She had to be there for 8 hours after the surgery to allow the anesthesia to wear off, so this was the best way to do it with the least number of trips into town.

She is just miserable. She has to wear the funny collar to keep her from licking, which keeps getting caught on things and making it hard for her to get around. She has wire stitches in her butt. She is weak from not eating (she can have food again in the morning). She is on pain meds as well as antibiotics, which are both twice a day. And worst of all (for me AND her), the wound has to be flushed out 3 times a day with peroxide, to keep it clean so it won't get infected. Then we have to go back in a week to have the stitches and tubing removed. I am hoping to be able to get this done here and not have to drive back to Barstow with her, but we'll see.

All of this cost a lovely $220, plus gas money- and that is with a big chunk of the fee whacked off after a miscommunication at the vet clinic. So, not only is our dog in sad shape but we are crabby about the bill too. Lots of fun!