Thankful Thimble Thursday: Sunshine, Open Doors, and an Evan Update

Hello, friends! It's Thursday, and Thimble is of course here for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble is grateful for not only the sunshine, but for open door weather. When it's not too hot, I'll open the big doors for the kitties and let them enjoy looking out the screen doors. They always enjoy this.

Thimble is also thankful that, when I take her picture, the sun glints off my phone and creates lights on the walls and ceiling. She loves having starting contests with these bright and shiny lights.

I myself am grateful that both of my home's screen doors have windows that go all the way to the floor. That means all of my kitties, including hind limb paralyzed and therefore more landbound Evan, can really enjoy the view.

That's an old photo of Evan indeed trying to enjoy the view, but his sister Thimble sort of sat right in front of him. You can tell these are older photos, because it was before a stubborn hematoma permanently deformed handsome Evan's right ear.

How about a little update on Evan after his trouble with a nasty UTI earlier this week? Evan is starting to feel better. He's not 100% yet, but he's definitely improving, slowly but surely. His bloodwork all came back looking good. Well, except for his CBC, but the values skewed on that were indicative of him having an infection.

The above said, Evan's urine culture and susceptibility test came back indicating that he does indeed have a UTI, but the bacteria are luckily susceptible to the antibiotic that he's been on since Monday. Evan is on a 1 week on, 2 weeks off regimen with this antibiotic because of his chronic UTIs. Evan was just on this antibiotic not even 2 weeks ago. At that time, I started him on it earlier than usual because he was starting to display signs of a UTI. Then, when he finished that week on the antibiotic, within a few days his symptoms returned. Because this UTI is being so stubborn and Evan is so uncomfortable as a result, Evan's vet has advised me to continue the antibiotic for 3 weeks total.

Evan did stop urinating blood within 2 days of starting this round of antibiotics, so that was a relief. Because he's still having a bit of discomfort when urinating, though, I'm continuing his increased frequency of pain medication administration. He isn't as painful or restless as he was earlier this week, but this nasty UTI is knocking him down more than usual. I'm grateful he has been improving, but I do look forward to seeing him fully back to his usual self.

Oh, and on top of all of that, last night and this morning Evan was really struggling with his megacolon. All of his related meds were on board, and he did finally evacuate his colon, but the poor little guy is really on the struggle bus this week. Thankfully, though, things are starting to look a lot better for him.

***

Last but not least, let's share the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I would be willing to pay more for _________.

2. I refuse to spend money on _________.

3. My _________ is a bit chaotic.

4. A fun fact about me is that _________.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's doodle is from a few years ago. I scribbled it up after seeing a similar sign that said, "Coffee. Because murder is illegal." That's why there's a knife hanging out in the background. I'm not a coffee drinker, but I'll just pretend there's hot cocoa in that mug.

***

Tip of the Day

 

Today's summer safety tip is all about sunburn. Just like us humans, our furbabies can get sunburned. This can happen during time outdoors, or even by sunbathing in windows or doors. And, just as with humans, sunburn can result in skin cancer in our cats and dogs. This is why it is incredibly important to be aware of this and to take precautions.

Keep in mind that cats and dogs with little to no fur are of course more susceptible to sunburn. In addition to this, those with light fur and skin, such as those that are white or orange coats, are also more susceptible. That doesn't mean furbabies of other colors are not at risk, though. In addition, the areas of the body most likely to get sunburn are the ears, nose, and belly, as in most furbabies these areas have less hair coverage. Again, though, this doesn't mean sunburn or skin cancer cannot occur elsewhere on the body.

What are the signs of sunburn in your furbaby? They are very similar to those in humans. A cat or dog with sunburn will typically develop pink or red skin, which is often inflamed as well. The sunburn is often painful, and the affected skin can also become dry and flaky. Hair loss can also occur around the sunburned area. These are all signs to be aware of, but they are also things that you want to try to prevent from happening in the first place.

So, what can you do to protect your furbabies from sunburn and potential resulting skin cancer? You can of course minimize their time in direct sunlight, whether that be while outside or while sunbathing in a window or door. You can opt for outdoor activities when the sun is not at its peak, as well as opting for shade when outdoors. When it comes to indoor furbabies, you can close doors and curtains to help protect against sunburn during the sun's prime time of the day. In addition to this, there are certain window types and window covers that can help block UV light. These could certainly be useful for frequented windows and doors, but this also of course may not guarantee full protection against sunburn or resulting skin cancer.

Finally, another option for sun protection is, of course, sunscreen. This is especially important for furbabies who frequently go outdoors in the summer sun, or even for those who frequently sunbathe indoors. There is pet-safe sunscreen available on the market. Many sunscreens designed for humans can contain ingredients that are potentially toxic to cats and dogs, so it is indeed important that you look for products formulated especially for your kitty or pup. What's more, as we always say, if you have any questions at all regarding sunburn and skin cancer in your kitty or pup, be sure to discuss this with your veterinarian.

Adventures with Angel Astrid...and a Shopping Cart

I was going through old photos of my sweet angel pup Astrid, and I was reminded of how she and I more than once met none other than a shopping cart during our walks.

We live about a mile away from this store, and during this particular summer it became evident that someone in our neighborhood was transporting their groceries home indeed with one of the store's carts.

Astrid and I came upon one of these carts on at least three separate walks. Each time, Astrid would investigate the scene and give the cart a good sniff. Unfortunately, there was never anything tasty left behind in the cart and so the pup would continue on her way. 

Happy Wednesday, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is one I scribbled up a couple years ago as concept art for the book I'm currently writing. There's a corgi in this weird and wacky story, and so I experimented drawing one of these pups.

***

Tip of the Day

We spent the last two days addressing how to keep your furbaby cool and safe should they be spending time outdoors in the heat. Of course, staying cool indoors in the summer is far more ideal. That being said, though, extra care may still have to be used to keep some cats and dogs comfortable even when inside the home during the summer months. This is especially the case for those furbabies who have certain traits that might make it more difficult for them to stay cool even indoors. For example, on hot days, it is especially important to monitor the condition of cat or dogs with long or thick coats, those who are overweight, those with flat faces (such as Persian cats and Bulldogs), and those who are geriatric, sick, or for another reason may have difficulty regulating their body temperature.

So, how can you ensure that your furbaby remains cool and comfortable inside the home, even when it's sweltering outdoors? First, of course, you can run the air conditioning. Ensure that the unit's filter is regularly replaced. Also make sure that the vents throughout the house are open and unblocked, so that cool air can easily make its way throughout the home. In addition to the air conditioning, you can set up fans to help keep air moving and to keep your kitty or pup comfortable.

Some furbabies may even opt for lying on smooth, cool surfaces in order to stay cool. For example, hardwood or tile floors stay far more cool than carpet, and so you might find a kitty or pup sprawled out on the hard floor during the summer months. In this same line of thought, there are also cooling mats specifically designed for pets. These mats offer a cool surface on which to relax, and they can be placed on the floor, on furniture, or potentially even outdoors in order to keep that furbaby of yours cool.

Even if your furbaby is spending hot summer days inside, it is still important to monitor them and to ensure that they are staying cool. Then again, especially for those with short or no fur, it is also important to make sure that the air conditioning or fans are not too cool for them. As you all certainly know, keep an eye on those furbabies, and then make adjustments as needed to keep them happy and healthy.

Tonks Tuesday with Evan

It's Tonks Tuesday, but the calico loves her big brother Evan and so is allowing me to give an update on him today. Though, you still get a dose of Tonks in these flashback photos of her playing her brother.

As I mentioned yesterday, Evan is having some stubborn urinary issues, likely related to both his chronic bladder cystitis and his chronic UTIs. He was seen by our vet yesterday, and while we're still waiting for urine culture results as well as bloodwork, Evan's antibiotic prescription was yet again refilled and he started on yet another round of those.

Though he's still having some discomfort when his pain meds start to wear off, I do think I'm seeing a bit of improvement with the antibiotics. Evan's vet is worried that the long-term use of this particular antibiotic has led to a UTI resistant to it, which is why we're doing a culture and antibiotic susceptibility test. There's also the chance that he simply needs his usual antibiotics for at least 2 weeks to clear the current infection. Then again, it's possible that it's not an infection at all but just a gnarly flare of his bladder cystitis, which has been the case more than once in his history of urinary issues. Though, the fact that a round of antibiotics initially cleared up all the symptoms a week ago and they only returned after a week of antibiotics would indicate it is indeed infection.

All that said, Evan is acting like he feels a bit better with his increased doses of gabapentin and the restarting of the antibiotics. We'll give you all another update when we have the test results, but for now, thank you all for the prayers, purrs, and well wishes for my sweet boy Evan! Calico Tonks loves her brother so much and also thanks you all!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

If it's not obvious, this doodle was inspired by my boy Evan.

***

Tip of the Day

As a follow-up to yesterday's tip on how to keep your furbaby cool if they are outdoors in the heat, we're here today to specifically talk about those walks you and your furbaby might take this summer. Especially on those days with extreme heat, it is safest to either limit or cut out walks, or to take them only when the day is at its coolest. For example, a very early morning walk or a late evening walk would be far safer than a walk in the middle of the day, when the sun is at its highest and hottest. If a walk or bathroom break outdoors is necessary for your pup or kitty on a hot day, do consider taking a water bottle along to help keep your furbaby hydrated and cool.

It's not just the heat of the air that you have to consider with regard to summer walks, though. Pavement can reach literally burning hot temperatures in the summer sun. While us humans typically wear shoes to protect our feet, paw pads are exposed and can indeed be burned during exposure to hot pavement. If touching the pavement with your own hand leads you to conclude that it's burning hot, then indeed take that into consideration. This is one reason why it is incredibly important to plan walks and outdoor adventures accordingly during the summer months. If your pup or kitty does need to go outdoors in the extreme heat, and especially if the pavement feels hot to you, then try to avoid the pavement and instead head straight for the grass. Or, for those furbabies who will tolerate it, protective booties can be placed on the feet to keep them safe against the hot pavement.

In the summer, just as always, it's always better to be safe than sorry. That might mean skipping a walk on a scorcher of a day, or changing your walking schedule so that your furbaby is outdoors only when it is cooler. Always do what is best for your furbaby's health and safety.

Mancat Monday: Evan's Urinary Woes Continue

Poor Evan had another rough weekend. I mentioned a couple weeks ago how Evan was seemingly having a flare of his bladder cystitis, as he'd started urinating blood and crying while urinating. I upped his meds related to his urinary issues, and since he has a history of chronic UTIs and he therefore has an ongoing prescription for antibiotics, I also started him on those. Within 2 or 3 doses of his antibiotics, Evan's symptoms all went away and he was his happy self again. He received those antibiotics for a week, until last Tuesday, and starting this Saturday his symptoms returned.

Poor Evan is back to urinating blood, acting painful and restless, and his urine is also quite malodorous. His ears and nose also feel warm to me. So, he's off to the vet this morning. Since he's on long-term antibiotics, his vet is worried he has a UTI that's become resistant to his usual antibiotic. I'm hoping these still work, especially since they actually took all of his symptoms away recently, but that perhaps he needs them for a longer duration of time. Either way, Evan's having his urine checked today, and we'll do a culture that will test any growth for antibiotic susceptibility. While we wait for those results, I'll keep him good and drugged to help him feel as comfortable as possible. Urine cultures can take a couple days to show full growth, and so it could be a few days before we know whether any infection is resistant to his current antibiotic.

Evan is getting lots of rest, in no small part thanks to his increased doses of gabapentin. Lots of naps are happening around here.

Though he's not feeling his best, Evan still hopes you all have a magnificent Monday!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Tip of the Day

Today's summer safety tip is all about how to keep your furbaby cool if they are outdoors in the heat. To begin, as we previously mentioned, sometimes the great outdoors is a very dangerous place to be for a pup or dog in the extreme heat of summer. For this reason, please do try to limit time spent outdoors in the heat.

However, if your pup or kitty has to be outdoors for any reason, be sure that they are provided with everything to help them stay as cool as possible. For example, be sure that a sufficient amount of cool, fresh, clean water is available for them to drink. Also ensure that they have somewhere in the shade to stay. A potentially stifling outdoor enclosure, such as a shed, will often be no cooler than the sun. But, shade from trees or a building can enable a furbaby to get out of the sun and stay as cool as possible. For those furbabies who enjoy and take advantage of water, you can also put out a children's pool, with cool, clean water. This way, a pup or even a kitty who likes water for more than just drinking can have another way to cool off.

As we said previously, please do all that you can to keep your pup or kitty out of the heat of summer. If a trip outdoors is necessary for any reason, though, then it is important to know how to keep your furbaby cool and safe, such as by means of water and shade. Summertime is just another example of how you must think and plan ahead for the sake of your furbaby's health and happiness.

Friendly Fill-Ins and Eddy's Window Whiffies

Hello and hi! We're ready for the Friendly Fill-Ins challenge, and we'd love for you to join us. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two fill-in statements, and I came up with the second two.

1. I think the word or phrase _________ is overused.

2. I am embarrassed to admit that I _________.

3. I wish I could convince _________ to _________.

4. I could _________ even if I were blindfolded.


My answers are below in bold.

1. I think the word "love" is overused.

(I remember hearing someone comment on this way back when I was a young kid. I can't even remember who said it, but the sentiment has always stuck with me. The person was referring to people saying they love things like certain foods, a particular movie, or perhaps an item of clothing. As that person indicated, that lessens the real meaning of the word "love", and how it's truly meant to convey a deep, emotional feeling toward other living beings. I'm guilty of throwing the word "love" around for insignificant things, but I still agree with the general idea that "love" is used far too often for things that lessen the true depth of the word.)

2. I am embarrassed to admit that I often forget to floss my teeth.
(I have floss in my bathroom cabinet, but I often forget to use it. I do brush my teeth three times a day, but I genuinely need to get in a better habit of flossing.)

3. I wish I could convince all legislators to outlaw cat declawing.

(As many of you probably know, declawing a cat does not just remove the claw. It removes part of their actual toe as well. This alters the way they walk, can lead to arthritis due to the altered gait, and can also cause phantom pains that could relate to general discomfort or even aversion to digging in a litter box. I wish declawing was outlawed everywhere.)

4. I could prepare Evan's medications even if I were blindfolded.

(Evan gets around 10 medications every morning and half as many every night. I have fallen into such a routine for organizing and preparing all of them that I'm fairly certain I could get them all ready and administered even if I couldn't see what I was doing.)

Now it's your turn!

To add your link to the Friendly Fill-Ins Linky list, just click HERE!

You can also click on the badge below to add your link.

You are also welcome to complete the fill-ins in the comments below,

or in the comments on Ellen's blog, 15andmeowing.

***

We recently had some lovely days that allowed for some window whiffies. Eddy always has a mixed reaction to her favorite window being open. She's always intrigued and sometimes even excited, but she's also a bit skittish and so any and every sound puts her a bit on edge.

See Eddy's ears pulled back there? The poor skittish girl so badly wants to watch out the window, but all the sounds are so much for her.

Don't worry, because I never leave the window that far open if I'm not sitting right there with Eddy, or any of the kitties. I don't even like to leave the window cracked a tiny bit if I'm not right there. And I never leave it open for very long if Eddy gets nervous about it. Sometimes she loves it, and other times she's my little scaredy cat. And that's perfectly fine.

Happy Friday, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Tip of the Day

 

Given the summer-like weather we're finally experiencing, we're doing a series of tips all about summer safety for our furbabies. Yesterday we discussed how to recognize the signs of overheating in cats and dogs. Today we're here to remind you that, to avoid potentially fatal heat stroke in your furbaby, never leave them alone in a car. In the heat of summer, the inside of a car can reach temperatures well above 100°F within a matter of minutes. Even with the windows open, the inside of a car can still become not only stifling, but also incredibly dangerous.

Also keep in mind that the car is not the only location that can pose the risk of overheating. Garages, sheds, and of course even the great outdoors can be dangerous places on hot summer days. In short, as you all certainly know, never leave your furbaby in a car or anywhere that can easily overheat on summer days. Just like us, kitties and pups can indeed suffer from heat stroke if left in overheated conditions, and this can be fatal.

Cute Thimble on Thankful Thursday

You better believe Thimble is here and ready for Angel Brian's Thankful Thursday Blog Hop.

Today, Thimble wanted to share a simple gratitude, and that is how thankful she is for her cuteness. Because, honestly, just look at her.

That face gets Thimble pretty much anything and everything she wants. I know, shocking.

***

Last but not least, we have the fill-in statements for tomorrow's Friendly Fill-Ins challenge. My amazing co-host Ellen of 15andmeowing came up with the first two, and I came up with the second two.

1. I think the word or phrase _________ is overused.

2. I am embarrassed to admit that I _________.

3. I wish I could convince _________ to _________.

4. I could _________ even if I were blindfolded.

We'll see you tomorrow, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

Today's flashback doodle is nothing like Thimble, as she's a happy and social little lady. Well, I guess that means she's like the orange kitty rather than the grey one in this case. That said, I was going through old drawings and found this one I scribbled up on an especially introverted day, so here you go.

***

Tip of the Day

 

Not too long ago, we shared a series of tips all about pet safety in the season of spring. We were going to wait a while before we got into the details of summer safety. However, given the summer-like days we'll be having this weekend, we thought we'd go ahead and offer some of these important tips now.

In many areas, summer can mean extreme heat. For this reason, it is important to know the signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke in your cat or dog. Signs of overheating in our furbabies can include excessive panting, difficulty breathing, increased heart rate and respiration rate, excessive drooling, weakness, or even vomiting and diarrhea. If your furbaby begins to show any of these signs, especially if they have been in the heat, do not hesitate to seek veterinary assistance. Tomorrow, we'll start diving a little deeper into how to keep your kitties and pups safe from overheating and other summer concerns.

Adventures with Angel Astrid

Today's memories with sweet angel pup Astrid are from one of the times we took her to meet up with some family at an outdoor gathering. We did this a couple of times with her, and it allowed for some rather majestic photos of the sweet girl.

Though she was never the most outwardly social dog, Astrid did enjoy being included in things. Her face would light up and she'd smile so big when she realized she was going on an adventure with her people. She loved to "go for a ride", which was one of her favorite phrases to hear.

When we were around others, Astrid would never opt to walk around asking people to pet her. That said, she was far from aggressive and would happily just hang out with myself, my sister, and my parents. She also absolutely adored my grandma and her husband, as well as a couple of my uncles and one of my cousins. Oh, and she always wanted petted by one of my neighbors. She was a very particular dog and only had a select few people she truly liked, but when she did like someone, they were her best friend. And if she didn't particularly like someone, she just ignored them.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

***

Flashback Doodle of the Day

***

Tip of the Day

The final tip in our wildlife series involves some additional things you can do to help keep the wildlife safe in their environment. First, as you all surely already know, please refrain from littering. Do not toss trash willy-nilly, but instead place it in a secure trash bin, or a recycling bin if relevant. This includes any and all items, as any variety of things can lead to dangers for wildlife. For example, the handles of plastic or paper bags can get stuck around the necks of wildlife critters, or any variety of items could be swallowed and lead to a choking hazard. And that's just naming two potential examples.

To further protect wildlife, please cut the aforementioned handles on plastic and paper bags before tossing them into the trash or recycling. This ensures that wildlife won't get their heads or limbs stuck in the handles. This also goes for milk jug lid rings, plastic or other rings that multipacks of soda come in, and anything else of that sort. Please simply cut such things before tossing them out in order to prevent strangulation or other injuries to wildlife.

In addition, before tossing them in a bin, do your best to rinse out cans and other food or drink containers. For one, this can perhaps help reduce the likelihood of wildlife eating food that is potentially unhealthy for them. Also, rinsing food containers can help reduce the likelihood of wildlife sniffing out leftover debris and therefore breaking into and going through trash and recycling bins, something that we surely all wish to avoid.

We share this land with a great many critters, and it's important that we keep this land safe for all of its inhabitants. So, please refrain from littering or otherwise contributing to situations that can be dangerous to wildlife.