Lessons and Legends with a Side of Lungworms

Happy Friday, friends! We have a number of bits and bobs to share in today's post, and we'll start with the Friendly Fill-Ins, as per usual.

Our hosts for these fun and fantastic fill-ins are of course Ellen of 15andmeowing and Annie of McGuffy's Reader. As always, they came up with some clever phrases for us to fill in.

1. _________ keeps me _________.
2. _________ is the secret to _________.
3. A friend _________.
4. Right now, I am thankful _________.

I really had to think about these. The below fill-ins are where all that thinking got me.

1. Eddy keeps me on my toes.
(There's a reason I call this girl my wild child. She is a real, genuine sweetheart of a kitty. She is also incredibly active and ornery. Yesterday, she proudly showed me that she has figured out how to remove the lid from the filter on her beloved aquarium. Then she proceeded to show me that she knows how to dismantle it from the inside out. Needless to say, I am working on Eddy-proofing this whole situation.)

2. Discipline is the secret to success.
(I once heard a woman give a speech on this. She said that it's not things like dreams, hopes, desires, or even motivation that get you where you want to be. It's discipline, as in self-discipline, that gets you the results you seek. And that is indeed the truth for me. I accomplish the most when I follow the art of self-discipline.)

3. A friend will not judge you.
(I believe that if someone is a true friend, they won't judge you. A true friend won't care that you're not perfect, or that you're different. This is why those that are four-legged and furry make such great friends, if you ask me. They don't pass judgment, but instead love unconditionally.)

4. Right now, I am thankful for my furbabies.
(I am always, always thankful for my furbabies. I am also always thankful for my human family, and for the friends we've made in this community. You are all some of the best friends we've ever had. Oh, as a side note, my alternative answer to this one was spring. But, we had roughly two days of spring this week, on Wednesday and Thursday, and then it left again. What gives, Mother Nature?)

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Next, of course, we are moving on to the A to Z Challenge.

Today we've reached the letter L, and I was really excited for this one. Why? Because Halloween is one of my favorite holidays, cat-o'-lanterns are one of my favorite things to doodle, and I got to scribble up this for today:

That's right, following along with our theme of putting twists on classic titles, we turned The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving into The Legend of Sleepy Howl. I'll admit that this didn't quite turn out how I expected or wanted, but I guess that's just how art goes sometimes. And, I had a lot of fun with this one regardless.

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Eddy is now ready to show her face in today's post. I asked her to please pose on the scene of the crime fish aquarium (see our Fill-In #1 above), but she refused. Instead, she decided to pose somewhere she could better humiliate her mom here.

Do you see behind Eddy there? Do you recognize what's hanging on our bulletin board back there? 

Those are the Christmas cards we received from friends like you! These photos were indeed just very recently snapped, and so Eddy would like you all to know that her mom has yet to take down the Christmas cards. It's April. Christmas was in December. In this human's defense, we had all of our Christmas decorations down by the end of January. Except, of course, for all of your cards. Perhaps this is why Mother Nature won't give us spring? Then again, we really do like seeing all of the friendly and festive faces of you furry friends of ours.

Wishing you all a fun and festive day!

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Our Tip of the Day:

A few days ago we gave a tip relating to intestinal worms, including roundworms. We failed to mention lungworms, though, which are actually a type of roundworm. Slugs and snails are the common carriers of lungworm larvae. Dogs, therefore, can end up with a lungworm infestation if they eat a slug or snail that is carrying the larvae. It is also possible for cats to acquire lungworms, such as if they eat a slug or snail, or if they eat a bird or other prey that has eaten a slug or snail that is carrying lungworm larvae.

Lungworms, obviously, affect the lungs. Signs of lungworm infection can include coughing and difficulty breathing. In some cases, respiratory failure can occur. Needless to say, if you notice any respiratory distress in your kitty or pup, always have them seen by a veterinarian as quickly as possible. Diagnosis and treatment of any respiratory disorder, including lungworms, should not be delayed.

To help prevent any potential lungworm infection in your furbabies, be aware of their surroundings. Do you have slugs and snails in your yard, or in any areas where your furbaby visits? If so, keep an eye on them and try to prevent their ingestion of such critters. Also, do not leave toys or bowls outside where snails or slugs might be able to inhabit them, as this could result in even accidental ingestion of these critters that can carry lungworms. And, of course, if you have any concerns regarding the risk, prevention, or treatment of lungworms, discuss this with your veterinarian.