Tonks Tuesday and the Letter J

Hello and welcome to another installment of the April A to Z Challenge!

As I've said more than a few times now, for this year's April A to Z Challenge, since I love to write and am working on a series of books, I'm sharing A to Z doodles relating to my stories. Much like my usual doodles and weekly poems, the stories I write are weird, wacky, and star lots of animals. That leads us to today's letter, which is J. So, what does J stand for?

J is for John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt (you can call him Jingle for short)

In case it's not obvious in my doodle there, John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, Jingle for short, is a possum. (He's technically an opossum, actually, because possums live in Australia and are smaller, have furry tails, and look a tad bit more like tiny kangaroos. But, I've always said possum rather than opossum, and so possum Jingle is.) This strange-looking little fella is indeed going to play a part in my stories, though not until a bit later on, according to all the notes I've scrawled down.

I'll admit that I used to think possums were kind of weird and gross, but as I've grown older, I've obtained quite an affection for them. That's in part because, in some of my animal science college courses, I learned about all of the amazing traits of possums (opossums, but you get the idea). It's also even more so because once I bought a house and started putting food out for the neighbor cat and strays and ferals, I ended up with quite a collection of possums in my yard over the years. And you better believe I've named them. Over the years there's been Arnold, Doug, Chucky, Phil, and plenty of others. I haven't yet named any of my personal possum friends John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt, but there's still plenty of time for that.

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You'll of course now get your Tonks fix.

It looks like you're also getting a dose of Evan today, since he and Tonks were yet again fighting over a prized sun puddle during this photo shoot.

Happy Tuesday, friends!

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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.