It's been downright frigid here, as it has been for many in the nation. We hope you're all staying warm. That said, as we've mentioned before, pup Astrid loves cold weather. She will happily choose rather long walks even if it's just barely 0°F outside. While she's wholly unwilling to wear booties on her feet, she'll at least tolerate us putting her in a sweater.
Needless to say, Astrid was taken on her beloved walk right after that photo was taken. And for some reason, she loved the frigid adventure. I failed to get any photos of her on the walk, simply because it was so cold I decided not to remove my hands from my gloves in order to snap photos.
That all said, Astrid had a senior 6-month exam and bloodwork last week. Overall, her bloodwork looks great, especially for a now 85-lb dog who's nearly 12 years old. She does still have one liver value elevated, as has been the case for the past couple of years now. Between her age and her having osteoarthritis, both of which can cause this value to increase, her vet is not concerned. This is especially because the value, though elevated, is holding steady. One of Astrid's main issues these days is her arthritis, but getting the pain medication carprofen every 12 hours makes her move like a young lady again. Being on that med is a big reason why she needs bloodwork every 6 months, but the pain med is working wonders for her and so far is causing no additional side effects to her or her lab work.
Astrid has been shaking her head and scratching at her right ear, and she has even developed an occasional head tilt on that side. The vet did find a bit of inflammation superficially in her ear, perhaps from her rooting around in snow or something along those lines. Nothing of note could be found anywhere deeper in her ear, though. So, Astrid is getting an ointment in her ear, which she really, truly does not like. We've actually reached the 7 days of her getting that ointment, and her head tilt is still there sometimes. Nothing else showed up during her exam or lab work, and the times and manner in which her head tilt appears makes me wonder if it's more so related to her aging eyes trying to adjust in certain lighting. No matter what, we'll of course keep an eye on it. Overall, though, Astrid is doing great. And you better believe we continued with our tradition of taking her to Dairy Queen for a pup cup of ice cream after her appointment.
Happy Wednesday, friends!
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Flashback Doodle of the Day
This flashback doodle seemed apt enough for today. Oh, and the metal leg is courtesy of the metal that got put in Astrid's back right knee after she tore her CCL in 2022.
This flashback doodle seemed apt enough for today. Oh, and the metal leg is courtesy of the metal that got put in Astrid's back right knee after she tore her CCL in 2022.
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Tip of the Day
As you all certainly know, cats often seek out heat. Those pups out there sometimes do, too. For this reason, when it's cold this winter, monitor your furbaby around any sort of heat source. This of course goes for fireplaces, which should be sufficiently blocked so that kitties and pups can't directly access it or end up with burns. But, this also goes for various space heaters, radiators, and even floor or wall registers for the furnace. Especially if your cat or dog is known to park themselves incredibly close to, or even on top of, such heat sources, be sure to keep a very close eye on them when heaters are being used, or when the furnace is running. If they are near a heat source, check on them regularly, and feel them to make sure that they, and their fur, are not getting dangerously hot. Depending on the kind of heat produced by various heat sources, burns and other injuries can occur if a kitty or pup sleeps on or near it. If needed, such as if your kitty or pup insists on keeping a heater or furnace register company, consider blocking direct access to them. For example, there are safe, fire-proof covers for furnace registers on the floor or wall. When it comes to space heaters, if needed, place them in areas where your kitty or pup does not have access. In other cases, you might be able to find a way to safely block direct access to heaters and radiators, so that your furbaby can enjoy the heat without the risk of burns. Of course we want our furbabies to stay warm in the winter, but it is also important to ensure that your kitty or pup does not end up with burns or other injuries.
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