Not So Dizzy Adventures with Astrid

We mentioned last week how pup Astrid was having a flare of her vestibular disease. That of course made her dizzy, unsteady on her feet, and all that not so fun jazz. Astrid has improved a lot, though, enough to enjoy outdoor time without falling over.

Astrid has had multiple flares of her vestibular disease over the past 8 or so months, but this most recent one was the worst. It usually takes her at least a couple weeks to act more like her old gal self again. It's been a bit over a week, and though she's not back to how she was before this flare, Astrid is indeed feeling much better nonetheless.

It doesn't help that Astrid really hates hot summer weather. What's more, her vestibular issues do often seem worse in the summer. So, having such a gnarly flare of it in July and August wasn't the most fun thing for the poor pup to experience. Again, though, she is already feeling a lot better, for which I'm very grateful.

Happy Wednesday, friends!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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Tip of the Day

Believe it or not, we still have a couple tips left in our litter box series. Today's tip is to consider regularly replacing litter boxes as they grow old and overused. Some cat care professionals recommend brand new litter boxes on a yearly basis. At the very least, do take note of how old your cat's litter box is and what shape it's in, and replace it as needed.

There are a couple of considerations to make when deciding whether or when to replace a litter box. First, keep in mind that plastic litter boxes can become adorned with scrapes and scratches from cat claws, and those scratches on plastic litter boxes can ultimately harbor a variety of microbes. This can, of course, ultimately lead to potentially unsanitary conditions within the litter box. In addition to that, ammonia and other components of excrement can potentially leach into the plastic of litter boxes over time. This can make lingering odors, such as that of urine, more or less permanent, which could very well be unpleasant to those sharp noises of our kitties. The aforementioned are just two reasons why regularly replacing old litter boxes may indeed be a good idea. As we've said before, maintaining a fresh, clean litter box can be crucial to sharing your home with a happy, healthy feline.