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!

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Flashback Doodle of the Day

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

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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.