NOT SO GOOD NEWS FOR PEPSI

Who knew tarantulas start out little, never saw one this small.  

John almost ran over this little girl, (she has spinners on her butt, makes her a girl) with the hay cart in the hay barn.  But he saw her before it got messy.  Poor little thing is already missing a front leg and I don't think they regenerate if they are missing.  John's company he does jeep tours for, has a tarantula and a snake they take out for "show and tell" with the clients.  The tarantula has had a broken leg before and they fixed it with super glue.  Since spiders have an external skeleton, the super glue will give the leg structure until she sheds.  But this little one doesn't have a leg to fix.  John put her in the back of the hay barn and when he checked on her she had buried herself in the hay.  

I got a call from the vet clinic Monday and was told Pepsi's tumor is a sarcoma rather than a sarcoid.  So we took him in yesterday and Dr. Nancy shot chemo directly into the incision.  We also were sent home with Neoplasene, which I wasn't familiar with.  Also a wound balm I'm suppose to use, after the injected chemo sloughs off the cancer cells that might be left.  Dr. Nancy said if the tissue doesn't slough off, then she got it all.  But the lab report said the edges weren't clean.  

I will be giving Pepsi the Neoplasene by mouth, twice a day for 3 months.  I have always tasted anything I am going to stick in their mouth.  Let me say one thing, a lot of the oral medicines that need to be given, do not taste good............this one is no exception.  I have tasted Baytril, and Metronidazole and a few others that rated high on the "yuck" scale.  I do think this one has them all beat.  I can't even begin to describe it, I also haven't figured out something to kill the taste........SIGH...it's going to be a long winter, I'm afraid.  Last night I tried Dr. Nancy's suggestion, honey, well actually I used molasses, stronger flavor between 2 small graham crackers.  Pepsi wasn't impressed and it was very messy.  

This morning I tried peanut butter and powdered sugar, which isn't as messy.  He readily took the cookie, but didn't eat it with relish,  I'm hoping it will grow on him.  

I know their taste buds are different than ours, otherwise they couldn't enjoy orange rinds as much as they do.  But this stuff is really going to be a hard sell I'm afraid.  Wish me luck.......!!!

UPDATE:  John went on a tour today and asked his nephew Bob about the spider leg.  Bob does a lot of the tours and is the company's "go to" guy.  Anyway he's quite a spider expert.  He said she will be able to grow back a leg.  The next molt will grow a small leg and the molt after that the leg should be almost the same size as the other ones.  

I HATE WIND....................!!!!

Seems like the last few days, wind has been a large part of our daily lives.  I know, spring in the desert, what should I expect?  It's not as if I haven't lived in other desert areas, which "surprise" have wind in the spring.  But, I don't have to like it........!!!! LOL  The weatherman says this is just a warm up for Wednesday night.  NIGHT, I thought wind was suppose to die down at night.........I hope she's wrong.  

Doctoring is going pretty good, we seem to be staying ahead of open sores and gooey places.  I got a black light flashlight as per Patti's suggestion to look at bald spots and see if they might be ring worm or something.  She forgot the most important thing when dealing with Tish, very simple instructions.........!!!!  Like, what the hell am I looking for.......??  LOL  I went out this morning and looked at all of Boaz's spots.  All of them just showed up with a purple light except for one that was pretty gooey from zinc oxide, it had little bright dots, mostly on the hair, so I assume the zinc oxide had something to do with it. 

 

 The eyes and penicillin wash is going well, although I do think I have a tear duct aka nasolacrimal duct possibly plugged.  Dr. Nancy will be back in town next Monday and we're doing OK, so we'll just watch it for now.  

It seems like every day we get farther and farther behind with getting stuff done.  I have no idea where time goes, and usually at the end of the day, I can't really  name much accomplishment, it's mostly "stamping out forest fires", rather than actually being able to stand back and appreciate a job well done.  Oh! well we aren't bored........!!! LOL

Racing this week-end, John was trying to figure out some way of putting one of the golf cars up on the trailer sideways, ahead of the race car.  Good idea, but the golf cart has a pick-up bed on the back which makes it longer than 8 feet.  That means it would stick out past the fenders, also past the bed of the trailer.  He rigged up some ramps sideways on the trailer that stuck out past the fender, for the wheels to sit on.  Tried it out, but you talk about jeri-rigged, I can't imagine driving down the highway with that thing bouncing along.  SCARY.....!!!  He's trying to figure out some way of getting across the track if I win another race without having to "beat feet".  I told him if he did manage to figure out a way to get a golf cart to the track, I'll probably never win another race........!!!!  LOL 

GIGI GOT ANOTHER PEDICURE.........

It's been 3 months since Tyler trimmed her excessively overgrown feet and set an elongated shoe on her right front to keep it from turning backwards.

First of all let me say, this is the 2nd time recently I have gotten a finger or in this case a thumb caught up inside a donkey mouth.  When we were trying to get Gigi in the trailer this morning, I offered an animal cracker as incentive and I guess she was afraid I wasn't going to give it to her.  The nail is loose on the side, which let the blood ooze out this afternoon, so the nail lost it's black color.  It's still oozing, which John seems to think is a good thing.  I actually had a split on that thumb that has really been sore for weeks, haven't been able to get it to heal.  For some reason it hasn't bothered me at all since this happened.........!!!! LOL

When we started getting her in the trailer this morning, she really wasn't trying to be difficult, and loaded much easier than we expected.  John jacked the front of the trailer up, to make the back  lower, so she wouldn't have to jump so high.  We let her look at it a few minutes, I tried putting up a front foot a couple of times and all of a sudden she hopped up and in.  

We hauled her into Nancy's and Tyler met us there.   He observed Gigi for a little while, decided to do her in the trailer, could use the walls for support and try to do her standing up.  Nancy gave her a happy shot and Tyler and Buster went to work.

Tyler seems to think she will not turn the foot back, so he cut all the long growth and epoxy off.  It's really not epoxy, but I don't know what it is.  It looks like tar, but was a real bear to get off, some tough stuff. 

 He put a regular shoe on that is just a little larger than her trimmed foot and she seems to be just fine with it. 

This was after we got home and she seems to be doing good.

I think she looks great.  She was really pretty good on the front feet, but when he got ready to do the backs, she let him know that was over the line.  She can kick and really quick.  So for her trouble she got another happy shot.  

Tyler seems to think we won't have to bring her to Nancy's in the future, should be able to do her here.   That will be much easier on her and us, although I'm not sure about Tyler......!!! LOL

You might notice her other front hoof looks a little deformed.  Tyler seems to think the deformity was from the hoof being so overgrown.  The growth coming out of the coronet is coming out nice and straight, so we're hoping eventually it will be more normal. 

LOOKIN' GOOD...........!!!!

 

This is how Boaz's knee looks this morning, it is dry, no redness and looks like it's getting smaller.  Dr. Nancy said to use Animax for the first couple of bandage changes and if it looked good, go back to the One Source.  So this morning that's what I did.  Anxious to see how it looks in a couple of days.

This is a very tall yucca in the pen area.  Lately it has become a "snack" for someone, we haven't figured out who.  I would blame Rosie, since she is a proven "alternative" snacker, but since we haven't seen her, probably shouldn't do that.........!!!  Looks like they have chewed up about as far as they can reach, whoever it is.  Unless it's one of the mules, which I seriously doubt.......LOL

BOAZ'S VET VISIT........!!

ALMOST SPRING.......!!!

We hauled Boaz into Dr. Nancy's yesterday morning for his knee to get looked at.  She remembers what it looked like a couple of years ago and said she was really amazed at how well it is doing.  

 January 2012

 1st Debridement Jan12

March 10, 2014

It even looked a little better yesterday, less bumpy, but she said it was proud flesh and needed to go.  I was afraid that would be the outcome.  She didn't even have to numb it, just used a scalpel and made sure to stay on the proud flesh, which has no nerves in it.  Just a bountiful blood supply.  

We discussed different ways of keeping it covered if and when it does heal.  It will always have to be covered with something, to protect the scar tissue, which of course has no elasticity and will always be thin.  Since it's on the outside of his knee anytime he lays down it will get mauled.  She recommended mole skin which of course is nice and soft.  But he is so active, (that means he enjoys entertaining the "ladies") that anything we put on him is probably not going to stay unless we figure out a way to keep it from getting rolled up during dismount.........LOL  Maybe something with velcro....???  

First I got to get it completely healed, then I'll worry about permanent coverage.  

Last night after feeding I went thru my used fly masks and hung them in all the pens.  Some of them are pretty torn up, but I'm keeping the good ones for later, when the fly season really gets going.  

John's getting pretty good at getting Gigi's mask off and on, although he does have to put her in the redneck squeeze to put it on.  He can usually get it off without the squeeze.  Haven't tried putting a mask on Rosie yet...........not looking forward to the experience..........!!!!  LOL

Never dull around here, unfortunately

This morning John noticed Cisco wasn't eating and had clear mucus or saliva coming out of his nose.  He hadn't even tried to eat, and wasn't retching like they usually do with a choke.  So we watched him for awhile and nothing changed.  

Dr. Nancy doesn't work on Thursday.  I called Dr. Shamis and he is having issues with his 95 year old Mother and couldn't help today.  I told John I was trumped by a 95 year old, my Mother is only 90. 

Called Adobe Vet Clinic in Tucson and they said bring him in.  Anna got here to stay with Mother, we got him loaded and away we went.  Spent the whole afternoon there, she tubed him 3 times before she felt comfortable having us take him home.  At one time she was talking about taking him to Gilbert if it wouldn't clear.  

So now he has to be on antibiotics for a week, Banamine for 3 days, and no food for 48 hours.  We didn't get home until after dark and poor Cisco got to see everyone else get fed except him.  He let John know this wasn't right.  Wait until tomorrow morning and night, and Saturday morning.  

This was right down at the top of the stomach and she said he probably choked last night because he had hay mixed in the liquid he was bringing up and he didn't eat this morning.  That means the hay at the bottom of the choke, probably dried out over the 10 hours or so before this morning and made a very effective plug.  

We're still on for take Sephia into Dr. Nancy's tomorrow morning for x-rays and Tyler to work on those nasty feet.  I sure hope there's some good feet under all that over growth.  

Poor Anna, doesn't know what she's in for...........LOL  She may end up spending more time with Mother than I do for the foreseeable future. 

IT'S NOT PRETTY.....!!!

But we're already getting our ducks lined up to try to help her.  On the way home from picking them up we stopped by Tyler's house.  He's real lucky, we drive by his house every time we go someplace...!! LOL  

The plan of attack is to get her back in the trailer this Friday.  Should be "interesting", she had never been out of the pen she was born in 11 years ago, and with these feet loading was difficult.  It actually went much better than we expected, but once she was in the trailer, she couldn't hardly stand up on the mats, because of walking on slick hoof material, rather than sole and frog.

John drove very slow all the way home and I'm sure she was having to fight to stand, but she never lost her balance.  

Friday we will haul her into Dr. Nancy, this is when a mobile vet would REALLY be nice to have.  SIGH!  Tyler will be there, and she'll take x-rays so he has an idea of what he's dealing with.  Then he'll get out the sawz-all and start removing as much of the extra growth as he can. With horses they usually gnaw the excess off a little at a time, over time.  With donkeys they usually just take it all off at once, which really freaks out horse people.  But in the long run the quicker you get it off, hopefully the less internal damage. 

She moves around, is alert and if we can give her some quality of life, that's what we'll do.  

I was so interested in getting pictures of these feet I didn't get a picture of the older over weight jenny.  Just take my word for it, she's fat, lots of large pones and a pretty good size bubble butt.  Hopefully we can get some of the weight off her.  The owner had 3 bales of alfalfa, and we brought it home to transition them from alfalfa to bermuda hay over the next few weeks.  She's fat enough she probably has fatty liver disease, and if we tried to stop feeding alfalfa all at once, chances are she would develop hyperlipidemia which can be fatal.    You haven't lived until a vet comes out with a tube of blood, reaches down into it with a paper clip and draws out a glob of yellow fat, as big around as the tube and over an inch long.   Looked like a big fat grub worm...........UGH!

The older jenny was named Jenny and the one with the feet was Betty.  We've already had a Jenny and have a good friend named Betty, so we're going to give them different names.  I went thru a lot of different names, so far the front runner is, Kia for the older jenny and Sephia for the younger one.  My race car is a Kia Sephia.......!!! John just shook his head.  It's not final, so if anyone has some good names for these girls, let me know.  

Speaking of the race car, the next 2 weeks are going to be murder.  This time of year in sunny Arizona is when our track has a big race program for Late Models and Modifieds that usually run in Canada, and the east.  Needless to say their weather isn't conducive to racing now.  That's all fine and dandy, but they've decided to add some of the local classes to the program, so the "big" boys have time to work on their cars between races.  We are suppose to run 6 programs in 9 days....!!!  I think they are trying to kill off all the old people out there.....!!!  They are paying extra and also we will get back our entry fee if we make the main event, so now John is going to take the Toyota and race it too............  At least that's what he says now, we'll see if that sounds like fun, after the first couple of races, he might change his mind.  LOL 

I've found someone to take care of Mother, which is a load off my mind.  Anna lives on the next road north of us, so the 2am drive home won't be as big a problem as driving back to Benson would be.  I was afraid Mother would get feisty about having someone stay with her, but she seems to be fine with it........  Whew...!!! 

DARN, LOST ANOTHER MOBILE VET..........!!!

This has been around for awhile, but I think it's cute..!!!

Found out Dr. Megan has left for the Prescott area.  Her husband works for the DEA or one of those organizations and got a promotion, so off they went.  I don't think they had been in their house a year.

I really hate to lose her, she was bright, caring, and very good at what she did.  Don't know if Dr Nancy plans on getting someone else or not.  She tries to go it alone, which really makes it difficult for emergencies.  If you have a problem when you get up in the morning and call, she probably has a full day of appointments.  So at best your emergency is going to have to wait until after hours.  

I hope we'll have everything done for the Open House, this Saturday.  Now the weather is trying to make it difficult.  Tonight and tomorrow night are suppose to be really cold, and the high in Tucson for Saturday is suppose to be in the 50's, which means probably in the 40's out here.  Most of the time the weatherman isn't right, hopefully this will one of those times.  

All the donkeys are doing real good right now, even old Pepper is "up and at them", this morning he was pawing at the stall mat in front of his gate, until we could smell rubber burning.  The mat has to be there or he will dig a hole big enough to fall in.  He's eating real good now.  He's still very thin, but compared to earlier this summer, he looks pretty good.  

Boaz's knee is getting some scar tissue around the edges, so the open area is getting smaller.  Hope this continues.  At one time I had it down to about the size of a dime stretched out, in the middle.  Maybe over the winter I can get it healed over. 

 When we went out to feed Friday night Boaz didn't show up.............hmmmm..........!!!  Boaz has a "nose for news", when it comes to finding a weak spot in the perimeter fence, so we figured he was on a walk about as the Aussies say.

John headed for the wash, which is the usual place if someone gets out, because it's impossible to actually "fence" across the wash effectively.  No tracks & no Boaz.  I went back in the feed room to mix feed & John ranged out further.  It was getting dark,  & since we didn't know how long he'd been out, no telling where he was.

I got the feed mixed, John hadn't come back, so I jumped in the golf cart to go out & see if I could see him from the road.  As I got out to open the gate, here Boaz came trotting down the road.  I opened the gate, he came in & started running & braying, guess he figured out he was missing dinner, ran in his pen, turned around & brayed at me like, "where's my treat"?

John finally showed up & said he never did see Boaz, so we have no idea where he was, & John hasn't been able to find where he got out.

Something killed our last guinea Friday night, just ate the head, which I think is the M.O. of a skunk.  She was "mature" & slept on the ground rather than roosting up high.  We always shut her & the 2 remaining old hens up every night, but whatever it was, pulled the chicken wire & staples loose to get in.  John redid the wire & staples, so I hope it doesn't get in again.  Unfortunately if there is a weak spot in the wire, skunks or raccoons will find it.  One of the hens sleeps in the nesting box, the other one goes up real high on a ledge.  The one on the ledge is probably pretty safe, but the other one, is pretty vulnerable.

Still doctoring Jenny's foot, I think sometimes we go 1 step forward & 2 steps backwards, but she's still interested in going out & doing her thing.  Yesterday I cut off as much of the proud flesh as I was comfortable doing.  John asked if he could help, but he has a weak stomach, when it comes to blood, & with proud flesh there is a massive amount of blood for the amount of cutting you do.

When Dr. Nancy cut the proud flesh off Boaz's knee, she of course cut every little bit she could find off.........but.........she also used a dehorning iron to cauterize it.  That goes way beyond my "pay" grade......!!!   I'm not going there.......!!!   (G)

So I took off what I was comfortable doing, finally had to put a pressure bandage on it to stop the bleeding & left it on.  I'm suppose to soak her this morning, so I'll see what it looks like when I unwrap it.  Dr. Megan says she can deal with the proud flesh later, but we need to get the internal oozing under control.

 I agree, but in the meantime, I REALLY dislike proud flesh.