Friday, August 28, 2015

Who wouldn't want to roll in the dirt?

Well, I dunno, but Saul sure does!




The ponies do this too. Honestly, until I got these guys, I had no idea they did this!

Meanwhile, Conehead seems to like life in the house very much...




Pip has to wear this thing for another week. The other day, she managed to rip the cone off AND rip out the drain in her tail!!! Fortunately the vet said it was okay and gave me instructions on how to deal with it. Tomorrow she has to go back to the vet for a recheck.

And Julius was back at the vet the other day too. On Monday night, he suddenly started having trouble walking. His back legs weren't working right and he looked like a drunken sailor!
We're still not 100% sure what happened. It may have been a stroke. There's a slight chance it may be a heart issue. It maybe be because of toxins in his blood due to his renal failure. Regardless, he's not in pain, is eating and drinking well, and still enjoys like. So the vet told me to start giving Julius subcutaneous fluids every other day instead of every three days. He's also getting half a baby aspring every third day to think his blood. He's had a rough month.


Last night he had a supervised outing and he seemed very happy. He enjoyed some fresh catnip, too.



So he's blind, missing three fangs, in renal failure, and walking like a drunken sailor but amazingly he still seems to have interest in life. He's 15 so we'll keep him comfy and take it day by day.


Keaton (who will be trapped and neutered very soon) was hanging out with us last night. Julius seemed to sense he was there.




We love our old boy!


And Emerson loves equines...


Don't worry, he was quite happy here rolling around on his back and flirting with Saul and Finney.


Finney used to chase him but Emerson seems to be winning him over.




Yep!

In other horse news, Esme the pony foundered yet again, for the second time this month. The vet came Weds and was back again today because her blind eye was swollen shut! She'd developed some kind of infection. So now she's on meds for the founder and meds for her eye. Right now I am medicating four different animals

Esme's case is very frustrating. We no longer allow her out on pasture and have restricted her to dry pasture and are careful about the hay we buy, but still she's got issues. So we are getting some hay pellets for her and are going to have her hay analysed and try to find something that doesn't upset her delicate metabolism. Often horses need to be euthanized when they founder repeatedly. I'm hoping we won't have to go down that road, especially since i've currently got Julius on the brink. But like with Julius, with Esme, we'll take it one day at a time.

Speaking of time, look how big these guys are! (And yes, I think they are all drakes!)



They're about a month old and doing very well.

And look at this beauty!


A Giant Swallowtail. Sadly, I have not seen a single Monarch butterfly this summer. Makes me very sad.

But on a brighter note...


...here's Emerson on the bench we just painted red!


And Buttercup!


Truly, fall is already in the air. It was 6 deg Celsius when we got up today! But summer ain't over yet.

And we're getting some new farm animals from the OSPCA! Can you guess what they are?

17 comments:

  1. For some reason or other Schnauzers like to roll. It's really funny to watch them.

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  2. On our farm all our equines rolled they roll For pleasure, For self maintenance or grooming, to relieve pain or discomfort, or for rest . Lovely photos and video . Oh I hope Julius will be ok and just had a one off funny turn ! Oh new animals friends coming to your farm oh I cant wait to see who ! It is cooler here but as cool as 6C maybe 10C or so in the mornings down here . Thanks for sharing , Have a good weekend !

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  3. A dirty donkey is a happy donkey :)

    I'll guess goats are your next additions.

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  4. I love that relationship between cats and horses. Very special.

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  5. Sending hugs to Pip and Julius. Ginger kitties do look good on a red bench. :) Have a great day.

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  6. Didn't know that cats got along so well with horses. Cute!

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  7. A horsey friend told me that if a horse can do a full roll,then he's worth a $100,the value goes down according to the degree of roll (hehehehehehe).
    Sending Pip and Julius hugs and headbumps.
    Jane x

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  8. Just a regular day in Farmville.

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  9. Who could not fall in love with a face like Julius's? I send healthy thoughts his way.
    And Emerson and Buttercup on the red bench: My Aunt Dottie had an orange cat named George (and a husband also named George!) who she swore only slept on the pink sofa because he knew he clashed with it.

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  10. Watching Saul roll around on the ground was hilarious -- my coworker's poodle does the same thing!

    I wish Esme and Julius a speedy recovery.

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  11. I hope things settle down for you soon - you deserve a break!

    I have seen one monarch this year, and so has Mom, but that's it :(. I have had a couple Red Admirals in the yard, and lots of White Cabbage Butterflies

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  12. I've seen horses take a dust bath, but never a donkey. Saul is a cutie! I love how Emerson hangs out with the horses...you'd think he'd be terrified of something so much bigger than he.

    The cats send their purrs for Julius. Poor guy, he's sure got more than his share of problems. Good luck with Esme, I hope you're able to find the right combination of food and meds.

    Like someone else said, I"m hoping for goats. I have a soft spot for the ornery little critters!

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  13. Cats and horses were made for each other!

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  14. Hope Esme does better with the food change and meds. Yes, with Julius all you can do is keep him comfortable. I'm hoping for goats. Love the orange kitties.

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  15. They are all beauties. I will add Pip, Julius and Esme to my prayer list.

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  16. I just feel so happy coming to your blog and seeing the care you give your animals. Your old boy reminds me of our Bailey; it's hard to watch renal disease take them over, but he looks content and managing well. XOXO

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  17. I toally understand your feelings about Julius. My oldkitty Skootch is almost 17. He has renal issues, drinks more than he used to, is afraid of the younger cats, and is at least partially blind. He looks pretty rickety, but he still eats his food, loves his spanking sessions, and loves me. I couldn't ask for more. I love him dearly.

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Thank you for all your comments, which I love to read!