Fly's Second Vet Visit

Again, Fly was superbly behaved at the vet and took his needle like a man! He has packed on 3kgs over the last 2 weeks. So just one more week and Fly will be able to go out for short walks to school which will be a godsend as he has plenty of energy to burn off. Lucian is going to take him back to school for a show and tell so Fly had better brush up on those tricks to show the kids :o)

Fly Training

Here is Fly doing his clicker training - he now knows sit, down, stand, watch, leave, take it, shake paws and high five

Fly is enrolled in Puppy School which starts April 15th and is going to a course of puppy parties at the vet's too. The rate he is learning tricks we think he will know it all before he gets to school !!!!

Problems in Quarantine

We have a serious problem with the rescue rabbits who are dropping like flies with an illness that is making them drop weight drastically. We suspect the cause is coccidiosis and are treating with Herban followed by a course of Avipro + . One is to act as an antibiotic and the other is a probiotic so replaces the good gut flora and adds electrolytes. We are hoping that the disease is contained in quarantine and will not spread to any other rabbits and are also very much hoping that we lose no more of Ugly Betty's group. Depressing, very depressing.

Tut Tut

hmm, look what I found. So much for not being allowed on the furniture... How are you supposed to kick a cute puppy off the sofa? lol

Fly's First Vet Visit

Fly went for his puppy injections this morning and was an absolute diamond! He lay on the vet table and did not move for the duration of the visit.

He weighs over 5kg and the vet thinks he will look like a collie, not a german shepherd which most people think he will. She was pleased with his health and gave lots of advice, all of which we already are doing but it was nice to have the vet confirm we are raising him correctly.

One REAL bugbear of mine though - is how all vets try to flog you stuff. I know they are running a business but bloody hell - I only went with £24 in my pocket which was what I was quoted for the injection. However she tried to give me a wormer tablet which lets face it, I would have paid for the whole box not just the tablet, kennel cough jab which he simply does not need, puppy classes (ok might take those), microchip (already covered), insurance - I can arrange my own blinkin insurance and a partridge in a pear tree.

She had not met me before LOL Otherwise she would not have wasted her time.
So £24 precisely and off we went, puppy inoculated and appointment booked for 2 weeks time.

Fly

Injured ME!

This is going to read like a comedy sketch but honestly, it is how it happened...

I decided to go catch Daisy, spray her injured beak with antiseptic poultry spray then keep her indoors to allow the beak to heal.

So I prepared a cage to put her in, grabbed a towel to catch her with and off I went. Now, you understand that to catch Daisy I have to enter the waterfowl pen which contains two mean, hissing geese. So I throw in a handful of pellet to distract the geese, get inside and try to shut the gate behind me. The ducks hide behind the geese so I decide to grab at Daisy who gives me the slip and both ducks dive into the duckhouse which opens from outside the pen! ok so next I am looking for something to block them in with so they don't just come back out when I go around the back. Best I could find was to tip up the water bath and use the slab of ice in the bottom to go across the doorway. Fine.
Out I go, run around to the back before they escape and land clean on a huge nail which pierces my snow boot, straight into the sole of my foot.
Cursing I lifted the lid/ roof and grabbed Daisy out, wrapping her in the towel and whilst deliberating whether I could manage QuackerJack aswell, the bloody lid came off one hinge and crashed backward. So here I am, duck in arm, trying to manouevre a large, heavy lid back onto the duckhouse so as to keep Jack inside for later!

So I limped to the house, duck in arm and realised how bad her beak was injured. She will survive but her upper beak is permanently damaged. I sprayed the poor thing with purple spray then popped her into the cage. I have not yet dared to take off my boot and check MY injury...

Remind me again why I gave up my office job? LOL



Here she is the poor lass:

Injured Duck

Poor Daisy. I was confronted with a waterfowl pen dotted with blood this morning only to find that Daisy has a nasty cut to her beak (almost certainly goose inflicted).

In a way, the cold weather is a blessing as it will have soothed the injury plus staved off infection, but it might be best to bring the pair in for a while to allow the cut to heal - so long as the drake doesn't keep pecking at it or they will have to be separated. Will keep a close eye on her over the next hour or so.

Arctic Blast

The weather is a real struggle at the moment and temperatures well below freezing are causing major problems for the rabbits. We have the youngsters in the house but with the best will in the world cannot fit over 30 inside. We have had a couple of sad losses from a combination of illness and freezing temperatures but on the whole, they are doing amazingly well considering what they are up against. I feel a bit helpless and all I can really do is double their feed and hope for this weather to pass.

Puppy Update

Getting on great with little Fly! Lucian had me take him into school on Monday and he spent 15 minutes being fussed by the kids & staff who all adored him. I have been carrying him to school although this morning left him for the first time and he did great. May take him with me to collect Lucian this afternoon.

First injections booked for 10am next Wednesday when Lucian is off on half term so he can come and hold his puppy's paw :o)

We think Fly will be a fast learner and already understands how to sit and 'on your bed' but doesn't really do anything consistently yet. He is great in the night and hishouse training is going pretty good although he does have accidents, he also goes outside regularly.

He has met the other animals and at first was great with the chickens and rabbits but then got too big for his boots and started to chase instead of just sniffing at them. That is a little too much interest for my liking and I want to teach him to take no interest in other animals. I have put a small cage where the chickens and rabbits free roam so he can sit in there and watch them without touching. He is already crate trained so if I do ever have to leave him for short periods I know he can wait safely in a crate/cage. Also, he can travel in the boot of the car in a crate too.

Fly is a great little pup and we are all dying to see how he matures.

Will get more pics/vids soon but seriously, it is like having a new baby and I feel frazzled!!!
It is not even the extra care involved, it is the thing that all mothers will know all too well, as soon as you have a new baby, part of your brain is constantly used up with subconciously wondering where they are and what they are up to and if they are safe.
So once I adjust to having two 'children' , I'm sure all will fall back into place and my universe will re-align.

*ANNOUNCEMENT* A Special New Arrival

This morning, Lucian and I travelled to Shrewsbury & collected a very special new addition. After months of deliberating we finally decided to go for it and adopt a dog to be a companion for Lucian as he is an only child and also to keep me company when I am on my tod.
It has been a difficult decision to make the commitment and we drove ourselves crazy trying to choose a dog. We finally settled upon this beautiful shepherd x blue merle collie and having spent the day with him, our first day has gone incredibly well, we all feel as if he has been here forever and he has fit our little family like a glove. Our first and most important consideration was temperament and this chap is the most laid back one from his litter plus his parents are both particulatly sedate. How he became to be a merle, nobody knows. His colouration is an enigma because his GSD daddy's fawn colour should have been dominant over mum's merle. Vet, breeder all baffled. But this rare little fellow was definitely a happy accident as far as we are concerned.
We are totally thrilled.

So, here he is! Introducing, Fly...

Lucian & Fly Asleep Together

Let It Snow

Well here it is, snow in February again. Always a good opportunity to take snowy animal pics :o)
Here are Luna & Rosa in the snow.. Luna is going for the 'snow pony' look and I am half expecting to find her totally covered by the morning heehee
ah well at least the animals are all well insulated and probably quite warm under the snow.

Ice Fruit Bowl?

What do you think? I pulled this perfect bowl of ice from one of the goat's water buckets this morning.
Wonder how much I could sell it for? LOL

ah, it might be cold but it is lovely to see the look of contentment on the pony's face when I go down in the morning with one of those magical steaming buckets of water that makes her feel happy inside :o)

drink it quick though Luna! Unless you want a bucket of this ... :o(

Bug watches Charlie & Lola