Category: Animals
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Road Trip New Zealand
Woke up to warm sunny weather with plans to head up to Akaroa, an hour outside of Christchurch, to swim with the dolphins. An hour on the road and we canceled those plans as the weather turned cold and we began driving in and out of rain showers. Instead, we took the long drive as…
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Sounds like New Zealand
NZ domestic flights are a stark reminder of how our travel used to be. I didn’t have to show ID to get on the plane. Didn’t have to take my shoes off going through security. Showed up 40 minutes before the flight with time to spare. Flying into Queenstown is neat. You approach the town,…
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Lessons from New Zealand
What I learned in New Zealand today: NZ does not have squirrels. None, not a single one. Oddly enough, they sell little pewter squirrels in the gift shop at the Auckland zoo. *boggle* Before I die, I may commit one international violation and import squirrels into this country. Two positive notes; they have stoats here…
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Great Hay Field in the Sky (Nugget)
Barely a week ago, Nugget scared me. I ended the post saying that sooner rather than later, her time would be here. That time was tonight. After returning from festivities downtown, I prepared the veggie platter for the pigs. Opening the bottom cage, I immediately noticed nugget laying on her side by the hay box.…
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Dammit Nugget…
Got home from riding and proceeded to get a bag of lettuce from the fridge. The rustling of a plastic bag sets the gpiggies into a minor frenzy. Zesty, Biscuit, Waffle and Tater were all on the upper floor, eager for lettuce. I looked on the lower floor and saw nugget sleeping under the ramp.…
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All Along the Trail…
After more than six months of riding lessons, I went out on my first real trail ride today. In Sunday, a few days ago, instead of my weekly lesson Chelsea asked if I wanted to ride around the barn she works at. The horse I ride, Julie, had gotten shots and her neck was swollen…
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Diagnosing Figlet – An Overview of Hyperthyroidism in Guinea Pigs
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and I have not studied veterinary medicine. This article is based on my observations, interaction with doctors, and own conclusions. Do not take any portion of this article as medical advice for your guinea pig. This was originally published on attrition.org. I have received a dozen mails over the…
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Boxes on the Porch
On Thursday, I lost Figlet. After six months of diagnosis with two doctors, we finally determined she had Hyperthyroidism, which is extremely rare in piggies. The doctor I was taking her to was an exotic specialist who had specifically done research on Hyperthyroidism in guinea pigs. In all of his time, he had six confirmed…
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Squirrel Power?
[07-16 23:55] jericho: zoo was too busy, so did the aquarium and the children’s museum [07-16 23:59] K: how was that? [07-16 23:59] jericho: aquarium was pretty neat. never been to the one here [07-16 23:59] jericho: children’s museum is not a museum, rather a place for kids activities [07-16 23:59] K: right [07-16 23:59]…
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A Bad Month for Critters…
I lost Pringle mid-April, and lost Juineapig mid-May. This month, Nugget had a growth on her flank that required removal. After diagnosis, a second trip for surgery (under anesthesia so risky), and what will be a third trip to remove sutures is required. It is benign and mostly proactive care, but a Trichofolliculoma can cause…