Jest Another Day in Pear-A-Dice - Higgins Rat Ranch Conservation Farm in Alberta

[hennible]

I had a cat push up daisies once...

It was awesome, just on his plot, not beside or behind, just right over him, I laughed and cried so hard simultaneously... Dang cat... Still cry over that fellow, and I think he passed 9 years ago... one of many rescues, what a cool cat...
Why did Makins need an assisted birth?

 

[drumstick diva]

Aw Henna, I am sorry - it hurts but, it's beautiful too. He left flowers for you.

 

[CanuckBock]

I had a cat push up daisies once...

It was awesome, just on his plot, not beside or behind, just right over him, I laughed and cried so hard simultaneously... Dang cat... Still cry over that fellow, and I think he passed 9 years ago... one of many rescues, what a cool cat...
Why did Makins need an assisted birth?

Pushing up Daisy's...how fitting...!!!

Where we bury the creatures (our graveyard), man alive the grass grows well!

Yup, c-section. I had all the testing done on Makies (she had to do well or we would never have bothered, it will be the same with the girls...must pass tests with spectacular results!); from hips, elbows, annual cerf (eye), two hearing (BAER) tests, and she was five years old. It was a replacement breeding as our intent was rewarded by lil' Fixins. The first pup in the line up was the only boy she had and MAN, his skull was huge...there was no way she could have naturally had him.

So of course, it was done in the wee hours of the morning. I had told my vet she was in labour and when I called again because I was worrying, his response was, "She hasn't had them yet? Get her in here now!" She had quit pushing and was quite calm about it all...but obviously that was not good! Eeep...

I assisted in the birth...like to say he had good help but that'd be a big ol' lie. I cared...that much was true! The place he was at (no longer there thankfully!), had crappy equipment...the heart monitor kept quitting and he'd give it a big old kick to get it going...so the whole time I was on edge thinking Makins had died on the table...

Beep, beep ... <<nothing>> KICK ... Beep, beep, beep ... <<nothing>> another KICK by the vet... Beep, Beep...​

I was a wreck by then because I had begun sleeping beside her a week prior (keep a watch on her in her time of need) and had hoped it was going to be a normal birthing. HA...when have I ever had things like this go normal. Nope, drama, near death, emergency measures, and all that & then some more...must thrive on it.

Cripers, even the very first lambing I ever did by myself was triplets that were a jumble of legs (a dozen to be exact!)...but that is a whole story for another time...

July 13, 2001 - Makins waiting to have her puppers - Like how I simulated a dog birthing CAVE!

My good vet had been kicked by a cow that afternoon (no stocks to hold the beast so he got the brunt of its anger), so I still remember so many things like yesterday...the awful weather, the huge purple bruise he had, the concern about Makins and her pups...and how very carefully and methodically the vet sewed her up, took what seemed like forever for him to complete that he was ever so good to Makins...and that he let me take a placenta home so I could feed it to her. I know, blick but it stimulates a dog's bod to let the milk down, tighten up what needs tightening, they do that when they birth, clean up duty...when they don't go thru the natural birthing process, things get mucked up. My vet "gets" alot of those weirder things we persons that have the animals do; the old ways, the proven funky things that are done and work. Makins had no issues and the pups turned out grand.

I had a good cry (we can have those now and again you know!) today thinking about Fixins and telling her it was "OK for her to go if she had to." It was a good cry...a very good one. I needed it.

​

It rained after I completed the off side to the Taj perimeter by gravelling and limerocking it.

​

Then it hailed, only pea size so no damage...but enough I put the animals away early and the storm worsened and it took the power out. Dinner plans got changed and we BQ'd hotdogs. When given lemons, you do the lemonade stand, eh!

​

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Then I sat in the Man Porch and decorated the top of the puppy balance beam board...cute eh? Amazing what a woman can conjure up with a little coloured nail polish and some time on her hands...

It has been a good day, very...

Tara

 

[drumstick diva]

Tara, I was feeling all those emotions as you, just by reading- chills and thrills. It begins again soon - the reality takes the breath out of me. I have to force myself to breathe - get so nervous. I know you'll do fine, me not so much - will have to brace myself with a stiff chocolate malted - the drug of choice.

 

[CanuckBock]

Tara, I was feeling all those emotions as you, just by reading- chills and thrills. It begins again soon - the reality takes the breath out of me. I have to force myself to breathe - get so nervous. I know you'll do fine, me not so much - will have to brace myself with a stiff chocolate malted - the drug of choice.

Can't have good if you don't know what bad feels like, eh?

I know you are along with us on the emotional roller coaster DD...what a ride...downs without Fixins, ups because she is not and we have new ones coming in to learn about and enjoy in totally new ways. I think Rick is getting pretty excited (for him at least!) as he made comments about how the puppies will be doing this and that. They are certainly going to have us on our toes. Need to replace the rubber floor runner we use to have from the back door in the Man Porch to the doggy door and on the agenda too is one carpet for the other x-pen. I am positive we have forgotten some thing or other but we'll hit the ground running and get on whatever needs working out as is comes up.

This is the dog food plant just under an hour away from us - Makins loved smelling the smells on the air in this town!

Had no idea the puppy kibs were gonna be an issue! I guess the drop in the Canuck buck has implications all round. Places that might have stocked the food don't right now because they are feeling the volatile bouncing of the currencies. I guess this particular puppy kibs must be made in the States, not here like I thought it may be. No matter, we looked hard for it last weekend and now I think we have found two stores with some bags and we will be making a special trip to Calgary to roust up some this weekend. Don't want the puppy tummies all upset on a food change when they arrive, they will have enough stress just in the travelling portions to get up here; should be fine but even just the geographical change may take them for a loop de loop.

I'd say "NO" to the choco malt if'n you were suggesting the puppies partake (NO chocolate for dogs, makes them ill!) but I know you are only self-medicating yerself with the coco beans Deary! go for whatever works fer yah, eh!

Tara

 

[hennible]

Awesome about the placenta
Not gross at all
I've got hippy friends after all
And we will leave story to the imagination...

 

[Wisher1000]

I'm having doggy dilemmas, here on the farm.  Well, actually, it's The Biscuit.  He misses the old dog more than I realized.  He started losing weight and his stress triggered Demodex came back.  I put him back on his ivermectin and made it a point to schedule some play time with the house dog (who thinks her 15lbs can take his 95lbs any day.)  Then Monday night, he was bitten by a snake (likely a copperhead or rattlesnake) and has to stay in the house for a few days.

I don't know how he is going to feel about going back outside afterward.  He's already gotten spoiled in the last 24 hours. 

See his swollen leg? And his smile?

 

[CanuckBock]

Awesome about the placenta
Not gross at all
I've got hippy friends after all
And we will leave story to the imagination...

There is no way I'd be wanting to sample no milkshake served at yer hippy friend's place, eh?

With Makins, whether or not it really worked, who cares because it is pretty normal for whelping dogs to do that and no harm done for trying it out...sometimes you can't stop them, yer busy with the last pup born and she's busy doing her thing...oh yucko!

I'm having doggy dilemmas, here on the farm. Well, actually, it's The Biscuit. He misses the old dog more than I realized. He started losing weight and his stress triggered Demodex came back. I put him back on his ivermectin and made it a point to schedule some play time with the house dog (who thinks her 15lbs can take his 95lbs any day.) Then Monday night, he was bitten by a snake (likely a copperhead or rattlesnake) and has to stay in the house for a few days.

I don't know how he is going to feel about going back outside afterward. He's already gotten spoiled in the last 24 hours.

See his swollen leg? And his smile?

Oh my, now he's bin having a pretty bad week, eh! Cripers...he does need some extra lovin' don't he. Poor pupper...let's hope his bad luck is over in three's cause I am counting THREE uglies...

Reminds me of the research they did on [email protected] you upgrade their food (for whatever reason; it was on sale, you ran out of the normal stuff, or whatever...), the c@t will literally die of starvation holding out for the upgraded grub should you choose not to make it normal fare...egads, eh!

The photo tells me he would make a great house dog...in a bloomin' mansion!

Is that an excuse to upgrade the house to more square footage too? Sounds like you're going to hafta upscale the spoiling all over the place...Ha ha ha... I am sure the threat of having to move to a bigger place will have you going about this keeping him an outside dougal, very guilt free, eh! I know yer strong Wisher...you can put on a grimace when Biscuit needs to go back to his old haunts...be strong, firm--you can do it!

Tara

 

[Bunnylady]

It seems to me that the answer to Wisher's dilemma is simple - when the dog is healthy enough to resume his patrol duties, Wisher and the family should just move out to the barn. The Biscuit can keep the place secure, and still hang with the "pack" during his down-time. Lotsa space, no worries about the furniture getting damaged; it's a win-win!

 

[CanuckBock]

Good idea...

And if Wisher is like me, most of my barns are kept WAY cleaner than my house...seems like I spend more time out thar too!