In the cat 'world':
We've had a ridiculous amount of kittens coming in to the shelter these past weeks, many coming in with the momma cats too. They must be 8 weeks and/or 2 pounds before they can be put up for adoption and we've had a lot of litters come in under that mark; meaning they had to be send out to fosters if we had available (which I think they are all full now).
This female cat in the picture below is named Pinkers who came in with a large litter of kittens that had to be fostered out. She came back about a week ago and her kittens have since been adopted while this poor girl was left with a mild form of mastitis from the pregnancy. Mastitis is an inflammation and/or infection of the lactating mammary glands that can be a result from bacteria entering the teats through abrasions made by the kittens sucking with their teeth (or from their nails). Luckily for Pinkers her case isn't too serious as she isn't seriously infected and didn't catch a fever. She just has inflamed mammary glands and we have been applying a warm compress on her belly twice a day so the swelling can be reduced.
This little guy is Elmo, another Persian cat that is absolutely adorable and very loving! The story behind him is pretty sad and the condition he came in was absolutely dreadful; full of fleas, matted hair, covered in feces, and dehydrated beyond reason. We honestly didn't think he was gonna make it through the night and surprisingly the next morning after drinking large amounts of water - he was up and at it! He is now in Iso being treated for Coccidia and to get him restored back to better health so he can be put up for adoption. I've grown to love Persian cats and now have a soft spot for them. We don't receive them often but when we do, they have been some of the sweetest cats I have ever seen.
A little more on Coccidia if you're interested:
Coccidia are tiny single-celled parasites that infect the intestinal tract in dogs and cats and are transmitted through contact with infected feces or ingestion of infected tissue. The common side effects are diarrhea and loose stool; but it can be more severe such as bloody diarrhea and if not treated, death. Younger animals are prone to get it more than older animals, although they can have it too. We test for it with by doing a fecal exam and then isolate and treat them if they are positive for coccidia. I've been learning how to check the fecal exam and look for the coccidian protozoa under the microscope.
The Black Russian Terrier breed is not actually a terrier but according to the AKC, they are known to be working dogs with a strong build. The breed originated in the Soviet Union during WWII as an army dog then later used as a police and guard dog. They are very strong, courageous, and highly intelligent dogs that require an experienced dog owner to care for them. What I found interesting when looking more into the breed is how they were developed - over 20 different dog breeds were used when they were breeding and 'creating' this dog! Some including the Airedale Terrier, Giant Schnauzer, Rottweiler, and Newfoundlands. Crazy right?
Brennan, a 3 year old female, came in a couple of days ago because the previous family had too many other pets and she wasn't getting along with the smaller dogs. Yet with us and the other dogs here she has been extremely calm and gentle with everyone! It's an amazing feeling just being in the presence of such a giant dog that weighs almost as much as I do, she's around 110 pounds. Her paw is twice the size of my hand and she reaches near my elbow when standing on all four. Here's a video of her that I took when I was in her kennel :)
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