November Health Updates

As the weather cools down and everyone settles into their fluffier winter coats, we’ve had a busy few weeks of vet visits, check-ins, and lots of needed TLC. Here’s the latest on some of our family members who could really use a little extra love sent their way.

Louisa - After scaring us with a newly discovered heart arrhythmia earlier this month, Louisa stunned everyone at her follow-up appointment: no arrhythmia detected.
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We’re cautiously hopeful that her first egg may have triggered a temporary rhythm issue (first eggs are really hard on the body!). For now, we’re putting her cardiologist appointment on hold and monitoring her heart closely. We are trying to keep our hopes in check but there is a really good possibility this is not an ongoing issue for her!

Quincy - Our tough, sweet Quincy continues navigating life after his toe amputation. The good news:
His right foot, the one we were worried might also need toe amputation, looked stable at his last checkup. We’re optimistic he’ll get to keep all of his toes there.  
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The more challenging news is that his left side with the amputated toe has been getting sore.  One of our concerns with the surgery was that it would put too much weight on the remaining two toes.  When he’s not wearing his little temporary protective shoe, he lifts the foot up and avoids perching. So, we’ve been crafting him custom temporary shoes at home...each one takes time, lots of supplies, and more patience than Quincy believes necessary.  So, we reached out to Bionic Pets (the incredible team who created Bonnie’s leg brace!) to discuss the possibility of designing a reusable shoe just for Quincy. If this works out, it could transform his comfort and mobility. He will have an appointment next week with their team to assess his needs.  

On top of all that, he developed a chest abscess last week, possibly from longer periods lying down because of the foot soreness.  We treated it aggressively with antibiotics, and it’s healing beautifully.  He's back to spending time with his new little family (Tia, Betty, Rachel) and following them around protectively while they play and explore. 

Bonnie - Bonnie’s arthritis continues to be a challenge, but she’s hanging in there with her usual boss-sheep spirit. Our vet increased her pain medication, which seems to be giving her a bit more comfort and we've noticed her laying down less.  We also sent her updated X-rays to the specialists at NC State to see if she might be a good candidate for steroid joint injections. This could dramatically improve her comfort if they feel she’s safe a good fit for the procedure. We’re anxiously waiting for their response!

Fiona - Sweet Fiona is also battling arthritis which is increasingly impacting her mobility.  We've been trying a few new things, and we are very encouraged that she does seem to be improving!  She has been getting plant-based glucosamine treats, laser therapy, her new Assisi Loop, CBD oil, and frequent, slow walks. 

​Her movement looks more comfortable, and her energy has been a little brighter. So we’re staying consistent and hopeful that this routine continues to help her stay active and happy.

Betty - Miss Betty has finished her eye antibiotics, and there hasn't been any change in her squinting her right eye.  So, the eye doctor believes it is a damaged third eyelid which causes her eye to get dry.  In order to moisten it, she just has to blink with her regular eyelid, and likely isn't experiencing any discomfort or pain.  She will need moistening eye drops twice daily for the rest of her life to help with this.  We are relieved to be down to just one eye-drop, and just glad that her condition isn't causing her to be uncomfortable.