Busy Year

It's almost November and another busy year of raising wild babies and rehabbing injured wild life has finally slowed down. This was a record year for bunnies--98 bunnies were received this year! In addition, there were the squirrels, fawns, ducklings, owls, and numerous other waterfowl and songbirds. There was no time for sitting and writing new stories for the website. Not even a couple of minutes to write a new blog. But now with more free time I hopefully will feel inspired to write a few new stories. Watch for this year's fawn story. There will also be a story about "Natula", the little Western Kingbird. I have lots of new photos to add to the website as well. So, keep checking back. Before long I hope to have something new on the site for all of you to enjoy.

For Momma Mouse

Today I became "mother" to a litter of baby mice. There are four of them and they are each about an inch long, not including their tails. I found them while I was cleaning out the rabbit hutch. I knew there were mice living out there and I have seen mice in the rabbit hutch before when I've been feeding the rabbits and when I've been cleaning the hutch. I've never found babies before, though.

I was doing what I usually do, raking and bagging the dirty hay, the spilled rabbit food and the endless supply of rabbit droppings. I only have two rabbits but they sure do produce alot of poop!! I opened up the top of the hutch and started raking the hay out of there and putting it into big garbage bags. I looked up and there was a mouse staring right at me with its tiny little eyes. It hesitated, not knowing whether to stay put in the hutch or to run away from me and my raking. Finally it decided to leave. I raked a little bit more and just as I was about to scoop up some hay to put it into the bag, I saw a little tiny baby mouse squirming in the dirty hay. Then I found another one, then a third one and finally the fourth one was discovered. Their eyes are not yet open and their little squeaks are barely audible. They have tiny little whiskers that you can hardly see. They all appear very healthy.

Now I understood why that mouse seemed to hestitate before running out of the hutch. These are her babies and she wanted to stay with them and protect them. But, what was I going to do with these babies now that I'd found them? I looked at these four little lives I held in my hand. I looked at the garbage bag that was filling with soiled hay and rabbit food. I looked back at the four little squirming bodies and headed into the garage to look for a little box to put some wood shavings in for a nest for the baby mice. I just couldn't bring myself to toss the babies into the garbage bag. I decided I would try to save them. They may not live, but at least I didn't throw them away.

So, momma mouse, for you, for your babies and for my own conscience, I am trying to save your babies. I won't raise them as well as you would have, but I won't hurt them either. They are warm; they are fed. And when they are grown I will let them go, but not in my backyard.

Become a Generous Rescue Partner!

Several years ago when I was just beginning this journey that has introduced me to so many different wild creatures, I found it necessary to have a cage constructed that would be big enough to house six crows that I was working with. It was never meant to be a permanent structure; it was to be dismantled once the crows were released. However, just like in the movie "Field of Dreams", If you build it they will come. Since its construction it has rarely been empty. This cage has been "home" to many of the birds and animals you see pictured on the website.

Over the years, wind, rain, snow and the hot sun have taken a toll on the cage. It is now necessary to rebuild it. Since it seems to be a much needed structure, the plan is to rebuild it to be a much more sturdy enclosure, offering better protection from the elements. This is going to be a somewhat costly undertaking for our small program, more costly than what our donation fund can support. Any monetary donations received up to this point have been used to feed the wild birds and animals that come to us. This year we are starting a special fund to help us construct our much needed new enclosure. If you would like to make a donation to this special fund, please contact us at Canyon Lake Veterinary Hospital.

Spring is Coming!!

Today is the first day of spring. Soon wild birds and animals will be raising their young families. Each year the baby season starts with the bunnies in April. People often discover a nest of young bunnies and think they have been abandoned because there is no mother rabbit in sight. Mother rabbits do not stay with their young the way a mother cat or a mother dog does. Rabbits visit the nest once, maybe twice, a day. The rest of the time the babies are left alone in the nest. If you stumble upon a nest of baby rabbits, please be absolutely sure that the mother is no longer caring for them. If the young appear to be healthy and well-fed leave the nest alone and possibly check on them the next day. Sometimes a nest is disturbed when a person is mowing the grass. If the nest is not completely damaged it can be put back in order and the young rabbits can be returned to the nest. It is best to check on the young to make sure mother rabbit is continuing to care for her babies.

Baby squirrels and rabbits are often the victims of cat/dog attacks. Bite wounds can be very serious for these little creatures. Often times the wound or puncture that is visible is just the tip of the iceberg. Babies that have suffered a cat or dog attack need to receive antibiotic treatment and the wounds must be cleaned and possibly sutured.

Over the years I have learned that momma birds are very smart. Many of the baby birds I receive are found on the sidewalk or on the ground below the tree where the nest is. If you know for certain where the nest is, you can put the baby bird back in the nest and watch to make sure the baby stays put in the nest this time. Many of the tiny babies that are found on the ground do not survive. I believe that in a lot of these cases there is something wrong with that baby and that's why it was removed from the nest. That's part of the survival of the fittest.

This way the parents can focus all their attention on the healthy, thriving babies. Sometimes the larger, older babies will push the tiny ones from the nest. I am always amazed at these tiny creatures and the fact that their lives are held inside such fragile, transparent skin.

Please remember that not all babies need to be rescued. If you find a baby bird or animal that you believe needs help, please call us at Canyon Lake Veterinary Hospital.

Scout:Mending a Broken Heart

Perhaps it was a bit too early. I wasn't really ready for a new dog yet. But sometimes things just happen. Things that you don't question, you just know this is how it is supposed to go.

Scout came home with me on Valentine's Day "for the weekend". I had a few days off and rather than have her stay at the clinic all that time, I thought she could just as well be at home with me. In the back of my mind I knew she would not be returning to the clinic. My heart, on the other hand, kept saying "I'm not ready!"

Scout had been brought to the clinic by her previous owners. They felt they were just too busy for her. Jobs, the wife being in school and having 3 children just did not leave enough time to devote to Scout and the care that certain health issues require. Scout has food allergies and chronic ear problems that can frequently require on-going medical attention. They had originally thought that if the ear problem could just be brought under control, maybe they could manage it from there. Later that morning they decided upon euthanasia. Fortunately, Dr. Nick thought otherwise and told the owners that if they were willing to surrender Scout to us at the clinic, we would deal with the ear issue and find her a good home. So, that's what happened.

Scout has been with me for one week now and every day I discover something new that she knows how to do or a new command or word that she understands. She looks at me like I'm the greatest thing in the world. She has beautiful soft brown eyes that are just asking me to love her back. She is very well behaved, is good with the cats and so far has no bad habits that I know of. She eats her prescription food, doesn't beg, lets me know when she has to go out and is very tolerant of me messing with her ears. She had surgery on her right ear and it is healing very nicely. She has adjusted well to her new surroundings.

I, on the other hand, am having a hard time dealing with the feeling that I'm cheating on Abby. It's like my heart is saying ,"But I still love Abby and I miss her so much. I'm still broken." In my head I know I can love them both. If I love Scout, that doesn't mean that I can't still love Abby. I guess the heart takes longer to mend.

But, I believe that's why Scout was put in my life. That's why she was brought to the clinic that day. She is helping my broken heart mend. We will be doing many things together, things that Abby could not have done in her later years. Scout has a new life jacket so she can go kayaking with me. She has a new back pack so when we go hiking she can carry her own water and snacks. Perhaps we both needed each other. She needed someone with more time to spend with her and I needed someone to help me get over the loss of Abby.

Abby used to lay beside me on the bed and put her front leg straight up in the air. That meant she wanted me to run my fingers up and down her leg. That would put her to sleep. The other night Scout was laying on the bed and all of a sudden she put her front leg up in the air. Now, I don't know, maybe that's a common thing that dogs do. I saw it as a sign from Abby. Maybe Abby told Scout that if she put her leg up in the air I would rub it.

And so, Scout and I soldier on in our new relationship, growing closer day by day. I know we will have many wonderful years together. Hopefully we'll receive a sign from Abby now and then just to let us know that it's okay for Scout to be here. I love you Abby. I will love you Scout.