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.

Saint Nick - The Sentencing

One year ago (on Christmas Eve) Saint Nick was found tied in a ditch. He was emaciated and filthy and had a badly injured hind leg. I often wonder what he was thinking as he stood there in the cold. Had he just accepted the idea that this was how his life was to end? If you haven't read his story, please do. It is in the Journal section of the Wildlife Rescue page on the website.

On Halloween 2007 the owner of Saint Nick was found guilty of inhumane treatment of animals. His sentencing was on December 21, 2007. He was given 5 days of jail time with work release, has to pay a $200.00 fine and also has to pay $800.00 in restitution ($500.00 of which goes back to the rescue organization). This man owns 20 other horses. I wonder what condition they are in. This man breeds horses. How many more unwanted, un-cared for horses are there going to be? The issue isn't the money. He should have had his horses taken from him. He should have been prevented from doing this again. Some feel he should have been tied in the ditch in the cold on Christmas Eve. An eye for an eye.

Bits 'n Pieces

I thought this might be a good time to post little bits of information that I've been storing in the back of my mind. I'm afraid I may forget to mention them if I wait much longer.

First, the man found guilty of inhumane treatment in the Saint Nick case is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 21 at 10:30 in the morning in Sioux Falls. I'll post an entry as soon as I hear the outcome there. If you haven't read the story about Saint Nick you will find it on the Journal page of the Wildlife Rescue section of the website.

Second, the crows that were hanging around the 3 weeks prior to the death of my dog, Abby, have not been around since she died. (Read previous posts and the story about Traveler the crow on the website) Isn't it interesting?

The cardinal is still here everyday. I guess he has decided this isn't a bad place to spend the winter. His red is even brighter now. If I am able to get a good picture of him I'll post it in another entry.

I had an e-mail a while back from the conservation officer who helped me release the fawns (two mule deer and one white tail) in Sept. of 2006. He had been up in the area where we released them and happened to see 3 young deer hanging out together--two mule deer and one white tail. It was too far away for him to be able to tell if they were bucks or does or even if they had small spike antlers. The chances of it being those three fawns are very slim. But what if?

Summer of the Heron

Today the kayak rack on my jeep carried a Christmas tree home from The Club for Boys. It wasn't too long ago that I loaded up my kayak and headed for my favorite little lake any chance that I got. It's a beautiful little lake, quiet and serene. During the summer months there are many ducks and turtles there to watch. The ospreys nesting there are always busy diving for small fish to feed their young who can be heard calling from the trees. Sometimes they dive right in front of you. Most of the time they come up empty handed. When they do take flight with a fish in their grasp you just want to jump up and down and cheer them on. It will be interesting in the spring to see if they are there again, raising another family. There was also a great blue heron in residence there. Sometimes he could be spotted standing motionless among the reeds looking like a statue that you might see in someone's yard. He liked to perch on one particular dead tree, too, and unless you were looking for him, you might miss him. He blended in to his surroundings so well. I had the opportunity to rehab a great blue heron this year so was very happy to see this one. When the time came to release "my" heron, I took him to this little lake. When I opened the carrier, he came out and stood for awhile just taking in his new home. Then he took flight and I held my breath until he was safely on the other bank. He was beautiful in the air and had an amazing wing span. I was ecstatic to see him fly and couldn't have been happier about this release. I went back to the lake several times after his release and sometimes I'd see two herons, sometimes only one. My last trip to the lake was in mid-October. It was 43 degrees out. It was foggy and misty and began to rain. I loved being on the water in this weather. Most of the ducks were gone and the ospreys had moved on. I didn't see either of the herons. But as I sat out on the water thinking about how quiet it was now with all the wildlife gone, I saw a huge bird silently approaching from the far side of the lake. As it came closer I could see what it was. No, not a heron. It was a bald eagle. Beautiful and massive. How lucky to have had the chance to see that. It made me think about the opportunities that might be missed if we tell ourselves, "The weather isn't ideal." or "I'm too busy." or "I have a messy house."

Winter Cardinal

I have rarely seen a cardinal. Several years ago I was in Missouri and saw so many. There they are as plentiful as the sparrows are here. But around here I think I have only seen one cardinal. So early this fall when I received a young cardinal it was very exciting. He was found in a parking lot and was unable to fly. There were no injuries or broken bones but his feathers were a little "scruffy" looking. I took him home and put him in a small cage where I could keep an eye on him. He ate alot, was very active and alert and before long he was strong enough to move to a larger cage outside. He was very popular with the other small birds that come to the backyard to eat. Sparrows, nuthatches and chickadees would visit him daily. He grew stronger as the days went by and eventually was flying all over in his big cage. There was no need to keep him any longer. I was going to take him to my sister's place in eastern S.D. since she has cardinals there every winter. Then I thought, "Why not just release him here where he knows there's plenty of food, water and shelter if he needs it?" So that's what I did one nice sunny day. That was about a month ago and he has been here ever since. He still enters his cage to eat and brings along several friends to share with. It's not unusual to see him in his cage eating side-by-side with the sparrows and the chickadees and nuthatches. He is very easy to spot among the browns and grays of the other small birds he hangs out with. His bright red stands out especially well now that it has snowed. He is very easily startled which makes it hard to photograph him. None of the other little birds seem to notice or care that he is different from them. And he doesn't seem to be bothered by the differences either. Perhaps there is a lesson to be learned here.

“Peaceful Easy Feeling”

Yesterday I lost my best buddy, my dog Abby. She was 15 years old and had recently become ill. The illness progressed very quickly. At least it wasn’t a long drawn out thing. She died here at home on my bed where she spent most of her time lately. I found her when I came home for lunch. She just looked like she was sleeping. She looked peaceful and comfortable. I know when she died. I was at work looking at a lab sample under the microscope and all of a sudden I had the strongest feeling of calmness. To steal a line from an Eagle’s song, it was a “peaceful easy feeling”. And I knew that she had died. I don’t know how I knew, I just knew. When I got home and opened the back door to the house there were more of my cats there to greet me than usual. It was as if they were telling me something was wrong.