Saturday, September 26, 2015

Clover's Intestinal Adventure

In the course of picking it up, you can't help but observe it's, shall we say, integrity.   The consistency of Clover's efforts went from soft serve to slurpy.




Being a puppy and all, the first thing suspected is worms.  Clover is now five months old, she's been wormed, dewormed, her poop examined for wormage.  There's a parasite called Giardia that is hard to see -even if you whip it around in a centrifuge and look at it under a microscope. The veterinarian explained that the presence of Giardia is so difficult to confirm that you must get three negatives to diagnosis it.  (Should that be three positives?)

The vet also perkily exclaimed that LaGuardia is why you don't drink the water in Mexico. 

Clover was given some medicine called Metronidozole that smells like bacon.  The condition of her bowel movements vastly improved.  Once the medication was gone, her poop grew loose.

Periodic diarrhea is the hallmark of VincentGardenia, Perky Vet informed.  Thus, here comes another course of bacon flavored medicine.  Happily, Clover enjoyed having the liquid Metronidozole squirted into her mouth.  The other dogs seemed to want some too.  It's true about bacon and dogs.  Even if it's artificial bacon in what the vet techs call a suspension.





Clover, to her credit, did not taunt them with bawk bawk bawk.

We went through this unpleasant cycle of good poop/bad poop till Perky Vet was forced to announce that maybe the problem isn't Gargantua at all.  It could be that Clover is allergic to her food.  It's a common problem, usually they grow out it.  In fact, Perky Vet checked the online message boards and found some 1500 dog owners living this same bowel adventure.  Even they're saying that most dogs grow out of it!




Meanwhile we must try different food.  Usually it's the protein source that's the problem (though some dogs are allergic to wheat.  Reassuringly, most dog foods don't contain wheat).  Fine.  Clover has been eating a chicken and rice food, we'll switch to lamb and rice and see if that helps. 

Here we go again.  The other dogs notice that Clover is getting a different food.  They again want to know, what gives?





Clover, to her credit, bawk bawk bawked just a little.





















In addition to different food, we've added Probiotics.  Wait, the dog food contains probiotics.  Won't that do?  No.  Perky Vet has a special probotic with a dash of keopectate in chewable form that tastes good.  It may not be suspended bacon, but the other dogs are yet again asking, what gives?





And there's another cycle in the wind.

Friday, September 11, 2015

Walking Sticks

There are different kinds of walking sticks.  For example.





 Fancy Cane






 
Shillelagh







 
This guy
 
 

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Pop Culture Frenzy, Round 38

Welcome once again to Pop Culture Frenzy.  Today's question involves naming a mountain.




The tallest mountain in North America is located in Alaska.  Since 1896 the mountain has been called Mount McKinley.  The mountain has been recently renamed.  What is this mountain's name now?

Molly?



 
Because It's There?
 
 
 
Hostmaster:  motivation for the ages.  Incorrect.
 
Bryan?
 
 
 
 
Leon Czolgosz?
 
 
 
Hostmaster:  Leon Czolgosz?
 
 
 
 
 
He's the man who shot William McKinley.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Now that's celebrating
 gun culture in a big way!
 
 
 
 
 
 
That's not funny Fluffy.
William McKinley would
still be alive if guns
weren't so prevalent
in this country.
 
 
 
 
 
Hostmaster:  ahem.
 
Cyndi?
 
 
 
 
 
Mt. Denali.
That's what the native
Alaskans used to
call it.  President
Obama is giving
them back their name.
 
 
 
 
Hostmaster:  basically correct.  The state of Alaska has been attempting to change the name of the mountain back to Denali since 1975.  Some folks in Ohio have fought the name change because it honors former president McKinley who was from Canton, OH.  It seems that legally renaming a mountain requires lots of procedures like creating a bill, voting on it, getting enough votes to pass it, and so on.

Then again, Barack Obama has his phone and his pen.  Presto chango.  The name change is done.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Meanwhile, the native Alaskans who hold the title to thousands
 of acres want to drill for oil on that land.  They are being kept from
 doing so because their land is also government park land.
  Apparently the federal government has veto power over what
native Alaskans can do on or with "their" land. 
 
 
 
 
Not much has been in the news about the meeting between President Obama and the native Alaskan leaders other than the mountain's name.  Word is though, that native Alaskans were far more interested in discussing the use of their land than in what the federal government calls the mountain.
 
 
 
 
 
 After changing the mountain's name, Obama
schooled Alaskans on climate change.  You know, climate
change is a greater threat than terrorism!

Naturally, fossils fuels are
a no-no in Obama's fundamentally
transformed America.
 
  What are the odds the native Alaskans
will be allowed to use their land as they choose?
 
 
 
 
 
As high as Denali?
 
 
 
 
 
So ends another round of Pop Culture Frenzy.
 
 

 
 
 
Round 38
Fluffy/Molly  16
Bryan/Cyndi  15