So a few months ago I was going an overnight at a house with many books on the coffee table.  I was having trouble sleeping, so I started reading one about Haunted Philadelphia.  As I am flipping through the pictures, I see a clients apartment!  I read further, texted her immediately, and she said she was going to investigate.

The story that I got from her was this : It is haunted by a female ghost. Her name was Cloris & she was an 18 yr old dancer so feel in love with one of Joseph Bonaparte 's men.  She went a little nutso on him & followed him into a boat.  They caught her & threw her in the stable which is now our gated garden.  She tried to escape & they shot her in the back in the alley way where the trash cans are.

There were some suspicious pictures taken by her fireplace of the cats that I will have to get from Terry.  Have I seen shadows? Yes.  Did I feel uneasy? No.  Just interesting that my clients apartment is sorta famous :)

Oh Sundays.  How come emergencies only happen on Sundays??  I was watching 2 new dogs (first time clients) and they were wonderful!  I had already had them for about 2 days and they were happy, eating well, playful, kissing me like crazy.... and then the diarrhea started.  I called the owners, figured it was just stress of them being away, and said that I would fast them.  I stopped by the vet to pick up some cans of bland food, hoping that would do the trick.

Sunday morning Terry and I are greeted with wags and smiles... and a small pile of diarrhea in the dining room.  Oy.  So I let the dogs out back to pee, give them each a half a can of their bland diet,  and I come outside to find this:

  

I immediately think HGE (hemorrhagic gastroenteritis) So first we figure out which one is the culprit.  We see the most bloody poo (I know it's disgusting, but this is also a learning experience for me readers) coming from Ninja.  Then they both start vomiting all over.  Sigh... 

I called the owners to discuss what is going on, what I think the problem is, and what we should do.  We all agreed that going to Vet Specialty And Emergency was the best bed on a Sunday morning since they are open 24 hours.  Terry and I grab blankets for the back of her car, load up the kids, and take them down to front and Washington.  Ninja decided to sprawl on the back seat which left Buddha standing up and leaning against the seat to keep his balance. Brothers!

 So we arrive at the vet, give our history and info, etc.  The boys are full of adrenaline at this point because of the car ride and the excitement of meeting all of these new people that they can kiss.  The tech takes them back to check their vitals and we are then waiting in the exam room for a while...  Talk about restless!  Two big dogs and two tired sitters in a small room trying to be calm and wait patiently for the doctor.

Me getting the happy Buddha face

Me getting the sad Buddha face and giving him a sad face back

Ninja and his tongue

The doctor comes in, says their vitals and temperatures are just fine.  Physically they look ok, but confirms that she too thinks Ninja has HGE and that Buddha (although less bloody) definitely needs some treatment.  They gave anti nausea injections, subcutaneous fluids, and sent them home with anti diarrhea pills plus a stomach coating pill for Ninja.  Three hours later, we left the emergency room.

We fasted them again, started the meds, took up all water and food and endured the sad faces.  Up until the owners came home, there was still vomit, still loose poo, and still lethargy.  Buddha was bouncing back quicker than Ninja, but neither of them could hold anything down until the next day.  Poor babies still wanted love and attention.  They were great sports (as were their parents!)  They are still on the mend, as I am in touch with their mom like a worried aunt!  I love these guys!  Please send them well wishes and healing thoughts to their tummies, they sure need it!

My last visit, Buddha telling me he feels a bit better :)

Poor Bailey has a bit of a compromised immune system from being shuffled around from home to shelter to new home, and has had a bit of a skin infection for the past few weeks.  His owners asked if I could give him his medicated bath twice a week since their groomer was ill.  I agreed of course (because I just love all of them) and it has been an adventure.  The first day I had to give the bath in the tub since it was too cold to do it outside.  I started out dry and on the floor and ended up just getting in there with him because I had no other way to get his whole body.  We were both soaked head to toe, the bathroom was covered in dog hair (as was I), but Bailey was a great sport.

Now that it is warmer, Terry and I have been bathing him out back with the hose.  This has been MUCH easier, however the point of the bath is to keep the medicated shampoo on for 15 min.  Although Bailey is quite cooperative, he now tried to avoid the bath at all costs.  Today he jumped up on the table like a billy goat.  Silly boy!

Trying to avoid us

Letting the shampoo soak in... while jumping to higher ground

His "Oh man, another bath??!!" face

Just another album of awesome views from different client windows.  I become mesmerized with these picturesque views of the city!

Hello City Hall

Trying to get the word out about this cat.  He showed up on my clients front step about 2 months ago. He was a sweetie pie and jumped right in her lap.  He hadn't returned until last week.  He was dirty and skinny, so she took him in.  Obviously he was a house cat that someone decided they didn't want anymore.  He now needs a home.  She has named him Grayson and he is a super laid back cat.  He had his vaccines this week, he is felv/fiv negative, and he will be neutered on Saturday.  He loves human company and head pets, but is a bit wary of too much handling.  (He must have a had a rough time on the street and in his previous home)  He will immediately sit on your lap and purr, this is just what he wants.  He is a great eater, about  a year old, and just needs some TLC.  The new owner must be patient with him, as he does not like to be picked up.  He doesn't hiss or growl or scratch, he just whips his head around quickly to make sure you let go.  I"m sure once he is in a stable home he will learn to trust again.  For now, he is treating his foster home like a spa.  He lounges on a chaise, gets good meals, and enjoys plenty of head scratches.  Can anyone give him a home??

This is about 2 weeks late, but I didn't want to write until I had all of the information.

Terry and I were in Washington Square Park one morning walking Bean

We were passing by a tree when Terry said, "Hey! Look at that squirrel."  I slowly went over to it and saw that it was bleeding. Figures.  I hand over Bean to Terry and go investigate the squirrel.  She seemed in shock and was pretty docile, so I figured I'd get a box for her and put her in my yard to see if she improved throughout the day.  First I gave her a peanut butter cracker (because that is what I do with docile squirrels).

 This is her holding the peanut butter cracker, seeming relieved.  And my , "Look how cute she is" face.

The next feat was to find a box.  I thought I'd check Hopkinson House since I know the front desk guys well.  The first one at the door looks at me and yells, "That's a damn squirrel in your hand!!!"  They didn't have a box, but suggested the convenient store to the left.  Terry popped her head in to ask for a box, and they gave us a pop tart box (which by the way is a flimsy piece of crap).  I put her in there, then went to look for a better box.  We stopped by the pharmacy across the street and I talked them into a sturdier cardboard box.  We took the little injured kid back to my house and checked in on her hourly. Since she seemed to be improving, we decided to take her out to Schuylkill Valley Wildlife Rehab.  

After our 13 visits, the 2 of us armed with google maps directions (yet little sense of direction) piled in the car with a bleeding squirrel and headed out to the woods.  We miraculously found our way (with a little help from a mail woman) and pulled up to the Rehab Center.  The first thing we see is a goat!!! I loved the place immediately.  They have chickens, ducks, roosters, and a goat who hangs out in the parking lot eating greenery.  We took the squirrel in to get admitted, made a small donation, and headed out.  There was then goat bonding time.  I pulled out another peanut butter cracker for him, which he devoured, and then my "to do" list for the day dropped in the ground.  He went right for it and started eating it.  I tried to get it out of his mouth, but he put his head down and gave me the horns.  Sigh... What a cutie though!

My list in his mouth

I called to check on the squirrel 24 hrs later.  They said that she was still hanging in, but still bleeding a bit.  I then called a week later and they told me that she is doing great!  It was a superficial would (not internal bleeding like we thought) and she is in their outdoor cage hanging out getting ready to be released!  What a happy ending to this crazy day we had!!

Yup... that's my list