Double Dip

Last evening's rain shower treated us to prairie a la mode.

 A double dip of rainbow sherbet.

Delicious to the soul.

Seek a Shady Spot

 
I've lived in Kansas and Missouri, so I know what heat and humidity feel like.

I was in Phoenix, Arizona when the temperature hit 122F/50C.   That's just too blasted hot, even if it is a dry heat.

It's been warm in Colorado; in the 90s with a bit of humidity.  At this altitude the sun is strong and can cause a sunburn in a matter of minutes.

Sometimes we have to seek a shady spot wherever we can find it.

 Donkeys chillin' in Alamosa, Colorado

Misty's Monday Muse - Two More Weeks

Two more weeks.  I have two more weeks of vacation healing time before I have to go back to training school.

I went to the horse doc today to get my stitches out and my teeth floated and the hard-as-rock packing removed from my recently vacated socket.  The horse doc said I have some beautiful granulated tissue in my socket, but it needs more time to fill all the way in.  The horse doc doesn't want me going back to training until I'm completely healed.  Good call Doc.  I have plans to fill the next two weeks with lots of eating, pooping, and napping.    My three favorite activities, in that order.

Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain

If you like horses, you probably like dogs, then this book is a must-read.  I enjoy most books I read, some very much.  Occasionally one will strike me as exceptional and this was one of them.  You'll want to hug your dogs after reading this; maybe ask them for some advice too.

The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is an imaginative and endearing story; cleverly narrated by a dog named Enzo, a terrier/lab mix. Enzo shares intelligent and humorous anthropomorphic observations on life; meeting adversity with hope and courage. I got a kick out of his optimism and desire for opposable thumbs and human speech. For me, it wasn't a gripping page-turner, but a very charming, sweet-read that I wanted to savor. I downloaded the eBook from the library. One third of the way through I decided to purchase a copy because it is a keeper.

View all my reviews

Home Sweet Cubicle

It's been two weeks since Misty's dental surgery and she is doing well.  Her stitches should come out today, but par for the course, we have to wait until Monday; my vet is on vacation.  Oh well, veterinarians need vacations too.

I took several days off work and then telecommuted for a week so I could take care of Misty at home.   Alas, I couldn't stay away from the office forever, so I returned this week.

I've mentioned before that finding Work-Life-Horse Balance is challenging.  My job can be very stressful and demanding.   So last month I decided to personalize my office cubicle with happy things that motivate me to keep my butt in the chair and my nose to the grindstone.

I decorated my cubicle corner - the one I spend hours and hours facing - with happy horsey wall art, turning it from a drab space into a charming nook in which to rest my eyes and unwind when I need a brain break.

The small stuffed horse underneath my monitor is actually a screen cleaner.  It's tummy is made of soft microfiber cloth.

I love the picture in the center because it reminds me of Misty, with her big head and drafty hooves.

The artist titled it: "Reclining Nude"

Heigh-Ho, Heigh-Ho, It's off to work I go.  

(It's Wednesday!  Just two more days until the weekend.)

Quote:  "Corporations no longer try to fit square pegs into round holes; they just fit them into square cubicles."   Robert Brault

Success At Last

Misty's dental procedure went very well and that tooth is outta there!  Finally!

They let me take a couple of pictures during the procedure, but asked that I not post them online.  I'm not sure why.  Maybe because someone might think it looks like abuse rather than a veterinary procedure.  It did look rather Frankenstein-ish, but was fascinating to watch.  I think it is safe to share one of Misty's xrays. After all, I paid for them and they are not as disturbing as seeing a metal pin sticking into her sweet face.

First the dentist inserted a needle into Misty's jaw, above her bad tooth (#207), and took an x-ray to check the alignment.  Next she inserted a Steinmann pin, following the same path as the needle.  Another x-ray was taken and the pin realigned slightly, and another x-ray to confirm the desired positioning. I don't have a copy of the final confirmation x-ray.  After this shot the dentist chose to reposition the pin forward by about 2mm.  Since the tooth was rotten, the dentist was being very careful to aim the pin at the strongest part of the root to lessen the chance of the pin passing through the diseased tooth.

Then the dentist began tapping the pin with a metal surgical mallet, while her tech kept a hand in Misty's mouth, feeling for the vibration on the bad tooth.  It looked like the pin kept sinking deeper and deeper into Misty's jaw, when the tech finally said she was feeling the tooth move slightly.  The dentist switched places and felt the tooth.  The tech continued the tap...tap...tapping...and finally the tooth, root and all, dropped right into the dentist's fingers and everyone rejoiced.  Vets and their techs get really happy when procedures like this go as planned.  My local vet and her tech were there too.  Everyone got a learning experience feeling inside Misty's mouth, including me.  I've never had my hand inside Misty's mouth before.  It was amazing to feel her big teeth and the sharp point of the Steinmann pin still inserted through Misty's jaw and protruding into the huge gap where the rotten tooth had been.

The procedure took about 3 hours.  Misty was discharged a couple of hours later and spent the night at home in her pressure bandage.  I fed her soaked Timothy grass pellets when we got home.  She was very hungry and that bandage didn't slow her down one bit.

The next morning I removed her bandage.   She'll get her little pink stitches out around July 13th.  Until then I will be giving her oral antibiotics through a syringe and flushing her mouth twice a day with diluted Nolvasan.  Surprisingly, she likes the Nolvasan flush.  I don't even have to halter her for it.  She readily opens her mouth and lets me flush it 4 or 5 times with a syringe.  When she realizes I'm done, she tries to grab my container while I'm putting the cap back on.  Silly mare.

Misty is doing well and happy to return to napping with her good buddy SaraJane.  Goodness gracious those two princesses like to nap.  Must be nice.  I think we humans should follow their lead and take more naps.

Here is the official treatment report:

Misty was sedated with Dormosedan and Torbugesic, given anit-inflammatory (Banamine), and a maxillary nerve block was performed. Oral extraction not possible with missing crown. A Steinmann pin repulsion was performed successfully with radiographic guidance. The Steinmann pin tract was flushed with saline/dilute Betadine solution. The socket was packed with Metronidazole and Technovite packing.

Oh...you might be curious what something like this costs.  Me too!  I haven't received the final invoice yet, but the office told me it looked like it would be about $800.00.

Click HERE to see another Steinmann pin repulsion that is documented online by
The Academy of Equine Dentistry.