Thursday, February 9, 2012
Coot Feet
They are rather interesting looking.
Unfortunately I did not get the chance to go out hunting again before waterfowl season ended so these are the last two I've got.
Conker still wants nothing to do with them, so they will live in the freezer for a bit. Along with the unspectacular wings that I plan on using with Juneau for retriever training.
Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Arizona Adventure: The White Tank Mountains, Part 2
Part 1
Hazardous was right. The trail instantly got more rocky and had steep drop offs on one side.
Conker and I stopped several times to look at the desert on the other side of the drop.
Conker seemed like he was having a blast navigating the rocks.
Sometimes we would go a little too fast and try to jump up a rock and hit the end of the leash and snap back down. I had to either try to catch him to leap forwards to prevent this.
Sometimes I think Conker is part Mountain Goat. He loves to climb up things, especially rocks. We found a large pile of rocks and he just had to climb it to sniff around.
I did say it was large, didn't I?
Conker really liked this part of the trail. He was hopping around like mad.
We continued for another 2 miles or so past the warning signs until we came to a rock wall. We climbed up it but the trail just ended on the other side. I was quite confused, since the map said the trail continued on past and up across a pass. We looked for the other end of the trail for a while but after about 20 minutes of finding nothing, we turned back.
Despite the dissapointment in the middle of the hike, it was a lot of fun. Conker really enjoyed all the rocks, it's too bad I haven't found anything like that within a reasonable driving distance of GP.
I do know of a couple places that might be similar. There is a trail along the Rouge River that could have some neat hiking sections, I plan on visiting that sometime soon. And then there's the Badlands in Central Oregon that I am planning a week-long trip for this spring/summer. I am really looking forwards to that one.
Anywho, that was our one hike in Arizona. I really miss hiking in the desert.
But I don't miss these.
Anywho, that was our one hike in Arizona. I really miss hiking in the desert.
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Go Patriots!
Yep.
Today Conker got:
Some Honest Kitchen Keen and Verve, ground beef, and cottage cheese. And all the regular supplemental craps.
I was able to find some chicken at a nice low price, .69 cents a pound which is cheap here. Normally sale chicken is .79 or .88 cents a pound. So I grabbed a 10 pound bag of quarters and stuffed it into the freezer. I wish I had a chest freezer, I'd have gotten three or four bags instead of just one. Oh well.
I also got a whole chicken (I did pay a bit more for it but I like whole chickens, they're fun) and some sardines for $1 a tin.
Though I've still got quite a bit of Honest Kitchen left (1 pound of Keen, 1 pound 5 ounces of Verve) Conker will be eating mainly raw foods for a bit because that 10 pound bag of chicken is taking up a lot of room and I need to free up some space. I've got about 6 days of stuff already made up and that takes up space as well since I used tupperwares for that.
I need a chest freezer.
Today Conker got:
I was able to find some chicken at a nice low price, .69 cents a pound which is cheap here. Normally sale chicken is .79 or .88 cents a pound. So I grabbed a 10 pound bag of quarters and stuffed it into the freezer. I wish I had a chest freezer, I'd have gotten three or four bags instead of just one. Oh well.
I also got a whole chicken (I did pay a bit more for it but I like whole chickens, they're fun) and some sardines for $1 a tin.
Though I've still got quite a bit of Honest Kitchen left (1 pound of Keen, 1 pound 5 ounces of Verve) Conker will be eating mainly raw foods for a bit because that 10 pound bag of chicken is taking up a lot of room and I need to free up some space. I've got about 6 days of stuff already made up and that takes up space as well since I used tupperwares for that.
I need a chest freezer.
Photo of Juneau's busted tooth.
I posted this a while back but I had someone request I show it, just in case she doesn't see my comment reply.
The tooth was the upper left carnassial and had a large enough chunk broken off that only about two sections of 1/3rd inch of tooth was left. The pulp was visible in three places and was a darkish brown color. The break was sharp and jagged and caused Juneau some pain. She rubbed her face on the ground or with a paw frequently, which is a sign of discomfort or pain.
Due to the extent of the break we had to have the tooth extracted. That's not a cheap procedure but it's well worth the cost compared to what could happen if one were to ignore the tooth and let it abscess and rot. During the extraction the rest of Juneau's teeth were cleaned. They didn't need it that badly but passing it up would have been kinda dumb since the cost of anesthesia and monitoring is what drives the price up so high.
My suspect for breaking the tooth is a rock. I say this because I had not given the dogs any hard bones or chews for a while. I could have missed an old one in the yard, but I haven't found any since the break occurred so I doubt that is the case.
Anywho, I think it was a rock since our yard has lots of rocks in it and the Girls like to chew on sticks, and sometimes they get rocks in their mouths when they chew out in the yard.
Due to the extent of the break we had to have the tooth extracted. That's not a cheap procedure but it's well worth the cost compared to what could happen if one were to ignore the tooth and let it abscess and rot. During the extraction the rest of Juneau's teeth were cleaned. They didn't need it that badly but passing it up would have been kinda dumb since the cost of anesthesia and monitoring is what drives the price up so high.
My suspect for breaking the tooth is a rock. I say this because I had not given the dogs any hard bones or chews for a while. I could have missed an old one in the yard, but I haven't found any since the break occurred so I doubt that is the case.
Anywho, I think it was a rock since our yard has lots of rocks in it and the Girls like to chew on sticks, and sometimes they get rocks in their mouths when they chew out in the yard.
Saturday, February 4, 2012
Friday, February 3, 2012
Money spent in January
I totally meant to do this on the first but spaced out. Idea stolen from The House of Two Bows
I am only going to include Conker's expenses. While I may buy the food for Juneau and Sasha, I'm not using my money to do it. Same goes with vet expenses for those two. Stuff like toys, leashes, harnesses, etc. is included since I don't plan on leaving that here if/when I move out.
If I don't spend any money in any given category (food, vet/medical, accessories, whatever) then it won't be listed. I also tend to round up so the totals are a bit higher by a couple cents.
Anywho...
January 2012
Food
I bought some gizzards, canned clams and a turkey neck. Not much this past month because I've still got a lot of The Honest Kitchen left and quite a bit of frozen meat in the freezer.
Toys
Two new toys from Altrec: Ruff Wear's Sqwash and TurnUp. So far they have been very good investments.
Treats and Chews
Conker got a new bag of Zuke's Mini Naturals since I had almost run out, a couple Z-Bones, and some Z-Fillet that we got at a killer deal.
Other
Since they count as mine, even though some of it's for Sasha and Juneau: Straps and buckles for the Approach Packs, as well as some O rings, bolt snaps, and rope thingies for the horse-leads I bought a while ago to make them double-sided.
And that's it for January!
I am only going to include Conker's expenses. While I may buy the food for Juneau and Sasha, I'm not using my money to do it. Same goes with vet expenses for those two. Stuff like toys, leashes, harnesses, etc. is included since I don't plan on leaving that here if/when I move out.
If I don't spend any money in any given category (food, vet/medical, accessories, whatever) then it won't be listed. I also tend to round up so the totals are a bit higher by a couple cents.
Anywho...
January 2012
- Food: $5.20
- Toys: $17.00
- Treats and Chews: $11.40
- Other: $11.00
Food
I bought some gizzards, canned clams and a turkey neck. Not much this past month because I've still got a lot of The Honest Kitchen left and quite a bit of frozen meat in the freezer.
Toys
Two new toys from Altrec: Ruff Wear's Sqwash and TurnUp. So far they have been very good investments.
Treats and Chews
Conker got a new bag of Zuke's Mini Naturals since I had almost run out, a couple Z-Bones, and some Z-Fillet that we got at a killer deal.
Other
Since they count as mine, even though some of it's for Sasha and Juneau: Straps and buckles for the Approach Packs, as well as some O rings, bolt snaps, and rope thingies for the horse-leads I bought a while ago to make them double-sided.
And that's it for January!
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Two Weeks Update
Took Juneau into the vet today. Her mouth is looking good, healing up nicely. There's a couple sutures still left but they will dissolve soon, in a week or so.
I was given some dog toothpaste that came with a fingerbrush, and a chew thing. Not sure what the chew is, but it supposedly helps create a coat over the teeth to protect against tartar buildup? It looks like a mix between a pig ear and a dried yam. They are made by Virbrac Animal Health, C.E.T. Home Dental Care somethingorother. A small information sheet with pictures of nasty dog teeth was also in the bag. I should give that one to Mom.
Oh, and I was given some propaganda about Royal Canin's "special" dental diet. Thanks, but I'm gonna pass on that one.
I'm probably going to use the toothpaste on Juneau a couple times but mainly use it with Sasha. She's the one who needs more attention given to her teeth.
I was given some dog toothpaste that came with a fingerbrush, and a chew thing. Not sure what the chew is, but it supposedly helps create a coat over the teeth to protect against tartar buildup? It looks like a mix between a pig ear and a dried yam. They are made by Virbrac Animal Health, C.E.T. Home Dental Care somethingorother. A small information sheet with pictures of nasty dog teeth was also in the bag. I should give that one to Mom.
Oh, and I was given some propaganda about Royal Canin's "special" dental diet. Thanks, but I'm gonna pass on that one.
I'm probably going to use the toothpaste on Juneau a couple times but mainly use it with Sasha. She's the one who needs more attention given to her teeth.
Science Diet: Puppy Small Bites
Here goes, my review of a Science Diet formula.
When I got Conker he came with a bag of Puppy Small Bites. I already knew that this was not that awesome of a food but I continued to feed it to him as I switched him to a different kibble anyways. At this time I didn't know the extent of Conker's digestive problems and though I quickly found out about them, I didn't link some of them to ingredients in this food until somewhat recently.
Ingredients: Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Liver Flavor, Brewers Rice, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Fish Oil, Flaxseed, Soybean Oil, Iodized Salt, Potassium Chloride, L-lysine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, vitamins (L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Magnesium Oxide, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.
Average Nutrient And Caloric Contents*
Protein 31.5
Fat 19.8
Carbohydrate (NFE) 38.4
Crude Fiber 2.3
3897 kcal/kg 384.0 kcal/per cup
*Dry-matter basis
Lets take a look at the ingredients.
Corn is one of Conker's sensitivities, as it is for many dogs. Not a quality ingredient in my book. Followed by chicken by-product meal. Another sensitivity, but at least it's named. (Doesn't mean it's good.) Corn gluten meal is a bad ingredient, and another problematic one for Conker. Animal fat but from what animal? Generally not good ingredients.
This "food" is comprised of fillers and garbage.
How did Conker do on this? Terrible. He smelled bad, shed a lot, was constantly itching, had unpredictable and often really nasty poop, he refused to eat it at times and was generally not in the best of shape while eating this food.
And it's not surprising, given how crappy the ingredients are.
When I switched him to a different brand he stopped smelling bad, the shedding lessened, he stopped obsessively itching (didn't completely go away though) and his poop became a bit more predictable. I attributed this to the higher-quality ingredients in the new food.
I know it's not long but it's a simple review due to how bad Conker's condition was on it. I do not think there is much else to say about a food which is obviously not a good one and that's not based on ingredients alone. He really was not in good shape while eating this stuff.
When I got Conker he came with a bag of Puppy Small Bites. I already knew that this was not that awesome of a food but I continued to feed it to him as I switched him to a different kibble anyways. At this time I didn't know the extent of Conker's digestive problems and though I quickly found out about them, I didn't link some of them to ingredients in this food until somewhat recently.
Ingredients: Whole Grain Corn, Chicken By-Product Meal, Corn Gluten Meal, Animal Fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and citric acid), Dried Beet Pulp, Chicken Liver Flavor, Brewers Rice, Dicalcium Phosphate, Lactic Acid, Fish Oil, Flaxseed, Soybean Oil, Iodized Salt, Potassium Chloride, L-lysine, Choline Chloride, Vitamin E Supplement, vitamins (L-ascorbyl-2-polyphosphate (source of vitamin C), Vitamin E Supplement, Niacin, Thiamine Mononitrate, Vitamin A Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Folic Acid, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Magnesium Oxide, minerals (Ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Oxide, Copper Sulfate, Manganous Oxide, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite), preserved with Mixed Tocopherols and Citric Acid, Phosphoric Acid, Beta-Carotene, Rosemary Extract.
Average Nutrient And Caloric Contents*
Protein 31.5
Fat 19.8
Carbohydrate (NFE) 38.4
Crude Fiber 2.3
3897 kcal/kg 384.0 kcal/per cup
*Dry-matter basis
Lets take a look at the ingredients.
Corn is one of Conker's sensitivities, as it is for many dogs. Not a quality ingredient in my book. Followed by chicken by-product meal. Another sensitivity, but at least it's named. (Doesn't mean it's good.) Corn gluten meal is a bad ingredient, and another problematic one for Conker. Animal fat but from what animal? Generally not good ingredients.
This "food" is comprised of fillers and garbage.
How did Conker do on this? Terrible. He smelled bad, shed a lot, was constantly itching, had unpredictable and often really nasty poop, he refused to eat it at times and was generally not in the best of shape while eating this food.
And it's not surprising, given how crappy the ingredients are.
When I switched him to a different brand he stopped smelling bad, the shedding lessened, he stopped obsessively itching (didn't completely go away though) and his poop became a bit more predictable. I attributed this to the higher-quality ingredients in the new food.
I know it's not long but it's a simple review due to how bad Conker's condition was on it. I do not think there is much else to say about a food which is obviously not a good one and that's not based on ingredients alone. He really was not in good shape while eating this stuff.
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
She's been doing fine but I don't let her fetch things she can actually fit into her mouth quite yet. With Conker's help she has discovered the joys of basketballs, and will now pounce on the one in the yard and attempt to rip it to pieces before she brings it over to me.
I need to schedule a follow-up visit to have her not-tooth looked at tomorrow, and if everything's good, I'll resume her normal activities like pack-hiking and fetch with smaller objects.
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