Welcome, Missy!

Meet our new friend!  Her name is Missy.  She is a flat first grader.  A young friend of ours sent Missy to us so that she could have an adventure.  Here is a photo of Missy and me...

Flat Missy and Roxanne

Have you ever heard of the book Flat Stanley?  It was written by Jeff Brown.  The book tells the story about Stanley, a boy who was squashed by a bulletin board.  When Stanley wanted to go on a trip, his family folded him up and mailed him to California.

Our friend in Colorado read about Flat Stanley in her first grade class.  Then our friend made her own flat first grader to send to us.  She folded Missy up, stuck her in an envelope, and mailed her to us.  She wants us to write and tell her about the things Missy did and the places she went with us.

We want Missy to have all kinds of adventures.  We want our friend and her classmates to learn all about Texas and some of the wonderful things that we do here.

Today Missy learned that I am a service dog.  I told her that I help elderly people to feel better.  I also work with foster teens who are learning how to plan their future.

I told Missy that I had to train to be a service dog.  I had to learn how to do many things.  I had to learn to obey commands.  I had to learn to let other people brush my coat.  I had to learn not to be afraid of wheelchairs and walkers.  I had to learn that I couldn't play with other dogs when I was working.  After I learned all of these things, I took a special test.  (To learn more, see my post by clicking here:  I'm a Canine Good Citizen!)

We'll be posting Missy's adventures for the next few weeks.  Be sure to check back with us!

Tonight, Missy is already tucked in bed and ready to go to sleep.  She is VERY tired.  It must have been a very long trip to travel all the way from Colorado to Texas in an envelope!

Goodnight Missy!

It's Cold Outside!!!

We are having a very cold winter here in Texas.  Is it really cold where you live?

Last week we had a winter storm.  A winter storm is a dangerous combination of heavy snow, sleet, or freezing rain.  We had freezing temperatures for two days.  In our part of Texas, this is a winter storm!  In many parts of the U.S., a winter storm means lots and lots of snow.

We are learning a lot about winter storms now.  We have learned how to prepare for a winter storm.  We have learned that we need special clothes to be outside in the cold.  We have even learned to have fun in winter weather!

If you would like to know more about winter storms, here is a fun activity books to help you :

• http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/brochures/owlie/Owlie-winter.pdf

Here are some great activity books to learn more about winter weather and how you can prepare for them:

• http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/students/bm/bm06.pdf
• http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/students/bm/bm07.pdf
• http://www.nssl.noaa.gov/education/students/bm/bm08.pdf

Would you like to be a winter nature detective?  Here are some great ideas:

• http://www.naturedetectives.org.uk/NR/rdonlyres/8FD2747A-D131-4E51-A2B0-6A80F9DE9247/0/winter_booklet.pdf

That Feels SO GOOD!

Have you ever rubbed your pet's back?  It feels SO GOOD!

When you rub your pet's muscles in a special way, it is called massage.  When you massage your pet, it helps them to feel better.  If your pet is sick, a massage can help your pet to get better more quickly.  Massage helps improve blood flow in your pet's body.  It can help your older pet with stiff joints and soreness.

Every few days, Mom gives me a massage.  She rubs my shoulder muscles.  She rubs my hips.  She rubs the muscles in my back legs.

Theses massages help me a lot.  I feel better now.  I can even walk further.

Massage can help your pet if he is scared.  It can help your pet warm up for exercise.  It can help your pet feel more loved.

Do you massage your pet?  If you would like to learn how, here are two great sites that show you how to massage your pet at home:

• http://www.vetoquinol.co.uk/downloadable/GuideMassageCards.pdf
• http://www.wagwellness.com/uploads/7/6/6/3/7663961/how_to_massage_your_dog_-_lola.pdf

Getting Stronger

Roxanne's swimming exercises

In my last post, I told you how weak I was from my sickness.  My vet told us that I needed special exercises to make me stronger.  These exercises are called rehabilitation therapy.

Because my back leg muscles were so weak, the doctors wanted me to swim.  So Mom and Dad and I went on vacation and found lots of lakes.  I had fun, but it was hard work.  In the beginning, I could only swim for a few minutes.  After a few weeks, I could swim a lot longer.

Mom and Dad felt that I was ready for more.  So we began hiking.  At first, we just hiked a little bit.  Then, we hiked a little further.  By the end of our trip, I could hike nearly two miles!  I can't walk that far every day, and I am a lot slower than I use to be.  The good news is that I feel so much stronger than before our vacation.

Roxanne's first hike on her new exercise program

It was hard work.  The exercises sure made me tired, but I kept trying.  It took nearly two months of exercising every day, and the best part is that it was fun!

Resting after a swim

You don't need to go on vacation to help your dog get stronger.  Many of the exercises that I did can be done at home.  In fact, before we started our trip, Mom and I did a lot of these exercises together in our living room.  The one thing that you do need to remember is this... your dog needs to keep exercising every day to stay strong.

If your pet has been sick and you would like to help your dog to get stronger, ask your vet if exercises will help.  If so, just click on these great websites to get you and your pet started:

• http://www.calanimalrehab.com/documents/ProperExerciseforyourPet.pdf
• http://wignall.com/files/2013/04/Proc-Pro-Physical-Rehab.pdf

Here are some short movies of exercises for your dog:

• http://careanimalclinic.com/rehab.html

Why Can't I Walk Very Far Anymore?

Roxanne at Galveston Beach

I have had a VERY interesting summer.  Last year I hiked seven miles with Mom and Dad.  By Christmas, I could hardly walk a mile.  By springtime, I could hardly walk a football field (100 yards).

We went to the beach.  It is one of my favorite places in the whole world.  But I was so weak that the waves knocked me over.  Mom and Dad were plenty worried.  My vet was worried, too.  He tested me for all kinds of diseases.  He couldn't find anything wrong with me.

My world kept getting smaller and smaller.  Nothing seemed to be fun any more.  I was sad.

Mom, Dad, and my vet decided that we needed more help.  They decided that I needed to go to to Texas A&M University.

Texas A&M has one of the world's best veterinary colleges.  They work with other veterinarians all over the world.  We hoped that they would be able to tell me why I can't walk very far anymore.

The vets at Texas A&M were wonderful.  They petted me and were very kind.  They took good care of me.  They wanted to see how I walk.  They wanted to check my nerves.  They wanted to check my blood and my bones.

Unfortunately, they had to shave a lot of my fur in the process.  They shaved rings above two of my feet to check my nerves.  They shaved the top of my head to check my spine.  They shaved my belly to check my insides.  I look really funny now!!!  (Mom told me that the hair will all grow back.)

After all the tests, the doctors said that I am very healthy... except that I have a nerve problem.  It is called peripheral neuropathy.  Those are very big words.  They mean that the nerves in my back legs are weak.  The doctors don't know why I have it, and there is no cure... BUT the doctors said that I can get stronger.  They said that the best way to make me stronger is to take me swimming.  I was very happy.  I'm a water dog... swimming is what I love to do best!

There is a place in our town that has underwater treadmills for dogs.  The treatments were VERY expensive.  Mom and Dad decided that rather than spend money on treatments that we would go on vacation instead.  They planned to go to as many lakes as they could find so that I could swim.  It sounded like a great idea to me!

We are back from our trip now.  I can walk almost two miles... not every day, but I am so much happier than I was before our trip.

How did we do it?  In the next several posts, I'll tell you how I got stronger.  Maybe it will help your dog get stronger, too!

Skunk Alley

Our neighborhood has been called skunk alley.  Years ago, before any of our houses were built, skunks lived here.  They still do!

We have seen many skunks over the years.  One year, we had a mother skunk and her five babies living under our deck.  This year we seem to have more skunks than usual.  We have seen a mother and her baby, two young skunks traveling together, and two single skunks.  We found the big guy in the photo above eating leftover bird seed in our yard last night.

Skunks are incredible creatures.  They are known for their smelly defense system.  When a skunk is afraid, he will stomp his feet and try to scare you.  If that doesn't work, he will turn around, raise his tail, and spray a foul, horrible musk at you.

I know.  When I was young, I was sprayed twice in ten days.  It was horrible!!!  I couldn't stand the smell.  I raked and raked my face in the dirt, but it didn't help.  Mom had to give me a special bath.  I learned my lesson well and have never gone near a skunk again!

Skunks are nocturnal (they like to come out at night).  They have beautiful coats of black fur with white stripes.  Mother skunks normally have four to seven kits (babies) born in the early spring.

The only problem with skunks (besides their spray... which is REALLY smelly) is that skunks can have rabies.  Rabies is a terrible disease and very contagious.  A rabid skunk is dangerous because if it bites a human or dog, we can catch rabies from them.  If you see a skunk out during the day.  If you see a skunk that looks like he is drunk.  If you see a skunk who doesn't look healthy, then the skunk may have rabies.  You should call your animal control center for help.

While many people don't like skunks, we sure do.  They dig in our yard and eat the grubs and cutworms.  They eat small rodents and snakes.  They are also very smart.  The skunks in our neighborhood know when our porch light comes on that I will come outside.  They hide under our deck until I am ready to go inside.

Why do we have so many skunks in our neighborhood?  Skunks lived in our woods long before people lived here.  Many people in our neighborhood also feed birds, outdoor cats, and other wildlife.  Of course, the skunks enjoy eating birdseed, corn, and cat food, too.  If you don't want skunks around, you must not put the kinds of foods they eat around your yard.

If you would like to learn more about skunks, just click on one of these sites:

• http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/kids/animal-facts/pdf/striped_skunk.pdf
• http://www.uncledavesenterprise.com/file/wisconsin/mammals/Striped%20Skunk.pdf
• http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/vtcritters/factsheets/mammals/Striped%20Skunk/Striped%20Skunk.pdf
• http://ag.arizona.edu/yavapai/publications/yavcobulletins/Skunks.pdf

Here is a skunk coloring page for you:

• http://museum2.utep.edu/educate/learninglinks/stripedskunkcolor.htm

Prickly Porcupine

Porcupine

We found a new, prickly friend in Colorado.  He is a rodent called a porcupine.  Porcupines get a lot of respect.  They can hurt!

Porcupines are covered in over 30,00 sharp quills.  The longest quills are on their tails and rear.  When a porcupine feels danger, he swishes his tail and tenses up his body.  The quills become loose.  If the porcupine's enemy comes too close, the quills stick into his skin.

These quills hurt.  They are sharper than a needle and barbed at the end.  When the quills stick into skin, the barbs make the quills hard to remove.  I have seen photos of dogs covered in porcupine quills.  Ouch!!!

Porcupines are about the size of a beaver.  They like to live in the forest.  They are very peaceful animals and will run away if they can.  Just don't get too close if you see one!

For more information on porcupines, just click on one of these sites:

• http://files.dnr.state.mn.us/publications/volunteer/young_naturalists/porcupines/porcupines.pdf
• http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/kids/animal-facts/pdf/porcupine.pdf
• http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/reading-comp/4th-porcupine_WMMZR.pdf
• http://www.vtfishandwildlife.com/vtcritters/factsheets/mammals/Porcupine/Porcupine.pdf

Make a porcupine mask by clicking here:  http://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/crafts-images/animals/porcupines-masks-printables.png

You can also go to the library and read these great books about porcupines:

• Baby Porcupine (Nature Babies) by Aubrey Lang
• Porcupines by Sandra Markle
• Porcupines (Unusual Animals) by Sara Antill