Have You Heard the Latest News?

It's time for medical update on Twiggy, Moses, Aramis, Tacoma, Spike, Mohan, Aasha, and Gideon!  You may recall last week we reported on animals' medical challenges incurred over the Thanksgiving Week while the blog was on "vacation."  Well, it's time to share with you their medical outcomes!

Twiggy is in fine spirits!  To our chagrin, Twiggy is running around the sanctuary, kicking up her heals as she passes by the lions and tigers on the way to the Office for attention. She does not appear to be limping or in any pain, so we are relieved that Twiggy's leg is on the mend.

Otis and Moses' spat came to an end without any lasting consequences.  Our vet came out last week and observed Moses as he walked around his quarters.  He determined that Moses did not have a broken leg and therefore did not require an x-ray.  Now that Moses has been on the mend for over a week, his walk has greatly improved and he is on his way to a full recovery!

Aramis' appetite, thankfully, has returned back to normal and all it took was a change in diet!  It is not uncommon for a cat to associate food with a bad vomiting experience, thereby causing the cat to refuse his meals.  In this case, Aramis was hungry, he just was afraid of his food as it was "guilty by association" with the vomited meals.  So we removed a portion of his regular meat and included ground chunk meat instead.  Once we presented this changed to his dining experience, Aramis resumed eating his meals with gusto.  Over time, we will slowly wean him off the chuck meat so he will return to his regular diet.

Tacoma has been eating pretty good for the last 4-5 days thanks to Vicky's coaching.  Tacoma would only eat after Vicky chased him around outside his quarters with words of encouragement. Vicky is hoping he'll resume his normal eating habit without all the encouragement as it can be rather tiring to do each evening!

Spike is still under close observation for his ruptured discs on his neck and upper spine. We should receive the results of the cultures taken at A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine last month sometime today.  Last night, Vicky observed Spike grooming himself and walking around his enclosure.  He does not appear to be in pain thanks to his pain management therapy.  We will keep you updated on Spike's medical progress as news comes available.

Mohan does not have cancer!!  Mohan does have a fatty cyst on his back.  His cyst is not life threatening and doesn't require removal unless it really bothers him.  Fatty cysts can occur anywhere on the body.  Their size can vary, but usually they are the size of a bean or a pea and are filled with gas, fluid, or a semi-solid substance.  Since his back lump grew a bit, it believed it was important to have it tested, just to make sure it was benign--and thankfully it was!

We have not decided when Aasha will go see the vet, but as soon as a date is set, we will let you know!

Little Gideon is doing just fine--last week we did not see any signs of seizures.  We are still waiting for the results of his blood test, as we  needed to see where his phenobarbital level is at this time.  The results should tell us if we need to adjust his seizure medication. We will keep you apprised of Gideon's medical progress as news comes available.

In the meantime, you may be interested to know that we found all four of Gideon's baby canine teeth and one back tooth!  Our little boy is growing up fast!

We have some great news on Lydia, our 16+ year old bobcat, who lives with Gideon and our other bobcats. You may recall that Lydia came to us with a tragic past.  After being shot in the leg and having the bullet and some bone removed, Lydia never regained full use of her leg.  When we introduced her to York Palace, we did not think she would be able to transverse the upper ramps and bridge.  We were wrong!  Despite limping on three legs, Lydia is able to trot around the playground, jump up on the platforms and climb up the ramps to the connecting bridge where we have seen her enjoying a cool breeze.  We are absolutely thrilled to see Lydia having so much fun in her new home, that we just had to share this good news with our readers!

World Wear Project

Something new has been added to In-Sync Exotics! We are helping our community "go green!" By partnering with World Wear Project, we can raise money for the animals when you bring to In-Sync Exotics your used items and place them in our new bin!  Since World Wear Project collects many and varied items that can be placed in the bin, it's time to clean out your closets, garage, and attic (if you have one) and bring to us the clothes and shoes you know that you'll never wear again.  Let's face it, the 70s, 80s and 90s are over and the odds that your old clothing will come back in fashion is slim to none, so let's surrender those old clothes for a great cause!

Items they accept:  Clothing, shoes, belts, purses, wallets, hats, caps, backpacks, hard toys, stuffed animals, and pots and pans. 

Items they do not accept:  Furniture of any kind, knives, kitchen appliances, appliances with cords, and items made of glass.

Almost 100% of our donated household items and clothing can be recycled, regardless of its condition.  By recycling your items, you will help In-Sync Exotics (we receive a check based on the amount donated), reduce solid waste, and provide employment to Texans!  Win-win!  So come out this weekend with your donated items, load up our bin, and then visit our cats. Two great causes all at the same site--you can't but help feel good about that, right?

We hope you enjoyed today's blog posting! Be sure to check back tomorrow for more fun and informative information about our exotic cats and their friends of In-Sync Exotics! Don't forget to let us know your reaction to this posting by clicking on one of the reaction buttons below--and share this blog posting with others please ~ Thank you!

>^..^<