The Rip Van Wrinkler,
Volume XIV, Issue 1, February 2010

Page 16 <previous page next page>

Roo and Aqua (Beth Povinelli photo)

Feedback. . .


Belle with the new heater (Voss Photo)

Jan. 2nd, 2010

KETAMINE RECALL

Ketamine is a veterinary anesthesia product. It used to be the anesthesia "of choice" for sighthounds, although I don't believe as the link below seems to imply, that is any longer the case.  However, if your dogs [or cats!] are scheduled for surgery or any procedure requiring anesthesia, it might be a good idea to make sure your vet is aware of this recall:

Click here FMI

Pass on as appropriate.……………………..KARLA SCHRIEBER

Oct. 30th, 2009

SOMETIMES THINGS HAPPEN FOR THE STRANGEST REASONS.

This is what happened when a sad little basenji named Quinn came into my life. 

   Answering a call for help about a basenji in need was not what I was planning to do one summer day. However, fate was calling and I thought I'd do a nice thing and give this poor soul a shot at some happiness.

   His name was Quinn, Apu Snarfling Rutabaga. Such a strong name for this little dog. He was not much to look at, long nails, poor coat, skinny, and forlorn. I thought to myself, with some good food and a bath, I could maybe make a silk purse out of this sows ear. I took him home and boy oh boy did he ever eat the meal that I set out for him. You would have thought he never ate before. Gave him a bath and cut his nails, wrapping him in a nice warm towel I introduced him to my old girl, Classy. She wanted to clean his ears and wash his face and I felt good knowing that he was in good hands.

   This was all good until about a week into his stay. He woke up in pain and his wrist joints very swollen and red. Thinking it was maybe Lyme disease I put him on antibiotics. No change. What was to be a sweet beginning to a new life was not to be. To make a long story short, poor Quinn had to have bone cancer. He would scream in pain if anyone touched him and couldn't walk or stand. I made him as comfortable as possible for the weeks that he was with me. And, I loved him just the same as if he was one of my own breeding.

   I released his spirit to the Bridge so that he was out of his pain and I learned that the short time I had with him was not in vain. He taught me to be a better person and I will love him always for the life lesson. He rests in a beautiful meadow on a big farm where I hope he runs free.
Young Quinn (S K-M photo)

Sleep well my little Quinn; we shall meet again on day over the Bridge.

Love from your short time mom………………KATHRYN LADICK

Oct. 7th, 2009

I ALMOST LOST BUDDY FOR GOOD

Here's something you may want to put in the Wrinkler as a reminder to people. Do not assume that the chip in the dog will work. The most common reason for them not to scan is because they aren't actually there. What happens is they are implanted and then scanned and everything seems fine but the chip can migrate right back out of the tract it went in. Next time the dog is scanned there is no chip. So a very good practice is to have your dog scanned every year when it goes in for its regular check up and to have it scanned a couple weeks after implantation so the tract has healed and you can verify that it stayed put. And always have the collar on with tags too.

I'm 55 but today feel 95! Yes, the heart rate felt like I was doing some uphill cardio. I just said to myself as I was driving around, "I found Buddy and he's OK". I offered Megan and her mother a reward, but they refused saying it was totally no problem, that they we're really happy to help me get Buddy back. You know Buddy never tries to dart out when I open the door or gate, but somehow he just wandered out and had I been right there and I could of easily got him in. When Buddy gets scared he runs.

Here's what may have scared him. When I ran outside he was darting across the street three houses down by the corner and a van/truck went by and he yelped. I thought "Oh my God he got hit". But he made it by and ran down the cross street. And when I got to the corner he was 3 blocks down, way out of voice range running full speed.

I drove all over for hours. Nobody had seen him. I couldn't believe it. It was as if he had just disappeared. There were a lot of people walking their dogs too. I got home and the SPCA left a message that someone named Megan had Buddy and there was her number. She got Buddy 2 miles from my house. He got out at about 4:20pm and she found him at 4:45 so he was moving fast with heavy commuter traffic. Can you believe he crossed a four lane busy street without being hit? I can barely cross that when I'm walking him. Megan and her Mother took Buddy all the way to the SPCA, 15 miles away and had his chip read. The SPCA called me and gave her number and said they have Buddy with them.

I called her and she was super nice and she said she and her mother would bring Buddy right over. Megan and her Mother are volunteers for the SPCA and they find dogs all the time wandering around up where they live near the hospital. She said they were going to keep Buddy at their house for 48 hours and not leave him at the shelter. They are very concerned when they find stray dogs, and they try to find their owners. I have walked with Buddy in every direction at least 250 times on these streets, miles away so if he got out he would know where he lives. Not the case with this guy. My previous 3 Basenjis never would venture more than 2 houses away if they got lose and then they would come back scratching at the door to get in. I was lucky to get him back! I have never had a run away dog in my life. I think he got freaked out just being loose. He's a little weirded out this morning. Amazing he found an SPCA volunteer to help him………………....DAN SAILOR

Oct. 21st, 2009

Just finished reading the Newsletter. If people start talking to me on the street I will know why.

I really like being able to read it (the Wrinkler) online. Great Job

I love those pics in the snow………………..FREY JOHNSSON

Oct. 21st, 2009

Susan you did a WONDERFUL job pulling your fav photos from my Shutterfly page. I am so glad you did do this as it made the article perfect.

Thank you for allowing Blaise to submit work to your newsletter. He had a great time recalling all his hunting tricks. He’s training his little brother well as Senna caught a chipmunk last night but it scared him and he released it.

I know Blaise was laughing as hard as was……….……DENISE GENTILE


Oct. 23rd, 2009

Dear Susan,

Like every year I am very very proud that my painting is on the first page of your (very great!!!) Wrinkler....!!!!!

Thank you so much!!

All the best,
HEIKE FÖLLSCHER, Lucy(now nearly 15 yrs old!) & Malia


Nov. 3rd, 2009

Susan,

The RVW is soooo fabulous - again and again and again again!!!!
.......................................................................................USCHI GREWE


Dec. 23rd, 2009

Hi Susan,

The Wrinkler is better than ever!!!  Now that you have endless room and no printing costs, you can do a super-size Wrinkler every quarter!!! I have learned more about Basenjis from reading the Wrinkler than from anywhere else!.........................................................DONNA HESS


Jan. 10th, 2010

UPDATE FROM BASENJI RESCUE OF CALIFORNIA

As you probably know we had several rough and exhausting days in late August when the huge Station Fire was raging. We had recently placed a lovely red gal with a family in La Crescenta and when the fire first started in that area, we offered to bring her back here for safety if the family was evacuating. At that time, we had no vague idea that a few days later we would be woken up a 4:30 with a reverse 911 call ordering us to evacuate.
  
These pictures were taken about 2 pm on August 30 from our house looking towards the fires.

At 6 am we had called Chuck’s brother, who brought his girlfriend as an extra pair of hands, and we called a young man we sometimes hire to help with large projects as another pair of hands. The stock trailer is one we bought after the fire in 2004 when we realized we had no way to move our kidlets out. So with stock trailer in loading position, dog crates lined up by both kennels, some important papers stashed in cars and more by the door ready to go, we waited and waited.

There was an impressive and comforting air show that continued for hours with all manner of fixed wing and helicopters disappearing over the hills above us with their chemical and water drops.


Karen Jones photos

Around 6 pm the sheriffs drove through ordering everyone out over loud speakers. All our horsey neighbors had cleared out much earlier and when we felt a gentle breeze blowing from us to the fire, we decided it was a safe gamble not to leave. Loading all these kidlets into crates and leaving had so many disadvantages. Where we were under the cloud of smoke, the heat from the sun was really cut down. But once we were out from under that cloud we would be dealing with triple digit heat and dogs piled into the trailer, the van and two Explorers. Once you go pass the police lines, you do not get back in for days. Fortunately our gamble paid off and we settled into three restless nights checking to make sure the fire was not sneaking up on us.

THERE'S MORE FROM KAREN JONES