Saturday, January 30, 2010

Spencer Needs a Wheelchair

Life Long Tails small pet rescue just took in a very special hamster. He is a syrian hamster that is paralyzed in the back end. It is a spinal injury that we feel certain was caused by a young child. ( although we do not know that for sure). Spencer is full of life and vigor, he can drag himself around and has been eating from a shallow bowl and can drink from a water bottle as long as it is low enough for him to reach. Spencer wants to have as normal of a life as he can. He does need daily cleaning ( baths) and I will watch him for urine burn, pressure sores, or other sores that come with his body being dragged and in a position it normally wouldn't be. What I need help with from my animal loving friends is a wheelchair devise for Spencer. Anyone who is creative and good at rigging and making things , please help. I am envisioning a platform type base that his back end will rest on. That part of his body will be strapped onto the platform securely but not tightly. The platform will have wheels that can turn as he turns. He will need enough free room in the front of his body to work his front legs. Of course, my vision may not work all that well, someone else may have a better idea than mine. A wheelchair will give him some time during the day to not drag himself along the ground. And he will get much needed exercise and freedom. We can set something up for anyone to meet Spencer to get an idea of his size and what his needs are for a wheelchair. Please e-mail me at Rachel@lifelongtails.org if you can help Spencer. Thank you :)

Lacey and Simone



Yesterday, Lacey and Simone the female guinea pigs were adopted!! :) Lacey and Simone are sisters. They were born in foster care. Their Mom piggie was housed with males, their previous owner was unable to keep them separated. The males and females were surrendered to Life Long Tails Small Pets-Big Hearts small pet rescue when they had too many guinea pigs and couldn't control it. ( They couldn't tell who was male or female and were not allowed any more cages) Lacey and Simone have a wonderful new home.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Baby guinea pig didn't make it

During the night the baby started to have difficulty breathing. I started the humidifier in the incubator ( intensive care unit) to help open up airways. But he passed away before morning. The poor little guy. Lethal guinea pigs are a result of poor breeding. It is one of the many reasons why breeding guinea pigs is not a good idea at all. The person who called us about the little one said her daughter received a 4 week old female guinea pig as a gift. She was bought at a pet store. The 4 week week old girl was already pregnant! Still a baby herself in my eyes, even though I know they are capable of becoming pregnant at that age. The breed and color of the Mom and Dad guinea pig produced a Lethal. Lethal's have a slim chance of making much past birth. Even when they do, they have multiple health problems throughout their life. I was told there were two other babies born, but they are doing well. I hope Mom guinea pig and the 2 babies are okay.

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Baby Guinea pig could be a Lethal

I am fairly positive the baby guinea pig is a lethal. His eyes look just like Daisy the guinea pig's eyes, she is a lethal and is completely blind. If you are interested in a lethal guinea pig , please check out this information http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/kitchen/4190-lethal-guinea-pigs.html
The baby guinea pig needs a lot of love and luck.

Baby guinea Pig, Boomer and Updates


I am sorry I haven't updated in a few days. It has been very busy.
The baby bunnies are doing great. The light tan one has been bouncing around the pen. I took pictures of them and I will post them as soon as I have them on the computer.
Daisy the guinea pig is also doing wonderful. Pictures of her will be coming soon. Boomer the bunny was adopted yesterday :)
The 4 chinchillas we took in a little bit ago have been settling in nicely. They are eating Timothy hay like it is out of style. And they love their chew toys.
Just moments ago we received an urgent call about a litter of baby guinea pigs that were born today. One of the babies didn't start walking and had not nursed at all. Fearing the decline of the little baby , she brought the little bub to us to try our best to care for. The baby is a little pink eyed white Abyssinian. He/she seems to be having trouble with the back legs. I warmed up some pedialyte and he/she drank it with vigor, which is very heartening to see. Tomorrow I will call the vet and see how soon we can get the little bub in for an exam. Hopefully we can find out why he/she cannot stand up or walk. We will do everything in our power to support the little bundle.
Pictured above is Boomer.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Crick-it, New Guinea pigs and Chinchillas

First news for the day is , The baby bunnies eyes are open!!! They are able to see the world around them now. I really need to take pictures of them.
Crick-it the male guinea pig was adopted. His new Mom just lost one of her boys despite vet treatment and a lot of care. This left her heartbroken and her other boy piggie alone and depressed. She fell in love with Crick-it and adopted him in hopes that they would be friends. Normally, introducing 2 boys together for the first time leads to rumblestrutting and mounting. They have to play macho and show who is dominant and boss. This wasn't the case for Crick-it and her other boy. They were best friends immediately and love each other's company. I was surprised and very happy to hear that. Crick-it has the company of his own kind now and a loving Mom.
Damien and Gizmo the chinchillas went into foster care today. They will probably wind up adopted , but for now they are being fostered.
Today 4 chinchillas arrived. They are standard grey, and there are 2 boys and 2 girls. We will have to keep an eye on anyone being pregnant. They are named Hermione, Harry , Linus and Lucy. They are between 7 and 8 years old.

Thursday, January 21, 2010

Little Explorer

I just checked on the baby rabbits, and my heart dropped when I saw only 4 in the box. One white one was missing , but I couldn't find him anywhere in the box. I started to rummage around in the pen and then saw the blankets moving around. Underneath was the baby :) He doesn't have his eyes open yet, but he was crawling and holding his head up. I placed him back with his siblings, he needs to be there when it is feeding time.
Everyone is enjoying their fresh veggies, fruits and cereals that people have donated. They are eating healthy. I love watching them munch on the food with delight. Thank you to everyone who has donated.
Jules the geriatric rat was very energetic today. He climbed onto the door of his cage, then climbed all the way to the top of the critter nation cage. He looked down at me and asked " How do I get back down, now?" I gathered him up and gave him some scratches, then back inside. I am proud of the old man's skill :)
Tomorrow we are expecting two guinea pigs and another old rat that , Kitty, our volunteer is picking up for us. And someone is stopping by to meet and maybe adopt Harold and James the rats.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

New hamsters, Eva and Carly



Today we took in 7 female dwarf hamsters. They came from a family that didn't know males from females, once they learned how to tell the difference, many babies were already born. They found homes for all the boys, but couldn't find homes for the 7 girls. Six of them are all black but one is grey. I haven't thought of any names for them yet.
Sara's 5 babies are growing like weeds and remain strong. I am happy to report that they are thriving. I have my fingers crossed that it will continue that way.
On Sunday, Eva the Winter White dwarf hamster was adopted. And so was Carly , the female guinea pig. Eva came to us with 4 other hamsters, Hefner the male and 3 other females. They were all in a box together. Thankfully, Hefner did not get Eva or any of the other girls pregnant. Eva found a nice home with someone who has always loved hamsters. Carly was adopted by someone who was with Eva's new Mom. She is introducing her to another girl piggie she has at home.
Pictured above is Eva :)

Monday, January 18, 2010

Babies

The five remaining babies appear very strong and energetic. They even look like their fur grew a little overnight. I'll be watching Sara and babies diligently. If any babies start to decline, look lethargic , dehydrated, etc. I will start bottle feeding and a vet check will be in order. I am also keeping a close eye on Sara. She is eating and drinking well, and I looked her over. If she has any complications she will also see Dr.T.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Daisy the guinea pig and the baby bunnies

I have good news and bad news.
All of the good news is about Daisy. Daisy is doing awesome today!!! She has been wheeking happily , doing laps in her cage and even doing what looks like popcorning. Although it looks a bit different probably because she is blind and because she is still overcoming the vitamin C difficiency She has been laying in other places in her cage than just in the same corner. And when she lays and sleeps, she looks a lot more comfortable, she stretches out and her breathing isn't labored. She is barely even itching, and I only see her chewing at her back end once in a while. She is still eating pellets and hay well. She still won't eat veggies for me. I wish she would at least eat the peppers with the vitamin C and she won't eat the tablets. I know the KM's pellets has vitamin C in it, but I know she needs more right now. I will pick up some cilantro for her tomorrow, I hope she will eat that. I saw a huge improvement in her today, she seems happier and more comfortable. I am so happy!

The bad news is about the baby bunnies. 4 of them have died. I don't know why. I know Mom bunny, Sara, has been feeding them, otherwise they wouldn't have made it this long and grown. I fear maybe recently , her body has stopped lactating. Either that or the remaining five bunnies were stronger and hogged all the milk at feeding time. I will be keeping a close eye on them. If any of them start to decline I may have to pull them away from Mom and start bottle feeding them. If Mom isn't producing milk anymore it will be their only chance. I do not want to jump the gun and pull them now. Especially if Mom has milk and is feeding them. ( Mom bunnies only feed their babies 2 or 3 times a day, and normally at night when we would be sleeping) The babies are best cared for by their Mom, and not me. It is a very touchy situation. I will only bottle feed if it is absolutely necessary and I know without a shadow of a doubt that it is what needs to be done.

Friday, January 15, 2010

Donate Fruits and Vegetables

We are looking for and would highly appreciate any donations of fruits and vegetables for the rescued pets. We can use any type of fruit or vegetable except for celery or iceburg lettuce. We can use cucumber, zuchini, carrots, other greens such as kale, collared, dandelion , etc, bell peppers, green beans, apples, just to name a few. We can use it as long as it isn't celery or iceburg lettuce. We would love to keep our fridge full of fresh goodies for the rescues. And it can get expensive after a while. We would love and be thankful for donations of healthy foods for everyone. We also get cereals and Tofu for the rescues when we grocery shop. Cereals like Special K, cheerios, Total, shredded wheat and chex squares. For tofu we can use firm or soft. They all would appreciate donations of groceries. Tasty food makes their day :) Thank you !!!

Updates and Daisy the guinea pig

Nizzle the ferret is doing well. She is slowly gaining strength back and now she has pain meds to help her along.
All 9 baby bunnies are doing fantastic. They are energetic and wriggling around. They have a tad bit of hair growth going on. It looks like there are 6 white, 1 light tan and 2 black babies. Sara, the Mom, is a white bunny, she used to be all white but as she matured she developed some grey on her nose and ears. Sara looks very healthy and beautiful, thank you Heather for taking such good care of her :) Sara is being a wonderful Momma and everything is turning out great. Being in a larger pen with her babies in a box ( actually it is a large sized litter pan) made it better for Sara to care for her babies.
On Wednesday we took in a blind and deaf female guinea pig. We were alerted that there was a guinea pig that needed help in the Chautauqua -Fredonia area. She was taken out of a pet store by a concerned employee. The person couldn't keep the piggie but was searching frantically for someone that could. After I was alerted about the situation, I contacted the person that we could help. Daisy the guinea pig was then driven an hour and a half to us. Daisy has a neglectful past. At the pet sore she was probably a product of in breeding. She was used to breed time and time again. She had a poor diet, and she didn't even have a food bowl. Her pellets were just thrown in her cage and she had to fight amongst other guinea pigs to get it. She was itching badly. We rushed her to the vet that day. She was treated with Revolution to get rid of any mites or lice. Even though a skin scrape didn't show any mites or lice doesn't mean they aren't there. She is definitely deaf and has impaired vision. She walks a bit stiffly on her back legs, more than likely from not getting enough vitamin C in her diet while at the pet store. We will be supplementing her with Vit C and hopefully that will slowly go back to normal. Once her health is better, she will be adoptable as a special need guinea pig.

Tuesday, January 12, 2010

9 baby bunnies

Today we took in a rabbit that had just delivered babies in the morning. The babies were completely unexpected. There wasn't any preparation for the baby's arrival. The babies were born on the bottom of thecage where Momma was stepping on them and the babies were strewn all about. I upgraded Momma to a much larger living area so she can have room all to herself when she wants. And the babies are now in a box with Momma's fur as an insulator. I am hoping Mom goes to her babies even after the move and change. It is all I can do for her and her little ones right now, it was an urgent and desperate matter. They needed to come here and be moved. Let's keep our fingers crossed. I will update.
Nizzle's foster Mom says that Niz is in a great deal of pain today and reluctant to move. She is drinking well and eating food that is placed in front of her. She only wants to sleep. It is understandable after such invasive and major surgery. I will ask Dr.T tomorrow about any pain management she can have.

Monday, January 11, 2010

Nizzle's Surgery Update

It wasn't the best of news for Nizzle,
She did go through her surgery well. Dr.T found her adrenal tumor to be on the right hand side. The right adrenal gland is more difficult for a surgeon to work with. Not only that, the tumor was very large, it had grown at a rapid rate. It was the largest adrenal tumor Dr.T had ever seen! He could only remove some of the tumor, if he had attempted to remove all of it, he risked her hemorrhaging and bleeding to death. Since there is still some tumor left , there is a great chance it will grow right back. With how large it was and how quickly it had grown, Dr.T is quite positive that the tumor is also cancerous. Not good news at all. She did have a tumor on her pancreas as well, causing the insulinoma. This tumor was easily removed, Dr.T didn't have any problems with that one. That was the only good news from the surgery. Nizzle came out of the anesthesia without problems and she was drinking, alert and active. She is home with her foster Mom and will be kept a close eye on her recovery. She will be going back to see Dr.T in a week and a half to 2 weeks to have her stitches out.
It is grave news. We are disheartened to hear it and know it. Cancer is such an evil thing! We hope that having the surgery give her more time for hugs, cuddles and kisses. maybe she will surprise us and have another year in her, or maybe more.
Thank you for thinking of Niz and us

Sunday, January 10, 2010

Tiki and Crick-it , Surgery tomorrow

We just took in two gorgeous guinea pigs. Tiki is a female , she is tan and white. She has long fur, I would say she is a satin peruvian. Crick-it is a male, he is grey in color with a brown nose, he is also a long haired just like Tiki. Their Mom couldn't keep them anymore. She is moving to a senior facility ( housing) and they are not allowed. She sadly had to give them up, it broke her heart to make such a decision and do it. They are wonderful guinea pigs and were deeply loved. We will have them up for adoption soon. We want to find a family or person that will treat them the same way. We want them to be loved the way they are used to.
Tomorrow is Nizzle the ferret's tumor removal surgery. She will probably have the adrenal tumor removed and maybe another tumor on her pancreas. Please keep her in your thoughts.

Justin Timberhamster



I have sad news that Justin Timberhamster passed away yesterday. His foster Mom let me know that she found him passed when she got home from work. Before she left for work he was walking around and drinking water from his bottle. He didn't show any signs of being ill or in distress. He will be sorely missed.
Justin arrived in a pink colored crittertrail one cage. I wanted to give him more room to explore and play, so I decided to place him in the bin cage Ray and I had built just for hamsters. We had zip tied screening to the top of the bin. I figured it was secure and Justin couldn't even reach or climb to that portion of the bin. I was very wrong! He had escaped! I was searching frantically for him. Then I saw the cats staring at something , and it was Justin. After I caught him, I was shocked to find his front leg all swollen and he wasn't using it. I thought one of our cats had hurt him! I took him to see the vet and found out that he had broken his leg. If our cat had him in their mouth or chewed on him, scratched him, or bit him, he would have a wound and a serious infection. He didn't have any of it. He more then likely broke his leg while he was climbing out of the cage, or when he got out. He was restricted to limited movement.. yeah, try telling Justin that! He wouldn't stop, he anted to escape again. His leg did heal, but it had a permanent crookedness to it. He was also placed in a much more secure cage. Then along came Adrianne, Justin's foster Mom. She brought him home to love him while he waited to be adopted.She loved giving him special treats. She said he enjoyed eating gnocchi, raisins, banana chips, and pumpkin seeds! That is Justin's grand story, for a grand hamster.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Basil, Caraway and Denim




Basil and Caraway the rats were adopted!! Basil and Caraway arrived to us months ago with 8 other rats. They came from a wonderful woman who saved a bunch of ratties from a neglectful owner. The owner wasn't separating males from females and allowing them to breed . They were kept in cramped and filthy cages and being fed cheap cat food! The good person who took in all the rats gave them large cages, separated the boys from the girls and started them on a good diet immediately. After a couple of weeks a few of the females she took in had babies. The females were already pregnant before she got the males out. At that point the wonderful person became overwhelmed with numbers. Life Long Tails Small Pets-Big Hearts small pet rescue took in 10 of the babies that were born once they were weaned and ready. We then placed them all up for adoption. The 5 females found homes right away. The boys took longer. Basil and Caraway were the last ones left and now they have found a loving home as well :) Their new family adores rats. They made sure they were well prepared for their new boys before bringing them home. They will always have loads of attention and love.
Denim the male dwarf hamster was adopted that same day. Denim is a black Campbell's dwarf hamster. He arrived at Life Long Tails Small Pets-Big Hearts small pet rescue with Capri. It was obvious to me that they didn't get along with each other. I made them separate housing right away to avoid and fights or injury. They seemed much happier away from each other anyway. Denim's new Mom has always had family hamsters in her life. She was looking to add a new dwarf and fell in love with Denim's picture and biography. Denim is such a sweet boy, I know she will love him. And he will love her back :)
the bottom (3rd) picture above is Basil and Caraway as babies. Middle (2nd) picture is how they look as adults , they changed so much! the top(1st) picture is Denim.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Our cats

I couldn't help but smile and be happy this morning. When I woke up, all of our 7 family cats were sleeping on the bed with me.
In case you don't know, we have cats that we adopted from various SPCA's in the area. Such as the Erie County SPCA, Wyoming County SPCA and the Olean SPCA. Adopting is the only way we will acquire our family members. They are all wonderful cats. And they are grateful and know they are home now. They know they will never be homeless, abandoned or unwanted again.
We are thankful to the SPCA's for what they did for our cats; Randy, Motorman, Marty, Melissa, Harry, Riley and Paige. Motorman is our eldest that we adopted 13 years ago, and he was 1 year old at that point.
We strive to help the little pets the same way the SPCA's help the cats, dogs, etc.
We do not take in or adopt out dogs, cats or farm animals. Our mission and focus is on the little pets , such as ; Chinchillas, sugar gliders, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, mice, rats, gerbils, ferrets, hedgehogs, some reptiles and birds.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Nizzle

A couple of months ago we fund raised for Nizzle the ferret for surgery she will need. Nizzle has been in foster care and her foster Mom has re named her Melissa. Her foster Mom will also become her adoptive Mom.
Nizzle went to the vet on Tuesday and Dr.Tomaschke can now feel the tumor on her adrenal gland. Her blood sugar was also low, so insulinoma is suspected. She is now on Prednisone to help with her insulin production and get her blood sugar back to where it is supposed to be. She will be going back to vet on Monday for surgery. She will have the adrenal tumor removed and if a tumor is found on the pancreas ( causing the insulinoma) that will be removed as well.
I have very high hopes that the surgery will go smoothly, she will recover and heal without any issues and she will not have any of these particular health issues anymore.
Thank you to everyone that donated for Nizzle's surgery. I will keep updates on how she is doing.

Jack and Jill

A couple weeks ago, a bonded pair of lop eared bunnies arrived at Life Long Tails Small Pets-Big Hearts small pet rescue. They are male and female, and they are spayed and neutered. Their names are Jack and Jill. I have a bad feeling that it will take a long time to find a good home for these beautiful buns. For three reasons- 1.) they are completely black, both are black and identical to each other. Back rabbits are often overlooked , just like black dogs and cats. 2.) They are large. They must be 8 to 9 pounds. I will be making them a vet appointment tommorrow, then I will know for sure how much they weigh. 3.) They are older. They are 6 to 7 years old. Although rabbits can live from 10 to even 13 years, with good care and being altered. I know most people are looking for young bunnies or even babies.
These big buns are very sweet. They love being petted and are even calm about being picked up. I love rubbing their ears, they close their eyes in contentment. Then they stretch out all relaxed and sleep.
I hope someone will open their heart to a couple of wonderful bunnies that, otherwise, could be waiting for a loving home for a very long time. I will post pictures of them as soon as get some.

Monday, January 4, 2010

Heartwarming Adoptions





Over the course of a few days, we have had a couple adoptions. Ones that will always be etched in my mind and make me smile.
Back in June of 2009. Three guinea pigs were surrendered. They were three girls that we named Dixie, Darla and Daisy. They were surrendered because of family allergies. What stood out about these girls was their age. They were older, which made it more difficult for them to change homes and have to get used to something new. And also to be adopted. Daisy was 4 years old, Dixie was 4 years old and Darla was 5. What also made it more difficult to find them a forever home was the fact that we insisted on keeping the trio together. Guinea pigs bond with each other, loosing a cage mate is not easy for them. We would never split up cage mates on purpose. Then, the wonderful moment came when the Smith family contacted us about adopting all three girls. They built a C&C cage for them , and love everything about the girls. Even their names :) It was such a happy moment for me and it still is, it brings tears to my eyes.. don't worry , they are happy tears.
Today, Hercules the turtle was adopted! He was looking for a home for over a year. Last November he was abandoned in a shopping cart outside a business building. IN the middle of the cold winter! After months of treating him for shell rot, he has been adoptable since then. But did not find a home. until today, when a couple was in town looking for a family turtle. They stopped by to see who we had, and Hercules was our only turtle. They fell in love with him. It had been years since they had a turtle, so they received a a great deal of information on his care, from lighting, to temperature to UV and diet. But they are well prepared for him now and will do everything for him. Way to go Hercules!
I cannot say I didn't become emotionally attached to Dixie, Darla, Daisy and Hercules. When these little guys arrive in our life and stay with us for quite a while.. yes, I fall in love. I have to repeat in my head that there will be so many more little ones that will need help in the future. It is a sad fact. And if I keep all the ones I fall in love with, we won't have any extra room in our house or foster homes for those future rescues that need help. Our goal is to find them loving homes, and I have to stick to that. I also know that the girl piggies and Hercules are very much loved now and well taken care of, I couldn't ask for anything better for them. That gives me all the peace of mind I need.