New Arrival Hamster

A new arrival today. His name is spunky and he is a male syrian hamster. He has short fur. His colors are brown and white. He is 4 to 5 months old. He was brought to us because he wasn't friendly enough with children. Yes, he is cautious with hands and being picked up. I see a lot of potential in him , with patience and a tender touch, he will warm up to people.. I am sure of it.

Fundraising for 10 Rabbits

We currently have 10 rabbits within our foster network that needs to be spayed or neutered. We spay and neuter rabbits before they are placed up for adoption. We have Thumper, Simba, Penelope, 4 lionhead rabbits that haven't been named yet, Grace, Misty and Todd. Neuters cost $85 and spays cost $110. This surgical procedure will help calm a rabbit and take away bad behaviors (such as spraying, cages aggression, etc) and help with good behaviors ( such as using a litter box). There are also health benefits. It is a known fact that spayed/neutered rabbits live longer and healthier lives. Thank you for supporting us and the 10 bunnies.
You can use the ChipIn link below to Donate. Thank you everyone! We couldn't do this without you support :)

Tax Exempt!!!

Small Pets-Big Hearts is now officially a 501c3 Tax Exempt organization!!!!!!!! YEAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pheobe

I have some terrible news. We lost Pheobe the ferret, she passed away. She saw Dr.T yesterday, she had low blood sugar, he suspected insulinoma, a tumor on the pancreas. He told us to start her on Prednisolone and get some food in her if she isn't eating. I gave her the meds last night and syringe fed her some chicken baby food. She perked up , seemed to gain some energy after that. I went to bed late last night and woke up to find that she had passed.


We will miss her terribly, and so will Rufus and Crimson the ferrets.

A Nice Sunday

Today is the last day of July, and it turned out to be a great day. And not just because I didn't have to work today.
In the afternoon Charity the guinea pig was adopted. And Miles and Mitchell the rats were adopted, their new family traveled all the way from Ohio to meet them and take them home.
The rest of the afternoon was spent cleaning some cages and letting the rescue ferrets romp around the living room.
In the evening, we had one of our bi-monthly board member meetings. Great discussions and new ideas formed for the rescue.
The rest of the night was spent cleaning cages and loving the animals. I surrounded by utter cuteness tonight. Dominic and Rufus the ferret were spooning each other and using each other as pillows. Cora was grooming Midge the rat's face while they snuggled in a hammock, everywhere I looked I was "aawwwwing" over so much adorable little ones. Our family cats were even curled up in their beds, and Randy the cat was laying on his Daddy, Ray, they were both asleep. It all warms the heart.
Good night everyone, we hope for an equally wonderful month for August.
PIctured above is Charity and Miles.

Degu, Adoptions and Blake

5 rats went home over the weekend. Amos, Bryers and Cody went home after they were neutered. Devon and Ryder were also adopted. All very cute boys that now have wonderful homes.
We have a new arrival today. A degu! Sh has been shuffled from home to home, and wound up at our neighbor's house. They weren't ready to care for a degu, so they called us for help. Poor girl lost her past history during all the home changes. We do not know where she originated from, or how old she is and she doesn't have a name. She's been investigating her new cage and eating all the good stuff I offered her.
Blake the mouse does not seem like himself at all tonight. We will take him along to our vet appointment tomorrow that is already scheduled.

Orbit and Xena

Orbit and Xena the guinea pigs were just adopted today! We are truly happy for them! :)

5th Annual Run for Rover

On July 10th Small Pets- Big Hearts will be at the Run for Rover. We will have some adoptables and plenty of information. We hope to find some homes for the littles ones. If you are running, please stop by our table and say "hello."
http://www.petemergencyfund.org/events.html here is a link to information all about the Run for Rover and the Pet Emergency Fund

June Adoptions

It has been a slow month so far for adoptions. Until yesterday when Mocha, Violet and Dazzle the rats went home! The three girls are quite spoiled and happy.
Crimson and Pheobe the ferrets went to the vet this morning for their surgeries. I will post soon once they are picked up later and we have details on how everything went.

Updates on the four ferrets

Rufus the ferret has gained some weight! He now weighs more than his cage mates; Pheobe , Crimson and Dominic. He received a Lupron shot at the vet to help alleviate some of the symptoms of his adrenal disease. It will take away the awful itching and he may grow some fur back. Although the shot will not stop the progression of the adrenal disease, it will help him feel more comfortable. I wish so much that his adrenal tumor could be removed. We would do anything to make him better. We do understand that the tumor is inoperable. If Dr.T even attempted to remove it, Rufus wouldn't make it. Our focus now it to keep Rufus well fed, loved , happy and comfortable.
Dominic is doing fabulous after his tail and tumor removal. He has so much energy and spunk. He has healed quickly and I already see some fuzzy fur growing back in where he was shaved for the surgery. We will get him vaccinated very soon and have him adoptable.
Crimson and Pheobe are scheduled for their adrenal surgeries on June 20th. I have high hopes that they will have successful surgeries and they will then be completely healthy after they recover from surgery. We would also like to adopt out Crimson and Dominic together. They are play and wrestling buddies!
Please help us with the expenses of surgeries and care for these four fabulous ferrets. Please click on the Chipin we have provided and donate. They are truly wonderful. Thank you for helping us to help them :)

More on the Ferrets

It has been a little over a week since the four ferrets arrived at Small pets-Big Hearts, Inc. After an initial vet exam we soon found out they had ear mites, mites and need to gain weight, they are much too thin! Besides this, three of them have adrenal tumors and one had a tumor at the base of his tail. These are pictures taken of Rufus and Dominic right before they went in for surgery. They were in Dr.T's examining room, waiting to be taken in for surgery. Dominic is the one with all the fur, he had the tail removed as well as a tail amputation to make sure none of the tumor was left behind. Rufus is the bald one from the advanced adrenal disease. You can tell just how skinny these ferrets are! It is unfortunate that after exploratory surgery it was found that Rufus's adrenal tumor cannot be removed. He will stay at Small Pets-Big hearts, or with a foster Mom and receive Hospice care. All ferrets have received Revolution for mite treatment and have ivermectin ear drops. They are also eating a much better diet, and in time we hope to see them fill in. Next in line for surgery will be Pheobe and Crimson, they also have adrenal tumors and will need surgery to have them removed. We are raising the funds for their care, please help us in any way you can. They are sweet and deserve every bit!
you can donate on our Chipin web site for the ferrets. Just click - " Chipin"

Rufus and Dominic Had Surgery

Two of the ferrets just had surgery, but we are still fundraising. Dominic had his tail amputation plus the tumor removed. Poor guy has a bald tushie, and it looks sore, and no tail!! But our vet is certain he got all of the tumor and all the tumor cells GONE. So hopefully it didn't spread anywhere else and no other tumor pops up. Rufus the bald ferret,due to the adrenal tumor, also went in . HIs outlook isn't as good. His adrenal tumor is very large and it is on the right adrenal gland, the more difficult one to remove. It is difficult to remove because there is a main vein running right through it. And Rufus's tumor is wrapped around that vein :( He would loose his life if the vet even attempted to remove that tumor. Our vet said his liver also didn't look well. SO, he closed him back up and stitched him.. If only Rufus had come to us sooner, before that tumor grew so large and wrapped around the vein and before it invaded the liver. If only... Rufus will be staying with us for hopice care, to live out his remaining life in comfort and love. Next, we will be taking Pheobe and Crimson to have their adrenal tumors removed, we hope they are on the left hand side and can be easily removed. I will keep the Facebook page as updated as we can, and will continue to post our Chipin website where donations can be made. My husband also took pictures of them today while at the vet, you will see their cute faces very soon

Chipin

Donating for the Ferrets

Please help us with providing surgery for four rescued ferrets. You can donate and read about them at this web site. -
http://smallpetsbighearts.chipin.com/mypages/view/id/766f741e18ad7841

The Four Ferrets

The ferrets saw the vet today and all 4 ferrets need surgery ! Two need immediate surgery, and will be going in next Monday. The two going in on Monday for surgery are Rufus and Dominic. Rufus has advanced adrenal disease. It is causing difficulty with urinating. He will have the tumor and adrenal gland removed. Dominic has a tumor as the base of his tail, he is having the tumor and his tail removed! It we wait too long for the surgery the tumor will start growing towards his anus :(

The other 2 ferrets, Pheobe and Crimson also have adrenal disease , just not as advanced at Rufus's. They will eventually need surgery.

We will also be doing our best to fund raise for the little guys. Anyone who wishes to donate for the ferrets , please e-mail me at rachel@smallpets-bighearts.org



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Updates

We are happy to announce that we did find enough foster homes to be able to commit to rescuing the 6 rabbits. It is unfortunate that only 3 of the rabbits were able to be "pulled" from the home. We now have the three, 3 and half month old rabbits. They are little and cute, and seem to be in good health. They have been playing and eating very well. We will determine their sexes very soon and come up with names. In the meantime, they are separated to avoid/prevent/stop any pregnancies.
Yesterday we took in 4 ferrets. Rufus is a 7 year old male, he is thin, and most of his fur missing. Pheobe is a 6 year old female with some fur loss, hind leg problems and she is thin. Dominic is a 7 year old male , he is thin and has fur loss. Crimson is a 5 year old male, he is bulkier than the others but is still thin and he has fur missing at the base of his tail. They are also very itchy.
They will need a lot of vet care and TLC.. they will receive and abundance of this at SP-BH. They enjoyed romping around the living room today, we were happy to see they have great spirits and energy. All four ferrets now have a vet appointment for tomorrow at 5PM.
On Sunday, Mother's Day, Ben and Sandler the rats were adopted together!! YAY!

We Need Help for Rabbits

Would anyone be available and/or willing to foster a rabbit for Small Pets-Big Hearts?. We are located in Cheektowaga, NY which is near Buffalo. There are 3 adult rabbbits, all living seperately for now. And three, 3 and half month old rabbits. There is a possibility females could be pregnant. These bunnies need a place to go after they are rescued.



we cannot commit to their rescue until we know they have a place to go. We can only house one these rabbits ourselves. Thanks.
Please e-mail- rachel@smallpets-bighearts.org or call (716)634-2462 or (716)472-2415

More Adoptions!

The past couple of days has been fabulous! On Sunday, Jupiter , Trigger and Frito the rats were adopted. And yesterday, Monday, Reginald and Nugget the rats were adopted. We love when the rescued little ones find their loving homes! Thank you to everyone who adopts!
Pictured above is Reginald and Frito.

Foxy Brown

Wonderful news today!!!! Foxy Brown the rabbit has been adopted. His family already loves him, he is going to a very happy bunny! YEAH!

New Arrivals- Hamsters!

We have three new arrivals! They are sibling hamsters. They were born a month and a half ago. Someone got a "male" hamster, they soon found out they actually have a female when they found a nest of babies with her. The person found homes for three of the babies, but the other three needs our help with finding them loving homes. Pictures will be posted soon. And I will be coming up with some names for them.

Rats!

Big group of rats coming in today to the rescue! They will be needing foster homes and/or adopters. If you were thinking of a new rat friend or companion to a rat you have , now is a great time to adopt. They are three months old and there will be a mix of boys and girls ( were kept seperated , no possible pregnancies) and variety of colors and cuteness.

Please contact me at rachel@smallpets-bighearts.org if you wish to know more about them. Or to set something up. I will also need many male and female rat names, please help!

Toy and Tofu Donations

Hello fellow supporters :) I want to thank everyone for following our blog and keeping up the love and support to the rescued little ones.
We are looking and asking for donations of human infant/baby toys for the bunnies to play with. All plastic toys work the best, like rattles, keys, rings, etc. We also would love some plastic whiffle balls for bunny toys too.
We would love some tofu for the rats, mice, hamsters, and gerbils. They LOVE tofu, and it is a healthy source of protein for them.
Thank you!

Chazz's Surgery

We had a rescue rat go through tumor removal surgery today. His name is Chazz, he is a one and a half year old, pink eyed white boy. A lump had formed on his back and it rapidly grew to a large size. After a vet visit, it was diagnosed a skin tumor and we decided it was best to have it removed since it was growing quite large. Chazz now has a large/long incision across his back , it has dis solvable stitches and surgical glue keeping it together. Chazz is back to his usual self, he isn't acting like he had surgery today. He is feeling pretty good and is happy to be free of the tumor.

Ferret Experience

Small Pets-Big Hearts, Inc. is currently searching for a person or family that has a lot of ferret experience. As either a foster parent or family or an adoptive parent or family. We recently took in 2 ferrets from a local shelter. They are both 3 years old and are bonded to each other, so they must stay together. Their names are Masi and Beatrice. Beatrice has a history of biting , this is what led her to be transferred to Small Pets-Big Hearts. She has also bitten while in our care. Masi does not bite. Beatrice is a red eyed white ferret. She isn't deaf , but her vision is limited. She bites the most when you enter her cage, especially is she has just woken up. She will take treats gently from your hand, and you can handle her and pick her up while she is munching on a treat. We would also like to see both of them transition to a much better food than what they are eating now. So far, they are stubborn about eating anything else other than Marshall's food.
We would love to have someone take in Beatrice and Masi. Work with Beatrice and hopefully rehabilitate her. Just be forewarned, a bite will happen. Please if you are interested in fostering or adopting these girls, please e-mail us at rachel@smallpets-bighearts.org. Or if you know someone that is full of ferret knowledge and is great with them, please pass the word to them. Thank you.

Mindi's Babies

We have named Momma guinea pig , Mindi. Mindi's skin looks so much better, she doesn't have any scabs anymore, and I can see some fur growing in where she is bald. Her babies are at the point today where all sons need to be taken away from Mom, because they are officially sexually mature. After sexing all 5 babies, Mindi has 4 boys and 1 girl. Her sons are now in a seperate cage from their Mom. And, her daughter is staying with her. Now, I need to come up with suitable names for the babies.
We have a few new arrivals here at the rescue. We have two ferrets that were transferred to us from a local shelter. Beatrice is a 3 year old, white with red eyes, ferret. And Masi is a three year old Sable ferret. Beatrice has a history of biting people. We plan on training and correcting her during her stay at the rescue, and hopefully finding an experienced Foster parent or adoptive parent for her. So far, she is taking ferret treats gently from my finger and letting me pet her white she munches the treat. She does seem to go for my arm when I pick her up. I plan to start picking her up during the sessions with the treats, and hope she will learn that picking up is fun and good. When she attempts or does bite, she will get a "time out" in a carrier. Another new arrival is a female dwarf hamster that was abandoned at a local pet store. We have named her Cici, and she is a friendly and active little gal.
We also have had some adoptions. Mack the hamster was adopted. Sam and Charlie the ferrets. Mona Lisa and Aurora the rats. And Goober the guinea pig were all adopted. Himi the rat and Might Mouse the mouse are now in foster care. And Franklin and Freddie the ferrets, Molsen the ferret and Esmerelda the rabbit are adoption pending.
We have been very busy. But that business is a great thing for all the little ones. We love when they go to their forever homes or foster homes.
Pictured above is Goober the guinea pig. He is now loved by every member of his family.

More Adoptions and a Momma G-pig

Over the week , Sam and Charlie the ferrets were adopted. Rambo the male degu was adopted and also Mira the Holland Lop rabbit.
We also took in a Mom guinea pig and her day old babies. Their previous owner was having difficulty distinguishing males from females and unwanted/accidental babies were being born. Momma has a mite infestation. She is missing a lot of fur, has many scabs on her body and was even bleeding on the day she arrived. She has been treated and looks better already, her sores and scabs are healing. Once her babies are old enough they will also be treated for mites. Her babies are now 6 days old and doing well. Momma is very attentive to them and is taking good care of them. It will be weeks before Mom or the babies are old enough and in good enough health to be adopted.
Pictured above is Mira, isn't she absolutely adorable?

Budha adopted!

I am pleased to announce that Budha the Panda colored hamster has been adopted! Everyone loves him. He is a fantastic hamster, he loves attention and he is very gentle.

More Adoptions and New Arrivals

Over the weekend, we found homes for 4 female mice. Also, Tia and Mia the sister hamsters were adopted by a wonderful family. And Salem the chinese dwarf hamster was adopted. We are happy with their new families. Adopting truly does save lives! :)
We also have 2 new bunnies and 1 guinea pig here at Small Pets-Big Hearts. I am not sure if I have mentioned Esmeralda in the blog yet. Esmeralda is a female Holland lop rabbit. She is a dark brown color with white. She is really sweet and is litter box trained. She will need to be spayed before she is adoptable. Mira the female Holland Lop rabbit also arrived. She is calico colored, she is beautiful and stunning! She is loving her new two level cage she has here at the rescue. She will adoptable very soon. Then yesterday we took in Bella the guinea pig. She is a cream colored piggie girl with pink eyes. She is still getting used to a new environment and home, I know she is a lovely girl.

Derby

Derby the guinea pig had his surgery today. The lymph node abscess was removed, as well as his lymph node. Dr.T wanted to make sure the abscess wouldn't reform. In order to remove all of the abcsess, the lymph node needed to be removed as well. Derby was squeaking and talking in his carrier on the way home. He started eating as soon as he was settled back in his cage. He is still on antibiotics for a while and will have his stitches removed in 10 to 14 days. He has bounced back so well, it's as if he didn't even have surgery this morning :)

Athena

A little less than a week ago we took in two female guinea pigs that were not being cared for by the children they were bought for. After they were surrendered , we instantly noticed that one of them has a head tilt and her left eye is cloudy. The girls came with the names Daisy and Buttercup. I felt that the head tilted girl needed a stronger name to go with her special needs/disability and to help overcome her physical obstacles. I renamed the head tilted girl, Athena. And her cage mate that has no obvious physical ailments ( just overgrown nails that are now trimmed) , Xena. After picking up and watching Athena , we also noticed how thin she is. She also would stay quiet in a corner and breathe heavily. After taking her weight- she weighed 714 grams , an adult female guinea pig should be at least 800 grams or more. Athena saw the vet and was found to have an ear infection, upper respiratory infection, a perforated cornea and angled incisor teeth. Poor girl!! Her eye was punctured and suffered trauma what our vet estimated to be months ago. We cannot do anything for her eye now. It healed the best it could. She may have limited vision, or most likely, no vision out of the left eye. She is now on antibiotics for the ear and respiratory infection. And then she will have dental work once she is feeling better. After three days on the antibiotic I can already see her spirits start to rise. She has more energy, more appetite and she is squeaking and exploring. She has gone from 714 grams to 719 already! I hope that she will steadily gain weight. Our vet said she may loose the head tilt. But, if she had the ear infection for a long time it may stay with her even after the infection is gone. Sometimes there is a residual head tilt even after treatment and good health. I am already completely in love with her. It would be a perfect story for her to be 100 percent healthy and be adopted with her best friend , Xena.

Lil Dude and Cougar!

We are happy to announce that Lil Dude and Cougar the two male guinea pigs were adopted. Of course, they went home together, they were a bonded pair of boys. Way to Go Cougar and Lil Dude!

Derby and Degus

We recently took in a guinea pig from a local pet store that has a lump on his face. He will be seeing the vet in four days. Despite the large lump, he is active, vocal and eats well. We have named him Derby and we are hopeful that he can be treated and will be a-okay very soon.
We also took in 1 male degu and 3 female degus. They are housed separatly, since we are against any breeding. Two of the girls have misaligned teeth and need frequent teeth trimmings. They all be adoptable soon, and the two girls will be placed as special needs.

Molsen's Foster Home

Yesterday , Molsen the ferret went into foster care. He now has a family of four to love and spoil him until he finds his adoptive family.

Many Happy Adoptions

Over the past couple of weeks, there have been a lot of adoptions. Pedro, Zephyr, Scooter and Rasko the guinea pigs were adopted. Maya, Larkin, Valentine, Remi and Liam the rats went home. And also, Keegan the hamster. We are extremely elated about so many little ones finding their foever homes. Thank you so everyone who has adopted.

Wish List Thank You!

Thank you to Karen and Lauren for donating toys and hideys to the rescued pets! Just want to remind everyone that the little ones have a wish list on Amazon.com. They would love any donation (s) from the list. Thank you , thank you!
http://www.amazon.com/gp/registry/wishlist/2F5K6GO277URS

Home From the Vet!

Everything went well with Leopold and Remi!
What the vet removed on Remi was actually an abscess, not a tumor. Which is a good thing, we don't have to worry about more tumors appearing on Remi. At least not yet, or hopefully at all. The biggest worry after having a tumor removed on a rat is another taking it's place , or others appearing elsewhere. The abscess was fully removed and after antibiotics , Remi should be perfect. He is alert right now and leaving his incision area alone.
Leopold had the abscess removed and a tooth removed. Dr.T saw that the tooth that was "connected" with the abscess had grown. He is very sure it is the source of Leopold's abscesses. With that gone and the abscess, we are hopeful this will be the last of Leopold's jaw issues. He will also be on antibiotics for two more weeks and will be re checked at the vet in two weeks. Leopold is a little out of it, but he will soon be back to himself. He did had a rough day.
We also have a new arrival! Bugsy the guinea pig. He is 6 months old, black and brown with a white crest on his head. He is a little guy and he was purring in my arms the moment I picked him up and cradled him. What a little lover!

Rusty!

Leopold and Remi are recuperating at the vet right now. They are getting picked up at 5:30PM by foster Daddy, Ray. I will post all about them after they arrive back home and are settled in.
The great news is about Rusty the guinea pig. He was adopted on Saturday, January 8th. He now has a spayed female guinea pig that he lives with. Her name is Fiona. Fiona and Rusty hit it off right away. Within 15 minutes of meeting each other they were relaxed and laying next to each other. We are very happy that Rusty and Fiona now have each other. A very happy story and adoption!
The picture above is handsome Rusty.

Freddie and Franklin

Two new ferrets just arrived today. They are both males and their names are Freddie and Franklin. Franklin is a lighter sable ferret and is 4 years old. And Freddie is a dark Sable, he is between 1 and 2 years old. They were brought to the rescue due to severe allergies and difficulty affording them. They are climbnig about their cage right now, levels in a cage are new to them. Freddie seems to want to come out, so I will let him bounce and romp around for a while in the living room. Franklin is content just sleeping.

Looking Back

The year of 2010 was a great year! We totalled 163 adoptions for the whole year! That is stupendous! Thank you to everyone who has adopted. You have saved a precious life (lives) and have given them a second chance filled with love. We couldn't continue helping the little ones without adopters.
We also became Incorporated as a Non Profit organization. Then changed our name to Small Pets-Big Hearts, Inc. Next on our agenda is gaining our tax exempt 501(c)(3) status. it is taking a little longer then we expected. But, we will get there.
We became placement partners with Lollipop Farms Humane Society located in Rochester, NY. We are thrilled to be working with a dedicated shelter. We are always willing to help out and cooperate with other rescues and shelters.
We were able to take in 7 female rabbits from the huge cruelty siezure that happened in New Brunswick Canada this year. The rabbits were housed outside and fed very little. When they arrived they were dirty, matted and thin . All those female rabbits now have homes. They are now indoor rabbits and will always be fed and groomed.
We have had many spays and neuters, tumor removals, dental care, check- ups, and adrenal surgeries happen at our primary vet. And that is only a few on the list. We are grateful for such a wonderful vet and staff at Seneca Animal Hospital. And for people who donate towards the vet care for everyone.
We hope to have an equally successful year, here in 2011. Maybe even better. We have grown so much and have gathered many people along the way that now foster, volunteer and are true friends. We couldn't accomplish this alone. THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart.

Leopold and Remi

Leopold is a wonderful Holland Lop bunny. He is a true sweetheart that loves attention and being loved on. He has been battling a jaw abscess. When he was neutered on December 13th, our vet found a jaw abscess and he quickly removed and drained what he could. Leopold has since then been on antibiotics. but, the jaw abscess has returned. The abscess is actually within his jaw bone. This makes it tough to treat. He is going back to the vet on Monday, January 10th, to have the abscess removed as much as possible again. He is still on antibiotics and will remain on antibiotics until the battle is won. Even though he hates the medicine every day, Leopold remains in good spirits. He is eating well and drinking. If I had a jaw abscess, I don't think I would be carrying on as well as Leopold is. Keep it up sweet Leo!
Remi the hairless rat went to the vet because a tumor appeared underneath his armpit area. The lump is tumor. He will be having the tumor removed on Monday , January 10th. Tumor removals seem to go well , and we hope that no other tumors will appear afterwards. Remi is also eating and going about his business as usual. He is a great rat, a real snuggler.
I will update on the boys after Monday.