Spayed Cat After Effects

Hey Everyone,

I first and foremost want to apologize for not creating any content recently, just haven't felt inspired. However my daughter opened a side of me that made the creativity flood out of me. So hopefully I can continue writing on this thing. Let's see if I can make a set schedule and stick to it.

So today's post is going to be about my four month old cat/kitten who got spayed recently. I was really worried how the after effects of her surgery were going to turn out. I researched and some said their cats were friendlier and others distant or aggressive. I was looking into cones because there were warnings that the stitching will break off with too much licking. I was also looking for alternatives like stomach braces to cover the stitching. I was researching like nobody's business.

The day started out bright and early with a heavy thunder storm and lighting show that lasted hours from the night before. Harmony was laying on top of my pillow and as my alarm rang her soft paw and furry arm extended into my arm as if to say "Please, stay a bit longer!" Oh Harmony, you know the way to my heart. So after having an inner argument with myself on how guilty I felt that she was going to get cut and never have kittens in her life. I hesitantly got up and got ready. This photo was on the drive to the animal hospital and it is titled appropriately however I don't think she knew what was in store for her. We arrived around 8:50 a.m.

Arriving fairly early, it was a very somber wait as we waited to be called. The animal hospital informed us that she would be ready around 4 to 4:30 p.m. but to call around 3:30 p.m. for a phone checkup. We waited the whole day without her, hoping and praying her surgery was successful. I excitedly/nervously called at 3:30 p.m. and they told me she was awake and resting. What a relief to hear, however he informed to to wait until 4:30 p.m. to pick her up because they wanted to do further observation. During pick up they did not give us any harness or cone, just medicines that we acquired for her pain which totaled $25.00. This is her at home resting with stitches.

What was included in the instructions to take care of feline patient
1. COUGHING-May notice couching for next couple of days--which is normal due to small irritation in tube placed in throat from the endotracheal tube. If coughing seems excessive  or you are in any way concern, call office.
2. FOOD- Please keep animal confined until recovered completely. Restrict water and food intake to small palm size amounts or 1/3 of the normal ration for night. Normal feedings can continue tomorrow morning.
3. TEMPERATURE and APPEARANCE- because of anesthetic can lower their body temperature, keep them someplace warm and dry. Keep incision clean and dry. If any redness appears please call our office. Your pet has been surgically altered and you need to restrict her activity for the next 10-14 days. NO suture removal necessary.


So not being content with the information I received and continued research with the San Francisco SPCA ...here are some more things to look out for:
Monitoring Incision-The first several days after surgery are a critical monitoring period. There is no need to put hydrogen peroxide, soap or water, or first aid creams on incision. If discharge looks like pus it could be a sign of infection.  Things to keep on eye on are:

• Redness
• Swelling
• Discharge
• Lethargy
• Lack of Appetite
• Hiding
• Vomiting
• Bloody Diarrhea

Harmony was acting normal wanting to run and play was a little grumpy due to the restricted food and water (she couldn't eat after 9 p.m. the previous night). She attempted many times to lick her stitching and she still does but a lot less frequent. The stitching looks a little pink but I don't think it is anything to be alarmed about. Her diet has continued like normal and she is doing well.

The reason I'm writing this post is so if you have your animal spayed or neutered you have an idea what  happens and what to expect.

Thank you for reading :)

Almost killed my kitten??? Sergeant's Cat Shampoo Review




13 week old Harmony

A couple of weeks ago I bought Sergeant's Skip-Flea Flea and Tick Shampoo for Cats and Kittens Coconut Berry Smell from my local grocery store. I didn't use it right away because my kitten was still too young (under 12 weeks old). I took her a basic water a baby shampoo bath when I first adopted her just to get all that caged urine and feces smell out of her. It dried up her skin because she kept scatching. Having plenty of animals I looked for fleas and ticks afterward and thankfully found none. So while shopping at my local H-E-B grocery store I found my way to the pet supply aisle. I found this shampoo for cats and kittens and the rest were for dogs. So it being my only option I grabbed the purple shampoo and continued shopping. The shampoo had stayed in my pantry for a week or two until my little Harmony was of age. After giving her a bath when she was brought to my home I didn't really feel the need to give her another but, my husband saw the idle shampoo as money wasted and kept asking me to give her a bath.

With some hesitation I did, briefly read instructions on how much to put on and asked my five year old for help. I put gloves on and asked my daughter to hold the shampoo and when I needed it poured to put some on. So like a cat usually does when given a bath I held the cat from escaping while having my daughter pour directly on Harmony's fur. I lathered her and instead of waiting five minutes for the shampoo to kill ticks or fleas I immidiately washed off the shampoo solution. After a good rinse I attempted to dry her. Mid-dry Harmony jumped from my arms and ran under the couch. I see that she was in the corner of the couch licking and shaking excess water on her skin. While under the couch she began throwing up. She hadn't eatten anything since lunch at at this time she hadn't had dinner yet. I immeidately reacted and pushed the couch aside so I can get her. She ran out of under the couch and began throwing up on the living room tiled floor. I washed her paws off with water since she stepped on her vomit. I held her as she shook and desperately asked my husband to check if vomitting and shaking was a normal side effect. He claimed it to be so, but I was not conviced something in me felt uncomfortable about the whole ordeal. When giving her her first bath with baby shampoo she didn't try to flee or hide or throw up, she went back to things as normal. So holding her in a blanket to keep her from shaking or further licking on one hand and my phone in my other---I checked the reviews. On a website called Consumer Affairs. I found countless of horrific reviews on Sergeant's products for cats and dogs alike. A lot of them claimed death of their animal others claimed zombie like state after use and others said it made their furry friend's hair fall off. Feeling guilty I prayed for a miracle if what I read was in the future for Harmony.(If you would like to read for yourself the reviews for the Sergeant's dog and cat products http://www.consumeraffairs.com/pets/sergeants.html) I declared to stay up all night to watch over her and even asked my husband to get a Vet hospital on speed dial if anything were to arise. After being up until 4 a.m. with no further incidents I fell asleep. I woke up to find a healthy happy fisty kitten at my door at 9 a.m. for her breakfast. She had eaten all her food from last night's dinner and drank all her water. Needless to say I was relieved and thankful nothing had happened to her and she was acting normal.

I continued to do research and read the bottle in full over and over. So after reading the bottle I saw words like pesticide which isn't uncommon when you are dealing with fleas or ticks. I read active ingredients and saw Pyrethins which is usually an organic insecticide unless mixed with Piperonyl Butoxide which is a synthetic pesticide are supposed to ensure the death in ticks and fleas. The amount of the two ingredients are .55% which doesn't seem like it could do a lot of damage. What stuck me as suspicous was the 99.45%  in Other Ingredients. I researched a lot at could not find the actual ingredients used in this pesticide solution. Even browzing the Sergeant's website, it doesn't reveal what is in the other ingredients. So far with my scare I will NOT be using this particular shampoo on my Harmony anymore. The fact that the reviews are a deterrance enough, the fact that the product's website won't even disclose the other ingredients for whatever reason has me not wanting to endure that experience again.

Reading the Humane Society website this is some information given when giving your animal a bath using any pesticide ingredients.

"If you do decide to use flea and tick products
Follow these simple steps to help prevent problems:

• Never use dog treatments on cats, and vice versa
• Always be certain of your pet's weight before purchase to ensure proper dosage
• Don't split one "large dog" dose in half for two small dogs (or combine two "small dog" doses for one large dog)
• Read and follow all instructions when using these products
• Do not use these products on elderly or pregnant animals

How to tell if your pet has been poisoned

Symptoms of poisoning by flea/tick treatments may include salivating, dilated pupils, tremors, vomiting, hiding, shivering, and skin irritation.

What to do if your pet has been poisoned

If you suspect your pet may have suffered negative health effects as a result of a flea product, consult with your veterinarian immediately. If you think a child has ingested a pesticide, call your local poison control center. Be sure to report all such incidents to the EPA's National Pesticide Telecommunications Network at 800-858-7378, or follow these steps to report an animal exposure or illness »"
website: http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/flea_tick_OTC_pet_products.html

My regret was not going to the the Animal hospital immidiately after the incident. After several days she has been acting fine except for itching.  She will be going to the Vet this friday for a follow up and I will bring this up to the Vet for more information. If you experience any of these symtoms or just have an ugly feeling about a product please read and research. I didn't and I really wished I did to keep Harmony from being posioned. I do think she was posioned a small amount and if I had left her on her own to dry herself I'm sure she would've showed more signs of being posioned. I do not trust this product however, other reviews stated nothing had happened to their animal and it worked fine. It is all up to you when you are shopping and what you can afford, but please don't take pesticide lightly. It worried me on possibly having my cat die or sick, my daughter's and my exposure to  the chemical (which we washed our hands throughly and took a good shower afterward) which could have been avoided had I researched or found a shampoo not targeted to fleas or ticks.

 

Bucket List

   
July 15, 2015

So I've been really contemplating what I'm doing with my life and why I'm so anxious. I started blogging to help me get some inner thoughts and frustrations out and stopped cold turkey. I really enjoy writing and it should be a no brainer to write for the heck of it.
      So back to what contemplating I thought to myself and found that I have all these goals and wants and no way will I ever accomplish it EVER! Call me a pessimist but I evaluate life as I see it and frankly what are the chances I'll ever live in Japan, enjoy a warm bath in a Japanese Onsen (those of you who don't know what an Onsen is a bathing facility or could be in a inn on or near a hot spring where you just relax with nature naked.) The idea of one fascinates me and is just so NOT me. So back to this bucket list I thought since I probably will never do any of them maybe writing it on this permanent place called the internet and not a loose leaf paper will make these goals more tangible--something worth doing and not placed in the bottom of a paper stack stuck in my closet or worst the trash!

Photo by: http://www.hercampus.com/school/ku/ku-bucket-list

1. Learn Spanish
     -I live less then five minutes from the United States-Mexico border and do not know Spanish fluently to speak it, write it or understand it. Don't get me wrong it know some but not enough where I know everything being told to me. (Sometimes people who don't know English talk to me thinking "this girl knows what I'm saying I'm just going to talk in Spanish" and I'm pick up some words and smile and nod the rest of the conversation). Therefore I'd like to learn Spanish so I can speak and write back without looking like a nodding idiot.

2. Learn Japanese and 3. Go to Japan
     -So while on the topic of learning a language recently I have been immersed in Japanese culture and life. The Japanese are so different from our culture the way they think, the way they dress, lifestyle choices. Did you know that Japan has vending machines with literally everything you may ever need. For example some places in Japan may have vegetables so you don't need to travel all the way to the market to get it. I'd love to go there just for the serenity of the country and the lifestyle just to have an experience.

Photo by: https://spaining.wordpress.com/2015/02/01/why-japan-is-a-good-place-to-visit/

4. Learn how to play guitar 
     -This bucket list goes back to my wannabe rocker days. Who wouldn't want to rock out with their best friends jamming and bonding to your cover songs or your own tunes. Anyway still would love to learn to play so I can finally stop pretending on my air guitar.

5. Missionary Work
    - To be a service to another human being whether making a home or growing food or donating clothing or simply spreading the word of my God would be amazing. It definitely wouldn't be for browning points or for my own personal satisfaction but to humble myself and give back in a world that screams selfishness.

Photo by: http://top-img.com/i/i-want-to-travel-the-world-tumblr

6. Travel the World
     - My husband is a very content where he is person. He rather stay in his hometown never setting foot in an unknown place. I on the other hand not necessarily the polar opposite but just a bit more adventurous. I would love to go to Alaska and see the Northern Lights first hand, feeling the cold breeze sway through the trees onto my face. Maybe go to London and drink at a pub just to experience it. Going to Africa to see a giraffe not enclosed in a cage or a lioness low to the ground getting ready to pounce on it's prey. I feel like my life has no meaning when it sits ideally while the world has so much to offer, so many breathtaking views that other's take for granted.

7. Write a Book
   -I've actually thought about doing one for awhile but my negative self has always brought me down and writer's block has shown me it's ugly face too many times. It would be amazing to write a story and have people relate to you or want to share it with others because it inspired them or made them laugh or made them feel. Although a book would be amazing to write I would first have to write something worth reading. This one is doable--so let's see what the future brings.

8.Become a Teacher
   -This one is just something I've been so close to achieving it's ridiculous. If I could put a number on how close I am to getting my degree I would say 80%. What's stopping me? Well this one will lead to my number seven goal. Number 7 may be the worst and most difficult to state online for the world to see. Simply because of how embarrassing it is to me.

9. Learn to Drive
     -So I'm 26 almost 27 in a couple of days and I do not have my driver's license. How stupid am I? How are 16 year old kids with no care in the world cruising around while I'm stuck at home binge watching Netflix? Well here's my story: When I was in High School my parent's were always too tired to teach me and they had money but not enough to buy driving lessons. Plus I was obsessed with my extra-curricular drama that took about four hours almost every day so when I got home no lessons for me. I got married to my High School Sweetheart who used to teach me but then realized after getting married at 19 years old that I'm better off being chauffeured to and from work.Which wasn't really why he stopped. I think it was more of a control issue. Well years later a child was born and I left my job to raise her and now he's the breadwinner and I'm stuck at home like a good little housewife. I know I sound bitter and I have no one else to blame but me but you know how we as a humans are we don't want any of the blame so we shift it to those closest to us. Anyway as the years have progressed I put driving on this pedestal and I honestly am scared to be in control of this huge piece of machinery that when not controlled correctly can actually kill a human being. So therefore learning to drive would be amazing I would lose that fear and trust myself to be responsible enough to do simple errands or finally finish school and get my degree and actually make a life.


   So there you have it my innermost wants and hopefully now that it's typed I can fulfill some or all of them. Maybe  I haven't humiliated myself too much.

So what's on your bucket list?

How to Make Extra Cash Online-SWAGBUCKS

Hey everyone,

Hope you all a great Christmas break and Happy New Year!

So for awhile I was contemplating about what I should write next and I thought why not tell the world of this awesome new website that I've been using recently that is a legit site that pays you through gift cards in addition to providing other services for you. So the site is called Swagbucks and to my knowledge it has been up for a long time (since 2008) and is a California based company. So how I got into this amazing website is by just going online looking for Stay at Home jobs for moms that can bring in some extra cash. So when I stumbled upon Swagbucks I was completely skeptic, you hear about all these scams online and I wasn't going just throw myself into a site giving personal information and such when it could possibly be a potential scammer on the other side of the computer. So I looked online and it was praised by a vast amount of people who use it with their proof of free gift cards.

I signed up and tested the waters and it took awhile to understand how the site works that allows to give these mass amounts of gift cards at no charge to you. The way Swagbucks works is name brand companies or survey companies, pay Swagbucks to feature their items for promotional value or to get input from the consumer and in turn Swagbucks gives you virtual currency that when accumilated can be turned into giftcards.

Here are some of the ways you can earn "Swagbucks" :

• Search Engine-while online your probably on google, yahoo, or bing and are searching random topics of interest. Swagbucks has a search engine that if you use several times a day you earn "swagbucks". You won't get "swagbucks" for every search but you do get some for something your already doing.
• The most I've gotten from this is 15 bucks.
• Watch-in this one you can watch videos that will either add up to 3 or 2 "swagbucks". Videos may be from a commercial for a product, a trailer to an upcoming movie, how to, fashion, cooking tips, entertainment. 
• You can go to Watch, Encrave, Swagbucks TV (smartphone app).
• Play video games-Swagbucks has some of thier own games that are a good way to kill time online. The most you can make is I believe 10 a day from this area, don't quote me. You can get two "swagbucks" every other time you play.
• Polling and Answering Surveys- So in the site there is a Daily poll that is worth 1 "swagbuck" and all you have to do is answer that one question. Surveys are on various topics and products and can be on a new product and its packaging and how consumers feel about it or can be about questionnaire on movies you've seen, medicines you've used, insurance, household products...list goes on. In my opinion this is the best way I've made "swagbucks" considering the most I've seen for surveys IF YOU QUALIFY is around 300 "swagbucks". 
• The only downside is if the survey is looking to ask a particular group you won't qualify and all the questions that may have taken a long time to do is for nothing but a measly 1 "swagbuck".
• Shop and coupons-in this one I've not used it yet, but what you do is if you know you are going to shop at Footlocker online, and Swagbucks has a promotion for it, which is for every dollar spent you can earn a certain number of  "swagbucks". Sometimes they will have featured promotions that will give you up to 10 times worth of "swagbucks" for every dollar spent. Also if you print out coupons from the site and it is used during a purchase, when it is redeemed at the store, you can get "swagbucks".  
• For this one I think it's neat and would love to try this because it's stuff you already buy, so why not get a discount and/or virtual money back. 
• Scavenger Hunts- swagcodes can be found on Swagbucks' blog, Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram which basically is a word you find and input in he swagcode box for "swagbucks". Amounts vary.

So I've recently felt the need to redeem some of my earn "swagbucks". The ones that seem to be a better idea for you to get that is less money is the Amazon $5 gift card that is worth 450 "swagbucks" which is a bargain to me since other $5 cards are worth 500.  They do offer other gift cards and sweepstakes for chances to win more "swagbucks" or gift card giveaways.  Some of the other Rewards in gift cards are: Wal-mart, Target, Visa, PayPal, Starbucks, Ebay, Itunes, CVS Pharmacy, Facebook, Gamestop, Burger King, Sephora, Best Buy, Home Depot, and many more. Or if you want to do good there are a lot of places to donate to as well for a good cause. These are the e-mails and confirmations that are pictured below.

Proof of email 

Verifying my order

Amazon proof

Thanks for reading, I hope this helps get you some dinero, this is my referral link, which referrals also help you get "swagbucks" BTW. You can use mine or go into the website yourself, I don't mind.  www.swagbucks.com/refer/fsolis1