We went to Dnipro yesterday. I drove and it was nice to work the pedals without the knee in the package effect. Had a chance to look at the crops along the way. Every part of Ukraine has had rain but western Dnipopetrovsk Oblast. Corn is up but thin. Winter wheat and barley looks really good, thick and even, some barley even starting to turn just a tinge. Will need rain to fill. Saw two wonderful fields of sunflowers, nice and even about 30 cm tall. There have been spotty showers and maybe they caught one. Wish our gardens would catch a nice slow two day rain.
Huntly and Barkly, aka Bobik and Volk have been looking like death warmed over this spring. Hair coat is rough and shaggy, hair coming out in chunks, no appetite for their dog food and thin. I guessed they were likely loaded with parasites. The vet was here on Wednesday evening, did blood tests, confirming Dirofilaria immitis, better known as heartworm. Oh, goody. They have that here. Better than rabies, I guess, which they do not have in Europe to the best of my knowledge.
Andrei the vet was back tonight, about 8:00 pm, gave them each a couple of shots of something and a prescription for some meds we will get at the human drugs store (same stuff but cheaper than animal version). Tanya will give them shots of this stuff for the next three days. He also gave us some spot-on pesticide for ticks, fleas and I expect a pot-load of internal parasites as well. The tick collars lasted three days. Just another handy thing to grab when fighting, I guess.
He forgot the meds for Kuchma who is also thin and so anaemic his nose is almost white instead of pink. We'll take him in to the clinic tomorrow and save Andrei the trip
I need Andrei to give us a monthly calendar of what we need to do to those critters to keep on top of this stuff. I fed Heartguard to my Canadian canines and am sure there is such here too, once we get this infection cleared up.
Crop report sounds promising; livestock report is dismal. Fortunately for the dogs (and even the evil Kuchma), you're a livestock specialist; you know what to do (like, call a vet.)
ReplyDeleteHope those three, and you, are all soon "well-healed."
Poor puppies! And good luck to Tanya, having to give them shots. Yikes.
ReplyDeleteKnew a guy who called his dog "Physician" as in "Heel thyself". Called his donkey "Kiss", too. You figure it out.
ReplyDelete"Kiss my donkey, since he's so adorable." Just like you, in your picture that you've posted.
ReplyDeleteThat was so simple, even a Bear could figure that one out.
Sad to think we spend more on our critters than we do on the homeless.
ReplyDeleteHomeless? I think I spent more on Montel and Vicki in the first two years than on any of my kids. Kids are cheaper to raise in Canada.
ReplyDelete