"WHERE THE ANIMALS ARE SERVED FIRST...AND AREN'T ON THE MENU!"

Sunday, September 30, 2012

The Donkeys Get New Fencing, Wasabi's Dramatic Bout of GI Stasis , the Foreman Takes Down Trees and Other Fascinating News at the Lazy Vegan!

Paco checks out wood from a fallen tree!
Another very eventful week here at the Lazy Vegan, starting off with more drama when Miz Wasabi came down with a bout of G.I. Stasis on Monday.  The short version of the long story is that when she goes through a heavy shedding period, she ingests too much fur - and unlike cats, who can cough up fur balls, rabbits cannot.  Instead, it blocks the digestive system which can be fatal very, very quickly.  We tried our usual tricks, and when they failed (meaning she still refused to eat) we got on the phone with the vet.  Unfortunately her regular vet wasn't available so I had to zoom her to a brand new vet in the next town - but she was very helpful and gave the bun an injection to help "restart" her gut, some painkillers and a laxative (poor little Wasabi had a LOT of drugs in her little seven pound body).  But still when we returned home she wasn't doing well, so it was a stressful time - luckily we have a "bunny network" to call and I got some great advice, and by that evening she had started to eat again.  WHEW.  The lesson learned here is to be much more proactive about brushing her, especially right before the shedding season!  
     The very next day the foreman surprised me with an early anniversary gift - we are celebrating our 20th anniversary with new donkey fencing!  A GREAT gift!  We were able to make an entire new pasture area for the boys and they are thrilled!  I'm so happy to have more space for them to run around in...and maybe now they'll be able to shed some of that extra donkey weight!
Paco checks out the new pasture from the "other" pasture.
OMG, Snap left for her trip to Russia!  Took this with my iPhone - didn't realize it was so blurry at the time. She'll be gone for two weeks.  Can't wait to hear all about it and see her photos when she returns!
Toby has fully recovered from his scary disappearance just a week ago and is adjusting well to life on a leash at dawn and at dusk!
Bravo in the leaves!
Raccoon!

Miz Wasabi before she took ill.


And the day of drama...we gave her anti-gas drops and sub Q fluids...quite the task!
Worried bunny Mama!!
NOT a sight we like to see...the motionless bunny in her litterbox.
Yes, folks...those are examples of abnormal bunny poops!  Normal ones are perfectly round!
Finally eating again after a long and stressful day.  Rabbits can die within 24 hours of GI stasis.
Music while she eats!


I camped out in the kitchen with her that night just to make sure she was o.k.!
Coyotes!

The first load of new donkey fencing!!!! Yippee!

The donkeys watched from the closed corral while we set up the new fencing.

What a great new space!
The Donkeys Enjoying the New Fencing!



Lots of new trees to check out, too.

Weegie Racing Around!

The Donkeys Wrestle!

Heading into the corral for the night.

Tuckered out bun eats while laying down!
Hanging out with the boys in the new pasture!



Unfortunately the foreman had to cut down the beautiful black walnut tree behind him...black walnuts are toxic to equine!







We love being in the new space, too!








Happy donkey parents!



And VERY happy donkeys...now they have more flat land to race around on.



My favorite photo of the week!







Now we can even possibly rotate pastures so grass can grow.





They love the new redwood grove, too!
Rounding Up the House Rabbit!
Wasabi Does a Binky After Recovering!

The foreman also bought a gate for the barn.  This isn't to keep the boys in but rather to keep them out during the day - because they like to go in there to pee, and that's a drag because it is more cleaning up for me!





Binky time!
Had a great time at the booth for Forget Me Not Farm, where I volunteer - they had a little petting zoo at the finish line of the big bicycle race that is a fundraiser for the organization.  I was in charge of Carmen, the donkey!


This is O'Malley, the alpaca!


With Carmen and O'Malley!
The finish line!

Carmen was a sweetie...but all the young kids hopping over the hay bales to pet her made me nervous...I thought for sure somebody was going to be kicked!
HEY, those are FAT DEPOSITS on that little donk's rear end!!  Big time!
I came home to find that the foreman had taken down the big black walnut tree by himself!
BOBCAT AT NIGHT!
Our second bobcat sighting!