A handy pill splitter

Cutting pill into quarters

Hoshi started taking 1 and 1/2 tablets of Vetmedin for his heart. It was causing intestinal problems so they asked me to give 1 and 1/4 tablets instead. I didn’t like the cheap pill splitter I had. I ordered one from Amazon that does a good job cutting pills evenly without smashing them. It’s solid metal and I think the added weight does a better job cutting pills.

Cutting pill into quarters
Cutting pill into quarters

Recorded 880 miles for 2018

The Runkeeper app recorded 880 miles on Hoshi’s walks last year. I started keeping track last April. We made good progress except during summer. Some days were too hot and Hoshi didn’t feel like going out.

Hoshi’s DNA profile

Hoshi results are back from embarkvet.com. He had two abnormal results. Chromosome 27 has an abnormality making him a carrier of the bleeding disorder Von Willebrand Disease Type II. He also has an abnormality on chromosome 13 called Alanine Aminotransferase Activity. This will make liver tests appear normal even if disease is present.

Embark says Hoshi is 100% cocker spaniel. You would think somewhere along the line there would be other breeds. After all, cockers are descendants of Springer spaniels.

Embark also generates a report for the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA). I’m posting Hoshi’s OFA report so you have an idea what they look like (DNA Test Report).  I’m also including a link to Hoshi’s Embark profile.  I can see Hoshi’s relatives when I sign in on Embarkvet.com.  Embark provides lots of genetic results.  I’m having difficulty making sense of it.  my.embarkvet.com/dog/hoshi

Hoshi’s Haircut

Cold Sunday morning

It was a long night for both of us

I needed to cut Hoshi’s hair because it was too long making him uncomfortably hot.  I turned the furnace down to 64 °F and had fans on for him.  It took about 5 hours to bath and trim him.  He was fussy making it difficult to remove the heavy mats under armpits. I’ve haven’t trimmed him because he hates it. I would have liked to leave his coat longer but it’s beyond my skill

Hoshi’s Thanksgiving meal

I found turkey and chicken gizzards at Whole Foods. They also had turkey necks. I’m hoping the neck bones will pass through the grinder easily. This will be a treat for Hoshi. I don’t think he’s had turkey necks before.

Turkey neck

Chicken gizzards

Turkey gizzards