It’s that time of year again, late summer, when the weather’s hot, the water’s stagnant, and bright green scum floats on the surface of the lake. Take a scoop of the lake water with a clear cup. Are there green particles suspended in it? Does it look like someone dumped green paint on the lake? Likely, it’s blue-green algae or cyanobacteria–even though the water looks green.
Dog Injury
Dogs and Bee Stings
As I trimmed the shrub in front of my house, something stung me hard near my elbow—a yellow jacket. I swooshed it off and continued trimming trying to ignore the pain. Then I noticed another yellow jacket circling me—then another. Where were they coming from? I looked down and saw dozens of them on the vinca groundcover, pouring out of a hole in the ground.
A Dangerous Time for Dogs – Heatstroke
It’s cool and cloudy when you park the car. You leave the windows open a crack for your best friend, who must stay behind, while you go inside a store, to pick up something quick. You get side tracked and spend much more time in the store than you anticipated, but you think, Doggie is okay, it’s cloudy and cool outside.
Sebaceous Cysts
A large hard scab stuck to the fur on Cassie’s back for over a month. We thought it was from rolling on rigid sharp crusts of ice and snow. A routine visit to the vet revealed the scab was harboring a sebaceous cyst. Several more occurred on her right leg and ear. The vet shaved her fur and exposed a raw, oozing wound.
Jinxed
I jinxed myself with the post about skunks. A few nights ago, Chipper got skunked. I had been lucky for decades. I think the skunk was outside our fence, since he didn’t get sprayed too badly, but it did hit his face. Then he ran up to Buffy and rubbed his face on her back. What a mess!
