Yes, he's still alive ^^

Some pictures of my little Balto (I think I'm going to opload some pictures from Christmas later).

Look at his small adorable and cute paws <3

(unfortunately I had to take the pictures trough his cage so that's why the pictures is full of stripes)

Update #3 - Aristotels

My tummy hurted again on Thursday, so mum took me back to the vets office. I was really scared! [mums comment: And me too, the vet told me that if he wasn't better the next day they wanted to open him to see if something was blocking his gut].

When we came home mum gave me something and afterwards it didn't hurt that much, she also forced me into drinking water. I CAN drink myself you know! I also had to start to take paraffin again.

But now I'm feeling better, and mum have even given me some outside plants and a little branch I can chew on.

The really sad thing is that she have taken my cardboard boxes and laid a blanket over them in such a way that I can't play with them. Se says it's from my own good, but I really want to play with them...

I'm a a lion hear me roar! (relaxing under the desk)

Update #2 - Aristotels

I'm feeling much better now.
Started to feel better and hungry yesterday so I have eaten lots of hay, and then I just started to feel better and better. I think it's magic of something!

So now I'm eating by myself as you can see on the picture (but of course it looks like I'm in shock or something, but I'm not).

I feel like always actually.

And do you know what I have discovered!? Mum haven't given me pellets the whole time I have felt ill, and even not today when I'm feeling just fine! So I have to philosophise on how to give me all the pellets at once. But as usual I think she is going to give me my regular pellets ration (or maybe less!!!)... But that doesn't mean that I have given up yet!

Update - Aristoteles

I'm feeling better today :)

I was placed in my cage last evening and has been sitting there until now, so I ate some hay since it was really boring.

And I tricked mum today so I just had to take one syringe with medicine! [mom's comment: he just had to take antibiotics today, as we ended the paraffin cure yesterday]

Right now I'm lying under the bed to hide in case mum finds out that she is going to give me some more, or if she decides to put me in the cage again.

Everybunny should be allowed to roam free at all times, especially when they are not feeling well!

I'm not feeling really well right now

Thursday evening I didn't feel really well and my tummy was really painful, so when mum gave my my pellets I didn't eat as I was in so much pain. So mum force-feed with Critical Care me and massaged my tummy. I tried to run away of course but my strength just disappeared as I tried.

The next morning I was feeling better and ate a little pellets so mum went to do some errands. And while she was away I started to feel ill again, and didn't manage to finish my food. I tried to trick mum into believing everything was fine but she force-feed me again and put me in the my carrier. So we went to PetVett again... The vet checked my teeth as usual and after mum said something the started to touch my belly and I tried to run away. We went out but didn't leave and after a while another vet came took me away from mum(!) then she laid me on a table and held me tight and I was really scared. But then she took me back to mum. I tried to tell mum that we had to run and that these people was trying to kill me or worse! Then the vet came out again and we went into the room where I had been held on the table. Mum and the vet was looking on something and talked. I picked up the words serious, but I'm always serious you know.

Mum left me with the vets again and they force-feed me with something and then I was held on the table again before they gave me some medicine and put a cable (you know almost like the one that mum has put out of my reach) with water or something in one of my front legs (it really painful because it has a torn in it that they put in my leg).

After a long long time mum picked me up and we took the bus home, and then I was put in my cage even though I wanted to run under the bed. Mum also force-feed me and gave me medicine.

Now two days later I was allowed to go out of my cage. And I'm feeling a little better but I'm still feeling really sick, but I have managed to eat a little (mum has brought some really tasty hay, I think it is called alfaalfa hay or something). Right now I'm lying under mums desk and telling her what to write.

So see you later, and I will try to keep you fans a little updated on how I'm feeling.

[Mums comment: Aristotels has became really sick. The x-rays showed that his stomach has been magnified and he has problems with his digestion. I was tolled that if I had come later, it could have been to late for him... He got intravenous therapy at the vet (the cord he is talking about), and some medicines. Right now he gets antibiotics, medical paraffin and FibrePlex (and Critical Care). It's seems like his condition is stable right now, but if he gets worse it's straight back to the vet.]

Me after coming home from the vet:


And like it weren't enough that I felt ill I was put in my cage for two whole days!

En slitsom helg - Hva har egentlig skjedd?

This entry is written to the people close to Aristoteles and me and will therefore not be translated into English, but Aristotels will write a little entry in English today to explain what has happened the last couple of days.

Torsdagskveld fikk Aristoteles siste del av sin dagelige pelletsrasjon. Han hadde virket slapp hele kvelden, men det vårt først når han nektet å spise pellets at jeg ante at det var virkelig fare på ferde (og alle som kjenner Aristoteles ville nok også reagert ettersom han er helt vill etter pellets). Skal nevnes at han hadde vært interessert i mat bare noen timer før. Klokken var ganske mye og bussen hadde stoppet og gå. Jeg kjente på magen hans og den virket veldig oppblåst så jeg antok at han kanskje hadde forstoppelse. Jeg tvangsfôret han deretter med Critical Care og lunket vann, og masserte magen hans samt ga han litt FibrePlex. Jeg var oppe hele natten sammen med ham helt til han kom seg på do utpå morgenen en gang. Så jeg fikk i underkant av 2 timers søvn, men da jeg våknet igjen var i alle fall filosofen interessert i mat og kom løpende når han hørte at jeg ordnet med pelletsen hans og slukte papayatalettene sine som vanlig (de han tar siden han ikke klarer å bryte ned sin egen pels). Siden han var i så god form dro jeg og ordnet med mine daglige ærend.

Da jeg kom hjem igjen var han skikkelig dårlig og jeg fant ut at han verken hadde spist opp pelletsen sin eller vært på do siden morgenen. En rask telefon også bar det til dyrlegen. Vi ble sittende å vente ettersom han skulle bli sett på imellom noen andre når de hadde tid. Dyrlegen kikket på tennene hans og konstaterte at de var helt like som sist, og siden han sprellet så fælt (hadde jo blitt tvangsfôret rett før vi dro) så mente hun at det ikke var så alvorlig. Jeg sa at magen hans hadde virket ganske oppblåst og hun sjekket den, og konstaterte at dette måtte det taes røntgen av.

Så ble det å sitte å vente på venterommet en stund til før det kom ei og hentet Aristoteles. Etter en stund ble jeg også hentet for at jeg skulle få sett på bildene. Jeg ble mildt sagt sjokkert; bildet viste at magesekken hans tok opp ca 2/3 til 3/4 av kroppen hans. Videre fortalte dyrlegen meg at de trodde han hadde fått forstørret magesekk, men at det også kunne være for eksempel en svulst. Jeg fikk beskjed om at han måtte være hos dyrlegen litt til for å få tatt røntgen med kontrastvæske så jeg ble nødt til å overlate han til noen andre igjen.

Jeg benyttet dette til å få i meg noe mat ettersom jeg ikke hadde fått spist annet en frokost. Da jeg var ferdig med å spise fikk jeg melding om at Aristoteles var satt på drypp og at de hadde gitt han medisiner. Jeg dro tilbake til klinikken og satt og ventet på venterommet en god stund, før det kom noen ut til meg og sa at han snart var ferdig med dryppet i tillegg til at jeg ble instruert i fôring og medisinering de neste dagene. Jeg fikk en flaske med medisinsk parafin, en med antibiotika og beskjed om at han kun skal fôres med høy (kjøpte med noe Alfaalfa høy, som er veldig næringsrikt og fint for kaniner som er syke) og Critical Care fremover. Jeg fikk også beskjed om at det var kjempe fint at jeg hadde kommet nå ellers hadde det kunnet gått fryktelig galt, og at alt jeg hadde gjort natten i forveien hadde vært helt riktig og ville nok gi ham et bedre utgangspunkt for å bli bedre. Jeg spurte hva det kunne skyldes og fikk til svar at det var det ganske vanskelig å si noe om det kunne være at han hadde fått i seg noe, eller andre ting; ble også fortalt om en kanin som hadde dødd av det samme fordi den hadde spist skudd av gress og planter om våren som vist kunne være giftig for sarte kaninmager.

Etter en stund ble Aristoteles ferdig med dryppbehandlingen og vi kunne dra hjem igjen. Fikk beskjed om at hvis han forverrer seg måtte vi ringe vakttelefonen for smådyr og at det ikke var de som hadde vakt denne helgen.

Sent på kvelden, når det var tid for medisinering, la jeg merke til at flasken med antibiotika var tom, eller ikke tom, men kledd med bomull som antibiotikaen hadde trukket inn i og stivnet, og det var helt umulig å få ut noe som helst. Jeg ringte vakttelefonen og snakket med en annen dyrlege fra en annen klinikk og fikk beskjed om å komme innom tidelig neste dag etter for å hente antibiotika siden det var veldig akutt.
Denne natten ble det også i underkant av 2 timers søvn ettersom jeg var kjempe bekymret for den vesle gutten min. Han satt forøvrig i buret hele natten og hele tiden siden vi kom hjem ettersom han har en tendens til å spise når han kjedet seg. Han var veldig apatisk, men likevel sur fordi han måtte siste i bur (han er nemlig vant til å gå løs 24 timer i døgnet og buret brukes kun som en plass å ha dokassen hans og som fôringsstasjon).

Dagen etter fant jeg ut hvor klinikken som hadde vakt lå, og ble satt ut når jeg fant ut hvor langt det var unna i tillegg til at jeg fant ut at jeg ikke kunne ta busser dit fordi de ikke gikk ettersom det var første mai. Jeg spurte alle jeg kjente med bil, men ingen hadde mulighet til å kjøre meg ut. En venn av meg kom bort for å prøve å hjelpe meg med å ordne. Litt over klokken 10:00 ringte jeg vakttelefonen (koster forøvrig 26,- per min...) og fikk beskjed om at jeg måtte komme ut meg en gang ettersom de kom til å dra derifra snart og da måtte jeg betale enda mer for antibiotikaen ettersom jeg da ville bli nødt til å betale for utrykning i tillegg.

Vi endte derfor opp med å ta taxi og fikk verdens snilleste taxisjåfør. Først ble hun så opprørt over det med at jeg ikke hadde fått antibiotika til kaninen min og at det gikk ann å gjøre slike feil, så hun glemte å slå på takstometeret, og hun valgte å ikke legge til noen kroner heller når hun fikk det på igjen. Siden klinikken lå langt vekk fra alt og ingenting endte hun også med å kjøre feil, og slo av takstometeret helt til vi kom frem og hun ringte også vakttelefonen fra bilen for å finne frem og for at jeg ikke skulle måtte bruke enda noen kroner på å ringe dit. Da vi kom frem tom hun seg også pause sånn at vi slapp å betale for venting, ettersom vi ikke viste hvor lang tid vi ville bruke hos dyrlegen (og det endte med å ta litt tid ettersom Aristoteles måtte registreres i datasystemet). Denne dyreklinikken kunne fortelle at antibiotikaen var en feil og at jeg burde ta kontakt med dyreklinikken som behandlet ham for å se om jeg kunne få igjen noen penger.

Vel hjemme igjen hadde hele denne turen kostet meg ca 1000,- (taxi + medisin). Jeg skjønner at feil kan skje overalt, men det er likevel veldig surt å ha måttet ut med disse pengene, så jeg skal ut til den første dyreklinikken på mandag med kvitteringer på medisin og taxiregning for å prøve å få noe tilbake.

Etter Aristoteles hadde fått i seg antibiotikaen kom han seg faktisk litt og begynte å spise litt selv. Kjempe fint ettersom det betyr mindre intens tvangsfôring, som verken han eller meg er noe særlig glade i.

Han satt i buret sitt i hele går og i hele natt, og har spist ca en neve med alfaalfahøy i løpet av natten. Så i morges valgte jeg å ikke tvangsfôre, men se litt ann hvor mye han spiser i løpet av dagen, og nå ser det ut som han må igjennom en liten rundt med tvangsfôring igjen ettersom han ikke har spist noe særlig i løpet av dagen. Akkurat ligger han rett ut under skrivebordet mitt; han virker stabil, men likevel veldig sløv.

New leash and harness!

Mum just bought me this blue and purple harnes and this pink leash (4m) from Annesela ^^

Yey!

The Horrors of PetVett

The day before yesterday me and mum went to the park, and meet many people. It was fun, it's been almost a year since last time I think. Thousand years maybe!

Anyway: Yesterday mum took me to the botanical garden. There we met S and she and mum tried to read while I thought about chewing on their books, to consume some literature. What to you expect? I'm named after a great philosopher, and not just any great philosopher, the one that founded biology! So I can't resist ecology books. But I didn't chew on them, though.

I relaxed a bit under mums backpack before I started to explore a little and tried to chew on a tree, then I cleaned myself and THEN! mum picks me up and puts me in the carrier. I try to run away but is NO use!

And before I know it we are in the scariest place on all of earth: PETVETT! Mum took me out of the carrier and I sat on heir lap trying to hide under her arm. But then the vet come out and was calling my name. Mum started moving into the dark and scary office! And I tried to run away! But still to no use!

Then mum held me tight and the vet looked at my eyes, then she opened my mouth and looked on my front teeth. She went to get that thing, and I tried to tell mum that we had to run for it! But like always she got tricked and I had to get that thing in my mouth so she could look at my molars. Like always I tried to chew or spit it out, but the vet's evil powers were to strong...

Mum and the vet talked a bit and then we could go and I hid under mums arm in case the evil vet was going to change her mind and do some more tests!

[Mums comment: He didn't have to be put in anaesthesia to get his teeth corrected this time. The vet thinks thinks his teeth is getting better (she said that his molars look like those of a cat or dog, but that that is fine as long as his teeth are stabilising), so were not going back for a new control until July/August].

After we left the vet we took the bus to H, and there we sat in her garden so I could run a little (but I had to use my leash). A big cat came and really scared mum and H. I don't know what the most scary part was; the cat of the fact that mum was scared. But after being scared a way a couple of times by mum the cat left.

After being at H's for sometime, we took the bus home.


Me relaxing under mums backpack in the park:

Right now I'm lying under the table, philosophizing on how to get mum to give me some more pellets (she gave me less than normal this morning)...

Easter

I'm still alive, but we have been really busy lately, so mum haven't have time to help me with my blogging.

We have for example moved into a bigger apartment, so I have bigger place to run and play around ^^ It's real fun and I run around and play a lot! I used really short time to adjust to my new surroundings so mum was a little surprised, but it's the same things and mostly the same smells and I have Bamsen (mums comment: Aristoteles' toy armadillo) , and he seems really comfortable so I started to feel safe too.

I have also been to the vet some weeks ago, it was another vet, and this time I didn't have to go back to fix my teeth. Yey! But mum says we are going back when we are coming home after Easter (we are on a little vacation right now).

It's a girl!

Today I found Rosa (Grammostola rosea RCF) together with a shed skin, and this time the cast exoskelleton was whole and undamaged. I checked it and found out that my little (which actually isn't that small any more) juvenile is a girl :)

Rosa is related to Powerpuff (older sister) and Kleopatra. And she and Kleopatra is from the same eggsac and since they are about the same since and always have molted with just some days or hours between I cross my fingers and hope that Kleopatra is a girl too.

Powerpuff (G. rosea) molted today ^^

I found her like this when I woke up:

Laying on her back wiggling her legs to get out of her old exoskeleton:

And after a couple of hour I could spot her coming out of her old clothes:

And little by little I could see more and more:

Until she just had some of her joints in the old exoskeleton:

Just a little more...

And there! Finally!

And little by little she became darker and darker as the new exoskeleton hardened (look at the reed on her new teeth)

Her old clothes were you can easily see that she's a female

The thing you see here is the sucking stomach and oesophagus:

Unfortunately she turned over on her legs after again after sunset, so it was to dark for photographing.

And then a little video of Aristoteles, who was really displeased with the positioning of the camera:

Funny hay thingy

Mummy made a hay toy thingy for me today, and it's really funny to play with ^^

After a while I found out that this was the perfect way place it:

I tell you; the hay in this thing tastes way better than the hay I get in my cage!

Vet

This was a long entry (on about two pages) but blogger deleted it and I don't want to write everything again....

I was the vet yesterday and fixed my teeth, and now I have almost fully recovered after the anaesthesia. Mum was really stressed before this since I got really bad after last time, so she talked to the vet and they have given me stuff to try to help me to get well faster. I eat by myself today, which is much faster then last time were mum had to feed me for a week.

Faint is dead

Today HugeSpider found Faint (Pandinus imperator) dead in her terrarium....

HugeSpider have watched her for me for a while, and she haven't eaten and the terrarium has been a little to dry lately. But she was a old lady so she probably died from age...

Faint was my first tropical arachnid and I bought her in Bergen the 15th of August 2005. And like every other arachnid you buy in a pet store in Norway she was probably captured in the wild (so don't buy from arachnids from pet stores!). When I brought her home to Drammen the first thing I did was to tell my mum, one day later she came to me and asked: "The scorpion isn't real is it?"

Some days later she escaped from the terrarium and when I found her and tried to get her up in a box she singed my thumb 3-4 times in row (I still got a scar as a memory of that).

One year I was afraid for her to die since she wouldn't eat (she just ate two crickets and one cockroach and one locust I think), but after a while her appetite came back (video).

And the last year she has accomplished to eat HugeSpiders Pandinus imperator male and been handled by a woman on a exhibition (the second time she was handled in my care and the only one without gloves) without stinging.

She has been a lovely girl full of attitude and I'm going to miss her...

Rest in peace my little girl

A little trip to the forest

Today me, mummy and aunty was on a little trip in the forest.

I have been on many trips to the forest with mum this summer and it's really fun.

So all you bunnies out there, tell your mums and dads to take you on a little trip to the forest (or the park if you live in the city) ^^

My Birthday!

I know it's really a while ago, but mum hasn't had time (or the right programs) to make the video before today

So this is something of the things that happened on the day I turned 1 year :)

The day before tomorrw

Since we were going on a trip on my actually birthday (13th of June) I got my present today!

It's a little bit scary but still a little bit fun :)



Mum will upload a video of my actual birthday some day soon (maybe not tomorrow because of the trip).

Molt x2

Both Kleopatra and Rosa (Both are Grammostola rosea RCF) has molted the night to today :)

Their cast skins was damaged so I was unable to sex them properly but it seems like they both are males but I wouldn't know for sure until their next molt.

The fun part of this is that they are siblings from the same egg sack so it was really fun that the couse to molt on the same night. This is actually not the first time they have molted almost the same, but regularly Rosa molts 2-3 days after Kleopatra. And regularly Powerpuff who is their older sister (same mum) seems to molt at the same time as those two in the spring. So it shall be exiting to hear (she lives with HugeSpider) if she has molted or is molting in some days from now ^^

Me and some of my toys ^^

Peaches rules!