u/Affectionate_Ad722

This little stinker is costing us $1200 out of pocket today because I suffered analysis paralysis in getting pet insurance. She grabbed a bag of baking soda-based toilet cleaner tablets out of the bathroom and ripped it open. I don’t even know if she ingested any, but decided I couldn’t wait any longer than 15 minutes for the ASPCA poison control line so took her to the ER. (ASPCA ultimately took 45 minutes to pick up.)

ANYWAY — she’s a 12 week old Lab from a breeder with parents with OFA and CHIC clearances. We are in MD close to DC so VHCOL. I’m looking at Trupanion, Lemonade, Prudent Pet, and Physicians Mutual but one thing I’m now questioning is whether accidental ingestion will count as a pre-existing condition for any of these companies, even if next time she might go for a rock or a sock (she is super mouthy).

Any advice on ingestion being ruled a preexisting condition and input on any of these companies? Thanks.

She went chlorotic and her leaves fell off and her stems rotted in chunky mix. Ok, so I chopped and propped her into fluval stratum over perlite. She did great! Green stems and leaves, healthy roots, new growth. Annnnd then she rotted again.

For such a basic bitch hoya, why is she so freaking difficult? I’m honestly tempted to compost her.

I’ve experimented with a lot of different substrates for propping hoyas — chunky mix, stratum/pon, TFF mix, stratum/perlite, etc. Especially with small- and fine-leaves hoyas like retusa, linearis, and lacunosas, I’ve had better success in rooting props in fluval stratum layered over perlite in a double cup with perlite in the bottom cup as well to elevate the top cup and provide a reservoir, rather than in fluval mixed with perlite. But obviously this isn’t a sustainable set-up over time as the fluval will break down. I also want to set recipients and buyers up for success when I swap or sell props to folks who aren’t necessarily hoya heads, and I feel like chunky soil mix is a friendlier set-up than semihydro.

Has anyone successfully transitioned props like this to chunky mix? Words of wisdom?

A cute little retusa prop that popped a flower for attention.

We just added a black Lab puppy to our family. I desperately wanted a Studio Ghibli name but couldn’t find one we all agreed on. Our older dog is Mochi. Meet Nori — her full name is Gallivant Susuwatari [soot sprite] Nori.

I rotted the stem of my poor subquintuplinervis (fka pachyclada). Do I try to reroot the whole giant stem or do I chop and prop at least some of it? The peduncles tho….

All four (separately acquired) came labeled as lacunosa Violet. The first three look alike but the last one is quite different. Thoughts on whether it’s Violet or something else?

This is Nori. A little keg with legs. We pick her up Saturday! My best friend, who’s a vet, has already told me I’m putting her on a diet. 🤣

Verticillata heart shaped splash has randomly grown this dark, elongated leaf low down on the stem. All the other leaves are normal. What gives?

Thank you, amazonica, for putting out such pretty leaves even though you’re in ambient humidity and a basic IKEA self-watering pot with basic 20-20-20 Schultz fertilizer. You may only have three leaves at a time, but I don’t mind if they look like this.

I am getting another puppy! To join my 6.5 year old black female. BUT I need a better robot vacuum. Our Roomba just doesn’t work anymore. And with a cat and the long hair that my daughter and I shed, it’s time for a replacement.

I’d prefer one with a docking station that empties the vacuum, and I want something pretty quiet as my husband works from home. Overall I want reliable! And I don’t need a mopping feature.

Anyone have a recommendation that can handle the Lab and other hair?

I was sent this Viola cutting in a hoya swap. I don’t see any scarring on the stem. I know a microscope might give better information, but at first glance is there a way to tell if this is more like mite damage vs edema?