u/Sufficient_Turn_9209

I grew up in Louisiana playing with cicada shells, but don't often get to see the little guy himself. I was working today when he just fell out of the sky, and landed on his back. He must have short circuited as I approached because his audio was stuck on screeeeeeeeeam. He stopped as soon as I picked him up and rode along with me to some trees (away from dogs at the residence where I found him). I set him on this little red oak, and went on with my day, but I can't stop thinking about him. Can anyone tell me if he looks ok? From what I have seen with image search, I believe he's called Megatibicen resh. TIA!

This is Queen Sophia. She's 10 years old and she is cuddly, loving, and affectionate. She's also a bit high strung, and neurotic at times, a bit of separation anxiety, with funny habbits, but she is loved. We inherited her 3 years ago from a family friend who passed away, and when we first got her she wouldn't let me touch her face or feet. I groom my other two dogs, but it was traumatic for both of us when I tried to do her. Mr. Hyde demon dog. I had 3 groomers in a row send her home half groomed, tell me they can't clip her nails, or clean her face, and that they didn't think they'd be able to do anything with her. The last one suggested sedation!

After that I just bathed her at home and was taking her to the vet to have her nails clipped, but every time, she would come home with diarrhea and her coat all blown out! As in hair loss! Plus, even the vet techs suggested she was giving them trouble. I have no idea what her experience with grooming was in the past, but it must have been bad, because she is perfectly sweet any other time.

In working with her over the last few years, I'm now able to wash her face without getting bitten, and occasionally I can clip her nails, but only one, *maybe* one and a half feet at a time. I have to keep her face trimmed because she refuses to let a comb near it. I also have to trim with scissors because clippers are out of the question. We're getting by but, tonight was bath night, and I realized the in fur in between her paw pads is densely matted. I know I should be ashamed, but she's so difficult, and I honestly never even considered trimming them because she's got a thin coat. Even my thick coated maltese doesn't mat there. I think she may be chewing them when we aren't home? She's not doing it in front of me, but, separation anxiety.

Sooo anyway... I got the small grooming scissors (because even my tiny clippers are a dead no) and carefully attempted to clean up between her little paw pads. I managed to get one back foot done, but it took so long that she was over it, and I couldn't keep her still. The front feet were worse so I asked my husband to help hold her... She got so upset she pooped on me! 😭😭😭

Am I going to just have to let someone sedate her? What would you do?! The matting has got to be uncomfortable, so it needs to be handled asap. Picture tax of her face after MY shower, and her second bath. 😭 She's asking if we can just go to bed now. 😄

Also, at the suggestion of the vet regarding separation anxiety, and a few other nervous habits we tried her on 1mg melatonin (no artificial sweetener!), and it made her grumpy and mean as a snake. So that's a no go.

I always wait for my doggins when they go out because you never know what they'll get into. This little biscuit is just enjoying the sunshine, and doesn't want to come in. Even when I tell her we'll be going on our walk soon. When I called her back, she leisurely walked to the other side of the patio beyond my sight. I walked out to find her sitting on her bottom with that foot kicked out in front... She cracks me up, and I had to share. Everything she does is adorable!

The thing is I have significantly more room than the yards in this older neighborhood I frequently drive through. These trees have been growing close to these houses for going on a century. I have two spots with 20 to 30 feet of space away from the road, house, and no overhead power lines. If I had planted in 2009 when we bought the house I might have seen it reach maturity one day! 😭 If I plant it now, it will still be nice in 20 to 30 years so I'm asking the arborists of reddit. Should I plant a live oak 30 feet away from my home?

First, I want to head off the ethical breeder comments. Not every non breed standard is coming from an unethical breeder. Just as an example, I know a woman who breeds maltipoos. Every dog in her program is health screened, dna health tested for issues in both breeds, and raised in her home as opposed to kennels. She only has two litters a year, and each female is only bred once a year. Then she alters and retires them to a pet home after the second (sometimes third) litter.

When she acquires a new pure bred dog for her breeding program she screens multiple generations of its pedigree (and horizontally) for complex multi gene traits. In order to mitigate unpredictable traits that could express in a cross she also requests linkage tests from the lab. They identify markers (segments of DNA) that are commonly passed down alongside certain genetic defects.

In comparison, the last time my family purchased a mini schnauzer puppy we were specifically searching for a dog for my son to train and compete in agility trials. We looked in several states and we screened and ruled out four breeders who were registered with the American Miniature Schnauzer Club, breeding show line dogs. Four! They were breeding quality pedigree dogs, but they either weren't doing genetic testing on their breeders, or wouldn't provide a CHIC number or proof of OFA testing. One of them (registered with AMSC!) was no better than a puppy mill operation. I reported that one to AMSC.

We did find an amazing woman with a fantastic reputation whose openess and transparency sold us. No regrets. She was was pedigree, and she was perfect. Unfortunately, despite a lower fat and premium diet (suggested by breeder and vet), no excess weight, and plenty of exercise, she developed diabetes when she was 11. When she was diagnosed the vet explained that we didn't do anything wrong. It's entirely driven by genetics. Lipid testing in both of her parents and grandparents were always normal, and there is no specific gene or marker that can indicate a yes or no for the potential, but it IS genetic, and common in minis.

I've seen so many people share pictures of adopted and rescued pups, and some people here will make their little barbed remarks and tear them down because their dogs aren't "breed standard". But it's that really a bad thing? Outcrossing to another breed that has a normal fat metabolism can decrease the genetic penetrance of hyperlipidemia and diabetes. And that's just one example.

Some modern breeders are beginning to look to breeding a line of pets that decreases the likelihood of inbreeding inherited illnesses. Their focus is strictly on functional health, stable temperaments, and individual vitality, rather than coat color or ear set. Some of these breeders, like the above mentioned are outcrossing with compatible breeds. IMO the pedigree dog world lost sight of basic animal husbandry long ago by putting too much weight on looks and closed gene pools rather than health and function.

If I get another mini schnauzer I do believe I will look for an ethical and responsible breeder who isn't concerned with pedigree.

I've been grooming our maltese at home since my groomer/ friend has been over booked. It was going really well until... this happened today. She heard someone at the door just as I was closing down on a snip. I'm lucky it wasn't a millimeter closer, but I just stopped because now I have no idea how to work with it. I'm leaning towards leaving it long everywhere to camouflage it. Pic of the guilty face immediately after. Is there anything I can do or just let or grow? TIA.

It seems like I'm seeing "my new vanilla orchid" everywhere this year. Does anyone know why, or is it just me?

I had completely forgotten about the B team movie rental store!

First picture is of the new babies. The rest are the seller pictures, I have to look forward to. I just had to share because no one else gets excited like I do. The next share of these babies won't be until they are in bloom. Well, I'll be sharing the neo as soon as I see those active growth pink root tips. I almost sent the seller a message saying I thought they sent me the wrong plant until I spotted a barely bit of pink on the old growth (last picture).

I know I'm not the only xennial that watched the shit out of this movie. I just found out that Heathers the Musical is a thing, and that an Off Broadway North American tour is about to kick off!

I can smell that cafetorium to this day. Large batches of warm food left a sickly sweet scent over that entire section of the school. Every item tasted like that smell rather than itself, and it was the same smell regardless of what was on the menu. 🤢 There was only one texture for the most part. Mush. Everything was always somewhere on the dull brown color scale. Yellowish brown corn. Greenish brown beans. Grayish brown meat. In 2nd grade my teacher would make sure we had eaten at least half of everything on the plate, and after puking on Sheppard's pie day I would go home with a stomach ache before lunch every time it was served. She also made us drink our milk and I HATED milk. Even chocolate milk. My mom finally wrote a note so I could have apple juice. Which was basically apple flavored syrup. The only day I cleaned my plate was when we had steak fingers with mashed potatoes and gravy. I also didn't mind the mac and cheese, but sometimes it was watery. 🤮

Edit up front: HE'S OK!! Well, probably a UTI since wbc count was slightly elevated, but he's got an antibiotic and hopefully we're good to go!

Our 13 year old has recently started drinking excessive amounts of water in the last several weeks. It was gradual, but became obvious in the last two. I thought (hoped) maybe since the house is a few degrees warmer during summer? Today I realized he'd lost weight too, so here we are waiting on blood tests. He's not happy about it. 😔 I really hope this isn't the downhill run. We just lost his older sister in September.

I had completely forgotten that I wore brown leather Eastlands almost every day for a few years in the early 90s. 92, 93? Pre chunky shoe era. And you had to have the coiled knots or they weren't cool, lol. Apparently loafers are part of the 90s fashion resurgence.

So my husband and I decided to watch Scream 7 last night on Paramount+, and saw a Scream Stream ad. They've got all 7 streaming rn, so we decided to marathon all of them instead. We just finished this evening and if you've got the time do it! Specifically, the first three. Watching those triggered hours of the Proust effect. We couldn't stop making comments about "remember when", "we didn't have", and "our kids wouldn't even get that reference". They held up really well, and if you're in the mood for some xennial nostalgia I highly recommend it!