Moab, UT
June 10 and June 12, 2014
Last week Joe and I took Sally and Jack to have their teeth cleaned at Moab Veterinary Clinic. While Sally was anesthetized to get her pearlie whites polished, Dr. Slater felt around her belly and called to ask permission to take an X-ray. As it turned out, Sally had bladder stones...not just a few, but a whole bladder full. 
Monday, Sally had surgery to remove the stones. When we picked her up yesterday afternoon, we were given this baggie of stones...did our mouths ever drop! We couldn't believe it! We are so thankful to Dr. Slater for finding them. Joe and I have been told by three other vets that Sally was just "marking" her spots and that if she was not having accidents or blood in her urine, we shouldn't worry! Also, Sally is over weight. We had been told by other vets to put her on a diet. We only give her 1/3 cup of food twice a day...why Jack eats as much if not more than Sally, but Sally doesn't loose any pounds. Well, thank you again Dr. Slater! A full blood work-up revealed that Sally has low thyroid function which can be regulated by meds she will now take for life. Our sweet Sally is home and should be fine. Stitches will come out in two weeks. |
| Don't you just love the sunlight in the trees? |
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| The smaller 2 way lane is a newly finished bike route along the river and Hwy 128. A large, new parking lot is at the intersection of Hwy 191 and 128. |
Driving on Hwy 128 towards Castle Valley offers wonderful sites.
Princess Plume has been the most prolific of the wildflowers this year.
And even though the river is quite full and fast-flowing, it is not lacking in daring folks seeking a fun adventure.
This is the first view of Castle Valley from the LaSal Loop. The road to the mountains is visible in the bottom left corner. The tall single rock tower below is Castleton Tower, the first major sandstone tower to be climbed in the Moab area.
At the first stop I found Indian Paintbrush...the prettiest red paintbrush ever...
and thistle. But that's not what I am looking for.
We continue to climb then descend, climb again a little higher around every bend all the while enjoying the green...
and the views.
And finally reach the aspens, the beautiful aspens!
It is here I found what I came to see...
these gorgeous wild blue Iris.
Aren't they wonderful?
We also enjoyed the snow capped, well maybe just splotches of snow capped, mountains...
bushes of wild roses...
rock walls...
and cows!
Thursday morning, we were off road again!
The search was on for another favorite wildflower and Dee knew just the trail to take us on...destination, Porcupine Rim. I was looking for a white flower, but not these.
The mix of yellow Jerusalem Artichoke (Who thinks up these names?) and purple Tapertip Onion caught my eye...
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| Tapertip Onion |
and then, there it was...the Utah State Flower.
The flower was chosen as the state flower of Utah for its importance in pioneering times and for its "natural beauty". It was formally adopted in 1911.
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| A Sego Lily |
The bulbs of the sego lily were roasted, boiled or made into porridge by Native Americans and early Morman pioneers.. Currently it is used as an ornamental for its attractive tulip-shaped flowers.
Porcupine Rim was not just about the flowers. It was also a good precursor for another off-road trail (Poison Spider) Joe and I have on our list to do. Porcupine Rim is a fun, short trail full of ledges and rocks to practice/learn in preparation for the challenges of Poison Spider. It follows the rim with views of Negro Bill's Canyon. There is a series of off-camber ledges that give this trail a #5 rating by the Red-Rock 4-Wheelers.
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| This is a shared trail. |
The ledges (that require careful tire placement) lead to High Anxiety...one of the highest cliffs in Moab. The view is Castle Valley...
We did make a recovery...a biker had fallen and broken some ribs. Pearl carried his bike out and Thumper carried the biker who was very appreciative!
Look what we spotted on the way out...a gold collared lizard.
Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!
And happy trails!
Up next...Poison Spider 4X4 Trail
That was one pile of stones in such a little dog. I'm so glad she's ok now, she is such a sweet thing. Poor little bugger, I'm surprised she didn't have blockage issues with that many !!
ReplyDeleteHey Ruth...the doctor was surprised by that too. Blood work indicated that kidneys and liver functions are all good...no damage there! Hope you, Ken and Jackson are having a wonderful summer!
DeleteHoly Mackerel! I'm surprised there was room for anything else in her bladder.
ReplyDeleteI would be a nervous wreck on those 4 wheeler trails.
I know Judy! The poor girl thought she had to pee all the time, but NEVER had an accident in the house...
DeleteThere is so much to enjoy on these trails...keeps your mind occupied looking for wildlife, flowers, and all the beautiful views. And remember, we crawl along very slowly!
Thank goodness for a thorough vet. So glad Sally's problem was discovered. No wonder she was overweight with all those stones. Hope she continues to mend:)
ReplyDeleteThat was a great drive. I love the flowers. The Sego Lily is really cute. I'll have to search it out when we return. I love eating Jerusalem Artichokes. You should have dug up the roots. That lizard is too cute!!
Glad you were there for the rescue. I imagine a fall in those rocks would be a nasty one.
Can't wait for pictures of Poison!!!
Oh my, now in have to go looking for more of the Jerusalem Artichokes. I had no idea! Thanks for sharing that Pam. That was the third gold-collared lizard we have seen....quite a showy little fellow!
DeleteSteve's jaw dropped when I showed him the stones! Poor Sally…hope she is getting better.
ReplyDeleteAnother amazing drive, another beautiful and colorful photos. Love them wildflowers and gold collard lizard.
Our jaw dropped too Steve! Sally had a good day today...thanks,
DeleteGood Grief! What an interesting, varied blog post! First, poor little Sally, I'm so glad your vet found all those stones. Sally will be feeling so much better soon.
ReplyDeleteAnd your photos are gorgeous, all the flowers, and especially that beautiful lizard. I'd LOVE to see him in person. Wow! :)
Well, if you and Katie are ever near Moab and we are here, we will go looking for them! They are beautiful!
DeleteWe were amazed that all those stones came from that precious little Sally! So glad she is recovering and probably will feel much better! The views, flowers and lizard were so beautiful!! We enjoyed each one!
ReplyDeleteThank you Robbie...of all our pups, Sally seems to be the one with all the issues. Dr. Slater is wonderful!
DeletePoor little girl. So glad you had such a good vet who cared enough to ask. She is going to feel so much better. I am just shocked her bladder was even big enough to hold all those stones. I love that lizard. He really is a cool one.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Sandie. We couldn't believe there was no blockage either. She is such a sweet little Sally.
DeleteDid you weigh those stones It would be interesting how much they weighed. I she needed to be on a diet before, I'm thinking she lost those extra pounds pretty fast.
ReplyDeleteHi Jeri...actually the stones are really crystals and don't weigh that much. We are hoping with her new diet and meds that the weight will gradually come off. Once her stitches are out, I have big plans to start a walking routine with her...wish me luck!
DeleteWow thats a lot of stones for her. I am sure she will feel much better soon.
ReplyDeleteHi George...even with a 6 inch incision, she already feels better! We are so thankful!
DeletePoor Sally. I hope she's on the mend soon. I enjoyed going along on your drives with you, such gorgeous scenery. The flower pics are nice but the lizard with all his beautiful colors is outstanding.
ReplyDeleteGood morning Gayle. I agree about the lizards...we have seen three of them on the trails. Very pretty in the sunlight!
DeletePoor Sally, hope she mends quickly and fully. what causes the stone they were many I can't believe that.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers and the castle are really great.
Thank you JO. I believe the stones or propensity to have them is genetic...just like people. She is eating a special dissolution food now...seems to be doing really good!
DeleteGay, great news on Sally, she looks like a sweet heart. Glad the vet was able to help her and thereby extend her life! Great, beautiful photos!
ReplyDelete