Larry, I mean viruses of mosaic family, usually people just call them RMV(rose mosaic virus), but actually there are more viruses then just RMV. This is quite controvercial topic. Many people especially in warm climates think that these viruses are not a big deal. Many others (I am among them) feel that they affect plants health, hardiness and amounts of bloom. Some data indicate that there is a possibilty of viruses transfer from plant to plant. Again there are differences in opinions on this subject and the actual data are limited. I have nice collection of roses that I want to keep as clean as possible. I am a virologist (not a plant virologist) and I know that viruses in general shouldn't be ignored. Olga

Make sure they test for Coccidia...sometimes they don't check for that and just look for worms... Yes we will indeed have his stools checked for Coccidia, thanks :o) You know usually stress isn't the cause the diarrhea, it is usually something that was already there and the stress has lowered the immune system just enough to set it loose.... Does that make sense?? yes, totally, the same thing happens with hamsters but mostly Syrians. Syrians get wet tail because something shocks their immune systems when they are moved long distances. The bacteria are there but it doesn't strike them hard until they are stressed. Are his eyes clear and sparkly (no gunk)? his eyes get gooky when he goes out in the bitter cold but otherwise they are clear and no sign of infection, scleras are white throughout Is his nose runny at all...dripping?? No,no drips at all, dry most of the time and cold and damp when he comes in from the cold but dries up again What color are his gums? Should be a nice pink, not too pale.. very nice pink and well hydrated...been checking for that Does he feel extra warm? (normal is around 101º) no, normal How many rounds of shots has he gotten? one round of shots on December 19th In consideration of his breed mix, I would make sure to time his last distemper/parvo vaccination to be given after his 16th week of age (at the same time as his rabies vac). ok...what is the rationalle for that, just curious Did he get a vaccination immediately before you took him home? no, almost a month ago How old did you say he was?? 9 weeks Do keep me posted...I certainly get anxious when I hear the words "sick puppy"...aak! well, I really don't think he's sick with a fever or anything but he could still have something in his stools, so we'll have that checked. He's playing like a kitten, pouncing on sticks and leaves and chasing after toys and generally either getting into trouble or looking for attention...typical puppy stuff. He is napping much better now. He'll nap for a full hour now whereas he was only taking 10 minute cat naps before and crying a lot. Today there was no crying at all and he is back on his food eating about 50/50 steamed rice and dry chow. One thing I thought of was that darn oil tablet the lady gave him at the rescue. I don't know how long she'd been giving it to him but those things are big and I'm sure it was like giving him cod liver oil twice a day. I've discontinued that entirely and today he is having better formed poos and not feeling the urgency to get outside. Ugh! It's a horrid day today... freezing rain so the deck where I was letting him out is thick with ice and the poor thing is terrified. I am too...afraid of falling that is so now I have to trapse him through the garage and out the back garage door onto MORE ice but at least if he falls he will fall only the ground and not off the edge of the deck. I'll pop back in with at "Pupdate" later and let you know what a second slide of his stools shows. Thanks so much, Barb & "Lake" When I foster puppies, I always have my vet tech/or vet if necessary on speed dial!! LOL!! I have the whole routine down...

I had a couple of holiday surprise guests too--at noon, with the gathering scheduled to start at 2 pm, my son asked if it was ok for his ex-girlfriend to come! They split quite awhile ago (he broke up with her) but I knew they were still reasonably cordial. I'm not sure exactly what the status of their relationship is now but I have always liked that girl so it was nice to see her. And my daughter asked if a close friend could come. Friend is a Jewish vegan so it was a little challenge for me to ensure there was food she could eat. It all worked out and I am so glad I always have a few gift items on hand. Gave ex-girlfriend a Godiva chocolate bar sampler and a nice candle. Daughter's friend got an iTunes gift card and a joke book of the world's worst album covers (she and my daughter are both into the indie rock scene here). They both seemed to have a great time. Son and ex(??) went home to her place together, and my daughter's friend told her afterward 'Christmas is fun-I might have to find a Christian boy to marry!' :). Ann

If you go through the list of ADHD diagnostic criteria ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adhd has it) A__ has ALL of them to the point of "disruptive and inappropriate for developmental level" He really has made HUGE progress in the last year or so, but his ADHD causes health, home and social problems for him. "Health" because he often is too wound up to sleep and is exhausted the next day, he can't identify hungry/full or other body signals because he can't pay attention to his body, he may or may not remember to wash/wipe/groom himself properly (or possibly HOW to do it properly), and he often gets injured from things that are truly terrible ideas but he's too impulsive to identify it. "Home" because he is often in trouble with his caregivers for things like picking on the pets, wrecking things by climbing on them, not listening, or bad attitude. "Social" because he has problems at school with his classwork and his behavior, in situations like birthday parties, when he grabs things or runs around at stores, that other kids don't like him because he is "too weird", those sorts of things. I know that being active and not having good judgment are part of being a kid... But he goes WELL beyond that. I have a nephew the same age as A__, and I do science outreach with kids, often with the 8-10yo set, and often see the "norm" for boys that age. A__ definitely does not behave like his peers do. When he takes his Ritalin, he is a little surly and hard to engage, but he can follow a simple instruction, remember to wash his hands after using the bathroom, he says please and thank you, he can sit in a chair, recall where he left his pencil, play a game of cards. Without his pills, these everyday things are a STRUGGLE for him. We've been doing little things on days where he doesn't take a pill (BM prefers that he doesn't on weekends or in summer if there isn't a specific reason for him to, and I'm on the fence about how I feel about that - I see ups and downs to both sides - but it's not my decision, so I can respect her preference) like making a QUICK trip to the store for less than five minutes. That way, he can gradually learn how to manage when he has not taken a pill. He also goes through the morning routine before he takes his pill when he is with us, so he can learn to go through day-to-day living without. When we introduce a game/chore/activity/route for the first time, we make sure it's WITH a pill, so he can listen and remember. After that, with guidance, he can often do it without a pill. If we try to introduce something new without a pill, he's so wound up about that this chore/game/route is new that he can't pay attention well enough to actually do it. (I think this is quite ironic) A__ going to school without his pills is simply out of the question at this point. When we were talking about that Ritalin is to help him learn to manage his feelings and everyday life, he asked if he would be off it when he was ten. I said I thought it would be longer, maybe in high school, or maybe after he is all done all his school, that it's hard to tell now. I'll be telling BM how I answered that one, so that she's prepped for if something comes out of left field on that. He switched prescriptions last winter, to a slower release dose, and it's a great improvement. He still gets the benefits of being able to listen and think and so on, but he doesn't have the huge emotional ups and down that he did on his old dose. It might be good to try a Ritalin alternative, that might not have the side effects (loss of appetite, surliness, etc) but that's not up to me. I can suggest to FDH, and he can suggest to BM, but I have to work with what I've got here. What I have here: a little boy with a big heart, who wants desperately to be "good", but has a lot of trouble with it on his own. I love A__ very much, and I want him to be able to cope with everyday life... And that's why I appreciate advice from all of you - because I don't have all the answers, but you ladies are able to help me.