PJ Day and Vet Visit
Yesterday was PJ Day at school. It was pretty fun...in the sense that kiddies just wore their pyjamas to school. Just before lunch there was a House Team activity; basically all the kids in the whole school are divided into three groups - Red, Blue, and Green - and on special days the whole school gathers to play some sort of cooperative game. Last time it was a photographic scavenger hunt. This time it was...some sort of sentence building game. I think. I'm not really sure. The two principals organized it. Basically there were three pictures and a bunch of words that the kids, broken down into groups of about four, had to sort into sentences that went along with what the pictures showed (e.g. "There were five blue balloons" for a picture of a bunch of kids buying balloons from a clown on the beach). They then ran out into the lobby, did ten jumping jacks, ran around the lobby's perimeter, then went back into the library to move their sentences to the verification table one at a time. Depending on the order you finished, each group got a certain number of points to be added to their team's total. It was...odd. And a little confusing. But, hey, it beat PE. I really hate PE. Anyways, after lunch was Reward Time. Which is to say that I've started taking the last two lesson blocks on Fridays (so the last hour and a half of their English time) and using it to show movies - Disney mostly - as a reward for their week of good behavior. I showed Beauty and the Beast this time around. They loved it. I like when that happens, LOL.
Today was Koda's first appointment with the veterinarian. I did oodles of research before making the decision to get a pet and ICVS - the International Clinic for Veterinary Services - proved a pretty reliable source. They, you might recall, were the hosts of the information session about exporting pets from China. Anyways, not only did Koda have an appointment, but Vicky had made appointments for both her bets - her pooch Jaxon and her ferret Bandit. Last night, Vicky called and arranged for the vet clinic to provide transport; for ¥300 (which, split, was ¥150 each), the clinic's driver picked us up outside our apartment complex, drove us to the clinic, waited for us to finish, and drove us back again. It wasn't too bad a deal, all things considered.
Anyways, after paperwork (because there's always paperwork), Koda was examined by one of the vets. It was a basic exam; they took his temperature, weighed him, checked his eyes and ears, listened to his heart, and felt his body for any internal abnormalities. Everything was normal. I had to bring a stool stample to be tested in the on-site lab for parasites and that to was normal. It was actually a big relief; Chinese pet stores don't have very much legislation and, more often than not, buying an animal from the pet market is a roll of the dice that tends towards your new furry friend having something wrong with them, be it mites, parasites, or illness. They also have a tendency to have been weened too soon from their mother which can result in compromised immune systems, among other things. So, yup, beyond a relief to know that Koda had a clean bill of health.
I also wanted to have Koda vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped. I know that Canada does require pets to be have microchips (rice-sized gizmos that are inserted between the animal's skin and muscle that holds their basic info such as name, owner, country of origin, and vaccination status), but the clinic in Beijing that certifies pets for export requires all the animals they examine to be microchipped - as does all of Europe for animals being imported. Best to have it done and be on the safe side than not and get in trouble later. Of course, as Calypso's early vet visits taught me, I am totally the WORST when it comes to my animals being in pain, so I switched out with Adam (Vicky's boyfriend, you might recall) when it came time for the injections. Koda only got his first feline distemper vaccine, but he'll be going back in three weeks for the next shot. He has to have three total for distemper (spread out with one every three weeks) and one, of course, for rabies (which can be had seven days after any of the distemper shots).
Now I'm chilling with a grumpy, vaccinated, sleepy cat. Doesn't he look just SO happy with me? *sigh* Not too bad a Saturday, all things considered. I know, I know - I'm a wild one, LOL.
Today was Koda's first appointment with the veterinarian. I did oodles of research before making the decision to get a pet and ICVS - the International Clinic for Veterinary Services - proved a pretty reliable source. They, you might recall, were the hosts of the information session about exporting pets from China. Anyways, not only did Koda have an appointment, but Vicky had made appointments for both her bets - her pooch Jaxon and her ferret Bandit. Last night, Vicky called and arranged for the vet clinic to provide transport; for ¥300 (which, split, was ¥150 each), the clinic's driver picked us up outside our apartment complex, drove us to the clinic, waited for us to finish, and drove us back again. It wasn't too bad a deal, all things considered.
Anyways, after paperwork (because there's always paperwork), Koda was examined by one of the vets. It was a basic exam; they took his temperature, weighed him, checked his eyes and ears, listened to his heart, and felt his body for any internal abnormalities. Everything was normal. I had to bring a stool stample to be tested in the on-site lab for parasites and that to was normal. It was actually a big relief; Chinese pet stores don't have very much legislation and, more often than not, buying an animal from the pet market is a roll of the dice that tends towards your new furry friend having something wrong with them, be it mites, parasites, or illness. They also have a tendency to have been weened too soon from their mother which can result in compromised immune systems, among other things. So, yup, beyond a relief to know that Koda had a clean bill of health.
I also wanted to have Koda vaccinated, dewormed, and microchipped. I know that Canada does require pets to be have microchips (rice-sized gizmos that are inserted between the animal's skin and muscle that holds their basic info such as name, owner, country of origin, and vaccination status), but the clinic in Beijing that certifies pets for export requires all the animals they examine to be microchipped - as does all of Europe for animals being imported. Best to have it done and be on the safe side than not and get in trouble later. Of course, as Calypso's early vet visits taught me, I am totally the WORST when it comes to my animals being in pain, so I switched out with Adam (Vicky's boyfriend, you might recall) when it came time for the injections. Koda only got his first feline distemper vaccine, but he'll be going back in three weeks for the next shot. He has to have three total for distemper (spread out with one every three weeks) and one, of course, for rabies (which can be had seven days after any of the distemper shots).
Now I'm chilling with a grumpy, vaccinated, sleepy cat. Doesn't he look just SO happy with me? *sigh* Not too bad a Saturday, all things considered. I know, I know - I'm a wild one, LOL.