tuscawilla oaks

Congratulations to Clara Phelps who was nominated as our November 2017 Pet of the Month.

Please read her full bio below:)

“Clara Bell came to us through the Orange County Animal Services. It was January 2015 and she was being featured on the website with a red and green holiday kerchief. She looked so pitiful and lonely we just had to go down and take a look. She was friendly but tired easily which, made sense for we discovered she was heartworm positive. She had tear duct problems as well, so her eyes were goopy and it looked like she was crying all the time. We took her home and the adventures really began!

Our girl went through a lot in the next year as we almost lost her to a fist sized blood clot (heartworms can cause blood issues), skin cancer removal and radiation, surgery to correct her inverted eyelids and diabetes insipidus!

But she is a trooper, takes her medicine without complaints and goes about her day.

Clara likes rough housing with her brother who she now outweighs (72 pounds of muscle), dragging me around on walks, chasing squirrels and she enjoys snuggling with anyone who will sit still for it. She is a big baby and makes new friends whenever she goes. We are so happy she came home with us and hope she is with us for many years to come.

– Ernie & Betty”

Hi! My name is Kenzie. 

I moved from my home near Tampa to central Florida in November 2016 at 4mo old.  This was a very stressful ride and I voiced my concerns for most of the trip.  Many comment that I’m very well behaved but it’s just a ploy to make them lower their guards and allow me to have my way.  I love playing with my Easter eggs but my owners don’t know how to put them together so I’m stuck with halves.  To retaliate, I make it difficult for them to change positions in their sleep by strategically placing myself near their legs.  I really enjoy sitting on their laps and they get the benefit of petting me.  My sister, Jaiden (a 20lb German Pinscher), who wants to be like me, thinks she should sit on my lap and I have to bite her boney little elbow in protest.  Hopefully my owners will honor my “Pet of the Month” status with lots more of my favorite snacks without needing me to do “tricks” for them.  Are most parents this annoying?

“Thanks so much to everyone at TOAH for choosing our dear 12-year-old Labradoodle, Shelbie, for Pet of the Month! We are grateful to everyone one of you for all of your love and support of Shelbie through her yearly visits and her home away from home when we have needed you take care of her. We appreciate you all so much!

I’m not sure everyone at TOAH remembers how we met Shelbie. We were blessed to rescue her as a puppy through Pet Rescue by Judy, and our dear friend, Karen Marino (who has since passed away, but was working at TOAH when Shelbie was examined by the vets…. thank you Karen….we miss you dearly).

Our oldest son and I had been very interested in finding a Labradoodle and Karen told us about Shelbie. We were only going to make the visit to see our first Labradoodle, but everyone knows how that story goes. Our youngest son could actually fit in the kennel with Shelbie at our visit and his arms were tightly wrapped around her body for thirty minutes. This cute scenario of course brought her more attention and other people were ready and lined up to adopt if we decided to go home.

Well, we did go home and Shelbie came with us…… and we are forever grateful for that decision we made twelve years ago!

I think everyone needs to nurture at LEAST one dog in their lives and I’m sure our world would be a better place because of the love you share with your furry friend! Shelbie reminds us daily of so many important things and teaches us new tricks as well! She reminds us of the importance of being active as she still walks us two to three miles a day! I know part of the reason she is so healthy is because of her love for exercise! Remarkably, she has been able to maintain her same weight her whole life!

Shelbie also reminds us of the importance of family and her love for eating dinner together as a family. She is a grazer and her dry food is available all day, but on most days, she waits to eat when we all sit down for dinner. She can sometimes be heard adding to our family conversations with her humming and we know she is feeling very content and loved.

Shelbie does love us unconditionally and prompts us to do the same. She has the ultimate ability to forgive and forget that we all long to possess, yet at the same time has this protective gene like a mama bear protecting her family……probably because she knows she is a family member and that’s just what you do for family.

Shelbie is happiest, I know, when we are all together and we are thankful she will be in many of our favorite memories through the years as our boys were both growing up in Winter Springs. We are happy she has been a part of many of our road trips too as I know she still thinks we are all just in one big kennel together enjoying each other……and that’s one of the most important things she has taught us. Life is short. Cherish every moment and each other!”

Congratulations to TOAH’S July 2017 Pet of the Month…  Moto Manfredi!

Please read his biography below:

We have had Moto since he was a puppy. He will be seven on July 2^nd.

A friend of mine was breeding his Labs and knew I was looking for a Lab, so once Moto was born my daughter and I could not wait until he was big enough to come home with us. Unfortunately, it took a few extra months of convincing for my wife. So he was almost 4 months old when we finally brought him home. (Funny thing is now my wife is his favorite, so much for “Man’s” Best Friend.)

Moto is a very smart Labrador and learns tricks very quickly, obviously for his favorite treats. He loves to go for walks and at 7 years old, he still trots a good 1.5 miles a day with some days getting in another 1.5 miles.

On one of his walks last week, he spotted a squirrel ripped the leash out of our hands and took off after it crossing the street in our neighborhood.

A car was coming a little faster than it should have been and it hit him. He was pushed about 20-30 feet away and he rolled a few times.

I called TOAH right away and the on-call veterinarian called me back in minutes and directed me to the Veterinary Emergency Clinic. When we arrived, amazingly he hobbled into the side door of the hospital, which surprised us because we thought he couldn’t walk. They performed x-rays and bloodwork while we waited. There were no broken bones at all, however there was possibly liver and internal organ damage from the impact. The blood test revealed a range 10 times the normal numbers so they kept him overnight on fluids to flush out his liver and kept him under observation.

We picked him up from the VEC first thing in the morning and took him to TOAH so they could examine him. He was still struggling a bit with breathing so they kept him all day long to keep eye on him and to continue to keep him hydrated and flushed.

They performed another liver test at the end of the day, and to our dismay, the number went up even more, but all other vitals were looking good so they let us take him home with some liver medication.

As soon as we got home he went to his favorite spot to sleep and seemed to be much more comfortable in his own home. He did so well over the weekend.

We took him back to TOAH on Monday for another test and the numbers finally started to come down. Not quite normal yet, but going in the right direction.

A week later, he seems to be more himself. We have to take him back today for hopefully, just one final test.

We appreciate all the love and care TOAH gave him and appreciate having them as his veterinarian since he was a puppy. He is a very loving animal and he is a very important part of our family.

–

Ross Manfredi

When we received the “Pet of the Month” email nominating our Kobe, my husband and I were tickled pink! Let me start out by saying that we met Kobe, we already had a cat and were not in the market for another “child”.

At the time we met, I was in the beverage route business, delivering to restaurants and one day I walked into a Kobe Steakhouse there were 2 kitties that hung out in the back of the restaurant. One of them was Kobe. This restaurant was his hangout. (hence the name.) He always wanted some love, and food, but, of course, only on his terms.

After a few visits, I inquired about Kobe and a person who work at the restaurant said they had taken him home. However, he did not get along with her other cat, so it wasn’t going to work out. I asked if I could have him and our story begins…….

I called my husband to help as the “Kobe transporter” since I had to continue to work. We contacted our favorite vet, TOAH, and told them to be prepared. Kobe was on his way.

When Kobe arrived at his new home he did not get along with our other kitty at first, but we made it work! He has been a joy ever since. Kobe’s life has been filled with adventure.

Kobe went to have his teeth cleaned a few years ago and while he was under anesthesia, Dr. McPherson found a lump on his chest that had to be removed and, thank goodness, it was benign.

Next, our sweet kitty surprised us by peeing on the stove. Yep, that’s right, the stove! The next day he peed on his dad’s wallet. Not using the litter box is very unusual in our home. So, we knew something was very wrong. Therefore, we packed him up and off we went to see Dr. Fullenwider!

I don’t know how she did it, but somehow, she discovered that he had (of all things) glaucoma.

Dr. Fullenwider suggested a veterinarian ophthalmologist. My husband and I arrive at the specialist, and this man looks like he just got out of high school. We thought, what could he possibly know? But, again, Dr. Fullenwider was right! Glaucoma.

We tried saving Kobe’s eyes with multitudes of eye drops over the years. We were able to save one eye for about 6 months longer than the other, however, ultimately, he had to have both eyes removed and we were devastated.

We went to visit a blind cat rescue in North Carolina so that we could educate ourselves and provide a safe home for him. It was an amazing experience!

Now, years later he can manipulate the house, chase his brothers, and play as if he could see. Kobe has been both a lesson, and a pleasure.

Fast forward to today, Kobe is approximately 12 years old, and he is daddy’s spoiled “Velcro” cat, and is gracefully taking us with him on his aging process. He has a slight thyroid issue but is doing well on his current medication. We are extremely grateful for TOAH and all the staff because, I call them often! (Two cats more…later!)

Thank you for nominating our Kobe cat for June’s pet of the month! We are blessed!