whitmerule

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sometimes I feel like discord is lacking emojis and so I make them myself. these ones in particular are my favorites

frog, toad, and soup!

Feel free to use them if you'd like!

#ooooo TOAD #now we just need a mole and a water rat #and maybe a weasel or two

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#just straight up being a dinosaur

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Me (cis) when the optometrist demands my birth sex to test my eyes: … nONE (I recognise you did not personally create this booking process but can I suggest…)

this is a way better model... you'll still get transphobic & intersexist drs of course but i prefer this to male / female or even having separate questions for gender & sex.

[we can't see the full form, but i'd suggest having a "something else" option and dominant hormone question too.]

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We do already know that there are some animals who don’t have eyes but can see (that is, form a complex image based on information received by light-sensitive cells in their body which are not part of an actual eye with a lens) so why not plants … ! We just need to expand and diversify our concept of vision to include “vision not as we know it”.

EXCUSE ME THERE IS A PLANT THAT CAN MIMIC FAKE PLANTS?????

IT'S CALLED A BOQUILA TRIOFOLIOLATA AND IT'S FUCKING WITH MY BRAIN

IT APPARENTLY CAN MIMIC OTHER PLANTS AND AT FIRST I WAS LIKE "oh cool man it must take it's genetic code and copy it or feel the roots or something like that!! :3"

AND THEN I READ AN ARTICLE ON IT AND THESE FUCKING PARAGRAPHS HIT ME LIKE A BUS

LIKE READ THIS SHIT

WHAT THE FUCK MOTHER NATURE

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this groom was over 18 months ago and the owners haven't come back since so I don't feel bad posting shame photos but omfg this is the only time I've ever had to use a 30 blade to get under matting. (10 is usually the shortest we use except for particular areas like paw pads (15), or for specialised breed grooms (40 for show-quality poodle face and feet)).

Under the cut for (non-gory) animal neglect and discomfort.

I still remember this poor boy. Cocker spaniel (a coat type which gets a lot of very oily dense undercoat and mats up quickly). The lad had beach walks and swims every day (salt water and just generally not completely drying your dog's fur after a swim = more matting) followed by running home through paddocks filled with grass seeds (do I even need to explain the problem of getting sharp grass seeds embedded in matted fur and getting locked close to the skin for however many weeks or months it is until the owner thinks 'hey maybe I should get my dog groomed').

(Just starting to get the solid mats away from the skin of the ear.)

All photos are from pre-clipping the matted sections before the bath. Usually, we get any matted areas off before the bath, and just the bulk of the length of the coat, then after the bath and dry we go over the whole body again because you will never get a clean clip on a coat that isn't properly prepped.

But in his case? After the bath, I couldn't touch the legs and ears to finish off, because there were too many grass seeds deep in the skin (that's a vet job) and also the ears were by this stage badly swollen since I'd removed mats which were so tight that they were constricting the blood flow. All the blood was rushing back into those areas and the ears were very thick and sensitive. So, yes, that dog went home messy. And, though I rang them multiple times to check in, he never came back.

(Above: dander, sand, skin flakiness, and injury from an embedded grass seed in the ear leather. Below: the solid mass of fur shaved off the outside of one ear - plus you can see all the paler flecks on his leg of grass seeds that I was trying to navigate around in the pre-clip. Obviously at this stage I'd only cautiously managed to get partway down his leg and chest.)

He was a good sad boy. Hoping he's ok. 😕

#dog grooming #cocker spaniels #animal neglect #matted dogs #seriously i think about this poor good boy far more often than i should #he was my first really extreme case at this current job #well #except for the poodle who came in rolling and screaming in agony #because he had so much poop stuck to his butt that he could not poop through it #and his abdomen was swollen and painful because it was so long since he'd been able to poop #NO PLEASE TAKE HIM TO VET #your dog is dying!? #but can't you just groom him first?? #nO he is HAVING A MEDICAL EMERGENCY get your dog to the fucking vet #well i think you're being very unreasonable #ok ma'am you think that #please just take doggo to vet right now #also i guarantee that if I managed to SHAVE off that sticky fist-sized lump of poop #with or without injuring his anus #he'd explosively fountian poop over our whole salon #minor point #i merely mention it #but seriously THAT IS A VET JOB WOMAN YOUR DOG IS IN EXTREME PAIN this is not ok #anyway that was just in the first two months at this job

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he is beauty, he is grace

we are laughing in his face

(look he needed some help stepping up into the bath and his bib got all disarranged ok, I promise he is very majestic usually)

#dog grooming #rough-coated collies

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they are all the perfect ruckus

So apparently my friend also just got a dog named Ruckus!

This dog is physically the polar opposite of my Ruckus and I find this way more amusing than I should XD

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On the other hand, occasionally you get a pleasant surprise with a new client - they say '-oodle' and you go OH NO and block out a double slot and then find out that it did that weird random thing where crossing a double coat with a curly coat resulted in a very light wire coat and it's super quick and easy! We even have one labradoodle we see regularly whose (technically wire) coat is so fine and soft and pale that he honestly feels more like a drop coat and, though he's about 35kg, he barely takes 45 minutes start to finish.

But yes, owners asking me when their puppy is barely four months old 'what will their coat look like when they're grown up?' '... well, do you have photos of the parents?' 'no, can't you just tell me what the breed is like?'

buddy, even if you had an established breed like a golden retriever or border collie I couldn't tell you exactly what that individual dog's coat's going to be like to maintain when they're fully grown (especially without knowing what their gut health and outdoor habits will be like), let alone a cross between that and a completely different coat type. I can tell you about how to use various brushing/dematting tools but as for the rest...!

Why do so many in vet med 'hate' doodles?

Me: Ugh, doodles

askbox: *inundated* WHAT IS WRONG WITH DOODLES?????

Me: Mistakes were made! Mayday, Mayday!

But seriously, there's a lot of factors as to why so many people in vet med have an incredible dislike of doodles. I could probably write a 10 page essay but I'm going to try to keep this short.

1- They are 'trendy', and thus come with all the problems that come along with that. Backyard breeders, unethical breeders, any doodle breeder who calls their doodles either 'purebred', 'akc registered', or uses the phrase "you get the best of both breeds" is a goddamned lying liarface... these dogs are bred purely to make money. There's rarely any health testing, almost never temperament testing. It's 'make a fluffy puppy with a cutesy name' and people are DRAWN to cute. I watched many people adopt *huskies* from the shelter because "They're so cute!" NO. BAD.

2- People are rarely prepared to handle the traits of either/any of the breeds that go into doodles, especially those mixed with working-type dogs. The number of labra- and goldendoodle owners who don't understand why their dog is always eating things is aggravating. It's because they're labs/goldens! They eat shit! It's what those breeds just DO. Most doodle owners do no research into the parent breeds at all. This means they are also unprepared for the health problems that can crop up from the parent breeds.

3- People see breeders calling these "Great family pets" and then ... don't fucking socialize or train them so now, as vet staff, we are faced with sometimes 90+ pound dogs that can't sit on command, are jumping all over us, mouthing us, or pissing themselves in terror and wanting to bite our faces off because they're so afraid of strangers. This is not the dogs' faults but it doesn't make us like them either.

4- This seems to be a bit less of an issue now, or at least less of an issue where I am, but a lot of people don't... groom them? Some breeders even specifically say to not get them seen at the groomer before they're a year old???? And people hear "non-shedding" (potentially A LIE) and then... don't.... brush them? So then they turn into a solid felted mat and they become a groomer's behaviour-nightmare-shear-it-like-a-sheep-"What do you mean you couldn't leave the hair long?!?!?!?"

5- Oh gods, the ENDLESS EAR INFECTIONS AND ALLERGIES AND GI ISSUES

So yeah, that's the quick and dirty on why "ugh, doodles"... at least it's a little shorter than a why "UGH, frenchies" would be

#dog grooming #IS SHE STILL GOING TO BE FLUFFY #yes but probably not in a good way #leT ME SHOW YOU THESE BRUSHES

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dog groomer here to second the UGH, DOODLES

It's mostly cavoodles and groodles (aka goldendoodles) here, with a fair amount of labradoodles, borderdoodles, moodles (x maltese) and spoodles (x cocker) too. The number of times I've had a client not realise their dog is matted to the skin (sometimes with grass seeds embedded in those mats), or be surprised that they have to brush it ('but it doesn't shed!'), or who say they bought an oodle because they thought it was 'low-maintenance'...!

And many of them, especially groodle, cavoodles, and borderdoodles, can be very sooky or silly or anxious if not very well socialised in general from a young age, including to the grooming salon. Groodles dance all over the table when you try to do anything to their feet, borderdoodles (like collies) can often be snappy for brushing and drying, and cavoodles are very silly and sooky for faces and feet - especially because their owners often baby them and therefore inadvertently reward behaviours like crying and cowering instead of teaching them confidence.

Of course they're not the only breeds for which this is true, but we see so much of them and they're so often under-socialised that you always sigh internally and brace yourself a bit when you see a new dog of any of those breeds on the book.

In the past two weeks, I've had one owner cancel twice on appointments for her six-month-old cavoodle's first groom (please introduce your dog to grooming younger than that), because it just didn't end up being convenient to her on the day. We always try to make a puppy's first groom just a bath and tidy, not taking length off the body, so they have time to get used to the room and the sounds and sensations before having to undergo a full groom; but it's around the six month mark that I find most owners of curly-coated breeds start to struggle to maintain the coat, as it begins to change from the short soft puppy coat which doesn't mat readily.

Side note, we book out three to six weeks in advance. The only reason she managed to get rescheduled twice in a short period is because I put her on the wait list for any cancellations and am actively prioritising her puppy above people that have been on the wait list longer than she has!

Because I'm really hoping I get to see this baby early enough that I can introduce her to the process gently: I WANT to set her up for a lifetime of calm happy grooming; but for that, I need the owner to actually prioritise her dog and actually bring her to me.

(also, yes, ha, I always get a bit of a chuckle out of 'he's not a cross-breed! he's a pure groodle!')

Why do so many in vet med 'hate' doodles?

Me: Ugh, doodles

askbox: *inundated* WHAT IS WRONG WITH DOODLES?????

Me: Mistakes were made! Mayday, Mayday!

But seriously, there's a lot of factors as to why so many people in vet med have an incredible dislike of doodles. I could probably write a 10 page essay but I'm going to try to keep this short.

1- They are 'trendy', and thus come with all the problems that come along with that. Backyard breeders, unethical breeders, any doodle breeder who calls their doodles either 'purebred', 'akc registered', or uses the phrase "you get the best of both breeds" is a goddamned lying liarface... these dogs are bred purely to make money. There's rarely any health testing, almost never temperament testing. It's 'make a fluffy puppy with a cutesy name' and people are DRAWN to cute. I watched many people adopt *huskies* from the shelter because "They're so cute!" NO. BAD.

2- People are rarely prepared to handle the traits of either/any of the breeds that go into doodles, especially those mixed with working-type dogs. The number of labra- and goldendoodle owners who don't understand why their dog is always eating things is aggravating. It's because they're labs/goldens! They eat shit! It's what those breeds just DO. Most doodle owners do no research into the parent breeds at all. This means they are also unprepared for the health problems that can crop up from the parent breeds.

3- People see breeders calling these "Great family pets" and then ... don't fucking socialize or train them so now, as vet staff, we are faced with sometimes 90+ pound dogs that can't sit on command, are jumping all over us, mouthing us, or pissing themselves in terror and wanting to bite our faces off because they're so afraid of strangers. This is not the dogs' faults but it doesn't make us like them either.

4- This seems to be a bit less of an issue now, or at least less of an issue where I am, but a lot of people don't... groom them? Some breeders even specifically say to not get them seen at the groomer before they're a year old???? And people hear "non-shedding" (potentially A LIE) and then... don't.... brush them? So then they turn into a solid felted mat and they become a groomer's behaviour-nightmare-shear-it-like-a-sheep-"What do you mean you couldn't leave the hair long?!?!?!?"

5- Oh gods, the ENDLESS EAR INFECTIONS AND ALLERGIES AND GI ISSUES

So yeah, that's the quick and dirty on why "ugh, doodles"... at least it's a little shorter than a why "UGH, frenchies" would be

#dog grooming #groodles #cavoodles #love the dogs #silently grump at the owners #it's not the dogs' fault #i just want to make them happy and comfortable #and maybe pretty if possible #but i need the owners to be on board with this!

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#promise?? 👀

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[jigsaw voice] hello, cats the musical fan on youtube. i've put before you a random performance of the rum tum tugger. if you dare mention john partridge and compare the actor to him, i will behead you.

#mood

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there’s a particular kind of humour I get out of taking a piece of media and theoretically setting it as if it were a DnD campaign – and apparently WitW is no exception for that

DM: Roll a perception. Mole: *rolls low* DM: You don’t notice the animal across the river until he calls you – you think he’s a type of rat. Rat: Am I? DM: No, you’re technically a type of vole. Rat: *gestures confusedly to his character sheet with ‘water rat’ as species* 

#🥺 #wind in the willows

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I was thinking I’d love to set book!rat and musical!rat in the same room, if nothing else then for the ensuing conversation about how their respective Moles got lost alone in the Wild Wood

Book!Rat: He snuck off while I was sleeping and the moment I realised where he had gone, I went after him. How did it work out for you?

Musical!Rat:

Musical!Rat: We argued over helping Toad so I shouted at him and told him to go alone.

Book!Rat:

Musical!Rat:

Book!Rat: you wHAT

#true though #witw

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#rowan atkinson

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So I may or may not have made a server for people to practice French in...

Here's the link!

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Folks, is it weird after you pass the age of 30 (decrepit tbh) to notice that people younger than you exist in the world around you?? or to care about them???

Since I'm 40 now, do I have to cut off all interactions with people younger than me in the real world and in my workplace, or can I restrain myself to just never reading or thinking about any fiction that involves The Youths?

Hello! I've seen you're art and I have some concerns. You say you're a 1991 baby, so I'm assuming you're somewhere in your thirties. If my observation is correct- then why do you create OC x Canon drawings with Heather/Cheryl Mason? Is Heather not canonically a seventeen year old girl? Even if your original character is a minor it doesn't change that you're still way older. Is that not super weird?

This is a first...

No, grow up. Seriously, grow up. The content/media you assume that contains minors is created by people my age.

You realize that Team Silent were adults when creating Heather?

You realize she's also in her thirties because she's also Alessa Gillespie.

I'm exploring a post canon story of my favorite franchise, one that I grew up with.... Also if DBD can create a post canon story and mutilate her. Why can't I give her a post canon story where she's happy?

There isn't cut off age for creating content that even involves minors. If there is thats ageist. Honestly if it's weird for me to create it then it's weird for you to consume it.

I don't even know, why I gave this that much thought... It's the stupidest fucking thing I woke up to.

#fandom wank #idek what fandom this is #all the wank is the same

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Is there a reason why common binding advice isn't pulled from this study: Health impact of chest binding among transgender adults: a community-engaged, cross-sectional study? It seems to me like the most comprehensive research yet, but all online binding advice I see just repeats the "8 hours a day or less" advice but never mentions the "give yourself days off from binding" advice which was found to be more important.

I think most people probably just haven't heard of it! Although it is important to recognize that this is just one study. Still, it is good to see research being done by people who recognize the importance of binding for trans people's mental health and safety.

The full article can be read here for free. Here's the part being referenced from the Discussion section:

Binding frequency, or average days per week spent binding, was the factor most consistently associated with risk for self-reported negative health outcomes in adjusted analyses (22/28 outcomes). This suggests that taking ‘off’ days from binding could potentially reduce risk for negative health impacts. This is notable given that over half of participants bind daily and do not regularly take off days. Current community resources largely recommend reducing binding intensity (i.e., hours per day spent binding) to reduce negative physical effects (Hudson 2004; TransGuys 2014), but our data do not necessarily support this recommendation, as intensity was largely unassociated with physical health outcomes in multivariate analyses. Based on this study, individuals may consider reducing the frequency of binding, in addition to or instead of reducing the daily intensity of binding, to minimise or prevent negative physical symptoms. Binding intensity was associated with many outcomes in bivariate analyses, which may be why binding intensity is perceived to be associated with negative health impacts. However, after adjusting for other binding practices, intensity was unassociated with most outcomes in multivariate models, and was in fact negatively associated with four outcomes (numbness, lightheadedness, fatigue and weakness). This puzzling finding may indicate issues of reverse causation whereby individuals who experience negative health outcomes reduce their average binding intensity, so that lower intensities appear associated with negative outcomes. Given that many community resources recommend reducing binding intensity if negative symptoms are experienced, this explanation is plausible, but longitudinal data are needed to fully understand the relationship between binding intensity and negative physical outcomes.

They also discuss binding duration (how many years spent binding) and which types of binding had the least negative outcomes.

#binding #trans things #transmasc things