A ROUGH 48 HOURS | Emergency Medical, Lost Dog, Van Problems, Rescue ... & Silver Linings

How's it going everybody? I'm Nikki Delventhal and these are my dogs, Rodney and Camper Delventhal. For over three years we lived in a Toyota Prius, but now we're in a 4x4 Sprinter. And we're here to take you along on the wild ride. So fasten up your seat belts and let's have some fun. Don't forget if you like what you see, like, subscribe, comment, share with your friends, and turn on notifications. We would be so thankful. This week's adventure begins in the tiny town of Weaverville, California. A small, quaint mountain town filled with rich history. A picturesque downtown with just a handful of stores. And the reason we are here, there is a flexible, friendly vet hospital willing to see us last minute. The past two weeks we have been on a little vacation and it ended in quite the emergency. As many areas, especially when you're with dogs, it doesn't matter how careful you are, sometimes stuff just happens. And unfortunately on one of our daily routine checks, I noticed Camper was shaking his head a little bit after a leashed bike ride. And that brings us to now. Healthcare on the road can be extremely tough. Unless you've experienced looking for a good doctor while you're traveling and in the certain amount of time that you need to deal with something, it is one of the hardest things. You don't have a primary, you don't have a rapport somewhere, so getting an appointment for something that is not a major emergency is really, really hard or just to be seen. In this situation, I called all the doctors that had great ratings in a three-hour driving radius. I got really lucky this time because about 15 calls in, Trinity Animal Hospital said they would see us immediately. So we drove right on down. In case you are like me and you're from the East Coast and you didn't know what foxtails were, they can be fatal and you need to have them removed within 24 to 48 hours. So that's why we're here today to make sure that he does not have any foxtails that are going to be lingering and that can burrow into his body and potentially kill him. So Camper had his appointment where they just did a little checkup and confirmation that there were in fact foxtails in his ear. From here, they would take him in for an emergency sedation and extraction. I'll see you soon, okay mister? I love you. The sedation is necessary as it will prevent any damage to his ear and we just wait for a few hours in the van. While we were waiting, an animal control vehicle arrived and brought animals in for spay and neuters. I also noticed inside that there was a flyer for a spay and neuter clinic fundraiser. Seeing all this feels like too much of a coincidence not to try to help. After talking to the ladies inside, it seems that this area is really really struggling with its stray animal issue, keeping that under control, but also just the adoption and rehoming and everything. There's one organization in town called TASA and then there's a small shelter. Yeah, and after asking some questions, I think this might need to be the next area we focus on. In case you're new here, about four years ago I found my dog Camper roaming in the middle of the desert, most likely abandoned. He followed me on a trail for a few miles and we've been together ever since I took him in and it's been the best thing that has ever happened to me. Same thing with Rodney, he was a stray, most likely abandoned in a town and we decided to take him in. Best thing we've ever done, but the other best thing that came from that is a project I like to call Camper Cares. It started a few years ago with a dog named Nova who was really medically challenged and needed help and we donated over 80% of our first YouTube paycheck to that dog and I've been putting ever since on helping animals anywhere we are and we have a calling. It started with my ad revenue and it has evolved so much. A few months ago I did my first merch sales of my limited edition t-shirt and we sold over a thousand of them. I'm really excited to show you what we're doing with that money. We're putting a hundred percent of the profits towards something so it's still a surprise. So I am so excited to show you guys my second piece of merch I've designed. I've spent so much time on this, it's been months, but this is going to go towards the next big project. Let me show it to you guys, I'm getting emotional, I'm so happy. This is what we call the All Roads Lead to the Perfect Dog Blanket. It is inspired by Camper and I's story but also I just really wanted a super quality blanket. Not only does it open up and have its own storage bag with a side zipper, it has these hooks on each corner which makes it super functional with tie downs. It has a beautiful design. The material is stain resistant, water resistant, and dog hair resistant which in this house is very important. I love the colors but my favorite feature is the center here unzippers. You can put your head through it, ready, and you can turn it into the perfect poncho at your campfire, at your friend's house, wherever you are. There's also these snaps that turn it into kind of like a shirt so you don't have to worry about it moving around or falling on the ground. I'm absolutely obsessed with it. Again, this is limited edition on a pre-order basis so after two to three weeks this blanket will not be available again. It is gone forever so make sure you get it and help support. Again, proceeds will go to Animals in Need. Just go to shop.nikkidelventhal.com to get yours today. All roads lead to the perfect dog and this road is now going to lead us over to meet Christine at TASA. Let's get there pretty quickly. Here we are. Guys, this is Christine. Hi! Bring it in, Christine. This is the nomad. You are a really wonderful person to support animals. Thank you. Animals can't call 9-1-1. That's why we're all of the woods. Oh my god, you're gonna make me cry today. You guys, okay, Christine is such a special human. To do the work that she does, you just you just gotta be another breed of special. Oh, thank you. So I'm here because I wanted to tell everyone about TASA because you guys are doing so much good work here and I feel like there's not enough recognition. There's not enough people that know. Christine, what do you say we meet some of the dogs? Okay, let's go do it and I'll get you one of the volunteers that knows all their names. Amazing. Remember, these dogs are adoptable. Everybody, this is Michelle. She's one of the volunteers here at the rescue. Can we meet some of the dogs? Hello. Hi, dear. Chili is the sweetest dog that you will ever meet. He will give you hugs and kisses and just be your cuddle buddy. Montana is your typical husky. She has the biggest personality but is also a sweetheart and just wants to give you all of her love and kisses. Both Montana and Chili have been here for a year or more. They've been here for so long. I don't understand. We have so many good dogs and we just don't get why they're not getting adopted and it, you know, breaks our hearts because they shouldn't be living their lives in the shelter. No. They shouldn't be celebrating anniversaries at the shelter. You guys, Chili has my heart. It's my first dog ever. I was eight years old and I sat in my driveway for eight hours waiting for my dad to get home so we could go to the shelter and see this dog and finally my parents gave in because I wouldn't move and I was like, let's go check him out. So we went in and I got my first dog, Canine, is what I named it and it could only, well, it could only walk on three legs but it was the best dog I ever had and I swear Chili is Canine. That is wild. Yeah, I guess as an eight-year-old I was kind of crazy about it so I literally didn't move eight hours. I wouldn't eat or drink. In 1994, TASA was created with a mission statement to build a shelter. Once the shelter was built, TASA started doing more work to support animals in any way they could and they do so much from spay and neuter to buying things like generators and washers and dryers, catch and release, and getting out into the community. Their work is so important. Now, it's important to note that TASA is a non-profit and it's separate to the shelter which is owned by the county now. Right now, the county is trying to bring it down to the bare minimum which would be devastating to the animals in the area. So, that's the next big project they're taking on. Trying to avoid the county taking it to that bare minimum and keeping this shelter running as is with adoptable dogs. Thank you so much. Thank you. We appreciate you. We appreciate you. And all of your viewers. Thank you. So, hopefully with the help of us and maybe even you guys, we can try to fight this. I've already started by doing a $1,000 donation. You know, hopefully some of us can help bring awareness if you're near Weaverville, come volunteer. But I'm also going to link their Facebook page down in the description in case you guys want to donate directly to TASA. The TASA is the place to do it since they are in the non-profit. So, 100% of that donation is going to be going towards the animals. I love it. Thank you so much, Christine. Thank you for all the work that you do. All right, you guys. What do you say we go get camper? Just kidding. There's a stray dog. Is this your house? Let's make sure this is your house. You good? Come here. Let me see your tags. Trying to see whose dog this is. Well, shoot. On the way, I found a dog. All right. If you come on adventures with us, you know that my dog's nutrition is top priority. And when we're traveling full-time, we always try to make the best decisions of the highest quality food available. So, I'm super excited to announce today's sponsor, Sundae's, a dog food that I can truly stand behind. As you guys have probably heard me talk about many times before, I'm all about ditching the kibble and really giving your dogs human-grade quality ingredients. As you guys have seen in the van and other rigs that I've lived in, we are extremely short on refrigerator and freezer storage. So, I will always have a healthy freeze-dried or dehydrated option that is consistent with the food that they're used to. With options like Sundae's, it's so much easier to store. But also, because it's air-dried, you don't have to worry about refrigeration, preparation, and you're getting high-quality ingredients on the go. You can order and have it shipped right to your door, so you'll never have to worry about running out of food ever again. Even better, you can get 50% off your first order. All you have to do is go to sundaesfordogs.com slash Nikki or use code Nikki at checkout. All right, let's find your home. So, the people whose dog this is aren't answering the phone, so we're just driving to their address here. And hopefully, they're home so we can bring the dog back. Hello? Is anyone home? Hi, I found your dog down the street. I'm so glad I could help. No problem. All in a day's work. All right, now let's go get Camper. We're back. The vets here are incredible. They even said they're going to hand-deliver Camper to our door. So sweet. Look at this, we got first-class delivery, boys. Thank you so much. You're welcome. Those are his foxtails. We don't know if you want to keep them. Oh, there were a few in there. Yeah. Oh my goodness, they're tiny. I can't believe this was in Camper's ear. Are foxtails common here? They are very common here. We have a lot of patients that come in. I get like six to seven a week at most. Yeah, so this is normal. They're sneaky and they're aggressive. Oh, my baby. You're gonna be okay, baby. I'm just gonna put you right here. Yeah, good boy. Okay, we've got ointment for Camper's ear so he can heal and something for his paw because he just, ironically, simultaneously has a nail bed infection. But yeah, before we leave town, one of my favorite things to do is check out the local bakeries. So let's get over there, grab a coffee, hit the road. Here we are, our coffee and bakery destination. Park. We're gonna leave the AC on because it is so hot today. I am so excited to try this. Apparently, their pizza is so good. So we're gonna do a little mukbang here. All right, here we go. Hi, Brad. All right, we're gonna keep this AC bumping while we try this. Okay, first, we got this sampler box so we could try all of their pastries because this one was a zucchini muffin top. Oh, my gosh. Great decision. We are definitely gonna be sampling these throughout the day. Now, what I am most excited about is this pizza. Apparently, it is incredible, but I am from New York so I'm a pretty harsh critic when it comes to pizza. Let's see. Oh, wow. They do an incredible job. Oh, me. No, dude. Okay, last test. Coffee. Put Rustic Crumble on your list. Holy moly. What an adventure today has been already. We got the dogs covered. Now, we actually have to go get my medical needs covered and I guess you could call it medical for the van. So we have a few-hour drive ahead of us. Let's hit the road. Lassen National Park pretty much, but directly south of that is one of the massive California wildfires. There are so many wildfires all over the US right now and they're getting really bad with these especially. So as we're driving further, it is getting smokier and smokier. You can't even see the tops of these mountains here, but also you're starting to smell it inside the vehicle. It's even starting to affect my throat and my breathing and even how I'm speaking. It's a lot raspier. So we are going to try to hightail through this and get out of the smoke. We have officially made it into Nevada and avoided California gas prices with 67 miles to spare. That's a win. Oh, look who's standing. How are you feeling? There we go. So I'll admit, made a little mistake here. I was supposed to have blood work this afternoon, but then realized that I had coffee and pastries. So we're putting that off till tomorrow, meaning we are sleeping in Reno tonight. Woo! Okay, and the next stop since we're sleeping here tonight, right across the street, we've got a national gym chain that will be a shower and a workout. This spot looks good and I've got a view right from where we'll be working out. Another little trick I have, especially when it comes to keeping the van cool, is the whole back is super insulated. So I will make sure that the sun is behind us so it's not beating on the front window. And then I'll close this to keep it all cool in the back. Who is ready for a workout? Me! Let's turn the AC on for the boys. We'll put that on high. Air conditioning was by far one of the best things I could have done in this van, especially for the dogs. But along with that, I also have a temperature sensor that's sent to my phone. I have a security system so I can watch them while I am in there, along with just checking on them every 15 minutes just to be extra, extra safe. Here we go. Holy moly, it's windy. Hey camper, how you feeling? Well, I think that stuff they gave me still is going on and the AC feels great, so thanks. I'm gonna go to sleep now. Hello boys. Rodney, camper. Now it's my turn. We're going for the old-fashioned salad. Cheers. First round of cleaning. You want some too, Rod? Get in there. Now let's get over to a truck stop to sleep for the night because I know we can sleep there and frankly I don't feel like looking for another place to sleep. Let's get over there quickly. One, two, three. We're here and we got neighbors. That usually looks good. What else is new? I also forgot to close my cabinets and it fell all over while we were driving. Oh no. Oh my goodness, everything fell everywhere. At least nothing broke this time. That's a plus. It is so nice to finally be in one spot. So the plan for the rest of the night here is we're gonna put on a movie, grab some popcorn from the cabinet here, and try to stay as cool as possible, which probably means as little movement as possible. Oh yeah, oh yeah. There you go. Treat for you. Movie time. What a lovely night at the truck stop. Just enjoying the views and the sunset from over here. Good night, my good boy. I don't know how Rodney ended up on my pillow, but this is what's happening. Morning, boys. You guys, we're running so late. We gotta go. We gotta go. Also, don't forget about this blanket. Only two weeks. It's available. All right, excuse me, camper. Rodney knows what's up. All right, excuse me, mister. I woke up so late. We are literally gonna be perfect time getting to our appointment, so we will explain what's going on in just a second. Let's get over there. Oh man, I hate when I do this. Come on, people. Let's move. We are deep diving into my blood work. We're doing everything from genetic testing to really deep hormone testing, so I am honestly really excited to see what's going on with my body. I could also use a little bit of coffee right now, but I guess that'll just have to wait, too. Let's find a good spot in the shade for you guys. I gotta hurry up. They don't even have time to change. Let's turn this on for you, boys. They printed me out something. There it is. All right, let's go. All right, see you in a minute. Also, this place has the two-star rating, and apparently even if you're a minute late, they turn you away, so let's hope that doesn't happen. Not my doctor's office, the blood work place. Apparently, the blood work place is running an hour behind, so now we're just taking our time. I guess I didn't have to be early. We got time to kill. One hour later. Hello, boys. Hi there. How was your nap? Where's Rodney? Hi, Rod. Come on out. All right, blood work down. What am I doing? I need food. I need coffee. You know, that's more important. We're gonna get coffee, and then we gotta head over to Mercedes because I noticed another problem. While I was driving this week, I noticed that my engine oil levels were getting ridiculously low, so yeah, maybe a problem, may not be a problem. Here, let me show you guys. Right, that doesn't really seem normal for only 9,000 miles, so for reference, you get a service every 20,000 miles at Mercedes. I'm only 9,000 miles since the last one, so I have a feeling there might be something wrong. I'm not sure. We're just gonna go over there and have them kind of just look at it and top off the oil. I guess we'll find out. All right, boys, what do you say we pick up a coffee and then go to Mercedes? I know, I know what you're thinking. Ma, we gonna get any treats? Yeah, Ma, we gonna get some treats. Thank you. I'm sorry, boys. She didn't give you a treat this time. It's okay. I'm gonna get you one right now. Let me pull over and get you one. Excuse me, Rodney. I'm gonna get you something. Okay, one sec, boys. Oh, I got lucky because I left that open. Actually, something did fall out. Whoops. Yeah, shutting that. All right, treats. All right. Yes, my good boys. All right, forward march. We'll get more in a minute. All right, you guys, let's just hurry up and get over there. We're here. I think I forgot to mention this is completely separate from the leak that I had a few weeks ago. That was actually from the fuel tank. It was just one of the fuel lines. This is not that. This is new. So yeah, let's go figure it out. The team at Mercedes-Benz of Reno is freaking amazing. Not only are they great friends of mine, but they always fit me in and do thorough checks. In this case, they're actually doing a full oil change and looking at the turbo and everything else. Pretty much, I'm just so thankful for them. They always deliver. You guys, I'm cursed. If something will go wrong with a vehicle, it will happen to me. Ask anyone whose vans or vehicles that I've borrowed, I always find the issues. But this one actually looks really familiar. I don't know if you guys remember that time I was in the green van, but I would put money on it that it's the same problem. I guess we will find out, but either way, I'm so happy because it sounds like they might be able to get it done today. It just depends if we have the parts and if it's what I think it is. Camper, it's okay. They're not taking your home. They're fixing it. You guys, dog hair not included with all merch sales. This was the last thing that I sold. Actually, speaking of merchandise, any suggestions on the next piece of merchandise we should make? Designs, what it is, maybe how we can incorporate Rodney here. Yeah, let us know in the comments because it's you guys that are going to be sporting it, so we want to know what you guys want to sport. There it is again. I think they took it on a joyride to get lunch. I know you were missing your home. Go ahead, get in there. 10 minutes away and I can't even handle it. All right, better news than I thought. It sounds like it might just be an oil sensor thing. We will definitely keep you guys updated, but yeah, the reason we're always in different shops is this is warranty work here. I have 140,000 mile warranty, which is amazing because I'm never spending any money. Then my aftermarket parts, I go to Sierra Adventure Vehicles or wherever we are, but yeah, really excited about this news. We will definitely keep it monitored, but yeah, on that note, don't forget, merch is only available for about two to three weeks and then it's gone forever, and we'll see you next Friday.