Sorry to those who noticed, that there wasn’t a newsletter at the end of 2020. To be perfectly honest I couldn’t think of anything cheerful to say. Unfortunately our Festive Season was anything but ! All dog related, so, self inflicted some might say. I won’t bore you with all the details, suffice to say that I was looking after four puppies for Danielle whilst she went to Switzerland for a couple of weeks for a well earned rest and to visit family. All four pups had been vaccinated but even so, all four went down with parvo virus. This is a really ghastly disease and, if not caught in time, fatal. In fact even if it is caught it still can be fatal. I recognised the symptoms straight away but despite my best efforts, two of the puppies died, one appears to be handicapped and one recovered 100% and is now happily bouncing off the walls in his new home. The handicapped one, who was originally called Rosie, but when she was so ill and I feared she might have a short life, I gave her a long distinguished name – Princess Rosiepup of Queen Latte (because she is the colour of a milky coffee). Rosie was in a lot of pain and painkillers weren’t touching it, which made for many sleepless nights for both of us. Then the lovely vet, Anais, gave me some cannabis oil – for Rosie I hasten to add ! – and it was like day and night. The problem was Rosie had something wrong with a vertebrae which hurt every time she moved, so she just stopped moving. The cannabis stopped the pain, Rosie started moving and the vertebrae started to heal itself. When Danielle came home from Switzerland she took Rosie home with her, is carrying on her treatment and there is, hopefully, a new home in view. Of course I was heartbroken to see her go but she needs to be in a place where she does not spend all her time in a bedroom, when I am not around, in case another dog accidently steps on her.
Whilst all this was going on, I was awoken one morning but the yelping of our not so nice Poodle, Tiny. I raced into the kitchen to find him lying on the floor and there was blood. He had been attacked by one of our other dogs. Now, to be blunt, Tiny is a pain in the proverbial and this has probably been a long time coming BUT he did not deserve that. The main problem is that Tiny loves to be stroked but will not put up with ANYTHING else. Will not have a collar on, will not have a lead and will not be manipulated in any way, he nips. So, a wounded Tiny was a HUGE problem. He pulled himself up on to a settee and lay there shaking whilst I called the vet. Getting him into the car was not fun, I was in tears, he was growling and snapping. Usually I put a lasso lead on him and gently get him to move before he realises he is restricted in movement and goes totally berserk, but there were wounds round his neck so a lead was out of the question. Ernst brought the car up to the door and I managed to gently push Tiny towards it where, hallelujah, he jumped in. When I got to the vets the wonderful assistants came out, got a muzzle on him and gently lifted him in. (I have stolen the muzzle in case of need !). The bites around the neck were horrific and I blamed our old Border Colley who has been known to give a curled lip and nip from time to time. Imagine then my astonishment when the vet said it must have been a dog with a Very Big Mouth. OLIVIA ?! The present love of my life Newfie cross. Olivia, who the day before had let little Rosie climb all over her, pull her ears, hang on her lip and whom I had even taken a photo of with Rosie’s head completely in her mouth !!! The vet said there was no doubt from the position of the bite marks, it was one bite not several. Thank St. Cadbury I didn’t get Blackie pts ! I only believe it because when we were on holiday last year, Tiffany who dog sat for us, said that Olivia had had a nip at Tiny. Anyway, Tiny came home with staples round his neck and down his chest. I was dreading taking him hack to have them taken out but a muzzle is a wonderful thing ! He now lives in my bedroom and will not come out if Olivia is around.
So, with all that going on I did not feel at all festive and had to cancel a couple of the few planned limited get togethers. Plus my mate Sue who always comes to us for Christmas, obviously could not come. HOWEVER, we are not amongst those who could not travel to be with families, could not be with grandchildren, and neither of us have covid, so, we are lucky.
See what I have done, I said I wouldn’t bore you……… hee hee, are you grabbing for alcohol now, even though you are on ‘dry January’ ?!
I’m now going to update the adoptions page, though I think there is only one to add. Is there no-one out there who could give Zac a home ? He has been waiting so long.
Wishing everyone a much better year than last year, although I fear we are certainly not out of the woods yet. The sales have started and I’m not even tempted, realising that the only clothes I have worn for a long time are joggers and jumpers ! What I absolutely must find is a 2021 diary – not that there is much to put in it ! A friend insists I can use my tablet as there is a facility on that to create a diary but I’m not having much luck, apparently I was supposed to have lunch with a friend at 8am last Sunday !!!
Love,
Sue