Dog of a week

Usually I update my blog at home, on a day off, when I can sit and reflect on how things have been that week. Unfortunately, one of my delightful foster bunnies called Ollie (his owner is being prosecuted) decided to break into the 'back room' by determinedly scrabbling on it until it gave way and opened! What resulted was a clean chomp through the broadband cable.

It is customary when I get home that I ask how Ollie is because he isn't all that well, but on the day that this happened I was duly informed by hubby that Ollie was a 'lil @@@@@! Oh dear. Needless to say Ollie is absolutely fine but we are still internetless. So, I'm at work on a Friday night finishing off for the week (oh, how I love having two days off in a row) and thought I'd do my blog whilst I can.

This week has been really hard going for completely different reasons than the last one. The week started very badly with having to have our teddy bear Sian (a Chow) put to sleep on Monday afternoon. It truly was the pits. We had battled with her for nearly 4 months to try and overturn the effects on her after previously been kept for many years outdoors in all weather, with little shelter. Alas, after a lot of care and attention (and money), we were defeated when her cruciate ligament ruptured in her right back leg and the vet diagnosed that the one in the left back leg was on its way too.

We just couldn't put her through any more intervention and, to be honest, she look defeated and like she had had enough. He fight seemed to have gone of out of her and it was really about doing what was best by her and nothing at all to do with money.

We are all still devastated by her loss; she was beautiful, loving and so wonderfully good natured. She was our teddy bear. But it just feels like such an injustice and such a big blow to us all that we couldn't make things right.

On the same day Sian left us, newbie Queenie took up residence in the space that Elmo, the 10 year old yorkie, had occupied (having left for his new home on Saturday). We got a wonderful update from his new mum at the start of the week and it sounds like they are besotted with one another, which is just lovely. Anyway, Queenie was found abandoned in Derbyshire at the weekend in an appallingly emaciated state. We were warned she was thin, but my goodness is she ever.

We let her settle in for a couple of days and took her to the vets Wednesday where we were revolted to learn that she weighed just 12kg - she should be more like 20/25kg. She also had a catalogue of problems too:

1. she is currently in season and looks like she has either recently had pups and/or been used as a breeding machine

2. she may have demodex (mites) because she has lots of bald patches but hopefully it might just be due to a lack of nutrition
3. her tail tip is infected and may need amputation (she is on antibiotics)
4. her teeth are in very poor condition and she will require dental treatment when she is a better weight (each tooth extraction costs £30, not including the G.A. and cost of the scale and polish)

5. she has conjunctivitis which may or may not be being exacerbated by the entropian she has, and this entropian may need operating on

With her being 6-7 years old, dark brindle and a staffie it is so sad to admit that the chances of finding her a home, even if we do succeed in getting her back to health, are so slim. I confess that when I learnt about the catalogue of health problems my first thought was to question what to do with her. But then the side of my brain that doesn't include rationality and logic was overtaken by the compassionate side and I just felt she deserved a chance after all she has clearly been through. I just desperately hope we can make her better and, even more importantly, find her a new home.

Thankfully the pictures above, taken on Catherine's mobile, spare you from seeing just how bad she really is - as if they weren't bad enough!

It also looks like there maybe kennel cough developing in the ranks, so all in all not the best week on the dog front.

Thankfully it is far more promising on the cat and small furries front and I'm really hopeful we will be able to admit new cats soon, if we get some reserves this weekend. There are still plenty many waiting to come in, so please keep everything crossed.

Until next time........