Yesterday, I took Ollie to the groomer at 2 in the afternoon. She took one look at the amount of fur he was shedding and said, “I’m going to need an extra thirty minutes, so pick him up at 3:30”.
That was okay, as I had stuff to do.
The first trip was back to the Doctor’s, where my wife works. I had to hand in a ‘sample container’, and she was at the desk when I arrived. However, she needed someone else to book it in, as she is not allowed to deal with anything to do with her own family.
After that, I had to drive to the Vet in Swaffham, to collect Ollie’s regular prescription of Arthritis tablets. I went the back way, along the country lanes and through nice little villages. It made a refreshing change to avoid the busy A47 main road, even if it took 15 minutes longer.
However, it had been storming and raining since the early hours. After so long without significant rain, many roads were awash with water running straight off of the bone-dry fields. And I had to use my windscreen wipers for the first time in a very long while.
When I got to the Vet’s it was very quiet, and no customers were inside with their pets. So I jinxed the staff by saying out loud, “I have never seen it so quiet in here”. A lady told me off for saying that, then gave me the tablets. I was surprised that the price had increased since last month. In a little over a year, the 30 tablets have increased from a monthly cost of Β£38, to today’s price of Β£49.71. That’s almost Β£600 a year, just to try to keep our beloved dog pain-free.
He’s worth it though, of course he is.
By the time I got back to the groomer’s in Scarning, Ollie was ready, and excited to see me. He looks really good, smells fresh, and his claws are clipped as short as is sensible.
But I wonder how long it will be until he is like a smelly old rug once again.
It’s great that you were able to enjoy the drive.
Dogs probably have a different opinion on smelling good.
Enjoy the beautiful dog. π
Best wishes, Irene
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Thanks very much, Irene. I am sure Ollie doesn’t care what he smells like. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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I think it’s only fair to ask for a picture of our handsome Ollie! Hugs, C
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He looks much the same, but I will see what I can do. π
Best wishes, Pete. x
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What a delightful day! Please give Ollie a pat for me.
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I will, Jennie. He is cuurrently sleeping next to me after being given a cooked sausage for his lunch. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Awww…π Best to you (and Ollie), Pete.
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If Ollie is anything like Sangchai then it’s under an hour as he rolls in the grass or scrabbles in the bushes and that’s it…almost like he’s never been groomed π x
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Ollie generally lasts for two-three days before starting to look a bit scruffy again. He doesn’t do much rolling, but if it is warm, he will go into the river. That undoes the good work of the groomer.
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Our dog is a smelly one too, they never quite βfeelβ right when theyβre just back from the groomer, until theyβve got their unique smell back, they look better though.
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Ollie feels sleek for two days, then quickly starts to revert to ‘Standard Dog’. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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(1) So you were able to hand in a sample container of Ollie’s fur. Sounds a bit fur-fetched to me!
(2) Did you check out the bone-dry fields? I hope the cemeteries replace all the dirt that was washed away, revealing the remains of the dearly departed.
(3) I went into an Apple store and said, βI’ve never seen it so quiet in here!β But the sales lady didn’t give me a tablet. “You want it, you pay for it!”
(4) Baldness ran in the Wiggins family. After the old man, Woody Wiggins, was cremated, the mortician turned to the son.
Mortician: “If you want it, you can have your father’s smelly old rug.”
Curly Cue: “Of course I want it! But not this minute. Wait till I head out the door, okay?”
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‘Fur-fetched’ is a good one, David. π π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Dear old Ollie! And a stuffed snail, eh?
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It’s a clever toy. It looks like a snail, but ‘unrolls’ to almost 3 feet long. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Oh, fun!!
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I can picture him all tidied up, wagging his tail and happy!
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Exactly that, Susanne. Especially when he was given his new toy. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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About smelling like an old rug. Perhaps you should take the old rugs in to the groomer and then Ollie wouldn’t pick up their smell π Warmest regards, Theo
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Good one, Theo. π π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Ollie sounds like a new man, and it also sounds like he is gonna love the stuffing right outta that new snail toy. He is living his best life with such a good dad to take care of him.
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Thanks, Bruce. it makes my day to see him so happy, and makes me forget all my own problems.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Always love to read about Ollie. Sounds like he is a happy boy.
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His new toy made him happy, Carolyn. It is a delight to see his joy at getting a new toy. Although he already has many favourite toys, a new one always gets pride of place for the few days after he is given it. And he has never had a snail before. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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A new toy! I bet he’s a right happy dog now!
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He loves the new snail. It ‘unfurls’ from snail-shape by detaching velcro, and stretches out like a snake. He was playing with it for 45 minutes, and has just dropped off to sleep. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Aww!!
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Well, at least he is jolly Ollie for a bit!
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He got a new toy (stuffed) snail today too. That excited him. π
Best wishes, Pete. x
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Our old buddy will always be worth it!
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He certainly will, GP.
Best wishes, Pete.
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sounds like a productive day and ollie is back in good form. for now))
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He is considerably livelier, and also has a new toy, a stuffed snail. Nothing he loves better than a new toy! π
Best wishes, Pete.
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Ollie is a star. I know you don’t mind him when he plays in the mud!
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He has to walk around in mud for most of the year, Shaily. He cannot help but get dirty.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Our dog cost us a nice big vet bill yesterday, too.
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What else can we do, Liz? They are family, after all.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Exactly.
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At one point I had one diabetic dog, one dog with seizures and one who became a tripod and needed remadyl. The tripod being oldest went after two years. The diabetes became uncontrollable two years after the vet said it would, the seizure dog remained expensively controlled for 7 years. The vet said it was commendable but not necessary. Unfortunately I canβt consider big old red dogs disposable. Best of luck with Ollie.
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I’m with you, Phil. No dog should ever be thought of as disposable.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Our canine companions are worth every dime. chuq
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Yes, what they give us in return does not have a price, chuq.
Best wishes, Pete.
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So very true chuq
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I’m sure Ollie looked lovely and felt great, Pete.
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He did have a spring in his step after, Robbie. Getting rid of all that loose fur must have helped a lot.
Best wishes, Pete.
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My sister gave Jackie a trim whilst she was visiting last week and she looks much better for it. It also saved me the regular Β£15 charge over here in Poland, or the Β£40 my sister charges at her grooming parlour, I’ll go with the second I feel like I have saved more π
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We pay Β£37 for Ollie, but only about 3 times a year. In the hot weather, we give him the occasional bath outside using the garden hose. If he had to have his fur trimmed, the grooming would be more expensive.
Best wishes, Pete.
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Imagine your lives without him! Doesn’t bear thinking about!!!
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I try not to think about that, Jack.
Best wishes, Pete.
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We need pics!
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Maybe later. π
Best wishes, Pete.
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