Pets

Ollie: Back From The Vet

~ beetleypete ~ 85 Comments

I have just returned from taking Ollie to the Vet this morning.

After getting his booster vaccinations, and a full check-up, the Vet pronounced that there is nothing wrong with him whatsoever. His weight, temperature, and heart are all good, and he has no signs and symptoms of any infection or discernible illness.

My concern about Ollie not eating as much and drinking more water was put down to Ollie’s age, and the fact he has slowed down considerably. Less rigorous exercise means that he is not as hungry, and because it has been unusually cold and we have had the heating on might well make him more thirsty in the house.

It seems I was over-reacting, but I am glad that Ollie has been checked over, and is fine.

Thanks to everyone for your concern about him. That is always appreciated.

Worried About Ollie

~ beetleypete ~ 112 Comments

Over the past fe days, Ollie has been displaying signs of being unwell. He has been off his food, and not eating much at all. He has been drinking a great deal of water, almost three full bowls a day, plus what he drinks from the river on his walks.

Then he has been sleeping to excess, showing little interest in his toys, and not being remotely playful. At night, he is looking for his bed not long after 10 pm, and he has been reluctant to get up and go out in the garden in the morning.

Something is not right with my great friend and companion. This weekend is a holiday here, so on Tuesday I will ring the Vet, and get an appointment.

I am sure Ollie is trying to tell us something, and I would not want to let him down.

Short Thoughts (41)

~ beetleypete ~ 29 Comments

Scruff didn’t seem to want to go out that day.

But he clipped on the lead anwyay.

“Come on, old boy. Time to go to the shops”.

Walking around town, the small terrier got attention.

And when he came out of the shops, people would be stroking old Scruff.

Then he got to talk to them too.

If only for a moment.

It’s A Pet’s Christmas Too

~ beetleypete ~ 57 Comments

Ollie was very interested once we started to pile up the presents we had to open this morning. He came to sniff each parcel, checking whether or not they contained something edible. As we took turns opening gifts, revealing items like new slippers for me, a new purse for Julie, and bottles of wine and other assorted items, Ollie seemed to lose interest, and walked away holding his Grumpy Cat soft toy in his mouth.

At that stage, Julie produced one of his wrapped presents. “Is this for you? Is this Ollie’s?”

The cat toy fell from his mouth, and he rushed around to sit close. As she started to tear the wrapping paper, Ollie moved his snout forward, trying to help by nudging the paper open with his nose. When the first of four toys was revealed, a stuffed Christmas Turkey, fresh from the oven, he grabbed it and rushed off, shaking it furiously from side to side.

Five minutes later, he got a toy that had been sent in the post by my cousin. It was a a small sheep with a squeaker inside,and he rushed off to get that when it was thrown for him.

We continued opening our gifts, and soon after he was shown another present. This time it was a giant happy-face carrot, and he went hysterical when that was thrown.

Last but not least, one of his favourites. A stuffed lion toy, with a very shaggy mane. That was grabbed and taken away to be immediately chewed, the lion losing a chunk of its mane within seconds.

Now the toys are scattered around the living room. They are all soaking wet from being carried around in his frothy mouth, and he has well and truly marked them with his own distinctive scent.

Worn out by the excitement, he is fast asleeep behind me, snoring loudly.

An Alphabet Of Things I Don’t Like: Y

~ beetleypete ~ 46 Comments

Yappy Dogs.

I love dogs, and there are few breeds I am not attracted to. I even like tiny dogs. But why oh why do so many of them have to constantly bark in such an annoying ‘yappy’ fashion?

Some of the worst offenders include these breeds.

Pomeranian. (Sorry Kim)

My uncle had one of these for years. It would sit on his shoulder and yap constantly at anyone who came into the house. It could never be silenced, making conversation almost impossible.

Chihuahua.

One of my fellow dog walkers owns one, and it never stops yapping at everyone and every dog it sees. He has to resort to holding its mouth shut.

Miniature Pinscher.

These tiny dogs like to be heard. They yap for attention, yap at people walking toward them, and yap at any dog they don’t know.

Dachshund.

Perhaps being so low to the ground makes them nervous, but the miniature variety of this breed is also famous for constantly yapping.

Other well-known ‘Yappers’ include Yorkshire Terriers and Jack Russell Terriers. I really like all of these breeds. They have great personalities, and also make very loyal companions.

But I don’t like that yapping!

Ollie And The Beauty Parlour

~ beetleypete ~ 57 Comments

I am just back from collecting Ollie from ‘Pawsh Dogs’, where he goes for his bath and general tidy up a few times a year. He loves Kelly the groomer, and always behaves impeccably while he is there.

As well as being shampooed twice in his special (and very expensive) hypo-allergenic Vet recommended shampoo, he gets his nails clipped, and his ears cleaned too.

He also has his wrinkly face washed. Today’s choice of face wash was Lemon Verbena, with added avocado oil, so it doesn’t irritate his skin.

He looks sleek, and smells great.

If only that lasted for longer than two days!

Ollie’s Sad/Happy walk

~ beetleypete ~ 53 Comments

I took Ollie out earlier today, hoping to take advantage of the sunshine while it lasted. With full darkness by around 4 pm now, it makes sense to be out long before that.

It was a crisp and cold day, with bright sunshine that was uncomfortable to look into. It had also stirred up some insects, and four bites on my head later, I was beginning to regret my decision.

Ollie wasn’t too happy either, as there was nobody else around. With no other dogs to greet and sniff, he had to resort to sniffing anything left behind by the early-morning dogs, those taken out before their owners leave for work. It was sad to see him looking decidedly fed up after almost an hour of us being the only two on the usual route.

He was staring along the path that leads to each of the three entrances, his concentration intent, no doubt hoping to spot a canine pal arriving. But to no avail. As we headed home, he plodded along reluctantly behind me, making me feel extra guilty for leaving home forty-five minutes earlier that usual.

Suddenly, his head shot up, and he started into the distance. I looked in that direction, and could see a dog running for a ball a long way off. Ollie wasn’t waiting for permission, and took off like a rocket. When I finally caught up with him, I saw he was wth our next door neighbour, and her dog Henry. She was accompanied by a friend with a small Staffordshire Bull Terrier, and both dogs were chasing balls as if their lives depended on it.

Although Ollie has no interest in the balls, he ran alongside each dog as they chased them, and kept that up for at least fifteen minutes. Then a lady arrived with a large white Retriever that Ollie loves, and he scooted off to see that big dog, yelping with delight.

I felt vindicated. His sad walk had turned into a happy one, and he got some great exercise into the bargain.