The racketeer renters next door have moved out, and taken their power boat with them. Amazing - no sooner have they chopped down the vegetation that was screening my nudism, than they move out.
There's a new, nicer family of renters, whose only noise source seems to be a motor bike. Pathetic! So far I've heard no noise at all. I think I spotted the wife walking up the hill. A world class wobble bottom. Probably that's what's damping their noise before it can get over the fence.
Took the blog dog to the vet yesterday to get various things checked. Nothing critical, but she possibly won't live to a very ripe old age. This info is here so I don't forget it:
(1) Bare skin at base of tail. Flea allergy dermatitis. Caused by the unusually warm autumn this year stretching into May; and the camping trips she went on while I was in the old countries. Easily treated.
(2) Puffing with abdominal breathing. Probably a sign of heart enlargement or other problem, and/or gradual lung fibrosis. Apparently dogs don't get heart attacks, they just slow down on over-exertion and may even faint then wake up and carry on.
(3) Hacking cough, like smoker's cough. Vet checked her throat/airway isn't obstructed. So probably lung damage of some kind.
(4) Standing and staring. Walking to and fro. Common in senility, other symptoms can include inappropriate vocalizing at night; getting stuck in a corner. But we all do that, don't we?
Dog's human age is 6 times her real age, ie 69.
(5) Picky about food. But at least she's back up to 20kg, from 18kg after last year's pneumonia.
(6) Gradual increase in thirst may be the start of diabetes or other metabolic disease. Kidneys. But she's doing the best thing by drinking.
In all, Vet reckons she probably does have some heart, lung, or metabolic abnormality, even perhaps a tumour somewhere, even brain tumours are common.
I'm finding it a bit depressing to be with her, knowing what I know and she doesn't know. I feel like I'm hiding the truth from her. Human families do that a lot, when someone's got the black spot but they don't know it.
But with a dog, there's the additional deceit, where you know the time's going to come when you take her up to the vet for the last time.
Albert? It's time to get a new dog. There's a collie which can understand 360 words. Get one of those. You can dress like a sheep. What fun you'd have! Hotboy p.s. Why did you take the dog to a vet? What is the point of that? He'll only know how to fiddle money off you. How much did he charge? I'll do it over the internet (just show a photie!) for half of what he charged.
ReplyDeleteAlbert? I'm sorry that your dog is even older than you and with the bits falling off. But this is just a substitute for all the things you missed by not procreating (or doing it and running away!). It's just a dog. The dog doesn't know so much. Just tell it to look over there and shooty it in the back of the ear. Whether you eat it afterwards is up to you. But why are you taking it to a vet? Do you enjoy the anxiety of having a dying dog? Get me a gun and I'll shoot it for you. Just give it its normal breakfast of kippers and a read at the Times and I'll creep up and give it both barrels! Only ten percent off the top! Hotboy
ReplyDeleteI say!
ReplyDeleteStiff upper lip, old chap. Don't let the natives see any weakness.
BTW, I saw this, and thought of myself http://img.ffffound.com/static-data/assets/6/1f4427ad1d8b78ca865390e5c539d08deaac7c4b_m.jpg
MM III
Good point Hotters. I procreated with a catholic, it would never have worked out.
ReplyDeletePS we were on the cannybliss yogurt at the time, so it was actually nothing to do with me.
PPS - there's nothing wrong with substitutes, ask any feminist.
Mingers, I'll follow up that link when I get to a browser, I know it'll be apposite.
ReplyDeleteHotters, instead of a whippet you could have married a dog from a good family. After a few years you would have shot it for the inheritance.
ReplyDelete