Dog adoption

[Sits]

Yes sorry to hear about your situation Furtho, best of luck.

[Antepli Ejderha]

Really sorry to hear about this Furtho, glad you've got your dog rehomed. Look after yourself.

[Furtho]

Thanks everybody. It’s very very tough dealing with Pocky. Hopefully for Mrs F and myself, though, life will be better and happier in the medium to long term.

[Pérou Flaquettes]

Sorry to hear that Furtho, I remember seeing a photo of Pocky in the snow in the weather thread, what a gorgeous spaniel he is.

I adore dogs, and particularly spaniels. I'm thinking of doing volunteer work with dogs now that I have more free time, I initially wanted to help out at the RSPCA dog shelter in Ponteland where we got our previous dog (died in August 2016) but it's closed down. I'm between volunteer jobs so to speak, have just finished an assignment so might go towards dogs this time, at least to give it a try.


(French saying)

[nmrfox]

Sorry to hear of your news Furtho but am pleased that you've been able to sort Pocky out without the need to have to send him to a sanctuary or kennels. At least the lady taking him on seems to know the breed and has been honest with you about him. It's going to be tough for you and Mrs F but at least you'll know he'll be happy and well cared for.

[Ray de Galles]

Are you going to be able to visit Pocky, Furtho?

[Furtho]

I could, but I’ve been advised not to as it could be confusing for him. It’s nice to know he’s close by and I’m as confident as I can be that he’ll be well looked after. But it’s so sad. We’ve loved Pocky to pieces for eight years. Our life with him stops this coming Saturday.

[Toby Gymshorts]

I am genuinely sad for you, Furtho. But, as you know, you're doing the best thing for him and that's all that counts.

[Sits]

Yeah what Toby said. Can't imagine how hard that would be, at least you have the comfort that he's OK.

[Ray de Galles]

I could, but I’ve been advised not to as it could be confusing for him.

That’s sad but I’m sure it’s sensible advice. Feel for you in having to do this but you’re doing a very good thing in putting Pocky first.

[Furtho]

So Pocky was rehomed last Saturday (16th). It went about as well as it could have done and we’ve had updates during the week from his new owner. Pocky and the owner’s existing Springer have been playing with each other’s toys and curling up on a bed together, so it sounds like they are becoming pals.

On Sunday 17th I took Mrs F to Heathrow and she’s now living back in Japan again.

[Sits]

All the best Furtho, OTF is always here.

[Femme Folle]

What Sits said. I know how hard it was for you to let go, but I'm happy to hear that he has a new friend and is adjusting to his new home. I hope the readjustment goes well for Mrs. F too.

[nmrfox]

Best wishes to you Furtho. Thinking of you at these extremely difficult times. Take care mate.

[Sits]

Hope Furtho is doing OK, and won't mind an update.

Emily is a couple of months away from her (human) thirteenth birthday, and the front half of her is in fine fettle - good heart etc. But as was always likely, those over-flexible hips have ended up in arthritis. She's lost about four kilos (nine pounds in old money) and it's all muscle bulk off her back end and hips.

She has a course of injections quarterly, gets supplementary mid-morning snacks of raw egg, alternating with sardines in oil - she's not unhappy with this development. Her kibble is special joint food, but we tried weaning her onto their tinned food and neither she, nor her bowels were keen. So quality of life, she's back on the tinned food she loves.

Walks are now short, and I'm experimenting with one every second day. She was limping and miserable when I took her out on consecutive days after returning from hols last weekend. She seems much happier with the new arrangement; her demeanour is a lot better after a week of that new regime.

[Sits]

Just realised a lot of that is repetition from May 4th. Ah well.

[Various Artist]

Had missed all of the above discussion – my very best wishes to Furtho as well.



Sorry to hear about Miss Emily' travails, Sits, but that's a fabulous photo. It looks like she's just surprised an intruder in a film noir.

[Various Artist]

“The face she made at me was probably meant for a smile. Whatever it was, it beat me. I was afraid she'd do it again, so I surrendered.”

[Sits]

That’s brilliant.

[Femme Folle]

Haha

[nmrfox]

Excellent stuff VA and another lovely picture of Emily there Sits.

Tilly is now 14 1/3 old (her birth date in the sanctuary is given as 1st March 2004) and as she's a big dog - think the size of a labrador but with brindle staffie markings - she's finding the hot weather here a real chore. Luckily I can pretty much work from home most of the time (and if someone moans that I'm not in I just schedule meetings with Hong Kong and the US and claim early/late working as a reason for not being in the office). So, all the windows and doors downstairs are open, she can just wander into the garden at will but I've moved her bed to the shadiest, coolest (as in temperature, not style) part of the house and she seems happy enough not to go out for any walks at all. She has a growth on the side of her mouth, it looks like from her gum and am dreading her next quarterly vet visit as I'll need to mention it and I'm just dreading what the outcome may be. Still, she doesn't seem overly bothered by it and her appetite remains as good as ever so fingers crossed it's nothing too serious.

One day I'll try and get around to posting some pictures on here when I can be bothered to use a laptop instead of a phone.

[Sits]

Hope it turns out to be nothing Foxy.

[Femme Folle]

What Sits said.

[Various Artist]

Thirded, Foxy.

And if I can turn your eventual pictures into stills from some forgotten Hollywood classic, I'll do my best...

[nmrfox]

Tilly's growth got bigger and bigger, so I took her to the vets on Monday. The vet assumed it was some form of melanoma and due to its size and rapid growth, advised that it would be best to operate. Got her booked in yesterday and was dreading a call to say that she'd passed away under anaesthsetic as had happened to one of our cats earlier this year.

Chest xrays were clear and when I went to pick her up she seemed pretty bright and breezy. All went as well as could be and we're just now awaiting the results from the lab of the growth which has been sent to them. The vet knew she was getting better as they gave her a small meal once she had come round as she wolfed that back and then spotted another bowl of food which another dog, who obviously wasn't feeling 100% at the time, had left. Tilly cheerfully cleared his plate too and stood there looking round for any other morsels that could come her way. Apart from drinking loads last night, which would be caused by the anaesthetic so I therefore slept on the sofa to keep letting her out, she seems back to her old self again. Fingers crossed that the lab results don't highlight anything aggresive.