Memories of Buster
Created | Updated Mar 7, 2007
These are the journal entries I've made over the years of my h2g2 addiction that mention <LINK HREF="http://www.flickr.com/photos/minashouse/413630642/in/set-1669209/">Buster</LINK>. He's gone now, but he'll always be in my heart.
Aug 28, 2001
Found a county park. Walked for 40 minutes to get there. No dogs. Oh, I'm sorry, as it was so nicely pointed out to me, there are TWO dictionary definitions of country park. This is the type that doesn't allow dogs. How kind to mention on the signs which this was.
Sep 21, 2001
Where did I put the antibiotics for the dog?? I gave them to him last night when I put him to bed and I remember where I put them. He needs them, and after paying £30 he's going to get them! Even if he does look back to normal now.
Oct 9, 2001
Rabbits are now residing in my back garden.
My wee child spent a whole 3 minutes out there and then cartoon network called to him.
But I like them, and the dog licks his chops a lot, so I think they'll fit into family life quite well. Buster does tend to rummage around the hutch when it is open, and the rabbits are often out in a run in the garden.
Dec 14, 2001 by
My dog might be showing signs of kennel cough. He was exposed to a puppy for a couple of days, that went on to get it, and this morning he was sounding like something was caught in his throat, a bit of wheezing. I hope he's not going to get ill. He was sick a little while later, so I'm hoping it's that, rather than a cough.
Later that day:
He seems ok now, no reoccurance of that funny wheezing. I'm keeping an eye on him anyway.
Nov 4, 2001
Stop banging and crashing outside my window! It's upsetting all my animals, and I can't even go to the loo without the dog trying to follow me.
There was a huge display last night about 5 mins from here, so why do people feel the need to let more off? It's been going on all around me for the past 90 minutes, and I'm very bored of falling over the dog and having rabbits in my kitchen, and the budgie sqawking away all the time.
Nov 5, 2001
I went to watch TV when I left the computer, and I think they must have stopped shortly after that. Or the TV was on too loud to hear them, one of the two.
My dog is happier now, and I was pleased to see the rabbits didn't die of shock in the night.
Feb 11, 2002 by
So now I'm under a noise abatement notice thingy. Which I had to go and have explained to me.
Apparently, people were still complaining about the dog howling all through November and December. Except no one bothers to tell me, so I suddenly get this 'thing' poked through the door in January.
It turns out that Buster (the dog) can bark as much as he likes. But if he howls, and the council come out and hear it, I get called into court and face a five grand fine. And all this is done by the environmental health people, behind my back, and ignoring the fact that I am *still* under the Dog Warden - who is trying her hardest with me to keep the bloody dog quiet. So now, we can't even test things out. We can no longer say - let's try this - and then go out to see if he howls. So we've been effectively stuffed. I can't try to fix my broken dog - he has to leave the house when I do. Which usually means sitting in the boot while I'm shopping, at a friend's house or out for any other reason. He gets sent to my mum's when I am working - although I'd do that anyway, as staying indoors on his own for 10 hours a day is no fun for anyone that can't work a toilet.
If I go out to the cinema he gets sent round to my other half's flat (now my ex), so he can annoy his neighbours for a while.
It's all so bloody ridiculous. They were supposed to be sending a recording thingy round today, to try to see if the latest anti-bark collar works (they don't do anti-howling ones, so we try to make do), but they couldn't get it working. If they can't, I can't leave the dog in the house, as I won't know if he's making a noise.
The good thing is though, the notice is only about him howling. He can bark as much as he bloody wants to. So I am currently in the process of poking him with a stick all the time to make him bark. That way, hopefully, he'll learn to bark, not howl while I'm out, and I can leave him in the house any time I want to nip out for an hour.
Feb 11, 2003
What's the matter with my dog's feet? I've been back and forward to the vet a few times over the last few weeks because my dog is in a lot of pain walking. His toenails have been coming off, and I've finally managed to get through to the doctor that they are falling off.
The dog is going in for observation and various swabs tomorrow, but the options seem to be that it's fungal, although that's unlikely because it's affecting all four feet, or an auto-immune disease. Has anyone else ever come across this before? I'm worried for my dog because he is having trouble walking, but even the vet is having to look it up!
Of course, being a cruel, heartless mistress, I have to say that he is *the* most pathetic looking creature that I've seen for a long time. He's wearing a collar to stop him licking his feet and he looks ridiculous. And trust *my* stupid dog to get something so obscure that the vet is confused and has no idea what is going on!
Feb 12, 2003
To be honest, I'm hoping for something easily cured like a virus/fungus/infection. An auto-immune problem sounds dreadful. I didn't get to talk to the actual vet when I dropped him off for tests. I was hoping that she'd be able to tell me if she'd have any luck with the dermatologist.
My dog looked so unhappy as they dragged him off. They are testing him for:
Ringworm
Bacterial Infection
Demadex, a mite
Auto-immune disease
She's also going to remove all his claws to give him the best chance to heal, and will send one claw off for a biopsy. All these conditions are treatable, even if with long-term steroids. At least she isn't looking at finding out if it's something a) untreatable or b) so expensive to treat that I really can't afford it.
Feb 14, 2003
They actually take one of his toes off. He is much happier and brighter though. He doesn't seem to care that he looks a bit stupid now with shaved paws, a huge bandage on his back foot and little red 'claws'. I was a bit disappointed that they removed a toe on the leg that he hurt when he was younger (don't they read notes??) but maybe they thought he might as well have one manky leg that two slightly dodgy ones.
I've very happy to have him home again, he's literally a different dog. Although we have yet to put the funnel thing back on him, so maybe he'll go all crap again when we do.
Most of the tests will be back in a week, but the auto-immune test will be longer. The funny thing was, the vet said that she'd removed the toe at the back instead of the more usual dew claw because the dew claws didn't seem affected. Then she checked them, and they'd both gone! Maybe now she believes me when I say that it seemed like every time I checked him, another one had gone.
Feb 19, 2003
Still moping about. The only update is that it's not mange. The other tests are taking their time. His bandaged foot bothers him a little, but he doesn't seem to care that his claws are gone unless they are touched. (Quote from a friend) "He's developed an interesting taste for margarine though, which is what his pills are hidden in - the fuss we had one night when a tiny spattering fell inside his space helmet. Didn't see him last night and was strangely sad for some reason. I missed him walking into things and knocking stuff over with his fetching road-cone accessory. I don't worry about how he will cope. He's too stupid to know he's ill, so he'll live forever."
Mar 13, 2003
And yet another £100 later I leave the vets with an unnamed auto-immune disease. He'll be on steroids for the rest of his life otherwise he'll probably try and eat himself or something daft like that. He starts his tablets in about a week because he had to have his booster before we started so we're giving him a little time. Then I have the joy and pleasure of trying to get him to take 14 tablets a day to start off with. Plus the side effects mean that he'll eat and drink like there's no tomorrow while he's on the high dose. We'll be watching out for stealing then.
The one thing that worries me a little is that when I'm on steroids I always get REALLY BAD-TEMPERED. I hope Buster doesn't, he's got bigger teeth than me.
May 16, 2003
I had an in-depth conversation with the dog that was very fulfilling. Mainly because it didn't include any of this stuff:
Answering back
Arguing
Already knowing all about what I was talking about
Urgings to be careful around strange men 'you don't want to get hurt' (oh mother, if only you knew...)
Irritating answers
Reasonableness
or these comments:
"But Mummy!.."
"..and guess what" 4 times
It was just nice to talk to someone who didn't have anything to say for a change.
Jun 16, 2003
My dog is still not very well. Although his claws have cleared up and are much better, he's now suffering skin problems. A couple of weeks ago the vet diagnosed a flea allergy or hayfever. Last week she diagnosed mange, or possibly scabies. I've just been back to the vet, and apparently the dog is 'far too bad' to simply have mange/scabies.
His skin is so badly irritating him that he's been biting it all over his tail and hind quarters. And last night he bit through a little lump that he had in his leg that was harmless, and didn't really need removing (because it was harmless and not going to cause any problems) and it's turned into a big lump, apparently called a 'fistula' because it's really infected deep, deep down and is now all ulcerated. Which means he's had yet more fur shaved off (which never seems to grow back - I wonder if that's connected?) and I had the most disgusting view of pus being splattered out of it, although with loads of blood dripping everywhere. Yuk It's got two gaping tooth holes in it. My poor dog.
He's back on antibiotics (I must remember to go and give him a dose), and is going in on Friday to have a skin biopsy and this manky old lump removed. It's ok, I didn't want to have any cash for me at all this month.
He did keep sitting on the sofa yesterday whenever I left the room. He normally only tries that at night or if I'm out. Cheeky thing. I can't shout at him when he's so ill. Although he does keep making disgusting smells, so I might put him outside next door's windows. Just for fun.
He is wearing one of those collars again, and now he looks as stupid as he really is. Poor old thing. He can't even eat the juicy bone I bought for him to cheer him up! He's not being as stupid as he was the first time, but he is having a spot of bother getting in from the garden. Lift your head up! Up! No, UP!!
Jun 20, 2003
Back from the vet and he has stitches all over the place. His skin is all kind of puckered up around the lump, so not sure that vet has a huge amount of needlecraft there. He also has some on his face, some at the base of his tail, some *on* the base of his tail, and where they have taken 'skin scrapings' it looks like they've run over bits of him with a cheese grater. If I look at him on his right side from the front, he looks quite normal, but the other side and his back end look terrible. They're pretty sure it's not mange, because the strain they thought he had would have had to come from direct contact with a fox - and he hasn't been near a fox. Now they think that it's something on the inside causing the outside problems (well duh!), some sex hormones or something. Cushing's Disease was also mentioned. Things seem to go from bad to worse.
Jun 26, 2003
I've got another appointment on Monday to discuss yet more tests. Why can't they do all the tests at once? Especially as they want to test for something they mentioned last week *before* the last set of tests!!
*goes and bangs head on brick wall*
Jul 7, 2003
Ok, results back from last Monday's tests. He hasn't got hormone problems, we're back on the allergy theory. So back onto the steroids and that amount of water isn't me crying, but the amount he pees when he's on them, and we'll be back with the vet next Tuesday to start him on Piriton, combined with the steroids. Hopefully by the weekend this lethal collar can come off! Oh yeah, it's possible that it's just genetic baldness.
Dec 24, 2004 Hurrah, nearly xmas! We're going to have to spend the day tidying up and cleaning and scrubbing so we can do sod all except eat, drink and be merry tomorrow. Then I'm going to take the dog and the boy out for a long trek through muddy fields to make sure that they both go to sleep early tonight, and then I'm going to sit down with a glass (oh sod it, a bottle!) of wine and watch that film about chocolate that's on this evening.
Dec 27, 2004
It's just not on! There we were, enjoying a morning and a large glass of water (due to large amounts of and some strange alcoholic custard-tasting thing), when Gerry leapt over the table and bashed the dog on the head. We managed to save two boiling coffees from going everywhere, and the water glass from smashing on the floor so we didn't notice that he was bleeding for ages. We suddenly noticed there was blood everywhere and after checking that my mate hadn't cut himself (no sense no feeling) we traced it back to the dog's ear, which of course he kept flicking as it hurt. There was blood up the walls, on the fridge, the dishwasher, all over the floor, on my overnight bag, I didn't realise he had that much blood in him!
Finally got it all cleared up and the bleeding stopped and my friend was giving the dog a bit of attention to make up for having a sore ear, then Isabelle dived under the table and bashed him straight in the face. I wouldn't mind, but we'd been invited to stay overnight, so it's not as if we'd outstayed our welcome and needed a hint. I decided to make a dignified exit anyway.
Jan 3, 2004
Yesterday we went to the Transport Museum where I found to my upset that the dog coats made from Tube seat material (the very hard wearing yet comfortable moquette) that I wanted to get for Buster are far too small. They only seem to make them for lap dogs. My dog wants to be warm too!
Feb 28, 2004
My poor dog and his disappearing toenails. Guess what? It's happening again. Bloody stupid dog. I noticed him moving about really slowly, and not fancying getting in the boot of the car as usual. So last night I wrestled him to the floor and inspected his feet. I'm sure I said this last year, but trust my stupid dog to get something stupid!
I might ask my mum to keep him for a few days until the vet's appointment - if only to save him having to get up and down into the car. It was doing that last year and screaming as a nail came off that we noticed something was up.
We never really got to the bottom of it, we treated it with lots of different things - half of which made him unable to control his bladder - and it kind of went away. After forking out about a bazillion quid for tests - most of which seemed to reveal no cure or treatment, I didn't go back for his last follow up appointment as it was all better (yeah I know, me bad). I'll be back there on Wednesday.
Does anyone know what tree, plants or pollen, fungus or animals suddenly comes into season (or whatever) in February? As we were investigating auto-immune diseases and allergies this time last year, it could be something seasonal. If I planted something in my garden that is causing this to happen to Buster, then I'm going to track it down and burn it.
Jan 16, 2005
How thick can one animal be? As thick as Buster I should think. He's made the side of his nose and his, er, snout all raw and bloody because he keeps rubbing it on the carpet. So my dog has given himself carpet burns on his nose.
I just hope this isn't the beginning of what is fast becoming his normal yearly ridiculous activities. The steroids he was given the first time affected his bladder by filling it up too fast, which is why I didn't give them to him again last year. It looks like it is some sort of allergy, or skin problem that only arrives just after christmas. I wonder if I could give him my antihistamines? He had antihistamines a couple of years ago, but they didn't seem to make a difference - the vet prescribed them.
He didn't see a dermatologist, although his samples were sent off. More and more stuff just kept going wrong! I think I will take him to the vets if this doesn't clear off - he needs his claws clipping, but because of the problems he's had in the past, he screams when I do it now. So I think I'll give him a week to see how he goes, and then try to take him next weekend. I'm washing his nose with a mixture of peppermint tea, lavender oil and salt. He keeps licking it off, but at least it's not making him sick like the sudafed did when I tried that!
Jan 18, 2005
I've put one of those collar things on him now, to stop him making it worse, as it doesn't seem to be getting better. Now he looks as stupid as he is. Again. When he tries to get into the back of the car, instead of a spring from crouching, he has to put his front feet up and sort of hop up. Now there is blood all over the collar. And whatever I put on his nose to help to heal it, he licks off less than a tenth of a second later. Can I staple his tongue to the roof of his mouth?
Jan 29, 2005
Here is the latest thrilling installment on life with Mr. Stupid.
My dog has allergies. *On* *one* *side* *of* *his* *body* *and* *not* *the* *other*.
Good grief.
His sore nose wasn't getting any better so I took him to the vet. I took the collar off so the vet could have a look, and within about 30 seconds he'd rubbed his face in the grass so hard his nose was bleeding, his muzzle was bleeding and all the skin around his eye was swollen and bleeding. The vet says he's in danger of 'severe self-mutilation' so he injected him (hopefully with some brain cells), has given him steroids and antibiotics.
How the hell can any living thing only have allergies on only one side? It beggers belief. It's not just his face that's one sided, apparently even his claws are funny all down that side. The vet was amazed too, he kept looking at the 'normal' (in the loosest possible sense) side, then the ripped up side and said it's so strange. Normally dogs get it the same both sides.
I repeat. Good grief.
I wouldn't be without the stupid mutt now. I've had him for nearly 12 years! I don't know what I'd do without him. He's totally useless, but he makes me and J feel much safer in the house.
Apr 25, 2005
Just a quick update - when I went to the vet for Buster's booster a couple of weeks ago, the vet let slip what was wrong with the - no-one had ever bothered to tell me before.
It's definitely an auto-immune disease - it's 'lupoid' in nature although they haven't suggested an actual name. On looking round the web a bit, I did find some 'lupoid' diseases - the one that looks most similar is this one - http://www.beaconforhealth.org/Onchodystrophy.htm symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy/ None of the sites I could find have dogs that only got it once a year though. (Later I was given the name of his disease, and it was symmetric lupoid onychodystrophy.)
Buster is ok at this time of year, although now he's 12 he only seems to eat, sleep and fart. I've never put much store by allergy testing - they've been testing me for years, and I'm apparently not allergic to anything - I just have allergic reactions for the thrill of it it seems. I might consider it for later in the year - I don't want it flaring up again because we've dosed him with something his body can't cope with.
Jun 11, 2005
So we've decided to enlarge our little family here. We're already outnumbered by animals 2 to 1, but I do want another dog before Buster gives up entirely, or becomes so old that it's too much disruption for him to get used to a new dog.
So I've been to see an ex-racing Greyhound today, the rescue kennel selected a few for me from what I said on the phone. I saw one - I didn't see a need to inspect them all, because I'm not interested in buying for looks. This one is 'identified' as Lizzy, seems very laid back, walks on a lead *way* better than my mutt, is a dark brown (they called her black) and she didn't eat Buster, or him eat her. I think this could work, so next weekend I'm going back to see her again and will hopefully be able to bring her home after I've done the home visits and 'interview' with the kennel manager. I'll make sure that I bring her home in a week that I've got no work, so it could be four weeks before I get to bring her home, but that gives me time to read all the leaflets they've given me, watch the two videos they've lent me, and raid the pet shop for more goodies.
I need a name for her though - I don't like calling dogs by human names, and she doesn't know that 'Lizzie' is her name anyway.
I'd like something doggy, but not as doggy as Buster, so no Rover, Fido, or Patch. Not that she's got a patch anyway, but you get my meaning. It's got to be something I can shout at her when she's buggering off into the distance that I won't feel embarrassed about! I'd like to have a name for her by next weekend, so I can start calling her by it.
Jun 23, 2005
I've picked up one of those pedometer things, in a final effort to lost a bit of weight before I need to lose a lot of weight. I'm finding it very hard to eat less, so I'm trying to move about more. I did try eating less, but I just ended up eating more fruit crumbles and custard, so it wasn't very successful.
So, I've got this thing attached to my belt, and so far today it says 3723 steps. I think I'm supposed to be doing 10,000 a day. I'm knackered after doing those! And it's less than two miles. I walked the dog to the kennels, where I took Beauty for a short walk, a longer sit down in the shade, then walked home. Now I've got a blister on the bottom of my foot as well as the top. I'm not sure where I'm going to go to make up the other 7000 steps. I do have to go to the supermarket later, but I'm going to have to get the bus (blisters you see). Also Buster's feet look a little sore. Awww..
This is much harder than I thought it would be, and I'm working tomorrow, so I might not have the energy to walk the dog 3000 steps again.
At the weekend I'll be bringing Beauty home for a day, to see how she gets on. So I'll have my 3000 steps times two as being without the car I'll have to walk each way. Maybe all the walking (even the tiny bit I'm doing is more than I've done for a long time) I'm doing will get me back into the habit, so once I'm back in full time work it won't seem such a chore to walk the dogs. I live in hope.
Jul 5, 2005
You know your dog is old (or maybe just bored or pissed off) when he not only wees in a shop (luckily it was a pet shop/vet so they weren't fussed) but uses your leg as a lamppost while doing it.
You know *you're* getting old when you don't even notice until you walk through a small lake, walk down the other end of the shop to collect some paper towels and only then notice your leg is wet.
I think Buster's bladder is fooling him. When he did it, I did think it was my fault because he hadn't been out in the back garden for hours, so I worried that I'd missed him asking (he just sort of lies down and stares at me if I'm in the living room, so it can be a bit confusing). Then I remembered that he'd been in the front garden at least twice as I brush him out there. It was quite a big wee as well, he should have gone outside!
Sep 18, 2005
I don't think we'll mention Buster once again finding fox poo and deciding to bring half of it home on his collar.
Oct 15, 2005
As it was sunny today, I took the dogs and J to Shoeburyness to introduce Beauty to the coast. We all loved it! J was finding crabs and looking at shells, Beauty had a bit of a paddle but didn't really like walking on the stoniest bits, and Buster managed to reassert himself in my mind as the stupidest dog in the world!
One of the breakwaters had water all along it on one side, and only a tiny bit round the top of the other, so we walked out to the end (on the dry side of course). Buster had a paddle, while I fretted that he'd go round the end and suddenly get swept round the other side and hurt. But it was ok - he suddenly found a deep bit and sank a bit, surprised, he backed out again. Only to paddle around again and find the deep bit again, sank, and backed out. And then did it one more time. Each time looking just as surprised as the first time. I'm sure he'd have carried on doing that as long as we stood there! Dog with two second memory, or just very, very dim? But still lovable. In fact, I think it's his very dimness that I like so much. Dopey sod!
Jan 25, 2006
Buster's been learning to find treats hidden under blankets and tables, and when outside leaves and bits of twigs, and last weekend he found J behind a tree. Admittedly we let him watch J go off, and J did have some cheese that was enticingly waved about on the way, but it was his first time.
We need something for Buster to do to try to stop him running around all over the place when we go out. His joints aren't as supple as they used to be, and the limp he got when he jumped out of a moving car window over 11 years ago has come back, more pronounced.
We want him to stay with us more, so we make him use his brain now so that he hangs around us on walks instead of running ahead all of the time. He often only gets 15 minutes when we let him off the lead and let him do what he pleases now.
Hopefully when warm weather comes again he'll be able to cope with our longer walks. Dogs are so stupid they'll just keep going even when they're in pain if they're with their owner, so we're trying not to strain him while it's cold. The vet says there's no sign of arthritis, but she only tested him by bending his legs about, and she says dogs often don't complain even when that hurts. Dogs. Tch.
Mar 4, 2006
Poor old dog, I got up this morning to a trio of 'gifts' from Buster. I'm not sure how he managed them as he could barely walk - his back legs had 'gone'. He was staggering about all over the place.
After a chat with the emergency vet, I took Buster to my local vet to be checked over - his legs were getting better, but it looks like its spondylosis. What's annoying, as I took him to the vets months ago and pointed out that when I brushed him his back legs dipped every time I got to a certain point on his back. They checked over this legs and pronounced him ok but prone to arthritis, so I've been giving him fish oils for his joints, and making sure to walk him on the lead for a good 10/15 mins before I let him off, and the same at the other end to make sure he doesn't strain himself. He's been a pain getting in and out of the car (he has to do this twice a day) and I have to admit I've shouted at him to get a move on a few times when he's dawdling (bear in mind I have another dog I can't let go off until the door is practically shut).
The area this vet said he had the spondylosis is *exactly* where I'd pointed out a problem months ago. So my poor old dog has likely been in pain all this time.
What the free gifts were for we're not sure of at this stage.
Acupuncture looks an option for him. In the meantime, how do I get Beauty out for walks while having to leave poor old Buster behind? He's going to get very depressed.
Mar 19, 2006
No bad news for a change - Buster's been fine since his last visit to the vet, although I am having a ramp built for the car so that he doesn't have to jump up and down anymore. I keep forgetting to contact the vet for the acupuncture info, but I'm not sure that I want to go down that route anyway. I'll carry on thinking about it for a while.
Aug 7, 2006
At the moment I've given up trying to teach Buster and Beauty to close doors behind them as it's not going very fast. Buster is picking it up better than Beauty as he's more food-motivated, and has managed to shut the cupboard door we practice on a couple of times - but that's a couple of times out of what feels like a hundred!
So I'm changing to getting them to ring a bell with their noses when they want to go out into the garden.
I want to do this because of the amount of time we now spend camping. Buster won't 'foul the den', which means he won't even walk to the end of his 30 foot long 'camping lead', when we're sitting around the camper, and wee. As it's hot the dogs are drinking more, so he needs to 'go' more. Without a back door to stand beside I've got no visual clue that he needs a comfort stop, so thought if this worked I can just take the bells camping and he can let me know he wants the loo. I can't see it working to be honest, as he may well not associate bells hanging off the windbreak with the same bells hanging by the back door that he's been taught to ring.
Aug 15, 2006
Buster fell over onto his side when I tried to move him from under a bench where he was scoffing someone's leftovers.
Aug 16, 2006
This morning I thought the dogs had recovered from all the walking we did on our last camping trip, as they seemed quite perky when I got up. They've both gone back to sleep though, and Buster's not eating. He is supposed to have medication for his back with his food, and it's probably that I'm more worried about. Not that the medication seems to make any difference though.
Sep 12, 2006
Buster isn't coping with long walks at all well, anything over half an hour is too much for him. He runs around like a two year old while we're out if I let him off the lead, so his heart and lungs are still strong, but then he lies around the house for days afterwards, snoring! Beauty is suffering a bit, because I can't bear to leave Buster behind while I take her, but I'm trying to get something organised so I can deal with that. I'm never going to get a young dog when I've got an old one again. I'll just have to suffer maybe losing them both very close together if I want to keep having two (which I do).
Oct 11, 2006
Buster's lupus has resurfaced and he has scratched off all the fur and skin on the left side of his nose (last year it was the fur and skin around his left eye), and there is something wrong with his thumb - the nail looks as if it's coming off, and the pad is all swollen, pink and hairless. So he's on steroids again to try to ease the itching.
Nov 12, 2006
Yesterday my dog and a friend's dog had a bit of a punch up. Bill's dog is a GSD, so you might be able to imagine the difference in size of the two dogs.
It was my fault really, we'd been watching the GSD show dominance over the foster pup, and we'd let that go on, as that's just doggie politics - Fred just submitted in as grovelly a fashion as a doggie can do. I should have picked up on that mood and realised that it wasn't going to be limited to a display over one dog, and that Buster won't give in because frankly it is 'his' territory.
Luckily the GSD was in effect still only 'displaying' and he didn't close his jaws, but Buster was still squealing and although we couldn't find any blood once we'd got them to separate, I think his eye was moved out of its socket. It didn't 'pop' out, but we couldn't definitely feel the boney socket behind his eye which just didn't feel right. Later on we couldn't feel it, so his eye must have relaxed back, but it was still swollen at the front a bit.
This morning it seems ok, not so swollen, but his cheekbone seems more prominent this morning. He had lost a lot of weight with his various problems over this year, so it could be just that. Luckily I have some antibiotic eye cream, so I've started using that, just in case.
I'm just glad that Saxon wasn't serious, because Buster is so vulnerable with his dodgy back because he can't use his back legs very well.
Jan 20, 2007
Buster has spondylosis, a type of arthritis in the spine, causing ridges of bone to grow where they shouldn't be. These press on nerves and affect his mobility.
He also has CDRM, which is a disease of the spinal cord, slowing messages that should be going back and forward between his brain and his hind quarters, affecting his mobility.
This means that his back legs are slowly become about as useful as a chocolate teaspoon, but he's not in any pain - he has barely any feeling there. One day (probably not too many months from now) his back legs will in effect be dead to the rest of his body - already they suffer from bad circulation, they're cold and it's hard to find a pulse. When he walks his scrapes the top of his feet on the ground, his back legs are often crossed when he's standing, he walks sideways, especially after waking up and sometimes when he stands one or other of his back feet doesn't turn over properly and his foot rests upside down on its knuckles. He can't stand for long without his back end slowly sinking to the ground, can't turn around suddenly and can't walk backwards anymore. He simply cannot feel properly, or control easily, that end of his body any more.
We are lucky - I first noticed symptoms back in Autum of 2005, then a rush to the vet in March 2005 when his legs turned him into a drunk who could barely walk, with more symptoms started to be noticed from around May of last year, so we've had a really slow progression. But the problems are now accelerating; due to limited mobility his muscles have pretty much wasted away and we can no longer take him out for walks.
Twice this week he has completely collapsed after less than ten minutes out on a walk. It's hard to try to build some of his strength back up if he can't walk. I've considered hydrotherapy - his heart and lungs are as strong as an elephant's - but as we can't vaccinate him due to his immune problems we can't take him to a pool - the vet isn't sure it will help him at his age anyway.
He can still wag his tail, take your fingers off if you offer him a treat, smell dropped food from another room and he still loves his ears being rubbed - but only when he's in the mood. I'm going to get him some doggy boots - which he is just going to love *so* much - to prevent damage to his feet, which he won't feel but could get infected and may take a long time to heal because of the circulation problems, and a 'support sling' to help him up and over steps, up the ramp to the car (he has fallen off it a couple of times), and generally give me peace of mind so that I can try taking him out for just a few minutes a couple of times a day - it will be needed just to help him out to toilet eventually.
We're trying steroids to see if they help (they probably won't), but eventually he'll completely lose control and won't be able to move his back legs anymore, or get up. And how long that will take, no-one can tell us.
Jan 21, 2007
He collapsed in the garden last night as well. Iit's going to be hard to say goodbye to the old sod. I hope he goes in his sleep, but because he's still strong on the inside that's unlikely to happen. I'm going to take him back to the vet on Monday, and see what they say. I doubt they can do anything, it's going to be down to me and how I assess his quality of life.
I had told myself that as long as he can hold his water and everything else I'd keep him with me, but if he's not going to be able to leave the house except to go to a different house, with maybe a five minute sniff of the outside world each time - while watching me take Beauty out - what sort of contentment is he going to get from a life like that?
Jan 22, 2007
I've just booked him in for a hydrotherapy session on Wednesday. If it goes well I'll book a 6 week course, and then see how he's doing after that. He's not going to get better of course, but if we can keep him mobile for as long as possible that can only be good for him.
I took him out yesterday, and he collapsed after 8 minutes - took him nearly 30 secs to end up flat out, poor old sod. I fed him bits of chicken, and after about a minute he got up again and managed another 20 mins with no problems. It was awful with lots of people walking past and looking at me as if I was hoping he'd died or something, but I wanted to see if he could get up on his own. I thought I'd try it in a busy place in case he couldn't and we needed help to get him back to the car!
It has taken a bit out of him today though, so he can have a couple of five min walks when it stops raining and then he can stay home with a frozen kong while I take Beauty out.
Jan 27, 2007
Buster managed a 3 minute swim, with a minute's rest in between. The second session he just wanted to get out. Took him a few minutes to be able to stand when he got out, as he collapsed, and since then he has been collapsing more frequently around the home and garden, and he's really breathing heavily even after just going out for a wee. He's also having trouble getting over doorsteps, and he can't get up his ramp into the car any more. On Thursday night I had to pick him up and put him in his bed for the night because he just couldn't make it.
He's got another session on Sunday - I was going to block book five weeks at once, but I think I'll just do one at a time for now. If it's going to wipe him out this much I think I'd rather leave it. I'd prefer he got out of the house to sniff around the streets a few times a week, even if only for short periods than he was stuck inside all the time, only getting out for swimming twice a week. It's not very 'doggy' to be stuck into a pool instead of being able to see what's happening in his own area, but if it rebuilds his muscles then he may be able to go out and about more. hmm..
We'll see.
Jan 28, 2007
Ok, well, that nearly killed him. We thought he was dying when he got out of the pool - he collapsed and was nearly passed out. Then I thought he was dead when I stopped the car on the way home because I could see his eyes were rolling, he seemed to be having some strange sort of fit. Apparently he's got a dodgy heart valve - although I was told his heart and lungs were still strong less than two weeks ago.
He's now hospitalised with a drip and a heat pad as he is 3 degrees colder than he should be - that's 2 degrees from death and they think it's because his metabolism is shutting down. I sat with him for an hour, but then they sent me home. I'm waiting to hear the results of the blood test (which took ages to get as his circulation is so bad) and if I can go and pick him up tonight or not.
It was a mistake to try the swimming, but this was probably happening anyway (he's been shivering for days), it's drawn our attention to it quicker, that's all.
The reason he's collapsing isn't to do with his legs - his kidneys and liver aren't working properly, and his glucose level is too high. They are keeping him on the drip as it might be to do with his circulation being bad and will test him again tomorrow, so he's not coming home tonight.
He only had blood tests about a month or so ago, so with all that, if the levels don't go down and with his spine problems as well it looks like we're counting down the days.
Jan 29, 2007
I thought I was going to be picking him up this afternoon to say goodbye, but his blood results were much better, and they can treat for much of it. We're going to give him a week of treatment, and then see what improvement, if any, there is.
What I don't want is to treat him for a long time if he's only going to be at the same level he is now. That's no life for him, even if he doesn't continue to go downhill, but there are drugs for his heart, and if that gets him back up on his feet and out walking then I'm going to be glad of the extra time with him.
Sorry to be so dramatic, but I'd really prepared myself to say goodbye.
(Later that day)
He's gone.
I brought him home and it was too much for him. But he was in my arms, listening to my voice and surrounded by familiar sights and smells. It's possible he'd still be alive if I'd left him where he was, but if he's so ill that just bringing him home was too much stress then I'd rather it happened this way. I'd have hated for him to go without me.
The hole Buster has left behind won't be filled, but I know there will be another dog out there who needs a home, and he'll make his own space with us. Just not for a while.
Run free at the Bridge my wonderful Buster.
Aug 28, 2001
Found a county park. Walked for 40 minutes to get there. No dogs. Oh, I'm sorry, as it was so nicely pointed out to me, there are TWO dictionary definitions of country park. This is the type that doesn't allow dogs. How kind to mention on the signs which this was.
Sep 21, 2001
Where did I put the antibiotics for the dog?? I gave them to him last night when I put him to bed and I remember where I put them. He needs them, and after paying £30 he's going to get them! Even if he does look back to normal now.
Oct 9, 2001
Rabbits are now residing in my back garden.
My wee child spent a whole 3 minutes out there and then cartoon network called to him.
But I like them, and the dog licks his chops a lot, so I think they'll fit into family life quite well. Buster does tend to rummage around the hutch when it is open, and the rabbits are often out in a run in the garden.
Dec 14, 2001 by
My dog might be showing signs of kennel cough. He was exposed to a puppy for a couple of days, that went on to get it, and this morning he was sounding like something was caught in his throat, a bit of wheezing. I hope he's not going to get ill. He was sick a little while later, so I'm hoping it's that, rather than a cough.
Later that day:
He seems ok now, no reoccurance of that funny wheezing. I'm keeping an eye on him anyway.
Nov 4, 2001
Stop banging and crashing outside my window! It's upsetting all my animals, and I can't even go to the loo without the dog trying to follow me.
There was a huge display last night about 5 mins from here, so why do people feel the need to let more off? It's been going on all around me for the past 90 minutes, and I'm very bored of falling over the dog and having rabbits in my kitchen, and the budgie sqawking away all the time.
Nov 5, 2001
I went to watch TV when I left the computer, and I think they must have stopped shortly after that. Or the TV was on too loud to hear them, one of the two.
My dog is happier now, and I was pleased to see the rabbits didn't die of shock in the night.
Feb 11, 2002 by
So now I'm under a noise abatement notice thingy. Which I had to go and have explained to me.
Apparently, people were still complaining about the dog howling all through November and December. Except no one bothers to tell me, so I suddenly get this 'thing' poked through the door in January.
It turns out that Buster (the dog) can bark as much as he likes. But if he howls, and the council come out and hear it, I get called into court and face a five grand fine. And all this is done by the environmental health people, behind my back, and ignoring the fact that I am *still* under the Dog Warden - who is trying her hardest with me to keep the bloody dog quiet. So now, we can't even test things out. We can no longer say - let's try this - and then go out to see if he howls. So we've been effectively stuffed. I can't try to fix my broken dog - he has to leave the house when I do. Which usually means sitting in the boot while I'm shopping, at a friend's house or out for any other reason. He gets sent to my mum's when I am working - although I'd do that anyway, as staying indoors on his own for 10 hours a day is no fun for anyone that can't work a toilet.
If I go out to the cinema he gets sent round to my other half's flat (now my ex), so he can annoy his neighbours for a while.
It's all so bloody ridiculous. They were supposed to be sending a recording thingy round today, to try to see if the latest anti-bark collar works (they don't do anti-howling ones, so we try to make do), but they couldn't get it working. If they can't, I can't leave the dog in the house, as I won't know if he's making a noise.
The good thing is though, the notice is only about him howling. He can bark as much as he bloody wants to. So I am currently in the process of poking him with a stick all the time to make him bark. That way, hopefully, he'll learn to bark, not howl while I'm out, and I can leave him in the house any time I want to nip out for an hour.
Feb 11, 2003
What's the matter with my dog's feet? I've been back and forward to the vet a few times over the last few weeks because my dog is in a lot of pain walking. His toenails have been coming off, and I've finally managed to get through to the doctor that they are falling off.
The dog is going in for observation and various swabs tomorrow, but the options seem to be that it's fungal, although that's unlikely because it's affecting all four feet, or an auto-immune disease. Has anyone else ever come across this before? I'm worried for my dog because he is having trouble walking, but even the vet is having to look it up!
Of course, being a cruel, heartless mistress, I have to say that he is *the* most pathetic looking creature that I've seen for a long time. He's wearing a collar to stop him licking his feet and he looks ridiculous. And trust *my* stupid dog to get something so obscure that the vet is confused and has no idea what is going on!
Feb 12, 2003
To be honest, I'm hoping for something easily cured like a virus/fungus/infection. An auto-immune problem sounds dreadful. I didn't get to talk to the actual vet when I dropped him off for tests. I was hoping that she'd be able to tell me if she'd have any luck with the dermatologist.
My dog looked so unhappy as they dragged him off. They are testing him for:
Ringworm
Bacterial Infection
Demadex, a mite
Auto-immune disease
She's also going to remove all his claws to give him the best chance to heal, and will send one claw off for a biopsy. All these conditions are treatable, even if with long-term steroids. At least she isn't looking at finding out if it's something a) untreatable or b) so expensive to treat that I really can't afford it.
Feb 14, 2003
They actually take one of his toes off. He is much happier and brighter though. He doesn't seem to care that he looks a bit stupid now with shaved paws, a huge bandage on his back foot and little red 'claws'. I was a bit disappointed that they removed a toe on the leg that he hurt when he was younger (don't they read notes??) but maybe they thought he might as well have one manky leg that two slightly dodgy ones.
I've very happy to have him home again, he's literally a different dog. Although we have yet to put the funnel thing back on him, so maybe he'll go all crap again when we do.
Most of the tests will be back in a week, but the auto-immune test will be longer. The funny thing was, the vet said that she'd removed the toe at the back instead of the more usual dew claw because the dew claws didn't seem affected. Then she checked them, and they'd both gone! Maybe now she believes me when I say that it seemed like every time I checked him, another one had gone.
Feb 19, 2003
Still moping about. The only update is that it's not mange. The other tests are taking their time. His bandaged foot bothers him a little, but he doesn't seem to care that his claws are gone unless they are touched. (Quote from a friend) "He's developed an interesting taste for margarine though, which is what his pills are hidden in - the fuss we had one night when a tiny spattering fell inside his space helmet. Didn't see him last night and was strangely sad for some reason. I missed him walking into things and knocking stuff over with his fetching road-cone accessory. I don't worry about how he will cope. He's too stupid to know he's ill, so he'll live forever."
Mar 13, 2003
And yet another £100 later I leave the vets with an unnamed auto-immune disease. He'll be on steroids for the rest of his life otherwise he'll probably try and eat himself or something daft like that. He starts his tablets in about a week because he had to have his booster before we started so we're giving him a little time. Then I have the joy and pleasure of trying to get him to take 14 tablets a day to start off with. Plus the side effects mean that he'll eat and drink like there's no tomorrow while he's on the high dose. We'll be watching out for stealing then.
The one thing that worries me a little is that when I'm on steroids I always get REALLY BAD-TEMPERED. I hope Buster doesn't, he's got bigger teeth than me.
May 16, 2003
I had an in-depth conversation with the dog that was very fulfilling. Mainly because it didn't include any of this stuff:
Answering back
Arguing
Already knowing all about what I was talking about
Urgings to be careful around strange men 'you don't want to get hurt' (oh mother, if only you knew...)
Irritating answers
Reasonableness
or these comments:
"But Mummy!.."
"..and guess what" 4 times
It was just nice to talk to someone who didn't have anything to say for a change.
Jun 16, 2003
My dog is still not very well. Although his claws have cleared up and are much better, he's now suffering skin problems. A couple of weeks ago the vet diagnosed a flea allergy or hayfever. Last week she diagnosed mange, or possibly scabies. I've just been back to the vet, and apparently the dog is 'far too bad' to simply have mange/scabies.
His skin is so badly irritating him that he's been biting it all over his tail and hind quarters. And last night he bit through a little lump that he had in his leg that was harmless, and didn't really need removing (because it was harmless and not going to cause any problems) and it's turned into a big lump, apparently called a 'fistula' because it's really infected deep, deep down and is now all ulcerated. Which means he's had yet more fur shaved off (which never seems to grow back - I wonder if that's connected?) and I had the most disgusting view of pus being splattered out of it, although with loads of blood dripping everywhere. Yuk It's got two gaping tooth holes in it. My poor dog.
He's back on antibiotics (I must remember to go and give him a dose), and is going in on Friday to have a skin biopsy and this manky old lump removed. It's ok, I didn't want to have any cash for me at all this month.
He did keep sitting on the sofa yesterday whenever I left the room. He normally only tries that at night or if I'm out. Cheeky thing. I can't shout at him when he's so ill. Although he does keep making disgusting smells, so I might put him outside next door's windows. Just for fun.
He is wearing one of those collars again, and now he looks as stupid as he really is. Poor old thing. He can't even eat the juicy bone I bought for him to cheer him up! He's not being as stupid as he was the first time, but he is having a spot of bother getting in from the garden. Lift your head up! Up! No, UP!!
Jun 20, 2003
Back from the vet and he has stitches all over the place. His skin is all kind of puckered up around the lump, so not sure that vet has a huge amount of needlecraft there. He also has some on his face, some at the base of his tail, some *on* the base of his tail, and where they have taken 'skin scrapings' it looks like they've run over bits of him with a cheese grater. If I look at him on his right side from the front, he looks quite normal, but the other side and his back end look terrible. They're pretty sure it's not mange, because the strain they thought he had would have had to come from direct contact with a fox - and he hasn't been near a fox. Now they think that it's something on the inside causing the outside problems (well duh!), some sex hormones or something. Cushing's Disease was also mentioned. Things seem to go from bad to worse.
Jun 26, 2003
I've got another appointment on Monday to discuss yet more tests. Why can't they do all the tests at once? Especially as they want to test for something they mentioned last week *before* the last set of tests!!
*goes and bangs head on brick wall*
Jul 7, 2003
Ok, results back from last Monday's tests. He hasn't got hormone problems, we're back on the allergy theory. So back onto the steroids and that amount of water isn't me crying, but the amount he pees when he's on them, and we'll be back with the vet next Tuesday to start him on Piriton, combined with the steroids. Hopefully by the weekend this lethal collar can come off! Oh yeah, it's possible that it's just genetic baldness.
Dec 24, 2004 Hurrah, nearly xmas! We're going to have to spend the day tidying up and cleaning and scrubbing so we can do sod all except eat, drink and be merry tomorrow. Then I'm going to take the dog and the boy out for a long trek through muddy fields to make sure that they both go to sleep early tonight, and then I'm going to sit down with a glass (oh sod it, a bottle!) of wine and watch that film about chocolate that's on this evening.
Dec 27, 2004
It's just not on! There we were, enjoying a morning and a large glass of water (due to large amounts of and some strange alcoholic custard-tasting thing), when Gerry leapt over the table and bashed the dog on the head. We managed to save two boiling coffees from going everywhere, and the water glass from smashing on the floor so we didn't notice that he was bleeding for ages. We suddenly noticed there was blood everywhere and after checking that my mate hadn't cut himself (no sense no feeling) we traced it back to the dog's ear, which of course he kept flicking as it hurt. There was blood up the walls, on the fridge, the dishwasher, all over the floor, on my overnight bag, I didn't realise he had that much blood in him!
Finally got it all cleared up and the bleeding stopped and my friend was giving the dog a bit of attention to make up for having a sore ear, then Isabelle dived under the table and bashed him straight in the face. I wouldn't mind, but we'd been invited to stay overnight, so it's not as if we'd outstayed our welcome and needed a hint. I decided to make a dignified exit anyway.
Jan 3, 2004
Yesterday we went to the Transport Museum where I found to my upset that the dog coats made from Tube seat material (the very hard wearing yet comfortable moquette) that I wanted to get for Buster are far too small. They only seem to make them for lap dogs. My dog wants to be warm too!
Feb 28, 2004
My poor dog and his disappearing toenails. Guess what? It's happening again. Bloody stupid dog. I noticed him moving about really slowly, and not fancying getting in the boot of the car as usual. So last night I wrestled him to the floor and inspected his feet. I'm sure I said this last year, but trust my stupid dog to get something stupid!
I might ask my mum to keep him for a few days until the vet's appointment - if only to save him having to get up and down into the car. It was doing that last year and screaming as a nail came off that we noticed something was up.
We never really got to the bottom of it, we treated it with lots of different things - half of which made him unable to control his bladder - and it kind of went away. After forking out about a bazillion quid for tests - most of which seemed to reveal no cure or treatment, I didn't go back for his last follow up appointment as it was all better (yeah I know, me bad). I'll be back there on Wednesday.
Does anyone know what tree, plants or pollen, fungus or animals suddenly comes into season (or whatever) in February? As we were investigating auto-immune diseases and allergies this time last year, it could be something seasonal. If I planted something in my garden that is causing this to happen to Buster, then I'm going to track it down and burn it.
Jan 16, 2005
How thick can one animal be? As thick as Buster I should think. He's made the side of his nose and his, er, snout all raw and bloody because he keeps rubbing it on the carpet. So my dog has given himself carpet burns on his nose.
I just hope this isn't the beginning of what is fast becoming his normal yearly ridiculous activities. The steroids he was given the first time affected his bladder by filling it up too fast, which is why I didn't give them to him again last year. It looks like it is some sort of allergy, or skin problem that only arrives just after christmas. I wonder if I could give him my antihistamines? He had antihistamines a couple of years ago, but they didn't seem to make a difference - the vet prescribed them.
He didn't see a dermatologist, although his samples were sent off. More and more stuff just kept going wrong! I think I will take him to the vets if this doesn't clear off - he needs his claws clipping, but because of the problems he's had in the past, he screams when I do it now. So I think I'll give him a week to see how he goes, and then try to take him next weekend. I'm washing his nose with a mixture of peppermint tea, lavender oil and salt. He keeps licking it off, but at least it's not making him sick like the sudafed did when I tried that!
Jan 18, 2005
I've put one of those collar things on him now, to stop him making it worse, as it doesn't seem to be getting better. Now he looks as stupid as he is. Again. When he tries to get into the back of the car, instead of a spring from crouching, he has to put his front feet up and sort of hop up. Now there is blood all over the collar. And whatever I put on his nose to help to heal it, he licks off less than a tenth of a second later. Can I staple his tongue to the roof of his mouth?
Jan 29, 2005
Here is the latest thrilling installment on life with Mr. Stupid.
My dog has allergies. *On* *one* *side* *of* *his* *body* *and* *not* *the* *other*.
Good grief.
His sore nose wasn't getting any better so I took him to the vet. I took the collar off so the vet could have a look, and within about 30 seconds he'd rubbed his face in the grass so hard his nose was bleeding, his muzzle was bleeding and all the skin around his eye was swollen and bleeding. The vet says he's in danger of 'severe self-mutilation' so he injected him (hopefully with some brain cells), has given him steroids and antibiotics.
How the hell can any living thing only have allergies on only one side? It beggers belief. It's not just his face that's one sided, apparently even his claws are funny all down that side. The vet was amazed too, he kept looking at the 'normal' (in the loosest possible sense) side, then the ripped up side and said it's so strange. Normally dogs get it the same both sides.
I repeat. Good grief.
I wouldn't be without the stupid mutt now. I've had him for nearly 12 years! I don't know what I'd do without him. He's totally useless, but he makes me and J feel much safer in the house.
Apr 25, 2005
Just a quick update - when I went to the vet for Buster's booster a couple of weeks ago, the vet let slip what was wrong with the - no-one had ever bothered to tell me before.
It's definitely an auto-immune disease - it's 'lupoid' in nature although they haven't suggested an actual name. On looking round the web a bit, I did find some 'lupoid' diseases - the one that looks most similar is this one - http://www.beaconforhealth.org/Onchodystrophy.htm symmetrical lupoid onychodystrophy/ None of the sites I could find have dogs that only got it once a year though. (Later I was given the name of his disease, and it was symmetric lupoid onychodystrophy.)
Buster is ok at this time of year, although now he's 12 he only seems to eat, sleep and fart. I've never put much store by allergy testing - they've been testing me for years, and I'm apparently not allergic to anything - I just have allergic reactions for the thrill of it it seems. I might consider it for later in the year - I don't want it flaring up again because we've dosed him with something his body can't cope with.
Jun 11, 2005
So we've decided to enlarge our little family here. We're already outnumbered by animals 2 to 1, but I do want another dog before Buster gives up entirely, or becomes so old that it's too much disruption for him to get used to a new dog.
So I've been to see an ex-racing Greyhound today, the rescue kennel selected a few for me from what I said on the phone. I saw one - I didn't see a need to inspect them all, because I'm not interested in buying for looks. This one is 'identified' as Lizzy, seems very laid back, walks on a lead *way* better than my mutt, is a dark brown (they called her black) and she didn't eat Buster, or him eat her. I think this could work, so next weekend I'm going back to see her again and will hopefully be able to bring her home after I've done the home visits and 'interview' with the kennel manager. I'll make sure that I bring her home in a week that I've got no work, so it could be four weeks before I get to bring her home, but that gives me time to read all the leaflets they've given me, watch the two videos they've lent me, and raid the pet shop for more goodies.
I need a name for her though - I don't like calling dogs by human names, and she doesn't know that 'Lizzie' is her name anyway.
I'd like something doggy, but not as doggy as Buster, so no Rover, Fido, or Patch. Not that she's got a patch anyway, but you get my meaning. It's got to be something I can shout at her when she's buggering off into the distance that I won't feel embarrassed about! I'd like to have a name for her by next weekend, so I can start calling her by it.
Jun 23, 2005
I've picked up one of those pedometer things, in a final effort to lost a bit of weight before I need to lose a lot of weight. I'm finding it very hard to eat less, so I'm trying to move about more. I did try eating less, but I just ended up eating more fruit crumbles and custard, so it wasn't very successful.
So, I've got this thing attached to my belt, and so far today it says 3723 steps. I think I'm supposed to be doing 10,000 a day. I'm knackered after doing those! And it's less than two miles. I walked the dog to the kennels, where I took Beauty for a short walk, a longer sit down in the shade, then walked home. Now I've got a blister on the bottom of my foot as well as the top. I'm not sure where I'm going to go to make up the other 7000 steps. I do have to go to the supermarket later, but I'm going to have to get the bus (blisters you see). Also Buster's feet look a little sore. Awww..
This is much harder than I thought it would be, and I'm working tomorrow, so I might not have the energy to walk the dog 3000 steps again.
At the weekend I'll be bringing Beauty home for a day, to see how she gets on. So I'll have my 3000 steps times two as being without the car I'll have to walk each way. Maybe all the walking (even the tiny bit I'm doing is more than I've done for a long time) I'm doing will get me back into the habit, so once I'm back in full time work it won't seem such a chore to walk the dogs. I live in hope.
Jul 5, 2005
You know your dog is old (or maybe just bored or pissed off) when he not only wees in a shop (luckily it was a pet shop/vet so they weren't fussed) but uses your leg as a lamppost while doing it.
You know *you're* getting old when you don't even notice until you walk through a small lake, walk down the other end of the shop to collect some paper towels and only then notice your leg is wet.
I think Buster's bladder is fooling him. When he did it, I did think it was my fault because he hadn't been out in the back garden for hours, so I worried that I'd missed him asking (he just sort of lies down and stares at me if I'm in the living room, so it can be a bit confusing). Then I remembered that he'd been in the front garden at least twice as I brush him out there. It was quite a big wee as well, he should have gone outside!
Sep 18, 2005
I don't think we'll mention Buster once again finding fox poo and deciding to bring half of it home on his collar.
Oct 15, 2005
As it was sunny today, I took the dogs and J to Shoeburyness to introduce Beauty to the coast. We all loved it! J was finding crabs and looking at shells, Beauty had a bit of a paddle but didn't really like walking on the stoniest bits, and Buster managed to reassert himself in my mind as the stupidest dog in the world!
One of the breakwaters had water all along it on one side, and only a tiny bit round the top of the other, so we walked out to the end (on the dry side of course). Buster had a paddle, while I fretted that he'd go round the end and suddenly get swept round the other side and hurt. But it was ok - he suddenly found a deep bit and sank a bit, surprised, he backed out again. Only to paddle around again and find the deep bit again, sank, and backed out. And then did it one more time. Each time looking just as surprised as the first time. I'm sure he'd have carried on doing that as long as we stood there! Dog with two second memory, or just very, very dim? But still lovable. In fact, I think it's his very dimness that I like so much. Dopey sod!
Jan 25, 2006
Buster's been learning to find treats hidden under blankets and tables, and when outside leaves and bits of twigs, and last weekend he found J behind a tree. Admittedly we let him watch J go off, and J did have some cheese that was enticingly waved about on the way, but it was his first time.
We need something for Buster to do to try to stop him running around all over the place when we go out. His joints aren't as supple as they used to be, and the limp he got when he jumped out of a moving car window over 11 years ago has come back, more pronounced.
We want him to stay with us more, so we make him use his brain now so that he hangs around us on walks instead of running ahead all of the time. He often only gets 15 minutes when we let him off the lead and let him do what he pleases now.
Hopefully when warm weather comes again he'll be able to cope with our longer walks. Dogs are so stupid they'll just keep going even when they're in pain if they're with their owner, so we're trying not to strain him while it's cold. The vet says there's no sign of arthritis, but she only tested him by bending his legs about, and she says dogs often don't complain even when that hurts. Dogs. Tch.
Mar 4, 2006
Poor old dog, I got up this morning to a trio of 'gifts' from Buster. I'm not sure how he managed them as he could barely walk - his back legs had 'gone'. He was staggering about all over the place.
After a chat with the emergency vet, I took Buster to my local vet to be checked over - his legs were getting better, but it looks like its spondylosis. What's annoying, as I took him to the vets months ago and pointed out that when I brushed him his back legs dipped every time I got to a certain point on his back. They checked over this legs and pronounced him ok but prone to arthritis, so I've been giving him fish oils for his joints, and making sure to walk him on the lead for a good 10/15 mins before I let him off, and the same at the other end to make sure he doesn't strain himself. He's been a pain getting in and out of the car (he has to do this twice a day) and I have to admit I've shouted at him to get a move on a few times when he's dawdling (bear in mind I have another dog I can't let go off until the door is practically shut).
The area this vet said he had the spondylosis is *exactly* where I'd pointed out a problem months ago. So my poor old dog has likely been in pain all this time.
What the free gifts were for we're not sure of at this stage.
Acupuncture looks an option for him. In the meantime, how do I get Beauty out for walks while having to leave poor old Buster behind? He's going to get very depressed.
Mar 19, 2006
No bad news for a change - Buster's been fine since his last visit to the vet, although I am having a ramp built for the car so that he doesn't have to jump up and down anymore. I keep forgetting to contact the vet for the acupuncture info, but I'm not sure that I want to go down that route anyway. I'll carry on thinking about it for a while.
Aug 7, 2006
At the moment I've given up trying to teach Buster and Beauty to close doors behind them as it's not going very fast. Buster is picking it up better than Beauty as he's more food-motivated, and has managed to shut the cupboard door we practice on a couple of times - but that's a couple of times out of what feels like a hundred!
So I'm changing to getting them to ring a bell with their noses when they want to go out into the garden.
I want to do this because of the amount of time we now spend camping. Buster won't 'foul the den', which means he won't even walk to the end of his 30 foot long 'camping lead', when we're sitting around the camper, and wee. As it's hot the dogs are drinking more, so he needs to 'go' more. Without a back door to stand beside I've got no visual clue that he needs a comfort stop, so thought if this worked I can just take the bells camping and he can let me know he wants the loo. I can't see it working to be honest, as he may well not associate bells hanging off the windbreak with the same bells hanging by the back door that he's been taught to ring.
Aug 15, 2006
Buster fell over onto his side when I tried to move him from under a bench where he was scoffing someone's leftovers.
Aug 16, 2006
This morning I thought the dogs had recovered from all the walking we did on our last camping trip, as they seemed quite perky when I got up. They've both gone back to sleep though, and Buster's not eating. He is supposed to have medication for his back with his food, and it's probably that I'm more worried about. Not that the medication seems to make any difference though.
Sep 12, 2006
Buster isn't coping with long walks at all well, anything over half an hour is too much for him. He runs around like a two year old while we're out if I let him off the lead, so his heart and lungs are still strong, but then he lies around the house for days afterwards, snoring! Beauty is suffering a bit, because I can't bear to leave Buster behind while I take her, but I'm trying to get something organised so I can deal with that. I'm never going to get a young dog when I've got an old one again. I'll just have to suffer maybe losing them both very close together if I want to keep having two (which I do).
Oct 11, 2006
Buster's lupus has resurfaced and he has scratched off all the fur and skin on the left side of his nose (last year it was the fur and skin around his left eye), and there is something wrong with his thumb - the nail looks as if it's coming off, and the pad is all swollen, pink and hairless. So he's on steroids again to try to ease the itching.
Nov 12, 2006
Yesterday my dog and a friend's dog had a bit of a punch up. Bill's dog is a GSD, so you might be able to imagine the difference in size of the two dogs.
It was my fault really, we'd been watching the GSD show dominance over the foster pup, and we'd let that go on, as that's just doggie politics - Fred just submitted in as grovelly a fashion as a doggie can do. I should have picked up on that mood and realised that it wasn't going to be limited to a display over one dog, and that Buster won't give in because frankly it is 'his' territory.
Luckily the GSD was in effect still only 'displaying' and he didn't close his jaws, but Buster was still squealing and although we couldn't find any blood once we'd got them to separate, I think his eye was moved out of its socket. It didn't 'pop' out, but we couldn't definitely feel the boney socket behind his eye which just didn't feel right. Later on we couldn't feel it, so his eye must have relaxed back, but it was still swollen at the front a bit.
This morning it seems ok, not so swollen, but his cheekbone seems more prominent this morning. He had lost a lot of weight with his various problems over this year, so it could be just that. Luckily I have some antibiotic eye cream, so I've started using that, just in case.
I'm just glad that Saxon wasn't serious, because Buster is so vulnerable with his dodgy back because he can't use his back legs very well.
Jan 20, 2007
Buster has spondylosis, a type of arthritis in the spine, causing ridges of bone to grow where they shouldn't be. These press on nerves and affect his mobility.
He also has CDRM, which is a disease of the spinal cord, slowing messages that should be going back and forward between his brain and his hind quarters, affecting his mobility.
This means that his back legs are slowly become about as useful as a chocolate teaspoon, but he's not in any pain - he has barely any feeling there. One day (probably not too many months from now) his back legs will in effect be dead to the rest of his body - already they suffer from bad circulation, they're cold and it's hard to find a pulse. When he walks his scrapes the top of his feet on the ground, his back legs are often crossed when he's standing, he walks sideways, especially after waking up and sometimes when he stands one or other of his back feet doesn't turn over properly and his foot rests upside down on its knuckles. He can't stand for long without his back end slowly sinking to the ground, can't turn around suddenly and can't walk backwards anymore. He simply cannot feel properly, or control easily, that end of his body any more.
We are lucky - I first noticed symptoms back in Autum of 2005, then a rush to the vet in March 2005 when his legs turned him into a drunk who could barely walk, with more symptoms started to be noticed from around May of last year, so we've had a really slow progression. But the problems are now accelerating; due to limited mobility his muscles have pretty much wasted away and we can no longer take him out for walks.
Twice this week he has completely collapsed after less than ten minutes out on a walk. It's hard to try to build some of his strength back up if he can't walk. I've considered hydrotherapy - his heart and lungs are as strong as an elephant's - but as we can't vaccinate him due to his immune problems we can't take him to a pool - the vet isn't sure it will help him at his age anyway.
He can still wag his tail, take your fingers off if you offer him a treat, smell dropped food from another room and he still loves his ears being rubbed - but only when he's in the mood. I'm going to get him some doggy boots - which he is just going to love *so* much - to prevent damage to his feet, which he won't feel but could get infected and may take a long time to heal because of the circulation problems, and a 'support sling' to help him up and over steps, up the ramp to the car (he has fallen off it a couple of times), and generally give me peace of mind so that I can try taking him out for just a few minutes a couple of times a day - it will be needed just to help him out to toilet eventually.
We're trying steroids to see if they help (they probably won't), but eventually he'll completely lose control and won't be able to move his back legs anymore, or get up. And how long that will take, no-one can tell us.
Jan 21, 2007
He collapsed in the garden last night as well. Iit's going to be hard to say goodbye to the old sod. I hope he goes in his sleep, but because he's still strong on the inside that's unlikely to happen. I'm going to take him back to the vet on Monday, and see what they say. I doubt they can do anything, it's going to be down to me and how I assess his quality of life.
I had told myself that as long as he can hold his water and everything else I'd keep him with me, but if he's not going to be able to leave the house except to go to a different house, with maybe a five minute sniff of the outside world each time - while watching me take Beauty out - what sort of contentment is he going to get from a life like that?
Jan 22, 2007
I've just booked him in for a hydrotherapy session on Wednesday. If it goes well I'll book a 6 week course, and then see how he's doing after that. He's not going to get better of course, but if we can keep him mobile for as long as possible that can only be good for him.
I took him out yesterday, and he collapsed after 8 minutes - took him nearly 30 secs to end up flat out, poor old sod. I fed him bits of chicken, and after about a minute he got up again and managed another 20 mins with no problems. It was awful with lots of people walking past and looking at me as if I was hoping he'd died or something, but I wanted to see if he could get up on his own. I thought I'd try it in a busy place in case he couldn't and we needed help to get him back to the car!
It has taken a bit out of him today though, so he can have a couple of five min walks when it stops raining and then he can stay home with a frozen kong while I take Beauty out.
Jan 27, 2007
Buster managed a 3 minute swim, with a minute's rest in between. The second session he just wanted to get out. Took him a few minutes to be able to stand when he got out, as he collapsed, and since then he has been collapsing more frequently around the home and garden, and he's really breathing heavily even after just going out for a wee. He's also having trouble getting over doorsteps, and he can't get up his ramp into the car any more. On Thursday night I had to pick him up and put him in his bed for the night because he just couldn't make it.
He's got another session on Sunday - I was going to block book five weeks at once, but I think I'll just do one at a time for now. If it's going to wipe him out this much I think I'd rather leave it. I'd prefer he got out of the house to sniff around the streets a few times a week, even if only for short periods than he was stuck inside all the time, only getting out for swimming twice a week. It's not very 'doggy' to be stuck into a pool instead of being able to see what's happening in his own area, but if it rebuilds his muscles then he may be able to go out and about more. hmm..
We'll see.
Jan 28, 2007
Ok, well, that nearly killed him. We thought he was dying when he got out of the pool - he collapsed and was nearly passed out. Then I thought he was dead when I stopped the car on the way home because I could see his eyes were rolling, he seemed to be having some strange sort of fit. Apparently he's got a dodgy heart valve - although I was told his heart and lungs were still strong less than two weeks ago.
He's now hospitalised with a drip and a heat pad as he is 3 degrees colder than he should be - that's 2 degrees from death and they think it's because his metabolism is shutting down. I sat with him for an hour, but then they sent me home. I'm waiting to hear the results of the blood test (which took ages to get as his circulation is so bad) and if I can go and pick him up tonight or not.
It was a mistake to try the swimming, but this was probably happening anyway (he's been shivering for days), it's drawn our attention to it quicker, that's all.
The reason he's collapsing isn't to do with his legs - his kidneys and liver aren't working properly, and his glucose level is too high. They are keeping him on the drip as it might be to do with his circulation being bad and will test him again tomorrow, so he's not coming home tonight.
He only had blood tests about a month or so ago, so with all that, if the levels don't go down and with his spine problems as well it looks like we're counting down the days.
Jan 29, 2007
I thought I was going to be picking him up this afternoon to say goodbye, but his blood results were much better, and they can treat for much of it. We're going to give him a week of treatment, and then see what improvement, if any, there is.
What I don't want is to treat him for a long time if he's only going to be at the same level he is now. That's no life for him, even if he doesn't continue to go downhill, but there are drugs for his heart, and if that gets him back up on his feet and out walking then I'm going to be glad of the extra time with him.
Sorry to be so dramatic, but I'd really prepared myself to say goodbye.
(Later that day)
He's gone.
I brought him home and it was too much for him. But he was in my arms, listening to my voice and surrounded by familiar sights and smells. It's possible he'd still be alive if I'd left him where he was, but if he's so ill that just bringing him home was too much stress then I'd rather it happened this way. I'd have hated for him to go without me.
The hole Buster has left behind won't be filled, but I know there will be another dog out there who needs a home, and he'll make his own space with us. Just not for a while.
Run free at the Bridge my wonderful Buster.
