I decided to take Monty out of town to see if he would be more enthusiastic about a country walk than he's been on our very short jaunts around the neighbourhood. He was keen to get in the car but very uncertain about getting out - though the promise of a treat did the trick. But alas he really didn't want to walk - there were lots of big puddles and it was very muddy and he seemed very nervous about where he was putting his feet. When he did walk he seemed fine though - I've been on the look out for changes in gait caused by his neck problem. Anyway with a lot of cajoling I got him over the railway and down to the river at which point he stood next to somebody else's car and I took the hint and took him home. Sadly he struggled getting back in to the car and I had to call Nigel to carry him out and he was clearly in pain again. So - back to the vet who called up the Vet School who said, 'Come now'. Well the painkiller I had given him was kicking in but they took it very seriously and said it's incredibly painful and depressing for the dog so they wanted to operate ASAP. I left the little chap in their capable hands and went more or less straight out to a Governors' Meeting then to Book Club and didn't get chance to worry about him until the middle of the night - and then I did!
Three GT:
1. Although I'm sorry he got sore again I had a suspicion that he wasn't really right and at least now we know and action is being taken.
2. Providing some material for the lovely clever Cambridge vet students to learn from.
3. We are literally down the road from the Vet School animal hospital (we quite often go past it on our walks). So I could get from the vet to the hospital in 10 minutes and also (worth knowing especially if you're not insured) they are quite a lot less expensive than private practices (though it's not exactly cheap!).
Great picture to show this sudden turn of events! Having a hospital near is a really good thing - we can see ours (with a big perinatal centre) from our kitchen window and it always relieves me to know we could run over there anytime with Little J.
My thoughts go with you and Monty it must be an awful time for you all....
like the train shot, might copy it for my "blurry train collection"
Funny I was really tempted to go to Milton, today, I take it that is where it is, but I decided to go somewhere not so muddy for a change.
Pip, my dog is having more showers than me,, (she is the nicer smelling of the 2 of us)..
take care and I hope everything works out OK.
@markrlemon Yes - down Fen Road. The road was very wet and muddy but the towpath was probably OK - not that we got down it! I used to like parking at The Green Dragon pub and going down the towpath from there in wet weather because the path is pretty good but Monty has taken an aversion to it (probably as it's a 'no hooping' walk - sadly his hooping days are over now!)
That was my old stomping ground, as a kid, we all had boats and used to play on the river, collect frogspawn from Stourbridge common, go home from school along the footpath, it always used to flood right up to a row of bungalows, stopping at their doorsteps. Hunt for newts and sticklebacks on Ditton meadows... Ah those were the days.. baths on Sundays (I was the eldest :)
Well that is one place poor old Monty won't want to walk past when he is better!! I think it's good that they are going to do something....it could have dragged on for months..at least this way there will be progress but oh the heartache of leaving a beloved pet at the vets over night.
Sorry I never commented on your lovely moving train shot.....perfect blur with your sharp little station. A rather terrifying thing to see that train rushing by with no barriers!!
@markrlemon Excellent! Sorting out the flood drains in town & presumably other things (must have been 20 years ago - can it be so long?!) seems to have really eased the flooding down there. I still remember coxing a boat in to the 'bank' that I couldn't see and having to wade out & it has been bad enough recently for that to happen again to a small extent.
@judithg Hi Judith, in my case it was 40+ years ago.... I just have haunting memories of my mother saying don't get wet and come home before it gets dark.... you only know it's dark when the sun's gone... and it's a loud whoosh when the water cascades over your wellie tops... take care ;) ps when I "reply" is it public or sent as a private message.
@markrlemon It's public - all 365 is public I think. I sympathise with your mum - that standing water on Stourbridge Common stinks (in fact the very full streams on Fen Road were pretty unpleasant on Monday) and I've had some 'memorable' incidents with the dog!
like the train shot, might copy it for my "blurry train collection"
Funny I was really tempted to go to Milton, today, I take it that is where it is, but I decided to go somewhere not so muddy for a change.
Pip, my dog is having more showers than me,, (she is the nicer smelling of the 2 of us)..
take care and I hope everything works out OK.