buddyboy

aww Owl - I like Marmite and I like you :-)

Griff, I am so sorry. I have been in that position myself - Em was playing football in the park in the morning, had no signs of illness, went to hydro in the afternoon and just stopped in the pool. Like you we tried CPR and mouth to mouth - but in time I was able to think how glad I was we could not get her back. She had been full of beans right up to the last second, no pain, no stiffness (hydro was a carry on from when Jake had to go for his arthritis, she loved swimming so went for fun) and she died doing what she loved and if she had been brought back she may have had restrictions on what she could and could not do

good grief, did not know you were down there! At the moment I spend most weekends visiting a friend near J37 - small world!

nooooooooooooo - I have been out to the garage which WAS at one stage tidy but since then has had umpteen other bits put in it, fought my way from the back door to the lift up door to get something and I have a rat in there (or maybe more than one, going by the piles of poo)............. moved the caravan right up to the garage for some shelter in the storms as it was rocking away on the driveway so cannot open the up and over door till I move it back ................ oh joy, guess the clean up will have to be started tomorrow after work.

Bo and Louie can have a mini celebration in May at Fonmon Castle!! Garfy will love you even more for putting him first.

good grief I now have 4 dogs old enough for the next Oldies Photo Competition!!! It seems like yesterday that there were three 2 year old Thugs causing mayhem while supervised by Toastie...... nowadays people say how lively they are but good grief - to me they are extremely calm!! Toastie died and now Cassie has been with me for over 4 years - still pootling around with her grade 5-6 heart murmur and enlarged heart. Her eyes have deteriorated and her eyesight is very poor now plus her hearing is going but hey - for a girl who spent her first 6 years churning out pups she is doing brilliantly, even though he has started the downhill side of things. She is now 10 officially, Jedley, China and Reg (who came as a foster after a lot of abuse but is now adopted) are 7 and Bo Baby will be 7 in May!

and 30 miles from me!!!

Not sure where you are but I have a spare metal bedstead you could have which is currently under my spare bed!!! It is a double and I upgraded to king size - and the spare room has walnut veneer including headboard so cannot use it in there.

you look very glam Amy

Owl - you are a lovely lady, don't be bullied - you have erected a portable building within the guidelines from the council (well, give or take a couple of inches on the 2.5 metres!!). I have just died my hair magenta and am apparently having a mid life crisis (because people round here have only seen one side to me - not the other one which has been there all along) so if you want me to trundle up there in my caravan for a visit with my 5 dogs just shout!!!!

Jazz - I did the same when Alice went in for her exploratory, had a very bad feeling and felt it was unfair to have her stitched up to come home just for me. Message for Archie - tell your mum to not worry!!!: 10ish years old, grade 5/6 heart murmur, extremely enlarged heart - yesterday very few people on the beach so offlead 99% of the time trotting and running with the others for 1.5 hours, sploshing through tidal pools, swimming!!!! - generally living life to the full (oh and back on the beach for an hour this morning, again offlead most of the time so bouncing around and running)

Chill and stop panicking.... China has around grade 3, known about it since just after she came to live with me nearly 5 years ago. Not got any worse in that time. Only went on meds (benazacare) this summer because she is still mad as a box of frogs and as she is coming up to 7 we thought be proactive and start to give her heart some support now while she still runs around the beach for an hour at a time. Cassie has around a 5/6 murmur. Been the same since she came to live with me 4 years ago, she had spent the first 6 years churning out pups so no care at all for it during that time. She goes on lead if there are other people around simply because she is a brat who rushes up to everyone to say hello, closely followed by the rest of the pack which can be intimidating. She is out for the same length of time as the others and if we are alone or with friends she is offlead and scampers around. She is on vetmedin twice a day. The only thing I watch with those 2 (apart from if they slow down when running) is to not overdo things when it is hot. Normally we have a max 1 hour walk however if we are going on group events they can be out for several hours.

Phebe - has mum got an outdoor tap in the right direction? If so maybe you could put a drainpipe underground with a hose in it (so safe from squashing, chewing by mice etc and hopefully not likely to freeze) to a point by the owlery where there could be an insulated water butt ...... and caravan electric pump etc (or even a Whale foot pump) to get you running water indoors there ..... no fixed supply for anyone to whinge about

Glad it is an infection tho obviously not glad she is going through it.

ermmm anyone on Facebook and who would like to raise money for DDA??? You know how bright ideas come to you first thing in the morning, you act on them and then later think "OMG what have I done"????? well that was me today. If you want to pledge anything it is on my wall Georgina Murray. Gulp