scotslass

That looks fun - what a lovely family you have, and your dogs are so sweet. It's almost made me want to camp again, after all these years...(rather more than ten )

I made the mistake of googling "wedding fish" and a youtube clip came up. Disgusting idea in the first place; the concept of a living creature as decorative accessory is revolting. Add drunken idiots to the mix and you have a recipe for disaster.

Suzeanna You must be so fed up with all these investigations. Hope they get you an appointment quickly.

Sending best wishes and hoping Edith makes a quick recovery.

If anything, the worst thing for me was the callousness shown by the veterinary assistants - they came across as silly,uncaring little girls (and a horrible young man). If that young man has been promoted, I hope pet owners at his new practice give him a wide berth. I don't pay huge vet bills for my pets to be treated by someone with no real qualifications, but at the very least, I'd hope the assistants would show compassion. I have never imagined that vets go into veterinary medicine "because they love animals" - for many, I guess, it's just a well-paid career which provides a good salary and a fair bit of status - but I don't suppose veterinary assistants are paid much, so what is their motivation, if they don't do it for the animals? I suppose we like to think that everyone involved in the care of animals is dedicated to their well-being, but you only have to look at some of the horrors uncovered in various rescues/boarding kennels/pet-minding businesses to see that it ain't necessarily so. You get social inadequates working in all kinds of jobs where they have power over those even weaker than they are. I don't believe that all veterinary staff like all animals, any more than I believe that all medical staff like all humans. I just do my best to ensure that I use a practice where I and my pets are treated with respect, and I have moved from practices where this wasn't the case. However, it's still a matter of trust, since we will never know (apart from undercover reporting!) what goes on behind the scenes - unless we go for round-the-clock video monitoring.

Here's a statement from the group we must assume are being highlighted on the programme... http://www.medivet.co.uk/news_view.asp?id=112

I meant to say, I agree with this. Your lad is a bit young for run-of-the-mill teenage blues/angst, which is usually a minor, if irritating, rite of passage - this sounds much more serious and I'd be inclined to ask your GP to provide some proper support while you tackle the issues you and your family can handle on your own.

I'd stop the Slim-fast regime first - it is not intended for children, according to its own website, and it's not the best way to deal with weight gain anyway. Your son could perhaps learn how to buy, cook and eat healthy food - what about starting to cook together? My sons all loved cooking and baking when they were young and now their partners appreciate it too. I'd be inclined to take the focus off his weight, and on to the pleasures of eating healthy food he's helped prepare. I agree with the others about finding a hobby or interest which he can become involved in. If he is really engaged in learning a new skill, he will be less inclined to snack out of boredom, and it will also help with his self-esteem. Does he play an instrument? Would he be interested in learning guitar or drums, for example? It's sometimes possible to have group lessons which aren't too expensive. Finally, at 13 he is still very young. He still needs to be involved in family activities - outings, household chores, and general family time. I know it's hard to motivate them at that age, but perhaps if you and his father encouraged him to help you with the more interesting household jobs (painting/gardening?), he might be more inclined to go along with it? Good luck.

Now known as Severn View? http://motorwayservicesonline.co.uk/Severn_View

I'm so sorry.

Ooooh yes, Aunty Mel. Hilarious stuff.

How could we ever forget him??

I'm so sorry. Night night, Gus sweetheart.

Hope Gus starts to improve today.

Oh, poor little Gus. Get well soon, sweetheart.

Well, I hate zoos anyway, and I'm not surprised. I can't believe we're still keeping wild animals in enclosures for day trippers to gawp at. Elephants are routinely chained, prodded and regarded as objects to be subdued, rather than left alone, and respected for what they are. I understand that there may be cases where they can't be returned to the wild, but I don't see why they can't be left in peace, and treated with compassion, if they must be in captivity. There's still a macho culture, though, where the keeper is regarded as the big hero for dealing with a so-called dangerous, unpredictable animal...these animals are only dangerous and unpredictable because they are confined in artificial surrounding - by us humans. We're the problem, not them. As for this statement, "Raja is one of only two elephants in Europe which are thought to be sufficiently manageable to be used for an artificial insemination programme"....poor creature, to be subjected to the ministrations of human beings for his semen. I find the idea of (animal) artificial insemination repulsive; they cannot give their permission, but their bodily fluids are being forcibly removed. I know that milk is also forcibly removed, but the fact that sexual stimulation is involved in AI makes it even more repugnant. Isn't it sexual abuse? To be honest, I'd never even thought about the problem until I read Temple Grandin's (famous autistic academic) book on cattle management and she described how best to stimulate bulls in order to release their semen. Imagine if it were our dogs which were treated that way?

I am so sorry that you've been left with this feeling of guilt on top of everything else - but the problem is that so much of what happened was beyond your control. At times like that, we have to go along with the vet's advice - you didn't know what was ahead, and everything you did - including agreeing not to see Tess - was done in her best interests, because you took the vet's advice...and you did all that, and sacrificed your own interests (because of course you'd rather have had her at home) to give her a chance. It's tempting to look back and make judgements about our behaviour, to torment ourselves about why we took a certain course of action, but real life isn't clear-cut. Your choices were limited from the start - not even the vet was able to predict the outcome, so there was nothing you could do except go along - optimistically - with his suggestions It's heart-breaking, and only time will help you come to terms with it all. The blessing is that Tess's life with you was rich and full of love, and she has gone where there is no more pain or fear. You're still her mum, and that means you continue to suffer, but it will ease, and you will remember the best times one day.

I'm so sorry. Sleep tight, little girl.

Glad to hear that.

Thinking of Cliffy and Nige.

Thinking of Dylan - and fingers crossed that it's just an abscess.

Night night Shadow. for your Mum who loved you so much.

Thinking of you all.

Hello Trixie. Welcome home.

Same in our village. But this seems outrageous... http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/Fury-as-voters-are-turned.6279238.jp