Spardo

So what's happening then? Lizzie has to be re-homed this week, Spanielle can't take her 'till the 11th of December, that leaves an 11 day gap. Are you taking her temporarily Pimpernel? I hope Lizzie doesn't fall through the gap of misunderstanding.  

The handover went off very smoothly. We got there an hour early so were able to have a long walk in the fields and lanes nearby while we waited. When he saw them, and Amber too, he got very excited and jumped into their car without hesitation. He did jump out again though to come and say goodbye to me [:$]. Always a bittersweet moment at times like this but a warm feeling nevertheless.[:D] Now we have more than a week before another one because we are away at the end of next week. Going to the Young@Heart Chorus concert at Angers on the Friday evening and probably the Galgo lunch near Parthenay on the Sunday.

The good news is that Allan & Jean, who came to see Bonzo last Friday have decided they'd like to give him a try. The arrangement is that I take him up to the half way point between us, the Centre Routier at Les Maisons Blanches (79) to hand him over. It is not my normal policy to do handovers at the roadside but in this case they have already seen him and considered, and I have already seen them.[;-)] We are passing through their area at the end of next week so if it doesn't seem to be working will pick him up then. I'm sure that won't be necessary as they took to each other before, as did Bonzo with the lady Amber.[:)]

Thanks Rob, worth a try though eh?[;-)] The thing that worries me though is that he's been here 3 weeks now and Fran is getting just a little bit too attached for my liking, last time a dog lasted more than a fortnight it was tears before bed when she went[:(]

Sure you don't want to give Bonzo a trip back to the Correze Rob, that's where he came from? Jet must be very lonely without Amber.[;-)][:D]

Sadly, although Allan was very taken with Bonzo and wanted to take him home immediately, Jean, although thinking him entirely suitable for both them and their other Lab Amber, thought that it was just a bit too soon after the sudden death of the other Labrador just a few weeks ago. Must say I sympathize having taken the vow never to replace Lira, my Greyhound, who died in September, but very sad just the same. Perhaps they will reconsider or maybe his real home is just waiting around the next corner.[:D]

Somebody coming all the way from Bressuire tomorrow! Fingers crossed for Bonzo.[:)]

I would think that the greatest danger to dogs was if they sniff at them out of curiosity and the resulting swelling could block the airways. After seeing a procession last year our Breton Spaniel came in scratching one foot furiously on the concrete floor. It took some time for us to realise the probable cause, he had just stepped on one. The irritation ceased after an hour and he forgot about it. Obviously, becuse he went and did it again a month later!

Yes, at first we thought he was older because of his size. Then he was estimated at 8 years which is what has been put on the Phoenix website, but when I took him to our vet the other days for his jabs and chip he said definitely not older than 8 and probably 6. This is born out by the fact that he is very active and behaves more like a young dog than others I've seen. I mentioned that he was probably ok with other animals completely forgetting the fact that he was living at home with a cat! So that is a good indication. The cat is also being rehomed by Phoenix along with their owner's cockatiel! So, you know where to click.[;-)]

This is Bonzo. Estimated to be 6 to 8 years old, he has come with a tragic story. His owner committed suicide recently and the widow, returning to the UK, has reluctantly asked us to re-home him. He is with us as a foster at the moment and within the week has settled in very well with our 2 other dogs. He is large and a tad overweight (50kgs) but is full of energy and runs well in the fields. We are feeding him the same quantity as our Lurcher (24kgs) and Breton Spaniel (19.5kgs) and he doesn't display any signs of being starved. Hopefully this will start to bring his weight down. He is very intelligent and obedient, a tendency to escape under the fence in the first few days in the direction he last saw his owner disappearing in, has now stopped. He did always come back when he went though. He is castrated, chipped, vaccinated and will be wormed this week along with our others. There are no signs of fleas and we haven't treated him because we use Advantix and that would not be suitable if he went to a home with cats. On that subject he seems fine with all other animals. He is an excellent guard dog with a very deep bark at approaching strangers which can be stopped on command. He is very strong and tends to pull on the lead but we are gradually bringing this under control. It shouldn't take too long and may well be sorted when he leaves us. In the fields he can safely be left to run free as his recall is very good and in any case he does not wander out of sight. He is entirely house trained with a cast iron bladder which means he can go all night without disturbing anyone. At the moment he is lying by my side gently moaning because Fran has gone to the shops, he is very faithful, Fran said he was the same when I was away overnight recently, but not a nuisance - he will stop if told to. [IMG]http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/3677/bonzo1if8.jpg[/IMG] [IMG]http://img161.imageshack.us/img161/840/bonzo2xx1.jpg[/IMG] picture links edited by a moderator

[quote user="Nicos"]On the way home the cat's bladder relaxed an he peed all over OH's lap in the car. [/quote]   I was fully prepared for this but in fact nothing of the sort ocurred, perhaps because Lira had struggled to go out and pee, and be sick, during her last afternoon and must have been empty. When I lifted her out of the car the next morning there was no mess no smell and apart from the cold, rigor stiffness, she might well have been sleeping. I had no hesitation in kissing goodbye what to others must have been 'just another dead animal'. On another, brighter note, any moment now our new foster, a black Lab is due to arrive. Will post details in a few days. The anticipation of meeting a new friend never goes away.

[quote user="Frenchie2"]   Where are you in 24 ( Perigord Vert )?  ( I know the place..)   [/quote]   St. Front La Rivière, and you? Don't worry about the exact methodology Frenchie, either you have misunderstood, but I get the impression that you are fluent in French, or your vet has good reasons for the way he does things. Whichever it is, be assured it is painless, very quick (10 seconds for Lira) and, because you are prepared for it, surprisingly calming for yourself. I had spent the previous 36 hours unable to finish a sentence on the subject because of the lump in my throat and the distress of it all, but when she went so softly into the night, I relaxed and, after a few moments holding her to me, set about the business of lifting her into the car, covering her and setting off on our journey home. Practicalities again. Make sure all the arrangements you intend for your cat you have completed before the final goodbye. We had decided to curl her in her normal sleeping position because this can't be done later and was so thankful for that the following morning when I buried her, one last kiss goodbye and I laid her to rest, to all appearances sleeping peacefully. I know you have decided on a different course of action but the principle remains - take time to think it all through beforehand, and save unecessary trouble and pain later.

[quote user="Frenchie2"][The vet said he will anesthetize the cat, then he will give him the lethal injection. He said it would be just peaceful.   ( I had imagined suffering..)[/quote] I think that's what they do to humans in Texas. My only experience here is that the vet gives a massive overdose of anaesthetic injected in a leg vein. This stops the heart within seconds. Far less traumatic than you imagine in advance.

One practical point Frenchie, but which will make the final event less traumatic. When you finally decide that the time has come, whether at the vet's or at home, pay him first. I was so glad that when Lira breathed her last the vet was able to nod his ackowledgement of our thanks and disappear quietly to leave us in peace. It would have been awful at that point to have to break off and deal with the commercial world. Bon courage.

[quote user="Frenchie2"] I don't know if the vet tells us the truth...  I meean, if there is really hope for him to live a bit more.. Because they also speak of putting him down at the end of the week if he s still the same.. [/quote] I think they don't want to unduly influence you Frenchie. The vet that treated Lira said recovery was impossible but he may extend her time a little with a blood diffusion. Accordingly I spent an hour that first afternoon at the surgery holding her while she was on a drip. He told us to bring her back in the morning to see if there was improvement. During the night she wimpered but calmed down when I got down with her and cuddled her. In the morning she squealed in pain as I tried to lift her to take her to the vets, and could not rise on her own. We knew then what we had to do and I went alone to the vet to ask him to come in the evening. It was obvious from his manner that he thought this was the only course to take and had thought so from the beginning, but had wanted the decision to be ours alone. We don't always credit 'dumb' animals with commonsense and consideration, but despite being unable to stand that last morning, during the day she struggled to her feet to go outside for a pee and to be sick. She was so weak that she couldn't then lie down again without assistance. Bon courage.