Goodbye beautiful Spark

Today Spark has gone to sleep for the last time. The vet sedated him first, and he slipped into a slumber really quickly, less than a minute.  The actual passing was painless for him and I felt his spirit leave. I asked the vet if he'd gone at the exact moment that he did leave.
I hope that he's now a doggy angel, and is pain free.
It will take some time for me to stop feeling so upset, although I am weeping, not crying.
Thanks to the vet for making Spark's passing as gentle for me as well, and thank to my three children and Becky, for helping me get through this. I think my ex is even a little upset that Spark has gone.

Difficult decision on the horizon

If you're a regular reader of my blog, you'll know that I have two dogs.  The older one, Spark, is beginning to age rapidly now.
I can see that sometime in the not too distant future, I might have to make a really difficult decision.
Spark's legs don't always do what he wants them to, he's going blind and deaf, and although I am doing my best, his skin is flaky and he's lost most of his thick downy coat, leaving the coarser coat.
Even writing this is upsetting me.  I need to talk to my children about him, and possibly need to talk with the vet.
Spark is the first ever dog I have had, and I didn't realise how much his visible aging would upset me.
I've been weeping on and off all day.
And yes, I'm putting off talking about him, so have been avoiding talking to people.

Grr, Nosey Parkers!

OK, at the moment Shadow has a swollen toe.  This is because she cracked her claw inside her toe several weeks ago.  It formed an abscess, which she has had lanced, and is seeing the vet.  It is getting better and now the flesh is almost normal colour.
Shadow is a feisty dog and would rather walk than stay at home and rest, and the exercise is doing her good.
What annoys me, and even is upsetting me is that people seem to think it is OK to ask what is wrong with her, and point out that she is limping.  Fair enough I suppose you are saying, but when total strangers quite rudely ask what is wrong it gets me mad, after all, if I was on crutches, they wouldn't ask me what I'd done....friends might, but not strangers.
It makes me feel like I should go out with a placard around my neck stating what is wrong....or I might just tell the next person to mind their own business.

What a run of bad luck!

It started in August with my fan oven going and I had to get the element replaced.  Then at the start of this month I took Edwin up to Carlisle with some of his things , and the alternator went on my car, although I was lucky in that I managed to get back home, and to drive it to the garage, but that cost money as well.  Then Shadow, my Scottie, was limping, but when I looked there was nothing in her paw, nor was it cut, and there didn't seem to be any broken bones.  I though she had sprained it slightly or overstretched herself.  Just around two weeks ago I thought that perhaps she had jarred her nail as she was still limping, I hadn't taken her to the vet as there was nothing obvious going on.  Anyway, on Wednesday evening around bedtime I noticed that her claw was at a funny angle, she must have broken her claw inside the toe and it had only just emerged. SO the next day I got someone to help me and I bathed it and got some of the puss out of it.  I rang the vet, but the only appointment they had was when I was at work, so I took her down last Saturday morning.  The vet cut her damaged claw off and then bandaged her foot, he gave me antibiotics, (the strongest they have for dogs,) and said he'd like to see her mid week.  I made an appointment for Wednesday. Unfortunately it wasn't the same vet, and this wants to lance the swelling and x-ray the foot....to the tune of around £220 with the x-ray, £120 maximum without an x-ray.  I don't have that kind of money spare, so I paid for the appointment and another lot of antibiotics, and said I would think about it.  After doing some research, and bearing in mind that Shadow is much more active and the swelling is going down slowly, I have decided to put off it being possibly lanced.  What I have found out is that an abscess occurs to stop infection spreading, and when the threat of infection has gone the abscess is reabsorbed into the body, so lancing an abscess seems to me to be going against nature.  I will see how she progresses.
Anyway, all in all over the past 6weeks I have had three unexpected expenses and just hope that is all for now.