Hibernating!

It’s been a while since I was here and I’ve neglected the poor old blog a bit. I haven’t been about in Blogland much at all. It feels almost as if I’ve been hibernating.

I think because I decided to stop visiting Facebook (well, I do still pop in now and then, but I’ve probably missed a lot) I’ve tended to stay away generally from the internet.

When I took Dusty for his post-op check in Newmarket between Christmas and New Year, he’d had a flare up of the infection which they said was “disappointing”. I was given a choice of waiting to see if the antibiotics worked or having another scan. I decided to give the antibiotics a chance.

But I came away worried. If the infection came back, the vet I saw said it would mean another scan, an operation and the possibility of removing part of his jaw. “They manage very well after such surgery,” the vet told me. The problem is when an infection gets into the bone, it is hard for the antibiotics to get to the site.

It played on my mind so much that I made an appointment to see our own vet Tom in January, but an emergency came in and I saw Neil instead. He was very kind and reassuring and took plenty of time to talk me through what might happen. I know the infection could come back at any time so I can’t say he’s better, but we’re taking one day at a time.

At the same time he gave Harley her annual check-up and boosters and found her teeth absolutely thick with tartar and her gums all red and sore. What a shock!

So she was booked in to have her teeth cleaned, given an antibiotic shot and had cultures taken to send to the University of Glasgow just in case there was some underlying cause of the gingivitis.

In the meantime, my lovely friend Pat (thank you, Pat) recommended Plaque-off for Harley, so I got some and she loves it on her food.

The results came back clear. No obvious cause. The only thing I can think is that it had something to do with her poor start in life – she was thrown over the sea wall with her brother as a kitten and luckily someone saw it happen and saved them.

So she now has her Plaque-off and special dental food which I mix in with her normal food, plus any treats she has are dental ones, like Toothies. Her gums look fine at the moment and she’s going back for a check-up in a month or so. In the meantime, Dusty is keeping a close eye on her!

Every day after his walk Dusty has a bath. I make sure there is no sand or dirt or grit left for him to lick off. He only goes out in the garden on a lead so there’s no chance of him rooting round and picking anything up such as cat poo, bugs, thorny branches or stones.

And he doesn’t have any of his chewy toys any more, just his treat ball. It sounds as if I’ve taken all the fun out of his life doesn’t it, but he’s just as happy and even happier when Poppy is round to play. He runs for miles along the shore and over the marshes so he gets plenty of exercise. So does Poppy. And she sleeps a lot!

As for me, the sinus infection came back. I had another course of antibiotics which caused all the usual nasty side effects – and didn’t work anyway. I tried the steroid nasal spray which made me feel a lot worse. Then I got myself a neti pot which I found unpleasant – it’s like a little teapot and you pour water up one nostril and it comes down the other one. I react badly to decongestants, so I can’t take those – sigh. Never happy am I?

Pat suggested Homeopathy (thank you again, Pat), so I’m giving that a go now along with a saline nasal spray, but I’ll go back to the doctor if it doesn’t clear up.

Honestly this blog is starting to read more like a list of ailments and moans. I’ll try to think of something more interesting and uplifting next time.

Almost everyone I know has been ill one way or another this winter, but there are snowdrops out and the daffs are in bud and the days are getting longer. Spring will soon be here! What a lovely thought.