I hope the sun comes out
Boo is still on bed-rest and doing it hard. He is allowed short forays with me on a leash, and spends time on the chain by the barn where he can watch. Mostly I have to leave him inside when I go out to work so he does not run loose at all and John says he just lays on the kitchen floor and stares out the big glass doors. He will not move from there until I come back inside which is often hours.
I have been following leads to find a heat pad for him to lay his hurt side on but every single one I find in my price range seems to have problems with over heating. Like all wild animals I have a horror of fire. After scrolling through Amazon for about 30 minutes (of precious break time) yesterday I gave up and went upstairs and got down the cot mattress. I put a sheepskin and a blanket on that and put it by the fire. Boo laid on it straight away.
The problem is he is a young and active dog, when he does see me or is let off to go about his business he immediately runs and leaps and jumps around. He always runs to me and turns in midair to land at my feet facing the direction I am facing. He has always done this so it is almost impossible to prevent him making all these wild athletic moves. He is staring me down right this minute trying to pull me up with his eyes. And when I am ready to go to work he will be glued to my heel, literally leaning into my legs as I walk through the house gathering up my jacket and gloves and hat – then I have to tell him to stay and leave him inside.
I seldom walk between the farms anymore – it feels wrong to walk out through the trees with my partner watching from the window. Ton never walks with me – he stays with the Home cows until I have crossed the bridge then runs like a streak through his short cut down the creek and across the fields and is at the West Barn before me, standing with his little herd of cows – so without Boo I walk alone.
And he is still limping, not using his bad leg yet.
Tane is the one who really needs the heating mat (but there is no way I am putting one of those out by the straw). He was much worse yesterday morning. His pills have run their course and I wonder if this is the reason. I will talk to the vet again tomorrow. But he was having real trouble getting up.
I helped him onto his feet and supporting his back half walked him outside for a big drink and his breakfast, once he finshed he got his balance and tottered over to his outside straw bed and lay down to wait for the sun. He still tries to jump up every time he sees me and eats with gusto but he is not good. I was in tears tending him yesterday. A few times I saw him walk and then rest with his two front legs and his head on the ground as a third leg, his two back legs off the ground.
Not good. Poor boy.
The plonkers.
It was almost dark when I remembered to grab this shot (above) for you. So it is not very clear. Screen left is the Rat House and on the right the mound over the root cellar – you can just make out a few little piggies.
I will take a clearer one today.
Sheila out with the cows in the last of the light. I am so pleased I gave her the choice to live with cows, she has so much more territory to wander now. 
I did not have time to draw a map for you yesterday. But Netty found an old post of mine that shows a picture of the farm from the air. Farmy from the air.
and Skip asked Doctor Google Earth and found this slightly newer image.
Both are a few years old but everything is pretty much the same.
The building on the bottom left of this image is the Rat House. The Salad Bar field is to its right and the Rat house paddock is to its left. See that tree in the Rat House Paddock – that is where the storm shelter is.
I will try today to make a map that includes the West Barn so you can have a better visual.
We are going to have an even warmer day today which will be nice for my animals with achy broken joints. The low 50’s. I hope the sun comes out.
This is a miserable post – sorry.
I hope you have a lovely day.
celi
71 Comments on “I hope the sun comes out”
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Poor Tane. He is breaking my heart. Using your head as a crutch is both ingenious and very, very sad. Poor dear. So glad, though, that he is with you. The best Mum ever.
He is a little better this morning – and it is a damp cool foggy morning.. c
Hugs to Boo and Tane and to you too Celi.
Thank you Vesta! i will pass them on!.. c
Poor things and Boo must think he’s done something wrong and being punished.
There are some types of hand warmer that I believe can be warmed in the oven and release heat slowly and even ones that create heat without fire. Perhaps you could warm a few large stones or try an old fashioned stoneware hot water bottle for Tane 🙂
One of those old copper ones would be just the ticket, though I am afraid Tima would HOG it! c
Maybe you could get two. I used to see them often in junk shops and they stand up a bit, so 2 pigs could share (perhaps). I doubt they’d try sleeping on one, as they’d be uncomfortable. Some of them look to be very heavy duty. I’ve just seen one going for a fiver online here:
https://www.gumtree.com/p/antiques/old-hot-water-bottle/1201567049
Five dollars!
Ha ha, £5 – you might get someone sending you half a dozen if we talk about it 😉
Laughs!
You may prefer not to go down the route of homeopathy, so please ignore this if so! I use a combined tincture or pill of arnica, rhus tox, and ruta for joint, ligament, muscle, arthriic type problems for me and the dog, and feel the difference in myself, and can see it in my dog who has issues with her rear end, back legs and mobility. It isn’t expensive (well, it isn’t here in the UK), and I get it via mail order. It’s not a magic answer, but might be worth investigating for Tane and Boo. Or, indeed, homeopathy full stop for them. Big hugs to you all, and peace of mind for you.
Thank you Missy, all good thoughts.. c
Miserable? No. You did cover a lot of ground. Poor dogs and their bad parts. Funny how the one races along and beats you to the other barn. They are creatures of many habits. Much like we humans, I suppose.
he also has a completely different path home – we will set off together, he takes off, disappears and the next thing I see him on the bridge way up ahead – he turns to look at me and the moment I wave him ahead off he runs, by the time I get to the bridge he is cutting across the field way in the distance – then he runs all the way round and MEETS me coming home from the other direction, at that point he will accompany me the last few yards. Wagging his tail. Happy as a – well – as a dog!
That makes me think of the children’s book Go Dog Go by P.D. Eastman. It was one of our favorites. https://youtu.be/cBNkZU9skBE
Snuggle disks are the size of dinner plates and about an inch thick. Stick them in a microwave for a few minutes and then put them under a pad or straw. They can stay hot for up to 12 hours! I use them for a couple of feral cats that I feed. They LOVE them!
Ah, I don’t have a microwave. but they sound interesting.. c
Poor Boo.
Chec.k on Amazon.com under”dog heating pads” I have found some there
The Farmer’s Almanac store has a product with dried corn kernels stuffed into a (lamb) covering… you heat in the microwave oven, then place on the ache… I wonder if a larger padding could be made for the animals with either rice or dried corn…
NO microwave sadly – and i think Tane would eat the corn too. He has a very deep straw bed. At the moment he is lying out in the grass. c
Hee, hee… I forgot that he would like the corn… ❤
Thinking of you Celi. And sending warm, positive healing thoughts to the farmy. So hard to read about Tane…. And about Boo as well. Thanks for the shots of the farmy! It’s great to see where everything is and know where all the animals are! xo
Morning Di! c
We use Snugglesafe disks here too, for both my aging dogs and for wildlife. I sent one home with a niece who used it for her menstrual cramps during her stay here, saying it was better than any heating pad she had ever used. I find they last about ten hours. I’m so sorry about Tane. The good thing is he still hasn’t given up. Missmissykissy’s homeopathic treatment might be worth trying. Meanwhile, I will be sending positive vibes for healing…
Thank you Lori, I don’t have a microwave but they do sound interesting.. c
Few things are harder than watching animals you love in pain. It’s hard to know what to do and there’s this terrible sense of helpless responsibility that haunts all of it. And then there’s the terrible awful of not being able to explain to them what you are doing and why or to hear them explain their experience. I’m sorry you are going through it and to do it with 2 animals is doubly hard.
Thank you for the aerial view. I’m glad to have a map in my head now when I think of you going about your business.
Yes, we all go through it – I am not alone on this.. c
Unfortunately as you know too well, life, especially when we have animals or children or both is never easy. Sending lots of hugs.
Yes – that is about the crux of it. Thank you Nadia.. c
How hard it is to see our beloved animals suffer when there is nothing we can do. My heart breaks for you. Sheila is ginormous.. My love P
Yes, isn’t she – And she is so happy with her new big yard, though i found her sprawled out in the calves shelter this morning – they were all standing outside discussing the situation! c
Old socks with uncooked rice heated in the microwave can be shaped to fit around sore areas and should stay warm for some time…
Odd socks have so many uses don’t they.. c
Do you have anything made of down, like a quilt or jacket? If you put that on a bed for him, it will be very, very warm with no hazards. I bought my old border collie, Scout, an LL Bean couch bed, which was expensive, but ALL my dogs love it. I put a down sleeping bag on it for Scout when he is particularly achy or it is very cold. Also, I give him a half-dose pill of Previcox every day, and it really, really helps him. I am hoping that Boo gets better soon. It is very, very difficult to make a working dog not work. Seems to take all the happiness out of their lives. I love your Ton dog!
I will ask around and see if anyone has a down jacket, or old duvet – that sounds like a good idea – I think you can get down pillows here, I will investigate. c
Big R sells a self warming pad. They are made for traveling crates (or carriers) but I thought about getting my cat one to lay on in the house this winter. Price was around $20.
Thanks Connie! I will look next time i am there ..
so pleased your warm weather is holding. Love, love Laura
Yes, it is wonderful.. c
Poor Tane, my heart goes out to him and to you! And to poor Boo…Gosh, it’s so hard having our farm friends in not a good place.
Hugs
Linda
Just part of living with animals I guess – just wish the Vets were not so awfully expensive every time.. c
I so agree!
I wish you and your farmy friends a warm sunrise xo
Maybe tomorrow – we still have seen no sun – but it will come i hope.. c
My heart goes out to all 3 of you. This is a hard thing and life is just too full of hard things. From the map, I can see why you get 20,000 steps a day. I will keep you all in my thoughts today with diligent hopes for some sun and healing.
And that is just one of the farms – when i walk to the other farm i get good step counts!
I too was thinking of those discs you can heat up, or a good old fashioned water bottle hidden under a few layers of blanket. Not miserable at all and lovely to see that aerial shot. Big hug to you x
Luckily it is still warm, Boo had a hottie a while back when he first started limping but he kept avoiding it – I guess he did not like how it wobbled!! c
Poor Boo. We really do sympathise 😦
Thank you so much for the aerial view of the Farmy, things make so much more sense now! For Boo, would you consider trying a chemical heating pad? They’re reusable time and time again, you just boil the spent pad until the crystals dissolve, and then it’s ready to use again. No microwave needed. There’s a link here for one kind – it seems pretty foolproof:
http://www.clickheat.eu/About-ClickHeat
Thank you – I will check it out! c
Perhaps the rescue folks can come up with a wheelchair for Tane? It would seem he is otherwise in wonderful health, so helping him with his mobility, getting the pressure off of his back legs may reduce his discomfort greatly and return him to a quality of life befitting his exuberant attitude.
I had thought of that but I think he is too old to be strapped into a wheelchair – it would scare him. However I will get in touch and ask them. Does not hurt to try. c
Dang it. I would hate for him to be even more troubled or hurt. Here’s hoping the Rescue experts have some ideas. Will be anxiously reading about his and Boo’s continued trials and healings.
So sorry about Tane and Boo. Hoping for quick recovery for Boo, and some options for Tane. I also wanted to mention that I’m a life-long friend of Gayle who passed away a few weeks ago. My parents were friends with her parents even though they were a generation apart. She was a very, very kind person with a crazy sense of humor. She adored your blog. She was passionate about good writing and those who care for our earth. She kept several email lists and would frequently send links to lovely posts from your blog. Thank you for bringing joy to her life.
We do miss Gayle in the Lounge – she was so generous with her lovely nature – thank you for letting us know and I feel so sorry that you lost your friend. c
Poor boo and Tane. That’s horrid thinking of Boo staring out of the door waiting for you to come back, and I bet you feel guilty having to do this. That’s the trouble with animals you cannot tell them that it’s for their own good.
yes – and he would not believe me anyway!!
You might consider a self-warming crate mat for Boo AND Tane. https://www.amazon.com/Manufacturing-Self-Warming-Crate-14-Inch-22-Inch/dp/B0041D8PMC They aren’t electric, just super-reflective of their body heat.
Good idea – do you use these at the zoo?
I don’t because they ineffective for cold-blooded animals. But cats like them!
ah – I should have thought of that!
Thanks so much for this link. I never knew about the body-heat-reflective beds! I have to get one for my little 3 lb Tesser the arthritic chihuahua :*)
I use the K and H Manufacturing Lectro-soft heated outdoor beds for my dog and cats. Got them from Amazon. They provide a very low heat only when pressure is applied. They get good reviews and I’ve never had an issue. Feel better Boo!
Thank you – Don’t you love Amazon –
So sorry to hear that Tane is not on the upswing. He seems like a fighter, nonetheless, what a shame. When joints and spines turn on us, it’s a struggle. And Boo, watching you do chores without him is sad, but hopefully he is young enough that he will make a good recovery, although it, too, sounds like something that could plague him again. Best wishes and good thoughts to you all!
I hope everyone is much better soon.
It must just about break your heart to see Tane in such a state. I wonder if there isn’t some pain medication that would work. At this point I would think the relief for him would far outweigh any of the negative issues pain meds might entail. Our old dog was on daily prednisone and we were constantly advised that it was really hard on his liver. Yeah well without it he couldn’t breath so either his liver would give up or he’d suffocate. We kept him on the prednisone until other issues made his quality of life too poor. I am hoping Boo has a complete (and speedy) recovery. Isn’t it amazing the guilt trip someone who can’t even talk can lay on you?
The medication from the Vet is supposed to relieve his pain. But I am not sure it is – so i will talk to them again. And you are right in that the side affects do outweigh the need for him to have some relief from the pain at this point.
oh dear poor Boo and Tane……breaks my heart.
I feel for you Celi .. It’s hard loving our animals and not being able to make it right for them.