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
The Kitchen's Garden 
71 responses to “I hope the sun comes out”
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 ..