If it isn't one, it's the other

It was Rupert's turn to go to the vet on Friday. We called for an appointment and as always, had to give the  owner's name as well as the dog, since the vet's computer system files the pet's records under the owner's name. L gave the receptionist my name and said it was for Rupert (since we have two dogs on record there). The minute she heard my name, she responded: ah, Rupert, Queeni's brother. That probably shows how often we've been there lately. Which also accounted for HRH's oh-no-not-again demeanour -- she growled at the vet for good measure even though it was Rupert getting examined this time.

He had developed some runny sores above his eyes. Sometimes, there's where the allergic reactions break out but I couldn't think of what he could have developed an allergy to as his food has remained the same. Anyway, it cleared up when I cleaned it with disinfectant. But then a huge sore developed on his tail and this one, he could reach to bite, so he turned it into a bloody mess. And I freak when I see blood.

The vet took a skin scrape. No mites, no fungus. Just bacteria -- lots and lots of bacteria, she added. We have no idea where it all came from. It wasn't until I had to do a mop-up after Rupe later when we got home that  I thought it could be from all his puddles. And I was so careful too, I use an anti-bacterial cleaner to rinse the mop in after the first wipe and follow it up with an anti-bacterial spray cleaner for a second wipe.

Anyway, he's now on antibiotics. The upside is that it will certainly knock off the bacteria that's making a home on him. The downside is that it will almost certainly make him drink -- and pee -- more. I've already had three mop-ups in the past two hours, and he's already been out three times in that period. The course of antibiotics will be for 10 days. It will be a long -- and water-logged -- 10 days.


The picture is of the two furkids comatose on my lap in the backseat of the car on the way home from the vet. One was worn out from sheer nervousness because she has had a bad time at the vet recently. And the other was just worn out from wagging his tail, even when the vet tech was doing the skin scrape and I had him in a stranglehold. 

It was a busy day at the vet. The waiting room was full of dogs from the police, civil defence and the army -- a border collie (civil defence), a spaniel and a German Shepherd (army military police) and a Belgian Shepherd (police). HRH growled at them all. She has no idea just how small she is, compared to them. Or maybe she doesn't care. So there was Rupert wanting to play with the German Shepherd (who was muzzled) and there was Queeni wanting to eat him. Looks like Rupert's not the only furkid who's nutso.