We're back!!

Erm.. hello :)

Sorry I haven't posted for a while, it all got a bit hectic what with work, two "weddings" and a honeymoon....

While the handfasting took place, Mollie dog went to stay with a dog-sitter for a couple of days and had a whale of a time. She was so tired when we picked her up that she slept all the way home, all that night and most of the following day!! She had quite a bad belly rash again, but this time we got to it before it got infected and it's not been too bad - baby wipes are perfect for removing pollen after walks in long grass (even if we're careful the ball tends to go in the grass)! Also, we've had a really nasty flea infestation - we've sprayed the house twice, Mollie's been treated, but she just keeps picking them up from the grass and from other dogs. It's a nightmare... poor girl is so irritated!

Anyway, apart from all that, Mollie is in fine fettle, so without further ado I'll leave you with some images of her and her new friend Trixie (Tracy's parents' new pup, a JR x Yorkie) when they met for the first time at the weekend.

Itchy Belly - Part II

As mentioned yesterday, Mollie has a rash on her belly. Well, we went to see our very nice vet, M. Drouin, who said that she has a very nice case of pustulating dermatitis (he was showing his work experience girl). It wasn't pustulating this morning, so it looks to me like she's fighting it off quite nicely and it's come to the surface, so it looks - and probably feels - incredibly like chicken pox. She had an antibiotic jab and has got some tablets to help the infection clear up. At the moment she's still quite a happy girl, especially since she now has an improved desktop perch with a pillow to lie on - but I know that will change as the antibiotics take hold.

It looks like that terrier thing of bouncing through grassy meadows isn't such a good idea in Mollie's case. Luckily most of our favourite walks have good paths though, so we'll just have to be a bit more careful about where we throw the ball...

Itchy belly

Poor little Mollie dog is feeling a bit sorry for herself at the moment. She has a nasty rash from her inner thighs all the way up her belly and chest. She's eating fine and still wants to play ball as much as possible, but she's chewing a bit when she stops and sits down, and it's starting to look sore. She's booked into the V.E.T. tomorrow, in the meantime she's going to have some cream slathered all over her belly and chest tonight and a spell with the lampshade on while it soaks in. Not sure what cream yet - suggestions so far include:

Sudocrem
Drapolene
Aloe Vera
Neem

We currently suspect either a grass pollen or wool allergy (wool blanket in back of car) . I'll let you know what we end up using and what the V.E.T. says.

Edit: Just realised it's probably not wool as one of her favourite beds since we've had her has been a sheepskin rug. So there goes that theory! I should also mention, since Graham asked, that her diet hasn't changed for months (Nature's Menu or Nature Diet depending which pet shop I go to, and Trophy Hypoallergenic biscuits), although she does often have a little bit of whatever we eat; we've been using the same detergent for years, and the same softener for months, and she was Frontlined three weeks ago.

Whatever it is, I hope it responds quickly to whatever treatment she gets and doesn't require endless trips to the vets.