A Limping Dog

Having lost two dogs to devastating neurological conditions , I am just a little jumpy when one of the pack exhibits the mildest of limps. The day before yesterday Winnie showed clear signs of a bad limp. She wouldn't weigh bear on her left rear foot, and was reluctant to go for a walk or even climb onto her favourite arm chair to sleep.


She even seemed reluctant to play when Albert made a bee line for her on the living room carpet after a morning's hunting!
Yesterday I rested her, and today on her 6 am walk the limp does seem a little better, but I still wouldn't allow her to bolt up the stairs for her usual lie in on the bed for fear of causing her more problems,
Now Bulldogs are creatures of habit, and without her usual treat Winnie started to bark is a kind of pathetic " I want my lie in" kind of way, so before Chris left for work, he caught me, in my pyjamas lifting Winnie onto the couch where I joined her for a "lie in" before dawn.
" I've seen it all" he said raising his Roger Moore eyebrow just a little as Winnie and I snuggled down under a blanket.
By 7.45 William, Meg and Albert had squeezed themselves onto the sofa with us
Only George, remained spread eagled on the duvet upstairs.
The entire  double bed all to himself


50 comments:

  1. " I've seen it all"

    I doubt he has, I'm sure you have plenty of surprises left for him...

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  2. I'm not sure if I feel glad or sorry for George. Glad because he has the luxury of the whole bed to himself or sad (having learned he is the lowest ranking in the pack) that he's been left out of this family treat.

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  3. Have to agree with Hippo on this one; you'll definitely surprise Chris and his Roger Moore eyebrow again.

    Hope Miss Winnie continues to improve. =)

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  4. I've no doubt that between you and Albert you'll provide Winnie with all the TLC she needs. Get better quickly, Win!

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  5. Sweet George....I hope he liked having the bed to himself!

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  6. Which would I be, snuggled in with the pack, or stretched out alone?

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  7. This is not a story about Winnie but about a man with a big and a good heart.

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  8. Our Turbo was limping earlier in the week and chewing his back foot. Examination showed a raised red lump. A friend who works for a vet suggested before we take him to the surgery, try bathing in warm salty water 3 x a day for 5 mins at a time and then putting dog-friendly antiseptic cream on (friend's vet recommends Germolene!) plus an his anti-chewing collar. Three days on, he seems back to normal. No swelling or redness...will take the collar off later and see what happens. Maybe it would work for Winnie too - or perhaps as her personal ITU nurse you have even better strategies to recommend?!

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  9. In my area, limping frequently signals Lyme disease...I think mostly everyone in our area has had it at least once...animals , too...

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  10. Anonymous12:45 pm

    Hope Winnie's limp clears up soon. She's a bit much to be lifting.

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  11. She does look a bit miserable.

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  12. I had a limping dog before Christmas. She had a split/crack in a front paw pad and the salt on the pavements had made it very painful. It has taken a few weeks to clear up. I've mainly kept her on the lead on grass and if I've had to walk her where there is salt, I wash her paws when she gets home. Hope Winnie feels better soon.

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  13. Poor little girl. I hope it keeps improving and she feels better. It's so distressing when one of the kiddos is unwell.

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  14. I do wish Chris had doubled back to take a photo of the four of you.
    Best healing wishes to Winnie. It's so hard when our smaller friends are unwell.

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  15. Poor Winnie! I hope the limp is nothing, as it almost surely will turn out to be.

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  16. If Chris thinks he's already seen it all, he obviously doesn't know you as well as he should. I can only imagine how you'll let yourself go after he finally puts the ring on your finger.

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  17. Oh god...this is the best...the eyebrow !!! haha!!

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  18. I was admiring Chris's lovely eyebrows yesterday.

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  19. Hey John, I love that you took time to snuggle with your babies! You know Chris loves you for those very reasons! If Winnie isn't better soon, take her to the vet. I took my Mini-dach to the vet (years ago) because he appeared to be limping. By the weekend the limping also included vomiting. He ended up spending five days in the "hospital" for pancreatitis. He got better and lived for several more years, on a special diet. Love your dogs!

    Cindy Bee

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  20. I pray she is alright!

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  21. I have this image in my head of George rolling around on the bed saying 'mine all mine' ... Lol.

    I hope Winnie's limp goes away, it's a times like these I wish our animals could talk to us.

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  22. I don't know if you ever read the blog: "Bored Panda," but I saw this today on their blog and thought of you:

    A New Puppy Joins The Adorable Doggie Duo Of Harlow & Indiana

    I think that you will love it!

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  23. Poor girl! Our Sophie started limping badly last week. Hubs took her to the vet...turned out it was her back giving her trouble. She's chillin' on pain meds and muscle relaxers at the moment.
    Get well soon, Winnie!

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  24. awwwwwww sweet Winnie... Feel better soon.
    And yes, here you are in your jammies again. Did you stuff them in your pants for the morning walk-about or did you just wear them outside.
    thehamish has an ACL in his back right leg . I chose no surgery (he has had to many already) and hoped the "sanding" would work. I don't think it really has but the doctor said he is fine.
    What to do ? What to do ?

    cheers, parsnip

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  25. Sorry to hear that Winnie has a limp xx
    Have you tried the Epsom Salt paw bathing? Easy to put both paws in a bowl of warm water and the Epsom salts either back or front whichever is affected. Works for chickens and this old bird!
    I was officially referred to as a 'Senior Citizen at Fat Club the other night- and here's me thinking that, "60 is the new 40"...........

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  26. Poor Winnie :( When my alarm clock went off this morning I would have much preferred to stay in a doggy pile under a blanket, Jeez I had to peel my head off the pillow, then Twiglet ran in shouting, Great Mummy warm !and nicked my side of the bed - cheeky !!
    Twiggy

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  27. Oh, you softy, you! But it's not surprising.

    Every time I read about George in the last part (three times so far) I have to smile. King for a day! or an hour.

    Good wishes for Winnie. I hate that feeling in the pit of my stomach when something is wrong with family, regular or furry.

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  28. Hopefully, Winnie's limp has gone away or gotten better. I understand about the picking them up, been there done that...

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  29. I hope that Winnie gets better soon. It is so upsetting when our animal friends are not good. I wanted to say animal babies…but that isn't right, is it? My doggie boy is def. my " baby". A sudden wind and hail storm hit us yesterday while out walking and I just wanted to pick him up and put him inside my coat,( he was scared) but spoke sternly myself that he has to get used to these things, and we both survived! The sun was out again by the time we got home after a shortened walk.

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  30. Poor Winnie. Poor you. And poor George at the bottom of the pack. I hope having the whole bed to himself was some consolation. And really hope that Winnie improves. Quickly.

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  31. You are too soft with those dogs.......and I love you for it.

    Perhaps she has a bit of arthritis - thisdamp weather has certainly made mine bad. Perhaps she is the same. Get well soon Winnie.

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  32. Love and best wishes to Winnie.

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  33. I just love the Roger Moore eyebrow. I have one myself, you don't need words.

    Get well soon Winnie and rest that leg!

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  34. Has she been indulging in a few too many Scotch eggs?? xx

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  35. Snuggling in with the pups is good for your health. or kittens if you have one. I hope she feels fine now.

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  36. Hope Winnie is recovering. Losing a beloved pet is like taking a chunk from your heart.

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  37. aww Winnie get well soon xx

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  38. That face! i just want to grasp those gorgeous jowls and kiss that warm, wet face. she is a gorgeous girl. Xxx

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  39. Hoping Winnie keeps improving, John. You all have a fantastic weekend. ♥

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  40. You are a wonderful person John! I hope darling Winnie is ok? Just love your Babies! Adorable!

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  41. I'm always touched by your kindness and care for creatures. No wonder Chris is snapping you up.

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  42. Is there such a thing as a bulldog mobility scooter? If Winnie's limp was an early warning sign you may have to invest in such a vehicle. She will need a basket at the front for her shopping - bones, dog biscuits, Winston Churchill's autobiography and poop bags etc..

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  43. They have a way of making themselves fit even in the smallest of spaces, don't they? --Maybe Winnie has just a little arthritis?

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  44. Is Winnie better today?

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  45. I hope Winnie gets better soon. x

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  46. Poor Winnie, can't be easy lugging a big frame around on a sore leg... hope it gets better soon John. Love the idea of you Winnie on the couch under a blanket soon to be hijacked by the rest of the gang.... but poor George.... methinks he lacks confidence to muscle in with the rest... here's hoping I'm wrong and being left to stretch out ... alone on the duvet was his plan all along. Give Winnie a kiss from me!

    Jo in Auckland, NZ

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  47. Winnie is a darling, I am so glad you adopted her. I hope she is well soon, she looks rather too heavy to lift. Though I know you did carry her.

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  48. Hope Winnie's limp improves soon! She is a cutie.

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  49. Once again, let me stress....you're a good man if you're a dog lover.

    Hope your Winnie feels better soon. A bit of "loafing," as we say in America, would do a world of good. Let Winnie be pampered for a few days.

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