At 9am I loaded the car with dogs and Albert in his pet carrier and drove to Caerwys and the vets.
I was greeted with the usual and ever-so-slightly resigned "Good Morning Mr Gray" from the nurses and receptionists who have seen more of me than my own family has over the past few months. The vet was running a little late, so leaving Albert safely in the car, I grabbed the opportunity to take the dogs for a quick walk.
As it turned out, the walk was a fairly bad idea for down a country lane the Scotties came across the delightful, putrefying body of a large badger.
With great deliberation Maddie and George nose dived into the carcass, rubbing themselves excitedly with the rough hair and tissue which had the consistency of watery fat. The smell was truly indescribable! and by the time I had shoehorned them into the boot and returned Albert to the surgery, I was almost puking out of the car window.
Anyhow, before I could get the Scotties home for a bath (above pic is George) , Albert had to come first. The vet could not rule out a re fracture of his old broken femur, but thought the old wiring was the cause of the problem. She gave Albert an anti inflammatory injection and booked him in for an xray and possible surgery tomorrow morning and pointed out a grossly swollen and painful looking knee joint. During all of this poking and prodding Albert lay in a good natured repose on the examination table, and even had the good grace to clasp the veterinary nurse's fingers gently in his paws when she came over after recognising him. He is such a sweet little chap.
It was cold on the way home what with every window open, and it took a whole container of dog shampoo (and a whole load of dettol) to get the stink of dead badger out of the dogs' coats.
The turkey poults are growing quickly now, and still look depressed
The hysterical guinea fowl chicks, contemplating more screaming and pointless running in circles
