The English Paysanne

Yesterday was that time of year again, the annual blood tests for the cows and our now lone sheep. The cows were fine, Miss Fatty however proved a tad difficult to extract her blood amongst her wool and layer of fat - well she does need it as being an elderly lady with freezing temperatures this week. Cold enough to look those thermals out, even my argan facial oil has solidified in the bottle.

Yesterday Tempete used the new cat crate I had brought (in the hope that it wouldn't get used) to visit the vets.He had a problem with his front paw in that he was lifting it up and hobbling around, thinking there was a thorn or something stuck in his pad, which was a bit puffy off we went to see if the vet could see anything. Turns out it wasn't a thorn as on closer inspection he has a problem with his back paw as well, looking the same, bit reddish and puffy. Cat and dog medical books were brought out in, photos of his paws were sent to a dermatologist as the vet thought it was pododermatite plasmocytaire féline (French) or feline plasma cell pododermatis (English ) or in easy words common name spongy paws. you can read about it  here if you wish. His on a 10 day course of steroids which hopefully will start to sort him out, then back in ten days for paw check. Why we can't have cats that have normal problems I don't know, still it has been good for the vet...

This morning, like each morning Tempete is waiting outside by the hanger for his breakfast to come. Only this morning he was in for a shock as his breakfast didn't come only the humiliation of being put in a chicken crate. He didn't fit in the borrowed cat crate. It was a n early start as he needed to be at the V.E.T's for 8.30am for a little booked in operation we have been waiting for. At 9 months old it was time for him to loose those bits to stop the many kittens you see around this rural part of France. He wasn't best pleased, not sure if it was him missing breakfast or being in a chicken crate but he meowed all the way to the vets. Only to asked by the vet am I sure I want him castrated as his such a good looking cat and not the feral farm cat she was expecting. I was a little surprised as the vets is going under major building work to enlarge it and I think its going to be pretty posh, take your shoes off at the door sort of Jobie so thought she may nee...

Tyser, our lovable 10 year plus collie cross had a trip to the vets today. The first in along time apart from his yearly vaccinations the only other time he needed to go was when he first adopted us and ended up having ehrlichosis, that awful disease from ticks. But for a while now he has been walking slower, looking a bit stiffer, panting a lot and just slowing down a bit. He had a hair cut a while back which showed up a bit of excess weight he has put on since not going for such longer walks now Franklin is declining. He has had his food changed and restricted in the hope he could loose a few pounds but the weight hasn't really shifted yet. So today he was booked in for a health check to see if there was any underlying problems which come with old age. His hearts good, ears clear and after a blood test, where we waited 20 minutes for the results, (when we have blood test from the doctors here they take couple of days so next time I may just go to the vets!) he got the...