a doggy diet
Posted: May 26, 2012 Filed under: dogs, food & drink | Tags: barf, dog, dog diet, dog food, dogs, raw food diet Leave a comment »
doggy menu at the orange tree in thornham
Because the furry one is allergic to duct mites and the like, we put him on a raw food (or barf) diet hoping it might mean we could stop his skin getting worse and perhaps it would help.
We tried mincing raw meats and mixing them with eggs and veg, we tried buying barf food from the internet and we tried other sources of raw dog food but Max just didn’t take to it.
The kibble we used to buy was as a natural and low in salt as you could find but it still didn’t do what we hoped that a raw diet would do so we went back to the drawing board and started trying beef and lamb again to see if he really didn’t like raw meat or if it was just how we were presenting it to him that wasn’t working.
Through at bit of perseverance we did discover that Max doesn’t like garlic, celery or any other aromatic vegetable and he doesn’t like his meat minced but he does like meaty chunks and he doesn’t mind the veg (oh if I must!!) and now gobbles up his tasty chunks of meat with mushed up carrots, beans or broccoli!
a rabbit leg
One of the thing that he loves that helped convince us to persevere is dried liver (which are his training treats) and the odd chicken wing that he sometimes has as a mid evening treat (equivalent to our glass of wine at the end of the day I like to think!). He has a treat in the form of the odd rabbit/pigeon that he/we catch/shoot too just for a bit of variety.
a leg
So now, he has a completely raw diet except for the dried chicken or lambs livers that we do for him. It means that he needs less in quantity but we do supplement it with canine multivitamins and some yumega oil for his coat and skin just to help.
Since he was ‘done’ he has become a much more greedy little mutt. He didn’t used to be that bothered about food; it was more about fuel and sometimes he would leave it. Now it gets hoovered up and he is always hopeful of more. Problem with that change though, is that now his body isn’t concentrating on producing all those male dog hormones, it is concentrating on his stomach and that stomach is getting bigger!!!
a chicken foot
He scavenges when we are in the park much more and is quite naughty about it so that combined with his new found interest in all things cuisine, we have had to reduce his general level of intake.
It’s a bit of work preparing and measuring or slicing and drying but we’d like to think it is worth it and since he now has to eat a little less to keep him in good shape, it’s a lot cheaper!!!
In more ways than one, it seems to be paying off.
scratch and sniff
Posted: April 26, 2012 Filed under: dogs, miscellaneous, we hate | Tags: dog allergies, dust mit allergy, homeopathy for dogs, house mite allergy, immunotherapy, pink skin, storage mite allergy 3 Comments »
one very pink and itchy little dog in his favourite sleeping position
The ‘furry one‘ is very allergic! We think he is allergic to lots of stuff but we know he is horribly allergic to dust mites, house mites and storage mites all of which live along side us humans (mostly without being noticed).
He is a pink skinned dog with white hair that means he is more prone to this than perhaps other colours and he lives inside with us which is really the worst bit and the main reason. If he was living out in the cold without heating and bedding and carpets and duvets, he would probably be fine.
Unfortunately he’s not fine and it means he will be on some kind of medication for it for life.
He gets pink sore patches and he itches and scratches a lot. It is awful to see when it is particularly bad.
We are trying immunotherapy at the moment but are starting the think that this is not quite for us and will change to something much more holistic.
My last post about Max listed all the reasons that we had him castrated, but one that we didn’t mention was how irresponsible it would be to breed from him because of this.
Regardless of him being adorably funny and friendly, this horrible physical allergy would very likely to be passed on just as much as his lovely personality traits would. It wouldn’t be fair and it wouldn’t be responsible.
It doesn’t matter that I think he is brilliant and should be the dad of all small dogs!
dr brandt
Posted: April 22, 2012 Filed under: life style, miscellaneous, we love | Tags: anti ageing, beauty, beauty treatment, blackheads, combination skin, dr brandt, enlarged pores, fine lines, lotions, oily skin, pore refining, pores no more, sensitive skin, skincare Leave a comment »
anti ageing mattifying lotion
I have never recommended or endorsed any product in the past but I am so impressed with Dr Brandt Pores No More that I really want to share my discovery.
I have spent years, and a considerable amount of money, on various products having had them recommended by a magazine article, friend or beauty therapists.
Recently, I spent about £40 on 50ml of Dr Brandt’s Pores No More Anti Aging Mattifying Lotion on the recommendation from a publication (something like the free Stylist magazine that I pick up in my travels around London every week). The reason I was particularly drawn to it was the claims that it controls oil and shine, reduces the signs of ageing and refines pores.
That’s a pretty comprehensive list of claims and impressive if there were to be any foundation to those claims!
I have oily / combination skin that is also sensitive. I have the classic ‘T’ zone oily area with my cheeks and others areas being relatively dry and quite sensitive. I also tend to show redness from stimulants like heat, cold, alcohol, caffeine & windy weather.
So, with a demanding list of issues to be resolved, I wasn’t any more hopeful for the success of this product. Since I am now seeing signs of pores enlarging, the redness is much worse than it used to be and lines are starting to creep in I figured anything was worth as shot to see what I could do to combat their potential rapid progress.
The first thing I noticed about the lotion is the lovely herby smell that it has, it is definitely non greasy and just feels silky and lovely. It doesn’t reduce the redness but it is smooth, applies well and has non of the clogging feeling some creams leave on the skin. It has also proven to be a great base for makeup.
pores no more cleanser
Encouraged by the immediate and obvious benefits of no shine and it not being greasy, I have also invested in the cleanser, pore refiner & now also the vacuum blackhead cleaner. I believe in products designed to be used together being used together.
To my great delight what is even better than the anti ageing mattifying lotion is the pore refiner; it is applied after moisturing and/or makeup and shows immediate changes…the skin is matted and smoothed and feels soft, smooth and lovely immediately.
pore refiner
I was away for the easter weekend and had to use other stuff for four days and having become accustomed to Dr Brandts Pores No More over the previous weeks, it was a wholly unsatisfactory experience leaving my skin feeling clogged and greasy.
I am a complete convert.
vacuum cleaner extractor
To add to the joys of this discovery, the Strawberrynet.com website from where I bought it, sends a free gift out to new customers and postage is free! My experience with Strawberrynet.com was superb. After a sticky start when the package arrived with customs charges, I contacted them and I was immediately reimbursed for the charges and my dealings with the team in sales were fab.
It isn’t a cheap skincare solution and I will have to wait until next pay day to get any more of their amazing products but I will be buying more.
nuts, whole hazelnuts!
Posted: April 14, 2012 Filed under: dogs, funny | Tags: castration, dog agression, dog breeding, dog habits, dog incontinence, dog walking, dogs, neutering, spaying 2 Comments »
on the way home for the first time
There are 2 bits on Max’s anatomy that get him into trouble, not a lot of trouble but enough.
They make him stop and sniff every few inches (much to the annoyance of JC in particular), they make him squeeze the tiniest bit of wee out of his lovely little self even when he must be as dry as a husk.
Two of his doggy friends Mischa & Sky get more of his attention than the ball they are all happy to chase when they come into season than they normally do but he never really makes a sex pest of himself.
He even walks with an in tact black Labrador called Bosley and although Max takes advantage of Bosley’s extremely gentle nature, they never really conflict and are always pleased to see each other.
worse than all that; these bits get him attacked A LOT.
how can you resist those eyes
He has been picked up, nipped and terrified by one particular rottweiler in our local park more times than you can shake a stick at and now whimpers behind your legs if he sees the perpetrator of these numerous crimes or in fact any larger black dog, he has been tumbled by a charging boxer and bitten by a number of staffies even when he was as young as 12 weeks old!
We recently found out that most dog-on-dog attacks are because the dog being attacked is in tact and any sweet natured dog that has all his bits and bobs is fair game to the dominant aggressive dogs.
THAT factoid right there was what sold the idea of castration to me in the end. I hadn’t been at all keen otherwise.
doing a good job of guarding the vino
SO
Apart from the possibly of a bit of weight gain, some reduction in muscle tone and the obvious concerns surrounding the anaesthetic, the benefits of castration seem to outbalance the disadvantages:-
he can walk unmolested by other in tact dogs (fingers crossed)
he will not get prostate cancer
he will not get testicular cancer
he may still try to squeeze every drop out of his body but not at every step
he is less likely to develop the semi incontinence that lots of in tact dogs do after the age of about 6 years
his interest in Mischa and Sky will be limited to the ball they all chase after and no longer involve ‘kisses’
AND
he would still be our wonderful little mate
finding interesting smells just about anywhere
Armed with all this interesting information, we gave him his last supper on Monday night and he went in for his operation on Tuesday morning.
I don’t mind admitting my anxiety, the obvious one being the risk from the anaesthetic so I was mighty relieved (having been put on hold while the vet was called – standard procedure I gather but my heart was already breaking) to be told he was fine and we could pick him up.
The small incision in the base of his (shaved) penis is very tidy and although his testes are still in place, they will slowly reduce in size until they are just about gone (I think that is officially referred to as shrivelling up!). It all seemed so simple and we were so happy to see him again.
Our relief at having him safely home was short lived as he wouldn’t eat (normal), was very sleepy (normal) but didn’t stop vomitting. He vomitted over and over and over again until he was in serious danger of becoming very dehydrated. If he moved from his bed he vomitted, if you moved from the sofa he vomitted, if he wandered into the garden for a wee he vomitted, if he had a drink he vomitted… and so it went on.
sleepy head
Obviously we marched (well carried!) him straight back to the vet the following morning and he was promptly injected (again), this time with an anti nausea drug and was prescribed rehydration crystals.
I am happy to report, however, that after a few days our lovely wee boy is now back to his normal fun self and I couldn’t be more relieved!
all in a spinney
Posted: April 8, 2012 Filed under: countryside, life style, miscellaneous, we love, weather and wildlife | Tags: axe, chain saw, chipper, firewood, shreader, spinney, the farm, trade, trees, woodland, woodland management Leave a comment »
a tidy pile of sticks
We have a very informal deal with the farm that we get to explore and walk around at weekends.
we:-
a) generally keep an eye on things when we are walking the furry one
b) look out for poachers and tresspassers
c) lay hedges when the need arises
and
d) clear the spinneys
the farm allows us to roam around enjoying the sites and appreciating the peace, quiet and the wildlife.
I know who gets the best part of the deal and it isn’t the farm!
the shredder
This weekend, we were asked to clear the small spinney in the yard which is where the farmer’s wife goes pigeon shooting and was finding it very difficult with all the dead wood, low bows and fallen trees.
the chainsaw
Against the forecast for it the weather on Saturday was pretty good and perfect for hard physical work; it wasn’t too warm and it wasn’t too sunny but it wasn’t raining either.
When you try to walk through the spinney at the moment, it is like venturing into a booby trapped undergrowth where you could be rendered legless at any time by a well concealed fallen branch set at the perfect height to trip you up. Imagine how much worse it is when there is only moonlight and you are trying to retrieve your quarry after a successful shot?
all set up
We invested in a chain saw, chipper and a number of axe type implements a few years ago when we got the house and first volunteered to start doing jobs on the farm. It makes a tough job a lot easier and since we have an open fire at the house, it also makes the cost of fuel less eye watering as we are also allowed to keep the products of our labours.
We only managed to clear a bit of fallen and dead wood, but there are now 4 bags of wood chips to go onto the farmhouse garden, a number of twig piles for the local hedgehog and insect population and a few extra bits on our log pile. It took us about 6 hours to clear about 22 paces of the entire 320 pace length of the spinney. It isn’t going to be an overnight job. it is also very physical work that neither jc or I do in our normal working day and we were in complete bits at the end of it.
work in progress
I’d like to say that is was a satisfying feeling, being exhausted ………. but it isn’t, it just hurt!!!
The sad thing about that is that IF we were able to leave our every day lives, we would be doing this kind of work every day and would be as fit as fiddles AND it is exactly this kind of thing that used to keep us both fit.
a nice tidy spot
So we have spent a greater part of easter so far hobbling around like 90 year olds but it is a good job done; not finished yet, but started well!
dog eared
Posted: March 30, 2012 Filed under: dogs, funny, holidays | Tags: beach, brancaster beach, dog eared, dog walks, dogs, dogs ears Leave a comment »
hamlet and max
On the beach at Brancaster recently, we were buffeted by some pleasant but strong spring winds which raised an ear or two rather than an eyebrow!
facing into the wind
Our JRT Max has normal ears as a rule, but they took on a new and different life of their own when the breeze caught the tips, filled them up and flicked them upright.
fetching
Trotting along having retrieved his ball didn’t help and in fact made it much worse (but very funny!).
running back to JC
We’ve seen his ears poking up before when he is speeding along and it makes him look like a completely different little dog but the weekend’s wind made it an almost permanent feature for him.
airborne
One of his favourite doggy friends is my sister’s wonderful and very dandy JRT, Hamlet whose ears show permanent signs of shock. He started puppy life with normal ears too but eventually they pinged upright and never laid down again.
pointy ears and a jaunty bend in the tail
It gives Hamlet a distinguished foxy look which is quite endearing but Max just looks completely silly!
had enough now!
We are home now and all has returned to normal and the ears have stayed down! Thank goodness but Hamlets gorgeous ears are still upright and we love him heaps for it!!
hamlet! (taken by my sis on a weekend away - liz elcoate)
wildlife photographer of the year
Posted: March 26, 2012 Filed under: art, countryside, miscellaneous, photography, we love, weather and wildlife | Tags: bewick swans, buffalo, flamingos, hare, photography, poppies, robin, snow, swans, wildlife, wildlife photographer of the year, wildlife photographer of the year 2011 Leave a comment »
"taking flight" flamingos on a salt lake by Paul Goldstein
every year the wildlife photographer of the year comes to the natural history museum and it is a must see.
"the charge" by Eric Pierre
being a bit partial to some wildlife photographer myself even it we are talking totally different leagues, it makes my appreciation of it far greater I think.
"snow hare" by Benjam Pontinen
Some shots are so incredibly difficult to get. Equipment isn’t as key as patience and sometimes a huge amount of luck.
"illusion" by Stefano Unterthiner
that is not to say that each one of the incredible images that we saw in the recently finished 2011 winners exhibition wasn’t technically incredible and that technical skill truly comes into it, it’s just that sometimes luck gives you the hand you need to make the difference.
"territorial strut" by Ross Hoddinott
some of the images come into the category of under 14s which always blows my mind. HOW? when someone is so young, do they manage to achieve such brilliance when it should be the domain of the greatly experienced?
"fading beauty' by david maitland
These photographs which I took of the postcards we brought home that depict some of our favourites from the show do them no justice what so ever and the originals really must be seen to appreciate just how fabulous they are.
a day in fairyland
Posted: March 17, 2012 Filed under: books, we love | Tags: fairies, fairy story 9 Comments »
a day in fairy land
I have a wonderful book that my mum gave me, it is about fairies and it was given to her by my grandad on his return from the 2nd world war.
It is an enormous thing measuring about 350mm x 465mm, more like a presentation than a book to be read at bed time but it is a thing of loveliness.
berry picking
It sits on a shelf in our dining room and it was only when doing a little rearranging lately that I remembered it was there. I flicked through the pages and was reminded of just how interesting it is.
I decided to research it on the internet to discover that it is quite rare and may be of some value. It even has a you tube video showing the plates to music for those not fortunate to have a copy at their disposal.
fairy ring
The dust sheet is still in tact albeit a bit tatty but the pages inside are near perfect and the plates have kept their intense colour beautifully.
a fairy lunch
I don’t remember having it read to me, I think it was kept out of harms reach but I do recall poring over the pages myself at the kind of age when fairies and the like were more in my mind than they would be now.
Even though I am no longer that little person who believes in fairies, goblins and magic, I still like the concept of such fun and the mystery of magical creatures. I still love to read thing like ‘the lion the witch and the wardrobe’, ‘harry potter’, ‘his dark materials’ and I find this book also lovely to read. The size surprisingly adds to its appeal.
fairy celebrations
It’s a bit of a shame that we lose the innocence and stop believing in these wonderful things once we grow up.
little blue ball
Posted: March 13, 2012 Filed under: countryside, dogs, holidays, we love | Tags: beach, best beach, brancaster, dog, dog walking, fetch, retrieve, walking Leave a comment »
just out of reach
bounce
mine all mine
We were away this weekend for a very much needed break but also because it was JC’s birthday.
When asked what JC wanted to do or where he wanted to go, I think it was easy – the norfolk coast.
Any time that we get to escape to the beach it is a treat for us all really. I love it, JC loves it and Max, our JRT loves it too.
Watching him tear about the sand after a ball or a bird (Max that is – although JC has been known) is great entertainment and just the tonic we need.
It was quite windy over the weekend and the ball seemed to travel a bit further than usual but, oh what fun!
Who would think that a small piece of bouncy rubber painted blue would hold the potential for such joy?
I sometimes think Max would retrieve it time and again until he was completely spent.
We usually have his favourite treats to give to him as incentive to fetch his ball but this time we didn’t have them and he seemed to need no kind of encouragement and just kept going time after time.
Eventually he got sand in his poor little eyes which has meant a trip to the vet before so, much to Max’s reluctance, we headed back to the car and off away from the beach.
All being well, we will be back again soon!
cookie monster
Posted: March 11, 2012 Filed under: food & drink, friends and family, we love | Tags: chocolate, cofffee, cookies, pearl barley, vicki smallwood Leave a comment »
getting close and personal with a delicious cookie
I was having a really tough time recently and my fabulous friend V, who know how to cheer a girl, dropped round a food parcel for me one evening.
cookies and coffee don't get much better
JC took delivery and I was very disappointed that V didn’t come in for a coffee (or a glass of wine!) and a good old chat. What I wasn’t remotely disappointed by was the content of the food parcel.
cookies, coffee and cows!
Oh my, what a chocolate oaty delight. IT was a beautiful little pile of chocolate cookies presented in a baking parchment parcel! I didn’t share them and I’m not abashed to admit to it! They were delicious and cheered me up no end.
delicious
A thoughtful food gift with a far reaching affect. As always V, thank you very, very much for the cookies but mostly for the love and thought that they were made and despatched with.
