Rest in Peace Lady

Tonight we regret to announce the passing away of what might well be our last but one remaining pup from the Megan and Haggis stable, "Lady" who had to be put down a couple of weeks back. Lady lived an 11 year long, happy and very gently life with two very good friends of Mum and Dad, Bill and Pauline.

She suffered in her later years with diabetes and was completely blind but she was still able to wander about because Bill and Pauline's house was so quiet and still, and old Bill always took her on the same gentle walk, same route each day, so she always knew where she was.

We loved having you as a pup, Lady, and it was wonderful to know you lived locally and we saw you regularly in town out with either your Mum or Dad. We will miss you. Rest in Peace

Deefer

ps - the only remaining Pup we are sure about is another "Lady" who lives in Maidstone with Dad's work colleagues Tracey and Sarah.

Sick List

For those following the Diamond saga, you'll be pleased to know she's doing well and may be sent home from hospital mid week this week (which I guess means tomorrow). She (and we) now have to play the waiting game, to see if the latest "fix" has worked and meanwhile neither Mum nor Dad are allowed anywhere near her due to the man flu.

We hear that the last remaining Megan-pup with whom we are still in contact, Lady, who stayed in this town, is now showing her age (1999, so she's 11) and has developed quite bad diabetes and has gone blind. She's still OK, and mooches around the old familiar territory presumably by memory, sound and smell. She has to have insulin injections twice a day, and the old couple, very good friends of Mum and Dad have been shown how to do that. They sneak the needle in once she's been lifted onto the kitchen table and given a bowl of food (true daughter of her mother!).

Pedigree-wise she'd be one of the Helix prefix dogs, either Helix Wichita Lineman, Helix Giddy-up-a-ding-dong, or Helix Living on Mars (the pups were named from what tune was playing on Radio 2 at the moment of birth; It was Thursday night, so we went through the gamut of Bob Harris's Country show and some ol' Blues show says Dad (racking his brains)).

Look after yourselves, Lady and Diamond
Deefski

Taking after Mother

It seems that one of Megan's pups from the first litter, "Lady", may have Cushings, taking after her mother. She is owned by one two Dad's work colleagues (married) and one of them commented today that Lady "may have diabetes" as she is drinking a lot. Getting chatting, as Dad started asking the "and does she...." list of symptoms questions (pot bellied look, incontinence "accidents" indoors, reluctance or inability to jump up onto furniture, lameness for no obvious reason......) it started to look more and more like Meggie 3 years ago.

Dad has recommended testing for Cushings, and googled some websites to print for the lady (Sarah). The vet had apparently listed it as a possibility, but will now look more closely, knowing that Lady's "dam" has it, and started showing symptoms at the same age as Lady is now.

We are back at the Rec and spot, in the distance, Rags being walked by Diamond. Not so much walked as being romped around with in a boisterous manner by a big black shaggy collie and a brown shaggy terrier of similar build to Rags himself. Getting closer we can see that the collie and terrier are old chums Monty (collie) and Charlie (young terrier). What's more the "boisterous" is translated, on closer inspection to be the three boys having a whale of a time chasing, bundling, wrestling and, at times, even getting a bit ...um.... amorous with one another.

This is reciprocated equally between Mont and Rags, with each giving as good as they get, as noisily as each other and in a goodly range of positions (a girl is quite breathless, watching!). We three westies are left looking on in amusement (unless chasing the tennis ball, in my case) while Rags gets back in spades, plenty of what he used to give Haggis (and sometimes gets as loud in protest barking as H used to get).

If you can't take the heat, Rags.... The humans are all amused too, and the general feeling is that it's good to let off steam, and all three hooligans will sleep very well this evening.

Boys will be boys
Deefer