A year without Bob The Dog

From the first moment we saw you, we knew you were the dog for us and we called you Bob.

You put weight on very quickly, maybe a little too much.

You loved life in South Africa, your home. You loved rolling in hippo poo a little too much, you loved barking at the crocodiles and chasing the monkeys.

You didn't complain when we left South Africa. You jumped in the box off on a new adventure.

You loved your early morning trips into the desert and swims in the lakes.

The indoor dog parks and swimming pools, refusing to go home until every ball had been thrown.

You were just as happy with your move to the UK, with your cat by your side.

Your first walk on a street made you jumpy, the noise of the traffic, the sirens, the pelican crossings. Going in coffee shops had you over excited, the fuss from other people overwhelmed you, but you soon got used to it all. 

You enjoyed trips on the ferry to Northern Ireland to spend time with your other family.

But most of all, you loved the freedom of the long walks and the sunny days. You never really got used to the cold and the rain in the UK. The missed the heat of Dubai and South Africa.

You were my best friend Bob. It's been a year since you left us. A year that we've thought about you every day. You were more than just a dog Bob. You were there throughout our expat journey, you got me out of bed on some of the hardest of days, because you wanted a walk, you wanted to play, you wanted to be with me. You got me through covid when I couldn't get back home to Dubai.

Run free Bob.

14th February 2010 - 29th September 2023.

6th - 8th October 2023 Post Comment Love - Goodbye Bob.

Welcome back to #PoCoLo with Stephanie from Bosworth.Life  and I.

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14th February 2010 - 29th September 2023

It was with a heavy heart that we had to take Bob the dog to the vets last Friday to say our goodbyes. I've linked up this week with Bob's story.

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When your dog gets ill - Animal Tales

Bob hasn't been well the past few weeks, it started with bumpy skin on his right back leg, then an infection and raw skin under his left front leg. At the same time we noticed he was looking a bit thin, but he was eating normally so we put it down to me working and out the house all day and not feeding him titbits. He's become an indoor dog now the temps are over 35c in the day, so he's not running around during the day and the evening walks have been shortened due to the humidity and the heat of the ground, so in theory he shouldn't be losing weight, so we decided a trip to the vets was in order.

The vet wasn't too worried about the weight loss and took a skin biopsy to check for ticks, fleas, mites. He gave him a steroid injection, a course of tablets, cream and a cone of shame to stop himself from licking the cream off.

The vet asked about changes in diet, shampoo, washing powder for bedding, trips out etc. Nope not changed any of the above, and the vet didn't think the rash/infection was from the lakes as we go every week and never had any problems before, so our only conclusion was it must be to do with the rat we had in an outbuilding, about a week before Bob started showing symptoms.

Bob wasn't fazed by the cone and although it was amusing to start with as he bumped into walls and doors and had to leave the car backwards, the fun soon wore off when he kept smashing into my shins and using the cone to knock on the door at night as he needed help getting back onto his bed.

On Saturday we took him back to the vets for a check up and added to the list that he hadn't poo'd for 2 days and was having difficulty peeing. He had a new rash on his belly and has lost a further kilo in weight.

The vet has decided on an aggressive treatment of worming over the next two weeks, but if he's lost any more weight at his weigh in this saturday, the vet will run blood tests and do a scan on Bob's prostate. The cat is also on a similar worming treatment plan, in case she's a carrier and they've both been treated to kill/prevent ticks, mites and fleas.

To say I'm a little worried is an understatement. Apart from annual jabs, this is the first time we've taken either the cat or dog to the vets since we've had them. Pushkins 4 years and Bob 3 years.

It has been suggested we should take out vet insurance, especially as we've already spent £180 on treatment to date, but we'd have spent £1440 on instalments over the past 3 years without any gain from it and we have a pot of money saved up for relocation fees so we'll dip into that if we have to have scans, tests and treatment.

In the meantime Bob is now free of the cone and is perfectly happy, wagging his tail, bolting down his food as usual, enjoying the odd bone or two and demanding his nightly walk. We're not going out in the desert now till summer is over, by 7am it's around 32c and just too hot for humans, let alone Bob and his feet on the hot sand.

If you read last week's post you'll see my cat proof nets aren't working as planned.

Week 71 - My Sunday Photo

Bob has some kind of skin infection. Vet ruled out mites, ticks, fleas and has taken a biopsy, says probably not from the lakes as we go every week, but I changed his shampoo 2 weeks ago and it could also be from the rat that has been living in one of the out buildings. Bob has also been losing weight and his ribs are sticking through, have to go back next week for results, weigh him and see if he needs more steroid injections. In the meantime despite not being able to walk forwards and staring at walls until we turn him round, he's still wagging his tail.

Holidays for Pets

This is the first time we've boarded our cat and dog whilst going on holiday.

Bob was a rescue with only a few days left at the SPCA when we found him, he was skinny, frightened and looked very sad.

He quickly moved in with us and after a few weeks he seemed to accept he was going to stay.

The cat found us a year earlier, she moved in with us and 6 weeks followed us to our new home.

If we went away for a few days either a neighbour would look after the cat and dog or child no 4 of 5 was at home for the weekend.
For longer periods of time when we were on a road trip a friend would come and stay at the house for a couple of weeks.
Many times we took Bob with us on holiday when we lived in South Africa and our friend would just cat sit the house.

Both the cat and dog had no long term effects from their move to Dubai, in fact there weren't any short term effects after a 8 hour flight and a 4 hour stop over each side before they were delivered to their new home. The dog looked at me for a few minutes, ran and explored the new garden and promptly reverted to his old self. Within a week of trying to keep the cat indoors as we hadn't moved into the house at this point, but visited twice daily, we let her out, she explored a little, came home, ate, slept, ate and repeat.

This is the first time the cat and dog have boarded. My biggest issue was getting the cat in her basket for the car journey, dopey Bob will go anywhere with me, sometimes he just joins me for the short journey to the train station to collect hubby from work.

I've researched the cattery and kennells well, I've asked others about their experiences, I've checked online. I've visited and once I selected one, I took Bob with me to visit, just to gauge his reaction.

Both animals are staying with Posh Paws. The cattery is out on the Al Khawaneej Road past the airport and takes about 35 minutes to reach and the kennels are in Ajman about another 40 minutes away.

Cattery

Kennels

They are very reasonable priced, part of their stay is in peak season, so a little more expensive but it includes all their food, care, baths and nails and frontline on entry.

With their bags packed and water and treats for the journey, as I'm a big softie, we set off with Bob not having a clue where he was going but very excited to be going somewhere.

The cat was dropped off first, she cried all the way there, she really doesn't like being shut in small spaces unless it's by choice and in my wardrobe.

Her room for the next 17 nights is large and comfy, she has controlled access to an outdoor space during the evenings when it has cooled down a little.

Bob sprung out the car and immediately set off after a stray cat, dragging me behind him, he happily entered his new home for the next 17 nights and didn't actually seem that bothered to be in there. He too has access to outdoor space early in the mornings and after sunset, he will also be walked twice a day and be able to use the socialising yard, as he loves being in the company of other dogs.

Bob has a huge bed with blankets and I left a couple of his toys with him.

 Bob needed showing how to get through the plastic doors

I have no idea what they think is happening to them. I'm hoping Bob has a short memory, he fared well with the move from South Africa and the flight to Dubai, I'm just a little worried he'll think he's been abandoned, but I'll be collecting him soon and if he does have a short memory he'll soon forget about his time in the kennels. The only reason I worry is because I know how much he misses me when I'm away.

Who knows what Pushkins will make of the whole ordeal, this is also the first time for her, although going from previous experiences it'll be just something she does.

I dropped them both off yesterday, I'm in the UK now for 17 nights, I'm sure they'll be both ok. I just hope they don't think I've abandoned them, especially as they've been separated. I'll let you know how they react to me when I get back.

Me and my shadow. Life with a dog.

I'm visiting the UK next week, hubby is still in Dubai as he is working and someone needs to be at home for the cat and dog.

The dog always sulks when I'm not there, although he is always pleased to see any family member who has been away and in fact any stranger will do as long as he gets an extra bit of petting.

But I can't go anywhere without my shadow. Even when you think he's asleep and no matter how quietly I try to move, if there is an inkling that I'm going indoors or outdoors or even leaving the room, he's up and ready to follow me. As a result I seem to spend my entire time tripping over him.

Bob in the conservatory while I blog

 Bob by the side of my bed every morning

 Bob waiting for me outside the bathroom

 Bob watching me doing the washing up

 Bob waiting for me while I pot some seeds outside

Dog walking in Dubai

Dog walking in Dubai

So far Bob and I can walk where we like, when we like as long as we don’t go on the beach or in shops. Bob must stay on the lead at all times.

Bob is from South Africa, he is a veld dog, he lived with us on a golf estate where there was little traffic and what there was, was very slow. We also took him to nature reserves, where again there was no traffic and we could let him off the lead.

Bob is very unsettled, not just with the traffic but the sights, scents and sounds. He’s off like a blood hound everytime we leave the front gate, we cross the main roads and he’s jumping out of his skin at the engine noises of V8’s and supercars, mind you it unsettles me a bit when one revs up alongside.

As long as I take a few treats with me, reassure him, order him to sit and keep him on a very short leash, we’re managing things, however we’re not as successful with air brakes on the bin lorries and are avoiding going out at certain times as I’m fed up of being dragged into hedgerows as Bob runs for his life.

It’s winter time here and I’m waking Bob early in the morning and early in the evening as even now it’s far to hot to walk out in the day time. I can imagine in the height of summer Bob and I will only be outside when it is dark.

My Sunday photo - living in Dubai

Well it's day 4 of our new lives in Dubai. And again I'm stuck to know which photo to post.

Do I post a picture of the farewell at the airport? The guest house we spent our last week in South Africa in? The dog and the cat in their crates to the airport? The hotel in Dubai where we stay until our container arrives or even our new home? The picture of the dog and cat arriving safely?

Too many choices. My rule though is that I post a picture taken on the Sunday and as today is the first time I have had the opportunity to go exploring on my own with Bob as hubby is at work (Sunday is a working day, the start of the week) I thought I'd show you a picture of the Burg Al Arab, the most expensive hotel in Dubai, if not the world.

Bob and I walked for 10 minutes zig zagging through the streets till we hit the beach. Unfortunately dogs aren't allowed on the beach, but I suspect Bob and I will be making regular visits to walk along the prom.