More bad news.

Note to readers (my lovely Baggees): For the avoidance of any doubt - every character in this blog is me!!! No Baggy was harmed in its writing.

Baggy's daily state!
Depression (Black = really bad/Grey = not great/Blue = okay/Yellow = sunny day): Yellow.
Anxiety (From 1 = barely any to 10 = gibbering wreck standard): 5.
Tears: Lots.
Overall day: 😩

Baggy was up at 5.00am! Clever Bird had arranged a dental appointment for her at 8.00am. This seemed fine at the time because The Domestic Goddess thought she'd be spending time at the holiday cottage - she hadn't banked on it being occupied! So Baggy had a three hour round trip just to go to the dentist! She got back just in time to have a chat with the surveyor who'd been doing the plan (a proper one, as opposed to Creative Clara's sketch, that the solicitor seemed to think was good enough for the Land Registrar!!!! Grrrrrr!!!) for the purchase contract. It turns out that Baggy and Calum will be getting more land than they thought, because the neighbour they're buying part of it from, has put his fence in completely the wrong place. So that was a bit of good news. They needed some.

Furry Mama noticed yesterday that Minty Mutt had some very sore skin near his groin and that the fur on his tummy was coming out. Freda Fretter panicked  that it was either an allergy to his dementia drugs, or worse still mange - which is highly contagious, or maybe something even worse. Furry Mama got Calum to get an emergency appointment at the vet's. They pootled over there for a 4.00pm appointment. An hour, and a lot of tears later, Furry Mama finally got the message just how poorly Minty is. Okay, so he's a German Shepherd, and 10 years 3 months old, which makes him 82 in human years, so he's elderly. However, he looks pretty good for his age, and he's such a beautiful dog that he makes no fuss or complaint about anything really, so Furry Mama didn't realise how bad he's actually got.

1. He has dementia.
2. He has a bad skin complaint, that may or may not be mites. They will find out more tomorrow. But regardless he's on strong antibiotics and an anti-bacterial wash. Plus he'll be having some kind of mite treatment.
3. He is also in serious pain. 😭 So serious that the daily painkiller that he's already on, needs to be supplemented. It's in his spine and his hips and apparently he is struggling.
4. The tumour on his foot, is growing so fast that she thinks it's malignant. It needs to be operated on as quickly as possible, probably in the next fortnight, or it might burst. But he might not be strong enough to survive the operation. 😕
5. The lump in his side is also "dubious".
6. He's got inflamed gums.
7. All in all, he's not a well dog, but at least he has a "strong" heart.

"Is he happy?"
"Well yes, I think so", said Furry Mama through her tears, realising that the vet was wondering if he'd reached the end of his tether.
"I'm sorry, I don't want to upset you. I know he's been with you for ten years."
"It's more than that. He's got me through a lot. I've known him since he was two days old. In fact I wouldn't have got together with Calum if it wasn't for Mint".
"Oh! Maybe I should get a dog".

Hormonal Hannah was shutting Baggy's brain down at this point. All she could think was, how will Furry Mama cope without Mint? Stupid thought, a no point thought.

"So does Mint need this operation on his foot? Or do you think he's not well enough to have it?"
"Well, he does need it. If it gets any bigger it will be inoperable and is likely to burst, which would not be good".
"But do you think he'll be okay?"
"There's always a risk with general anaesthetic, especially with an old dog."
"But he needs the op?"
"Yes".
Furry Mama heard Clever Bird saying, "If he needs the operation, he must have it. And if he doesn't make it, then it wasn't meant to be. At least I wouldn't have to make "the decision" then". Yeah right, because it will be that easy. Baggy started to have one of those out-of-body experiences where nothing seems real. Don't think about it. All is good. Minty Mutt will never die. Minty won't leave Baggy like everyone else in her life does. It's fine. He'll be fine.

No. He won't. And that is selfish.

Furry Mama went to pay the bill. At which point Clever Bird remembered to ask whether the antibiotics were penicillin based. They were. Baggy is allergic. They changed them. Once home Furry Mama fed Mint six pills, wrapped in cream cheese. And bathed, rinsed and dried his poorly skin. Whilst Baggy watched it all from above with Hormonal Hannah who had shut down on all engines. One day at a time. That mutt means the world to Baggy and Calum. They'll be taking him to the beach tomorrow..........