NATIONAL PHARMACIST DAY

National Pharmacist Day has been set aside to recognise and honour pharmacists across the nation. So how apt is it that Ann visited a pharmacist today for the first time in years. She visited a pharmacist to buy some lavender oil for me. Lavender oil is supposed to be 'calming' and we have had a very traumatic day. …..........Stop reading now if you don't want to hear all the gory details.


For those of you who don't read our Blips regularly, we have homes in Edinburgh and St Ives and for the last few years have been living between the two. We have been away for Christmas/New Year and just came back to Edinburgh on Thursday. I'm a fourteen and a half year old gorgeous little collie who has osteoarthritis. 



Our flat in Edinburgh is on the 4th floor and I always walk down the stairs and then get the lift back up. This morning when I went out for my drag around the block walk, my back legs collapsed after I'd walked down 6/7 steps and I flopped down (see extras). Ann wasn't strong enough to pick me up so she half dragged me/I half walked down to the 3rd floor so we could get the lift back up to the4th floor.


Ann tried to lift me up to put me in the lift, but she couldn't. She thought it was because my back legs had given way. But it wasn't!  It was because my tail was trapped in the door between the stairs and landing. Anyway I eventually got into the lift and then Ann noticed loads and loads of blood. Not just a teeny, weeny bit. The whole lift looked like somebody had been murdered in there.


Long story short! The blood was coming from my tail.


I staggered back into the flat dripping blood everywhere thank god for wood flooring and went straight into my bed. And when Ann went to clean the lift, she noticed I'd also had a poo in there as well. Obviously a 'trauma' poo and thank goodness it was first thing in the morning and we didn't meet any neighbours. Ann had visions of someone summoning the lift and it arriving covered in blood and dog poo?!


Long story short! (I'm still registered with my very lovely vet, Jonathan in Cornwall). After contacting the vets round the corner from our Edinburgh flat, and phoning the phone number they gave us (6 times) for a 'mobile vet' but no one answered. And phoning 'Dogs Trust' (where we're supposed to have access to veterinary advice 24/7, but it's the weekend?!). And phoning an 'emergency vets' that we found on line (but they only talk to you if it's out of hours).......................

…...............And Ann cuddling me a lot and doing a lot of hysterical crying, when I just wanted to snooze.................................... she eventually decided to phone our vets in Cornwall. Didn't actually speak to the very lovely Jonathan, but the person we did speak to said that as far as my legs were concerned I'd probably just overdone it and needed to rest and as we have a balcony I could use that for toileting purposes. And she said, not to worry about my tail. I only have a teeny, weeny cut in my tail and she said tails produce lots of blood.


And actually by this time, Ann had bathed my tail and it was fine and I seemed quite happy in my bed. So guess what?.................... I got breakfast in bed. How yummy was that?!


Long story short! Ann was very traumatised by this time, so phoned her very lovely friend, Kay, to come round to see how I was. And when Kay arrived I actually got out of bed and wagged my tail and wandered around the flat. Kay had treats for me. But they were just weeny teeny treats so when I thought Kay wasn't looking, I helped myself to some more. Yum!


Long story short! Ann & Kay decided to go out for lunch and I thought they were going to take me with them they always take me with them so I wandered into the hall. They took me downstairs in the lift and we walked around the building and I had a wee and a poo. I wasn't very speedy, but Ann was just happy I was walking. And when she came home from lunch I was having a little snooze.


This afternoon Ann went to Tesco. When she came home I was lying in my bed and there was blood all over our living room/kitchen walls/floor (see extras). I'd obviously been biting at my tail. So Ann decided to bandage it. The first bandage she put on; I just shook off. So now I have a bandage covering most of my tail (see extras) but actually I don't mind it. Apparently it's that or a cone collar. And I don't like cone collars! I've also got blood all over my legs and neck (see extras) but I got a bit wriggly when Ann tried to wash that off, so she's just left that on me for the moment.


Today has been very, very, very traumatic. Oh.................. and to get back to the pharmacist and the lavender oil......................... Bluebell's owner owner told Ann that lavender oil & warm water was good for bathing wounds and also had a calming effect. ….......So Ann's put a few drops on my bed as well?!


…..................Mmmmmmmm......................... not sure about that?! The whole house now stinks of lavender oil.


….......................And Ann's now on her second glass of wine.


#lavenderoildoesnothingforher