The Final Adventures of Frodo the Faller – a Trooper to the End

 The introduction of two beautiful Somali kittens to the Crowthorne Crew in February resulted also in the introduction of ringworm. It is not caused by worms but by a fungus belonging to the Tinea family. It creates intensely itchy spots which are very painful when scratched. Bertie and I seemed to be the worst affected but naturally Frodo had to share the experience. At the same time he had another outbreak of sarcoptic mange (canine scabies) on his shoulder, four months after the first attack.

He had also been experiencing recurrent stomach upsets. Courses of antibiotics and a change to an hypoallergenic diet helped – his appetite was unaffected – a greedy Dalmatian is greedy to the endJ

However, it was clear that he was slowly deteriorating. His system seemed to be breaking down and each new problem or setback took him longer to overcome. He began to sleep longer and longer, sometimes as long as eighteen hours, and each time I hoped and prayed he would quietly slip away but he wouldn’t. The mange on his shoulder broke down within two weeks into a wound that refused to heal, despite antibiotics, and it was clear that he would soon be in a great deal of pain if it were left to attack the underlying tissues and expose the bone. So, with great sadness, we let him go. We were comforted by the knowledge that he had spent so much time with the vets that he was never afraid of visiting them and so his final moments were with people he trusted and who loved him.

Frodo was hard work when he first came home with us at five months old. He liked all our family dogs but any unknown dogs were a challenge and he would always make the first aggressive advance. Even in his (short!) show career he would attempt to take lumps out of other dogs as he galloped past them. For that reason and also because he never really liked shows we stopped subjecting him to them. In any case, the small rings at dog shows don’t really allow dogs to show their full potential. There is nothing finer than seeing a healthy animal at full stretch in the countryside.

Eventually Frodo learnt to be more trusting and in his final years he bore the attentions of puppies and other dogs with grace. He was such a special dog – he had so many problems but he bore them all with stoic determination. He was my Velcro dog, never happier than when he had me in his sight. Indeed, when we went walking together he checked on me every few seconds. Sometimes I would hide from him and he would rush back, a concerned expression on his face. His relief when he ‘found’ me was palpable. He was gentle with small children, the other dogs and the cats. Anyone could steal his food from his bowl as he ate and he wouldn’t murmur, quite unlike his Labrador companions! He was the top dog but never lorded it over the others. If he wanted a particular bed he would loom over the occupant until he or she moved. Naturally the cats refused to move and so he would climb in and lie down on them. They moved then!

Like all Dalmatians (or was it just ours?) he was an inveterate thief and we had to hang the rubbish out of his reach as normal bins were no defence against his raids. The medication he took twice daily to try and control his epileptic seizures made him ravenous, constantly seeking food, not always from an appropriate source. He started to eat Frankie’s books because they had miniscule applications of food on them – toddlers are so apt to deposit tasty morsels everywhere! His tablets also caused him to ‘leak’ and thus he wore wraps or ‘loin cloths’ which added to his dignity rather than diminishing it. He was much admired, even in old age, in the forest, my elegant, loping boy. In latter months he wore a harness which enabled us to lift him if he got stuck somewhere as occasionally his hind legs let him down and he couldn’t extricate himself from whichever flower tub or bush that had trapped him.

He taught us such a lot. We learnt how to comfort him after he had had a seizure and was unaware of his surroundings – how frightening that must be. We learnt how to lift him into the car for the journey to the forest where he loved to walk. We learnt to be patient when he had ‘accidents’ in the house because he couldn’t move fast enough to reach the door. He was a fastidious dog and hated to be dirty.

We miss him – it’s only been four weeks – and I have not yet broken the night-time listening habit that developed after his seizures began, ten years ago. I am sure Bertie misses him, too, for he spends much time wanting reassurance from us.

So ends thirty years of Dalmatian companions. I think we shall not have another – all four of ours had different health problems, though the first, Cariadd, was the strongest and the longest-lived.

Our last walk together . . . 

 Frodo was fun, a character and a wonderful companion. He gave such love, such trust. Sleep well, my boy, in starlight.

 Frodo - Washakie Lord of the Rings: 06.12. 2001 - 23.03.2015

Home alone with five dogs and a cat . . .

Bathing is one of Frodo's delights

Barry has been away this week, sailing with Gillian and two of her children. His leg is much better – he was bowled over by the very solid Gus when we were in Somerset which resulted in him having two wonky legs rather than just the usual one! Hours spent in A&E when we got home – after he insisted on driving, saying it was just weight-bearing that hurt! – proved that there was no lasting damage, and diclofenac and ibuprofen relieved the pain.

Meanwhile, I have been writing – or trying to – and looking after Gillian’s dogs as well as our own. They all sleep in our room, most of them on our bed, which is fine when Barry’s away as they occupy his half. Winston usually comes and curls up next to me as well, so I am never lonely. Tia and Foxy, Gillian’s dogs, think it is their duty to guard the house and bark at . . . nothing, apparently! Tia also grumbles constantly at Frodo. She is slightly older than him so perhaps she’s asserting her right to be top dog. He takes little notice.

Frodo has had four grand mal seizures this week. I hope that will be the end of the cluster this time round. With luck it will be several weeks before he is afflicted again. I’m accustomed to dealing with him when he’s seizing, talking to him and supporting his head so that it doesn’t bang against furniture or floor. He can’t hear me, of course – he’s unconscious - but perhaps it’s comforting to him in some way, particularly when he regains consciousness but is still disorientated.

Jenna takes no notice when he has a fit and Tia keeps away. Gus thinks he’s playing and wants to respond but Foxy looks more as though she might attack. She’s a very mild-mannered creature but even the quietest of dogs can misinterpret the odd signals given by a seizing animal as aggression and react accordingly. Thus, at 1:00 am on Thursday, I was keeping her away and simultaneously trying to cushion Frodo’s head when my right hand came within his champing jaws. The result was that he bit my thumb and index finger. It was quite painful.

The black Labradors seek the Kong. Frodo and Foxy don't!

Later, on Thursday evening, he had another fit. Foxy was very excited and trying to reach him and as I pushed her away my left arm was bitten. Isn’t fresh blood bright, like a swiftly blooming crimson flower?

So now I have a sore, bruised thumb which is much better than it was, and bruises and a plaster over the puncture wound on my arm which aches a bit but is otherwise fine. Worse things happen at sea! Poor Frodo is the gentlest dog and would be mortified if he knew! It is nearly seven years since he was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy and I’ve managed to keep bits of me away from the dangerous bits of him for all that time – until this week!

Ah me! Next week, the bites will come from tiny sharp puppy’s teeth.J