- Location
- South Manchester England
Love your journal, and just full of admiration of how you do it!
The Labraventures of Carbón, Spanish (ex-) foster dog extraordinaire
- Thread starter Emily_Babbelhund
- Start date
Love your journal, and just full of admiration of how you do it!
- Location
- Sydney, Australia
Sorry it was a pants (love this saying! Have now officially adopted it) day Emily. I too am full of admiration as I won't drive anywhere out of my 10km comfort zone these days. Let alone across continents!
Lisa
Moderator
- Location
- Alberta, Canada
I, too, am a member of the Emily Mutual Admiration Society. Carbon sounds so much like Simba when it comes to grabbing food...he is much better now but the thought of travelling with him when we first got him gives me the shivers. Hat is definitely off to you!
Never mind doing all that driving and finding places to stay....
Never mind doing all that driving and finding places to stay....
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
Absolutely my favourite UK expression...let's spread it worldwide! Wasn't really a pants day, but some pants things happened. Just par for the course for traveling and it's stuff that bothers me more at the end of the day when I'm posting so that's what I write about. Usually the next morning when I'm fresh, I think, "What was I moaning about?!".
Kinda feel like I have too little of both! For the past eight years I've been traveling and working at the same time, which means that I used to do all the frenzied driving and sight-seeing just on the weekends and sit tight and work where ever I was during the week. Now that I'm jobless I'm really appreciating that I used to get a "rest" during the week with work.
Thanks again to you die-hards who are still with me on this trip, even through my more meandering evening posts. It's a great motivation for me to keep my goal of writing something every day and - as I've said before - it really helps with the occasional downsides of solo travel which for me at least can be self-isolation and some other less-savoury darker feelings.
Having said that, I'm going to have a quieter day today - I hope - so that I can be ready to enjoy Rome on Sunday. I may also need to run Carbon to the vet depending on, well..you know...
But first, I'll post some photos from yesterday!
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
We love being with you on your trips @Emily_Babbelhund, to think you are accompanied by so many people you don't know and we so enjoy your travels. We are with you in your ups and downs and with dear Carbon xx
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
Waiting at the vet...a new cultural travel experience thanks to Carbon's culinary daring. Let's just say his issue from yesterday afternoon was MUCH worse later this morning and I decided immediate attention was wise. 
Lawks, good luck @Emily_Babbelhund - hoping it's easily solved and Carbon's not disrupted for too long...x
- Location
- Andorra and Spain
Oh no! Hope the vet gives him something to settle his - er - "tummy" and you can get back to your travels ASAP
Boogie
Moderator
- Location
- Manchester UK
Get well soon Carbón xx
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- Location
- Cornwall , UK
Poor love , get better soon xx
Oooo nasty hope he's ok soon. Poor fella
Beanwood
Administrator
I know I have "liked" this post..although I think this is more appropriate!Waiting at the vet...a new cultural travel experience thanks to Carbon's culinary daring. Let's just say his issue from yesterday afternoon was MUCH worse later this morning and I decided immediate attention was wise.
Hope you Italian vet can help....seriously though I am off spaghetti for a while!
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
But I do know you! I've even met a lot of you in person - or in one particular case practically became a squatter in your home.
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
OK, back from the vet with all sorted for Señor Carboncito.
First of all, veterinary experiences in various countries are always diverse and never boring. I've been to Italian vets about five times now and the logistics are pretty much always the same. There is a waiting room which is completely unattended. There is a either a closed sliding glass reception window that never opens or there is simply a door leading to the rest of the practice.
You enter with your dog, sit down and wait. You don't tell anyone you are there because there is no one to tell. You need to remember who was there when you arrived and who arrives after you so that you don't get line jumped. The door to the rest of the practice will periodically open and a dog may run out with his owner. Then another dog may go in from the waiting room. Or not. Maybe it's lunch time, or the vet is doing something else. Eventually you will get in, but the wait passes with no indication that anyone knows you are even there, which makes it seem much longer than the actual passage of time.
True to form, that's precisely what happened today. I was a bit worried we wouldn't get in at all as we arrived only 30 minutes before the afternoon close from 12:30-16:30, so I figured there was a very good chance that the vet would just ignore the fact that we were even in the waiting room.
However, I was pleasantly surprised when Carbon and I got called in. The vet was young and super friendly with Carbon. I had no problem describing the issue (or the worms) but was embarrassed that I'd not brought a poo sample or even taken a photo. I think my brain is a little fried lately!
Because I had no sample or photo, Carbon got a finger up his posterior so that the vet could test a sample. That was kind of surprise to both of us - the actual timing of the finger that is - and Carbon's hard-as-rocks head collided with my eye socket in what will surely produce a bit of a colourful shiner. Carbon would say it's only fair that I share his pain.
Two seconds after the finger invasion, however, it was all happy waggy tails again. So much so, I really had to hold him on the exam table to make sure he didn't fall off. The vet came back into the exam room and told me that it would be 10 minutes before the test was ready, so to take Carbon out and try to get him to poo again. If he did, I wasn't to pick it up but to come get him immediately as he wanted to see it fresh. Ew.
Carbon DID have a very nice poo and OF COURSE this time it had not a single worm in it, where the one he'd had not two hours prior probably had THIRTY of the nasty creatures. The vet came out and immediately said, "WHAT DID HE LAST EAT??"
"Um, cauliflower, fish, a banana and an egg..."
To his credit, the vet didn't roll his eyes at all, but just shrugged and said, "OK, makes sense then."
He didn't scold me for feeding fresh - I LIKE him!
By that time, the test was completed and mystery was solved. Carbon has "Ancilostomi" worms. The vet thinks he likely picked them up in a forest environment from licking his paw or they entered through the cut on his foot. Ew.
It's not effected his health at all - no coughing, lethargy, loss of appetite - so he'll be fine. He just needs Drontal tablets today and tomorrow with a repeat in two weeks and four weeks. The worst is probably that the vet told me to bathe him after each dose of medication. THAT will be fun.
I'm very glad I decided to take him in and we're getting all sorted early before any other bad effects on Carbon. He had pretty good timing, too. It's a rainy old day anyway and I got to practice my Italian on a cute veterinarian.
Perchè no?
First of all, veterinary experiences in various countries are always diverse and never boring. I've been to Italian vets about five times now and the logistics are pretty much always the same. There is a waiting room which is completely unattended. There is a either a closed sliding glass reception window that never opens or there is simply a door leading to the rest of the practice.
You enter with your dog, sit down and wait. You don't tell anyone you are there because there is no one to tell. You need to remember who was there when you arrived and who arrives after you so that you don't get line jumped. The door to the rest of the practice will periodically open and a dog may run out with his owner. Then another dog may go in from the waiting room. Or not. Maybe it's lunch time, or the vet is doing something else. Eventually you will get in, but the wait passes with no indication that anyone knows you are even there, which makes it seem much longer than the actual passage of time.
True to form, that's precisely what happened today. I was a bit worried we wouldn't get in at all as we arrived only 30 minutes before the afternoon close from 12:30-16:30, so I figured there was a very good chance that the vet would just ignore the fact that we were even in the waiting room.
However, I was pleasantly surprised when Carbon and I got called in. The vet was young and super friendly with Carbon. I had no problem describing the issue (or the worms) but was embarrassed that I'd not brought a poo sample or even taken a photo. I think my brain is a little fried lately!
Because I had no sample or photo, Carbon got a finger up his posterior so that the vet could test a sample. That was kind of surprise to both of us - the actual timing of the finger that is - and Carbon's hard-as-rocks head collided with my eye socket in what will surely produce a bit of a colourful shiner. Carbon would say it's only fair that I share his pain.
Two seconds after the finger invasion, however, it was all happy waggy tails again. So much so, I really had to hold him on the exam table to make sure he didn't fall off. The vet came back into the exam room and told me that it would be 10 minutes before the test was ready, so to take Carbon out and try to get him to poo again. If he did, I wasn't to pick it up but to come get him immediately as he wanted to see it fresh. Ew.
Carbon DID have a very nice poo and OF COURSE this time it had not a single worm in it, where the one he'd had not two hours prior probably had THIRTY of the nasty creatures. The vet came out and immediately said, "WHAT DID HE LAST EAT??"
"Um, cauliflower, fish, a banana and an egg..."
To his credit, the vet didn't roll his eyes at all, but just shrugged and said, "OK, makes sense then."
He didn't scold me for feeding fresh - I LIKE him!
By that time, the test was completed and mystery was solved. Carbon has "Ancilostomi" worms. The vet thinks he likely picked them up in a forest environment from licking his paw or they entered through the cut on his foot. Ew.
It's not effected his health at all - no coughing, lethargy, loss of appetite - so he'll be fine. He just needs Drontal tablets today and tomorrow with a repeat in two weeks and four weeks. The worst is probably that the vet told me to bathe him after each dose of medication. THAT will be fun.
I'm very glad I decided to take him in and we're getting all sorted early before any other bad effects on Carbon. He had pretty good timing, too. It's a rainy old day anyway and I got to practice my Italian on a cute veterinarian.
Perchè no?
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
Hola todos! Finally it is I, Carboncito, with yesterday's photos! I tried earlier in the day but after foster lady saw my poo she shoved me in the car and took me to a nice Italian bum man. I never understood why you all say 'bum man', but I do now. Aye, aye, aye, was THAT a surprise!
It's all done now though and I got an extra meal and lots of deleeeecious treats. Don't you love a happy ending?
Yesterday foster lady and I went to a nice park in the car - finally, the car! - and met some lovely ladies. We all played together and walked together and even ate some apples from an apple tree together. At the end I got into the girls' car - because who wouldn't want to live with three beautiful ladies? - but mean old foster lady made me come with her in the end.
At least I got to meet the girls and their human even gave me my very own dummy to practice retrieving. That's pretty exciting because I think that I would make a fantastico gun dog, verdad?
Walking in the park...
Getting ready for our photoshoot...
Photoshoot! From left, that's Koa, ME, Panci and Joy.
And here we are in the car...
I really wanted to stay in the car!
It's all done now though and I got an extra meal and lots of deleeeecious treats. Don't you love a happy ending?
Yesterday foster lady and I went to a nice park in the car - finally, the car! - and met some lovely ladies. We all played together and walked together and even ate some apples from an apple tree together. At the end I got into the girls' car - because who wouldn't want to live with three beautiful ladies? - but mean old foster lady made me come with her in the end.
At least I got to meet the girls and their human even gave me my very own dummy to practice retrieving. That's pretty exciting because I think that I would make a fantastico gun dog, verdad?
Walking in the park...
Getting ready for our photoshoot...
Photoshoot! From left, that's Koa, ME, Panci and Joy.
And here we are in the car...
I really wanted to stay in the car!
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
After the fun part of the day, it was off to do more of that tourism which means my guapo self standing in front of buildings. There were SO many people and so many of them wanted to pet me. I love all this amor, but I do think if they are going to hug me and kiss me, they should also be giving me un poco of something to snack on. Working a crowd makes a dog hungry!
So here I am in San Gimignano...and also some boring photos of sky and buildings that foster lady insists on taking. No matter what she points her camera at, I sit and give me best post, just in case she comes to her senses and decides to take a photo of me instead.
I am SO good at posing...
Ready for my close up...
Boring buildings...yawn...
Aw, that's better...
Aye, aye, aye...that's not even a building!
I really know how to relax, no?
MORE buildings! Argh!
I am too small in this one. Otherwise it's OK. I guess.
My backside is lovely too...
But my front side is much more charming!
So here I am in San Gimignano...and also some boring photos of sky and buildings that foster lady insists on taking. No matter what she points her camera at, I sit and give me best post, just in case she comes to her senses and decides to take a photo of me instead.
I am SO good at posing...
Ready for my close up...
Boring buildings...yawn...
Aw, that's better...
Aye, aye, aye...that's not even a building!
I really know how to relax, no?
MORE buildings! Argh!
I am too small in this one. Otherwise it's OK. I guess.
My backside is lovely too...
But my front side is much more charming!
- Location
- Malvern Worcestershire
I don't have the words to say how wonderful to read your and Carbon's exploits, apart from the worms! He looks so happy with the other dogs makes tears come into my eyes to see what a good life he is having after what it might have been.
Emily_Babbelhund
Mama Red HOT Pepper
- Location
- Regensburg, Germany
Looking guapo with the Tuscan hills behind me...
Boring buildings. Sigh, when will she learn?
Posing my heart out in these last two...I am on the top of my game, verdad?
That's all for now, mis amigos! Today we are having a lazy sofa day but tomorrow will more adventures.
"More sight-seeing, less worms!" this is what foster lady says about mañana.
Boring buildings. Sigh, when will she learn?
Posing my heart out in these last two...I am on the top of my game, verdad?
That's all for now, mis amigos! Today we are having a lazy sofa day but tomorrow will more adventures.
"More sight-seeing, less worms!" this is what foster lady says about mañana.