Guide Dogs

[Bob Williams]

SWMBO and I have been sponsoring a Guide Dog with a DD since he was a puppy, now he is about to hit the road with his new human companion. Last week we were invited to a “Legacy” visit at a Skegness hotel, to speak with and learn from dogs, the humans they care for, and the supporters and organisers. It was an eye-opener of a day, we thoroughly enjoyed it, but most of all it made us more certain that what we were doing was the right thing to do. Not trying to be righteous here, it’s just a cause we believe in, having a good friend who has no sight at all.

We also went with the intention of asking about Rehoming a retired dog. The last dog (not a guide dog, this is the first time we have considered this) we had was a few years ago and he was great with the grandkids, a good traveller, and well house-trained. He was a Rescue dog and I had asked the kennels owner to consider our ages and disabilities: was he OK with other dogs, excitable, any behavioural problems? No, he said, he was fine. Off we went and we grew to love the dog, until we came across the first big dogs when walking him out. Over two weeks, he attacked a greyhound, an Irish Wolfhound, and two Choco Lab’s. All of which were twice his size, but did not deter him, he was savage. I had to take him back and was heartbroken: we loved the dog, but he had pulled me into a dyke going after one of the Lab’s and I could not handle him or trust him any more. Fortunately the other dog owners were good enough to waive away any offer of vet bills, but I no longer had the physical ability to train and discipline a dog like that.

Both of us wanted another dog, but having mobility problems means having to find a well-behaved dog. Now we have given up going abroad, we will consider UK holidays accompanied by a dog and really need a quieter, older animal. This seems like the answer, having been given the ‘green light’ by Guide Dogs, all we have to do now is fill in a form and wait. We are aware of the health issues and vet visits we might have to make and we will search for Insurance, maybe take the Guide Dogs’ Pet Plan.

While I was viewing the Guide Dogs site, I came across the Pavement Parking Petition:     https://tinyurl.com/mydlevp

This is a petition trying to get the gov’t to pass a Bill forbidding pavement parking. This makes it necessary for guide dogs to take their humans into the road in avoiding obstacles such as cars and wheelie bins, obviously dangerous to dog and handler. This had never ocurred to me before, but now I see it all over towns I visit and it is also a problem for wheelchair users. If forumites would be good enough to take time to read and consider the Link, then make a decision as to signing the petition, that would be helpful. It’s a matter of personal choice: I know there are places where pavement parking is unavoidable. Thanks for your time, guys!

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[JayCeeDee]

Insurance is a minefield, especially for older dogs. Policies that start off at £60 per month soon go up to £100 pm or more as the dog gets older ( 7 – 10 ). Some owners look at it as the cost of owning a dog, other ( more pragmatic?? ) take the view that with an older dog, especially a fit one as most Guide dogs will be, that £100 pm can be put aside ready for any unexpected vet bills.

Some Veterinary practices do their own version of insurance, you pay a monthly premium and that covers boosters, annual MoT and a couple of consultations ( it varies across practices ).

You may find better value with the Guide Dogs Pet Plan – being specific to that situation.

Petition signed.? That’s a great idea. My Mum used to say you don’t appreciate things until you lose them – as she found out to her cost with Macular Degeneration. It took away two of her joys, seeing Nature and the independence that driving gave her. :negative:

 

Good luck if you do go down the path of a retired Guide dog. Being a Lab it will help SWMBO with the hoovering – especially around the dinner table!!

[PlaneMan]

As you say, sometimes it’s unavoidable. Where my brother used to live in Wimbledon there were areas of pavement marked out for parking as the roads were so narrow.

I agree that it’s a travesty, often completely avoidable but people are so bone idle and selfish that even legislation won’t make any difference.

I’ll sign it in hope though.

[Richard]

Happy to sign up, yes I agree dog insurance is a challenge, we are currently dog sitting at the moment for daughter who is maybe about to have a second child. Very fraught time this week.

[Bob Williams]

Thank you guys! For signing and for the advice re: insurance.

Richard, I hope daughter is well and baby arrives in good health. Does granddad get first cuddle privileges? I always insisted upon it, it became tradition after No.1. All 4 received granddad’s advice upon entering the world. Their responses varied… and still do!

EDIT – The PP Bill will include possible exemptions for various thoroughfare conditions, including narrow roads.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[The Duke]

This pavement issue has been in the news lately, there is a law already in place, but nowhere in forces it.

Not even traffic wardens. I’m not sure they can. They will only ticket cars that are parked on payments that have double yellows on it or a cycle path. I know this as evey time we go to the hospital, there are lots of cars outside it with tickets for parking on the oppersite side of a payment on grass, not blocking anything I asked the warden one day why he was ticketing them, and it was because of the bike path.

In the case talk about I disagree completly but overall parking on payments I find annoying in most respects. Though at the bottom of my hill the only place to park is on the payment, but it’s 4 cars wide. The road is a single lane.

So the whole parking on the payment has many Grey areas. Though I have seen i the paper that in Liverpool city, people dumping cars on high street payments. To me I can’t comprehend why that would ever enter your mind to do. It’s just disrespectful. Tho smart cars parked nose in to the kerb also annoys me, as 1. There car, as short as it is, it’s far longer than a normal car width. And 2. When you park up to a kerb, your car bumpers encroach onto the path. They think it’s cool and quirky, I’d ticket them.

[Richard]

Bob, thank you for the good wishes.

I take a back seat except when I act as taxi driver for my wife who will be second chief hand holder – in partnership with daughter’s husband. I am dog sitter for our daughter’s dogs and nurse to our younger daughter. In addition to her regular issues with tablets, morning, noon and night, she also is unwell now. There is never a dull moment.

Arrival will probable happen sometime tomorrow as ‘some primer’ has now started the processes ,but it is only stage I, stage II, the accelerator comes later. The pregnancy has not been smooth from day 1, with special tests after anomalous test results., it will (possibly) be a relief when it is all done and dusted and we know the result.

[The Duke]

Wow John that’s expensive insurance. I got my dog insured from birth on a lifetime policy through John Lewis of all places, for £21 pm for the pair. With a low excess and a high cover amount. Can’t recall what amount now, but it wasn’t the cheapest insurance, as I wanted decent amount covered.

Insurance is a con, as I’d imaging even an old dog has been insured its whole life (on the whole), and just because your starting a fresh you get stung for an insane amount.

My £10pm (per dog) will cost about £1700 over 14years. So £60 pm will cost over £2k for 3 years. Given most that dog would of generated probably £1500 up to this point of its life, just shows Inc is a con.

But like car Inc they know we must have it. We’ll most normal folk must have pet Inc. My tortoise isn’t insured, I wonder if I should into that. He is 14 currently, and has never had as much as a cold.

[blacklion1725]

They enforce  pavement  parking all round  Greater London Duke. My lad got done waiting to pick his brother up from cricket….pavement is about 25 for wide there…but no complaints from me maybe a publicity drive and more marked out bays where pavement parking is safe….zero tolerance elsewhere. I can confirm it is just about zero tolerance now!

[dwynnehugh]

The problem here is one of enforcement – when in the job I hated those who parked blocking pavements – not only for pedestrians, the blind people but also for mothers with prams.

Unfortunately these days it is a rare event to see a proper PC on the streets, the PCSOs are a waste of space – there is simply no enforcement and I do sometime wonder if many who now don the uniform understand life for others. Recently on my estate two sets of PCSOs were walking along the pavement – I was outside yet not one stopped to have a chat or to say ‘hello’ – on one occasion I had our black kitten on a lead in the front – surely a topic to stop and ask?????????????  No – a simple smile and with hands deep in pockets walked on – not bad for a summer’s day I thought!

You can ask/demand/get as much legislation as you want – it’s 100% useless unless it is enforced. To be honest these days I keep on seeing numerous people/causes etc all shouting for greater penalties for this that and the other – yet the recent increase in speeding fines will be a great benefit to HM Treasury coffers – money to be made – nothing to be made with so many small matters that daily impinge the lives of so many people.

The more you meet people the more you understand why Noah took animals instead of humans

[Ed P]

dwynnehugh wrote:

The problem here is one of enforcement – when in the job I hated those who parked blocking pavements – not only for pedestrians, the blind people but also for mothers with prams. Unfortunately these days it is a rare event to see a proper PC on the streets, the PCSOs are a waste of space – there is simply no enforcement and I do sometime wonder if many who now don the uniform understand life for others. Recently on my estate two sets of PCSOs were walking along the pavement – I was outside yet not one stopped to have a chat or to say ‘hello’ – on one occasion I had our black kitten on a lead in the front – surely a topic to stop and ask????????????? No – a simple smile and with hands deep in pockets walked on – not bad for a summer’s day I thought! You can ask/demand/get as much legislation as you want – it’s 100% useless unless it is enforced. To be honest these days I keep on seeing numerous people/causes etc all shouting for greater penalties for this that and the other – yet the recent increase in speeding fines will be a great benefit to HM Treasury coffers – money to be made – nothing to be made with so many small matters that daily impinge the lives of so many people.

Blame TBLiar for the lack of enforcement as well as May’s efforts as Home Secretary to sabotage the Police by removing uniformed police and instituting the ridiculous Police & Crime Commissioner money waster.

In many cases parking offences have been removed from Police oversight and the responsibility given to local councils. While I agree that pavement parking should be handled by the police they no longer have the resources and the local ‘Parking Enforcement Officer’ is supposed to handle it. I know of at least one town of 35000 people that does not have a singled uniformed policeman assigned to it. Although the arithmetically challenged and walking disaster Diane Abbott ruined her point, Labour policies in respect of a greater police presence  do make a lot of sense.

[Richard]

One of the issues for pet treatment is the recent rapid rise in the cost for medicines for pets as there are special rules, (I was told they were EU rules which we of course followed to the letter) about clearing drugs for animal use. That is a very expensive process for a small market base. I understood this was because of the use of drugs with food animals, but we do not eat pets. Still the same rules apply to them.

Sometimes pets do need expensive treatments. Our now deceased Lab went on until he was 13 but in the last few years he did run up a few bills, one was for nearly £2,000 another was for just under £1,000. He had other ‘incidents’ of being unwell, mainly with his stomach. His premiums went up every year, big and pedigree dogs do tend to cost more. He ended up with a melanoma in his mouth for which he was prescribed Tramadol until it spread and he died. It is supposed to be addictive, neither he, nor I found it addictive. I simply found it ineffective for the purpose it was prescribed before my back operation, so my spare tablets went his way. I hope it helped him, but he never said. In the end he was hale and hearty on Saturday still eating for Britain, with a glowing shiny coat, but by 03:00 Sunday it was clear he was going. He went into the garden, ran round for a bit but then lost his sight and sense of smell and almost instantly fell into a coma. We knew there was no way back from that.

[JayCeeDee]

As a broad generalisation, vets have told me that human medicine can very easily be used by dogs. I’ve actually known dogs that were prescribed all sorts for a skin allergy at crazy prices, that were treated, long term, with generic anti-histamine tablets to the same effect. They also said that ( human ) use by dates could be disregarded, within reason, when using for dogs.

The same can also be said for things like eye and ear problems, conjunctivitis, wax, mild infections etc. People come to us with dogs that always have sticky eyes, Spaniels are notorious, some of the smaller poodle crosses ( Cockerpoo/Cavapoo ) have a double disadvantage. For these I use a diluted solution of Bicarbonate of Soda in warm water. We used that on our old Chow/Shepherd cross whenever she got one, for a decade or more. People buy these packs of Eye-Wipes for silly money.

The only thing to remember – and this is vital – is to use something like 1/2 the child dosage for a small dog and the full child dosage for a medium/large dog. Giant breeds weigh in the same as adult humans so can take an adult dose.

I don’t bother with antiseptic cream for any cuts and scratches for us or the dogs. I keep a tube of Medical Grade Manuka honey handy. Brilliant stuff, if a tad expensive.

 

[The Duke]

BL I forgot to mention in my initial post, the story in the pay paper said greater London and 2 others (a tally didn’t state the others, Liverpool echo for you) did enforce this, but the majority of the country doesn’t.

[Richard]

JayCeeDee wrote:

As a broad generalisation, vets have told me that human medicine can very easily be used by dogs. I’ve actually known dogs that were prescribed all sorts for a skin allergy at crazy prices, that were treated, long term, with generic anti-histamine tablets to the same effect. They also said that ( human ) use by dates could be disregarded, within reason, when using for dogs. The same can also be said for things like eye and ear problems, conjunctivitis, wax, mild infections etc. People come to us with dogs that always have sticky eyes, Spaniels are notorious, some of the smaller poodle crosses ( Cockerpoo/Cavapoo ) have a double disadvantage. For these I use a diluted solution of Bicarbonate of Soda in warm water. We used that on our old Chow/Shepherd cross whenever she got one, for a decade or more. People buy these packs of Eye-Wipes for silly money. The only thing to remember – and this is vital – is to use something like 1/2 the child dosage for a small dog and the full child dosage for a medium/large dog. Giant breeds weigh in the same as adult humans so can take an adult dose. I don’t bother with antiseptic cream for any cuts and scratches for us or the dogs. I keep a tube of Medical Grade Manuka honey handy. Brilliant stuff, if a tad expensive.

I pretty much completely agree, the issue is that a vet is limited as to what they can apply to the animal. You do have to be careful with some animals, I believe hamsters are very tricky, others might also be a risk. The dog had a dose of Tramadol that was several times higher than I had and he was only about one third of my weight. Otherwise the sorts of treatments you suggest are tried and tested for ‘animals’ and we are, whatever we like to think just another type of animal.

[The Duke]

John, in the states I heard of people buying antibiotics from pet shops as it’s much easily available and cheap.

I could imagine most meds candidates be used by both. But as long as the medicine isn’t one a dog can’t use (ie poisons to the),and there existed a dog one, a small human does is never going to harm it. Not that I have ever tried.

Well expect for medicated shampoo, the dog got a rash on his leg a few years ago, we tried savalon, but it seems dogs like the taste, so we took him the vets. Straits no neither needles etc, and an expensive bottle of shampoo. When we got home it was just like the expensive, but quaternary of the price  coaltar  shampoo the wife uses. So when the tiny expensive bottle ran out we used the wife’s stuff. That did clear the rash up.

[Bob Williams]

One of my medical conditions is an infitesimally small bug that lives in my Lymph system, many years ago it was found and diagnosed by a tiny Sri Lankan Dermatologist. This was declared to be the result of Army service in the Middle East, which surfaced years afterwards when I had an op. It caused the most horrible skin conditions: boils and carbuncles, infected hair follicles, due to me having a Neandertal amount of  body hair. The dermatologist said that my work as a mechanic, using oils and lubricants, may have encouraged the growth: at that time, a grease-monkey wearing latex gloves would have had his masculinity questioned! 😉 🙂 Nowadays hair has changed in hue and rapidly descended from my far northern regions, growing instead in the warmth and shade of ears and nasal regions. Bugga! :negative: 🙁

I was prescribed ‘Hibiscrub’ – the pink stuff that surgeons and other medical stuff scrub with. I have 5 liters of it on my regular prescription and it does prevent the volcanic areas of my body from erupting. It also heals cuts very quickly and has been used in small quantities by 3 human family members, one dog and one cat, who appeared to like the taste, so we had to put a stop to that! I cannot use soap or gels to wash and shower, as those do nothing to keep the bug at bay. Neither can I use a bath, as I must shower and rinse head-to-toe in order for all the ‘decaffeinated’ carp to vanish down the plughole, instead of being immersed in it.

When the Thought Police arrive at your door, think -
I'm out.

[Tippon]

JayCeeDee wrote:

As a broad generalisation, vets have told me that human medicine can very easily be used by dogs.

We found that out a few years ago with some very lucky timing. While my meds were still being balanced, our golden retriever became ill and was prescribed 5mg Prednisolone. I was on 60mg, but in 5mg tablets. We bought the first box from the vets for £50+, and a few days later my dosage was dropped quite drastically. Saved us from buying a new prescription for the dog  :good:

[Author]

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