Our Dogs
Ozzie
We just happened to 'find' Ozzie by chance one Sunday morning looking in the local free newspaper. We saw an advert for Labrador puppies and decided to just go and have a look. Well you might know I fell in love with this gorgeous little 4-week old fur ball with a quirky tail! That was it, no other puppy would do! We spent hours talking with the breeder, and playing with Ozzie, and once back with his siblings, he clambered all over the other puppies in the litter to get back to us. I was so excited and the wait to actually bring him home seemed to take forever. He has brought us so much joy and happiness and I am really glad we had him.
When he was around 3 years old, we found out that he had early onset arthritis, which meant that he needed to begin having injections to help reduce inflammation, and then as time went by, Loxicam as well. His level of medication has slowly increased to the point where there is nothing more that he can be given. So, from the point that I had been attuned to Reiki Level One, I used Reiki to help Ozzie. Apart from the fact that it was relaxing for him, he seemed to benefit a great deal, and after a treatment he would be up and bouncing around in the garden again. The arthritis is very severe now but the Reiki still seems to make a difference. For me, it is a lovely feeling that I am able to channel this wonderful energy that helps him heal himself.
Sadly, Ozzie is no longer with us. He took a sudden turn for the worse at the end of January 2019 and passed away very peacefully at home with us and his doggy pals around him, but he managed to get to the grand old age of 14 and a quarter! We miss him so very much but are glad to have had his love in our lives for so long - he was just the most amazing, beautiful, wonderful dog. Rest peacefully Ozzie, and I hope there is an endless supply of Bonios in Heaven!
Ozzie enjoying life in his 'Oz Cab', his favoured way of travel as he meandered into old age! Some people thought we (the Royal 'we' of course!) were bonkers pulling him around in this, but most commented that it is lovely that we wanted to look after him in his old age. He loved his walk and play in the park, and could still chase an occasional ball or frisby - on his terms though!
Mudge
I had Mudge for my 50th birthday - just the best present I could have had! He is a wonderful little dog! We bought him from a breeder in Cambridgeshire and I can remember the many journeys we made back and forth to see him until we were finally able to bring him home. He settled in really quickly and got on brilliantly with Ozzie. When he was a puppy I can remember him hanging onto Ozzie's tail and swinging off it, but luckily he was only tiny!
When Mudge was about 4 years old he suddenly started to put on weight and the fur on his groin area and tail seemed to thin. The vet felt that this was nothing more than his body adjusting to the hormone change after he had been castrated as I hadn't been in any rush to have this done and left it until he was nearly 3 years old. We reduced the amount of food he was having, and that made no difference. We tried a light food and still he piled on the pounds, and eventually an obesity diet, but even that made no difference. He seemed to be miserable and depressed, and on the day that he snapped at me I knew there was something really wrong. I contacted the vet straight away and arranged an appointment the following day. The vet did blood tests because he suspected that he had a thyroid problem - by that point Smudge had no fur at all on his tail and very little on his lower tummy area. Sure enough the blood tests revealed that he was suffering from hypothyroidism and would need medication for the rest of his life. After a few months of taking the tablets his weight had decreased and his mood had improved significantly. On the whole he is now well-balanced, he receives regular bursts of Reiki from me which I do feel helps him, especially when he is having a grumpy spell - he actually helps himself to Reiki whenever he wants it when he is having a cuddle with me on the sofa, and I always know when he is doing so because of the strong fizzing in my hands!
Unfortunately, it did not stop there; Mudge developed a neurologial dry eye problem which also needed daily medication. Then following this, athritis in his front legs and he went deaf. The most crippling was kidney disease that he developed in the last 12 months of his life. I gave him regular Reiki to help with this. Despite all of his health issues, he still loved to be out with us in the park. We invested in a new mode of transport for him - named the Mudge Mobile - for those times when his little legs have had enough walking!
Sadly, Mudge passed away in April 2022 just 8 days before his 14th birthday. I miss him so very much - he was just the most amazing little dog.
This is Ruby, Dougal's mum. She is the eldest of our pack of spaniels, but still sprightly and bombing around the park like a pup! We were offered the chance to have Ruby by the breeder and very glad that we made the decision to re-home her - she is a gentle and very loving dog, but furiously protective of her baby even now he is all grown up! She is a very loyal little dog, she adores Tom and when he goes out, she sits at the front door and waits for him until he gets home, and when I can persuade her to move away, she will then sit on his chair staring at the door!
We feel so sad right now because we had to say goodbye to our beautiful little girl. All happened really suddenly and quickly. We miss her so much! It took me a while to bond with her because we didn't have her from a puppy like the others, and she was so devoted to Tom, but over time I fell in love with her, so I am finding losing her particularly difficult. We have bought a lovely wooden planter to bury her ashes in and planted a beautiful a red rose called 'Ruby' in her memory.
And then there is Dougal - he was just a few weeks old in this photograph, and this is the day that he chose us! All of his siblings were way too busy playing around in my handbag, but Dougal was very happy to stay with me for a cuddle! Can't believe that he is 12 years old already. He is adorable but such a scamp. He has learned that if he swipes his nose across the sensor on the bin, the lid will open and he can get at whatever happens to be near the top! He loves a good sniff in the park, and is exceptionally partial to a muddy puddle or two, but not so keen on the bath that follows! Oh yes, and of course he absolutely must roll in anything that smells particularly delicious ... to him!
He is always two steps behind me wherever I am in the house, or garden, and that is exactly the same when I am doing distance Reiki treatments. He is always there with me, lying peacefully and soaking up the remnants of Reiki energy floating around - he absolutely loves Reiki!, and I love him so much! He always seems to know when the treatment is coming to an end, sometimes before I have even had the 'That's enough now' message.
Our New Arrival
Barney
So, this is our newest arrival, Barney, but more commonly known by me as 'the bear', or 'bearlet'. This is mainly because when he was a small puppy, he looked just like a little black bear cub! He is a delightful and very handsome soul, always looking for fuss and cuddles .... and food! He has had many challenges in his young life, having had surgery on all four legs due to a hereditary problem, and sadly in all likelihood, more to go. He loves Reiki now he has got used to that strange stuff that he can nip at in 'mum's' hands, and he literally demands Reiki when I am sitting downstairs by him doing distance treatments, he frequently pushes Dougal out of the way to get there first! We absolutely adore him.
Our thanks!
Our thanks to Diane and Ian, and their team at Knight Pets, Hawthorn Road, Kingstanding, Birmingham. We buy all of our pet food, treats, bones, toys and other doggy requirements from them. We would highly recommend their own line of premium pet food, excellent quality and price, but the most important thing is our dogs love it! They have an extensive range of excellent products so can be your one-stop shop for all of your pet's needs. Their knowledge of the products that they sell is brilliant, and they can always offer advice, and training tips.