Charlie's Progress

We're handing over to mum this time so she can tell you all about our brudder Charlie...and probably Crufts too!






Charlie is doing REALLY well with his weight loss. As you can see he has started swimming again, this time at a different pool where the lady gets in the pool with him and he gets to have a fab time! She breeds and works Newfoundlands and was so impressed with Charlie's steady swimming action that she says he can be an honorary Newfie! An honour indeed if you know what wonderful and brave rescue dogs Newfies can be! Many a human life saved by this bold and beautiful breed.

Charlie's weight loss has now topped 650g....not much you might think but an excellent step in the right direction. As he can build up his swim time (he did 35 minutes last week), we are hoping that the weight loss will continue in leaps and bounds. I've certainly begun to notice a difference when I have to carry him upstairs. He remains a happy chappie and my beautiful big boy!

The rest of the Beauclarke Bunch are doing well, Buddy took a tumble over the wood the other day but seems none the worse for wear, Louis is his usual barky self as is Pixie who keeps us amused with her crazy antics bouncing around the place...and the other girls, Penny and Lilly remain their usual stately selves!




The highlight of the doggy calendar came around again last week with the annual Crufts dog show held over 4 days at the NEC in Birmingham. I went along on Day 1 for the Gundogs and Day 4 for the Toys. This is the first year I have done 2 days at the event and have to say it was much better doing it this way round. More time to see everything and also plenty time for shopping!! Next year it will be Day 1 (Toy) and Day 2 (Gundog) for me, I wonder if 2 days in a row will see me off!!! I'd better start my Crufts 2012 savings fund going now!
Here is Pixie sporting her free Continental Airlines towel (from their stand at Crufts)...she wants to be their mascot!!




My oldest human child is 18 today so I had better begin some decorating for her to come home too from college!

More soon.......

A birthday, a bath day and Charlie's leg.

Well, so much for Mum promising to Blog weekly! We knew she wouldn't manage it! But to be fair she is not lazing around doing nothing and has lots to keep her busy.

One of the things she is working on is a children's story featuring us, The Beauclarke Bunch, but mainly about a magical spaniel (of the Cavalier variety ...goes with out saying!)at the moment called Spangle....but Spangle might become Dizzy....So far our lovely dearly departed Golden Retriever sister Ellie Bear has a mention as does Lilly, famous for her snoring, and some of the Jezebell Cats, but we'll all end up on there somewhere with Spangle, or Dizzy or whatever he ends up being called! Charlie and Pixie are modelling for Spangle and Dad is doing the illustrations for Mum's book. Here's on of the illustrations..... Dad's GOOD!!!




Annnyyyywaaayyy, the birthday was Pixie's. Princess Pixie of Beauclarke is now the grand old age of 1. We celebrated with some nice bones and a special doggie chocolate each. There are no doggie birthdays in March but we have 2 coming up in April. The Busdter will be 8 and Charlie will be 2.




Speaking of Charlie, he has been back under the knife again with his leg. He is still having problems walking and limps very badly, so the vet had him in to see what was going on in the joint as his knee is very stable after his original surgery. A new set of X-rays showed up a piece of bone floating around so the vet opened him up to take a look and remove it.....but as our usual luck goes, the bone wasn't free floating in the joint but is embedded in his tendon which is massively swollen. Its too risky to start poking around in the tendon to find the bit of bone as this could easily rupture the tendon. If his tendon ruptures he would most probably loose his leg, if he looses his leg he would have to be put to sleep because he would not cope on 3 legs as he's such a chunky boy (If it came to it mum would buy him wheels rather than loose her boy just because he likes his bones and had 3 legs!)



So he is on a serious diet...in fact all of us Beauclarke Bunch are on a serious diet! We get bones once a week and chicken or liver once a week, but other than that its a diet food for us....actually it tastes OK and we all will eat it. Mum has been hand feeding us so she knows that we are all getting the right amount each. Charlie has lost 300g in a month...it might not sound like much but he can't exercise fully yet, as he needs to rest the tendon. Mum is taking him back to hydrotherapy again this week, so I'm sure he will tell you more.

And today, mum made all us Cavaliers have baths!! Buddy gets away with it becasue he's too big for mum to lift up! Us Cavs had very muddy paws and tummies, so mum trimmed out feet and coats a bit yesterday and made us all have a bath today. Mum says she not sure that we are any cleaner...but we are much wetter as you can see..!!