BELLA is now 11 years old! Life has moved on, limbs have got stiff, and earlier childhood 'activities' have almost - but not quite - lost their excitement.

It is now March 2022. For the last six years or so BELLA has become a sun-worshipper -

a pampered pup

and a happy forest walker.

However, she's also got older, stiffer, achy-er, and lost a few teeth!

In January (2022), after a routine kennel cough appointment with the vet, she had six teeth out :O But that didn't affect her little appetite for too long.

Then she started limping and after some rather frustrating discussions with vet (!) she was booked in for Cruciate Ligament surgery. Vets weren't totally sure if it was a Luxated Patella or Cruciate Ligament - apparently this is quite common says the specialist - but on Friday 18th March, the Cruciate Ligament surgery was completed and deemed a success :) 

However, due to BELLA's reluctance to wee or poo in 'her' garden, and that she has to be kept in strict crate rest - 

and a hind leg that is sore and not quite moving or bending as easily as normal, toileting has been an experience! So when she managed, somehow, to crouch and wee in 'her' garden two days after discharge, it was a great achievement! However, although food and water taken (although understandably in much smaller portions) when she hadn't done a pooh since the morning of the surgery, and hadn't wee-ed for 2 full days, we decided it was time for a vet visit. She got very stressed in the car, not her most favourite place, and when we got to said vet half an hour later, we discovered why! No she hadn't messed all over my back seat, just a teeny tiny blob, but when she got out the car, it all came out! All the way down the pathway to the reception, (because we didn't notice anything) :O - and once inside the waiting room, embarrasingly for both her and us - two more heaps on the floor :O  Oh dear!! Between a lovely quiet vet nurse and me, everything was picked up, floor mopped and outside brush-scrubbed as if nothing had happened!

Of course when the vet took her out on 'his' grass and manipulated her tummy (he did say it wasn't easy!) her bladder emptied, and more pooh :O.  He was satisfied that she wasn't dehydrated or harbouring any infection, and that her leg appeared to be healing nicely, and then it was straight back home and on to her bed!

With much trepidation, as my back had been sore over the last few days, yesterday I walked her beyond 'her' garden to see if she'd 'perform' again. And success! Such relief! Took a while to get back home - sniffing her missed friends, distracted by every sound in the kids playground and sunny back gardens, just standing and soaking in the early Spring sunshine - we eventually got home

- worn out!

Old ladies and their health woes!

Here's hoping she'll be back to 'her' back garden soon, soaking up the Summer sunshine. But right now, she's snoring away in her confined bedroom, resting, as ordered!