As the time since losing Kev passes, the pain receds a little. Towards the end of the year we hope to adopt another dog -or possibly two dogs. The owner of Primrose, the Standard Poodle who came from Australia, has noticed an interesting trend among local dog owners. Helen finds that, for Arundel dog owners, a rescue dog has a certain cachet.  Buying from a breeder is not seen as the best option, and some people actually frown on the idea.  This must be music to the ears of animal rescue charities.  They have been urging us for years to look at all the unwanted dogs first, rather than encourage puppy farming.  We are only one small town of admittedly middle class dog lovers, but at least the message is getting through.  Older dogs are the other neglected group, as they are often passed over in favour of puppies.  When we adopted Kev, his age was estimated at nine. We had nearly four rewarding years with him, and given the chance we would do it all over again.   Our beautiful dog was slim and handsome, with a fantastic coat. He always helped me avoid eating too much as half my snacks always reached his stomach.  This is a great alternative to an appetite suppressant, and helped me keep my weight down. That is just one more advantage to having a dog.

One thing that was really annoying as a dog owner was the fact that so many pubs, bars and restaurants were suddenly off limits.  Here in the UK most catering outlets believe (mistakenly) that it is against the law to allow dogs in restaurants.  This is not true – obviously they should not be roaming around the kitchens sniffing the food, but dogs can accompany their families for an enjoyable meal inside the restaurant.  I mentioned in an earlier article that we met a delightful pug called Betty in an Amsterdam restaurant earlier this year.  Betty’s owner told me that Amsterdam is a very dog friendly city, and they do not have to leave their dog at home when enjoying an evening out.  Who knows – if Betty the Pug applies some anti wrinkle eye cream she might be able to bluff her way in to an English eatery until a similar approach to pet friendly venues prevails in the UK.

Allergic Conjunctivitis in Dogs

Allergic conjunctivitis, as well as sneezing and other evidence of allergy, is increasingly common in dogs. This may be related to where their environment, or to changes in their immunity due to, for example, diet and exercise.

Conjunctivitis is inflammation of the conjunctiva, a thin layer of skin over the white of the eye and the inner surface of the lids. Allergy occurs when the immune system over-reacts to a stimulus, mistakenly thinking it is an infection or cancer that it needs to fight off.

A dog with allergic conjunctivitis is likely to have redness, swelling and watering of one or both (usually both) eyes. There may be thickening of the conjunctiva, and if the dog is irritated to the extent that it scratches the eyes, there may be corneal abrasions and other eye damage.

No treatment (”watchful waiting”) is a valid option if symptoms are very mild. If possible, allergen avoidance is important. Bathing the eyes with a cool flannel may relieve some soreness and itching.

More severe allergic conjunctivitis will be treated with anti-inflammatory or antihistamine eye drops and ointments, and if any secondary bacterial infection is suspected, an antibiotic drop may be added. Occasionally a steroid drop will be used if treatment is otherwise unsuccessful.

Allergy testing may be needed to find the cause of the allergy.

Most holistic therapists and vets will look to the diet for a source of allergy. It is worth trying a hypo-allergenic diet. In addition, allergens in the air are important, so it is worth checking out environmental dust and pollution. Antioxidant supplements can help boost the immunity and reduce allergy.

Herbal Remedies: Burdock, Rosemary and Meadowsweet can all help with allergic conjunctivitis. Burdock (Arctium lappa) helps with detoxification; Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) is antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, and Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis) is another antiseptic and disinfectant. The eyes can be bathed in a decoction of fennel seed (Foeniculum vulgare), Eyebright (Euphrasia officinallis) or elder flower (Sambucus nigra) to reduce soreness and inflammation.

Homeopathy: Apis mel can be used to rinse sore eyelids; arsen alb is used for more watery eyes.

Relaxation therapy, spiritual healing and general stress reducing measures will aid recovery from allergic conjunctivitis, as well as other ill-health. Healing work on the Brow chakra will particularly benefit the eyes.

Blue lace agate is useful for eye problems when using crystal healing or Outer Banks.

Flower Remedies: Bach remedies will help an underlying emotional problem which may be contributing to reduced immunity and allergy.

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Dr Alison Grimston, a holistic doctor and animal healer, has a natural animal therapy website informing the public about animal therapies while connecting and informing animal therapists. TheNaturallyHealthyPet.com

Sherbet, the Wheaten Terrier who lives near my house, has showns no signs of losing his urge to meet and mate with every female dog in our town.  His enthusiasm for the ladies meant that he had to stay on the lead all the time, which is a shame.  Before his hormones took over, Sherbet walked well off the lead along the river bank with his family.  They are not interested in breeding any pups from Sherbet, so the desision to neuter him was taken.  My husband and Sherbet’s ‘Dad’  were pretty squeamish about the procedure, so his Mum took him to the vet on Thursday.  The op. went well, and Sherbet was full of beans again by Saturday. I know this because I took him for a walk and his vigour was undiminished.  It’s important to remember that there is plenty of Testosterone flowing round his body for six weeks after being neutered.  When we adopted Kevin he had been neutered at the rescue centre. Two weeks later we visited some friend who are great fans of Vegas vacations. We were mortified when he tried to ‘hump’ their male Black Labrador!

My other occasional dog sitting client is Sherbet, a year-old Wheaten terrier who lives nearby.  He arrived as a ten week old puppy so I have been able to watch him grow to his current stage of almost full growth.  The first time I looked after him we had a lot of fun – apart from his attempted ‘escape’ as I was loading him into the car.  Once I got him back the day went well, and he settled down well while I was working.  This time his owner warned me that Sherbet has recently discovered female dogs!  A friend’s dog was on heat and this caused Sherbet to get very excited.  So I was prepared for a lot of interest in every other passing dog, and that is what happened. We had an energetic hour-long walk, no need for weight loss pills.

When we got back home Sherbet was still full of energy, and he would not settle down.  He sat at the back door, gazing through the window and howling.  I’ve never seen a lovesick dog until now!  I could not let the dog stay in the garden in case he found a way out, so reluctantly I took him home and he went back into his crate.  He always relaxes in the crate so that is where he stayed until the family returned two hours later.