My poor lad, the bonkers Bichon Frise, is sick ..

Cosmonaut

Well-known member
He's always been a fit lad, never been sick far as I recall and strong as an Ox .. just turned six recently. A beautiful Bichon Frise, talented and insists on entertaining anyone. His character completely turned over the last 24 hours, initially, I thought it was anxiety as he was acting like he does when he sees a house spider .. terrified of them, but thinks he can fight anything else :ROFLMAO:

He's not got any better through today, he completely deteriorated around 7pm, and I've had him cooling down in the shower room, had to lift him in. Checked his temperature under his arms and around chest, feels like he has been in a microwave but I have been told to hold off admitting him anywhere just yet which I find odd. I guess services are overwhelmed though but a temperature that high, shaking like a leaf, I would've thought that is a genuine emergency. I genuinely don't know what I am doing, it is the first time anything like this has happened to him.

He's really weak right at the minute. I've been on the phone all night getting advice from other emergency vets, the prices I was quoted earlier for a full night/s then treatment prescribed on top if they live, blew me out the water .. there's nothing I can do but use PDSA now, even though we pay White Cross £22 a month, it's just for basic care. Insurance was recently canceled while things were tight much to my chagrin but I was intending on restarting the policy shortly.

I have been so busy moving house, the lot .. I knew something was typically bound to happen while his health insurance was paused .. this is genuinely, really, the last thing I need after still recovering from a full-on nervous breakdown at beginning of February. Without the hound, I dunno if I'd still be here right now.

I've been told I am unlikely to get him seen before nine, as it wouldn't be worth it taking him in anywhere near me now anyway in the state he is in, as he'd be more stressed while he waits at the surgery ...

So as advised, I will be keeping an eye on him all through the night, not getting any sleep ... and obviously to try to get him to drink water but don't stress him out either as apparently he is reacting to me flapping about the whole thing too (which I know dogs do) but I am worried sick. It's amazing how they pick up on your mood even when you're not being vocal or even in the same room, isn't it??

I have been sat in the bathroom bawling into a towel all night, he's meant everything to me these past years and I really haven't got it in me, to be honest, to lose him out of the blue just like that, after the couple of months I have already had. Anyway, wish me luck FMTTMers .. just thought I'd type in an update while I am in the wars a bit, and things have taken a turn for the worse tonight. I am not looking for sympathy that's for sure though, I just know how utterly brilliant dogs are and I am worried sick, I love my lad like he's a son. The dog owners on here will get it.

when things like this happen you realise how pathetic football truly is 🤡 .. kidding obv

Dog power
 
Kia Kaha cosmonaut. They get to you don't they, a lot more than humans do as you feel so helpless that you can't explain things to them.

We've had a few pets over the years, dogs, cats, sheep, turkeys, pigs etc, and it hurts like hell when they cross the rainbow and you think never again.

But you do, because you can't live without them.

Fingers crossed for you, please keep us updated.
 
had my lovely dog put down this week, a gorgeous jack russell nearly 16 years old. last few months has been blind & deaf, then had some sort of stroke (not the nice sort!) the other day, and we decided enough was enough. I can honestly say I feel better now, knowing she is suffering no more. she had a bloody great life and was well-loved by all, and she gave love to all too.
 
Thanks, pal. I knew something was not quite right last night but like I say I thought it was another spider that scared him as there are huge fkers in here lately, I am more scared of them than he is. ha ha

He woke me at 3am then 5am, he'd got under the bed with me shaking like a leaf .. then tried to hide in a cupboard, he's trying to flee something whether it was picking up on my mood of late or he seen a creepy-crawly again, but that would have been over and subsided within half hour or so ..

Got to this morning and he went about his business as normal, he gets a lot of miles in walking and hiking every day, he loves the outdoors more than any other dog I have had/known ... but since he has been in he's not even standing up, just trembling so I think he's in pain

Checked his gums and if they're pale that is apparently a bad sign, but it's difficult to tell. Certainly don't want to fiddle with him at the moment as I have been told by the vets on the phone to leave him alone

I really can't be done with having to go to vets at 9AM, had appointments booked in for house jobs I am getting done at my new place and was meant to even see a Dr myself ... none of that will be getting done if the night's a rough n'

I know others have things going on 100 percent worse and my heart goes out to them whatever it may be, I do not want to come across as a whiney selfish tw@ ... it is just how much he means to me, I need him around.

I would love to go get my head down right now but there's no way that is happening .. oh well. Fingers crossed he gets relaxed and settles but I am really worried about his temperature at the minute and also whatever else may be causing pain, I am powerless to do anything right at this minute and it makes me feel cruel ..

Hopefully, he will be seen to first thing and we get to the bottom of it .. PDSA first port of call though, as advised, so that's who I will be onto as soon as their lines open. He could end up at White Cross who we're paying like I said but it's unlikely to cover much if it turns out to be serious illness ... terrified
 
Hope things improve - we only got our rescue dogs last June but I couldn't imagine being without them now.
Our last dog had two bouts of illness that we thought would take her, but she rode both storms out and came back as good as new...fingers crossed for you.
 
had my lovely dog put down this week, a gorgeous jack russell nearly 16 years old. last few months has been blind & deaf, then had some sort of stroke (not the nice sort!) the other day, and we decided enough was enough. I can honestly say I feel better now, knowing she is suffering no more. she had a bloody great life and was well-loved by all, and she gave love to all too.
I am really sorry mate but sounds like she had wonderful loving owners and family and meant the world to you all, you give her a good life, and its those times you remember. My heart goes out to you all, really sorry. But like you say, it isn't fair they stay suffering in pain and she had a great life and you did the right thing for her, as gut-wrenchingly painful the choice is in the end.

My mate was in a similar situation to me not too long back, had a boxer that he'd never needed to really be seen to for anything serious over the few years they had him. One day, he was out on the morning on their usual walk, doing his business as usual. By evening, he had to be put to sleep .. some kind of hemorrhage in his stomach after he suddenly became sick out the blue. Two days before Christmas it was too ... I didn't have the words for them to express how sorry I was. They were in bits. Such rough luck too, with the time of year and all.

My lad is resting now but still trembling and panting. Still not had a drink of water or his dinner, he'd done about five-mile with me the last walk before I was onto the vets when he started acting up again, First time I have ever known him to avoid his favorite kibbles with a bit of chicken as his after-walk treat.

I'm willing him to drink but he just isn't interested. Keeping him as cool as I can.
 
Hope things improve - we only got our rescue dogs last June but I couldn't imagine being without them now.
Our last dog had two bouts of illness that we thought would take her, but she rode both storms out and came back as good as new...fingers crossed for you.
Thank you mate. And how great of you to take them in. That's the thing some non-dog owners don't/can't fully understand until they come to own one themselves if they choose so, They become part of the family just like everyone else, or if you live alone it's even harder to imagine the world without them.

Didn't even want to type those last few words as not to tempt fate, getting a bit like that lately the way things have been going. Sometimes I feel I need to slap myself to see if I am in some sort of bad dream that's been going on for months :ROFLMAO:

Hopefully, he is going to be back to his normal self in the morning but at the minute, he's back on the sofa looking rough.
 
Thanks, pal. I knew something was not quite right last night but like I say I thought it was another spider that scared him as there are huge fkers in here lately, I am more scared of them than he is. ha ha

He woke me at 3am then 5am, he'd got under the bed with me shaking like a leaf .. then tried to hide in a cupboard, he's trying to flee something whether it was picking up on my mood of late or he seen a creepy-crawly again, but that would have been over and subsided within half hour or so ..

Got to this morning and he went about his business as normal, he gets a lot of miles in walking and hiking every day, he loves the outdoors more than any other dog I have had/known ... but since he has been in he's not even standing up, just trembling so I think he's in pain

Checked his gums and if they're pale that is apparently a bad sign, but it's difficult to tell. Certainly don't want to fiddle with him at the moment as I have been told by the vets on the phone to leave him alone

I really can't be done with having to go to vets at 9AM, had appointments booked in for house jobs I am getting done at my new place and was meant to even see a Dr myself ... none of that will be getting done if the night's a rough n'

I know others have things going on 100 percent worse and my heart goes out to them whatever it may be, I do not want to come across as a whiney selfish tw@ ... it is just how much he means to me, I need him around.

I would love to go get my head down right now but there's no way that is happening .. oh well. Fingers crossed he gets relaxed and settles but I am really worried about his temperature at the minute and also whatever else may be causing pain, I am powerless to do anything right at this minute and it makes me feel cruel ..

Hopefully, he will be seen to first thing and we get to the bottom of it .. PDSA first port of call though, as advised, so that's who I will be onto as soon as their lines open. He could end up at White Cross who we're paying like I said but it's unlikely to cover much if it turns out to be serious illness ... terrified
Everybody has stuff going on Cosmo. Don't feel bad because your friend is poorly. Doesn't matter what others think. It's what matters to you. Hope everything is sorted soon.
 
Hope your furry companion is quickly on the mend. They give so much to us. My furry menace is asleep beside me at the moment, he gets me out of bed and into the morning every day. When we lose them it is like losing family.
 
Thanks for the responses guys, genuinely lovely of you all.

Amazingly, he seems to be OK. Christ, I've not panicked like that in a long time. He was still fussy through the night, not quite sure what it is ... with being between moving and that it's been a bit of a stressful time for him too but he's never shown it like that before so I went into alarmist mode straight away last night when he was trembling and temperature appeared to be rocketing.

He ate his dinner finally, been drinking..

Just have to keep an eye on the fella now, hopefully back to his usual crackers self soon.

I'll keep you all posted on how he gets on .. fingers crossed, it was just a false alarm. Deary me! X
 
Thanks for the responses guys, genuinely lovely of you all.

Amazingly, he seems to be OK. Christ, I've not panicked like that in a long time. He was still fussy through the night, not quite sure what it is ... with being between moving and that it's been a bit of a stressful time for him too but he's never shown it like that before so I went into alarmist mode straight away last night when he was trembling and temperature appeared to be rocketing.

He ate his dinner finally, been drinking..

Just have to keep an eye on the fella now, hopefully back to his usual crackers self soon.

I'll keep you all posted on how he gets on .. fingers crossed, it was just a false alarm. Deary me! X
He might have read the Wilder messages on here. Should be OK now after the press conference.

Really pleased for you. I will get 2 Jack Russell when I retire, I just have a few years to nibble the idea to the current wife.
 
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Thanks for the responses guys, genuinely lovely of you all.

Amazingly, he seems to be OK. Christ, I've not panicked like that in a long time. He was still fussy through the night, not quite sure what it is ... with being between moving and that it's been a bit of a stressful time for him too but he's never shown it like that before so I went into alarmist mode straight away last night when he was trembling and temperature appeared to be rocketing.

He ate his dinner finally, been drinking..

Just have to keep an eye on the fella now, hopefully back to his usual crackers self soon.

I'll keep you all posted on how he gets on .. fingers crossed, it was just a false alarm. Deary me! X
Great news 👍. Keep us updated.

Pets are better company than some humans, I know mine got me through the lock downs. I think I bore the pants off mine by talking to them all the time. Perhaps I'm going mental! 🤪
 
Brilliant news Cosmo 👍
Ours can swing the lead with the best of them tbh. The only time we were actually worried with him was when he decided to strip some bark of a plum tree stump. Little did we know it contains traces of cyanide and it was the bleeding from his butt that alerted us. Thankfully it was a mild case and antibiotics sorted him out. Oh and the time he thought he try and jump onto a viaduct wall unaware of the 150ft drop the other side. I nearly had a heart attack as he's trying to scramble up 😂
 
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Brilliant news Cosmo 👍
Ours can swing the lead with the best of them tbh. The only time we were actually worried with him was when he decided to strip some bark of a plum tree stump. Little did we know it contains traces of cyanide and it was the bleeding from his butt that alerted us. Thankfully it was a mild case and antibiotics sorted him out. Oh and the time he thought he try and jump onto a viaduct wall unaware of the 150ft drop the other side. I nearly had a heart attack as he's trying to scramble up 😂
Bloody hell, the bleeding from the bit of bark sounds terrifying, I will be looking out for plum trees from now on :ROFLMAO: .. I know how you must've felt at the time though, glad he came through that. He sounds a similar character to mine re; viaduct haha, he thinks he's James Bond sometimes my boy ...

Nowt better than dogs. They're the greatest thing God made.

Just to be on the safe side I have an appointment booked for the hound after last night .. will be taking him to his regular vet White Cross on Tuesday, they'll give him the once-over/bloods done and any shots that might be due covered. A vet called me early this morning to ask how things went through the night and she was lovely, they dealt with it all really well considering. Very grateful for how they dealt with me also, considering the hysterical, mad panic I was in. I then started feeling terrible though, like I might have wasted time on other emergencies they were needed on, but I thought it truly was at the time.

Anyway ...

Mr Bichon Frise .. I will have to put it down to the uncertainty with Chris Wilder staying or going as the poster above mentioned, he must have a FMTTM subscription I wasn't aware of! :ROFLMAO:

Appreciate all the wonderful responses. Thanks, means more than yer'd know. X
 
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Hi there guys

I have battled with myself on whether to bring this old post of mine back up ... well, I have more bad news ... seems ever-present these days, doesn't it?? Country in ruins after over a decade of Tory rule, Liz Truss is somehow PM, Boris Johnson has been ... and folk is going through hell day after day. We're all wondering whenever the hell the Boro will be enjoyable to watch again, too. All feels like a dreadful dream, eh??

Anyway, barring the Boro, something hell of a lot more important to me as you guys will appreciate turned up (again) ...

A week ago last Saturday, my lad, the lovely dog who I posted about in this thread before ... he and my mother were attacked viciously on a walk around Flatts Lane Country Park last Saturday

A couple of 'Mallies' I believe they call them, all off their leads and a huge Lurcher cross-type ... surrounded my mother and my hound and tore into them as they had barely started their walk. All the dogs attacking them, were off the leads and the owners just walked off, leaving my Mother potentially for dead screaming for help, my hound was tossed around like a teddy bear and seriously wounded ... it is all a blur from the moment she called me screaming for help to call the police, I had no idea if she was being attacked by a gang, or what .. but knew what to expect in terms of news on my dog

The police were superb, multiple units arrived within seconds and found her in some bushes, her arm cut up to bits and her hand now infected badly .. my hound was unconscious by the time others arrived, ambulance etc

My brother-in-law rushed him to the emergency vet in Thornaby on Tees or where ever it is called these days ... cost 1000s for the care he needed immediately over 18 hours, was given 3 options by the vet when allowed in to see him. Was recommended he stay with them until they stabilize his vitals if they can, option two release him with pain and other meds for us to care for, or 3 .. I don't even wanna bring myself to say it .. my heart broke looking at the absolute state of him, multiple lacerations all over his back, a wound so deep down to muscle that they feared was going necrotic already .. and another similar on his neck where one of the dogs must have tried to do him like he was a rabbit

Anyway, I am at my mother's now caring for the two of them, have been since. I cannot believe what a little fighter my hound is. But I don't want to speak too soon and have this awful feeling of dread in me and have barely eaten for over a week.

We had insurance with Animal Friends, but an admin error on their side meant we needed the cash up front and I simply did not have the funds immediately available to keep him with the private vets .... I am fuming with what happened, they would not allow me to go back and cover the payments they messed up and make a claim, and the only option was, was to restart coverage .. but as they knew now what has happened they would probably charge a higher premium to start with I am guessing

Anyway, he managed to get through until Monday when we got him into the PDSA, the vet there seemed to be so much more positive and such a gentleman. Prescribed penicillin etc, as my lad has wounds wide open that are so severe they just need cleansing etc while he is recovering

I have never cried so hard in my life for days on end. My mother has PTSD and has been waking up through the night screaming about the dogs and going back into shock ... she is a retired Spinal Injuries nurse and fit as a fiddle, but this incident has put years and years on her

Both my Mother and my lad, the Bichon Frise is my world, and people may think my post is dramatic .. but I just wanted to post about it as I am absolutely sick of people getting away with stuff like this. I want the owners tracked down and they have cost us so much money. I now owe my brother-in-law a lot of money, and the money spent during the week going back and forth to my mothers as I do not drive, etc, everything like that .. it has set me back so much as sadly I am not earning currently due to ill health

And should there be more treatment due from tomorrow, I will be laying into money I only have set aside for energy bills and rent ... which I will if I have to .. but it is just unfair.

I am also furious these guys left my mother, a nearly 70-year-old woman pinned to the ground by their dogs like that while they tried to kill my lad as she tried to fight them off ..

This is just the worst time for anything like this, it does not seem real. I am still out of work due to complex mental health issues and you would not believe the other things I was already dealing with on top of all this. One includes nuisance neighbors bullying/harassing me and deciding to tell everyone I am a paedophile, which is just bizarre as I am really well known in the area.

I have had the housing company look to move me immediately but I am living under threat every day by utter pond life. That is one of many problems where I live currently.

My Mother, she lives in Coulby Newham. A few weeks before this happened, her whole apartment's front windows were smashed as well as the downstairs apartment. Apparently the victims of a gang who wrongfully targeted their flats looking to hurt someone else.

Thankfully, she was not in at the time.

The window is still bloody boarded up and Thirteen Housing have not replaced it. Ridiculous.

I am tired of the way society is so run down now, we all know why ... but I just am struggling to grasp why I have experienced so much of it at once. I am trying to get better alone as it is, and these setbacks, exhausting is not the word.

I just want you all to send us your best if you can, I am hoping my hound makes it. He is getting there, eating, drinking ... but frustrated as hell as he is normally so active. It has only been a week but I am scared anything could send everything south, though all things considered, it is remarkable how well he is healing so far.

Right now he has a temperature and had all the meds prescribed today with his food ... but I am hoping tomorrow I can find some more pain relief than what the Private Vets gave us, it's all gone now

Just antibiotics left ... I just don't want him to be in so much pain it overwhelms him as he hasn't half been battered like he has been in a blender

This week I am hoping for nothing but recovery, friendliness, and a bit of peace. Oh, and maybe a new Boro manager would do :LOL:

Just can't believe what is happening to folk these days at the moment. I am juggling numerous things due to idiots ... I even had a friend thrown off his motorbike the other day and left injured as they got away with it ... this happened actually on the road near where my mother and dog were attacked

How can anyone trust another anymore, these days?? Just can't win it seems.

I would prefer though for the owners of the dogs who attacked my hound and mother to come forward, but I know that is wishful thinking.

Anyway .. there you all go. What a dreadful week. I dunno how I am holding myself together ...
 
Hi there guys

I have battled with myself on whether to bring this old post of mine back up ... well, I have more bad news ... seems ever-present these days, doesn't it?? Country in ruins after over a decade of Tory rule, Liz Truss is somehow PM, Boris Johnson has been ... and folk is going through hell day after day. We're all wondering whenever the hell the Boro will be enjoyable to watch again, too. All feels like a dreadful dream, eh??

Anyway, barring the Boro, something hell of a lot more important to me as you guys will appreciate turned up (again) ...

A week ago last Saturday, my lad, the lovely dog who I posted about in this thread before ... he and my mother were attacked viciously on a walk around Flatts Lane Country Park last Saturday

A couple of 'Mallies' I believe they call them, all off their leads and a huge Lurcher cross-type ... surrounded my mother and my hound and tore into them as they had barely started their walk. All the dogs attacking them, were off the leads and the owners just walked off, leaving my Mother potentially for dead screaming for help, my hound was tossed around like a teddy bear and seriously wounded ... it is all a blur from the moment she called me screaming for help to call the police, I had no idea if she was being attacked by a gang, or what .. but knew what to expect in terms of news on my dog

The police were superb, multiple units arrived within seconds and found her in some bushes, her arm cut up to bits and her hand now infected badly .. my hound was unconscious by the time others arrived, ambulance etc

My brother-in-law rushed him to the emergency vet in Thornaby on Tees or where ever it is called these days ... cost 1000s for the care he needed immediately over 18 hours, was given 3 options by the vet when allowed in to see him. Was recommended he stay with them until they stabilize his vitals if they can, option two release him with pain and other meds for us to care for, or 3 .. I don't even wanna bring myself to say it .. my heart broke looking at the absolute state of him, multiple lacerations all over his back, a wound so deep down to muscle that they feared was going necrotic already .. and another similar on his neck where one of the dogs must have tried to do him like he was a rabbit

Anyway, I am at my mother's now caring for the two of them, have been since. I cannot believe what a little fighter my hound is. But I don't want to speak too soon and have this awful feeling of dread in me and have barely eaten for over a week.

We had insurance with Animal Friends, but an admin error on their side meant we needed the cash up front and I simply did not have the funds immediately available to keep him with the private vets .... I am fuming with what happened, they would not allow me to go back and cover the payments they messed up and make a claim, and the only option was, was to restart coverage .. but as they knew now what has happened they would probably charge a higher premium to start with I am guessing

Anyway, he managed to get through until Monday when we got him into the PDSA, the vet there seemed to be so much more positive and such a gentleman. Prescribed penicillin etc, as my lad has wounds wide open that are so severe they just need cleansing etc while he is recovering

I have never cried so hard in my life for days on end. My mother has PTSD and has been waking up through the night screaming about the dogs and going back into shock ... she is a retired Spinal Injuries nurse and fit as a fiddle, but this incident has put years and years on her

Both my Mother and my lad, the Bichon Frise is my world, and people may think my post is dramatic .. but I just wanted to post about it as I am absolutely sick of people getting away with stuff like this. I want the owners tracked down and they have cost us so much money. I now owe my brother-in-law a lot of money, and the money spent during the week going back and forth to my mothers as I do not drive, etc, everything like that .. it has set me back so much as sadly I am not earning currently due to ill health

And should there be more treatment due from tomorrow, I will be laying into money I only have set aside for energy bills and rent ... which I will if I have to .. but it is just unfair.

I am also furious these guys left my mother, a nearly 70-year-old woman pinned to the ground by their dogs like that while they tried to kill my lad as she tried to fight them off ..

This is just the worst time for anything like this, it does not seem real. I am still out of work due to complex mental health issues and you would not believe the other things I was already dealing with on top of all this. One includes nuisance neighbors bullying/harassing me and deciding to tell everyone I am a paedophile, which is just bizarre as I am really well known in the area.

I have had the housing company look to move me immediately but I am living under threat every day by utter pond life. That is one of many problems where I live currently.

My Mother, she lives in Coulby Newham. A few weeks before this happened, her whole apartment's front windows were smashed as well as the downstairs apartment. Apparently the victims of a gang who wrongfully targeted their flats looking to hurt someone else.

Thankfully, she was not in at the time.

The window is still bloody boarded up and Thirteen Housing have not replaced it. Ridiculous.

I am tired of the way society is so run down now, we all know why ... but I just am struggling to grasp why I have experienced so much of it at once. I am trying to get better alone as it is, and these setbacks, exhausting is not the word.

I just want you all to send us your best if you can, I am hoping my hound makes it. He is getting there, eating, drinking ... but frustrated as hell as he is normally so active. It has only been a week but I am scared anything could send everything south, though all things considered, it is remarkable how well he is healing so far.

Right now he has a temperature and had all the meds prescribed today with his food ... but I am hoping tomorrow I can find some more pain relief than what the Private Vets gave us, it's all gone now

Just antibiotics left ... I just don't want him to be in so much pain it overwhelms him as he hasn't half been battered like he has been in a blender

This week I am hoping for nothing but recovery, friendliness, and a bit of peace. Oh, and maybe a new Boro manager would do :LOL:

Just can't believe what is happening to folk these days at the moment. I am juggling numerous things due to idiots ... I even had a friend thrown off his motorbike the other day and left injured as they got away with it ... this happened actually on the road near where my mother and dog were attacked

How can anyone trust another anymore, these days?? Just can't win it seems.

I would prefer though for the owners of the dogs who attacked my hound and mother to come forward, but I know that is wishful thinking.

Anyway .. there you all go. What a dreadful week. I dunno how I am holding myself together ...
Holy **** Cosmo, I'm speechless after reading that.

Big love to you and your Mum ❤️
 
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