Flappy the Cavapoo

A too adorable puppy on the breakwater at  Larvotto Beach, in Monaco.

He's called Flappy and he's an 11 week old Cavapoo, which is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel crossed with a poodle.

Mia and her last journey

Some of you have met Mia, a Bassett Ariegois - or seen this photo of her in exhibitions.  Sadly, today she was put to sleep.

It's been a bad few weeks lately.  First, my oldest dog, Beau - a black and tan Bruno du Jura, had to be put to sleep. It was his time. Indeed the deed was done not a day too early or too late and I was okay about it. He'd had a good life here and lived far longer than he would have in the particular refuge he was in.

But Mia, who had a dreadful early life (as did Beau) didn't deserve to have been so sick for the last two or three weeks of her life. She'd had an ear infection for six months, nothing would clear it up and the skin deep within her ear got so thin it started bleeding.  At this time I changed vets, not because I didn't have the best faith in my old vet but because Mia was so car sick every time I drove a distance to her and she understood and agreed. The new vet gave me product for her ears that went into her blood stream and caused massive inbalance and semi-paralysis -  and ever since then we've been trying to get her right. And I changed vets again, of course.

Last night she became totally paralyzed and so this morning she went to the vet on her last journey.

When I got Mia around 7 years ago she'd been living in a filthy 2 metre square run with another dog, Mistral. She'd obviously had several litters of puppies and was thin as a stick and with bleeding skin. They'd been living on top of years of excrement and having food thrown over the fence. The owner died and the son wanted to shoot them.  So, they came to me. Mistral lived only 3 months because she had cancer, but Mia put on weight and was in excellent health, except mentally and emotionally. All her years with me she was terrified of any visitor, especially men.

 Mia was a wonderful dog, so kind, so sensitive. I miss her like crazy. 

So, now, this house is very empty. I have this photo of Mia hanging on my wall. And another of Beau hangs elsewhere. I'll show you Beau's photo another time.

(the second photo shows Mia with her friend, Maggie in the background)

Mia

This is my old dog, Mia, squeezed into a little dog's bed! She's not well at the moment - with something I'd never heard of before. She's had an ear infection for six months which wouldn't clear up despite analyses, antibiotics and drops.  Unfortunately the skin, deep within her ears, had got so thin, that one particular medication got into her blood stream, totally upset her balance, she walks with difficulty, sometimes falling over, and her rear end has no strength.  Since I took this photo, she's been at the vets each day from 8 till 5 on a drip and does seem a little better and starting to eat again. Who knew that some ear drops could do this! The vet says she will hopefully improve but she'll never completely get back her balance - it's now a neurological problem. Fingers crossed.... back to the vet this morning.

Prickle

This is Prickle, who lives at one of Menton's famous gardens, Le Clos du Peyronnet.

Exhausted

Larvotto Beach, Monaco.   Don't we all feel like this sometimes...!

Elegance

Elegance at Casino Square, Monte Carlo. Woof!

Pakkun

Last time we met Marley, an adorable French bulldog puppy.  This is her housemate, Pakkun, who is 4 months old - a handsome chocolate labrador. They live in Monaco.