we explore new places when we have a dog

Feeling excited that Penny's paws are fine now, I decided she could cope with a longer walk today. We stayed mainly on grass, at one of our favorite places, Willsmere Park in Kew.

However, it seemed a good idea to test Penny out on a hard surface, so we went in a new direction, out of the park and along the shared path towards Fairfield. We had to stay on lead. I tried to get Penny to mostly walk on the edge, on the soft soil there, but she insisted on walking on the concrete surface itself.

Penny walks along the edge of the shared path near Willsmere

When she was on the actual path, we had to keep our ears cocked for the sound of a speeding cyclist coming from behind. As the sign suggested, some warned us with a ringing of their bells, like this courteous guy who passed us so quickly I could hardly get a picture of him.

Sign for cyclists on shared path near Willsmere

But this rude fellow raced up behind us with no warning.

Discourteous cyclist on shared path near Kew

It was great to get back onto the nice soft walking path into Willsmere...

and back into the park itself.

seatbelts for pets in cars

Slavenka posted this photo from Arbroath. I wonder if I could get Penny to sit up with a seatbelt around her, lol?

disgusting bokashi compost tastes great...to a dog

Little Princess Goody Two-shoes Penny has blotted her copybook! She was caught in flagrante delicto this very afternoon, digging away with her supposedly sore front paws in the patch of soil where I had just buried some really stinky bokashi compost.

I think the nearest equivalent to this great Latin phrase 'in flagrante delicto' would be red-handed, but since she doesn't have hands, I'd say she was caught black-mouthed.

Penny is caught black-mouthed after snaffling compost

 I was so smug last time I posted about how I keep Penny from digging up delightful messy bokashi.

BetR2 commented that her Lucy would make short work of this barrier. I should have listened, lol. I guess Penny just pushed her way through my little fence, by the look of the skew-whiff way the bamboo sticks are standing now.

A not so dog-proof  fence around the bokashi

Digging for treasure in the bokashi

The next picture shows the new set-up. The problem is that our soil is clay and I don't want to break up the structure by digging a deep hole, so the bokashi is only a tantalising ten centimetres underground. What self-respecting dog could resist?

A challenge for Penny to think her way around the coiled up wire. Will she solve the puzzle?

Another attempt to keep the dog out of the bokashi

I hope not.

the poodle moth

No prize for guessing why this moth has been named after a dog.

further thoughts about deri-sal for dogs

A friend suggested to me today that it might be unwise to put Deri-sal on Penny's paws, because she might lick it off. So now I'm not sure if I will use it again. If I do, I'll put a bandage around her paw so she can't lick the salve.

Next time I'm at the vet clinic, I'll ask for his advice, and I'll write a post about what I find out.

I thought this thread about horse injuries was very interesting. I was once told that liniments and salves for horses are suitable for dogs, because their skin pH is similar. However, on reading this page I find they are somewhat different.

PetMD has a good summary of what we need to know about canine skin pH, in relation to shampoos, and I guess the same would apply to skin medications.

a balm for sore paws in dogs

I've been searching Australian sites for Bag Balm every since Mitch and Molly mentioned it in a comment on my post about Penny's sore paws, but had no luck. But today I went into my favorite pet shop, Murphys, and asked if there might be an Australian equivalent. This is the most amazing store, with a great variety of toys, food, health items, grooming, and everything I've ever needed. (No, I don't have anything to do with the store except to be a satisfied customer, lol.)

The product I came home with - Deri-Sal - was quite expensive, but I'm glad to have it on hand for the future. I think I'd use it on myself, if I had a skin problem, even though it's advertised as being for animal treatment only. Here's a photo of it:

I took a close-up of the label so you could see the ingredients. They are not the same as Bag Balm ingredients, though.

Wondering about whether zinc oxide might be dangerous, I was reassured when I read this page.

NOTE Wednesday 29 May 2013: I have subsequently had some reservations about using this without a covering bandage, because Penny might lick it off. I'm going to consult my vet next time I take Penny for a visit.

more about car safety for dogs

Johann has added a comment to my recent post on car safety for dogs. He reminded me he has his own page on the topic. I'm really glad he's sent me the link, because I thought I remembered he had done a good investigation of restraints for dogs. I'm going to head on over and read it now.