Today the phone rang when I was enjoying an afternoon nap. It was a call from Mum's mummy in Japan. She said that she had seen news reports about a big earthquake in Christchurch. Dad immediately turned on TV and watched live reports from Christchurch. There were photos and videos one after another that show how devastating it was. I am really, really sad, thinking about people in Christchurch who had started to recover from a previous big earthquake in the area last September.
Here in Auckland I didn't feel anything. I hope all dogs that got lost in the aftermath will reunite with their family safely and quickly.
For more information about the earthquake, visit here.
Tuesday, 22 February 2011
Wednesday, 16 February 2011
A surprise trip to Rotorua
Hi! It's Cinnamon.
Yay, we went on a trip to Rotorua on the weekend!! It was kind of a surprise present for us actually. None of us didn't know we were going to Rotorua until Tuesday.
Although I didn't write about it in my previous posts, Mum's mummy, auntie, and uncle stayed with us for several days from late January. Because Mum was too busy to take them out of Auckland for sightseeing, our guests rented a car and went on a trip to Rotorua and Napier by themselves while Mum stayed home working as usual. But, just before they went back home, Mum's auntie realised that she had left something behind at a hotel in Rotorua. Mum immedietely rang the hotel and confirmed that they had the thing. Mum also asked a hotel receptionist to courier it to the aunty's home in Japan. However, on Monday Mum got a phone call from the auntie. She said that someone from the hotel had rung her to let her know that they couldn't courier the thing left behind by the auntie because it contained something valuable. The only way to retrieve the thing was someone went to the hotel in person to collect it. That is how my Mum and Dad decided to go to Rotorua on the weekend.
Mum and Dad searched the Internet to find several motels that allowed dogs. Mum chose one of them, Gibson Court Motel, and booked it because some of its units had private mineral pool.
Then on Thursday Mum got a phone call from her friend. She was looking for a place where her dog could stay for the weekend. So, Mum and Dad decided to take him to Rotorua with us. But, there was one concern. They were not sure how well we, Mint and I, and the dog got along. On Thursday Mum's friend came with the dog called Kurosawa, or Kuro, to see how well we got along. Of course we welcomed Kuro, as both of us, Mint and I, had met and played with him before.
On Saturday morning we went to Kuro's house to pick him up before heading for Rotorua. On the way to our destination, we stopped twice for short breaks. All of us travelled well.
In Rotorua, after collecting Mum's auntie's thing from the hotel and checked in our motel, we got in the car again and went to the Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest, which we had heard about from our friend Honey the Great Dane. Actually our motel was very close to the forest, only a few minutes' drive away. Mum first visited the information centre to confirm that dogs are allowed on tracks in the forest as long as they are kept on the lead, then we set out for a walk. Despite the high temperature and humidity that day, we thoroughly enjoyed the walk, as the track we walked on was sheltered under huge trees all the way from the start to the end.
Back at the motel Mum and Dad enjoyed soaking in the mineral pool while we doggies had a nap. Our travel mate, Kuro, was so well-behaved (He never tried to jump on a couch or bed!) that he was allowed to be free in the motel unit throughout our stay in the motel, while we were put in our crate when neither Mum nor Dad could keep an eye on us.
The next morning we went to the Redwoods Forest again and on the way back to Auckland we dropped by Cambridge where agility show was being held because Mum wanted to say hello to someone who she knows. There were a huge number of people there, but she did manage to find the person and had a chat with her before hitting the road again to come back home.
It was a fantastic weekend!! I hope Kuro can come to stay with us again soon.
Yay, we went on a trip to Rotorua on the weekend!! It was kind of a surprise present for us actually. None of us didn't know we were going to Rotorua until Tuesday.
Although I didn't write about it in my previous posts, Mum's mummy, auntie, and uncle stayed with us for several days from late January. Because Mum was too busy to take them out of Auckland for sightseeing, our guests rented a car and went on a trip to Rotorua and Napier by themselves while Mum stayed home working as usual. But, just before they went back home, Mum's auntie realised that she had left something behind at a hotel in Rotorua. Mum immedietely rang the hotel and confirmed that they had the thing. Mum also asked a hotel receptionist to courier it to the aunty's home in Japan. However, on Monday Mum got a phone call from the auntie. She said that someone from the hotel had rung her to let her know that they couldn't courier the thing left behind by the auntie because it contained something valuable. The only way to retrieve the thing was someone went to the hotel in person to collect it. That is how my Mum and Dad decided to go to Rotorua on the weekend.
Mum and Dad searched the Internet to find several motels that allowed dogs. Mum chose one of them, Gibson Court Motel, and booked it because some of its units had private mineral pool.
Then on Thursday Mum got a phone call from her friend. She was looking for a place where her dog could stay for the weekend. So, Mum and Dad decided to take him to Rotorua with us. But, there was one concern. They were not sure how well we, Mint and I, and the dog got along. On Thursday Mum's friend came with the dog called Kurosawa, or Kuro, to see how well we got along. Of course we welcomed Kuro, as both of us, Mint and I, had met and played with him before.
On Saturday morning we went to Kuro's house to pick him up before heading for Rotorua. On the way to our destination, we stopped twice for short breaks. All of us travelled well.
In Rotorua, after collecting Mum's auntie's thing from the hotel and checked in our motel, we got in the car again and went to the Redwoods Whakarewarewa Forest, which we had heard about from our friend Honey the Great Dane. Actually our motel was very close to the forest, only a few minutes' drive away. Mum first visited the information centre to confirm that dogs are allowed on tracks in the forest as long as they are kept on the lead, then we set out for a walk. Despite the high temperature and humidity that day, we thoroughly enjoyed the walk, as the track we walked on was sheltered under huge trees all the way from the start to the end.
Back at the motel Mum and Dad enjoyed soaking in the mineral pool while we doggies had a nap. Our travel mate, Kuro, was so well-behaved (He never tried to jump on a couch or bed!) that he was allowed to be free in the motel unit throughout our stay in the motel, while we were put in our crate when neither Mum nor Dad could keep an eye on us.
The next morning we went to the Redwoods Forest again and on the way back to Auckland we dropped by Cambridge where agility show was being held because Mum wanted to say hello to someone who she knows. There were a huge number of people there, but she did manage to find the person and had a chat with her before hitting the road again to come back home.
It was a fantastic weekend!! I hope Kuro can come to stay with us again soon.
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
Something that seems impossible to teach Beagles
Hi! It's Cinnamon. Thank you very much for all your kind messages to Mint.
By the way, some friends have asked me if we know what Mint had eaten, causing him to get sick. The answer is 'No.'
At first Mum thought he had swallowed a pebble, because he liked playing with pebbles at the base of a garden tap. Although Mum always told him to drop it whenever she saw Mint holding a pebble in the mouth, he was doing it again just before he got sick. Also, in the morning walk, he seemed to have picked up an acorn or something when Mum was picking up my you-know-what. But, X-rays showed nothing obstructing his stomach.
The vet asked Mum if Mint might have eaten chocolate, but there had been no chance Mint might have eaten chocolate unless he picked up something like that in our walk while no one was seeing. The vet also asked if Mint had been to the beach that morning, but we didn't go to the beach that day.(Last year there were incidents on several beaches in Auckland that dogs died after eating sea slugs that happened to contain the type of toxin usually produced in blow fish.)
After all we still don't know what had caused Mint's sickness. It might have been seeds or roots of some plants that contain toxic substances. Mum says that the best way to avoid another incident is that we don't pick up anything from the street. But, I don't think that is possible. Although I am aware Mum has been trying hard to keep our noses off the ground during our walks, I don't think she can completely stop our sniffing, our primary job as beagles!
Before I go, I will show you some photos taken a few days ago in a park called Craigavon Park, which we recently found not too far away from a rented house where we temporarily live now. As you can see in the photos, Mint is very well now!!
By the way, some friends have asked me if we know what Mint had eaten, causing him to get sick. The answer is 'No.'
At first Mum thought he had swallowed a pebble, because he liked playing with pebbles at the base of a garden tap. Although Mum always told him to drop it whenever she saw Mint holding a pebble in the mouth, he was doing it again just before he got sick. Also, in the morning walk, he seemed to have picked up an acorn or something when Mum was picking up my you-know-what. But, X-rays showed nothing obstructing his stomach.
The vet asked Mum if Mint might have eaten chocolate, but there had been no chance Mint might have eaten chocolate unless he picked up something like that in our walk while no one was seeing. The vet also asked if Mint had been to the beach that morning, but we didn't go to the beach that day.(Last year there were incidents on several beaches in Auckland that dogs died after eating sea slugs that happened to contain the type of toxin usually produced in blow fish.)
After all we still don't know what had caused Mint's sickness. It might have been seeds or roots of some plants that contain toxic substances. Mum says that the best way to avoid another incident is that we don't pick up anything from the street. But, I don't think that is possible. Although I am aware Mum has been trying hard to keep our noses off the ground during our walks, I don't think she can completely stop our sniffing, our primary job as beagles!
Before I go, I will show you some photos taken a few days ago in a park called Craigavon Park, which we recently found not too far away from a rented house where we temporarily live now. As you can see in the photos, Mint is very well now!!
Sunday, 6 February 2011
Mint's hospitalisation and his first birthday
Hi everyone! I missed you all!! I am sorry I didn't post anything for such a long time. Thank you very much for all messages you left on my last post about Cookie's first anniversary. Yes, I also think that Cookie is always watching over us.
Well, we moved while I was away from the cyber world. Although I had heard many blog friends talking about moving, I had never moved house after I left Te Aroha where I was born and came to Auckland when I was eight weeks old. To me the move this time was not a big deal at all. I am happy as long as I can be with my family, i.e. Mum, Dad, and Mint.
However, something really frightening happened about ten days before the move. On that Saturday Mint and I went out for a morning walk with Mum, and after coming back home we had breakfast as usual. About one hour or two later Mint suddenly started to vomit repeatedly. He kept vomiting even after he had nothing left to throw up in his tummy. Mum and Dad were so worried about him that they made an appointment with the vet. Luckily there was one slot left in the morning, but they had to wait for about one hour and a half before the appointment. Because the vet clinic was operating on holiday shift, there weren't as many staff as usual.
The vet's diagnosis was that Mint might have swallowed something he shouldn't have. However, it was midday on Saturday and they were unable to do X-rays or any tests that day. So, the vet referred Mint to the Animal Emergency Centre which offers after hour veterinary services.
At the Animal Emergency Centre Mint vomited again, and just before Mum and Dad left the clinic, he started to wobble. At the emergency clinic X-rays were taken and a blood test was done, but nothing was found. Mint had stopped vomiting by then, but after Mum and Dad left the clinic, Mint started to have seizures repeatedly. All the veterinary staff there could do to control his seizures was to anesthetise him. However, when they tried to reduce the doze of the anesthetic, he started to have seizures again. At the same time he was put on IV drip to cleanse his body of any toxic substances he might have eaten.
Mint's 2nd day in the hospital
His 5th day in the hospital
Mint recovered gradually and started to wag his tail again on the third day although he was unable to get up and hold himself. Then physiotherapists at the clinic started rehabilitation with Mint by luring him with some food to encourage him to walk on a sling.
When Mint came back home a week later, he was still unable to walk straight. But, don't worry. He is completely back to his normal self now!! I am so happy to be able to play with him again!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Mint has turned one year old. Although we couldn't do any special celebration for him, the fact Mint has recovered well is a really nice present not only for him but also for us all.
Happy Belated Birthday, Mint!!
Well, we moved while I was away from the cyber world. Although I had heard many blog friends talking about moving, I had never moved house after I left Te Aroha where I was born and came to Auckland when I was eight weeks old. To me the move this time was not a big deal at all. I am happy as long as I can be with my family, i.e. Mum, Dad, and Mint.
However, something really frightening happened about ten days before the move. On that Saturday Mint and I went out for a morning walk with Mum, and after coming back home we had breakfast as usual. About one hour or two later Mint suddenly started to vomit repeatedly. He kept vomiting even after he had nothing left to throw up in his tummy. Mum and Dad were so worried about him that they made an appointment with the vet. Luckily there was one slot left in the morning, but they had to wait for about one hour and a half before the appointment. Because the vet clinic was operating on holiday shift, there weren't as many staff as usual.
The vet's diagnosis was that Mint might have swallowed something he shouldn't have. However, it was midday on Saturday and they were unable to do X-rays or any tests that day. So, the vet referred Mint to the Animal Emergency Centre which offers after hour veterinary services.
At the Animal Emergency Centre Mint vomited again, and just before Mum and Dad left the clinic, he started to wobble. At the emergency clinic X-rays were taken and a blood test was done, but nothing was found. Mint had stopped vomiting by then, but after Mum and Dad left the clinic, Mint started to have seizures repeatedly. All the veterinary staff there could do to control his seizures was to anesthetise him. However, when they tried to reduce the doze of the anesthetic, he started to have seizures again. At the same time he was put on IV drip to cleanse his body of any toxic substances he might have eaten.
Mint's 2nd day in the hospital
His 5th day in the hospitalMint recovered gradually and started to wag his tail again on the third day although he was unable to get up and hold himself. Then physiotherapists at the clinic started rehabilitation with Mint by luring him with some food to encourage him to walk on a sling.
When Mint came back home a week later, he was still unable to walk straight. But, don't worry. He is completely back to his normal self now!! I am so happy to be able to play with him again!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention that Mint has turned one year old. Although we couldn't do any special celebration for him, the fact Mint has recovered well is a really nice present not only for him but also for us all.
Happy Belated Birthday, Mint!!
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