This morning this lot turned up for their breakfast, which is unusual – mostly we have to tramp through the mud and over fences to give them their buckets.

The mud is drying, but very slowly and is the wellie-boot-sucking type mud, which is nasty.

So I opened the field gate and let them all out.  Firstly to feed….

And secondly, to move them to another less muddy field.

Yes, we have mud in the gateways but I offered them the choice of three fields.

So of course Iacs, Klaengur and Kolka wandered into the wrong field.

And I told Haakon which field to go into.

Kolka, not stupid, followed.

Haakon is never stupid.

Klaengur took Iacs with him continuing in the wrong direction and wandered off into the distance, so I scrambled back quickly over the fence in a dignified fashion, to grab Iacs by his chin-hairs and lead him into the same field as Haakon and Kolka.  I left Klaengur to his wanderings. He will get the plot one day.

Iacs, on the other hoof, would never get the plot and wander alone forever.  He tends to do this.

Anyway, these three are fine and Klaengur will some time later today work it out and join them. I am not worried about him.

**** Trigger Warning ****  Not a pretty picture…… you’ve been warned.

Well, here it is – the possible explanation for Monster’s recent decline.  First thing this morning OH found this in the garden. He threw it onto a roof for the birds to remove.

This is definitely the reason for the whiff of polecat the other night and just look at those teeths.  Vicious.  They mean business.

I won’t lie, but I am very proud of Monster and his hunting abilities. Bringing home a dead polecat is a new one to us but well done that lad, is what I say.  We have a terrific problem with this type vermin and lock up our poultry every night to protect them.  So the way I see it was that Monster was protecting the homestead and he is doing his job well, even taking one for the team. I have inspected him thoroughly for bites, etc and can find none.

The Champion’s Podium. What a guy!

Today Monster ate a full sachet of his favourite food (Blink) for breakfast and is now totally back to normal. We will continue with the no-carb diet as he has the “fuller frame” (vet speak) and doesn’t need to carry more weight.

But I expected more from my working dogs – pahahahah!  Here is the Southern softie…..

…. and his friend, who is rather tired from getting into everyone else’s business.

Edited to say the only other “persons” to have done this are the legendary BeAnne who was an efficient no-nonsense killer and Chatsworth (a very large orange cat).  So kudos for Monster.

When I came in from the breakfast feed round, I phoned to make a veterinary appointment for Monster to have bloods taken.

But when the dogs got their treat for letting me put eyedrops in Ted’s eye, Monster asked for his breakfast “Dreamie” treats too.

He wolfed them down and still said he was hungry so I put some food out for him and he happily ate that too.

No walking away, looking pale and interesting like the last few days.

So, I decided that I wouldn’t put Monster through the car journey and vet appointment, and phoned to cancel it hoping he would keep on perking up.

Can you spot him?

Yes, Monster has spent time in his bed but he is much happier and alert (this is possibly not his best photo!)

This afternoon, Monster ate his tea – a good portion and OH had brought back from town some cat milk (lactose reduced) which he was very enthusiastic about (Monster, not OH – he was busy reeling at the price along with the cat “soup”, I had asked for but we won’t go there!)

More out and about after tea. Monster was much more alert and his usual self now.

I think we can say we are all very relieved.

I think it was something(one) Monster had eaten.  He did come in at 4 am with more than a faint smell of polecat as he sat on OH’s pillowcase and poked him.  I think Monster is mixing with unsuitable friends.  I told him this and he is thinking about his choices now while licking his bottom.

So, phew and thank you for all your kind and heartfelt thoughts and prayers.  I think we are over the worst.

The ponies seem to have settled down a bit when they are eating now.  There is less arguing.

Maybe Newt’s self-enforced time out has helped.

Perhaps it made everyone appreciate each other more (*** snorts in derision as I type this! ***)

Vitamin is always the same – basically “give me my bucket now, B***h!”  I do. I think she would eat me if I didn’t or eat everyone else.

And then there is the washing up to do.  Today Silver got the empty feed bucket first.

But Storm wanted it too.

So he said, very nicely for Storm “please, Silver, can I have the bucket?”

And when Silver came up for air, Storm quickly took the bucket.  Anyway, I am pleased the bickering has stopped.  It was rude, unnecessary and rather exhausting.

Meanwhile, I am booking another appointment for the vet first thing for Monster tomorrow. Something is very not right and I am worried.

When OH said this morning that Monster hadn’t eaten his midnight snack or his breakfast, I stood in the field, whilst feeding the Oldies, and phoned the veterinary surgery for an appointment (we were in the middle of a powercut and that’s the only place for a phone signal).

“Can you get here for 09.45” I was asked by the Surgery.
“Oh yes, whatever it takes”, I replied and shovelled Monster into his travel basket (he put up a fight, which I won) and off we drove.

In the surgery waiting room I gave Monster a good view to inspire him.

All vital signs were normal, nothing to write home about, but he was given an anti-emetic injection, long acting antibiotic injection as well as some painkillers and we drove home, with Monster answering any questions I asked him.

Me (driving): “are you ok?”
Monster: “Yes, still here!”

And so to bed afterwards.  Fair enough. Travel is always horrid.

This afternoon, Monster was around in my shed while a friend and I played flute duets.

He even wanted a shot and probably sounded better than we did.

But I am worried.

OH said he wouldn’t eat his tea – freshly cooked chicken.  Nope. Monster left it and turned away.  That is not like him.

And has taken to his bed.  Worried?  Yes, I am.  For Monster not to eat is like me giving up chocolate.  We will see how we go this weekend or it is back to the vet we go on Monday.  So hugs for Monster, please. He is not himself and I hate that.