A Scottish Terrier’s Unknown Journey with Cataracts, continued.

Diabetic induced cataracts can happen overnight in some dogs.

Our previous blog page began a story about the unknown journey of our beloved Scottish Terrier – Kara, who became stricken with blindness caused by large white cataracts. I tried to imagine what Kara was thinking , now that she could no longer see, and it wasn’t hard for Martine & I to make the decision : we had to try and help her. The omens for success were seen to be good. Once Kara’s insulin levels had been corrected, following her diabetes diagnosis, she had responded quickly & regained her lost weight, and notwithstanding that she was now fully blind, she showed lots of determination to try and cope. We also knew from experience that Kara had responded well in the past to antibiotics, antibiotics being a critical factor in the success or otherwise of dog eye operations.

And so it was that we delivered Kara into the kind hands of Dr Steve Heap at the Veterinary Practice of McMaster & Heap, on Friday 6th March 2020. It was a long day…I mowed lawns and tried not to worry about our dear “girl” . Later that afternoon, Steve phoned to say that all went relatively well, one eye was easier to do than the other, but that Kara was out of the anesthesia and responding well…so we then knew that the first hurdle had been crossed.

Later that evening both Martine and I travelled across the city to the veterinary clinic where our reunion with her was one of happiness. Even in her post operation condition, we could detect that she was feeling ok and glad to be back in the company of familar voices. But we had yet to determine the outcome of the operation.

However, as I write this note – Sunday the 8th, and barely 48 hours since her diabetic induced cataracts were operated on, Kara is beginning to realize that she is no longer totally blind. Some of her sight is definitely returning and a good indication this morning came when I suggested to her that we go for a ride in the buggy( a 3 wheeler push chair). She made a fast walk towards the door leading to the patio where the buggy is stored, and was more than happy to have a ride around the neighbourhood. Our first real concrete sign that her confidence is returning & she is happy, despite her dad religiously placing a variety of drops into her eyes every 4 hours .

10 year old Scottish Terrier post an operation to remove cataracts — Kara , now minus her diabetes induced cataracts

Tomorrow Kara has her 1st Post Operation check.

P.S. Kara is progressing well so far.

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30/06/201902/07/2019

Winter Blue Skies in Sumner Christchurch

For Sumner Village visitors, Le Petit Hotel guests and suburb residents alike, there is no arguing that the shortest day of the year has past, and despite a few frosts, the weather has been simply amazing. Daytime temps have reached 15-16 degrees Celcius, paraglider customers and model aircraft enthusiasts have been out in force, using the local Heathcote Ferrymead park as a rendevous point. Dog walkers have also been making the most of the pleasant clear blue sky winter days, either on the beach or in nearby parks. Many of our guests, blessed with the good weather have headed out for walks to either Taylors Mistake or Godley Heads. However I’m told that things will change soon. It is winter after-all!

Le Petit Hotel manager Martine Marshall is currently in the south of France, enjoying time with family and friends, but in totally different climatic conditions…where daytime temperatures have soared into the 40’s C.

It’s fair to say that our hotel accommodation is known globally and locally for 3 things especially, and those being its french style, the morning fresh croissants, and the resident Scottish Terrier– known as Kara….which is Scottish vernacular for “beloved”. However Kara is approaching 10 years this October…and her health has had its ups and downs lately. As you can imagine we are given her a lot of attention at the moment. Frequent visits to the vet are the normal, as are the antibiotics she takes. However the mild winter so far has been a bonus in that Kara can get to enjoy the sunshine and socialise with other dogs at the Ferrymead Park.

Meanwhile back outside Le Petit Hotel and in Sumner village, contractors are working steadily on the new roading surfaces, sorting out drainage issues, and even planting some more trees along Marriner Street and Wakefield Avenue in the village. Hurrah! I’m an unashamed tree-lover. Sumner is going to look better than ever….in time for the new visitor season which for us starts in September.

Let’s all enjoy our winter whether it’s cold, wet or the blue sky stuff that we have been seeing lately.

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27/12/201827/12/2018

The New Year: 2019, Le Petit Hotel’s approach.

We are all talking about how fast 2018 has disappeared, and how quickly the New Year is appearing, and in the mix has been the discussions on December’s changeable at best, weather.

Certainly some of those farmers growing grain crops are probably very happy and looking forward to a hot & dry January February period now…the rain would have done its magic. There may be thousands of cows out in the paddocks now, but when at least my ancestors arrived, they seized the moment, and worked 6 days on farms that were predominantly grain producing…particularly in North, South and Mid Canterbury. Yes there were cow farms, but not on the scale we see now, owned by conglomerates. It was also saddening to read a few days ago in the Washington Post that many dairy farmers in the US are essentially being driven off their land by the concentration of and buy-outs of small farm holdings, so what appears to be a global movement, is affecting many many ordinary , you could say middle income people…not necessarily for the common good, but rather for an increasingly smaller group of already wealthy people. What does the reported Chinese proverb say…”May you live in interesting times” ..maybe not the best times! Certainly none of us can accurately anticipate what the New Year will bring in terms of ever increasing changes in society, industry and science.

If you are reading this post, you may have noticed our very new mobile/smart phone/tablet compatible format, which we hope meets both Google’s business system requirements and at the same time makes it easy for travellers to seek us out. Early indications just over a handful of days, suggests that our improved web presence is both productive and a welcome one. I believe that Google has indicated that more than 60% of Web searches at least initiated on small hand held devices now.

Many of our guests will be familiar with the Le Petit Hotel formula and part of that, a very important part, is the presence of our beloved Scottish Terrier. We have our serious concerns at the moment about her health and we are pouring in the TLC at the moment….however again from a global perspective, the genetic pool for genuine Scottish Terriers is quite depleted, and worldwide many do not live to grand ages, because of their predisposition to the big C. Rest assured we are giving her our very best .

The period between Xmas and the New Year is a strange one from many aspects..and in particular for “Kiwis”,who like birds of a feather, migrate to other parts of the country trying to catch the long hot Sumner in the right place at the right time. So its appropriate that we should at this point wish every one, including our incoming and departing guests a very happy, safe and even prosperous, New Year.

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