No more tasty snacks....

To try and get Ziggy's skin problems under control we have had to go through a process of trying different things and ruling out allergens whether environmental or due to food.

So, much to Ziggy's dismay and sadness, he is now on a restrictive veterinary prescription diet and nothing else:

Over the past week and a bit he has been swapping over from his previous kibble to the prescription diet.  He eats it because he is true to his Labrador breeding.  But it does look boring!

He is happy as ever though and was especially excited to try out his new sweater that his grandma knitted for him: 

All About Ziggy

I thought I would go back to the beginning with Ziggy.  He arrived here in the summer, back in August as his owners were unable to take care for him and his medical needs and he had lost a lot of fur due to allergies.

Ziggy was very sore and itchy and desperately needed to see a vet.  Labrador Rescue South East & Central had been contacted and asked to take Ziggy and after he had been assessed the charity kindly agreed to take him on and provide financial support for his medical care.

When I was asked to foster "another Wiggle" I couldn't say no so Ziggy arrived with us and I was shocked to see how bad he was.

Poor Ziggy was worse than Wiggle had been and his skin was so sore and itchy but he was a happy boy and just wanted to be loved.

As soon as we could, he saw the vet and it's been a slow process due to the severity of his skin problems but he's now a lot less itchy and a lot happier!

Ziggy has been having Cytopoint injections each month as well as steroids and Malaseb baths.  He has been seeing our vet regularly and is always excited to go there.

He's a very laid back dog and loves to shred tennis balls, just like Wiggle did.

Ziggy is enjoying new adventures, like going to the pub:

He really is a sweet boy and demands little.  He would love to have some new fur grow, but that might never happen, we shall have to wait and see.

Ziggy's weekend

It's fair to say that Ziggy is completely at home here now.  After having very little in his life he now has a routine, lots of love, walks, proper care and me and Sofy.

Ziggy likes his home comforts, especially if it means he can have a lie-in:

He is having his Malaseb baths every 3 or 4 days and despite the woeful look, he does enjoy his bath and gets in by himself when I ask him:

He likes being rubbed down with warm towels before getting into Wiggle's drying coat:

Ziggy takes to new things well and is enjoying coming out with me, especially when it includes stopping for coffee: 

And after coffee, a quick paddle in the river:

On lead though as it was a bit cold to go too deep!

And after a busy weekend, what better than to practise his relaxation positioning? 

It's no fun being half bald in this weather!

Poor Ziggy does not like the cold weather which is hardly surprising with the amount of fur he has missing.  Thankfully, he likes his extensive wardrobe, in particular his fleecey hand-me-down:

We made the most of the sunny day and both wrapped up warm as there was a biting cold wind up on the Downs.  Ziggy was keeping on the move:

Happy boy:

Ziggy is a dog of many expressions, including a combination of outrage and innocence when I told him I could hear the noises his bottom was making.  He didn't care though.

Hello, 2018!

A new year and its time to re-start Wiggle's blog.  There's not a day that goes by when I don't think of my darling boy but he's with me and looking down on me, from heaven and from his handsome portrait:

His legacy is Ziggy, now staying for good, baldy but happy:

Sofy spends more time sleeping but then she is 12 now.  She is especially happy with her new fleece blanky that she received as a Christmas present:

And Ziggy got his own new blanky too and likes to be wrapped up so he's all snuggly:

Ziggy got to play in some snow, keeping warm in his woolly jumper:

Our one and only resolution is that we will once again update Wiggle's blog, keeping his memory alive while we try and get Ziggy better again.

Happy New Year from us xx