Doolie Chalmers

DOOLIE THE FOOLIE, OUR GOODBYE TO AN AMAZING BOY (January 2017)

Our Doolie and Rudy, both such handsome boys.

SAYING GOODBYE

Martin muses ”Saying “goodbye” is the hardest thing you ever have to do to your best friend. Your head says it’s for the best but your heart questions it. Was it really time? Just one more day? What if? ….. it feels like murder.

No matter how many times you have to take that final journey it will never get easier nor be the same for each friend but I can say, for sure, that your friend would thank you if they coud speak.

You will feel guilty about the time you told them off for running away or for barking and you will beat yourself up inside but that is good because it means you loved them.

That wet nose at 4am, that slobbery tongue, those begging eyes and indeed those little accidents on the carpet, the joys of a new teddy, that huge waggy tail when you come home, the destroyed cushions, the time they laid on you when you were ill, yes these are the things you’ll come to remember.

So I say to you this…. YES it was the right decision, a decision made from love, the same unconditional love they gave you. A piece of your heart may go with them but remember they will all be there waiting for you one day to give you all those pieces back. So love them when they are there but love them still when they are gone.

Thank you for giving us these two remarkable boys. The pain now is worth the joys we have had with them both. We are going to have a little ceremony for Doolie andRudy and we will play Katie Melua’s song.

You’re precious, I can’t stand seeing you cry
It hurts watching you get what you don’t deserve
I tell myself you don’t belong in this rough life
You should have a perfect world.
You should have a perfect world

You’re too gentle and much too quick to forgive
Every slight thought you never been doubt
Well who knows if the world will ever deserve you
You should have a perfect world.
You should have a perfect world

We think it is perfect for summing up both Doolie and Rudy”

DOOLIE THE FOOLIE

“What an amazing boy, our big old waffle bot was, so called because he used to swing his hips as he walked along. He was very clumsy so we named him Doolie the Foolie.

Doolie was was always there wherever you went and he liked to sleep on the bed but as time went on Doolie couldn’t get up on the bed so he laid by the side of it.

He was a master beggar and usually ended up with what was our chippy dinner!!

Sadly, one day, Doolie wouldn’t come upstairs and didn’t want to go walkies. He kept falling and, after visiting the vets, we decided that his back end would no longer support him. Doolie had given up and was tired and one look into his eyes meant we knew it was his time so in … January 2017 we said “goodbye and see you soon”.

What a beautiful boy he was. He gave us nearly ten years of utter joy and love”.

A distraught Martin told us his beloved Doolie the Foolie had gone to Rainbow Bridge. Sadly, his back legs finally gave in and let him down so there was no other option than saying “goodbye” to this wonderful boy. He is much missed by Rudy and Tecwyn and their humans.

HISTORY

In 2008 DOOLIN was about a year old. He was an adorable Golden Retriever puppy who, sadly, simply grew too big for the family. He is very good with other dogs and loves cats. He is good with children but, now he has come out of his shell, he can sometimes be slightly boisterous so he would probably be better with older ones. He is quite good on the lead. He was not housetrained when he arrived, as he had lived in a shed but, having been fostered with Natasha and her family for a few weeks, he is now fully housetrained. He doesn’t attempt to go on furniture or to go upstairs but, like most retriever puppies, he does like to steal things.

Our thoughts are with Natasha and her daughter, who is very poorly and needing to undergo an operation. Because of this, Doolin is currently in temporary foster in Hampshire with Jan.

Jan says, “Doolie and Max won’t stop puppy playing, until they drop asleep exhausted, then they wake up and do it all over again. Doolie is the instigator of all the puppy fun”.

UPDATE ON DOOLIN 11.2.08

Doolin is going to be castrated this week. Whilst under the anaesthetic, he is going have his hips X-rayed as we want to be sure that he has no major problems. We have been told that his movement isn’t good because of bad nourishment and a lack of exercise in his original home and we have been assured he is just suffering from “growing pains”, which he will grow out of, but, to be absolutely sure, we are getting a second opinion.

FURTHER UPDATE 15.2.08

Doolie was castrated and needed to have 6 X-rays altogether starting on his hips and going downwards.

His hip X-rays shown a mild degree of dysplasia at the moment, but nothing too serious, and certainly not as bad as we were expecting. His right leg (which often he won’t put any weight on) is apparently very inflamed (but not infected) and his hock bones are rubbing together, which could be part of the cause – the vet term is ‘sclerosis of his distal tibia’. The problem could easily have been caused by bad diet and/or lack of exercise as a puppy, apparently. He has been put on a full dose of Metacam for 7 days, which will be gradually reduced, with exercise being increased, over the next few weeks to see how he fares.

Doolie is now doing well since, he came with me to dog swimming today (I couldn’t leave him alone in case he chewed his stiches out) – obviously he didn’t swim!. He is going back to Newbury on 16th for a check-up on his wound. He is an absolute dream whilst travelling in the car – absolutely perfect in every way.

LETTER FROM THE VETS

This is the report from the vets at Vet4Pets in Newbury

“Re: Doolie, 1 yr, Retriever

‘Doolie’ presented to us for castration on 12 Feb 2008. His foster carer had noted some lameness on the right hind leg.

On examination there was mild right hind lameness and reduced weight bearing on the right hind compared to the left hind. No pain could be detected on manipulation of spine, hips, stifle, hock or foot.

We radiographed ‘Doolie’ before he was castrated on 12th Feb 2008. We noted mild hip sub-luxation (very mild hip dysplasia), the right hip being slightly worse than the left. There was also some increased sclerosis (bone whitening) around his hock. Sclerosis can suggest increased bone turnover and inflammation in that area.

We recommended either rest and anti-inflammatories with a slow and progressive return to exercise, or referral of radiographs for a 2nd opinion. Doolie’s carer opted for rest and anti-imflammatories. We will assess Doolie’s response and formulate a further plan once his response has been assessed.”

The vet commented that, even with Doolie’s very mild hip dysplasia, a family would be very privileged indeed to be fortunate enough to adopt a dog with such an adorable character, Doolie being such a very special dog.

FROM DOOLIN’S NEW BROTHER

Hello Doolin

It’s A.J. here. I can’t be too long as my master doesnt know I’m using his laptop. You will probably be reading this quicker than I can write it with my big paws. I’ve been looking at your pictures and you look like a nice bouncy chappie, I’ve got plenty of toys to share with you but you cant have my bone!!!!!

I go for plenty of walks and when its nicer weather I go to the beach for a swim in the sea though its a bit cold sometimes…………. funny why humans don’t come in for a dip too…….. maybe it’s because they don’t have a nice furry coat!!!

I used to have a friend called Chester but he has gone to Heaven now as he was old but boy did we have fun playing and chewing!!!!!

My master thinks that it is his house but really it’s me that rules the roost haha. I know just the right look and the right time to give my paw and get a stroke or two. Well I had best be getting off, got to catch up on my beauty sleep. Hopefully I will be seeing you very soon and we can have a run on the Yorkshire Dales.

woof woof

A.J.

UPDATE FROM HIS FOREVER HOME

Doolie is now living in Darlington with Martin and family and he is doing absolutely brilliantly. Needless to say, he and A.J. are the best of pals.

JANUARY 2012

RUDY HAS GONE TO LIVE WITH DOOLIE AND AJ