Tanya... nearly gone!

Lenny, Win" I called out. "Tanya has collapsed, she is not looking good." Lenny and Win, my good friends from 'Moraria', turned back and we all became concerned as poor Tanya lay sprawled out on the pavement looking almost dead. Without further discussion Lenny sprinted off to fetch the car. I carried Tanya in my arms as we walked back to where Lenny could pick us up. I was worried, confused and out of sorts, and really thought this was it, Tanya was on her way to doggy heaven.

I'd been with L & W, parked roadside outside their recently purchased two bed old style fisherman's cottage. This was supposed to be my last day before moving on and we had all gone for a walk to "Moraria"' sea front where there was a lively music and food festival going on. Tanya had been no trouble and was doing her usual trick of trotting along sampling all the sniffs, until that is, she suddenly vomited & totally collapsed.

Over the previous few days in back of my mind had been a dim and lingering expectation of something due to happen as, over the previous couple of weeks, she has given me two frights which, from my experience of life tells me a third fright is due.

The first incident happened when I was feeling a 'wee bitty peely wally' (Scottish for 'just not right') and had overnighted on the edge of a residential area of several tall apartment blocks. We were separate but safe and I could let Tanya out to wander which she often does, never usually straying far out of sight. This time however; which also happened to be last thing at night, alarm bells started to ring as she had drifted out of sight and too much time had passed. My rising agitation was starting to reach panic levels as I methodically searched and called but got no little black flappy eared doggy appearing suddenly from behind a bush or waste bin which is the usual scenario. I scoured all round the tower block complex before, in desperation, entering the complex itself. Much to my relief, I found her there as a fellow doggy owner plus the local bar keeper were examining her collar to establish who the owner of this lost doggy was. This, as I've said was right smack in the middle of the apartment complex, quite a long way from Rap3 and definitely not where I expected her to be. Tanya, to add insult to my 'upsetness' was not fazed at all and was quite happy in Mr Spanish but English speaking barkeepers arms. Grrrrrr!

Incident number two was up in the mountains behind Benidorm. A beautiful area with views & small bendy mountain roads to die for. We'd parked in a small Almond Orchard and set off up the mountain side on a good track intending to walk the 1.7k to a 'Fuente' (Fountain). For some time now, on such walks, I have had to carry Tanya on the rough steep rocky bits putting her down again where ever there is easier walking. This has cured me of; 'having to reach the destination' as I have to make a careful judgement as to my fitness/stamina in respect of getting safely back to Rap3. We were on the way back and I had negotiated a particularly steep gully where I'd carried Tanya and then put her down to walk a pleasant flat section along the top of an Almond Orchard terrace. I relaxed, in my own little world, enjoying the high mountain peace, quiet and insect buzzing fragrant warmth.

Tanya often lags behind on these walks so I was not worried as I stopped to wait for her. It was a comfort stop but by the time percy was once again secure behind zipped fly madame Tanya had still not appeared and could not be seen anywhere along the path as I slowly retraced my steps while calling out her name. I was almost back at the lip to the steep gully and once again fighting rising panic before I heard the familiar tinging sound of her metal collar tag. I looked down and there she was, six feet below me on the lower terrace. I had to climb down the rough stone terrace wall to retrieve her and I presumed she must have fallen down it. Again, thankfully, she seemed quite unfazed by the incident but more to the point, also uninjured. She trotted along behind me once again but this time with me frequently noting her presence. As we reached the last part of the walk, a well used concreted track, I thanked the 'Divine mountain presence' for returning us both safely while also requesting that the inevitable third 'fright' be not disastrously overwhelming or calamitous.

So here we were, at fright number three. Win, bless her, cottoned onto the seriousness of Tanya's current situation and also realised I was somewhat in shock, compromised and in general, unable to make a decision. She immediately phoned their vet and Lenny soon had all of us there.  Mr Vet in no time at all inserted a drip into Tanya plus two injections. Bearing in mind this was a Saturday afternoon and Mr Vet was forgoing a family gathering. He really was a true animal loving Vet and a lovely guy all round. You would not get that in the UK.

We all then waited and over the next two hours Tanya slowly came to, lifted her head and finally was able to stand although her back legs were extremely wobbly.

While we all waited Mr Vet also checked out Buster, L & W's little Shitzoo. He also had a minor vomit plus he was coughing which made us all think the two conditions were related. Buster in the end was fine with cough the result of him being concerned for Tanya and injesting some of her fur as he had insisted on licking Tanya's semi lifeless body continually during the car journey to the vets.

Tanya, and its now several days on, has recovered well. It is now very apparent she is a very old lady. Walks are now not done in the heat of the day plus they are shorter, slower and often involve me carrying her some of the time. But she is still 'up for it' eating and sleeping well and liking nothing more than a quiet camping spot where she can wander around at will sampling the sniffs.

Two postscript to this story.

1). The Vets bill was ridiculously cheap. So much so I had to insist he charge correctly for the three Saturday afternoon hours he dedicated to saving Tanya.

2). I dedicate this story to my Sister in law and family who unfortunately were not so lucky in that they lost their beloved fourteen year old doggy on the same day. A Surreal and sad coincidence.