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The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

For the love of Pod

972 replies

HangingOver · 22/04/2025 06:55

All aboard Podsquad, it's Pod thread number 4.

In case you were wondering:

  • What is this (surprisingly) long-running thread about? A unique lunatic rescue Podenco, known as Pod. Featuring his pals, Stanley, GentleHowl, BabyPod, GentleBounce, Fastest and Princess and many more.
  • What makes you so special that you get your own thread? See above

Seriously, if anyone is considering getting a teenage/rescued/sight-hound/Podenco/all of the above and has NO idea what they're doing, please enjoy the previous instalments from the day we brought him home, to now, six months later. Posts will oscillate wildly from euphoric to mental breakdown and back again.

Here is thread No. 3 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/thedoghouse/5248472-they-love-a-bit-of-him-podlife?page=1

Here is thread No. 2 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/thedoghouse/5197068-the-pod-cast?page=39&reply=141216881

And thread No. 1 https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/thedoghouse/5177112-oh-my-giddy-god?page=1

Pic of the handsome prick in question.

For the love of Pod
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Thread gallery
54
HangingOver · 31/07/2025 11:51

HEllo my darling spectacular podsquad, sorry for the radio silence.

By some actual miracle, Pod has now slept through 7 whole nights in a row.
CT results came back mostly fine, no obvious explanation for the hellish nights, no scary findings, just one slightly enlarged lymph node near his gut. Could be something, could be nothing. Thankfully Petplan gave me back £870 so I'm not too empoverished. So he’s back on Apoquel now, which might be what’s helping or it might just be classic inexplicable Pod chaos and timing. We've got a few days of tablets left, so I guess we'll soon see if it's coincidence or if it's been helping his tum.

Behaviour-wise, it’s been a real smorgasbord. Some walks have been amazing, loose lead, calmish greetings etc. Other times, he’s gone feral raccoon. Mainly at me.

The lovliest thing happened sunday though, he went to the charity dog show raising money for the charity that brought him over from Spain, and we got to meet the woman who rescued him. She flew over for the event and absolutely lit up when she saw him,it was lovely. I don't think he remembered her but he did polite wagging and she was chuffed. No ribbons for us, but he really is learning to stand nicely in his little ‘show dog’ pose now (when they stand across you with their head up), and there were FOUR Malis there which he didn't scream at.

I miss meltydog a lot but Pod is much happier without the Spanners around. I also got five whole tanks of absolutely disgusting water out of the Spanner Couch with the hoover spot cleaner thing, and it still smells faintly of pond. But apparently the Spanners have settled back into their own home very nicely, so I guess they don’t miss us too much either. Fair.

Anyway. Holding steady. Hope everyone else is hanging in there too.

OP posts:
Scampuss · 31/07/2025 12:26

Really glad things have eased up a bit for you, hopefully the good sleeping will continue 🤞🏼

LadyGrillingSole · 31/07/2025 12:30

Hanging!!!! So pleased you're back 😀

Lovely update, apart from slightly dodgy lymph node - will they be looking closer at that? If they didn't seem worried it's hopefully not scary 🙂

Maybe once Pod has realised the spanners have gone for the foreseeable he'll calm down even more.

MaxandMoritz · 31/07/2025 12:35

Great to hear your good news, especially that you've been allowed to have some sleep!

spiderlight · 31/07/2025 12:36

So glad to see an update and that you've had some sleep!

Pashazade · 31/07/2025 15:23

Glad to hear all is going ok. Are the tablets an ongoing thing or a temporary fix? (I don’t know anything about dog guts!).

mydogisthebest · 31/07/2025 17:40

So glad to see your update. Fingers crossed everything stays calm with Pod

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 04/08/2025 13:15

Just coming on to say that today's Instagram photo is possibly the best yet.

BruceLeTerror · 04/08/2025 13:46

Hah! Brilliant! He must follow his ears (not his nose 😝)

CaliforniaPoppies · 04/08/2025 14:09

Can he pick up Radio 4 on those ears? Scanning for signal... 😀

HangingOver · 04/08/2025 14:55

"I hear everything, I just don't usually listen"

For the love of Pod
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RumNotRun · 04/08/2025 15:55

He is so ridiculously handsome 😍

Contraryjane · 04/08/2025 16:31

Utterly adorable

WiddlinDiddlin · 05/08/2025 04:00

Damn... those ears! Sounds must rattle around in them and swirl toward his actual ear holes like those donation boxes with the funnel thing... probably takes a week to actually hear what was said...

MontyDonsBlueScarf · 05/08/2025 08:02

Love that theory Widdlin, perfectly explains a slow response to cues 😆

HangingOver · 05/08/2025 13:08

If anyone is interested (god knows why you would be) there's a post and video of Pod in the DTAS group about Pod's behaviour. I won't keep banging on about it here as it's just variations of I CAN'T SLEEP, SOMEONE KILL ME etc. etc. etc.

OP posts:
SilverBlue56 · 05/08/2025 16:23

What is DTAS? X

WiddlinDiddlin · 05/08/2025 17:29

It's the Dog Training Advice and Support group on FB (there are groups with the same name, the good one, with safe sensible advice only from qualified/reputable professionals/retired professionals is the one with some 300K users) - its an excellent resource for dog owners!

HangingOver · 06/08/2025 22:27

Pupdate: pod accidentally saved a life!

Tonight I was lying on a picnic rug at the field in a state best described as a desperation coma when pod suddenly went FULL ALARM BARK at the too field (thank god the gate was closed) I assumed he'd seen a ghost but then I saw flapping! And I thought that's weird why isn't that seagull flying away of he's barking at it.

But there was an actual bloody barn owl sitting there in the grass, in broad daylight. It was hopflapping along in the grass and looking nervously back at us.

So naturally, despite being really quite frightened of birds, I gathered what frankly useless wildlife saving equipment I could from my car (towel, bag, bucket) and crept up to Owly. She threw herself dramatically into a bramble bush as you would, and got her tiny leg tangled and just hung there like a wet sponge and I had to towel-wrap her like a burrito and lower her into a bag for life.

Long story short: I drove like the clappers over to the bird place probably got a speeding ticket while pod sulked in the car because he didn't get to eat the owl.

The wonderful owl woman said she’s a juvenile, underweight and possibly has a wonky wing — but she hopes she'll be ok with some food and examination. I suppose if she's two wonky to be released she could always live at the owl sanctuary.

Anyway Pod: 1. Owl: safe. Me: emotionally unstable but heroic. Sleep: none.

OP posts:
MontyDonsBlueScarf · 06/08/2025 22:36

👏👏👏well done both of you!

MaxandMoritz · 06/08/2025 22:43

Goodness, you do lead eventful lives, you and Pod.

You have a bird place nearby! Hope the poor creature is ok.

And hope you sleep tonight.

HangingOver · 06/08/2025 22:45

Well Lovely Vet is back off her holibobs and I had a little weep at her today. She's ordered cultures (wee and poop) and colonoscopy and gave us loads of Pardale V. He has two tonight and has taken himself to bed like a lamb. Hell probably wake up yelling later but he hasn't gone to sleep before 3am for days so I'm taking it. Perhaps we can just drug him every evening until we get the next test results to save our sanity. DP got a record breaking two hours of sleep last night.

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Ellmau · 06/08/2025 23:49

Wow, what a good, clever Pod he's been today!

Scampuss · 07/08/2025 01:02

Massive well done with the owl, that's quite an accomplishment!

Fingers remain crossed for better sleep all round 🤞🏼

WiddlinDiddlin · 07/08/2025 03:20

Hurrah for pain meds being useful - which does indicate he's in pain no matter what the CT scan said.

Also well done with the owl, that is not the easiest thing to grab and save, even without a Podface in the offing!