Here We Go Again...

Matt has been having skin problems. Can't spell it, but you wouldn't want it - scales and flakes all over his back, and at the same time something similar which may or may not be part of the same condition around his eyes.

Simon, Matt's Vet in residence, called in Nicola, his skin expert, to make sure we were doing the right thing. She prescribed antibiotics - which Matt vomited up: he doesn't like antibiotics. Eventually, with the help of medicine they give to dogs having chemo so they keep their stuff down, he took them. And is getting better.

But...

Just to make sure that's all it was, we did some blood tests. And a urine sample. Oh yes. I had to sort that bit out. (I originally wrote "I had to do that bit" but realised one or two of you might misunderstand!) I'll let you imagine the fun that was.

These tests had a slight spike on them - nothing amazing - but one level was maybe just over what you'd expect. A kidney indicator. So we did them again a couple of weeks later. Second set were slightly higher than the first set. And today, a couple of weeks on, we did them again. Third set higher still. All still not exceptional. None of them the kind of thing you'd bring a dog into the vet's for. All of them too low to be showing any outward signs -

Well, he's a bit off his food, and I think he's lost a bit of weight. I'd put that down to being on the antibiotics. None of this has anything to do with the skin stuff. If he hadn't been going in for that, none of this would have been spotted.

None of what?

We don't know. But on Monday he's having a scan on his kidneys, just to see. Here we go again. O Lord, thank you that if there is something that needs looking at you made us look at it. And please - make Matt well.