Wednesday

Now, both of these sexy – or not – lower legs have been attacked. And both by the same set of little white teeth.

I am not concerned about the human wound. It was inflicted accidentally nearly three weeks ago and is healing nicely. The others are very worrying.

When Isis was entangled in leads in the back seat of the car (post: ‘a horrible day’ November 9th ) she became frantic and bit a chunk out of one of her pads. She has been nibbling at the foot ever since. Yesterday she tore out clumps of hair creating the bald  patch just below her ankle.

We have been following the vet’s instructions, bathing her foot (Isis’s, not the vet’s) twice a day in Hibiscrub. She hates this. Bathing it also seems to make her intensely aware of the foot for she always attempts to attack it as soon as it’s removed from the solution.

The vet suggested an Elizabethan collar if Isis worried the foot but I have been reluctant to use one as I think that even an attempt to put it on her it would freak us both out.

This morning B. reminds me about the soft ‘donut’ collars which are available. These are much more comfortable than the hard plastic ones and won’t jolt her if she bangs against anything. A ‘donut’ will not block the information she needs from her whiskers so she should still be able to navigate efficiently. And I should not have to fight her to put the collar round her neck. (She writes, optimistically.)

Online, I order a ‘Buster’ collar as some reviewers of cheaper types report that they do not always prevent lively cats and dogs from nibbling themselves.

Isis will not be pleased.

Isis came from the Aeza cat and dog rescue and adoption centre in Aljezur, Portugal. For information about adopting an animal from the centre, contact kerry@aeza.org or  www.dogwatchuk.com