What do envelope glue, cardboard boxes, and dental treatment have in common? Sadly this is not a clever joke with a witty punch line, it is the answer to a mystery that has been plaguing my Mistress for years. For years if she has licked the glue on envelopes she has got asthma. She comes out in rash like a burn of she picks up some cardboard boxes. The answer to the mystery came last week when the dentist put something on her gum to make it less sensitive and she had asthma. She explained to the dentist and he looked up the ingredients and the risk and it’s all down to something called Colophony which is a type of resin from pine trees, which also explains why the Christmas tree brings her out in rashes. Although she can’t do anything to stop the problem happening in many cases it is great to find out at last what the cause is. There are some things she can avoid, like the dentist, so that should help!
My back is a little easier and I’m not quite as miserable as I was. It’s funny, it’s only when you stop being quite so miserable that you start to realise how difficult you may have been to live with. Still, it helps to keep them on their toes and I don’t have to travel in a crate in the boot anymore. I have been upgraded to the car seat. I’m not well enough to be able to dissuade my Mistress from the threat of taking me swimming, bit maybe I will be in another week or so.
We’re all going to be busy parcelling up books to send out today. I tried to get out of it, but apparently it helps to have a paw holding the package down while my Mistress applies the tape. It seems I’m good at it. It never does to show people your skills, you find yourself having to use them!
Alfie’s Diary – the Book is available at Amazon UK –https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00583ZGSA
You can find short stories to read at www.alfiedog.com
Dear Alfie,
We are sorry to hear about your bad back. It must be very troublesome and I am sure does make you cranky at times. Your mum has likely investigated every remedy known to dog but I wanted to tell you about our elderly cat, Tessie, who suffered from osteoarthritis. She had one injection of Cartrophen (sodium pentosan polysulfate)—used for dogs and cats—and lived her final years very happily and reasonably agile. As with any drugs, there are potential side-effects but perhaps your condition would merit this injection. Best of luck. Jeff Williams