HRT

No, not me.

Bean. 

Our lovely vet (delightfully named Merlin) has diagnosed her with Urethral Sphincter Mechanism Incompetence (USMI), which the knowledgeable amongst you will of course know it is a failure of the urethral sphincter due to a lack of oestrogen. 

Up to 20% of spayed female dogs experience it, and it is more common among larger breeds, and in middle aged girls. 

Bean is seven, and therefore considered to be middle-aged. Try telling her that. She weighs 31kg and is considered large in dog terms.

The urine slips out when the dogs are asleep, and the sphincter relaxes too much. This is exactly when I have witnessed Bean's accidents. 

She is receiving an oestrogen tablet each day with her food, and if it works I cut that to 1/2 a tablet after three weeks. If that's not enough I increase it to 1 1/2 over two days, or back up to one a day. The aim is to find the minimum required dose. This treatment apparently has a 95% success rate.

It should be obvious within two or three days if this will do the trick. Crossed fingers for no more puddles.

We had a great walk on Cape Wanbrow before heading to the vet clinic. I wanted to test my fitness. While I didn't scamper up the steep hills quite as briskly as I do normally, I plodded and kept moving without stops. I'm pleased with that.

The light on the Pacific over Oamaru Harbour was breathtaking and I was particularly drawn to the line of clouds on the horizon.