As some of you might know, our eldest spaniel has recently been diagnosed with a heart condition. We nearly lost him before Christmas but, with fantastic care from our new vets and a regime of very expensive drugs, he’s not doing too badly. Gentle walks, lots of cuddles and lengthy naps on the bed seem to be doing the trick.
While googling Bert’s illness, I came across mention of a supplement called Taurine. The vet also recommended it so off I trotted to Holland and Barrett. I hunted along the shelves scanning the men’s health (bladder control) and women’s health (hot flushes) supplements but to no avail. An assistant rescued me and, hearing what I was after, led me to the back of the shop and, bizarrely, to the bodybuilding stuff. He was kind enough not to ask if it was for me and probably presumed it was for my bodybuilding grandson or granddaughter. As I approached the till, a bit worried about the suitability of a muscle-boosting aid for my poorly dog, I blurted out the canine quality of the patient. The assistant looked askance but referred to his guide on all things supplement-y. Turns out, Taurine is used to aid the repair of heart muscle. Who’d’ve thought?
We give Bert a tablet a day and, while he’s looking mildly frisky, we haven’t noticed a predilection for bar bells. Yet.
As a PS to this, we happened to be chatting to an ex-body builder in the pub one night. He confirmed Taurine’s ability to “improve general bodily function” and revealed it’s made from bull semen. Now, two things spring to mind:
- The worry that Bert may develop bull-like tendencies and
- Who the hell is brave (or stupid) enough to gather semen from a bull?
Our bodybuilding friend assured us Taurine is now made from artificial bull’s semen so we don’t have to worry about the latter concern. However, along with monitoring Bert’s heart rate and breathing, we’re now on the lookout for any signs of bull-like development. If he grows horns or begins pawing the ground and snorting, I’ll let you know!
Love,
Georgia x
I think there is an idea for a new novel brewing here!
You could be right! Hi Christine. Hope you’re well xxx