We had been walking along the shore and it was time to go home. We made our way up the beach, the last part was quite steep shingle. I had the male biped attached to me by a long lead. He said, “I’ll race you to the top, Clowie!”
Shingle beach
We started running side by side. Our paws (and feet) slipped back with each step, it was difficult to go fast. I knew I’d be able to win because four paws are better than two feet on a slope. I started to get ahead of him and then I realised I needed some help with a problem, so I sat. He didn’t notice, he kept running.
The female biped wasn’t far behind us and she shouted, “Stop! Clowie wants something.”
He stopped just before he reached the end of the lead and turned round. The female biped arrived next to me and asked, “What is it, Clowie?”
I held one of my front legs up and she knelt down and took my paw. She looked at the pads, I think she was checking for something sharp in them. Then she checked between my toes – that tickles, but I kept still so that she would continue and find the problem. She pressed each pad gently and I just kept still. She moved her hands up little by little until she’d almost reached my elbow.
Then she paused, she could feel something in the hair at the back of my leg. She leaned forward to get a better look. The male biped, who had returned, asked, “What is it? Can I help?”
She replied, “It’s dried out seaweed all tangled up in her fur. It’s really sharp and it’s digging into her armpit.”
Dried seaweed – photo from Wikimedia Commons
They began pulling at the seaweed, but it was difficult for me to keep my balance. The female biped got up and stood beside me, so that I could lean on her. She held my leg up and held some of my hair out of the way, while the male biped pulled the seaweed away. After a few minutes of pulling and tugging, he asked the female to see if she could feel any seaweed left.
She said she couldn’t and she put my leg down. I stood up and moved my leg. I took a couple of steps. That felt so much better! I gave them both a nudge with my head to thank them. They smiled and patted me and then we climbed up the shingle together. When we reached the promenade a couple of bipeds approached us and asked if they could stroke me. They made a fuss of me and said they’d seen me stop and sit to get help. They told my bipeds that I’m really clever.
It’s always nice to get attention and to be told I’m clever, but asking for help from my bipeds was the obvious thing to do when seaweed was attacking me. Even a coral reef sends out a message for help to the fish that live in it, when it’s under attack by seaweed! Seaweed is usually harmless and smelly, but it can be nasty. Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes – those opposable thumbs can be really useful!
See you next Wednesday!
OUCH Clowie, good job your Mom saw that prickly stuff. I am always on the beach but my coat is short so I don’t get many unwanted visitors trying to crab a ride on me( look, I put crap instead of grab Bawahwhhaa). I sometimes cut my pads on sharp shells.. Have a wonderful week, catch ya next Wednesday xx00xx
Mollie and Alfie
Things do get tangled in a long coat sometimes. You actually put ‘crab’ – which is quite apt when we’re talking about the beach!
Oh no! I can’t even begin to imagine. That must have really hurt. Is the heavy dry seaweed a seasonal thing? Just curious if there are other times that might be best to visit. Glad you were helped out!
WOOF!
It was uncomfortable! We haven’t often come across dry seaweed. I think it needs a storm to drive it high onto the beach followed by good weather to dry it out. It usually stays damp and rots.
Youch! Clever you for letting them know your predicament. Must have hurt a lot. Our little girl Millie will stop on a walk and demand that something be removed that is irritating her – it must be a girl thing 😉
It did hurt and it was getting worse with each step. I think Millie has the right idea! I hate it when things get caught up in my fur. I like doing the things that get me messy, but then I like someone to help me get cleaned up!
You ARE clever, Clowie! Plus brave and strong. Thank goodness you’re such a good communicator. And that your bipeds understand you so well.
Thank you, Cupcake. They do usually understand what I’m telling them but not always. I hate having stuff stuck in my fur!
Wow, you are super duper clever Clowie! The worst thing our hooman encountered at a beach was she accidentally stood on a dead jellyfish in Australia! Even though it was dead it still managed sting her a bit and she had to get the hooman vets to look at it. Now she has a funny line of pale skin on the bottom of her foot from the tentacle!
She sat until help came too. Obviously sitting works well!
Happy Wednesday
Nacho, Noah, Buddy & Basil
xxxx
Thank you. I hear jellyfish stings can be very painful, she was wise to sit and wait for help. Jellyfish are difficult to see when they’re on the beach, until it’s too late!
She said she didn’t even notice it until she lifted her foot up and it pulled away from the stingers. Luckily a life guard and local carried her up the beach and she was taken the hospital really quickly.
xxxx
The ones I’ve seen look like little pools of water, until you look very closely. I’m glad she got help so quickly.
Clowie! Mean, nasty, icky, seaweed attacked you! I’m so glad your bipeds were there to help you otherwise you would have been terribly uncomfortable. I didn’t even know that kelp had sticky bits but I guess next trip to the shore you’d better AVOID that stuff…….! 😉
Kitty Hugs, Sammy
Hi Sammy! I don’t think it was particularly sticky, sometimes the long hair on the back of my legs is very good at trapping things and as I move it becomes more entangled. There are some disadvantages to having a long coat!
Ouch but clever you Clowie and clever mum. Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Best wishes Molly
Thank you, Molly. I have my bipeds fairly well trained!
Moms are great, they always know when something is up and they help us out. Glad you were rescued from that seaweed!
Yes, they do know when we need something. I’m glad they rescued me from the seaweed, it was nasty!
OUCHIE! You are clever to ask for help,aren’t you!
Dried ,powdered kelp is very tasty in cooking!
Jane x
Thank you, it was unpleasant.
I’ve never seen powdered kelp, but my bipeds eat some types of seaweed. They get dried sticks, which they soak before cooking.
You really are quite clever Clowie. It’s never a bad thing to ask for help when you need it!
Thank you. I’m always willing to help them if I can, so it seems reasonable.
Haha! The Newfs coats pick up all sorts of interesting things when out and about, but no seaweed (yet!). Good thing it was caught right away!
Yes, I expect you know exactly what I mean about some things working their way into the coat and being difficult to get out without pulling out a load of hair!
Occasionally, if you hang around us bipeds for a while we end up being useful!
Ha ha, you’re right! But bipeds take a lot of training!
Bella and DiDi: That seaweed can be really uncomfortable. You are right in that we all need help at some point or another.
Yes, it was uncomfortable. We do all need help sometimes and I like it when I can help them.
That’s funny, I taught my dog the same thing. I’d always say, “Sit if you need help”, and he learned it pretty quickly! It sure is nice to have a cue like that to be able to communicate that you need some assistance.
That’s a coincidence! We also find it very useful to have a signal.
That sounds like no fun Clowie! Are you scared of kelp now?
I’m not scared, but I’ll keep clear of it when I see it!
Clowie, you are so smart! Wooooowooooooo!
Thank you!
I have never been attacked by seaweed before. You must be so brave! woo woo woo!
Be careful if you go to the beach, you never expect it to attack!
It’s great that you and your bipeds understand each other so well! I don’t like sharp, scratchy things on my skin, either, and I’m glad they got rid of that seaweed for you!
It was a relief when they got rid of the seaweed for me. I’m glad I can get my bipeds understand me most of the time.
POOR Clowie in your beautiful furrr xx OUCH xxx
🙂 i know how much You love the water xo xo xo xo xo xo xo
and You write really great stories xxx<3 from the heart xo C
Thank you, I’m really glad you like my tales. I don’t like it when things get caught up in my fur! I like the sea, but I like rivers and lakes even more.
<3 You are definitely beautiful in the water 🙂 xx
I remember that picture of you swimming 🙂
Happy Swimming and I'm Glad You're ok xxx
NO KELP XO XO XO
Thank you, have a good weekend. xx
Oh Clowie you poor thing! So glad your humans got straight to helping you. =^.^=
Thank you, it feels horrible when there’s stuff caught in my coat and that seaweed was nasty!
Oh Clowie, what an important post and the value of helping each other and what a wonderful family you are. We have to admit we laughed (BOL) when you said that it tickled to have your paw inspected. That was cute. The rest was scary and we’re so glad you got relief. Wag wag, Max & Bella
Thank you, it is important to help each other out. I do find it difficult to keep my paws still when they’re checking them for me. I sometimes wriggle them at home when it’s just routine grooming!
I never thought about dried seaweed getting tangled in fur. Good things your bipeds were so attentive. 🙂
All sorts of things get tangled in my fur. Sticks, seeds, brambles… I’m glad they removed the seaweed for me.
Yeowzer Clowie, that is so unusual…and I thought you were living in the mtns??? This was at a beach? In Spain? Glad your female biped knew to look carefully…purrrrs, Savannah peeEss we are getting some professional photos next week of Ray Charles and Sister Rachel…will post as soon as we have them…we are workin’ hard to get them a home
We do live in the mountains and it’s usually plants that grow on them that I get stuck in my fur these days. This was on a holiday in England and it is unusual to come across dry seaweed – it’s usually wet and smelly!
I’ll keep my eyes open for you posting the photos and share the post.
Oh poor Clowie! Thank goodness your bipeds were there to help! I am so glad it doesn’t hurt anymore and you are right, without opposable thumbs we can’t do it ourselves! Barks and licks and love, Dakota
I’m glad they paid attention and sorted the seaweed out for me. Opposable thumbs are very useful sometimes!
Hi Clowie. Glad all is okay and what a cutie you are! Happy Wordless Wednesday from the BlogPaws Blog Hop!
Thank you very much. Enjoy the rest of the week.