considering a remote lifestyle

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Kati
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considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Kati »

Hi

I'm new..I'm considering a more remote lifestyle in the next year or so to escape the 'daily grind' and 'rat race'.

I'd be thinking of a small cottage/ smallholding with a little land for growing some veg, enough garden for my Border Collie (I may get more!) I hadn't considered hens but may do for eggs and a gluten free bread maker.

My worry is what I'd do for my dogs regarding vets. I don't drive so wouldn't have a car to get anywhere in an emergency. Does anyone live remotely with dogs?

Whats in your first aid essentials?

I'm also looking into more holistic alternatives to vaccinations after my elderly dog is losing the use of her back end after her last lot of vaccinations (she was fully able to walk and even still run before them)

When I was young we lived very frugely as my parents had very little money. I'm sure our dogs at the time weren't vaccinated as they couldn't afford it (or Insurance) yet the dogs were very healthy until their last year when they started to slow down and passed away at 17 years old.

what alternatives do you use to antibiotics for example to prevent infection if a dog cut itself and you were quite a distance from any vet and only really wanted to use them for life or death emergencies?

Thanks

Kati
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Mo
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Mo »

Hi, Welcome.
We aren't just about hens here, though you will have noticed that a lot of us have them and are nuts about them.

I hope you find your dream plot. Whereabouts are you looking?

Over 40 years ago we moved to the 'wilds of Cheshire' - not really remote but I didn't drive at the time and that was as remote as I'd want to be without a car. Nearly a mile to the postoffice/shop (now closed). Over a mile to school (and most of the childrens friends). Mile and a half to doctor / playgroup / etc. At the time there was a baker and a milkman who delivered. Anything else and I had to wait till OH got home from work and could take us to kids swimming lessons, supermarket, etc. 3 towns about 10 miles in different directions. We did look at houses in Wales but the thought of OH's journey to work in winter put us off, as well as the thought of being in a foriegn country with its own language (though I don't think they were insisting on Welsh in schools at the time)

I suppose now there is online groceries and shopping, so things have changed a bit.

I don't know about dogs, always been a cat person. Wendy is the one to answer that.
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Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
Kati
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Kati »

Hi

Thanks for answering. It would be Yorkshire where I was born and grew up, out in a village somewhere.

My collie has a car stalking issue so would be nice to have somewhere I knew he was safe and didn't have to go out in a harness everytime or stay on-lead cos parks are not securely fences and road runs too close etc.

Somewhere that backed onto fields or woodland etc be good. Edge of a village kind of thing if it still had a working post office/shops nearby. I do shop online, but would like to have space to grow my own salad/vegetables/potatoes etc.

Luckily I don't have children to think of, it's just me and my dogs. Probably just my younger collie by the time I got moved. I'd probably get another collie to keep him company or I've always fancied an Husky if I had more land but dunno whether they'd be a good combination with hens! (at least collies will only want to round them up..lol!)

Main issue for me would be the vets. I've been looking into the issue of vaccinations making dogs more ill and them getting things like cancer more often, arthritis earlier.

My elderly dog started first arthritis symptoms around 10yrs old (mildly) , as said our previous family dogs when we didn't have the money for regular vets bills lived to 17 yrs old not slowing down until their last year. I'd like to return to a more simpler lifestyle and maybe dogs on raw too.

I'm 46 next year and did all my partying and going off to uni etc in my younger days. I'm in a position where I can take early retirement and will have the means to get such a property in the next few years.

Thanks

Kati
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Mo
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Mo »

Some parts of Yorkshire are really nice. OH grew up in Beverley and we had a lot of family holidays on that coast. Brid/Scarborough/Whitby. I think we have at least one member living in that area too (inland from Brid).
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Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
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Spreckly
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Spreckly »

Hello Kati

Interesting to read your post.

We live in a village which has no shops, nearest post office and surgery are about four miles away, and the banks much further. Supermarket about four miles away, which we seldom use. We have to travel about seven miles to the vet, and there is no bus service in our village. To use a bus we would have to travel by car to the next village and the service to the nearest town is very very poor.

I am a village person, though lived in a city for thirteen years - couldn't wait to return to my home turf, which is where we now live, with a field at the bottom of the garden, containing sheep, cattle and horses, fields opposite and fields next door but one. There is a good deal of through traffic, our village sadly being a rat run, but it is peaceful, and we have lived here for almost ten years since retirement. My children grew up in a village, and though now living elsewhere, they had such freedom to roam and get into mischief.

We're fortunate with the majority of our neighbours, and there are friends here who would run us to the doctor, vet or town if we were without our car.

During one bad winter, we had two lots of neighbours coming to offer to get shopping in for us, and we own a 4 x 4! We then realised how decrepit we must look.

I haven't answered all your questions, but Yorkshire is a good place to live!
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wendy
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by wendy »

Sounds Idyllic and it is good to see you are trying to work things through before taking the plunge.
As regards living remotely and vets. I am afraid I cannot answer that one as I live in suburbia and don't have a problem. I am sure there are people on here that have that problem as well and can help. You also need to think about you as well. If you are taken ill, how near is the nearest doctor or hospital ?. If you can answer that one, you may be able to answer the one about the vet. There are always downsides to everything.
As for vaccinations. I do not vaccine after 5 years old and many people after 3 years old. So if you dog is up to date now I wouldn't worry too much. You would obviously need those things to get ticks out, as I am sure those will probably be your dogs greatest problem. Keep some flea powder and wormers handy and only use them if you see the critters. I never worm or de flea, unless I see them.
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Kati
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Kati »

Hi

Thanks I was wondering if anyone was into alternative medicines and what they may use that would be as effective as an antibiotic? For example.. if dog got a cut on paw instead of having to rush to vet incase it got infected or wait until it did.. is there an alternative an holistic or homeopathic remedy that is just as effective?

For example I give my elderly dog liquid devils claw it works as painkiller and anti-inflammatory and it's useful when she won't eat her dinner from bowl (that can disguise tablets in) but could soak a bit of liquid devils claw into a strong tasting chew such as dehydrated venison or duck breast chew, she thinks she's sneakily avoided 'the tablet' and got a treat instead and I know she's had something to help her arthritis pain and we're both happy bunnies!!! She also has a mix of tumeric, black pepper and coconut oil into her chicken and rice sometimes as Turmeric is meant to be good for arthritis and inflammation too. I've even heard it be successful in cases of cancer.

I've used valarian & skullcap tablets to help relax them (handy around fireworks night), they've also been said to work for dogs with epilepsy as an alternative to to traditional dr-ugs, so I was wondering if there was a similar equivalent to an antibiotic? Things I could stock up on along with stuff like first aid kits, tinned pumpkin (works great when they've got the squits)..that kind of thing? ..so minor things could be handled at home..I might I don't run to the GP everytime I sneeze I just take some flu capsules and its usually much better by the next morning! If I think its cos of allergy I take a few anti histamine and again its gone off within half an hour.

I know you can give dogs anti histamine in an emergency I did it with my old girl when she got a bee sting and it gave us time to get to the emergency vets which was miles away plus my brother had to get to me first and it stopped the swelling reaching the point it had cut off her breathing before we'd got there... stuff like that which would be useful to know when living so far away from immediate help?

Thanks

Kati
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Richard
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Richard »

Hi Kati

I can't add to what has been written, so wishing you well for a better and hopefully simpler lifestyle.

By the way, I've been to Mo's house and compared to many places it's quite remote, all be it I cycled there :-D

Richard )t'
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Kati
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Kati »

I've been watching those programs where people live on islands off scotland etc right up a top.. only a handful of people etc or ones that moved to other countries (Ben Fogle program) even living miles way from a nearest village and wondered how they manage.

I'm not planning on living that remotely but I thought they maybe have used more home remedies etc if visiting the GP/vet meant waiting for the next ferry or hiking for miles to nearest village!!! (some of the islands didn't allow cars on only bikes) ..and guessed they maybe also interested in self-sufficiency and more likely to be on a site like this (if they have internet!).

Nothing else is an Issue really, furniture, clothes I could get before a move and send with the move. A monthly food delivery of any tinned stuff/ household stuff. The most difficult is things like salads in summer you need to buy fresh weekly I'd like to grow them and them and veg I eat most.

Milk would be tricky without a local shop unless get long life milk delivered or have a cow in the back garden! {rofwl} (I wasn't thinking of going that extreme! yike* )

My elderly dog was very healthy as a pup and the only thing we'd go to vets for yearly was the vaccinations..until this year she had been twice in 13 years! one emergency bee sting as a puppy and once to get a boil lanced aged 8 ... only this year we've needed regular vet visits changing medication to try and find something that works for her as her back end is going and she's getting cataracts {cry}

I was hoping an healthy lifestyle would give my collie a longer healthier life too and wondering whether to ditch the yearly vaccinations. (He's just gone two years old so had his puppy jabs and his booster, next one due this Dec).
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Mo
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Mo »

You might be surprised and find that one of the big supermarkets will deliver, put the postcode of the place you are thinking of into their website (or http://www.mysupermarket.co.uk/). I've changed back to the milkman now - comes 4 times a week, but I used to freeze 2 weeks worth of milk. Semiskimmed is OK not sure about full cream. I bet there'll be a farm shop or grower for veg. maybe just open at set times (our nearest used to be Friday afternoon, but more now)
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Kati
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Kati »

I didn't know you could freeze milk!!!

Where I live now is difficult for getting out when snowed in and food deliveries have cancelled. I'm at bottom of a hill and its a quietish cul-de-sac so no through traffic so consequently doesn't get gritted or cleared or anything. No chance of getting up it when its snowed then iced over!

Have had road with 8" snow and then iced over from freezing temps overnight and been stuck in 2 weeks, mainly cos of mobility difficulties there's no way I can walk safely on ice or get a mobility scooter up the road.

Luckily I start getting a few extra's around october with each shop (such as a tin of soup, long life cartons of milk, part baked bread) and put them in a box in spare room. By the time we have the snow around Jan-March if it comes suddenly and food delivery gets cancelled I at least have about a week of emergency supplies in a box and extra stuff in the freezer, so can usually manage until it's cleared enough for more deliveries to get through. I can easily do the same and have a spare freezer that runs off camping gas or something for it there was a powercut.

We used to go camping when I was growing up so have the calor gas stove to cook off and the little mini fridge so I know they exist.
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Spreckly
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Spreckly »

Kati - we buy our milk with our weekly shop in town, freeze it and the bread. Our lane is rarely gritted in winter, which is a bone of contention as we have two severely disabled people living in the village. All the best.
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Mo
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Re: considering a remote lifestyle

Post by Mo »

You can freeze homogenised semi-skimmed milk (and skimmed I'm sure), but if you leave it in the freezer for more than a couple of months it may separate out like curds and whey. Not 'off' but not very appetising in tea. In the past I tried freezing full fat unhomogenised not very successfully, you need to pour the cream off first as it goes blobby.
Cardboard or plastic containers will bulge in the freezer if you put them in full - the water expands as it freezes. Doesn't usually crack, though glass would - if it seems to be leaking as it thaws you can stand the lot in a saucepan to defrost.
You can leave the container in the fridge overnight to defrost, make sure it is mixed well before using. If you need it in a hurry you might notice that the 'milk' thaws first leaving a lattice of ice - so it gets weaker as you go on.
I had no problem with keeping 2 weeks supply and using in rotation. Now that I keep an emergence couple of litres I have to remember to use it and replace regularly.
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Sunny Clucker enjoyed Folk music and song in mid-Cheshire
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