A spraint

Apparently a piece of otter poo is called a spraint. And hereby hangs a tale as they say…..

Mistress Misty Marshall was caught rolling in something beside the river. Thereafter it rained and it poured and we had one wet soggy dog who happened not to be wearing one of her three coats. When she got back into the house, there was a smell lingering. At first I thought it was the aftermath of the tea-tree shampoo (I told you it was too butch,) then I realised that as the hair of the dog dried it also went all matted and stiff. And the smell got worse. The day continued and the smell continued to get worse. Not so much tea-tree as old tea or Earl Grey, or bergamot. But with vile fishy undertones. Alas, there was no dog shampoo in the house, nor baby shampoo, so I liberally applied baby powder (kept for just such emergencies) …….but all to no avail. The smell was now bergamot, old tea, fishy and sickly sweet. Aha thought I, and a quick check online revealed the likely culprit…….otter poo.  By now it was too late for remedial action and anyway it took an overnight before I resorted to human shampoo and a full pelt shower. Of the dog, not me, though verily after an overnight with her on my bed………. Need I say more?

The interesting thing is that volumising Pantene Prov works every bit as well on the dog as on me. And what’s more there are only pleasant smells now.  And there is always the thought if I can get up early enough for a dawn walk, I might see the otter itself.