Small Black Dog

Stacia

Stacia

Location
Malvern Worcestershire
David said:
Not brilliant to be honest, but it is what it is. Time needed. Thank you.My office is now festooned with dog toys that she used to bring to me on the bum for a treat! Is this normal? :wasntme:
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It is normal for me! I have toys kept from dogs who were playing/holding them, the day before they died and no other dog will be allowed to have them! The toys in your office are the wonderful memory to Lady, painful I know at the moment, but moments of comfort as well x
 
Natalie

Natalie

I was thinking about you over the weekend. When I joined the other forum, Lady was one of the few dogs that had elbow surgery and came through it pretty well (then later there was @Loraseal and Hunter :) ). When we didn't know what the outlook was for Monty, you and Lady gave me hope that if he did need to be operated on, there was real hope for a positive outcome. I may not have commented than, but I was always pleased to see that she had a wonderful life post surgery.
 
David

David

Moderator
Staff member
Natalie said:
I was thinking about you over the weekend. When I joined the other forum, Lady was one of the few dogs that had elbow surgery and came through it pretty well (then later there was @Loraseal and Hunter :) ). When we didn't know what the outlook was for Monty, you and Lady gave me hope that if he did need to be operated on, there was real hope for a positive outcome. I may not have commented than, but I was always pleased to see that she had a wonderful life post surgery.
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Thank you, it's really nice to know that. She got 6 good years after the surgery - not completely pain free. If she executed a really tight turn she sometimes had pain towards the end of the 6 years, but she was able to do a limited amount of work picking up which she absolutely enjoyed. She did "front line" picking up on just the one shoot and then accompanied me as a peg dog for the last couple of seasons. She was pretty much stone deaf at the end too, although, strangely, she could still hear the whistle. I think the deafness was entirely down to her. Try as I might to get her to sit behind me or to one side she'd insist on sitting right in front of me just under the end of the barrels of the gun! :wasntme:

The arthritis kicked in really from her 9th birthday but she didn't need meds until she was about 10 years old. It wasn't actually the elbows that were the problem in the end. She had arthritis in them certainly, but her hips (which did not have dysplasia) were worse. The real problem was in her lower back. It was either myelopathy or stenosis or just possibly cancer. Subjecting her to a lot of investigations was judged by both the vet and me to be inappropriate. Either way it was always what was going to limit her life and she gradually slowed down, walked less needing little lie down rests, and then quite suddenly, she couldn't walk or control her bladder - overnight really. Wobbly when she went to bed and pretty much unable to stand the next morning and that was that.

I thought I might write down in instalments over a number of weeks a potted life history of the mainly funny bits later on. She was always an absolute hoot and kept the two of us on our toes and sane right up to the end really. Must go now - got something in my eye. :giggl:
 
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