Laddie
After an initial home visit from Sandra at the Fen Greyhound rescue Centre, we took July to visit the rescue and see if she would approve of Laddie sharing his life with ours.
www.fenbankgreyhounds.co.uk/
Once July had met Laddie, she flatly refused to leave without him. As we passed his kennel, she stopped and refused to put another paw forward. So both July and Laddie relaxed in the car whilst we completed the paperwork.
Little is known about Laddie's background, except that he was taken away from his previous home, due to bad housing.
The first couple of days have been hectic but Laddie has settled in very quickly. He loves his walks and running free, though he can't go too far yet.
Friday August 18th, Laddie was so excited to go for his walk and run, that he slipped and fell. He screamed in pain and I knew that he couldn't get up and called the emergency vet to come asap.
Administered Rescue Remedy which settled him a little and I made him comfortable with lots of warm blanket and some head support. Fortunately the vet arrived fairly soon and Laddie was given morphine. We waited a little for the morphine to take and with the help of my neighbour, we managed to put Laddie in the car.
After a whole set of Xrays, the news was not good. Osteosarcoma was suspected in his right shoulder, which also sustained a fracture.
I had a long chat with the vet and also with Sandra from the Fen Greyhound rescue centre.
After an initial home visit from Sandra at the Fen Greyhound rescue Centre, we took July to visit the rescue and see if she would approve of Laddie sharing his life with ours.
www.fenbankgreyhounds.co.uk/
Once July had met Laddie, she flatly refused to leave without him. As we passed his kennel, she stopped and refused to put another paw forward. So both July and Laddie relaxed in the car whilst we completed the paperwork.
Little is known about Laddie's background, except that he was taken away from his previous home, due to bad housing.
The first couple of days have been hectic but Laddie has settled in very quickly. He loves his walks and running free, though he can't go too far yet.
Friday August 18th, Laddie was so excited to go for his walk and run, that he slipped and fell. He screamed in pain and I knew that he couldn't get up and called the emergency vet to come asap.
Administered Rescue Remedy which settled him a little and I made him comfortable with lots of warm blanket and some head support. Fortunately the vet arrived fairly soon and Laddie was given morphine. We waited a little for the morphine to take and with the help of my neighbour, we managed to put Laddie in the car.
After a whole set of Xrays, the news was not good. Osteosarcoma was suspected in his right shoulder, which also sustained a fracture.
I had a long chat with the vet and also with Sandra from the Fen Greyhound rescue centre.
Re‐constructive surgery was not really a good options because of his age, his general health as he's had a very tough life. Also there was a very real possibility that once the reconstructive surgery was done, it might not take because of, again, a very real possibility of osteosarcoma in shoulder area.
Laddie would have had to endure 2 to 3 months of serious discomfort then another 3 months of more adaptations with the possibility of having an amputation at the end of it. The financial costs was not really relevant as he was fully insured and they would have met the costs. In a way, I had more or less decided for his second option; amputation. That what I wanted for him in my heart, as Laddie himself was really full of life. He would take off for a few minutes, like only greyhounds can do, and one could the smile of sheer joy in his little face. That of course would have been taken away, but I am sure that he would have been able to scramble on my bed for a cuddle. _________________ I would have needed to help him in the beginning by supporting his back legs and give him a "hand up" more or less. However, I have needed to do this with him in the past, and he screamed in pain, so this was not an option. Of course it may have had nothing to do with the hip area but with the spine. I think that at some time he may have been kicked. Don't know but his hips seemed to be very much misaligned. He just wouldn't let anyone touch his back end. It was with a very heavy heart that Laddie was helped to Cross the Rainbow Bridge, where he is now free from pain and free to run to his heart content. |
A very moving poem was sent by Kat Berard:
www.katberard.com NATIVE AMERICAN PRAYER I give you this one thought to keep I am with you still – I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow, I am the diamond glints on snow, I am the sunlight on ripened grain, I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning’s hush, I am the swift, uplifting rush of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not think of me as gone – I am with you still – in each new dawn. Goodbye beautiful Laddie We Love you and miss you |