Sunday 29 March 2015

Spike: Looking back on life so far....


Looking back....
Two years ago I made a very important decision.  I wanted to make amends for something that lives with me every day and will never go away.

His name was Kobi and for 18 wonderful months I lived the dream.  A dog so traumatised by abuse and torture, he had given up on life when he came to live with us.  I wanted to save him and show him happiness and for a brief moment in time I did that.  I showed him love and trust and he repaid me by loving and trusting me in return.  But he could love and trust no other being, human or dog and ultimately the abuse and damage that he endured as a puppy was too much for him to bear.  In April 2012 I held Kobi in my arms as he fell asleep for the last time.

After Kobi left us we fostered various dogs and helped them on their journey of life.  Each time it got harder as we became attached to every dog that shared our life.  We decided to stop being a foster home for Siberian Huskies.

And then, in March 2013, I learned of the plight of a husky puppy that had been severely mistreated and was in need of a foster home.  He had been abandoned at Brentwood railway station very underweight and infested with mange.   A wonderful man and his family found him early one morning and after tempting him with baby food they were able to catch him.  They certainly saved his life that day as he appeared to be on a mission to run onto the railway tracks.  This family knew of a lady in the area that owned huskies and asked for her help to look after the pup.  This lovely lady took him into her home and for two weeks showed him love, fed him well and treated his mange.   This lovely lady worked in a pub and the puppy met many of her friends that worked with her.  They all fell in love with this poorly little pup.   Sadly she could not keep the puppy, now called Blue and she asked for the help of her dear friend involved with Siberian Husky rescue.  Her friend agreed without hesitation.

Little Boy Blue
When I learned that a baby puppy, possibly 3-4 months old needed a temporary foster home, my “no more foster dogs” became a “one last time” and “it will only be for a few months Ian”. ...

And so in April 2013 Blue came to live with us.  We expected a very cute and fluffy 3 month old puppy.  The reality was that the pup was between 6-9 months old but in such poor condition and severely malnourished that he was the size and weight of a 3 month old pup.  He was not cute and I am ashamed to say that I immediately thought that he looked more like an evil Gremlin (from the movie of the same name) than a husky pup.  He had huge ears, a strange shaped head, big front arms and a very frail back end.  His tail had virtually no fur on it and the rest of his body not much more.  The mange infestation was gone, but his skin was still very red and itchy. 

However, I was blown away by the pup’s smile and attitude.  He just looked at us and smiled in a way I had never seen before on a dog.  Some people walked past as we took him from the van to the garden and this pup smiled and leapt forward to try and say hello to them as well.  This little dog loved people even though he had clearly been abused by them in his short life.  His frail body struggled to carry him, but he was so full of determination.  Both Ian and I both believed then that there was something a bit special about this pup. 

Spike with his hero
As his foster home, this pup would only be with us temporarily, just until he was fit and well enough to be adopted and given a home for life.  We initially referred to him as Little Boy Blue and then decided he fitted the name Spike rather well. 

Over the spring and early summer of 2013 we helped Spike gain good weight and condition.  His hind legs took a very long time to strengthen and he would fall over easily, but it never bothered him he just jumped up and continued with whatever he had been doing.  It took many months before Spike even had the strength to shake properly.  He would try to and then fall over.  We feared that he might have a neurological problem, but thankfully that was ruled out.

Our pack of Siberian Huskies taught him all about pack life and Kez taught him the rules of the house.   It was clear from very early on that Spike idolised our pack leader, something that Kroi was remarkably calm and tolerant about.
After a few months of good food, gentle exercise and love, Spike turned into a beautiful swan and it was time for him to find a permanent home.  There were many offers for this special little dude and in the summer of 2013 Spike was adopted by a family chosen for him by the welfare organisation.

36 hours later Spike was back with us, deemed “too bouncy” by his new young family.
We agreed to foster him again without hesitation, committed to our vow to find him a wonderful loving family of his own.
But then it all changed…
Becoming more concerned about his hind movement, we had his hips x-rayed and it was confirmed that he had hip dysplasia.  Not good news, but with the correct care and exercise it could hopefully be managed well.  We were referred to Top Dog Hydrotherapy (Andover, Hampshire) and Spike was soon having regular hydro sessions (running on a treadmill in a water tank).  This form of exercise, combined with gentle running with me, resulted in a great improvement in his movement and soon we were once again looking for that special home for him.

And then it all changed.  One day while out running with him he suddenly stopped dead and for a split second I feared that his hips had “gone”.  But after the initial panic was over I was able to confirm that it was his front right leg that was causing him great pain.

It was confirmed in December 2013 by Fitzpatrick Referrals that Spike had Elbow Dysplasia (ED) there were several surgical options available, depending on where his ED fell on the spectrum – best case a tidy up within the joint, worst case total elbow replacement.  We agreed to adopt Spike, come what may.

The full details are contained here, but in January 2014 Spike returned to Fitzpatrick Referrals and the full extent of his condition was confirmed.  To have both elbows replaced was not possible on ethical and financial grounds.  We were forewarned that Spike may only live another 6-9 months.
We made a vow to ensure that Spike had the best ever “rest of his life”, however long that may be. I remember saying even if he wants beer, he can have beer. But maybe that was one step too far!
So we knew Spike would be with us for the rest of his life. We enjoyed figuring out what he enjoyed, how much he could run and how to balance his running, rest, hydrotherapy, swimming, acupuncture and laser therapy. This little guy lives the life of an elite athlete! He got stronger, his short runs with his husky house mates bonded him with them.

Then he faced his next major setback in September 2014. On a short walk in the village he ruptured his cruciate ligament. Now only able to use three-legs Spike didn’t seem to care. While we winced at his hobbling, to be honest there was little that Spike didn’t try and do, even with only 75% of his legs available! Of course the leg needed to be fixed and he had to endure major surgery and 3 months of very little exercise, during which time he lost a lot of weight and became very depressed.  We came close to losing him.

Leading the way at Brentwood parkrun
At the start of 2015 we had to start all over again, teaching Spike how to walk, then to jog and then to run.  Combined with our training plans and his medical treatments we made it work.

And now, 15 months since the dreaded news, Spike is still here, happy bouncy and running.  He has regular hydro sessions at Top Dog Hydrotherapy and laser treatment by Shelley Doxley.  He runs short distances every other day, he needs lot of rest afterwards, but he is absolutely determined to run and he can run very fast!

He also loves to run with Ian.
Weald Country Park, Brentwood with his pack
Yesterday Spike won a 5k parkrun with Ian, in Brentwood, Spike’s original home and where he nearly died.

And after the run we finally got to meet the person that saved Spike’s life in March 2013.  This person and his family saved Spike from certain death as he tried to run onto the tracks at Brentwood railway station.  Without people like him the world would be a very different place.  Thank you.
Meeting Railway workers at the Station
We took Spike to the railway station where he was found and the pub where he met the lovely lady that helped him before he entered our lives.  It was very interesting seeing how Spike behaved during all those experiences.  He spent a lot of time sniffing and staring at a particular point in the car park.  I can only guess what could have been going through his mind.

Spike’s has many great adventures yet to come, one of which I truly believe will be the most inspirational yet.

With the family that saved his life
I believe Spike can help me achieve a long held dream of running a Sub4 minute mile.  He is getting stronger and quicker each week and last week with Kroi’s help we ran our fastest mile since May 2014.

The only minor inconvenience is that I need surgery on my ankle joint and it will happen in the next month or so.  I have chronic pain in my ankle and surgery to alleviate it is quite invasive and may involve breaking my fibula to get to the damaged section of bone.  I have an awesome surgeon that I trust explicitly and he has already performed 3 operations on this ankle, each one I have bounced back from.   I guess Spike and I are a bit like real life Weebles ;-)

Spike is a very special dog and has many guardian angels that have helped him on his journey of life.  From those that saved him from certain death to those that help pay his medical bills and those that broke the rules in order to help him and those that support him each and every day.  And then there are those that go far and beyond to help his medical and veterinary rehabilitation.  Thank you to each and every one of you, especially North Pole Marathon, we are eternally grateful for your continued help and support.

Let's go catch a dream....

 (Photos courtesy of Ian J Berry, Brentwood parkrun and me)








Sunday 1 March 2015

The Miracle called Spike

Spike's Motto  - "Live life to the full"
We have shared our lives with Spike for nearly two years.   Two years of experiences that I would not wish on my worst enemy, well certainly not the bad bits, but the good bits are worth a lifetime of negatives.

Spike is an entity.  A very special entity that defies medical logic and is determined to prove just how special and inspirational a being can be.  No one ever said that only human beings can be inspirational…..
Since I was 13 years old I have managed chronic pain in my left ankle and as I get older it gets harder to manage.  The negativity sets in and fear takes over.  I don’t like taking drugs, I prefer to manage the pain as best I can, sometimes I can and sometimes I cannot.  Sometimes my mind weakens and I cannot overcome the negativity.  I was doing okay until a couple of years ago, round about the time the entity that we call Spike entered our lives…..

For those that do not know.  Spike has hip and elbow dysplasia.  He has had x-rays, CT scans and been put through every medical examination possible.  We have the factual details and know what we are working with.  He also ruptured his cruciate in September 2014 and had to endure extensive surgery to repair the damage.   My ankle has been operated on 3 times, CT Scanned, MRI and x-rayed and know the facts of my condition.  They are not disputable.  Spike and I don’t have cartilage in our joints.  When we move we click and crunch as bone meets bone.  This is a fact, but sometimes facts don’t matter. 

If you are a logical person that thrives on logic I suggest you read no further.  However if you can throw logic out the window and want to enter a world where the word miracle springs to mind,  then I welcome you to the World that Spike lives in.  A world that we try to control as we want to protect him, but truly he is the one in control….

Every day Spike wakes up and wants to run.  He is a Husky and running is in his blood, it pulses through his veins.  We are his human protectors and we know that if he runs every day then he will suffer.   I wake up every day and want to run, I make the decision as to whether I do or not.
Both Spike and I have adapted our bodies to assist our desires.  Muscle development in the affected limbs helps protect and reduce the impact on the joints.  We walk and run “weird”, but it works for us.  We both hobble when walking, but when we run you would never know that anything was wrong.

We have reached a compromise that Spike appears to accept.  He is allowed to run every other day, which not surprisingly he loves!  The non-running days are a bit of a problem and normally Ian has to manage Spike’s enthusiasm on those days while I disappear into the darkness with our other Siberian Huskies.

On the days that Spike runs, life becomes easier for us – he sleeps for the rest of the day!!  On the days he does not run our poor garden suffers.  He is currently trying to create a Hobbit size hole in one of our gardens, well either that or a tunnel to Australia….
Running with his favourite human

We are trying to build up Spike’s running slowly, but at the same time run at the pace he wants to.  Since December his pace has gradually improved from 8 minute miles to 4:50 minute miles.  He cannot run for a great length of time, and in that respect we differ greatly.  I prefer distance over speed and struggle with motivation to maintain effort over a short distance.  However I have a long held dream to run very quickly for one mile and that is where Spike and my paths collide…..

I need his help to run a Sub4 minute mile.  We have two Siberian Huskies that are easily capable of running 4 minute mile pace for a long period of time, but I am not physically capable of prolonged running at that speed.  When I tire they ease back and let me run at a pace I am comfortable, they are my doggy protectors.  However, Spike on the other hand is not so considerate!  When he runs he wants to run quickly and with reckless abandonment.  He wants to get “there” before everyone…. 
Spike has been solo training and running with Kez since his TPLO operation.  Spike runs a lot with Ian and that partnership works very well.  We are being very cautious with his post recovery training and have so far not allowed him to run with Kroi.  Kroi is a speed demon and when he runs with Spike testosterone generally fuels the run.  They are male dogs of similar age, so not surprising that they are competitive with one another!   

Spike continues to have regular hydrotherapy sessions to help his fitness and muscle development.  He also has laser therapy treatment and is assessed by a vet on a regular basis.  He is not on any regular pain medication and is physically in the best shape he has ever been in.  He also regularly digs very deep holes in our garden, which is quite a feat when you consider the condition of his elbow joints!

Spike is indeed a very special little dog that continues to defy medical and scientific logic.  He is our little miracle….

(Images thanks to Ian J Berry, well apart from one :-) )