Spike Update: Giving up is not an option...

A sad Spike

The good news is that as each week passes. Spike’s hind legs are definitely getting stronger.  As the muscles around his joints develop, his ability to jump and propel himself around the house and garden improves. 

In his quest for human attention he has become very confident standing on his hind legs whilst trying to sneak a cuddle with any human that says hello to him.  I even caught him “leaping” onto our bed the other day – oh yes, he has also started challenging the house rules – as he rapidly moves into the “teenager” phase of his life….

He weighs nearly 24 kg and has a lovely luxurious coat and sparkling blue eyes.  He eats well, loves to play and tries his best to tease the big boys at least twice per day.  He is tenacious, refusing to give up on things that matter to him – to chase the last butterflies of the summer, retrieve his toy from another husky, be cuddled by a human….

Last weekend for the first time we took all four Huskies to a parkrun event.  Spike loved meeting so many people and had a great time, he even got to sample some rather yummy homemade cake in celebration of a friend running their 1000^th race – yes 1000 races, how impressive is that!  I wonder if Kez and Kroi told him about the good old days at parkrun, when we ran together as a team and had so much fun racing against the clock…    

A happy Spike

The bad news is that most days he is lame on both his front legs.  He needs to be carried to bed at night and when he falls asleep he does not stir until I arise in the morning to take the others running.  Some days are worse than others.  Today is a bad day.  He is clearly in a lot of pain and is struggling to move around the house.  Each time he rises from a laying down position his front legs refuse to move properly and he shuffles/ stumbles across the room. 

When I see him like this, I fear the worst.

But then I compare his situation with mine.  More often than not when I stand up, I limp.  The pain in my ankle and my toe causes me to move my body in an awkward way.  It soon eases and by the time I have my trainers and running clothes on, I am ready to run.  The stiffness subsides and I can move “normally”.  The pain may return momentarily when I land awkwardly on the ground or stand on a stone, but it does not stop me doing what I love, I just grit my teeth and adapt my movement accordingly.  I have learned to manage pain and it does not stop me running or enjoying a very high quality of life.  I don’t see Spike accepting a lesser life just because he sometimes feels pain.

Sometimes I need to take painkillers and sometimes Spike needs some help with pain relief, but neither of us will ever be dependent upon it….

Watching him suffer today has helped me make an important decision regarding my future.  I was in denial about proposed surgery to ease the pain in my foot and a worsening condition.  The prospect of a very long recovery and no running for 6 weeks too much to bear.

One day Spike may need surgery.  How can I make the decision to go ahead with surgical intervention for Spike it if I refuse to accept surgical help for me?

In the meantime, we will both continue to do all that we can, and if we linger each time we rise… well that just gives us more time to dream about where we are going…..

Spike update: The husky that always smiles

The smiling husky

Spike is definitely responding well to his hydrotherapy sessions and the personal training plan that I have adapted for him…

He loves his twice weekly trips to Top Dog Hydrotherapy where he gets to splash in water, eat treats and have the undivided attention of all the people in the room!  I don’t like the 4am starts that I have to endure in order for him to make his after work appointments but his happiness and improvement makes it all worthwhile.

Happy husky preparing for his hydro therapy

Sometimes I do wonder if our house is the best place for a disabled puppy to live as he undergoes intense therapy and is supposed to have restricted exercise….
Our family home is a hive of activity, with two full time working and running humans and a pack of huskies.   There is always something happening and it is rare for us to “just sit down”.  We refuse to confine Spike to cage rest as we know the impact that will have on his mental well-being.  As a result Spike can dash around to his heart’s content, get up to mischief and generally live the life of a “normal” puppy…

In action at Top Dog Hydrotherapy

And why should he not do that?  Yes he has physical impairments that restrict his ability, but he knows that.  He knows his limits and when he has reached them he stops.  He may limp for a while and he may be a little stiff every time he rises, but he is happy and that is what matters most.  This little dude wants to run and wants to have fun and I will not refuse him that.

Spike’s circumstances are not far from my own – I was once told I would be a cripple by the age of 30 and that I should not even attempt to run further than a mile….  I guess representing Great Britain twice in ultra distance events has proven that sometimes triumph can be achieved against adversity and the human body and mind is actually a lot stronger than some people believe.

Spike is not human, but in my experience huskies are much stronger and much more determined than us humans….

It has been very emotional recently for Ian and I, all in relation to Spike and whether we are doing the right thing for him.  

Brentwood Station - where the angels found Spike

Ian visited the place where Spike was rescued and we found the people responsible for saving his life.  We owe them so much gratitude for what they did when so many other people would just have walked on by and the result would be that Spike would not have lived beyond the age of six months…

Knowing what we now know has made Ian and I even more determined to ensure that Spike has the life he deserves.  A puppy abandoned by humans, neglected and close to death, he refuses to dislike humans.  He loves people and he loves life, even though he has just reason to hate and to distrust humans.

So, long story short, while Spike remains in our care he will live life as we do.  If he wants to run the wall of death around the garden he can.  When I take him out and he wants to break into a run, I am not going to stop him.

While Spike lives with us and we are responsible for making decisions for him, we will make them based on his happiness.  And to him running = happiness.  Well he is a husky after all!

And why am I confident that our approach is the best approach?
Because Spike is proving to us that what we are doing is working, he is getting better and stronger each and every week.

No doubt I will continue to question my ability to cope with the situation in the coming weeks and months.  Question whether I am doing the right thing by letting Spike live by my convictions.  But each and every time I do I will look to Spike for guidance – if he is happy then I know that what I am doing is right. 

I am a dreamer and as I work towards one of my ultimate dreams, Spike will continue to pursue his own destiny with guidance from us.  I would love for him to join me in this dream and there is a big part of me that believes he will.

No matter what the future holds I know that Kobi would be proud and my promise to him is one step closer to being fulfilled….

(Photos courtesy of tzruns and me....)

Spike update: the water baby husky

It is amazing the difference a week can make. 

Last week Spike had been really struggling and I was so concerned about him that I pulled out of my dream race for 2013.  I did not want to leave him while I went chasing a dream that could wait for another day.

This week has seen a huge improvement in his condition, so much so that I am now creating new dreams and they involve running a very special even with Spike some way in the future….

The water baby...

We have not given Spike any medication since Monday and he also had his first hydrotherapy session.  The two are not directly related, just coincidence.   

The objective of the hydrotherapy is to improve the muscle development and movement of his joints without the stresses when performed on land.  On land as Spike moves a shockwave effect is created that travels up each limb and gets absorbed by his bones, tendons and ligaments.  Whilst these stresses are necessary to maintain healthy strong bones in Spike’s case it can make his condition worse.  Suffering from hip and elbow dysplasia has caused Spike to adopt “wonky” movement in all four legs, from hobbling to a bunny hopping style of gait.

Spike went to Top Dog Hydrotherapy this week to begin the process of teaching his body to walk and run properly.  Spike loves playing water and so we were pretty confident that he would take to the aquatic treadmill very easily.  He did and over the coming weeks he will be returning there twice per week.

The water treadmil

The aquatic treadmill has glass sides, which allow assessment of all movement, gait and stride length.  The water level and speed can be adjusted very easily, allowing various flexion and extension of the joints and limbs.

Watching Spike on the treadmill was fascinating.  Feeling very unstable he initially walked very wide, but as he gained confidence he moved his legs inwards and was soon walking almost “normally” as the water level increased.  He was clearly comfortable with the situation, or perhaps it was the tasty treats on offer that helped him feel relaxed and chilled!

Speaking of treats, I had a very interesting experience with Spike and food this week.  In nearly two decades of living with huskies, I have never used food as a reward for anything that I ask the huskies to do.  They all are trained purely by voice command and their only reward is praise.  None are motivated by food and will happily leave food in preference for a run with me…  Praise as reward has worked exceptionally well for me, but I decided to try a different approach with Spike, who is a very food motivated dog….

On our solo excursions from the house I took food with me to see how Spike would respond.  Long story short, we now have a very obedient dog that will sit, stay and walk to heel, all for food….  A lot of work is still required, but it would appear that using food as training is an easy option for this dog!!

Dreams propel us into action....

We are very proud of the positive adaptation to his challenges of the past week, but Spike has many times reminded us of his fragility and the struggles that he faces on a daily basis. 

His tenacity, my dreams and the support of his growing band of fans will triumph over adversity. 

(Illustration and photographs courtesy of Melissa Simm, and tzruns)