One last letter to Spike

Dear Spike,

Thank you for always being you.

Days after we met, the day you met your special friend

The day we met you we were astounded with your fighting spirit and determination.  A pitiful bag of bones with very little fur you bounced into our lives with a personality bigger than any dog I have ever known.  Neglected and abandoned by humans you had learned how to survive.  Not only how to survive, you had taught yourself how to make the most of every day and every opportunity.

You were only supposed to stay with us for a few short months.  We were going to nurse you back to health and help find you a forever home.  We did that and off you went to your new home, we shed tears on the day you left, but felt proud that we had achieved our objective.

36 hours later you were back with us.  It matters not why you returned, but truth be known, we were rather happy when we picked you up and brought you home.

And that is what our house became to you.  Our house became your home and you joined our family.  History will show that we officially adopted you after we learned of the extent of your disabilities several months later, but the reality is that when Ian and I hugged you on the day you returned from the failed adoptive home, we were never going to let you go again.

Learning about the full extent of your physical issues was hard.  The scans and x-rays at the best veterinary facilities in the world confirmed news we had feared and were not prepared for.  Severe elbow dysplasia on top of the hip dysplasia we already knew about.  You were only one year old and the only options for you were elbow replacements and a life of operation, 6 month cage rest, another operation and another 6 months cage rest. 

Amazing spirit, you believed in yourself for sure!!

From an ethical perspective we could not do that to you.  So we made a promise to you, that for the rest of your life we would do all that was humanly possible to give you happiness.  The expert medics forewarned us that 6-9 months would be the time that we had left with you.

I guess you had other ideas….

You showed us what made you happy… new experiences; running with your Siberian Husky brothers; meeting people; eating weird foods like porridge and cottage cheese; watching birds; playing with ponies; chasing yard brooms at work; hugs; hunting hedgehogs in the garden; barking at birds; ripping up Ben10 duvets; biting the water from the hose; being tickled; hanging out with our Husky friends; warmth, especially the sunshine and radiators in winter.

We helped you have then all.  Truth be known, I didn’t like the shouting, but you knew that didn’t you?  And that is why you always shouted at me and then dashed away before peeping round the corner to see my response.  I saw the smile on your face… it was our game.

Your happiest moments were when you ran with your Husky brothers.  I had the honour and privilege of running most of them with you.  Yes I got frustrated when you shouted at the others and refused to follow my instructions, but I know only too well how annoyed I get when someone tells me not to do something I want to!

You scared us last year when you ruptured your left cruciate.  Emergency surgery was performed but we were worried as to how you would cope with the recovery.  You coped, just.  It was horrible to watch you struggle.  One of the worst experiences I had in life was seeing you after that operation.  You had had enough of medical intervention and from that day forth you were never going to trust another vet, apart from your special friend.

To see you run again after that was nothing short of a miracle.  But we lived in fear that one day your other cruciate would rupture and if it did we knew surgery was not an option. 

The people that saved your life

When it happened on Sunday, it broke me and it broke everyone in the family.  To watch you struggle to stand or lie down was heart-breaking.  We knew that our time together was coming to an end. 

But before I go, I have some amazing news for you.  Do you remember the last time we ran together?  That moment was captured on video and as of today over 15,000 people have viewed it!!  That is amazing as the memory of that run is forever etched in my mind and many others too. 
You had that impact on people, they will never forget you because you are one of the special beings that lived and walked amongst us.

As I write to you a song as just come on the radio that sings about “from a distance”…. You are so far now from me and I hate that.  I want to hug you and know that I will never again do that.  I hope you are watching from up above and knowing how much we are missing you.  Forever and a day I will remember you and on the days when I struggle I will remember you and rise above it all.

A very special morning

You taught us so much about life Spike in the short time that you lived with us.  Thank you for all that you gave us.

I will never forget today.  You collapsed in my arms and I had the honour of carrying you to the place where you fell asleep forever, surrounded by your favourite people and the Huskies that became your family.  Ian held you and Kroi stood watching over you as you fell asleep, but you don’t need me to tell you that, you knew.  Your hero and pack leader was with you as you fell asleep, to dream forever.  

Go now and catch those dreams, run forever pain free.  You are one of the most inspirational beings I have ever known and one day I will write a book about our life together.  The book will include another special dude that led you to us.  His name was Kobi, you would have liked him.

This is the hardest letter I have ever written.  Tears are flooding down my face as I think of you.  We miss you so much already.  We want to hear shouting at us, annoying us, anything to break the deadly silence that is now around us.

Forever and a day, we love you Spike.

Sandra and Ian xx

(thank you North Pole Marathon, without your help Spike's life would have been very different)

Spike: the little star that still sparkles

Spike gave us a terrible fright recently. 
His condition has been gradually deteriorating for several months and he suddenly became very lame on his one “good” leg, his right hind.  There was no incident or trauma, he just stopped wanting to use the leg properly.  This was the only leg that, to date had not appeared to give him significant pain.  He struggled to stand up and lie down and did not want to weight bear on that leg.  We placed him on even more restricted exercise, which he struggled to cope with and became very depressed.  It looked like he was going to slip away from us.

We increased his medication and hoped for another miracle from our special little star.

We took him to Top Dog hydrotherapy fearing that it would be his last ever session.  We were worried that even gentle exercise in controlled conditions and with his body supported by water would be too much for his fragile body.  The water in the tank was set higher than normal and the treadmill was on extra slow setting.  Even with the support of the water Spike still only toe touched his right leg while stationary, but he did use it when moving and his range of movement improved as the session progressed.  Once the session was over Spike looked happier and there was a definite sign of the sparkling Spike that we have come to know and love.

We took him home after his hydro session, he had dinner and then he crashed for the rest of the day.  I think he slept for 12 hours solid in the same place.  He awoke when we did the next morning and was extremely stiff, but after a few minutes moving around he started using the right hind leg, albeit limping heavily.

He was perkier all weekend and after another successful laser treatment session from Shelley we felt a glimmer of hope that another Spike miracle was happening.  Based on historical evidence, every time his condition worsens he stumbles, but then he appears to accept his new situation and fights back with renewed energy.  His fighting spirit is incredible and his adaptability astounding.  Having legs that don’t work properly does not stop him from digging, bouncing around and shouting at the top of his voice.  What does bother him is not being able to run and work with the other members of the pack.  That makes him very sad and we have to give him extra stimulation to make up for something he will never have again.

Thankfully Spike loves meeting people and doing things like going to shops, pubs or beer festivals.  He loves the attention and is a social butterfly.  I am also very grateful that we have a very stable pack and when the bottom of the pack member gets special trips out with the Humans of the family, the other Siberian Huskies are totally accepting of this.  Although he is quickly reprimanded by boss dog when he gets over cocky about his privileged status!  

Spike now has hydrotherapy and laser treatment every week, he also wears pyjamas at night to keep his joints warm.

However, there is further bad news.,,,

When Spike ruptured his left, cruciate ligament in September 2014 and underwent emergency TPLO surgery, we knew that there was a high probability he would sustain the same injury in his right leg.  We have tried to protect him as much as possible while allowing him to enjoy life and our hearts sink with each new discovery of pain or lameness. 

Following careful examination from our favourite vet this week, we know that Spike is feeling pain in his elbows, hips, back and his right knee.  There is also swelling in his knee.  There is a very high probability that his cruciate will either partially or fully rupture.  From an ethical perspective Spike cannot undergo another TPLO procedure.  It breaks our hearts to make this statement, but we have to be realistic about Spike’s condition and his quality of life.

There may be something that we can do to protect Spike’s knee without surgical intervention.  When humans damage their joints, they can opt to wear a brace to support the weakened area.  I know only too well the benefits of ankle supports and braces as I have worn one frequently since I was a child and have maintained a high level of activity.

Knee braces for dogs are available, but with a very limited success rate.  On-line reports on their usage are generally based on dogs in good health where surgery is an option that is pursued. 

We have made contact with a very well know Veterinary Practice and also a company that make braces for dogs.  We will know more next week as to what our options are, but we do know that it would have to be custom made for Spike, which will take time.

Or there may be some engineering genius out there that could design and make a brace for Spike.  We are also considering shaving his leg and applying KT tape…. Well it does apparently work well for humans and horses so why not dogs!

In the meantime, our Superstar Spike continues to sparkle a little every day.  He is not yet ready to become a Supernova J