After a routine vet check to see how the ulceration of his foot was healing last night, I met Paul to collect Yogi and due to the time said he could stay overnight. He was a star, even in the pub for the handover, and has fitted in with my dogs as if he's always been here.
Today I hopefully secured him a temporary foster home so we can assess exactly how much he uses that foot. Although in the house he walks on it perfectly.....
With that in mind, he can have a few days with us. Here he is tonight, begging for my tea to fall off the bench.....
I'm very proud of the SHAK dogs I've taken Home, each and everyone with their own horrible tale to tell. So many of them were destined to be destroyed for one reason or another, yet the way they help others is incredible.
Yesterday I posted a video of Ged meeting them for the first time, today I'm posting a photo of Keiser out on a walk with some of them. He has met Star and Bruce before but this was the first time he'd met Lennox and Sky.....
(L-R Sky, Bruce, Lennox, Star, Kaiser.)
I think it is also important to point out that I walked all 5 myself, such was the harmony amongst the group. I'm very proud of them all, and especially of Kaiser who took his first step on the road to hopefully finding him a home of his own.
Ged and I had a big day filming with the BBC today (will inform you of broadcast date when I know it) so with an early start he came to my house for a sleep over last night.
As part of an episode of Inside Out Chris Jackson and his team have been filming Ged since he arrived. Today was the last shoot at Blyth beach.....
Last night was an equally big night for him though as he had to meet my gang and also handle being in a house. Obviously with not knowing any history on him we don't know when he was last in somebody's home or if he has even ever been in one before.
He took everything in his stride, and as you can see he really enjoyed meeting and making some new friends.....
It was a pleasure to spend so much time with him, and as I told Chris Jackson today..... "he has certainly done bit h himself and us proud."
(Facebook viewers will need to click the link to see all the photos. )
It has been a week of real ups and downs, and with so many emotions that I really do not know where to start.....
At 8.05am I received a call from David to say they'd opened the kennels to find Kai looking lethargic and possibly a little bloated. Knowing what this meant, Melissa rushed him into her car and sped off to meet me on the A1. A pit stop speed swap over, and I continued the journey to Moorview Vets as fast as I could.
On arrival our worst fears were confirmed, Kai had suffered a stomach torsion and we had no option but to rush him into surgery. Now for any dog this is traumatic enough, and the chance of survival is slim, but Kai was one of our more specialised dogs, and a vet handling him conscious was just not an option. We came up with a plan, and after surgery I collected him and brought him home to nurse, knowing the next 3 days were critical.....
Sleeping on the floor with him and syringe feeding him medication and baby food are now memories I will never forget, and the fact Kai let me get so close to him both physically and emotionally is something I really will cherish.
On Wednesday night Kai collapsed and couldn't stand. We were just several hours away from passing the critical marker, but my heart told me he was in serious trouble. I rushed him back to the vets where an ultrasound scan revealed his abdomen was full of fluid. We had two options, let him go right there or go back into surgery and try and fix him. I knew I owed Kai at least that.....
Opening him back up revealed that the damage to part of his stomach from the twist was too bad. It is presumed the blood vessels to that part were damaged beyond repair, and part of his stomach had died. Worse was to follow, for Kai was so weak now and his heart couldn't take anymore. He left us after suffering a cardiac arrest on the table.
I always had a real soft spot for Kai, as had so many others. He came with such a huge reputation, but gave us back so much. I don't think anyone who witnessed it will forget the way he helped other dogs such as Maisie and Ben realise other dogs were actually ok to be around. His dislike for strangers and people he didn't know meant he stayed in kennels, and I think I always thought one day he'd come home with me. In the end I guess he did, just not the way I planned it. Those 3 days were really special.....
I said it had been a difficult week, but there was also some good news, and I'd like to thank everyone who supported us in our appeal to raise £300 so we could get Yogi's foot X-Rayed. I'm delighted to say that you absoloutly smashed the target, with just over £750 donated so far. This became even more essential as the week progressed, as we spent over £1250 trying to save Kai. A huge thank you to everyone who has made a donation.
The X-Rays itself provided us with proof that there is nothing wrong with either Yogi's foot or hips, and his leg also looks perfect. It would appear that the fact he has lost his weight baring middle toes is responsible for him holding the foot up when walking. You can see the dramatic effect in the photo below after the foot was shaved.
So now it seems we need to find Yogi a very patient foster home who can help him learn to walk on that foot again, he does put it down occasionally so it even may be just learnt behaviour?
If you are interested in offering Yogi a home please email: foreverfoster@shak.org.uk
I also get asked quite a lot about Lilly, and how she is doing. I'm delighted to say that she is now in the process of getting acquainted with a potential new owner, and as you can see she is having a ball with Sheena and Roger in her temporary accommodation!
(Facebook viewers will need to click the post to see all images and videos.)
