Exciting News Coming Very Soon.....

Lady's Trip Out.....

I think that of all our current dogs, the one that had the biggest reputation on arrival was Lady.  She spent the first year of her life living in a van to protect it. She had seen nothing of the outside world.

Today we took her for a little trip out.....

More Progress For Little Sky.....

I make no apologies for another update on little Sky. He continues to do well, although the shadow i mentioned has got closer. I am so proud of the way he has adapted.....

Another Big Day For Sky.....

Its been another busy day for Sky as he came and helped me and Rachel take a van load of donations down to the SHAK Shop in Blyth. It was a win win situation too as we picked up another amazing amount of bedding and food donations. Thank you to everyone who has dropped that off.

Having worked so hard, it seemed only fair to give Sky a little treat. Especially saying yesterday's trip ended in such worrying circumstances.  Cambois beach seemed perfect.....

Then of course,  when he got home it was time to play with some of his new friends.....

A BIG Day for Little Sky.....

The practical days that we have been able to enjoy since the lockdown restrictions were reduced have provided so much fun and knowledge for both the dogs and me. I still have so many great videos and images to share with you when time prevails, but yesterday's adventure was a little bit special, and not all in a good way.

Sky is  a little male Staffordshire Bull Terrier that came to us a few years ago after getting himself into trouble in every foster home he had had. Quite a little character, he quickly bonded with the team here and I am pleased to say his history has been kept firmly in the past.

Yesterday I thought it would be nice for him to get a run out to somewhere different, but also so I could assess him a little more closely and work towards giving him the second chance he has worked so hard for.

We set off in my van and parked up at a place only a couple of miles from the kennels, but far enough for him to feel as if he had travelled to the other side of the world. Miles of green grass, trees, a river, waterfalls and a fantastic view of Alnwick Castle.

We did a loop and walked for maybe forty minutes, he sniffed everywhere, passed people without showing any interest, passed dogs with no issues, he really only seemed interested in them when they were off in the distance. He was having a great time, although as we were nearly back at the gate onto the road to the van, I noticed he was panting. He'd done so well and was maybe just tired I thought.

On the road he walked a couple of hundred yards then sat down. The panting had increased, I was beginning to get concerned. He walked another couple of steps then sat again. Picking him up I hurried him back to the van to offer him some water, which he refused. I rushed him back to the kennels.

Lying stretched out on the floor of his kennel the panting was getting heavier. It was as if he was labouring to breath. I opened his mouth and his tongue had turned blue.

I quickly called Coquet Vets who went out of their way to make sure they could see him as soon as I could get him there.

The journey is a bit of a blur. Sky was on the passenger seat and I could see the tongue continue to change colour. I really did worry if I was going to get him there in time. Talking to him all the way, I gave him a step by step update of exactly where we were on his route and how far away we were from his destination.

The doors to the surgery were opening as they saw my van screech into the car park. I carried him through into the operating theatre, where Rosie and Becca were already prepared with drugs to help him. On examination his larynx was massively swollen, hence the difficulty in breathing. Steroids and an antihistamine were immediately given to reduce the swelling so they could get an oxygen tube down his throat. I could see the worry on their faces, even more so when Emily rushed into help.

I left him under anaesthetic and getting X Rays on his chest in case there was something extremely sinister going on. I was still shaking with shock all the way home. How could such a nice morning of gone so wrong.

A couple of hours later Emily called me to say he was recovering well and his colour had returned to normal. The X Rays hadn't shown any abnormalities, neither had an abdominal scan. She didn't think he had been poisoned in any way, the strongest reason for his condition seemed to be that he had developed anaphylaxis in reaction to some kind of sting.

I have to say in all the years I have been doing this I have never seen anything like this. Its frightening to think that something so simple nearly took Sky's life. Very frightening.

I collected him on my way home and let him stay the night so I could keep a close eye on him. The dog I picked up was like the one who was thoroughly enjoying his day out in the morning. I cannot thank the girls at Coquet Vets enough for saving his life. Yes getting him there as quickly as I did was important, but the way they dealt with it and were so prepared made such a huge difference and probably saved him.

Sky has always been good with other dogs, so I wasn't surprised to see that he was perfect with my oldies, but next up was the big boys.....

Once again he was perfect, the boys loved him and he loved them. It was quite emotional watching them play after thinking he was going to die in my van just a few hours ago.

I am working from home today, so Sky has another day to recover and get over his ordeal. He has been clean in the house, waking me up three times during the night to go out for a wee which was expected because of the large amounts of steroids and fluids he had yesterday, and he adores being with the other dogs.

I have a new little shadow, but I don't care. I am just grateful he is here.

Of course all of this has cost us money that we weren't expecting to spend, especially in such uncertain times. Coquet Vets give us a very generous discount which is greatly appreciated, but still we have paid £333.93.

I know it is a very difficult time still, but if anyone can donate towards his bill they can do by the following:

PayPal: paypal.me/shaksanctuary

Or via cheque (made payable to SHAK) to SHAK. Greenwell Road, Alnwick, Northumberland NE66 1HB.

Thank you in advance.

So, yesterday was meant to be a nice day out to learn a little bit more about Sky. I certainly have done, but I have also seen first hand how something as simple as an allergic reaction to a sting or bite can very nearly cause a fatal reaction. Please, especially in the summer, keep an eye out for any of the symptoms I have mentioned and if you see them get your dog to your vet as soon as possible. I wouldn't want anybody to go through what I saw yesterday.

I have learnt so much about Sky, he is an amazing little dog that does deserve that second chance. It would need to be an experienced home, but I am sure he could make that transition with the right support. For further information please email foreverfoster@shak.org.uk