Anyone who knows me will be familiar with Ben, my much loved Spaniel (and more recently my terrorising terrier, Tim). After loosing a back right leg only 5 weeks ago, Ben remarkably climbed Salisbury Crags and Arthur's Seat without a care in the world. The only malfunction error was to lift the wrong (only) back leg to have a pee, resulting in an amusing (now painless) thump.
5 weeks ago I walked in pristene sunshine in the snow near Balfron. Ben jumped what he thought was a wall near a reservoir. The structure was actually a wall, a 1.5m void with steps going underground and another wall with a gate with spikey wrought iron railings. Ben didn't make the distance and hung from his back thigh, fully impailed and spurting blood, from the railing. I lifted his limp body off and he lay, dazed in a pool of blood in the snow. Thankfully we had help taking him to a nearby vet where I was told that due to all the skin being torn away to the knee joint, skin grafting was going to at least an 8 month job and in the very high £thousands. However, after working with Ben, they realised that this was not a dog who would let you near his injury with any degree of safety in the post-op period. Grafting was not an option and I was told I was going to have to loose him. It was then that I had to hand over to a vet-friend to further disucssions, as life without Ben, my 9 year old running compnaion, was unthinkable. Whilst uncertain due to the level of penetration of the wound and lack of remaining skin, amputation was agreed upon. I brought him home that night and felt torn seeing him in such hepless agony. I thus then never imagined that he would be scampering up the hills again so soon. It's a miracle :-)
5 weeks ago I walked in pristene sunshine in the snow near Balfron. Ben jumped what he thought was a wall near a reservoir. The structure was actually a wall, a 1.5m void with steps going underground and another wall with a gate with spikey wrought iron railings. Ben didn't make the distance and hung from his back thigh, fully impailed and spurting blood, from the railing. I lifted his limp body off and he lay, dazed in a pool of blood in the snow. Thankfully we had help taking him to a nearby vet where I was told that due to all the skin being torn away to the knee joint, skin grafting was going to at least an 8 month job and in the very high £thousands. However, after working with Ben, they realised that this was not a dog who would let you near his injury with any degree of safety in the post-op period. Grafting was not an option and I was told I was going to have to loose him. It was then that I had to hand over to a vet-friend to further disucssions, as life without Ben, my 9 year old running compnaion, was unthinkable. Whilst uncertain due to the level of penetration of the wound and lack of remaining skin, amputation was agreed upon. I brought him home that night and felt torn seeing him in such hepless agony. I thus then never imagined that he would be scampering up the hills again so soon. It's a miracle :-)
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