Dudley - Tailends 12.05.06 - 02.04.07

Dudley - I received a telephone call on Wednesday 10th May from Rochdale Dog Rescue concerning an elderly dog at the pound who was due to be put to sleep on the Friday morning if no home was forthcoming. Apparently the dog had been picked up by the police who took him to the vet as they thought he had been involved in a road accident. In fact Dudley has CDRM, which is a degenerative disease affecting mobility in the back and hind limbs. The vet kept him for 5 days though did not treat Dudley – not even cutting back the dew claw nail which was growing into his pad - and then sent him to the Rochdale Dog Pound where he was only due to live for a further two days to complete the statutory seven days.

Of course I agreed to take Dudley as I could just about fit him in – though at the time did not realise what a big chap he is. The only proviso was that he must be able to live happily alongside the other residents here. I was assured that Dudley was a friendly chap and had shown no aggression towards other dogs, large or small. I felt that I was meant to help Dudley as the call for help came just hours after my dear little Sugarlump had died in my arms following a massive heart attack. The following day, Thursday 11th May was very stressful for members of Rochdale Dog Rescue as they had to somehow arrange for Dudley to be removed from the Dog Pound before 10am the next day (when he was going to be put to sleep if he was still there) and transport him 300 miles to North Devon. This was all done through various web sites. Five wonderful people agreed to give up their time and petrol to help Dudley. He finally arrived here at Tailends at around 5pm on Friday 12th May. He was very tired and a bit bewildered but showed no sign of aggression towards the other dogs as he was gradually introduced to them all. Then he was brought indoors to have a good rest on a nice “Memory” bed and a meal. He was very hungry and made light work of his meal. I realised that he would have to be put on a strict diet if we were going to have any chance of helping him become more mobile.

He is now on Royal Canin Obesity Control dry food mixed with a little of the canned variety to make it a bit more palatable for him. He does have a little scrambled egg mixed in with his breakfast and a little fresh chicken with his dinner. The food is weighed carefully to ensure that he does not eat too much.

Dudley is so very happy to be here. I have no idea what his previous life was like but I doubt he was cared for very much. No doubt he roamed the streets begging chips or snack foods where he could. Poor old chap. He deserved better than that.

Dudley went off to the vet the following week for a check and blood test. We decided to have his damaged dew claws removed and also to get him castrated. We are so glad we did as when the hair was shaved off it revealed a large area of microbiological skin infection around the scrotum. He has now been treated with antibiotics to clear up this problem which he had probably had for some time. The blood test revealed some kidney failure though this is not too serious at present. Dudley has CDRM and also arthritis in his hips. He is now on Previcox tablets in addition to fish oil, vitamins and glucosamine and chondroitin. I have purchased a rear harness to assist him if he gets into difficulties and also a pair of boots for his rear feet to prevent damage to the back of his feet. He does manage very well and has probably had to do the best he can for some time with no help.

Dudley goes out for two walks every day – usually with Tarn, a lurcher who came here at the end of January from the northeast and has serious spinal problems. He loves to go out of the back gate and head off at speed down the footpath in pursuit of the rabbits which sit around in the sunshine. His tail wags so much it looks as if it will come off. I have never seen a dog’s eyes light up so much as when he goes out for a walk. He has a big grin all over his face.

Dudley sleeps on a large thick duvet in the hall at night. He can see me as we never shut the doors and he often looks up to make sure I am still there. When I get up in the night to attend to any of the other dogs, he always looks up and enjoys a pat as I go past. During the day he sleeps in a variety of places. Recently he likes to get up onto the sofa (with a little help) and lie up there looking around at everyone. He is so affectionate and loves attention. He manages to get in and out of the door and potter around the garden with the other dogs. He drinks a lot so I always make sure he has a bowl of water nearby. This is obviously related to the kidney problem.

Dudley has now got a cart which was brought down by Jim Colla who very kindly gave up his time to travel down to Devon to help Dudley get mobile. The Eddie’s Wheels cart has been very kindly loaned to him by Jim. It is a simple design and is very light and easy to use. It will be there to help Dudley maintain a good quality of life as his disease progresses.

I have no idea how old Dudley is or what the future holds for him but we adore him and will do our very best to make sure that the rest of his life is as stimulating and enjoyable as possible. We hope he will be here for years to come.

Thank you to Clare, Coryn and Lindsey from Rochdale Dog Rescue, The Refuge Website, Labrador Rescue and all the kind folk who drove Dudley on his long journey. A big cheer to you all from Dudley! (We will say little about those who thought Dudley should be put to sleep - except to say that you were so wrong! There is plenty of life left in this old dog. He is a real character and is enjoying his life.)

Dudley has already been sponsored by four people and he has touched the hearts of everyone who has met him.

The CDRM had progressed over the months since Dudley came here. Of course we always hoped for a miracle as we could not face losing this very special boy and so wanted to give him as much time as possible after a life without any love or proper care. He gradualy needed more help with walking and we purchased a really good wrap around sling harness which helped a lot. We also took him to an aquatherapy pool and took him out in his cart (kindly brought all the way from London by our good friend Jim Colla) along the footpath so he could go to just see the sea and back.

Gradually his front legs became very weak too and yet he still fought to stay as mobile as possible and always wanted to come out in the car whenever another dog was going to the vet etc. We had to assist him by helping with the cart and emptying his bladder. He was never alone and we gave him as much mental stimulation as was possible. He enjoyed special low-fat chews and liked to watch what was going on, sometimes accompanying George into the garage where he keeps his model railway. Dudley always loved George the most as he was a man's dog but this did not bother me at all. He had some love left for me and I know he appreciated all the things which we both did for him. On 1st April I saw a change in Dudley. He looked tired and I looked into his eyes and saw that he was saying he was ready to leave. He had suddenly lost the ability to retain urine in his bladder and he could not cope with this final indignity. He was not in pain but I knew the time had come to say goodbye. I rang the vet on Monday 2nd April in the morning and asked for assistance for Dudley. I spent the morning sitting with Dudley and stroking his long coat with a grooming mitt which had been so kindly donated by one of the winners in the weekly TRPD quizzes. Dudley loved this and his eyes closed in pleasure at the feel of the soft glove. He had a breakfast of freshly cooked lamb and some chicken breast which he demolished very quickly. Dudley always loved his food. (Yes I do feel guilty every time I use meat but it is usually impossible not to with these deprived oldies.) He was very possessive about his food when he first arrived but when he learned to trust us we could put our fingers in his bowl to help him reach the edges without any problem.

The vet and vet nurse arrived at around 1pm. It was time for our boy to start his last journey. I told him that Tarn, Lucas, Alison and all the departed friends he had made here would be waiting for him to show him the way. I gave him a last cuddle and then let George hold his head as he left so that the last thing he saw was the person he cared for most. When he had gone we wept buckets and are still doing so every time something hapens to remind us. It is the little things like laying out the tablets or preparing their individual meals that it hits hardest as there is a space where Dudleys tablets or food would have been.

We love all our dogs equally and do not have favourites but I think it is more painful when a dog has needed as much care as Dudley as they leave such a big hole in your life. Dudley will live on in our hearts forever.