Thought I was helping my dog, turned out he was helping me..

[ogri48]

two years ago my old lab burt Was at the vets coz he jumped out of the van and his back gave out, he couldn't walk. Turned out he had spondolosis. Vet gave him a year tops, but said if I gave him lots of walks, little and often, I may get the whole year. So I did, and the vet did his bit by putting him on PLT, a steroid they only give to dogs as a last resort as it focs their renal system ultimately. I went out early in the morning, then several times in the day, his last one just before midnight. For the first three weeks he cried every time for the first ten minutes of the walk, and could only put one back leg down, so it was literally twenty minutes out covering about 40 yards. Gradually he got better and better, and after six months, even though he walked a little oddly, he was fine and we would gout half a dozen times a day for twenty minute min and forty max. I got my year, and a year extra too. He would still be here now if not for my stupidity five weeks back, when I lost him. Last three weeks I've been ill, proper poorly, and genuinely thought I was dying, though in truth I wasn't that bothered, just too old and fed up to care lol. Just under a week ago penny noticed I had a bulge in my left side, about as big as three quarters of a tennis ball and made me make. An appointment at the docs. I figured it was cancer, tied in with the pain/ guts ache/ shitting blood etc and it was mildly painful to touch. Went to the docs this afternoon and it was something else altogether. Thirty years ago I had kidney operations, and unbeknown to me they cut the three walls of muscle that line our stomachs ( one horizontal, one vertical, one lateral) the inner wall didn't heal, and had a hole slightly smaller than a golf ball in it. As I had a physical job, it kept my stomachs muscles reasonably taut, so I didn't suffer anything and didn't know it was there. Then when I stopped building and became a sit down on my arse all day student, I was still walking burt, and as little excecise as that was it was enough to still keep my muscles holding my guts at bay. I didn't think about it, but I guess me and burt walked between 5-10 miles every day, rain or shine.. Five weeks ago I lost him, and the walking stopped. Three weeks ago the pain started as my guts started pushing through the hole. I didn't have a clue, and honestly thought it was something to do about being broken hearted as I was about burt. Today my doctor laid me down and pushed my guts back in, then made me cough, which pushed them straight back out. How gross is that? He said the danger is if it pops through and twists, then I'm forced I got two choices..first is an op, which means cutting through two good walls of muscle to get to the buggered one, and could give me more problems and a chain of ops. The second, and the one I'm taking, is to excercise gently initially, then more so and strengthen the muscle enough to to hold stuff in, whilst also lose weight as there's less pressure pushing everything out. Talk about an incentive for a new year resolution huh... So I'm back to walking, will go out twice this evening, on my own with the ghost of a Labrador at my side, with a torch through the Forest of Dean. I can think of far worse ways to spend these winter evenings. And isn't it strange...all this time I thought I was saving my dog. Turns out he was saving me. -------------------- [/t]

[Dead Eye]

That's an amazing story, I'm lost for words, thanks for sharing

I'm sorry for the loss of Burt, losing an animal is never easy as they are always part of the family

[ogri48]

Thanks mate, he was a helluva dog

[Graham53]

Wow Ogri what a start to the new year, wishing you well mate keep up the walking , have you considered a Burt 2 To keep you company on the walks as well ?
It's amazing really how a dog can help and change people's lives in so many ways, I used to have high blood pressure and cholesterol and zero excercise before we got our rescue staffie and now she gets to walk me 2-3 times a day and I'm so much healthier.
Keep up the excercise and good luck

[ogri48]

Cheers gra, one day mate...I can't get one yet, I still miss burt too much, but one day..and I think it will be a rescue dog like he was, I have never had a dog like him before

[Graham53]

I think rescue dogs have something extra , dunno what it is , maybe cos you know you're giving them a good life now and that they'll be loved and cared for and they know that and love you more and there's always the fact you don't have to go through the puppy toilet training phase 

[Dead Eye]

I'm looking forward to being in a more stable position so that I can adopt a dog (or three...). I personally love Greyhounds as they are rather daft and are complete couch potatoes, save for 20 mins of flat out full speed :P

[maddog04]

lovely story (except for the loss of your dog)

good luck with the walks and hope you're feeling better

[bri h]

sorry to hear about your dog and your hernia Ogri. I had a double hernia op last year although mine was lower down and it was my intestines poking out. Six shitty weeks off the fazer but worth it in the long run so I think you should consider the op mate. I'm up your war staying at Symonds yat this weekend so ill show you my scars if you want haha.

[ogri48]

lol cheers mate ill pass on the scars but if you fancy a cuppa call in 

[noggythenog]

I had disc in my lower back mostly taken out about 6 years ago & I've found that walking every day is the key to being pain free. I generally have zero pain and only the odd twinge now & again to remind me of it. Getting a dog was the best thing for me as it has had me out walking over the years come rain or shine. To prove that it is the walking I have lately been so busy with overtime and family stuff that I've been missing the walks and right enough the pain has increased.

Have they told you things that may make it worse though I wonder....some excercises may be good at strengthening the muscles but at the same time also put allot of pressure on the area.

[ogri48]

already feel better noggy, walking helps both physically and mentally. apart from my knackered old kness, they hate me now..

[slimwilly]

Hell, are we all going to survive,,,?

Hope they sort you mate, hernia type problem I guess.

I been held back all over xmas,,chest infection, been on steroids and anibiotics and  alcohol  ,  just starting to get a bit stronger,been totally out of energy, I have to recover as deer shooting trip on the 20th to Dorset,,and the fuccker s make me recover any deer shot,,you seen the size of some of them Fallow ?  will be looking for nice little Roe I think