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The first reports of a large dog
wandering the streets of Rayleigh in Essex are around 21st
December 2008, the last Sunday before Christmas. The police noted that the
dog kept falling over and that she had been seen wandering in the streets
earlier.
On Christmas Eve the dog was taken
to Acres Way Kennels in Essex |
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Sunday January 4th
2009
Daneline was called by Beata to say that there was a Great Dane that had
been dumped on the streets of Rayleigh in Essex near Southend on Sea and was
now in kennels needing help. Beata rang me from the kennels to say that the
Dane bitch was in a very bad condition. We immediately put a plan together
and the result was that by 10:45 pm the Dane bitch arrived at Daneline in
Bristol
We did not know her name so we called her Sunday.
It was obvious that she had been starved for some considerable time and she
could hardly stand. She kept falling over and her back legs were in a
shocking state. Sunday had her first light meal and I slept downstairs with
her. |
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Monday 5th January
2009.
In the morning I took her to our vet
where she had her first vaccinations and a thorough health check. On
completion Robert Dawson, our vet, said that he would like Sunday in for
X-Rays on her spine, hips and knees and that he might have to open her right
knee. |
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Tuesday 6th January 2009
Sunday was operated on by Mr Dawson of
Highcroft Veterinary
Group.
Sunday presented to me at the surgery with obvious problems in her hind
legs that could be seen as soon as she tried to stand and walk into the
consulting room. On examination she had, without doubt the most grossly
swollen stifles (knees) I have seen in a dog.
When I anaesthetised Sunday to x-ray her legs my suspicion of cruciate
rupture in both stifles was confirmed and in addition both knees were
riddled with arthritis. As can be seen from the x-rays the cruciate
ligament in the right stifle had not only ruptured but become calcified
too, essentially changing it from a soft structure into a hard, knobbly
piece of bone trapped inside the joint that would have rubbed on the joint
surfaces every time she walked, causing unimaginable pain.
When surgery was performed this was removed along with one of the
cartilages in the joint that had become torn at some point. Sunday must
have ruptured her cruciate ligaments years ago for the change in the knees
to become so advanced and because the condition has not been addressed
early it is not possible to treat the condition as well as we would like,
but hopefully the surgery to clean up the joints and remove the most badly
damaged tissues will at least relieve her of some of the terrible pain she
has been suffering.
Click here for
information on Arthritis in dogs
Sunday spent her Tuesday night at the Vet’s and was returned to Daneline
around midday on Wednesday. It is clear from the report that Sunday has
been in the most unimaginable pain for at least 2-3 years. |
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Normal knee joint |
Sunday’s knee
joint |
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This picture shows the calcified
segment of cruciate ligament which was trapped in her knee (see X-Ray)
which would have caused intense pain every time she moved her leg. |
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Cruciate ligament removed from Sunday’s joint |
Cruciate ligament described y BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/front_page/4285970.stm |
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Wednesday 7th January
2009.
Sunday is beginning to settle in
well but she is so depressed that she shows virtually no reaction to
anything except food. She is currently on five small meals per day. She
weighed only 44.95kg on Monday. Even though Sunday has had a major
operation and will need further attention Robert (our vet) says that he is
hopeful that after both operations Sunday will be relatively pain free with
a good quality of life. |
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Thursday 8th January 2009
Another trip to the vets after being
up all night. Sunday has chronic cystitis and is passing blood. More
antibiotics are given by injection. The cystitis is probably due to
stress. Another appointment is made for Friday. David (webmaster) arrives
to take photographs and is shocked, he has never seen a dog in such a state. |
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Sunday 11th
January 2009 After a week with
Daneline Sunday is showing signs of recovery. Her weight of Friday was
46.7kg, a small increase even after the shock of her operation. The cystitis and bleeding
have stopped. |
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Monday 12th January 2009 Sunday now
weighs 48.25 kg. She will complete her course of antibiotics on
Tuesday. She now goes for 2 short walks each day and is totally
bearing her weight on the leg (right rear) that had the operation.
There are signs that Sunday is beginning to trust humans again, she is
becoming perkier and more sociable. |
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Friday 16th January 2009 Sunday now
goes goes for two good walks a day although she remains on the lead.
She does not cower from strangers but men are still regarded with caution.
She has remembered that good girls do not mess on the floor and she now
sleeps through the night. |
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Sunday 18th January 2009 Sunday continues to
make progress and she is becoming more confident. |
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Tuesday 20 - Wednesday 21 January 2009
Sunday
now weighs 51.60 kg. This is an increase of 6.65kg in just 15 days.
She goes to the vets and is considered strong and fit enough for her second
operation. It is a long and complicated procedure and although she
survives the anaesthetic she has to be fed through the line and given pain
killers. She has chronic diarrhoea and is kept at the vets where she
will be closely monitored. Lissi will take a light meal of Sunday's
favourite food on Wednesday afternoon and review the situation.
Fingers and paws are all crossed
I operated on
Sunday's second knee on the 20th of January. I had hoped to be able to
perform this procedure arthroscopically, which is less invasive and causes
less post operative pain and swelling. However, whilst this knee was less
badly affected than the right knee, the degree of damage was far too
severe to be able to treat it effectively without open surgery.
One of the cartilages in the knee had been torn in 3 places and had to be
removed along with a large amount of overgrown, diseased joint capsule.
Following the joint surgery, poor Sunday developed severe diarrhoea and so
had to be kept in for a couple of days after this. I am sure that this and
the bout of cystitis she had after the previous surgery were both stress
related. She is a gentle soul, but still flinches every time one of the
vet's or nurses goes to stroke her and I really hope that she can now go
on to recover as good a use of her back legs as possible and find a loving
home to spend the rest of her life.
Mr Robert Dawson of Highcroft Veterinary
Group.
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Thursday 22 January 2009 Lissi collected
Sunday from the vets. Sunday is a very sick dog indeed, she has a
mountain of medication. Her continuing diarrhoea is causing concern.
Lissi will keep a constant vigil day and night so that Sunday will never be
far from her side. It is hoped that this intensive care will prevent
Sunday from deteriorating further. |
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Friday 23 January 2009 Sunday had a restless
night, so did Lissi! She is not accepting food which is making
administering her drugs even more difficult. there will be further
discussions with the vet. |
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Saturday 24 - Sunday 25 January 2009 Sunday is
still very poorly but there are faint signs of improvement. Her
diarrhoea is largely cured and she is showing some interest in food.
She had another trip to the vet on Saturday. She had a light Sunday
breakfast of chicken breast and pasta. Much of her medication still
has to be administered by injection. |
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Monday 26 January 2009 The faint signs of
improvement continue. Sunday has completed her course of antibiotics
but is still on pain killers. She is still very poorly and has
lost a lot of weight, she is now back to 47.7kg
Another visit to the vet confirms this. Robert, our vet, is saddened
to note that Sunday is still terrified of men and believes that she must
have been very badly hit. Sunday responds well to women. |
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Wednesday 28th January Sunday continues to
make some improvement and is beginning to take an interest in her
surroundings. She attempted a game of tug-of-war with
Chilli-pepper (pictured opposite). Sunday lost! Her eyes follow Lissi
whenever she is in the room. Sunday's fear of men is strongest within
the house, she is suspicious out of door but volunteered a cautious sniff of
my hand as I left. |
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Friday 30 - Saturday 31 January Sunday has
started to go for short walks to the park and has even ventured off the
lead, even though this is more of a gentle amble it is a sign that she is
putting some weight on her left leg. She now wears a very posh pink
collar and lead set; thank you.
She is showing signs of affection and offers her paw, even though she
sometimes falls over in the process. |
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Monday 2 February
Sunday is a different dog.
Robert, our vet,
is delighted with Sunday's progress.
I saw Sunday for
her final check and 2nd vaccination on 2nd Feb.. She is much better on
both her back legs now and looks like a much happier dog than the poor
thing I saw when Lissi first rescued her. All she needs now is a good home
and I really hope she can find one..
Mr Robert Dawson of Highcroft Veterinary
Group.
She now weighs 52.25kg so she is
close to her optimum weight. She has had her final jab. She now
goes for 2 walks a day. Her legs are getting stronger as she takes
more exercise. Her recall is fine and she is becoming more confident
daily.
Sunday is developing a character.
> Clarissa (one of Lissi's resident Danes), pictured opposite, tried
to occupy Sunday's bed so she removed the layers of bedding, one by one
until Clarissa was on the floor.
> In this cold weather Lissi places draught excluders around the
doors. By morning Sunday had collected these and arranged them around
HER nest!
> Snow is Cool |
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Thursday 5 February Further general
improvement and one significant milestone.
Sunday actually
volunteered to approach Lissi's son for a cuddle.
Sunday's progress and increasing confidence means that she will soon be
looking for that special home. She is not a young girl, perhaps about
6 or 7 but she has shown herself to be a survivor |
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Friday 6 February Another mark of Sunday's
recovery is that she has started to enjoy games. Her game of football
involved tossing the ball in the air and achieving a match winning header,
or a look of stunned surprise as the ball landed on her head. Look out
David Beckham |
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Saturday 21 February
Sunday has a new home |
