We had to get an
emergency vet out to Trigger on Thursday afternoon. He was running around and
suddenly collapsed in a lot of pain. We thought he had broken his back - he had
no use in his back legs at all. It was awful.
I got our local vets
out to him - they gave him an injection of Morphine & took him straight in & got
him x-rayed. We followed them to the vets – one of us comforting Trigger in the
back of the vets car. The x-rays didn't show any brakes or Fractures. They
didn't really have much idea as to what was wrong with him – and they told us
they didn't hold out much hope for him - he was almost put to sleep. But I
realised they didn't have enough experience for this so I told them I wanted him
referred to a specialist place to give him the best chance & also so we know
exactly what we are dealing with. So the vet phoned The Royal Veterinary College
for some advise & to see if they would see him. They agreed to see him straight
away. So we took him straight to The Royal Veterinary College. The vet we saw
there, after giving Trigger a full examination (which took about 40 minutes but
seemed like hours), came back & told us she is sure he has suffered a Stroke. We
were a bit relieved, because at least with a Stroke there is a chance of
recovery.
Anyway, she said
Trigger will have an MRI Scan tomorrow.
She rang me on Friday
evening (27th April) to give me an update & the results of the MRI....
He had suffered
something called 'High Volocity Low Volume Disc'. She explained what that means:
Small material from a Disc in his back has hit the Spinal cord at very high
speed causing it to be traumatised. She said its like a bolt hitting the spinal
cord. They don't know how damaged the nerves are. He has no movement from the
middle of his back.
He also has a
Haemorrhage. He may still have had a Stroke as she said no one knows what
actually causes Strokes. He has a Catheter in as he cant pee on his own.
They
don't want to give surgery at this stage as it could do more harm than good. He
is not in any pain which is really good, as if he starts to get pain they will
have to get him straight into surgery. She said they will be starting
Physiotherapy tomorrow.
She said he had
improved a little since last night when we took him in as he now has a bit of
movement in his tail.
She called me on
Saturday (28th) with another update: She said he is now able to support his own
weight with help from them to stop him falling over & is going out for short
walks with their help & a sling/harness on his back end.
Update on Sunday (29th)
: She said he is really settled now, and is still doing ok. But still no
movement. His progress is slow but going in the right direction. I asked about
visiting him & she said we could visit tomorrow (Monday). She said they really
want him to show some movement now & he may do it for us if he ‘can’ do it. But
she said if us visiting unsettles him, we will have to leave visits for now. But
we'll see how it goes on our first visit tomorrow...
Visit
on Monday (30th) : When we got there, they brought Trigger out to us.
He had one nurse holding his back end up with the harness, and another nurse
holding his catheter bag & leading him from the front. He seemed really pleased
to see us all & the nurses said they would take him outside on the grass so we
can sit outside with him. The nurses laid him down & left us to it. He had a big
smiley face on & was really happy. Amazing after what he's been through & is
going through right now. He was nudging us with his front legs whenever we
stopped stroking him. His vet came out to see us, and she made a big fuss of
Trigger - you could tell Trigger knew her well - he was pleased to see her. She
said what a lovely dog he is & that he has the 'will'. She said they have lost
dogs because they just give up. She said they can give them everything else, but
they cant give them that - they have to have it. And Trigger has the spirit to
fight this.
After about 45 minutes
we got Trigger up & got him walking about - its amazing how he was getting about
on two legs with us holding his back ones up - and he was quite keen on sniffing
the bushes & the grass. He really seemed to enjoy having a wonder about, but he
gets tired so quickly, so we took him back inside. The vet & nurses came to
get him to take him back & off he went…..he seems quite happy going off with
nurses so they must be giving him lots fuss
J
It was really good to
see him & spend some time with him. And it seemed to do Trigger good too - at
least he knows we are still here for him & behind him. We took some pictures of
him with his big smiley face
J
Update: Tuesday (1st
May)
The nurse rang this
evening & she said ''we are really pleased with Trigger, he has made good
progress today - he has shown a bit of movement in his back legs''. We are SO
pleased, what fantastic news
J
She said they are
taking the Catheter off tomorrow & will see if he can pee on his own. Fingers
crossed.
She said he is such a
Character they have all fallen in love with him. How lovely
J
Update:
Wednesday (2nd)
We went in to visit
Trigger today. Emma, Triggers vet came out to see us while we were sitting
outside with Trigger. She said ‘’He gave me a fright at 4am this morning – I
noticed he had chewed up his catheter & eaten it”!! She said she had to give him
an Ultra sound to check where inside him the eaten bits of the catheter were.
Luckily there was no harm done. She was going to take it off today as well –
Trigger must have heard so thought he would help!!
They have left the
catheter off to see if he can pee on his own now.
Update: Thursday (3rd)
Went
in this afternoon to visit. He was pleased to see us & glad to get outside for a
bit & have a sniff around. We took the photos of him today. He insists on
leading us to where all the cars are parked – he is either eager to go for a car
ride or is telling us he’s ready to go home! The nurses said he is still doing
well & has good movement in his back legs. Although he has movement, he still
cannot walk. They said that they ALL love him & he is a firm favourite there
J.
He has not yet showed them that he can pee on his own, but they are leaving the
catheter off, just putting it on every so often to empty him & he’s also letting
them express him – he’s such a good boy, bless him. He seemed quite tired today
& fell asleep with his head on my lap after having his treats & a wonder around
outside!
Update: Friday ( 4th)
We couldn’t visit
today, but the nurse phoned to say he is doing good & is progressing everyday,
so they are happy with him. He has still not been able to pee on his own
L.
Asked if we could visit tomorrow & she said as it's weekend, I would need to
check with Emma (Triggers vet). So I phoned & spoke to Emma….She said that is
fine, but weekends they are short staffed & she is not working this weekend so I
will need to phone in the morning to check what time we can go in. She said she
wants us to visit – it is good for Trigger. She said he’s still doing ok, but
has not convinced them yet that he can pee – until he can do it by himself, she
cant let him go home. She said he really needs Hydrotherapy now – it is going to
be a vital part of his recovery. But they don’t have a pool there (We had
mentioned when Trigger first went in there, that some people we know have a
Hydrotherapy pool that we could use). So she said the plan is, when Trigger can
pee she will send him home for us to do his Hydrotherapy, and see how he gets on
with it. But to do that we need a Foster home for him as he cannot go back into
kennels in his condition. Emma said that in the meantime, she may be able to
find him a permanent home – with one of the nurses there as they have all fallen
in love with him! She said every morning when the nurses come in they all have
to go & have a cuddle with Trigger!! She said “he is one neat dog, he just wants
to please”. I think its fair to say she has a soft spot for Trigger!!
Update: Saturday (5th)
Visited Trigger this
afternoon. He was really pleased to see us – came rushing up to us
J.
Spent some time sitting outside with him & giving him a walk around on the
grass. We can see the movement he has in his legs now. Still cant walk with them
but is moving them. He managed to pee – and also went to the toilet with help
from us to steady him. So we are really pleased about that – we told the nurse &
she said she will let Emma know when she is in next.
Update Sunday
6th: Nurse phoned today to let us know that Trigger is still doing ok & enjoying
lots of cuddles from all the nurses!
Update Monday 7th: Nurse phoned this morning with an update. She said Trigger is
doing really well - he has peed all by himself this morning :-)) She also said
his movement in his back legs has improved since the end of last week. We
visited this afternoon. Trigger was pleased to see us & enjoyed spending some
time laying outside on the grass, but he is looking a bit fed up now. He
actually took a couple of steps with his back legs today when we got there - we
were so pleased. He also had a few pee's with no problem at all. So he has done
very well today. Emma (Triggers vet) is back tomorrow, and the nurse thinks she
will probably be sending Trigger home very soon now he can pee on his own.
Update Tuesday 8th: Emma phoned today saying Trigger is peeing fine now and is
looking quite nice, so she wants to talk to me about sending him home for his
Hydrotherapy. We urgently need a Foster home for Trigger now..
Update Wednesday 9th: Had a chat with Emma
today....She said Trigger is doing well & ready to go home now - she thinks
it will be good for him to get into a home environment with his own 'special
people/person' and he needs to do more now, and being in a home will help
him progress. I explained to
Emma that unfortunately, i've not yet found a
Foster home for Trigger to go to. She said all the nurses & students love
Trigger & would like to take him home but a lot of them have cats. Emma is
going to spread the word there that Trigger is looking for a home or foster
home. She agrees that putting Trigger back into a kennel would not be a good
idea, so for the time being, until we are able find a foster/permanent home,
she said she is happy for Trigger to stay with them, as he is no trouble &
is not taking up any kennel space, because they dont have him in a kennel -
he is just in the ward, positioned where everyone passes through so he gets
lots of attention from everyone & can see whats going on!
Emma told me
that over the weekend, they had a little dog come in that was very poorly,
depressed & wasn't eating. She said the little dog decided he wanted to make
friends with Trigger - so he went & layed with Trigger and started eating
out of Trigger's bowl, and Trigger was very good with him!
So we really
need a foster home for Trigger now - Trigger is very well cared for at the
RVC but, as Emma says, its not the same as a home of his own. And every day
Trigger stays in the RCV the bill for his treatment is growing..
Update
Thursday 10th: Today we went in to visit Trigger. He was so
pleased to see us - was licking my hands & if he could have, he would have
jumped up for a cuddle :-)
We took him
outside on the green as we always do, but today, he decided he wanted to go
for a walk up the road! So we took him up the road a bit - one of us holding
his lead, the other holding his back legs up with the sling. He was so keen
to go for a walk - he was going too fast for us to keep up, we had to slow
him down! We stopped a few times so he could do a bit of standing on all
four legs - if you place his feet he can stand ok, but his legs get tired
quite quickly. After the the little walk we layed him down on a blanket on
the green, and he enjoyed laying outside dozing with his head in my lap - he
looked so sweet, bless him. It was soon time to go, so we got him up and he
wanted to go to the toilet - he got himself almost in the position to go,
then i had to support him so he didnt fall over. Once inside the nurses came
to get him to take him back to ward. Emma also came out & made a fuss of
him....she said to us that he is doing well, just going to take time &
physiotherapy. She is also keen to get his Hydrotherapy started as she
thinks that will make a big difference.
Update
Friday 11th: Emma phoned this afternoon to say she has found a
Foster home for Trigger - fantastic news! Its with one of the Receptionists
there. He is going home with her tonight for the weekend to see how they get
on.
Trigger's foster
mum will be taking him into RVC each day she is working so Emma & her team
can continue with Triggers Physiotherapy. He will then go home at the end of
each day. Emma wanted to make sure i was ok with it & said she would arrange
for me to go in to see Trigger & meet his foster mum after the weekend.
So the next
update will be on monday when Trigger is back at RVC after his weekend
away....
Update Monday 14th: Emma phoned this morning...she said Trigger is
doing well & he actually managed to stand up on his own for the first time
this morning - it didn't last very long before he fell back down but he did
it...all by himself. Excellent news :-))
She also said his foster home is very happy with him. We have arranged to go
in to see Trigger tomorrow & to meet his foster mum.
Update Tuesday 15th: Went in to visit
Trigger today - we had a very pleasant surprise.... Emma & one of the Nurses
brought Trigger out to us and he was actually WALKING! :-))) Emma was
holding his sling (but with hardly any support from her) but that was just
in case he was to fall because he is still unsteady & his 'walk' is a bit
all over the place & wobbly. But he is now actually walking with all four
feet on the ground - i was so delighted to see him taking steps! Once we got
into an empty consulting room, Emma showed us that Trigger can now stand all
on his own. Before when standing, Triggers legs would quickly start to go
down, they were so weak. But today we saw how much stronger they are now.
His Right leg is much better than the left one but that has been the case
all the way along. His legs should just get stronger & stronger now, fingers
crossed. I think being at home for the weekend must have really helped him.
After we spent a bit of time with Trigger, Emma went to get Trigger's foster
mum, Ellie, so we could meet her. When she came in the room, Trigger was
trying to crawl over to her - he pulls himself along the floor with his
front legs!
We had a chat, then Trigger let us know it was his time to go outside. We
took him out, he went to the toilet, then we put him in Ellie's car ready to
go home - he loves going in cars....he lays out & goes straight to sleep
with his new squeaky toys by his pillow, bless him :-)
Before they go home they have a stop off at the stables - Ellie has a Horse.
Trigger sits in the stable while Ellie mucks out. Apparently, Trigger & the
Horse are friends!
Once Trigger gets home, he has his dinner & then he settle's down to watch
Eastenders with a pigs ear!!!
So pleased after today's visit - Trigger has made great progress since we
saw him on Thursday.
Ellie, Trigger's foster mum, is going away this weekend so Trigger will be
staying at RVC from Thursday until Monday. So we will be visiting Trigger
over the weekend..
Update Friday 18th: Spoke to Emma today.....arranged to go in to see
Trigger tomorrow. She said Trigger will really appreciate visits from us
this weekend, what with not going home at all. Emma said that she has done
Triggers referral letter for him to go Hydrotherapy - think Ellie has
Trigger booked in for his first Hydro session next week. Emma thinks the
Hydro will be really good for him, so we are keen to get that started. Not
sure Trigger will be so keen at first though!
Update Saturday 19th: When we went in
to see Trigger today, he was so pleased to see us - he started whining at us
when the nurses brought him out
to
us - thats what Trigger does when he's excited :-) He is looking well & has
put a bit of weight back on, as he had lost quite a bit of weight since the
accident. He was very keen to get out & take us for a walk - we had trouble
keeping up with him! He doesnt like turning back though, he wants to keep
going! After a nice walk, we sat Trigger down for a rest while we tickled
his tummy - he loves his tummy rubs - he paws you when you stop!
Update
Tuesday 22nd: As its my Birthday today, i wanted to do something special
- so a visit to see the special boy was in order :-)) Had a chat with Ellie
(Trigs foster mum) while we were waiting for the nurses to bring Trigger
out. She said she really missed Trig while she was away at the weekend and
although she was not due back into work until today, she went into work
yesterday morning to pick up Trig & take him home as she missed him so much
:-)
Ellie said Trigger got up by himself this morning & took a few steps, then
fell
down,
got back up & took a few more steps. Bless him - he really wants to follow
Ellie around the house!
When we were on our way back from walking Trigger, Ellie came out to see
Trig....Well, Trigger certainly loves his foster mum!! He was just so
excited to see her. It was the first time i had seen Trig really wag his
tail since his accident (he had lost the movement in his tail after the
accident). It was really lovely to see.
Ellie is taking Trigger for his first Hydrotherapy session on Thursday.....
Update
Thursday 24th: Trigger went for his first Hydrotherapy session today (as you
can see from the pic)... Ellie said he took to it well & even seemed to enjoy it
:-)
He was barely using his back legs at first so it will probably take a while till
he feels comfortable enough to use them. But its great that he seemed to enjoy
it first time - most dogs panic on their first session & take a while to settle
& get used to being in the water.
Ellie
said last night at the Stables, Trig was playing with another Greyhound
there......apparently he loves it at the Stables!
Trigger's next Hydro session is on Tuesday - he will be going two times a week
to start with.
Update Sunday 27th: Ellie
asked me yesterday if she & her Partner, Dave, could bring Trigger to the
kennels to see all his friends...So today, we had a special visitor to the
kennels! Trigger seemed to know where he was straight away as he was keen to get
out
of the car (Trig loves the car so much, often he needs a bit of persuading to
get out!). When i went see him before he got out of the car, he was wearing his
new Black Doggy t-shirt!!! He seemed pleased to see all the Hounds, but I think
they wondered what it was he was wearing! :-)))
After greeting all his doggy friends, he came into the kitchen & we laid a
blanket
down for him so he could have a rest - he laid there for quite some time getting
tons of fussing from us all. Ellie went out the room to get his other item of
clothing from the car (a jumper with a hood!!), and Trigger got in a bit of a
panic - he thought Ellie was going without him...he made it clear he didn't
fancy staying at the kennels anymore!
When
Ellie came back in she put his new Red Jumper on - he looked sooo cute, bless
him!
We introduced Trigger to his ex-kennelmate 'Vi' (he shared a kennel with Vi
right up until his accident). They seemed very pleased to see each other - I'm
sure Vi was wondering where we had been hiding him! Trigger used to sleep with
his head resting on Vi & his feet over her back - they used to look so sweet
snuggled up together.
Trigger spent a few hours with us, but he was pleased when it was time to go &
get back in the car to go home! It was so lovely to see him..
Update Tuesday 29th:
Trigger had his 2nd Hydrotherapy Session this afternoon. It went well, but Trig
was very tired afterwards so Ellie is only going to take him for morning swims
from now on. He will get more out of it when he's wide awake & well rested.
Update Thursday 31st:
Ellie said she has seen some improvement in Trig in the last 48 hours. He is now
getting up onto his feet much more Frequently & taking his few steps.
Ellie & Dave had some friends round & Trig was up every 5 minutes, trying to get
attention!
Ellie has now stopped bandaging his feet as he is not scuffing them anymore,
which is really good as it means he must be picking his feet up better.
Trig had his 3rd Hydro session this morning . The Hydrotherapy lady who swims
Trig was surprised this morning that Trigger isn't using his legs more yet. He
is just progressing Slowly - he'll get there...
Update Saturday 2nd June:
Fantastic news today........
Trigger actually got up & walked all on his own :-) He walked down the alley way
& back all by himself! And he put himself down after instead of falling down.
Ellie got a picture of him walking when he did it again 5 minutes later! What
great news....well done Trig!
Update Monday 4th:
This morning Trigger had his 4th Hydro session. He had a brilliant swim - he was
really using his back legs.
He gets so tired after Hydro that he wont use his back legs for the rest of the
day. The physio is going really well - Ellie & Holly (the head nurse at RVC) are
using cooked chicken & Sausages which really make Trig jump to his feet!!
Update Friday 8th:
Trigger is doing really well. He does lots of walking now - only in small
amounts but lots of it. He follows Ellie into the kitchen, stands watching her
for 5 minutes then walks back to his bed & puts himself down.
He's very wobbly because the left leg doesn't have anywhere near the muscle that
the right one has, but his left leg will get stronger with time & work.
Update Monday 11th:
Trig had a good weekend - he went to a BBQ on Saturday at Ellie's Dads where he
got to meet 'Jacko' their Jack Russell! Trig & Jacko were wandering around
together trying to scrounge food from the BBQ!
Trig had another hydro session this morning - his 5th. It went really well.
Trig loves the lady that swims him - Ellie said she is on par with Holly the
head nurse at RVC who Trigger also loves!
Tomorrow Trig is going to be starring in a physiotherapy Dvd which the RVC are
going to be giving out to clients with pets similar to Trig. Not only will it
help people with their physio techniques but also Trig will get some extra
Physio!
Update Friday 15th:
Trigger has been making great progress this week....On Wednesday, he walked all
the way from the car to his bed in the ward at RVC - without his harness. Since
then, he has been walking into ward everyday without it. Ellie leaves his
harness in the car now, as he's doing so well without it. Sometimes he falls
over but he doesn't care - he just gets straight back up again! Ellie says he's
her little champion .
Ellie has also started taking Trig to the park. They walk at Trigs pace & when
he gets tired they stop for a drink & cuddles, then turn round & walk back to
the car. She said Trig really loves going to the park & it seems to give him a
new lease of life!
Update Monday 18th:
Trigger had his 6th Hydro session this morning. It went really well....Trig is
using his legs so well now when he's in the water & really enjoys it.
Emma, Trigger's vet, was back at work today after being off for 2 weeks holiday.
When she saw Trig today, she was apparently very impressed with the progress
Trigger has made. Trigger is now having three 5-10 minute walks a day, which is
excellent!
Trigger goes for his next Hydro session on Thursday.
Update Thursday 21st:
Swimming went so well again today. The lady that swims Trig is going away for a
month so Trig is going to have to get used to someone else swimming him now.
We are hoping to go & visit Trigger 'at home' next week.....am really looking
forward to it, as we've not seen him since he has started walking without his
harness. I will be taking my camera so I will be sure to get lots of pics of
Trig for everyone to see.
Update Wednesday 27th:
Trig continues to do really well. He is now having three 15 minute walks a day
with the occasional fall, but his falls are much less frequent now.
We are hoping to go & visit Trigger at home very soon. Ellie thinks it will be
best if we don't visit too soon after a Hydro session, as Trig gets very tired &
his muscles ache a bit so we wont see him at his best as he will be tired so
less active!
Ellie said Trig is such a good boy around the Horses at the stables - he stands
next to Bob (Ellies Horse) like he's just a big dog!
As you know, during the day while Ellie is working at RVC, Trig goes into the
ward (where he was whilst he was staying at RVC) where Emma & all the nurses
could keep an eye on him. The plan was that when Trig was well enough, he would
go into the 'Staff Kennels' during the day while Ellie is at work. Lots of staff
at RVC take their dog/s to work with them & they have their own kennel. Well,
Trig is now well enough to leave the ward & go into his own kennel. So on Monday
Ellie started Trig off with just an hour in the kennel to get him used to it
gradually. Ellie said he is really good in the kennels - all the other staff
dogs try to run out when they are put in there, but Trig just lays down with his
favourite toy, waits for his tummy tickle then just goes to sleep! As Ellie
walks off he has a little whine (Ellie says its Trig saying 'Bye' to her!) then
goes to sleep!! * Pic of Trig in his kennel, on its way....
Trig has his next Hydro session next Tuesday.
Update Tuesday 3rd July:
Trig was due to swim today, but Ellie has had to cancel it. He has had a slight
setback...he's not weight bearing on his left hind leg. Emma has had a look at
him but said its not a Neuro problem (thank god), so she asked James, who is an
Orthopaedic surgeon to have a look at Trig. He said there is nothing wrong with
Trig's joints so it is most likely a sprain. So Trig is on Rimadyl and rest for
5 days. James said if he is no better when he has finished the Rimadyl course he
will have another look at him.
Ellie thinks Trig did it when he fell down a kerb type thing when he was playing
in the garden.
So we wont be going to visit now until Trig is better.
Update Monday 9th:
Trigger is still not putting weight on his left leg, but Ellie is not convinced
its pain related - she thinks the muscle in his right leg is strong enough now
to take his weight so he's choosing not to use the left one!
He is having physio on his left leg only now & whenever Trig stops for a rest,
Ellie is lifting the right leg up so he has to stand on his left leg.
Update Thursday 12th:
Ellie is going to get Trigger back swimming next week (he had a week off),
because it seems the problem with him not weight bearing on his left leg has
been since he's not been swimming. It may be that Trigger will always need some
Hydrotherapy.
James, the Orthopaedic surgeon, has had another look at Trigger today & he said
its definitely not an Ortho problem & Emma said its not a Neuro problem, so we
think it is likely to be muscle wastage on that leg. The injury to Trig's spine
was worse on his left side.
Ellie said Trig is so good in his Staff kennel at RVC during the day while she
is working......he munchies his way through a chew, then goes to sleep! Then
after his lunchtime walk he plays with his squeaky frog toy.....Ellie said it
sets all the other dogs off barking, but Trig doesn't care, he just squeaks it
even more!!
Update Monday 16th:
Trigger is fine......yesterday he was laying in the Garden while watching Dave
(Ellie's partner) do some weeding - Ellie thinks Trig thought he was helping!!!
His is still not that good on his left leg, but Ellie says he can use it when he
wants to - like when he was playing with another Greyhound & a Lurcher at
lunchtime!
Ellie is convinced its the recent lack of Hydro that has caused his left leg to
become weaker, so we'll see how he is after his next Hydro session.
Update Monday 23rd:
Trigger had a Hydrotherapy session at the end of last week & it went really
well. Ellie said he was good & used the left leg (the weaker one) well...with
the help of sausages!!
Ellie & Trig went on a 25 minute walk round the fields this morning...Ellie
didn't intend on going so far but Trig was having so much fun, he just kept
pulling Ellie along! Ellie said he's getting really good - he looks funny
though, so she is calling him John Wayne!!
Trig is swimming on Thursday this week.
Update Thursday 26th:
Swimming went really well today...The lady that usually swims Trig (who Trig
really likes) was back today after a month away, so Trig soaked her as
punishment for not being there to swim him for a month!
Trig is walking really well - he has three 15-20 minute walks a day. Ellie says
if he doesn't improve anymore now, he'll be fine how he is...he's just like a
normal dog but with an abnormal gait! But Ellie thinks he will keep improving
but just very slowly.
Update Monday 30th:
Trig
was due to have a Hydro session today, but its been changed to Thursday morning.
That left leg is so much better since Trig has been having regular Hydro again.
Still a lot weaker than the right leg, but that will probably always be the case
as Trig's left side was more affected than the right side.
Ellie took Trig to the woods this evening after work, which Trig really
enjoyed...
Update Thursday 2nd August:
Swimming went so well today - they took Trigs armbands off which really made him
use his back legs....with the armbands on, Trig had started to get a bit lazy &
just float in the water!! Without the armbands Trig really has to work those
legs!
They have also put Trigs times up to.... 2 Minutes, Rest, 2 Minutes, Rest....
Update Saturday 4th:
Today is Trigger's 3rd Birthday - HAPPY BIRTHDAY TRIG!!
Eliie is taking Trig to the pet shop to pick his own presents, then Trig & Dave
have a Rugby afternoon planned...England V Wales on sky sports!!
Update Monday 13th:
Trig
had a great Birthday last week! He got lots of attention from some visitors &
lots of presents too, including new toys, treats, Bones & an extending lead!
Trigger went swimming last Monday & also on Thursday. He did really well so they
upped his times to 7 minutes which is very good.
Trig has now used up all his first block of 11 swims, so we are having to pay
for another block. After the next block has been used up, the pool at RVC should
be ready to use.
Trig is going for a swim this morning. The Hydrotherapist said that now Trigger
is managing 7 minutes with ease, it would really help him to have two swims a
week.
Update Friday 24th:
Trigger went swimming on Monday morning & as usual he did really well & he
really seems to enjoy going swimming which is great. His next swim is on
Wednesday.
We
have some FANTASTIC news! Ellie is going to be ADOPTING Trigger, so she will no
longer be referred to as Trigger's FOSTER mum!! Excellent news as Trig is so
happy with Ellie - he adores her.
Ellie has told Trig he is staying with her forever & he seems pleased!!
Ellie said " I love Trig so much - I'm so pleased I took him home that night to
foster him....all the sleepless nights & hard work have been worth it, he really
is a gorgeous 'special' lad. He fits in with my life so well. He loves coming to
work & to the stables....but there's nothing we like more than getting in at
night & cuddling up in front of the telly...we're like peas in a pod! I think I
knew after the first weekend that I'd never be able to give Trig up, even though
I wouldn't admit it to anyone, I was definitely hooked!"
Update Friday 31st August:
Swimming
went very well on Wednesday - next week they are increasing Trigs times again &
he's got two sessions booked, so we should see more improvement.
Ellie has a netball tournament tomorrow - Trig goes along to give his support -
he sits in the Gazebo with the team! He loves going netball as he has lots of
opportunity to socailise!
Update Friday 7th September:
Trigger swam on Monday & Thursday this week. They started him with the Jets
on
again & he swam great! They will probably use the Jets all the time from now on.
The pool at RVC is coming along nicely, so it should be ready soon.
Ellie has promised to get some pictures of Trig swimming next week.
She said she calls him her little swan, because he sticks his head right up so
he doesn't get water in his ears, bless him!
We are going to have
to Appeal for Donations to help pay for Trigger's vet bill - the estimate we
were given when he went into The Royal Veterinary College was £1200 - £3,000. We
know it is well beyond the £1200 stage as he's been in there over a week now &
the MRI scan is about that alone. So we are sure it is going to be nearer
£3,000.
We are also going to
need a Foster home for him. He is going to need a lot of care when he comes out
- putting him back in the kennels is not an option.
So we really need to
Appeal to you for your help - both for funds & for a Foster home. Any help you
can give either financial or by providing Trigger with a foster home & the time
& care he needs right now, would be very much appreciated. If you can make a
Donation to Triggers appeal, please see our ‘Donation’ page.
We still don't know if
Trigger will make a recovery - there is no guarantee at this stage. We don't
know how much movement is going to come back enabling him to walk again. But we
have to think positive and are doing & will do, all we possibly can for him.
He is a dog with so
much character & spirit – he loves life & deserves the chance to have one.
THANK YOU, ON BEHALF OF TRIGGER & EVERYONE AT CASTLEDON KENNELS WHO KNOWS &
LOVES HIM SO MUCH X
