6 Years ago to the day.

The world renowned Noel Fitzpatrick met Blue and changed his life and destiny.

11th December 2008 Blue got up in the morning as a bouncy 7 month old pup, full of his usual energy and vibrance, Blue being his normal self.

The day was quite unremarkable going into the early evening, when for no reason, Blue was unable to stand up, he did not seem in any apparent pain, but was becoming distressed.

Without delay he was a mile down the road, being carried by my wife and me into the vets (Abbey Vets), for an emergency appointment. Here he was seen by the vet Adrian Caunter, who carried out a close examination following our description of the events leading up to Blue's sudden change.

Adrian was a young eager vet, who had come to look on Blue as a favoured visitor; It was Adrian's handling of the situation that set the path of Blue's destiny. He told us of this practice in Surrey "Fitzpatrick Referrals"who had the ideal set up for what he feared was a spinal issue.

A call was made by Adrian, and after checking we had the means of travelling to Godalming in Surrey, he booked us an appointment. Though Blue was now clearly in discomfort, he explained that we needed to keep Blue still and calm and make the journey for an eight o'clock appointment.

Of the journey we recall very little, driving with half a mind on the road half on Blue, how we found such a remote place i do not recall.

Our car at the time was a Landrover Freelander, and by chance in the back was a plastic storage tray, we used this as a carrier, as we walked into the reception.

They were expecting us, we were on time, and guided into the consulting room. 

In walked Noel, who was busy assessing Blue, as we described the reason for being there.

Then without any indication the bomb was dropped, Noel explained that Blue was in a lot of discomfort and pain, there was a spinal issue, which needed surgery, but it was essential that it was carried out.

Blue was carried away by Noels team to begin further detailed assessment, x-rays and pain relief.

We stayed in the waiting room for news, it was confirmed, Blue had excessive bone growth on his vertibrae, causing the spinal cord to be compressed. 

Noel explained that he would carry out a "Spinal Laminectomy" to Blue's spine.

The operation was carried out and Blue was to remain in residence for three days and nights. 

There was no doubt ever in our minds that Blue had been very very lucky, he was seen by the right people who made the right decisions who brought their training, knowledge and dedication together to ensure he had the best outcome we could ever have wished for.

That is really the start of a long road to recovery, where good use of his crate, managed and monitored exercises, hydrotherapy were all part of his rehabilitation.

One year on, after the operation, we felt confident enough to travel to the Highlands of Scotland

Blue with trusty crate

Blue had missed out on his first Christmas, his second was to be in Scotland on holiday, and the old Blue returned, demonstrating that a traumatic year was now fading into the past. Does the picture below show signs of a dog that had undergone major spinal surgery 12 months previously.

It is pleasing to see Noel's work being shown on National TV, and we can only endorse everything he and his team do, as you see them on the TV, that is how they truly are, wonderfully dedicated people, from the reception ladies, to all the support team.

Thanks must also go to my wife, Sue; She has been so instrumental to Blue's recovery.

So just one final thing of caution; If you are walking your dog off lead in open spaces and you see another dog on a lead, he may be another Blue, recovering from a major injury that needs to be kept calm and stable.

Blue will never "play" with other dogs, he missed out on that side of socialising along with his limitations of twisting and turning, causing loss of stability to his back limbs.

Aside from that he leads a healthy active life, often amazing others that see him on some of England's highest mountains, as he was in the Lake District this summer.

Blencathra summited and a well earned rest

High above Cat Bells in the Lake District.

You can follow Blue's outlook and opinions on life on his dedicated Twitter page

@BluetheGSD

Summer is here

Well it has been a while coming, but it looks like summer has arrived, enough rain to keep all things in the garden growing and happy, this includes Blue.

Blue adores being out in the garden, just lolling about or playing with his football or bubbles.

His allergies have now all cleared up and are now a memory, an itchy painful memory. We never did find out the root cause, it could have been seasonal or something in his diet, but he sure was suffering for the first four months of this year, just like the last two of the previous year. It is hard to believe how long we all had to endure, his suffering. Wearing his buster collar for those long periods, saved some of the fur removal, but I can tell you we are pleased that that episode of Blue's life which was a painful one to endure, is now behind him.

Those of you in the UK would have recently seen the documentary "Bionic Vet" of "Fitzpatrick Referral's" a very talented veterinary practice located in Surrey. This was good to watch, as it was the founder Noel Fitzpatrick who assessed, diagnosed and carried out the surgical procedure on Blue when he went lame. December 2008 Blue was on the operating table having a "Spinal Laminectomy" a procedure to  remove sufficient bone from the spinal vertebra, as this was causing the disc to bulge and press on his spinal column.It was interesting to watch others go through their own challenges with their pets, but reminding us how far Blue has come from that day on the operating table.

On that note, Blue demonstrated that it is not a full recovery, as he sometimes has lapses, where exercise has been too much, one such incident was when, he decided to take interest in another German Shepherd in the local park. By surprise, he had caught my wife, Sue, as she was changing her grip on his lead. Chasing this other dog, he was in the zone as they say, off at full pelt. But not too long into the chase, Blue stopped and laid down, obviously too much for his weakened back. For a few days he would often lift the weight off his back right leg. Rommel the other dog was just relieved, to have got away. It was a reminder of the socialising Blue missed out on because of his operation. But Blue is built for distance and not speed, that same Blue would walk up to 8 miles in nearly nine hours in the Scottish Highlands back in May this year.

Blue is showing a few signs of ageing, the odd white whisker, the grey under the chin, but inside there is still that beating heart of the German Shepherd puppy, who came into this world six years ago.

I have read and seen many things about the bond that people have with their dogs, we had one with our Shep, who sadly passed away six years ago in May. There is something different about Blue, it is a bond like he is part of you, not just part of the family. We have sometimes spoke of differences and similarities of Blue and Shep, but never compared them, as they are so very different in their own way.

What was nice, I had recently tried drawing a sketch of Blue, in pencil. Though it was a sad looking Blue,  it inspired Sue to commission a drawing from a follower on twitter @helenyatesart
and what she achieved from the emailed pictures was incredibly talented.

Shep and Blue

Shep 

So as Shep was leaving our home and lives, Blue was making his way to us to help fill the massive loss we felt that day in May 2008 when our dear Shep was sadly put to sleep. They both fill our hearts and are a large part of our life, as they will always be.

Finally my drawing of Blue

Think of a caption to suit this!

Ben Nevis

We have just returned from two great weeks in the Highlands of Scotland, one of our adventures was to summit Ben Nevis, the highest mountain in Britain.

Blue is no novice to mountains, having successfully summited numerous fells and mountains in the lake district, Helvellyn, Skiddaw, Blencathera to name but a few.

Blue is now six years old, and is very comfortable walking for long durations, last week we did 8 3/4 hours in the Torridon mountains.

Ben Nevis sits in the Nevis range overshadowing Fort William, approximatly 120 miles from our holiday cottage in Annat.

Shortly after 7.00am Blue got him self comfy in the back of the car for the 2-3 hour drive, and at 10.00am we were all parked up ready to go, commencing from the car park serving Achintee House.

The weather was dry, but the tops of the mountains were obscured by low cloud.

With his halti attached we set off for the anticipated 10 mile round trip which would take us to the summit 1343m above sea level.

We selected the "Tourist Route" because there are no real technical climbing skills required, Blue would follow where we navigated, though more often than not he would lead.

Even where a path becomes less obvious, Blue often follows the scent trail left by others, as he has proved invaluable on previous occasions. Now having said that, he has no sense of height, there are times where he would happily roll over on the grass, oblivious there may be a drop of hundreds of feet, a roll away.

We know today there will be many others taking this route, and the need to have close control over Blue is paramount for the safety of him and others. Blue owns the mountain, everyone else are seen as visitors.

Well we had only been walking ten minutes and we came to our first obstacle, a timber ladder style. Approached with much gesturing and trepidation, Blue managed to overcome this hurdle.

The path to ascend is unmistakable, no need to navigate, Blue was into his stride and coping with some of the larger steps. Courteous exchanges were had with fellow walkers encounter en-route, the majority of us heading in the same direction.

 Our calculation was that we would make the summit around 3.00 pm at our current pace.

Just over two hours into the walk we were at what is affectionately known as the half way loch an.

Lochan Meall an t-Suidhe is not actually half way in height, the true half way point was known as "Red Burn" which could be seen further up the track, just below the cloud and snow line.

So we stopped for a breather and a quick drink, and as we sat pondering the next part, the Lochan just disappeared.

  

Now was a time for honesty, do we go any further?

Without fear or favour, the call is down to me, and given what lay ahead, three more hours of climbing into cloud, mist and rain on snowy covered peak, I decided today was not going to be the day Blue conquered Ben Nevis, that would be for another day.

On reflection Blue had handled the climb very well, only where we rested to have a breather and cuppa, did he actually halt advancing admirers getting too close to his herd.

I do believe that we will return one day and complete this journey, so the call to descend was taken and we began our return. Only now realising that at no point had we seen more than half way up the mountain, even glancing back on our return.

Descending gave an opportunity to take a few pictures, funny how things clear up once you have made your mind up to return.

But the one telling picture was this one, the conditions at just over 600m were still the same

There are two tiny figures just left of centre, they are walkers just above Red Burn.

We returned to our car 4 1/2 hours after setting off, safe well and enjoyed the trip, Blue was the only dog we see on the mountain today, wonder why?

With a brief stop at the Ben Nevis Distillery to buy a gift, we set off back to our holiday let.

From our journey home we stopped at a near by view point to capture this picture of the Nevis range

We arrived back at the cottage a little after 7.00pm which meant we had been out for twelve hours, on that basis if we would have gone to the summit, we would not have been back until after midnight.

Soon after his dinner, there was only one place Blue was going to;

 Asleep !

Well done our little hero !

Blue back in the swim and enjoying the garden

It is good to share that Blue is slowly returning to the life style of which has become accustomed.

Playing in the garden, going out for walks and now back swimming on a more regular basis. 

This week Blue enjoyed another good swim session.

The ironic thing is all the above pictures of him are outside the pool or in the shower, this was because of the time spent interacting with him, encouraging him to dive in and play.

Blue still needs to wear his buster type collar, if left alone, he used to need to wear it pretty well all the time, to reduce his scratching and licking. For a long period this would the case even in our presence, but now it is only the odd occasion, even though he still bears the bold and blotchy parts to his lower hind legs.

Action shots of Blue in action in the garden

Back in the swim

Blue resting after his swim

Last night for the first time since November last year, Blue got to go for a swim.

It was a joy to watch him excitingly circling in the back of the car as we approached our destination.

He literally jumped out of the car and into the waiting loop of his harness, making straight for the side entrance gate, where not a moment was to be wasted. As the gate latch was lifted, Blue's nose ensured the gate was to be brushed aside. Pulling like a train we went up the path, to the rear of the property, where we entered the swimming pool dome of "Aquadoggies".

Excited would be an understatement, it was the whole body shouting out his excitement.

His favoured ball was thrown into the pool, by the trainer, Carol, and as is customary,  a quick run around the perimeter, and with all sorts of excited sounds, Blue leaped into the pool.

Blue was "Back in the swim"

For a solid fifteen minutes, he was in and out of the pool, having a great time, like he had never missed a day.

But we recognised that he was tiring a little, and when he made his own way to the shower area, he had one more leap/dive/splash/swim, then it was time for part two.

Part two was to have a medicated shower and rinse, all the time hanging onto his favoured ball.

Then it was "Fergie time" the hair dryer/blower and a final rub down with the towel, easing into his drying jacket, completed his session.

Blue was one happy dog, and we are glad we took the time to try him out, and get him back in the swim. We are not over the allergies, and there are still the signs of licking nibbling and scratching, mostly now on his  lower hind leg.

As long as there is no adverse reaction, and he continually shows signs of improvement, we will book him in for more sessions.

Sadly the lighting levels did not allow the pictures to come out, so below is link to some older pictures, uploaded on "Flickr"

Library pictures of previous swim sessions

Blood test results are in

Last week we received the eagerly awaited results of Blues blood test, to see if an allergy was responsible for his ongoing problem with scratching itching and biting himself.

Sadly it has not pointed to one specific thing, 

Blue has shown a positive reaction to the following (Scores of 100+ are positive)

• Grasses

1. Ryegrass
2. Meadow Fescue
3. Cocks Foot

• Weeds

1. Sheep Sorrel
2. Lamb's Quaters
3. Yellow Dock
4. Ragweed

• Trees

1. Oak
2. Beech
3. Willow
4. Olive

• Fungi

1. Aureobasidium pullulans

• Foods

1. Lamb
2. White potato
3. Tomato
4. Carrots
5. Duck

• Insects

1. Mosquito

The highest scores sit in weeds and grasses ranging between 115 & 178

As we had previously changed his food, we have had to change it once more, as his previous food contained potato and lamb.

Blue is now being fed James Wellbeloved, Turkey & Rice, which also has coconut oil and Bionic Biotic powder on top, which sounds more like a preparation for a chemistry experiment.

So poor Blue is still itching,scratching and nibbling, making many parts of his body sore and open wounds, he still has his daily walks in the park, along with the usual road walking.

His much loved swimming at Aquadoggies is still on hold until further notice, though we may resume this some time soon.

The hard plastic buster collar was very unforgiving on us and Blue, so he has now been fitted with a much softer user friendly version, in fact he seems very much attached to it, occasionally we will put his muzzle on, though he is still able to lick through the gaps.

Blue seems reasonably contented when he is not scratching, but once he starts it is difficult to get him to stop, to the point he now has open wounds on the elbow joints of his right foreleg. The wife puts Sudacream on to prevent infections getting in.

We do hope the change in diet will turn this around, but if not, we will return to the vets to see if there is anything else to consider as a remedy.

Night vision

Blue is still out and about, here he is in his hi-viz coat in the early evening sunshine

Alley Cat and Blue

Blue was on his morning walk this morning and what made it different was an opportune encounter with a cat.

Our morning walk before work was going as a normal walk, Blue was happy walking along the main road, then without any warning as we passed a house with an open driveway, Blue nearly pulled my arm out of the socket.

Regaining my composure,  I pulled Blue up close to me, and grabbed his collar and scruff of his neck, to ensure he did not repeat the afore mentioned lunge.

As I released my grip, Blue was somehow free of his leash, the clasp was no longer attached to his collar, feeling no restraint, he then returned to search for whatever it was that had made him pull so violently in the first place.

Then without warning a cat ran from behind the car on the driveway and scarpered through a hedge, and with the scurrying of claws on paving stones, Blue re-appeared to disappear through the afore mentioned hedge, with only a glimpse of his hind legs and tail as he too went through the hedge.

So here I am 05:45am in the morning in the dark, and a lead in my hand but no dog attached, Blue was gone!

Next to the house is an alley way / footpath which leads to a cul-de-sac in our road, as I enter calling out "Blue" whistling, no other sounds could be heard, Blue and the cat had already vacated the alley and moved on to pastures new.

In my mind, I told myself he will come back soon, then my thoughts went to, how I am going to find him if he doesn't, the wife will go loopy, oh dear this is not good, this is not the first time Blue has got off a lead, but the first time he has fled. So I knew there would be no point in running to catch him, a German Shepherd in full stride with prey on his mind, is going to move at a rapid pace. My only hope was that he would either catch up with the cat or give up not too far away and be within ear-shot.

As I reached the end of the alley, a faint familiar sound could be heard, the chinking of his collar and name tag as he trotted along, walking out of the alley, my dear friend and companion Blue was happy to greet me like a long lost friend.

During the greeting and rewarding I re-attached his lead to his collar, we walked back up the alley and carried on with our morning walk.

Many things could have made the situation worse, but no-one or anything was hurt, injured or damaged, for that we are all relieved.

To date Blue has slipped one collar, broken one clasp on a extending lead and now escaped today, his weight and determination have played a big part in all three.

Upon returning home, I inspected the clasp on the lead, the spring gate, had lost its ability to fully close and hold fast, while pulling it was fine, but my grabbing him by the collar meant it was not under tension, so consequently slipped off.

Time for a new lead, and perhaps a more watchful eye on the spring tension clasp of other leads.

Tomorrow when we walk the same route, Blue will always look out for the pesky cat, and try a bit harder to catch it, he has a long memory, where cats are concerned.

Just as a footnote, his hot spot has now cleared up, but still his left ear has fur missing, his last visit to the vets on Friday resulted in much barking and demonstrating of his dislike for the vet, he has such an attitude with vets, we need to work on this.

Life is never dull with Blue

Facial expressions of Blue

Recently took some pictures of Blue and below are a few of his more expressive ones.

and in contrast some profile shots

Blue is keeping well, continuing to fill the house, supervise the garden and patrol everywhere he goes.

We now have had to turn the phone ringer volume down to silent, as Blue howls when the phone rings, no problems for us while we are at work, but not sure what the neighbours think, though they have yet to complain. He is not digging the dark morning walks and hasty evening walks before the sunsets, but he does still enjoy his weekly swim and playtime in the garden.

For more images of Blue checkout the link below to a dedicated set on Flickr

Check out a dedicated Set of pictures of Blue