Cinders arrived here in September 2004. An elderly gentleman came to the door and asked if this was the place for stray dogs. I told him it was, and asked how I could help him.
He told me he had found a little collie dog lying on the side of the road, and that she had been injured. He had her in his car. I carefully lifted her and brought her into the house.
My initial thoughts were that she had a fractured pelvis, which would be a problem though not a very big one. My friend Tom was helping with the dogs that day, so I asked him if he would take her to the Vets for me straight away, whilst I prepared the recovery room ready for her return.
A short while later the Vet called. The news was not good. An X-ray showed Cinder's back to be broken. The Vet said that both back legs seemed to be paralyzed, and that she felt it would best to 'let her go'. Well actually those were not the exact words she used. This lovely lady Vet is French, and she knew that I would not take such news very well. Whilst her English is excellent, I think that she got so upset at having to tell me her findings that she used the word neutralized instead of euthanised! Nowadays, when Cinders is being a bit naughty, I tell that she was lucky not to have been neutralized, and that she should behave! To this day I do not know what made me go against the Vet's advice, but I did.
I asked her to do whatever was necessary to relieve any pain Cinders might be in and to treat the injury as best she could. She decided to go along with me. Cinders did not appear to be in any pain and she was given high dosages of steroids for 3 days and hospitalized. When I went to collect her on the third day it seemed there was some sensation coming back into one of her legs. I was delighted! The Vet and I discussed the prognosis. It was felt that possibly Cinders might regain the use of that leg but would probably have to lose the other one, as it had not responded at all.
Armed with that information, we went off in the car with steroids and pain medications. Once we were home I set Cinders up in the recovery room on a flat bed with lots of soft bedding and went off to have a think.
Cinders really couldn't move except on her front legs, but there was definitely feeling in one of the back ones, even though she couldn't stand on it or walk. I came up with a plan of action to try and get her up again, with massage and movement physio-therapy.
I spent two hours with her every night doing these exercises and one day, around three weeks later, Cinders stood up on her own on three legs! I felt like I had won the lottery! She still couldn't walk on the back legs, but she had got up. I had been so afraid I was doing the wrong thing by keeping her going, but now I knew I was right to do so. This little one had fight in her!
There was still no response from the other leg but I kept going. Finally, one day a few months later, while we were doing our exercise routine, she tentatively put other leg on the ground and put a little weight on it! Jubilation!!! We had taken another giant step forward together.
It took another couple of months to fully regain strength in both legs, by which time it was late spring and perfect weather for my patient to soak up some sunshine outside.
It wasn't all good news though as Cinders had to remain here permanently in the Kennels. Although she had regained the use of her legs, she did have to have her tail amputated because no sensation or movement came back to that at all. The big problem was that she was left somewhat incontinent. Although it was not a problem for me, nobody would be prepared to rehome such a dog. Her recovery, apart from this has been complete!
She runs, she plays; she can even stand up on her back legs. In true collie form, she tries with all her might to keep the other dogs 'corralled', but they just will not behave! It's all very annoying for a little collie!
She is a little miracle! She is my Cinders - the Wonder Dog!
