Hi  Everyone

You probably thought we had vanished into the mist but I have just been so incredibly busy lately that I just haven't had a minute to let you know how things are.

Well to recap briefly; Inca is a Dobermann who will be 10 years old this August . Last November a tumour appeared on her left shoulder which turned out to be a chondrosarcoma. Within 5 wks we were instructed not to run her off lead, and that amputation was our only option if she were to continue living a "normal" life. She seemed to be different to most other affected dogs in that she felt no pain or discomfort, and the night before her surgery had a great run around the college campus as if nothing was wrong. The surgery and following 3-6 wks were quite difficult for all of us. The drugs were at times ineffective and often made her act very strangely, and we found the depression, lethargy and different personalities hard to deal with!

But for all the dark moments, there were also great ones and it was a huge relief to watch all her old habits and routines return. It felt like we would never see the old Inca back but we definitely did, she is exactly the same clown she was before!! One of her favourite things was to accompany me on my horse in the woods and she still does this ( I make sure I always keep the horse back so Inca feels she still sets the pace!). Really, she has resumed life in every way. She can run, turn, stretch, jump up, retrieve anything that fits in her mouth, get in the car ( I insist she's lifted out) walk to work with me (4 miles round trip), chase deer/squirrels etc ( with VERY limited success) and sleep in any position. To date, she hasn't managed to scratch herself so we help with that.

She has had one x ray and it was completely clear so we can relax a little now. A 10 yr old Dobermann is by no means young so we regard everything as a bonus now. That said, no one can believe how old she is and since being featured on a vet programme here, she's recognised everywhere  we go. I compete in Eventing and she walks every cross country course with me, still thinking she can jump everything to show me how it's done. The hot weather is difficult for her so after a very sunny weekend recently I decided to try clipping her (I am a groomer but had never contemplated clipping a smooth haired dog before) and it has worked a treat! She never had a really typically tight coat and it looks absolutely great on her (#9 blade if anyone's interested) and she feels so much better. We  still have to be careful of her on hot days though…. is this something other people have discovered with Tripawds?

For anyone just going through their dog's surgery, and living with the early times, I know it seems endless but things will definitely improve. Inca is glowing now and looks amazing. It's difficult to catch her on video but here are a few links to the latest ones.

Thanks Tripawds for a great service

Suzanne, Ken and Inca xxxxx