Dudley
Survivor Nominee
Dudley
In May 2020 Dudley was diagnosed with Intervertebral Disc Disease (IVDD). He required spinal surgery and a stay in the doggy hospital, followed by months of crate rest and physiotherapy. He was progressing well and making a great recovery but unfortunately in August 2020 suffered another episode. This time he lost all mobility in his back legs and the recovery was a little more complicated and harder – requiring a sling for support to walk and intense physio again. Yet he continued to soldier on and prove to us his stubborn nature would not let IVDD win! Fast forward to Christmas day 2020, and we found ourselves back at the specialist with poor Dudley suffering his third episode. This time he was wobbly but kept some mobility and due to the two surgeries in close succession, the vet decided a non-surgical recovery would be best. Sadly this didn’t work as well as hoped – Dudley’s mobility got worse and his mood dipped. So in January, his third surgery took place.
Fast forward to June 2021 and Dudley is doing great. He is back to his cheeky self and is full of excitement for life. We honestly couldn’t be prouder of how he has handled the last year, using his strong will and determination to defeat IVDD and beat the odds that were stacked well against him at times! He has given us a purpose through lockdown, to help him as best we can, and has shown us that even in the worst of times there is still something to be a happy little sausage about!
Sadly 1 in 4 dachshunds are affected by IVDD and recovery is hard. In the worst cases, the condition can cause complete loss of mobility. It can also affect other breeds. We would love for Dudley to be considered for your SuperDog Survivor Award so that we can continue to raise awareness of IVDD, and hopefully help charities like Dedicated to Dachshunds with IVDD and Dachshund Health UK to research more effective treatments and to help recovery.
Category: Survivor
