Some anti-inflammatory drugs and only light exercise, but still to no avail.
Buddy with his lump several months down the track.
In March, when the swelling was still not getting any better so further tests were done to help confirm the initial diagnosis.
Nothing unusual was found with the consensus being that the only option would be to remove the lump surgically.
Due to the location relative to the joint, the vet advised that it would prove difficult to heal and possibly end in the loss of the limp.
One thing that people always said that Buddy was such a happy dog.
This was still the case and as it wasn’t causing any pain or discomfort, the decision was made to leave the lump be for now and check again if necessary.
We had all adjusted to the new regime of a little one and then in November 2011, a simple mishap while out for our regular run resulted in Buddy suffering what would eventually lead us to the Tripawds community.
I was always cautious with the dogs as we ran around our neighbourhood and kept them on leads to help ensure their safety. While running we made a u-turn and Buddy got tangled around my feet with his front right leg bending outwards.
A lump literally appeared right before our eyes on the outside of his leg. We rang our vet immediately and took him straight in for assessing.
With some relief, the vet diagnosed soft tissue damage and we were sent on our way with instructions on how best to treat the injury with the expectation that the swelling should subside over the next few days.
Like most of the world, my wife and I fell in love with John Grogan’s Marley & Me.
I bought her a copy for Valentine’s Day and in turn I received a copy for Christmas.
The tale of a young couple and the trials and tribulations of starting a family rang all too true with us and reading Marley & Me became somewhat like a checklist of things we’d also experienced with our canine companions, Buddy mostly. Some things had us a little uneasy though as we were yet to add wall eating to our own list. Thankfully we never did but with two cats also, the litter tray often proved to be a temptation.
Marley & Me is the only book since my school years that I can claim to have read numerous times and all though I’m familiar with the story, I enjoy the ride.
Like John and Jenny, my wife and I found ourselves expecting and thanks to the education given by having two cumbersome beasts, we were confident.
It was 2011 and we enlisted the help of a good friend to help document the stages of our first pregnancy through photos.
The day before our little bundle arrived, our final session caught a beautiful photo of our then family – mum and dad to be, Buddy, Honey and one baby bump ready to hatch.
Our son came home in July and a newborn crying was a sound soon adapted to by all members of the family with the knowledge of another set of hands to pet with safe in the back of two certain minds.
Twelve months went by and it was time to find Buddy a companion.
Buddy and his new soul mate, Honey
A stray Labrador was found wandering our neighbourhood and after tracking down the owners, we found that she was to be given up to the local rescue centre the next day and as such another stray dog came live under our roof. Unwanted due to her penchant for escapism, Honey brought her own level of crazy to the party.
By this stage, Honey had been through four different homes but to date no one had persevered with the effort necessary to help her with some anxiety issues and her fear of noises.
Like two lost souls reunited, Buddy and Honey were inseparable. Honey was lacking in social skills but Buddy became her rock providing a safe place for her by his side wherever they went. He was protective of her and sensed when she was afraid and was able to provide the calm needed for Honey to gradually settle into her new home and over the next few months she became a beautiful dog the her previous owners would have struggled to recognise.
Buddy brought out the best in everyone
Not all that Buddy did was beneficial though. His attempts to convince her he was allowed to sleep on the recliner proved to be unsuccessful as he was caught one night and then promptly backpedalled down onto his own bed after realising he had been seen by nightlight, an event which has forever left us smiling at the memory of the look of guilt.
Buddy and Honey kept my wife and I busy until one day we decided to expand our family once again… This time with a little two legged person.
Due to the lack of any medical records, it was left to the vets to determine an approximate age of 3 ½ years old, but none the less, we were now well and truly in the company of unbridled energy more befitting a puppy. As such, obedience classes were the next thing on our list.
The first of many well-loved toys
My wife enquired with the class held at our local park and we were enrolled to start with the next intake of students.
The first bit of advice given was to use food rewards, which had remarkable results with each new task presented. Ultimately, we were convinced that with a little bit more encouraging, Buddy would have been able to drive himself to training as long as food was on offer.
As the class progressed and treats were limited, we found distractions were too enticing and heading into final assessments knowing a minimum score of 75 was necessary, my wife and I were already preparing ourselves for the likelihood of needing to repeat the course.
As the scores were read out starting at the bottom, my wife and I were gobsmacked to hear the lowest score in our class was 81. We held our breaths and our head high, but it was not us. Buddy didn’t get his name read out. At least not then. His name came out at 92. Our boy was an honour student.
Genius
Everything old was new again. Gardening was a task for two with a familiar head poking under your arm as you knelt while simple things like walking had some curious paws following closely behind and knocking footwear off in the process.
Late nights were never lonely with a golden shadow always willing to spend an extra hour or two in your company and you learned to appreciate the smell of wet dog as it meant you’d shared another fun filled day at the beach.
One trip interstate saw us come home and Buddy return from the boarding kennel with a cough and instructions to have him sleep indoors for extra warmth until he recovered. He slept inside every night from that day.
Five months after we lost my wife’s father to cancer and our life was ready for something good.
Along came Buddy.
August 10th, 2008 – Our first meeting
We used to frequent the local animal shelter to assist with exercising the abandoned dogs and in the back of our mind we were always looking for the right one to join our home. One day we stumbled across an unwanted retriever who at this stage had remained unclaimed after 8 weeks and was being treated for a self-inflicted wound to his front leg that was a result of being licked to the bone.
The shelter allowed us to walk Buddy for only a short distance due to his healing, but we knew that this was the one. Buddy was going to come home with us.
We filled in an expression of interest and during that week we received a call to advise us that we were able to adopt him and on the proviso that we were comfortable with administering the care needed for his leg, we welcome to take Buddy home that weekend.
August 16th, 2008 – Adoption day
Over the next few days we bought toys, food, bedding and all sorts of things that we were assured by the pet store staff we needed. The only thing missing when we brought him home was a kennel, so the first task was to build one for our new family member.
Having never had a dog before, my first of many moments of astound came when I saw the level of loyalty that was present instantly.
With hammer and nails in hand, I was in full swing with constructing what would become a comfy abode when Buddy would meander over to inspect the progress, only to then turn, lay down and keep watch over me as I continued.
With two cats already in our family, I was more prone to the levels of independence that felines display rather than this level of companionship that was now to be a mainstay in our house for years to come.
