well so after his session on friday, i had to go and visit my mum and dad as it was my dads birthday yesterday, Mum and dad live on a narrow boat and are currently moored at Branston water park which is just south of Burton on Trent on the A38 , so i decided that so as Nev was not stuck at home with all the pooches i would take Meg and Scruff with me. It was all new to him and he's had a whale of a time getting to know lots of people up and down the tow path as well as swimming in the lake and playing with the white monster otherwise known as Cally. He must have been fussed by at least 2 dozen kids and more adults and once again he never batted a eyelid and more importantly curled a lip. I think on this one i'll let the piccies speak for themselves!!

Whats this then a bit big and strange

Its not too bad

Think its time for another fuss

Its a big white monster (cally)

See you really did teach me how to swim

Back to the boat for more playing and a well earned treat

Sadly theres been no real interest in Scruffy, i would say again please don't let his legs put you off, as the pictures show he's just a happy little springer boy, who just needs a home to call his own.

Liz, Nev the girls and Scruff

Friday 10.10.08

Ok, so today was lesson number 4 and the lad was really put through his paces by tina.

He had a couple of minutes warming up and then on came the jets.The idea of these is to create a resistance for him to swim against,thus making him stronger and building his stamina.

He has finally realised thay if he keeps his head low his swimming will be better and he had around 15 minutes of chasing his toy up the stream of the jets before coming out for a rest,but all he wanted to do was get back in,so he had another 10 minutes or so with the jets turned off,chasing his toy from one side of the pool to the other and promptly deciding to give us a soaking before he got out.

Again tina was really impressed with him and reckons he has a really good action and a good amount of leg movement.

So all in all a great session,way to go Scruff

Well Scruffy is continuing to improve daily, its just little things you notice, the things you take for granted with your own dogs, like Meg counter surfs for britain, Scruff couldn't when he first arrived, but he's starting to now. He's starting to roam further out on walks running around with the girls, and he's not as tired when he gets back to the car all these things point to the muscle improving on his back end. I suppose the most noticeable differnce is he's starting to stand much more normally, when he first arrived he was what can only be described as cow hocked, in that both of his back legs were very close together at the top, now there is a bit of a gap looks much more normal. Most significantly in all the time he has been here he has never limped once, which is very encouraging.

Anyway he went for swim number 3 yesterday, and the first one that i have been able to attend with Nev, Millie and Scruffy, and we were all very impressed, throw him a toy in the water and he fair powers through to get to it with all 4 legs kicking, its quiet common when they first start to not use the ones that are causing them the bother, in all he swam for the best part of 20 minutes with only one break, he was puffing like a good un after, but to be fair its a long time for only week 3. All this makes me think that he really doesn't know that he has bad hips, i fully expected him to be sore this morning (i know Millie was) but he wasn't.

He's also met a lot of new people and dogs again this weekend its been a bit like musical dogs here with one in, one out and another one in, and bless him all he wants to do with them is play.

He really is a fantastic dog who deserves a home of his own, and anybody who meets him will fall in love, as i type this he is stretched full length at the side of me fast asleep if i had the space i would keep him in an instant but i havent so i have to let him go. I know there is a home out there for him somewhere, In the meantime i will just keep putting my lottery on and praying.

Thats all for now

Love Liz, Nev the girls and Scruffy

Sunday i expected him to be a little bit stiff after all the running he had done on Saturday, but he wasn't!!!!! so having helped make the sandwiches for the shooting competition i put him in the car with the girls and set off for the shooting ground, so i could tick a few more boxes off his experience list, and the good news is once again he took it all in without being disturbed or anxious. Gun shot, no problem, Men on mobility scooters no problem, and lots of fuss off strangers no problem in fact he spent more time rolling around on his back than anything else.

So thats it for now it was a busy weekend, and after discussions with Cynthia he is now officially up for rehoming and boy does he deserve it, as Cyn says he doesn't let his back legs bother him in the slightest, and if and when he does need Surgery NESSR will fund it, so if anyone reading this would like tofind out more about him then please feel free to ring Myself (Liz) or Nev on 01924 871431 after 7.30pm and we will be more than happy to bore you with tales of Scruffy. Bye for now and keep checking in for updates love Liz, Nev, the girls and Scruffy

Well after a very peacefull night Saturday came around, Nev was off shooting in the morning with Graham so i decided that i would wait untill he came back before i took Scruff and the girls down the beach, he had some more new experiences, people came to collect a dog with their daughter and all he wanted was a fuss of the little girl and to play with their springer .

Nev came back around lunchtime and we all spent a pleasant afternoon lazing around, before Nev and i went to the beach, don't think any words are needed here i will let the photos speak for themselves.!!

What can i say he really loved it, and was absolutely wacked, and crashed out on His Aunty Cyn's Footstool.

Well today we went for the second session of hydrotherapy and the lad was keen to get going,jumping up on the ramp before we even had chance to get his life jacket on.

Once in, the difference in his swimming style was amazing, he kept his head low and did a few laps round the pool.That all changed when the toy came out though and we both got a soaking again.(i think this is going to become a bit of a ritual with scruff )

Today he did 4 sessions of around 3-4 mins each with a rest in between sessions,then it was out for drying and a biscuit for being good.

As with last week,tina was really pleased with him and commented that she could see a bit of muscle definition already.

So then it was back home to get ready for his weekend away at "Aunty Cyn's" with a promise of a romp on the beach to look forward to.

So friday night i came home from work and we finshed getting packed up , put the dogs in the car and set off for the 2 hr trip it takes to get up to Cyn's Scruff coped really well with the journey (i think this is the furthest he's ever been in one journey)and when we got there he coped even better with all the dogs, again i don't think he's ever seen that many dogs in one place, he went in to the house and here is Cynthia's reaction to him in her own words!

"""""what can I say,,,I have been busy these past few weeks,,,and I have been very worried about all these poor dogs that have been passed onto NESSR,,,that need the vets,,
Liz and Nev and kids were coming up for the weekend,,as the lads were shooting,,,
So at long last I was to meet the lad,,,,,

Well all arrived,,,,,he ran into the sitting room,,,,,and all I could do was cry,,,,,,not because he was in a state,,,but because he came in here as if he had been here before,,,so happy ,,so lovely,,,and so very very friendly,,,,,,YES,,,he has got funny thin legs,,,and a strange shaped back end,,,,but you must look past that,,,,,,still the tears flowed,,,,and Nev quite rightly said,,,,he needs no pity,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,he is fine,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Scruffy is the most lovely dog I have ever set eyes on,,and I will say now my heart hurts for him,,,,,but and its a big but,,,it does not bother him,,,,he is so good in the house,,,and to say this lad is so young,,,,,so please take another look at this great lad,,,,,and if you could offer him a home,,,,please speak to Liz and Nev,,,,,and go and see this grand lad,,that never asked to be born this way..................and for 2 pins I would have him in a heart beat............ """"

Friday night he was in the room with 6 other dogs and do you know he never put a foot wrong, everything i throw at him he just seems to take in his stride all i can say is what a dog!!!!.

So today scruffy went to see Tina at the pool near us that millie, one of our springers has been using for the past couple of years.

Millie went first and scruff seemed quite interested in what was going on,so once millie was finished it was on with his life jacket and long line and after a bit of coaxing from tina in he went.At first he did'nt really know what to do and gave us a good soaking by splashing about with his front legs,but he soon got into the swing of things and thought it was great fun splashing about chasing his toy around the pool.

Tina was really pleased with him and thought he had really good movement and has suggested a six week course for starters to get him some muscle tone built up.

It's early day's but the sessions should go a long way to improving his overall fitness which can only be a good thing. 

So the next session is booked for friday 26th (i must remember to take my waterproofs) : - )

Nev.

Scruffy came in to Nessr's care on the 22nd August (my birthday as it happens) i had taken a phonecall a week or so earlier from a lady who was desperate for help she had tried everywhere else and no one had the space for an 11 month old springer, he was her brothers dog, and he needed to re-home him as he has leukaemia and couldn't give him the time or attention that he needed as he was in and out of hospital.

Scruffy when he arrived

It was apparent from the start that Scruff had something not quite right with his back legs, but as the family were obviously upset i didn't mention it, to all other intents and purposes he was a normal, full of fun very well adjusted young springer, so home he came where he wasted no time in getting to know the girls, finding out where the toys were and generaly playing.

Intially after a couple of days here so we could assess him , he went out on foster to a lady near me who had very kindly offered to help Nessr out, with the proviso that he came back at the end of the week as she was going on hols and Scruffy needed the dreaded little boy op that all Nessr dogs get before rehoming, he was still wobbly on his back end, but moved pretty freely and didn't show any signs of any pain so we were hopefull that his leg problem was due to a lack of exercise in his former home.

On the Friday of the following week Scruffy was booked in to the vets to be castrated and i asked if they could have a look at his legs while they had him there, Unfortunately our hopes of his leg problem were dashed when i got a phone call from the vet mid morning to say that they thought he had Hip Dysplasia and would like to xray him while he was under, i had already discussed this with Cynthia so told them to go ahead.

When i returned to pick Scruffy up i was shown the Xrays, which confirmed that Scruffy had Severe Hip dysplasia, he basically has no sockets for the head of the femur to sit in, it was explained that we would need to build up some muscle and then it would be probable that he would need Surgery in order to keep him walking, this is all to cost NESSR an estimated £1000 per leg plus medication and hydrotherapy which has to be done prior to the op in order for the muscle to be built up enough to support the joint.

After more discussion with Cynthia operation Scruffy has been launched to try and raise the much needed funds so we can do everything possible to help this lad,who is the sweetest, funniest full of character Springer i have had through here for a while, but most importantly we are going to do everything in our power to find him that perfect home when the time is right, because he deserves it and he will make somone a great pet.

In the meantime we have started on his road to giving him a better life and he is booked in for a Hydrotherapy session.