The Story of Dash

DASH – NEGLECT – CRUCIATE – COLLAGEN & VETRITION

Dash is a very handsome young Labrador who came to our attention last September when the daughter of a family who said they couldn’t keep him any longer asked us to take him into rescue. When our Helper visited him she found a lovely, but very overweight, 2-year old dog that had already had 4 homes and apparently had not seen a vet. He had been kept in a small house and never walked or socialized. So he hadn’t had any training, pulled like mad on a lead, and with short legs looked “a bit like a Sherman tank”.

 

Although they knew he would be hard work, a delightful family with teenage children agreed to foster Dash for us. With no medical history to go on, Dash was taken for an early complete medical check-up and the news was not good at all. He checked in at 42 kg, with fleas and a serious ear infection, but more seriously the vet, an orthopaedic specialist, described him as “a tragic example of a PERFECT STORM of a dog who, through no fault of his own, has suffered neglect from the day he was born  during Lockdown and COVID”.  It was apparent that Dash was lame in all 4 legs, with elbow dysplasia in his fore limbs. The poor dog needed help urgently. Although he has a lovely playful nature his legs just couldn’t take the strain!.

 

The Vet recommended a high quality diet with Collagen supplement, to give him the strength and growth in muscles and bones that a growing dog needs. Immediately one of our Helpers set to researching Collagen, and by great fortune found a company called Vetrition that specialises in this. Recently they had identified a peptide in Collagen which has tremendous healing qualities for horses, dogs and cats. When they were contacted, Vetrition replied instantly with the amazing offer to help Dash. The added miracle is that the Company happens to be close to the Vet and Foster home!

 

At a meeting with the Helper, Vetrition offered, very generously, not only to support Dash through his total recovery with regular supplies of their Collagen Supplement which is expensive, but also to support Labrador Rescue through the coming year as their Chosen Charity. The Marketing Director of Vetrition started immediate supplies of Collagen supplement to Dash, and also established a link with the Veterinary Group treating him.

 

The foster family worked hard to get his weight down to 35 kg, but despite all their care his exuberance got the better of him – one day in November he managed one “zoomy”, slipped on the wet grass and ruptured a cruciate ligament.  What an awful day for everyone. Following surgery, and on the Vet’s advice, his foster family built a special small enclosed run for him so that he could go in and out of the home, but it stopped him running and jumping!. Poor young boy – so eager to run about but not allowed to.

 

Marvellously, by limiting his movement, and giving him the Collagen, Dash has made wonderful progress. At his post-op examination the Vet noted that he is “making an amazing recovery” – still a long way to go, still on limited exercise, but getting there, and he has further X-rays to come in March. Just like Dash himself, we all hope he will soon be able to enjoy a young Dog’s life.