Dog had a close call on sunday

sinbad

Well-Known Member
I took the dogs out Sunday afternoon for a couple of hours and headed for the summit of pendle hill, aprox 4 miles of walking and 1800ft of elevation to a decent bit of moor where I usually work griff on the birds.
I got about 3.5 miles in and had just covered the last leg to the summit when Griff stopped walking and collapsed in front of me.
I rushed up to him and his eyes had rolled round to the back of his head and he was convulsing, heart going like a jackhammer and he was burning up, As there had been a lot of rain there was plenty of water to hand so I kept filling my hat and pouring it on him to cool him down, I was really worried but at last his eyes refocused and he started to come round, thank god.
Tried phoning the wife to get the 4x4 out and get her ass up to the nick, but no answer so I rang the daughter, the reception was **** but told her the dog had collapsed and could she get across to ours and bring the 4x4 up with her mother then I lost reception so set off carrying the dog out of the gorge (he weighs over 40kgs so no easy task) It took me nearly an hour to climb out of the gorge and get reception again, just as I sat down for a breather the phone rang, it was the police asking me if I was on my own and could I give them some idea where I was, when I asked why they told me my daughter had rung them saying she thought I had collapsed with a possible heart attack so they were sending the air ambulance out to recover me (oh fuuck) It seemed she had only been able to understand bits of the conversation we had and panicked, I sorted all that out phoned the daughter again and found she was already on the hill with my wife but all the trails had been blocked off with boulders to stop people 4x4ing on the hill so they couldnt get to me.
I ended up getting a mate of mine (chunky sailor off the SD) to come up with his landrover and a large kit bag. But he couldnt find a way past the boulders so had to walk up, and between us we managed to carry the dog off, it took over 3hours from griff collapsing to getting him to his landrover and another 30mins to the vets with the dog coming in and out of conciousness all the time.
£200 later and loads of ultra sound, blood tests and injections later, they said it might be lymme disease causing an abnormally high white cell count.
Ive picked him up from the vets, and although a bit wobbly on his legs he does seem a lot better. I really thought he was not going to make it so cannot tell you how relieved I am to get him back.
I know this ground like the back of my hand but Ive never thought about how difficult it would be to get off it if injured until now.
Many thanks to Dave (chunky sailor) :thumb:despite two knee operations recently he trecked over two miles to reach me and help carry Griff off
Paul
A special thanks to the 4 ramblers who totally blanked me, W***ers
.
 
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Phew. Well done! Hopefully the police and air ambulance were okay about it.

I remember taking my dog at the time, a fit (or so I thought) 10 year old retriever up the screes at Wasdale. He didn't collapse but his back legs gave out and even with rest couldn't walk more than a few wobbly paces. They're obviously prone to back leg problems, but until then hadn't shown any signs. Thankfully I had a younger friend with me who works out and between us, (me for 10 mins, him for 30 mins) we managed to get him down. He recovered well enough and lived another three years, but his legs were eventually the end of him. He didn't do anything much after that incident except the odd constitutional on the flat. He hadn't been a working dog, just a pet.
 
Close call! Glad to hear he's on the mend now.

As an aside, do you have insurance on the dog(s)?
 
Hi Sinbad, hope your dog is ok now. just to let you know, Meriel Animal health have brought a vaccine out to prevent Lymes disease, so may be popular with us shooters!!
 
I'm pleased things are on the up side mate, I had a lump in my throat before I got to the better news of your write up.
 
I've seen spaniels collapse through running themselves daft with not enough food inside them. Not a pleasant experience when anythings wrong wth yer dogs, hope he's on the mend and back to full strength !
 
I had a near scare with my springer 1 year on the grouse, worked like a maniac the first drive, but got himself badly dehydrated was the 3rd drive before i came across a decent wet hole althou i had been pouring bottles of water down his throat once i realised wot was happening. He was fine but kept him to heel rest of day.

This may sound a ridiculas thing to do but i now train all my dogs to get used to being put over my shoulders and carried, just as young dogs put them up and praise give them treat's, seem quite a few dogs carried off grouse moors in the past (mainly due to being unfit thou) far easier way of carrying a dog if u have to and it hits the fan and got a long way to go
 
whatbdreed is Griff? I have a 52kg pyrenean and could not carry her so carrying a 40kg dog for that distance has my total respect. hope Griff is ok.

regards

​Matthew
 
Thanks guys.
He is looking better and did eat all his food tonight so is improving, he is very quite and that is weird as he doesnt do quite.
Ill check out that lyme prevention, its got to be better than something like this happening cheers.
I dont have the dogs insured usually over the years pay as you go seems to be the cheaper option, and I always keep a bit of money by for emergencies.
If this had got really expensive I would have raided the daughters wedding fund, LOL
This is the second year we have missed the start of the grouse season though.
Paul
seibassman7, he is a really big GWP, (the vet weighed him on sunday) I didnt think I could carry him any distance but when you have no choice and the dog looks like he is dieing in front of you what choice do you have!!
The last time I put him down before help arrived I couldnt lift him back up off the floor when I tried and that was really scary, I was crying with frustration.
 
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Sinbad,I hope your dog recovers fine.
Your vets said it "might" be lymes.
I don't want to alarm you at all but it may be epilepsy as well-I hope not.EIC may be another-touch wood it is nothing as bad as either.
Its the eyes rolling and convulsing that would worry me.
Seen spaniels do the same then work all season and for seasons into the future without a single problem.
A hell of a thing to happen to you and well done carrying him back.
How old is your wire?
 
Hi Wolverine
He is 3yrs and 4 months old , the jury is still out on what caused the convulsions but his body was hot to touch when he dropped so a fever or similar may have caused him to overheat, although he had not been overdoing it
I hope its not epilepsy it would be a shame to retire him just as he is coming good.
Paul
 
I'm no vet Sinbad but I'd do as your doing and get him thoroughly checked out.
EIC I believe the dogs recover quite quickly-so going by that,hopefully that's ruled out-more prevalent in labs as well.EIC is normally triggered by excitement and exercise as well.
Fingers crossed for you and Griff.Hopefully it's something the vets can put their fingers on.
Bloody scary for you when it was happening......
 
Wolverine

Glad thing are looking up for Griff. As you say when you have to do something you just get on and do it.

Regards
​Matthew
 
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