If you’ve read this blog in the past, you’ve probably read about my amazing field lab, China. She has a genetic disorder that causes her to grow bone, causes her great pain and severe lameness at times, and yet she never, never quits. This dog has a heart that brings me to tears.
China With Her Ball
Her pain and lameness periods are cyclical, and during the last month she has been in one of the worst cycles to date. All of the vets I’ve visited tell me this will occur her whole life and there’s nothing that can be done about it other than pain management. Over time, it will likely get worse. She’s now 8 1/2 years old, and each cycle is getting worse in terms of intensity of pain and length of time.
A few weeks ago, she started limping again – to the point where she would put no weight on her back leg at all. But she never whines, never stops, and insists on going to the park. She has so much energy and drive that short walks are simply not an option. If she can’t go for at least a mile each time we go somewhere, she either gets severely depressed or becomes dog aggressive.
China is a driven dog who must be working at all times or she is miserable. The absolute joy on her face when she gets to do her job is heartbreaking at times. Seeing her – tail up, ears up, joy beams flying off of her – and standing on three legs is really hard to watch.
Finding a way to balance her need for activity with finding a way to keep her from running has been a challenge beyond belief. Standing on three legs, she will drop her toy at your feet and want you to throw it for her. If you toss the toy just a few feet, she will hobble over, pick it up, hobble back, and drop it at your feet to do it again.
Life Is Good When I Have My Ball
China knows I won’t let her run, so she tries to find a new person to throw her ball before I can warn them not to do it. She’s a clever and very determined girl. We have finally reached an agreement that balances her need to work with my need to keep her from running and hurting herself further – which she would do quickly.
She drops her toy at my feet and prances out, wanting it to be thrown. I tell her “catch it” and throw it directly to her. Fortunately, this has become a new game that she has decided is acceptable. It keeps her limber by letting her bend her spine, but prevents her from the hard driving running that seems to trigger her worst episodes.
If I don’t watch her closely, she’ll overdo it – and then, when we get home, she hobbles up the stairs like a very old dog because she can barely move. She brings me to tears at times. To watch this dog, in so much pain, be so determined to do what she loves, no matter what, can be very hard.
I’ve had to struggle with deciding what is more important – keeping her safe, or letting her be happy. Seeing her absolute joy at being able to do her job has made me decide that the quality of her life (her emotional state) is much more important than anything else. She has helped me come to the decision that life at all costs is not right for her.
So, hard though it is, I need to keep doing what I’m doing — letting her play more than she really should, and yet letting her be happy. I would much rather have her experience a happy life, even if it’s shorter, than an unhappy life where she’s physically healthier, but miserable. To my way of thinking, it would be seriously selfish of me to keep her from doing the things that bring her joy.
I can’t begin to tell you what a growth experience having China in my life has been – and will continue to be.
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