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YORRI
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| YORRI" an update May 2001.
Yorri is getting on fine and a recent letter with a picture received
from Glenis Snow his owner, is I think the best way to update his story.
" At last I am able to sit down and write a few lines about
Yorri. Well he isn't so young now but nobody has told him! He continues
to make progress,rarely needing his pain-killing medication. He has
just recently managed to get himself upstairs! Coming down is not so
good, but he's working on it!The reason he ventured upstairs was because
we had a strange cat in the house, he is quite used to our cats but
not the interloper. Sadly the cat died, (nothing to do with Yorri) but
he likes to keep an eye on things so he keeps checking. We now have
a baby gate across the stairs.
On the subject of babies, Yorri thinks they are wonderful especially
the older one aged 15 months. An excellent source of extra nourishment
when no one is looking - and by golly he's quick!! Take your eyes off
baby for a second and he's in there and the food has gone! Dogs are
banned now at meal times, something easier said than done, with three
Irish setters who don`t seem to understand the word 'OUT' Although Yorri
will eat anything and everything he remains a lean animal, ribs and
backbone are still visible I suppose he will never put on much weight
(lucky him)
Just recently I watched with great delight as Yorri spent several
minute sharing round and round the garden, then he disappeared under
the conifers to carry on mining, Oh the sheer delight of mining!! I've
a feeling he should have been called 'Digger' I know that as an 'old
boy' he will need quite serious veterinary treatment, but at the moment
I don't feel he should be curtailed too much. Obviously if he showed
any signs of stress or pain then that would be a different matter but
he so enjoys the garden, fresh air and exercice He has a lovely warm
coat to wear if it is cold or wet, it will even dry him quickly if he
is caught in a shower. Indoors he has a very soft warm bed right next
to the boiler, sleeping in the garage (which he has a fancy for) is
not allowed now except on very hot days.
He is a pesky varmint sometimes and an adorable companion at other
times
-He is our Yorri.
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It was in mid May 1999 that we first heard about Yorri. His owners
telephoned to ask if we could take in a beautiful, healthy 5 year old
Irish Setter dog, as they were having to move to another house and there
was no room for them to take Yorri. I asked the usual questions and
received very satisfactory answers which led me to believe that we would
have no trouble whatsoever in rehoming this well bred, handsome, healthy
and well behaved Setter. I was told that Yorri liked his own little
house - which in fact was a shed. This shed had become his 'home' when
at the age of ten months and whilst his owners were both out at work
(all day as far as we can make out) the poor puppy became bored and
chewed the three piece suite - part of which became his bed in the shed!
I must say that this aspect of the story worried me a little - 'was
he house trained?' The owner assured me that Yorri did come into the
house to eat his food and for a little while afterwards, but he preferred
his own 'house'
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'10 minutes was the total length of time he could remain comfortably
on four legs'
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| On May 22nd our rescue worker Chris made the journey to Leicester
to collect Yorri and bring him into the kennels. The kennels we use are
Ladybird Kennels at Ingatestone in Essex - so the journey was quite a
considerable one for Yorri. Chris found the conditions in which Yorri
was kept, to be most unsatisfactory and she was also worried about the
dog himself - it appeared to her that there was something not quite right
about his back legs and she found that she had to help him into her car.
Yorri's shed was damp with no access to the outside and there he lived
all night and all day except when he went for a walk - which we know could
not have been very far - and to eat his dinner in the house - not exactly
the 'Good Life'. Chris, who could not wait to get Yorri into her car,
broke her journey at St Albans where she lives to give Yorri a break and
it was there she discovered the extent of his problem. |
| After a visit to the kennels on the following Monday, I also made the
discovery that Yorri had something very wrong with his legs. His back was
roached when he stood up and we found that approximately 10 minutes was
the total length of time he could remain comfortably on four legs. After
that time he would lie down wherever he happened to be. Yorri was thin.
His coat, which was very dark and should have been wonderfully glossy, was
dull and his eyes were lifeless - this in a 5 year old Irish Setter told
it's own story. The previous owner had given Chris the remains of a bag
of some sort of complete food - which Yorri had been fed on. Cynthia, the
owner of the Kennels and a member of the Rescue Group, threw it out! Her
comments were, that it looked like the sweepings from the floor - poor Yorri!! |
| Yorri was taken to the Kennel's vets a few days after he arrived and
had an X-ray done on his hips. It was discovered that his right hip was
badly affected with Hip Dysplasia and arrangements were made to take him
to a Veterinary Hospital. It was agreed that somehow we would find the money
to get a hip replacement for him if it was possible. Whilst waiting to go
to the vet hospital, Judy started to take him for walks, but found that
he just could not manage it. He loved going out, but he limped home and
the next day suffered for it, so it was decided to let him have only restricted
exercise in the kennel runs. Our main problem was now that Yorri was getting
good food, he found more energy and he has never admitted to himself that
there is anything whatsoever wrong with him!. To him, he is normal and just
as good as any other dog!!! |
| At long last the day arrived when Judy, Cynthia and I took Yorri to
the Royal Veterinary Hospital and were we in for a shock! We imagined that
they would give us a date when they could do the Hip Replacement Operation
and the only nasty surprise we expected was what the operation would cost!!!
After speaking to us for some time and making notes of all the information
we could provide about Yorri, he was given a very thorough physical examination
by two vets, several X-rays and examination by a neuro surgeon which involved
keeping Yorri at the vet hospital for three days, we were told that not
only did Yorri have HD in both hips, but also had Osteochondrosis (a condition
in which there is destruction of bone and cartilage associated with degeneration
of an inter vertebral disc) in both shoulders and a problem somewhere in
the middle of his spine!!! All of these conditions involved bone and joints.
What had caused this to happen? Well we don't know, but a few suggestions
have been, that although there may be a hereditary factor involved, lack
of proper nutrition, living in poor conditions and lack of proper exercise
has resulted in Yorri becoming a disabled dog! We were told that nothing
much could be done - they considered that the hips were not really bad enough
to warrant a Hip Replacement Operation, but even if they had been, with
all his other conditions, Yorri had one big mobility problem!! The vets
at the hospital wanted us to put Yorri on a controlled plan of exercise
to build up his muscles - but no free exercise at all!!! The plan was, that
he would have five minutes walk on a lead four times per day for two weeks,
then ten minutes three times per day for two weeks, then 15 minutes three
times per day for two weeks and then back to the hospital. |
| After many abortive attempts to carry out the exercises, we were fortunate
that Glynis and Norman Snow offered to foster Yorri for six weeks, to carry
out all the exercises and come with us to the vet hospital for the next
visit. During this time, we tried so hard to find Yorri a permanent home
- everyone was told his story, but nobody was prepared to take him on! Whatever
were we going to do with him? As a Rescue Group, we do not believe in keeping
Irish Setters in kennels for years - they are a breed who do not do well
in boarding kennels, but there was someone looking out for Yorri, because
he soon became the beloved companion of Glynis - although she already owns
two Irish Setter bitches (who incidentally both came into season during
Yorri's six weeks stay much to his delight and the family's frustration!!!). |
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Now... 'he can roam freely in the garden'
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On September 9th, we returned to the Royal Vet Hospital and we were
all so delighted to hear them say they saw a vast improvement in Yorri.
He can walk for 20 minutes twice a day, he can roam freely in the garden
and is only called in if he becomes too boisterous, but I think the vets
were most impressed by the improvement in his condition, both physical
and mental. His coat gleamed, his eyes were bright and everyone could
see how much he loved his 'Mum'. Isn't it amazing what some TLC can do?
We are going back to the Vet Hospital in November to report once again
on how things have been going with Yorri and this time he is not going
as a 'rescue dog'. He has a family - he is Yorri Snow. The kind Snow family
have adopted him permanently - although Rescue will be responsible for
vet bills for the conditions he already has. Because he is having some
trouble with one shoulder, we are hoping that the hospital can do something
to relieve this. He is only on pain killers occasionally now, whereas
we were having to give him two a day at one time. Yorri can be such a
naughty boy at times now and is enjoying the puppy hood he missed out
on. We are indebted to the Snow family, to Colin Simms and Mark Inman,
not forgetting our own rescue people, Judy, Paul and Julie who walked
Yorri in the beginning.
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