BUDDY
??? - 2023
REMEMBERING BUDDY by Jo Puddle
There was a dog, reported in a group, walking along the main road in Albufeira, in January 2019, stopping traffic, cars driving around him, he wouldn't stop, people took photos, shared, and drove, he just kept walking in the road. For days. Then 1 day he stopped. Exhausted. Hungry. Thirsty. He just laid himself down. In the road. Waiting for the end.
But the end wasn't to be; a kind lady stopped her car, picked up his 35kg weight, put him into her car, and he found himself in an empty stable, safe, fed, watered and resting. For four days.
I had seen his pictures, and then I realised the dog in the stable was the same as the dog in the road!! I felt a pull to him. Like I already loved him, before I had even met him!
I decided to meet him at the first chance I had, which was 4 days after he had been picked up from the road. He was in the stable, laying there, his sad, defeated eyes looking at me, I had bought some chicken pieces with me, which I gave him. He ate them from my hand, and enjoyed them....The future was decided. We put him in the car and decided his name was Buddy, and took him home. The chicken myself and my partner were meant to have for dinner....well, let's just say we had beans on toast!
The first thing this boy did was walk into the house, get up onto the sofa and sleep.....as if he had never been so comfortable, safe, loved and relaxed EVER.
Buddy was with us, being fed, hugged, kissed, loved and gently walked to be allowed to go to the bathroom from when we collected him on the Saturday morning on January 26th 2019, and then first thing Monday we took him to the vet. The first thing she did was put on gloves, stating he possibly shouldn't be handled without gloves! A little too late for that, we realised! But the skin scrapes, and blood tests and all other tests gave no definitive reason for his terribly itchy bald skin, and still we had no idea what breed he was as he was a 35kg 75% hair free dog. So we just loved him. And fed him. I hugged him when he was so itchy he couldn't stop scratching himself, I comforted him, I even made him wear a jumper, as it was cold, and also to protect his skin from his scratching. I gently rubbed lotion into his skin, gave him his medications, bathed him in special shampoo, and fed him chicken every day of his life. I loved brushing him when his beautiful fur started to grow, and after every walk I would kneel on the floor next to him and remove all the seeds from his beautiful feet, so they wouldn't irritate him. He had been through enough. It was time to be treated like a king.
After many months we managed to bring our beautiful Buddy to full health, and he was a calm, gentle, 48kg, perfect weight (having gained from the 35kg when he was on the road) Serra Da Estrela! I had never seen this breed before, but Buddy was the PERFECT first Serra I had ever known. Buddy was the perfect dog in every way. He was with me in the kitchen when I cooked, washed up, chopped food, loaded the washing machine. He was laying on the sofa when I watched TV, he was my dog to walk, nobody else's, just mine. And I was his.
Buddy and I walked 2 or 3 times a day, depending on if he could be bothered, we never forced him to do anything, we let him live his own life and breathe easy and be comfortable, and he was the best of dogs. He never did a bad thing, never chewed anything he shouldn't, ate anything that wasn't his, or used his size and strength against anybody, even when we adopted a very sick puppy, Bear, 3 months after Buddy, he just accepted him. Buddy was perfect in every way.
Buddy suddenly stopped enjoying his food in September 2022, after just 3 healthy years, which was a worry, as he had chicken and tasty oils, and the best food I could give him. I tried a few different foods, and still he refused, losing weight fast. So I took him to the vet and they did tests, sadly showing positive for some tick fevers despite Buddy being an inside living dog, and also having the correct defence treatments against ALL of the usual unwellness possibilities. He started his medication, along with some anti sickness meds and some appetite enhancers, as the medications themselves were a risk to his desire to eat. But I had to force medicate and force water my beautiful gentle boy, as carefully and gently as possible, hoping he understood I didn't want to force him, I wanted to help him.
The vet did more tests and these came back clear for those issues, but still he would not eat, and all the weight we had put onto him dropped off. He was around 38 kg, seriously underweight by now. I was grinding chicken/salmon/beef/pork/lamb.
By January 2023, I had managed to bring his weight up, his blood pressure down, but still this feeding/medicating was happening. It just became my life. I took him from Castro Marim to Portimão twice for expensive tests, TAC scans. They found something. It was considered to be a pheochromocytoma. I took him to Lisbon 2 times to see a surgeon. He was considered well enough for an operation. I had never left Buddy. Ever. I remained at the Portimão vets all day twice, even bringing him through his post anaesthesia wake up, myself. But he needed this operation. The surgeon knew how important it was for Buddy's blood pressure that I remain with him as long as possible, so I was there when they did the pre op, while he started to drift to sleep. I told him I love him, I would be there. I remained, stoic, in the waiting room. Hours later, the happy surgeon told me this was textbook perfect, all went well, my boy was in recovery. I could see him as he woke up!!! I was so happy. I hugged the doctor...
I stayed the night, visited the hospital, saw my beautiful boy. He was confused, in a crate, happy to see me though. But the staff said I should go home, for his benefit, visiting him would hamper his recovery, confuse him, he would want to go with me when I leave each time, etc etc....There were many reasons why they said I should leave. So I left. And I regret it. Every day. That was a Friday morning. On the Sunday, the hospital called. Buddy wasn't eating, they didn't have time, staff over the weekend to spend time force feeding and force medicating him, and they wouldn't keep a dog in hospital just because he doesn't eat and he is a big dog so they need him to go home. That was considered the easiest option. So I rushed the 4.5 hours to Lisbon and collected my poor beautiful Buddy. He could hardly walk, he was happy to see me, needed help getting into the car, and getting out again.
That night Buddy was breathing heavily all night, and his medication protocol had been changed by the hospital, the steroids were altered, so I booked him into our regular vet, I needed to know what was best, I didn't agree with the medication change. My vet also didn't agree. Buddy had been discharged with pneumonia, making breathing difficult, damage to his throat, making it sore, hence not wanting to eat, and weak from lack of food. The medication was corrected. But it was all too late, too difficult for my boy.
Less than 48 hours after being considered ready to be discharged from hospital, my beloved, beautiful Buddy stopped breathing in my arms. It was 6.50 am on April 4th, 2023. I wanted him back, I wanted to help him, I did 3 rounds of chest pumps, I breathed for him, he came back, looked at me then stopped again. I let him go. My boy. I should never have left him. Now he has left me.
Buddy's vet bills were very high. I knew I was lucky to be able to manage it, even though it wasn't easy. I love him. I was also aware that others are not so lucky. In the midst of my devastation, and in honour of my beautiful Buddy, I created a fully legal Association which pays the vets' bills for people unable to do so. Our website is in 5 languages, and we have a Facebook page, options to donate and help, and everything about Buddy and the dogs and cats we help.
Click the link here or the image below to visit the Buddy's Legacy website.
