A Broken Dog’s “Tail” of Hope

This is Inca, our 9-month-old Border Collie. He has Severe Hip Dysplasia. Although this is not uncommon, especially in large breed dogs, I had very little knowledge of what this is until a week or two ago. I kind of wish it could have stayed that way. Inca has this incredible, enthusiastic approach to life. He has brought us nothing but joy, all while he had to deal with a lot of pain and he never gave us any indication that he might be suffering.

Before we get into the facts and medical implications, I would like to tell you a little more about him and how he spends his days. If nothing else I hope you take some inspiration from his incredible resilience.

Life Lessons from a Pup

My husband is a personal trainer. Because of the events of the past year, we had to convert our garage space into a private personal training studio. He gets up at 4 am every week morning. This used to be difficult for him, but since we've had Inca, it's become a whole lot easier. It wasn't long before the tiny puppy that slept between us (despite us agreeing that beds would be off-limits) picked up on the fact that the alarm meant 'movement'!

At first, he directed his excitement towards the beeping phone. Later he changed his tactics. His new routine is to jump on my husband while yelping excitedly. He also employs an occasional lick of encouragement. He ignores me because he is smart enough to understand that the alarm is meant for my husband.

He loves people and movement. The gym is a combination of both so quite naturally this is one of his favourite places to be. His presence brought a new level of energy to the still-dark-outside, quieter early-morning sessions. I want to say that, "we had to train him to do or not to do certain things, like climb on top of everyone doing a plank or a sit-up", but he picked up on this naturally. As soon as I teach him to write, he’ll release his first book “A Dog’s Guide to Gym Etiquette”, I promise.

I know there's probably a whole philosophical explanation about loving everything and how that means loving nothing, but Inca loves everything. He really does. Okay, maybe not…broccoli, or he would probably find a way to feel enthusiastic about broccoli as well. He loves people, especially children. He loves our cats, sometimes more than they would like to be loved. He even loves thunderstorms, because we would jump and run and scatter his toys whenever one started, to help him associate storms with fun.

He has managed to win the hearts of people who aren’t particularly fond of dogs. He has saved countless birds from our cats. Once he rescued a little Bushbaby by barking frantically to get our attention. He stood guard over the frightened primate with the cats lurking just meters away. The poor baby lay on its back too paralyzed to move. We kept it safe until the sanctuary was able to collect it the next day.

The Diagnosis

Looking back, I realize that there were subtle signs of Dysplasia that we missed because we were untrained to spot them, but also because of Inca’s positive attitude. I remember two months ago my husband mentioned the first time that Inca didn’t join them in the gym for the morning session. We both thought it was odd because he lived for these sessions, but Border Collies can be quite sensitive, so we joked about him taking a day off to reflect on his life. He had a few more of these “reflection” sessions before his diagnosis. Those were most likely the days when the pain that he had become used to by now was worse and he needed to rest a bit longer before jumping flat out into his day.

It was only when I noticed that he sometimes crossed his hind legs when walking that I began to think that something was wrong. This was not evident when he ran or jumped to catch a ball or frisbee. He ate well. The way he would lie down or get up seemed normal. For a while, I just thought he was a little clumsy because of his age. I noticed the muscle on his hind legs felt underdeveloped but, I thought it was due to his rapid growth.

The odd leg cross-over in his walk started happening more often, so when I booked an appointment with the vet to get him neutered, I asked for x-rays.

What started as a standard neutering procedure, broke our Hearts. It was FAR WORSE THAN I COULD HAVE EVER IMAGINED. His x-rays are so hard to look at because he never gave us any indication that he might be suffering. He was living with his joints rubbing and grinding against each other every day. He had every reason to lie down and just feel sad, to be grumpy or snap at us when we brushed him or clipped his nails. Instead, he would come over and rest his head on my lap and make me feel better when I had a bad day.

He provided comfort to us when my dad suddenly passed in February and I developed acute insomnia. He became my late-night early-morning companion. He instinctively stuck around or checked up on me every so often. There was even the time when he scared off a burglar. I might tell you more about that in the future.

Inca did a lot of living in just 9 months and has already given us so many stories. He has always been there for us. And now it’s our turn to be there for him. I know he’s a dog, but to us, he is so much more...

The Implications and Expenses

Inca needs a Total Hip Replacement Surgery (THR). The estimated price per hip is R70 000.00 | $5 000.00. The first surgery needs to be scheduled within the next week (possibly 2 weeks). This will be followed by a 5 to 6-week recovery and then another operation on his other hip.

Update 24 May 2021

We had a second consult at UP Veterinary Academic Hospital. They did another radiologic examination and determined the exact size of the prosthetic femoral head. The prosthesis will arrive in 10 days and surgery can take place on the 3rd of June. I lowered the needed amount to R65 000. The value above was from another Vet hospital with the lower Estimate at 70K and the Higher at 80K,

The second surgery will take place after an 8 week recovery time and will cost the same.

We have full confidence in Dr Adriaan Kitshoff.

Read more about the recent groundbreaking heart surgery that contributed to his international status as one of the best: https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/tak...

End of Update

There is already evidence of degenerative joint changes. Untreated, canine hip dysplasia will lead to hip deterioration, osteoarthritis, chronic lameness and more pain.

Read more about Hip Dysplasia here: https://www.akc.org/expert-advice/health/hip-dyspl...

Why are we asking for financial support? The cost of getting both hips replaced, plus the extra expenses would have been difficult to cover even before the events of the last year. We took a large leap of faith when the gym that my husband was employed at permanently closed during the lockdown. We dipped into our savings and bought what was needed to get the home-based gym going. It has definitely paid off, but we have not had enough time to build up cushioning for emergencies like this.

The Inca Approach | We are not hopeless; we are just short on resources and time. If the past nine months has taught us anything, it is to remain positive and live for the next moment.

We set the campaign goal to get to the point where we have enough to cover the first surgery in the next 2 weeks.

Cutting costs | We have also talked about adjusting our budget by cutting out luxuries like hair appointments, any takeaways and restaurants, subscription streaming services, to name a few. This should help in saving up for the second surgery. His left hip is less severe. Another vet consultation would confirm the possibility of potentially postponing the second operation to give us more time. We are not out of ideas and will keep thinking of ways to follow through and ultimately provide Inca with the outcome that he needs.

The Conclusion

If one puppy was able to compel us to do whatever it takes in 9 months or less, imagine what he will be capable of in the next 15+ years of his life. Yes, we need your help with funds, but we are asking for more than money. If something about this story resonates with you, join us in writing the next chapter. Donate if you can, but more importantly, help us share Inca's story.

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