Murphy - Old English Sheepdog - Puppy Farm Rescue

Murphy

Let me start at the beginning.
Murphy was a “rescued dog”. He was going to be used for a stud dog on farm where they planned to breed him for lots of Puppies. But the bitch he was to go with died and the folk decided not to proceed. So there was no use for the big guy anymore. He had spent his entire puppyhood locked in a shed.

He had no training at all. No toys or blanket or collar or food bowl, no grooming brush or anything of his own and he had never been on a lead. All they wanted were puppies and nothing more. But Murphy was a puppy he was only 18 months old. So we brought him home and loved him. He bit DH when DH tried to get him out of the car. But we put it down to him being afraid and were determined to get on with things.

He never ate for about 4 days but when we finally got him to eat he showed that he had terrible food aggression. This would never quite leave him but with much patience and love was considerably reduced. Murphy began to look a whole lot happier.

We got him neutered and started lead training and did a great deal of work to stop his pulling. He was a powerful boy who would pull you into a road easily. I used to walk with my walking stick across his chest, every time he would try to “pull ahead” I would put the stick in front of his chest and tap it on the ground. (This was a method I had used with Pollyanna our blind OES) . Then I would make him sit and wait until I chose to move off. We also did changing direction so that he had no idea where we were heading and then it was me taking him not him taking me for a walk. It was very intensive because by this stage he was in remedial puppy class having missed over a year’s education!

When we moved house we bought a place by the beach. Which gave great opportunity for him to walk off the lead but also to attend puppy classes. By this time he was just 2 yrs old – but we got him 6 months classes and he went in with the “bigger puppies” 18-24 month class. He was so overcome with “other dogs”. He simply had not been socialized. So he would sit and cry like a baby. This would go on mostly the entire time of the class. We eventually got him to do some basic things, but he was unable to cope with all the other dogs. They scared him! We quickly realized he was a bully – but bullies are by there nature also renowned cowards and my massive “baby dog” was a big whimpering ball of fluff! When the classes ended he should have gone up with the “big boys” but clearly this would never work so we reluctantly terminated class. 3 months after the new classes began without him DH found Gizzy a little Schnauzer dying in the road.

For the first time in Murphy’s life he had a friend! This little bundle was so sick and fragile! I was worried because Murph was so big. But Murph was so gentle loving and caring. He spent all of his days licking him and encouraging the little man to live. He did and they became inseparable. Over the next few years other dogs were added to his circle of friends. Sky the Collie, Rosie the whippet and Toby the jack-a-doodle

He also made an archenemy in Teddy the cat who has been with us since he fell out of the ark. Teddy would wait until Murphy wasn’t looking and pee in his water bowl! Teddy is still here today and well over 14 yrs old.

Finally our lad grew up – he had friends and a home and a mum and dad that loved him. Dad took him for long walks up the Mournes. Mum just loved on him lots! And of course everyone and all the dogs went to the beach together. Whatever the weather!

5 yrs passed and all was well and we were a family. Murphy was 7yrs old already!

This year we were really looking forward to the long summer days. We had been out walking a lot and Murph was growing out his hair. For once I was determined he would look like a Dulux add. So I was buying bobbles and working hard to make him beautiful – er! (I am convinced the Dulux add dog is a mythical creature!) We got his face and head and body and top of his legs looking well but he wouldn’t let me brush his legs and feet. He never would. So he always had what we called Norah Batty tights!

One day we went out and he got very wet and cold. -It had rained a lot and Murphy didn’t like the hair dryer. So that weekend we stayed in. But something was not right. Murph wasn’t eating his food. He “loved his food”? He even knew what time it was served everyday! So it was very odd for him to leave his food bowl full. On the Monday it was a nice day and so we thought we would take him out as he was probably just sulking over the wet days. He would sulk if he didn’t get out to a walk and sit with his back to us! We always had trouble getting him onto his lead as he would get so excited it was like pinning a tail on a very large DONKEY! But this time at the end of the road he suddenly nearly collapsed.

We decided to rush him to the vet. – Murphy was never ill. We had registered with a Vet when we moved in our nearest town. It was nearly 20 miles away. Once when we took the boys there the old Vet pulled their ear hair out and made them cry. So I didn’t want to take them again. Instead I took the boys to the local vet who seemed kind and caring. They were a small village family practice not like the bigger place we had been at. DH said where will we take him to the big Vet or the local one? I looked at Murph and immediately said the quickest one to get to. 5 mins later we were at the local Vet.

He has a chest infection – nothing a good antibiotic course won’t cure the vet said. – Oh no he got wet in full coat I thought stupid me!!!!!!! Then he said bring him back tomorrow, as I want to check his heart rate again. So we took him back on the Tuesday. He was still not eating and so I told the vet this. He gave him a few more shots of something? We took him home with instruction to bring him again the next day. I was beginning to worry? Why did he want to see him so much? We took him back on the Wednesday. The vet said we don’t think he is responding as well as we would like and we are now thinking it is not the chest but the heart. He put him on heart tabs and told us to bring him back the next day. Thursday came and there was a little improvement. Then we had to take him back again on the Friday. The vet told us that he seemed to be doing a bit better and with the tabs he was beginning to turn the corner but they needed to see him the next day! As it was Saturday I took Murph myself, as DH was home caring for our son. Murph was looking a bit better so I breathed relief. Everyone in the Vet waiting room admired my big lad and he was very brave and good. The Vet looked him over and said his heart rate was up again. The vet explained that they could have some bad days before they improve we just have to get the heart rate stabilized. The vet also asked if he was drinking a lot. I said not any different from usual. Murphy had always been a bit of a camel. – On the Sunday he didn’t look too good and I was back to struggling to hand feed him. By now I was beginning to really worry especially because he had lost a lot of weight in the week he was off his food. He was beginning to look out of shape as I had not brushed him and he had had a few leaking accidents. The vet had explained that he would have more accidents on those pills. We were also told not to stress him so no walks, baths or brushing. Murphy was horrified when he peed on the couch and on the laundry room floor. He had always been a very good boy. I took him back to the vet on the Monday evening as the Vet said they needed to see him before the Wednesday. The vet looked him over and said he wasn’t doing too well?

After all he is an “old boy” – WHAT? He is only 7 yrs old I said! Well it’s been a good age for a big dog to reach? I was thinking where is this conversation going? I said look I have been giving him these pills but he seems worse after I give them to him – should I be giving him these heart meds? (I lost my mum from heart failure 4 months back and DH had heart trouble, so I had every reason in the world to trust the vet with a heart issue didn’t I?) The Vet thought he would need to go on stronger heart pills. I realized we had been there everyday for over a week. I toted the bill up and thought omg its over £200 already! Murphy did not seem to be getting any better either? The Vet didn’t even know what was wrong with Murph and he had been going there for over a week? The vet explained that Murphy had a heart condition and that he would eventually die from it anyway. I left, and had to literally lift Murph into the car one half of him at a time.

We decided to take Murph to a different vet. We phoned the PDSA charity as due to DH’s heart disability we were able to take Murph but the appointment was not until the Wednesday. I thought of the pills I had left at the Vets and I worried about them? Why didn’t I give them the money and take them?

On the Tuesday evening things looked much better as Murph ate all the meat in his dinner bowl. (But now I remember the Vet gave him an injection to encourage him to eat) He must have been very hungry. First thing in the morning I checked on him. Immediately I knew it was bad. He struggled to stand and I put him to the yard but I had to go get him in. We got him into the car and hurried up to the PDSA at least I could get him the stronger heart pills? When we got there the vet looked at Murphy and said, “oh he is in a very bad way. He is very poorly”. I have read what your vet faxed up – but I don’t think it is an issue with his heart. He examined him further. He said there is something much more sinister going on in there. Murphy most likely has an advanced tumour somewhere in the chest cavity. This has caused internal bleeding and pressure on his heart. This is why he has an elevated heart rate because he is bleeding internally. He asked DH what his stools were like and DH said they were black – I remembered Murph had been sick the day before and there was dark orange in the stomach bile. I now realize it was blood. The local vet had missed the bleed. They had treated the symptom but not the cause. Murphy was dying.

I was screaming inside? What should we do I said? The new Vet was very nice and kind and he said I know you guys care about him a lot but he is very tired and in pain. Right now he isn’t going home whatever happens you can’t take this dog out of here. What then I quivered…. Murph? Well he doubtless has a tumour in the chest – I could scan him to confirm it for you but he is unlikely to survive the sedation. Murphy is a very sick boy – you must make a choice what you want to do? I wanted to scream give him a chance please but TUMOUR was wringing in my ears .We looked at our boy and DH started to cry we have to do the right thing please put him to sleep DH managed to say. Murph just lay on the floor with his head on DH’s lap like he was relieved and the vet put him to sleep while I held his paw and we both cried. He went so peacefully like he wanted to leave. I started to cry again and DH was crying it was awful Murph was dead. The vet let us stay and then he said to me on the way out – you did the right thing.

Murphy died from Canine HSA (hemangiosarcoma) – Where hemangio refers to the blood vessels and sarcoma a type of aggressive, malignant cancer that arises from the connective tissues of the body, a hemangiosarcoma of the heart is a tumour that originates in the blood vessels that line the heart. This is the most common cardiac tumour seen in dogs.