Feeling overwhelmed

This is Chester, our 11-year-old German wirehaired pointer.

He ran off in a snowstorm Friday night and was hit by a truck on the highway more than five miles away.

The driver didn’t stop but an ambulance passing the other direction saw it happen. The paramedic was transporting a patient and couldn’t stop so called RCMP.

They searched and she joined in a half hour later. After 45 minutes they found him a ways off in the ditch on the other side of the road.

A Good Samaritan stopped and offered to drive through the storm to the closest 24-hour vet service 25 minutes away.

That’s the good part of the story.

His pelvis is broken, right hind leg is dead and must be amputated and left hind leg is badly broken with muscles torn away from the bone.

My dad said Chester would tell us what he needed when we got there and looked in his eyes. Those eyes still have life in them and we can’t imagine the world without him yet.

Bowel and bladder function was a concern. By Monday had he shown he can do both although he’s not communicating the need and is soiling himself.

Surgery will be extensive and after recovery there’s no guarantee he will have use of the remaining back leg.

Chester loves to run. He runs circles around us when we’re horseback riding adding miles to his day over ours. His face shows sheer joy when he runs.

(This photo was last winter, a few months after the ‘old man’ photo at the top)

I’m frightened of the whole process and seeing him in pain is really hard for me.

I can’t look at bleeding wounds and know I won’t be much help with changing dressings or anything along that line. I’m not even sure I can lift him to take him out to pee.

As I’m sure it does for many on this site, the medical bill presents financial hardship – we have applied to Petcard to make it a monthly payment and are thankful for that option.

Chester and Jim have a bond like I’ve never seen between a man and his dog. When I came into the picture two years ago I had to fight with Chester to sit in the front seat of the truck!

We believe he will still have a good life and that the cost is worth more time with this amazing creature. But I’m finding it a lot to process.

I am going in circles trying to figure out how to be prepared for him to come home. We also have two other dogs – Stella, a two-year-old lab and Jinger, a nine-year-old Yorkie cross.

Stella has never been a day without Chester and she is desperately sad right now. Jinger is more confused.

Stella is still a rambunctious puppy and I’m concerned that she might accidentally hurt Chester. On the other hand, she is very compassionate and this may be a turning point in her maturity.

Has anyone been in a similar situation where one limb is being amputated but use of both was lost or extensive rehabilitation was needed?

Any thoughts about preparation for 6 to 8 weeks of quiet healing time and what we can do to make this as easy as possible for him, the other dogs and ourselves?

We live in rural Alberta where Chester has freely run hills, rocks, riverside and pasture.

Our dog is alive thanks to the kindness of strangers and he is receiving excellent care from veterinary staff. We are most grateful for these things.

Surgery is tomorrow, Oct. 2.

Long may he run.