Dudley the lead dog has retired. It's been hard and sad for me to leave the best lead dog I've ever owned at home each time we run. His body is weak but his spirit is still so willing. This season looked so promising for this 12 year old dynamo.
Late this last fall Dudley was leading a small 5 dog training team. Hard charging through some fresh snow, as is his custom. Suddenly he couldn't support any weight on his leg. His ankle pressed all the way to the ground as he tried to get around. He was more confused than in pain. I loaded him in the sled, a completely foreign experience to a dog that never has had a sick day in his life. Hyper extension of the joint. Without surgery to insert plates, he was done.
An agonizing experience to subject an old dog to extensive and painful surgery or let it heal on it's own and let him retire without the stress of recovery. It has been my experience that regardless of a mushers best intention, surgery on an old dog most times does more long term harm than good.
I'm glad I made the decision to just let him heal. For the first month we casted his leg. Then took it off for two more months of "bed rest" (sled dogs don't really do bed rest very well). He gets a daily dose of glucosamine. Currently he gets a nice long walk every other day.
His goals for the future.....to lead my team of retired sled dogs. I've got two others (14 year old and 12 year old) that can still run and pull pretty good......just not very fast. His days of leading the race dogs is behind him now. I miss him everyday I'm out on the trail. http://www.mosquitont.com/~sleddog/
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