Duke: An Under-Dog’s Story

I would like to tell you all about my dog Duke. I adopted Duke nine years ago from the local Humane Society. They told me that Duke was an “un-adoptable dog” due to antisocial behavior; he did not interact with the other dogs and cowered in the corner of the pen. He also would bear his teeth when a person came near him. I adopted him under protest of the kennel workers. Duke clearly showed signs of pain and anxiety towards everyone, animal and human alike. I took Duke into the doctor’s office the following morning. He was diagnosed with severe joint issues; clearly he was in a lot of discomfort. Considering that I always lean towards the underdogs in life, I knew he had a home for whatever life span he had left to live. He was put on glucosamine and baby aspirin once a day with his meal. He has never been an overly active dog. But he was my closest canine friend. And I loved him. He is a very loyal boy, a fantastic security system and an excellent judge of character. In nine years he has grown to be over 100 pounds. He is a mix of Australian Shepard and Labrador.

Several months ago he started to have a lot more difficulty moving around and getting up and down. I upped his glucosamine to 1500 mg in the morning and another 750 mg in the evening, with a buffered aspirin as well. But, regardless, he started to decline even more. Two months ago he started to limp on his front left paw even more than usual and he was re-evaluated and put on prescription drug, as well as his normal meds, minus the aspirin. And he got worse by the day.

After two weeks he was switched to a different pain meds and given a daily dose for 100 lbs. We tried to keep on top of the “bone pain”, but it was not successful and regardless of everything we had tried my buddy Duke got worse, much worse. I switched from his very expensive orthopedic bed to a crib mattress, which fit him well but offered no relief. So up went his dosage of prescription pain meds. Nothing worked: none of the pain drugs, not even the ones I had from my spine surgery. So again we switched drugs and increase the dosage, but it was not enough to keep him out of pain. I would lay on the floor next to him at night massaging his leg so he could get some relief.

The pain was so intense that his heart rate was through the roof; he would pant so much that he soaked the floor and, and he could not sleep. He was reeling in pain, regardless of anything we tried; not even water therapy – there was no help for my guy. Clearly I was asking him to stay alive for me regardless of my inability to give him some relief of any kind. I raced him back to his doctor, and was set to put an end to his suffering on more than one occasion, but I could not do it. This guy had given so much in spite of his odds and I was being so selfish. I hated myself for it. All these years of careful diet, glucosamine (of every kind) and exercise have left us with misery.

And then the miracle I had been praying for happened.

My Butler/Shein Rep., Angie Frye, came for her usual visit to the clinic. She has always been my go-to Gal for numerous ideas and the newest products to hit the market. I was very stressed last Tuesday; I had decided that Wednesday late afternoon after we closed the clinic for the day that it would be Duke’s final ride to the clinic. I asked him for more life than he could give. I had made up my mind I couldn’t keep him around for me, I failed at my promise to him that he would pass as an old friend should, because it was his time naturally – not prematurely. When I asked Angie if there was any drug that she knew of that would help my Duke, in any way (aside from all that we had tried), I never in a million years thought that she would have something unknown to all of us who have tried to help Duke. But she offered a suggestion that I try this new medication for periodontal health.

I almost fell over when she said it; I could not believe she said it, as I was so desperate to find anything that would help, even a little bit. I took a box home that night. I had ordered it weeks before because it was new hope for dental problems associated with periodontal issues. And there it sat on the shelf since I ordered it. Talk about a mind blowing experience.

That night I continued with his pain meds and other and meds, as well as 3 gel caps of Active Again. Wednesday morning I gave Duke two more before I went to work and prayed he had a good day. I would return home that evening to find he stopped the heavy panting, but no miracle, not yet.

Then that evening I gave Duke another gel cap, and more of his pain drugs and meds and he slept like a baby. Still no miracle – after all he had been unable to rest for weeks. His constant companion, our other dog Gator (a Labrador) had not left his side in weeks, and Gator was sleeping as well. Thursday morning Duke was tip toeing to the door to go outside, which was really great, the first time in weeks he had put that paw on the ground at all.

Two more Active Again gel caps and off to work I went. When I got home I was afraid my luck was sure to be wearing thin. When I reached the door there was Duke, tiptoeing around, bearing a little weight on the paw, but what a difference! He was Happy! No pain meds that night at all. We all slept well. Friday, two more Active Again gel caps for breakfast and a 80 pound dose of of one of his medications just to be on the safe side. It would be nine hours until I returned.

Friday night he was bearing weight on his paw, Saturday two more Active Again. And then, Duke was wrestling with Gator – the first time in months. Sunday I sat outside watching my two boys jogging around, playing, watching for the ducks in the pond, when Duke took off running, jumped off a retaining wall (that is three feet high) and on a downward slope, and panic set in as my heart dropped. He landed on both paws, full weight and kept running to the gate. Now the 35 feet to the gate don’t sound like a lot, except Duke NEVER runs, for anything, ever! Can’t do it, just never happened in the nine years I have had him.

I wanted all to know how truly thankful we are from the very deepest depths of my heart. My Miracle has happened. I have a super underdog, who is happy, begging for treats, playing with Gator and loving life. I know in my heart that it isn’t the miracle as much as the Active Again. But I wanted you all to know that Duke is here today with no pain meds for four days now and he feels great. He is the dog we dreamed he could be, now that he has started Active Again. Thank You Angie Frye for your guidance, and to Hope Science my never ending gratitude for a product that clearly made life worth living for my Best Canine Friend, Duke.