Bentley is our 14-year-old Spoodle, a much-loved member of our family who, despite his age, has always been a fit, active little dog with a big personality. He does live with arthritis and anxiety, but up until this Christmas, he was still enjoying life as usual.
On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, we noticed Bentley deteriorating quickly. Over a 48-hour period, he lost the ability to stand on his back legs or walk. Watching him struggle was heartbreaking, and with our regular vet unavailable over the holiday period, we made the difficult decision to take him to SASH Adelaide at Kent Town on Boxing Day, unsure of what the outcome might be.
From the moment we arrived, the SASH team treated Bentley with kindness, patience and genuine care. He was given narcotic pain relief as soon as we arrived, which was such a relief and meant his comfort was prioritised straight away. After a thorough examination, the veterinarian gently palpated along Bentley’s spine and diagnosed him with IVDD. She clearly explained all of our options, including scans and surgery. Given Bentley’s age, we chose a more conservative line of treatment using medication, pain relief and strict crate rest, and felt fully supported in that decision.
Because Bentley was in significant discomfort, we agreed to apply a medicated patch to help manage his pain over the weekend. The plan was to keep him comfortable and reassess with our regular vet on Monday, knowing that euthanasia might be the kindest option if there was no improvement.
The vet took Bentley out the back to shave him in preparation for the patch. Moments later, she came straight back out and told us Bentley had stood up and begun to walk. We were completely stunned. Through her gentle handling and examination, Bentley’s back had clearly improved enough for him to move again. It felt like a Christmas miracle!!
In the end, Bentley did not need the patch and instead came home with pain medication, anti-inflammatories and a clear recovery plan. He is now partway through his six weeks of rest and continues to improve each day.
SASH provided caring, gentle and respectful treatment at a time when we were preparing for the worst. We are incredibly grateful for the compassion shown to both Bentley and our family and for the extra time we now have with our much-loved dog. –
– Adelaide SA
