Tycho was found dragging himself through a ditch, with open sores on the tops of his paws and unable to move his hind end.
X-rays showed no major breaks and the local vet concluded it was likely to be a herniated disc pressing on the spinal cord. Given pain relief and NSAIDs, a week later he was able to stand, but this became a stationary moment in his recovery. One video call between Yasmin from Yorkshire Pooches Therapies and Elisa his rescuer (Do Good Romania partnered with Lucky’s Legacy Rescue), and Tycho took a couple of wobbly steps. This boy has a chance, but it is going to take A LOT of work!
We are adding to his story at regular intervals so please scroll down to the relevant update:
- Friday 28 August ~ he’s on his way from Romania to Yorkshire
- Saturday 29 August ~ Yasmin looks forward to his arrival: decompression, things to do on arrival and anticipation
- The early hours, Monday 31 August 2020 ~ Tycho arrives: making him secure, the longest wee and bedtime
- The first few days: venturing out of his safe space and finding his way in the house
- Week 2 ~ making progress: raw food, hands-on treatment and the first bath
- Later in September ~ making splash with hydrotherapy
Friday 28 August 2020
He’s on his way to Yorkshire!
The video below shows him in the transporter.
He’s due to arrive at Yasmin’s in the early hours of Monday morning, 31st August, where he’ll stay for at least a month in her foster care. As we’ve seen, Yasmin has already helped in getting him back on his feet and we will follow his progress and how he responds to a truly integrated treatment plan from the minute he arrives. As Yaz says:
“Anyone who knows me knows there isn’t much I won’t do for any animal but especially dogs. I love them all but have a super sweet spot for Romanian rescue dogs. They come with their baggage, some more so than others, but there is no feeling quite like it when taking a scared dog and watching them slowly decompress in their new environment. That first night is precious, it’s the first night of their new life, a deep sleep after a long journey and leaving a life of hardship behind. Tycho is an incredibly resilient little dog and I know he has great things in store for him. I’m just a stepping stone in his journey, but this boy is going to help me teach the importance of emotional decompression and complementary therapies.”
Saturday 29 August 2020 ~ Yasmin looks forward to Tycho’s arrival
The journey
Pet passport in hand, boarding pass checked and Tycho has taken his seat on transport out of Romania. This is affectionately known as the ‘Happy Bus’, a rescue dog’s ticket to a new life. Although we’d like to imagine that these dogs browse through the duty free catalogue and order an overpriced sandwich en route, this isn’t the case. The journey they embark on takes at least two days and, although necessary, is highly stressful for them.
Allowing time to decompress
We can’t underestimate the emotional toll two days on the road takes out of these dogs, so as fosterers and or adopters there are certain things that we can put in place to allow for an essential decompression phase. Decompression is something I refer to when you have a stressed dog on your hands. There will be elevated cortisol levels and adrenaline running through the dog’s system and, in combination with a broken sleeping pattern, this creates a stressed dog. Now this isn’t a reflection on the good work of the transporters, they are incredibly dedicated and caring. This is something that would happen regardless of who they were with. They are taken from all that they have ever known – the good and the bad – with no understanding of what is happening… sounds scary doesn’t it! A decompression phase allows the dog time and space to start bringing their stress levels down.
“What fasting does for the kidneys and liver, sleep does for the brain.”
Things to do on arrival
So on arrival, they’ve had a drink of fresh water, a small meal (don’t underestimate how much food an ex street dog can scoff) and a toilet break in a secure garden (JUST for a loo break no walks yet). Now it’s time for a well deserved rest. That first night’s sleep, it’s so special seeing your wide-eyed dog gently drift off peacefully in a warm bed. The body sets to work at clearing the stress chemicals away, the emotional tension held in the muscles will start to disperse….. This seems a good time to mention sleeping arrangements. For me crate training is SO vital. See it as your dog’s safe space. Your dog has potentially lived on the streets and then been taken into kennels, so being given free run of an entire house isn’t something they will necessarily appreciate. In fact, it can add to the stress of transitioning into a home environment. So it’s important to set those clear boundaries, start small and work towards access to the whole house. My best advice is be patient ~ it just takes time.
Anticipation
As Tycho makes his way to Yorkshire, I can feel myself checking the time, counting down the hours till I see him. Seeing videos and pictures for so long and then having him in my arms, well there’s no feeling quite like it. It will be the first day of the beginning of a new and exciting journey. It may not be plain sailing, but as a fosterer and therapist it’s good to know this boy has been given a wonderful chance to live his best life thanks to Do Good Romania and Lucky’s Legacy Rescue. How can I ever explain to you Tycho that you will never feel the pangs of an empty stomach again, that no one will bring you harm, that you’re safe with me. Well for starters, I will be with you on this journey Tycho, every wobbly step of the way. I know the best way to a Rommie dog’s heart, or any dog in fact, is through their stomach so we’ll take it from there. See you soon Tycho, there’s so many people waiting to see what’s in store for you. I’ll leave you with a little poem:
There’s a deep sleep that only comes on the first night out of the shelter.
As he settles in, he gives a great big sigh
Like a weight has been lifted off his shoulders.
Then he sleeps deeper than he ever has.
Knowing he is safe.
You get a lump in your throat as you realize how close he came.
Now he’s safe.
Forever.
Because you fostered.
Anon
The early hours, Monday 31 August 2020 ~ Tycho arrives
Handover – taking every precaution to make him secure & not escape
Tycho has arrived! Oh my goodness that felt like forever, but the little lad is finally in my arms after what seemed so long. Import paperwork, passport, medication and microchip all checked, I hand over to the transporter an abundance of equipment to secure Tycho ~ a flat collar with ID tag on, flat lead (not retractable), harness and slip lead. With his adrenaline in overdrive and heightened senses, Tycho was in full fight, flight or freeze mode. We have to ensure that there are enough measures in place to keep a firm hold of him. The harness and collar are set on tight, but they still sit slack on his small frame, so are very easy to back out of if he panics and feels he needs to escape. This is why the slip lead is vital as it’s the only sure-fire thing that will keep hold of him should the worst happen and he takes flight. Sadly it’s not uncommon for Romanian rescues to take flight during this decompression phase – be under no illusion that these dogs won’t do anything to escape if they get confused and frightened.
Tycho’s heart is racing as I carry this rigid with fear little lad through to my secure garden, make sure that everyone in and secure the latch across the gate. Although carrying is quite intrusive, it’s an absolute necessity as the concept of lead and collar walking is still new to Tycho and completely alien to some rescue dogs. I place him slowly down on the floor and sit away from him, lead tension nice and slack and giving him his space. One big shake off and he trots over to sit in between my legs. Looking in his eyes I can see the fear and uncertainty, but also the desperate need for a little reassurance. I sit moving my hand gently behind his ears and his chin making sure not to pass my arm over his head and softly talking. The pitch of voice is high but softly spoken, he doesn’t understand what I’m saying so these are important to give him a clue that I mean no harm.
The world’s longest wee, some food and bedtime
Then follows the biggest wee I’ve ever seen, more shaking off, yawning and lip licking… lots of processing of what was going on. Now surprisingly, Tycho is feeling confident to come and ask for a fuss, but I still stick to the 3-second rule. This allows him the chance to process each interaction and have a choice in whether he would like to continue. I carry on talking softly to him the whole time so he can look around and not be surprised if I touch him.
Loo break over, it’s now time for some scran. He’s getting raw food, but I will discuss the importance of this in a later update. Placed into his large crate, with a fresh bowl of water he settles down into his bed. Shaking and frightened, exacerbated by the fact the curtain unexpectedly moved which really shook him, I sit down next to his crate to settle him in the same way I do all my fosters… by reading. The tone and pitch of my voice is soft and low, almost like an audiobook for him and he slowly drifts off into a deep sleep with the odd tail wag and foot twitch. A few silent tears fall down my cheeks as a rush of emotions overcome me. I want to scoop him up in my arms and tell him all the amazing things that we have planned for him, but I will tell him later. For now begins his vital decompression, allowing him to gently come back down to earth after a whirlwind journey of 1667miles.
The first few days
Venturing out of his safe space
Crate training ~ something that can conjure a mixture of feelings in the dog community. “How could you crate a dog that’s been in a kennel its whole life” …….“They’re free now, I don’t want them to feel trapped” …..
For me, this couldn’t be further from what I use a crate for. It’s Tycho’s bedroom, his safe space. I set my own rule that I will never pull him out of his crate, it’s quite simply his domain. And you’re asking for trouble entering into a restricted space with an outstretched hand, especially with a new arrival.
The first morning with Tycho I park myself on the floor with my super fashionable pink gardening shoes prepared to be in it for the long haul. Lots of high pitched encouraging chatter from me, a wagging tail from Tycho, but he can’t quite make his way completely over the threshold of the crate door. He creeps out, tail wagging, and retreats. This is repeated several times. Plan B is required! Some treats in hand, I firstly throw them on the floor, just to take that additional pressure off him. There’s no expectation of him other than to just enjoy this treat with minimal interaction with me. Slowly but surely Tycho creeps out once more, but quickly reverses back in. This could be seen as backtracking on his progress, but that’s ok. I want him to be confident that he can go in and out of the crate as much as he needs to and that everything will stay the same. I remain sitting, waffling away and encouraging him with treats. And then suddenly he’s out and snuffling my hand, tail wagging like mad.
This groundwork really does pay off. I put my own dogs in their bedroom (a cosy under stairs space with a baby gate across) and he potters after them and puts himself in his crate. He knows this particular boundary and expectation, and because the crate has positive associations for him, he’s happy to go in when prompted by the other dogs. The crate will be there for his entire time in foster care and any adopter will be advised to keep it up for as long as he needs. This is vital ~ take away his safe space and we could lose his confidence.
Finding his place in the house
So, things are going well at Tycho headquarters, and with every touch and snooze, a little layer of tension falls away. However, when working with a new rescue dog it isn’t all rainbows and sunshine. With Tycho, there is a shift in behaviour as this opportunist dog starts to find his feet and gain enough confidence to just start testing the boundaries that are laid out in the house. My boundaries are fairly minimal:
Resource guarding of me won’t be tolerated and interaction will cease
I usually leave the dogs to sort things out between themselves and I’ll only step in should it be needed. However, it’s good to be mindful that arguments will inevitably happen and indeed there have been a couple with Tycho and the others as part of getting used to each other. It’s important to remember that this is normal and not to panic. For the most part, it’s a lot of noise and nothing major.
I quietly observed a scuffle caused by Rodney being too rough with Tycho, but a quick shake off and they’re back to playing having established their own boundaries. On another occasion, Tycho made a daring attempt at edging towards Peggy when she was finishing her tea… well Peggy had a few choice words which Tycho FULLY understood and pottered off. It’s important to allow the pack to have these conversations with each other. We also shouldn’t expect them to be together all the time. They need to be encouraged to have rest time, to sleep and to process things.
I’m conscious that my own dogs need their share of me. As well as ensuring that, I have to keep watching for them blocking Tycho from getting to me ~ a more subtle way of controlling his movement. Tycho is a touch more forward than this and will have a grumble and a snap. As soon as this occurs ~ from either side ~ I remove myself from the situation. Eventually, they will all learn to share. The same process was done when Peggy came from Romania. It just takes time ~ be patient! I mean we can’t blame any of them for this behaviour. On the one hand, our household dogs usually have my undivided attention and now they have to share with a foster who is getting lots of praise. The foster is enjoying the interaction, good food and praise, and then the household dogs want to muscle in on the action. Looking at it from both sides, you can see why things happen so I try my best to split my time between all dogs, both individually and as a group. It’s about being balanced and fair to all dogs. Setting boundaries helps make for a happier group.
We don’t toilet in the house
It’s normal to expect accidents and they will inevitably happen when moving from a kennel to a home environment. This is why your new rescue has to effectively ‘earn’ each room so they don’t, for example, mess on your sofa which can cause extra stress and drama. Set your dog up to keep winning, not failing by giving too much freedom which can be overwhelming. Tycho is currently kept to flooring which is wipeable and he has regular and long periods outside. He’s more comfortable outside at the moment, which is understandable given his time spent in an outdoor kennel. As soon as he goes to the loo I give him lots of verbal praise and if he’s caught messing in the house, there’s a firm AH AH or NO and I swiftly usher him outside to finish. We’re getting there, but it just takes time. He’s been fully clean in his crate through the night so far, so it’s just about extending the practice to different rooms in the house one at a time. Other than this, we don’t want to begin any “training” as such, so there are no commands. By just keeping it nice and simple with these boundaries, we’re onto a winner.
Now onto the hunger pukes
Ah, my old friend, it’s you again! As Tycho transitions from processed food onto fully fresh and species-appropriate food, several changes begin to happen. Not only will his body begin to detox from the chemicals and grains found in kibble, but the shape of his stomach and ph levels change too! When feeding kibble, to get the “recommended” amounts of nutrients you have to feed a certain amount of the biscuits. In contrast, with raw food, everything that’s in the bowl is used by the body. There are no fillers, no chemicals, just honest natural goodness. Consequently, with the smaller portions needed, dogs can sometimes get hunger pukes, a yellow loose or foamy bile. I follow these up with some chicken mince, just a little to settle their tummy after a hunger puke episode. Tycho’s fine in himself, his stomach just isn’t used to this drop in volume in his food. He’ll take time to adjust, after all, it’s a big change, but these episodes subside after a couple of weeks max in most cases. It’s only happened once with Tycho so far, but it’s still early days.
All in all, Tycho is doing well. He’s decompressing at a good pace and loving his raw food! Next thing to tackle is a bath… Romanian dogs aren’t known for their love of water so let’s see how this goes!
Stop press!
We’ve had two wins today (Thursday 3 September)! Tycho has just taken himself out of the open door for a wee ~ YAY ~ and then did a victory lap through my clinic room with minimal hopping… a slither of progress!!
Find out in our next update how I started massage and Photizo on his little legs.
Week 2 ~ making progress
Raw food, what’s all the fuss about?
Dogs eat dog food, what more is there to know?
WELL!
I could spend the next three weeks explaining the disadvantages of processed dog food (both wet and dry), but I’ll keep it short and sweet. Look at your dog’s teeth ~ 42 beautiful sharp tools and a hinged jaw, perfectly designed for crunching on bones and tearing up raw meat.
Species appropriate nutrition is one of the greatest tools in my toolbox and something I’m extremely passionate about. With Tycho, it’s so important that nutrition is used to help support the building of muscle mass and promote long term spinal health. With disc herniation, we can look first at managing inflammation. His spinal cord has already been put under incredible strain. Looking more closely at its structure, the spinal cord has a myelin sheath (mainly consisting of fat and protein) acting as a clever barrier of protection that wraps around the nerves in the spinal cord. Team that up with the vertebral discs, which have a thick outer layer of cartilage (annulus fibrosus), and we have components that will THRIVE with raw nutrition. The myelin sheath is supplied with vital unprocessed proteins to strengthen it. The bones and cartilage in raw food help support the rejuvenation of the disc cartilage post herniation. So not only are we detoxing Tycho from ultra-processed food, but I believe that supplying nutrients in their most natural form is paramount to any dog’s health and particularly in rehabilitation cases like Tycho.
Tycho is currently on week two of his raw food transition. I’m slowly changing his diet through the lighter proteins to darker ones, allowing his system to gently adjust whilst monitoring bowel movements to ensure there are no major adverse reactions. Raw feeding doesn’t have to be complicated, it’s about taking ownership of your dog’s health. If, for some reason, a dog doesn’t adjust well to raw (which is rare), then please consider a cooked fresh food diet.
Feed fresh, for your dog’s sake
If you want to know some more in-depth reasons to raw-feed or if you don’t quite feel ready to change from kibble and want your questions answered, check out the Pet Fooled film. I have also written a blog to help people start their raw journey and there is more information on the Raw Feeding Veterinary Society website.
So where are we at with Tycho’s hands on rehabilitation?
At the moment, in the middle of his second week with me, I am doing the following treatments:
- Massage: 3 x 10 minutes daily
- Photizo: 2 x 10 minutes daily
- Cryotherapy: 1 x 5 minutes daily
- Hydrotherapy: 1 x 15 minutes per week
Massage
Due to extensive muscle atrophy, Tycho’s hind limbs had become so tight they were causing him to tuck his pelvis underneath himself. By softening the muscles, we can begin to encourage an increased range of motion and re-teach movement through muscle memory techniques. From arriving with extensive tension in his hind limbs which was causing a roach back, I can now see this beginning to soften. Using short sessions throughout the day is a good way to touch base with the muscles ~ in effect reminding them they are there to be used. Thankfully this framework also matches Tycho’s patience for sitting still (or not!).
I’m currently utilising effleurage, tapotement and guided stretches along with quick-fire techniques to wake up the muscles and neural pathways. If a neural pathway isn’t used, it will eventually close and the body effectively skips a step to achieve a similar result. So for example with Tycho, he has an intermittent hop on his left leg. He was unable to use either leg for so long that that now he has re-learned to walk, he’s got a little ‘sloppy’ in his gait. Some of the original neural pathways had closed down and since new ones (shortcuts) had opened up to allow for Tycho’s compensatory movement, we have to retrain his body to open up those old neural pathways again. They’re still there, just in storage until called upon again in the way we are doing!
Photizo
Seems a good time to mention another essential in my toolkit, my Photizo Vetcare device ~ my little red beacon of healing. Anyone who comes for a session with Yorkshire Pooches Therapies will know this equipment well. It’s so versatile and can sometimes get to work on things faster than what I can do manually! It’s proved fantastic for working on Tycho who took a few days to allow me to start being more hands-on with him. The Photizo machine doesn’t have to be in direct contact with the skin to begin its cell rejuvenation action which is why it’s also excellent for wound healing. Tycho’s sores on the top of his feet were initially healed topically with cream. This has left two small bald patches of skin, so it will be interesting to see if we can get any hair regrowth on these patches just using Photizo. Tycho was able to passively have Photizo on his legs, gradually reducing the distance with each timed blast of goodness. Photizo is a great way to begin warming the muscles up for work and in Tycho’s case, due to muscle atrophy around his spine and him being so tiny, the Photizo is a great way to get to the tired muscles I just can’t quite reach yet.
Now I know you all have been waiting with trepidation… how did THE BATH go?
I was expecting a tiny dog clawing his way up my arms in a bid to escape from the dreadful thing I was doing to him! But I couldn’t have been more wrong! Tycho stood like a little champ in his warm bath, accepting treats and just taking everything in. Under strict instruction from our Holistic Groomer Danni at The Big Paws Little Paws Co Holistic Canine Grooming Parlour, Tycho enjoyed his natural Wildwash shampoo and conditioner.
Not only that, whilst Tycho was happily accepting the bath, it made sense to do some walking through low-level water. This utilises the increased resistance of the water to build up strength ~ a little top-up in between his hydrotherapy sessions!
A moment of weakness
I nearly had a moment of weakness last night (Thursday 10 September). I put Tycho to bed and he started yipping… Goodness, I just wanted to scoop him up and cuddle on the sofa till he slept… He settled within five minutes as I sat on the stairs with tears in my eyes … I’m such a wimp, but his understanding of boundaries comes way above my feelings… This is about setting him up to win in his new home.
Just a small flicker of weakness, I remind myself daily that Tycho is here for his holidays… Near on impossible to not become close to him with the amount of work we’re doing together, but we will succeed… All my fosters have trotted off happily while I’m in a heap of snot and tears.
Check out our next blog update to see how his first hydrotherapy session went and what other tricks we have hidden up our holistic rehab sleeve!
Later in September
Strengthening with a splash ~ Tycho’s first hydrotherapy session
Well given Rommies aren’t known for their natural love of water, I was a touch apprehensive about Tycho’s first session. As you saw earlier, we had a successful bath, but compared to tiny Tycho, this hydrotherapy pool was a big expanse of water for him!
7.30am on a quiet Sunday morning arrived. We had the whole place to ourselves and were ready to embark on the next level of therapy for Tycho. Due to his spinal condition it is of PARAMOUNT importance that his spine remains stable in the water. There’s a danger that a dog with poor swimming technique or who’s gone into a blind panic can “barrel” in the water. They may not be able, or even forget, to use their back legs which can cause the lower half of the body to rise up and turn. This could result in further injury or to becoming fearful of the water.
With Tycho being so small, I was able to safely keep him stable and take things nice and steady. We started with Tycho in my arms, gently lowering him into the water whilst held next to my body ~ no swimming just acclimatising to the warm water and gentle effleurage on his hind limb muscles to get them ready to work. Water is a fantastic tool to improve range of motion (ROM) for dogs who have difficulty weight-bearing, and also to encourage the further use of nociceptors and proprioceptors. I positioned Tycho in front of me, with Danni (from Big Paws Little Paws) and Adam at the viewing window calling him with words of encouragement and off he went!.
Holding firmly onto his harness, spine stable with no panicked splashing from the front legs, I closely watched his hind limbs moving in the water. You could see the left leg was a little reluctant but my goodness he wasn’t half working hard. I placed my hand at the back of his paws to feel how much power, if any, there was in his movement. This depends on musculoskeletal issues, muscle tone, injuries and the emotional state which will all have an impact on how the pressure is hitting. What I felt and saw was a near enough consistent pattern of movement apart from that pesky left leg having a small pause on, say, every 5th rotation of the limb. The pressure he gave me with his paws was light, but he was still making contact. Checking like this can also help encourage the dog to kick off and to propel themselves further in the water. We did this exercise in small increments, totalling around 10 minutes of actual swimming.
Tycho tires very easily. I have to find that fine balance of building fitness, doing enough work to make a difference and not exhausting him. He did exceptionally well for his first swim.
I must admit I was again overcome with emotion seeing his little legs working so hard. I had thought about this moment right back when I first saw that video of him dragging himself through a ditch and to get to this point is a real milestone. We’re going in the right direction, progress is being made and above all that, he is happy. Just a happy little dog, finding his way through this new world of his.
Flying the nest
It’s tense waiting….
Biscuits on the table and tea in the pot, Tycho’s potential new family are on the way to meet him and we’re just as nervous as they are! Two months have flown by and with every day, me and Tycho have become a little closer and he shows me another funny quirk. I knew he wasn’t mine to keep and this is a good thing, but when it comes to settling him in with his new family it’s very bitter-sweet.
But he’s ready
I’ve loved and cared for him as if he were my own, but now he is ready. His whole mind, body and soul have been on a huge journey, but the main focus is his musculoskeletal system. He is in a strong enough place to leave a therapist’s daily intervention and just live a normal life.
Tycho’s potential parents arrive. I discuss the usual ” Don’t rush to interact, let him come to you, and let’s just have a cuppa and chat.” Well, two hours later Tycho is watching them keenly seeing if they have any more treats to share! A Tycho manual is ready for his new owners which includes everything from training, likes, dislikes, therapy schedule, homeopathy and raw diet. Realistic expectations have to be set for him. He will always have weakness in his spine, and so we must put measures in place to protect his spinal health. There’s been a whole team of people who have put a lot of resources into him to get him to a place of strength and we have to ensure this remains the case long term. Some of my requirements for an potential adopter to even be considered were that he must:
- Be raw fed
- Have a minimum of 10 minutes massage a day
- Have hydro long term.
Passing the Tycho test
On our next meeting, we go for a little walk together around the block and then they do a loop without me. This is a big test for Tycho ~ does he feel confident enough to carry on without me and Lily there for confidence? Me and Lily split off and I see Tycho watch for a moment and then off he trots. He’s ready and my job is done.
Before our next meeting, I gave his new parents the Scarborough warning that there will be some ugly crying and sure enough, I was true to form. It was incredibly emotional for everyone involved and as quick as he trotted into our lives, out he trotted again taking a little piece of my heart with him. I was indeed a snotty mess on the driveway waving him off. I still can’t believe how far he has come, his strength, his resilience such that despite everything, he learnt to trust and WALK again!
As much as my heart hurts, my job here is done and he can go and live his life surrounded by a family who just adore him and will give him the whole world and more.
If you ever get the chance to foster or even adopt,
you’re giving a dog a chance for a new start, a chance at happiness.
I’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone involved in getting Tycho to his forever home:
- Do Good Romania
- Lucky’s Legacy – without them he never stood a chance
- Danni at Big Paws Little Paws who fundraised for his first acupuncture session
- CAM 4 Animals for their continued support and guidance
I’ll leave you with this poem,
A poem to my foster dog ~ Diane Morgan
I am the bridge
Between what was and what can be.
I am the pathway to a new life.
I am made of mush,
Because my heart melted when I saw you,
Matted and sore, limping and depressed,
Lonely, unwanted, afraid to love.
For one little time you are mine.
I will feed you with my own hand.
I will love you with my whole heart.
I will make you whole.
I am made of steel,
Because when the time comes,
When you are well and sleek,
When your eyes shine,
And your tail wags with joy then comes the hard part.
I will let you go not without a tear,
But without regret.
For you are safe forever –
A new dog needs me now.
Look out for our interviews on YouTube with Sara Kernohan of CAM4animals where we talk about acupuncture, homeopathy and the lessons we have learned along the way here and here.
Yasmine Porritt
Yasmin runs Yorkshire Pooches Therapies from her clinic in Castleford in West Yorkshire. She combines a passion for musculoskeletal health, species-appropriate nutrition, canine behaviour and all things natural, to create a holistic canine service. Yasmin specialises in pain management (particularly that associated with degenerative diseases), working gun dogs and Romanian rescue dogs. Yorkshire Pooches Therapies is a member of the Association of Merishia Therapists and the International Association of Animal Therapists (IAAT)
After successfully running her own dog-walking business for years and wanting to challenge herself further, Yasmin trained as a Canine Merishia Massage Therapist. Throughout the year-long training at Rose Holistic Therapies, Yasmin studied in-depth Merishia massage techniques, joint mobilisation, canine anatomy and diseases/injuries affecting movement.
Along with her Canine Merisha Massage qualification, Yasmin is also qualified in Canine First Aid, Dog Care, Dorwest Herbs and a diploma in Canine Communication. Yasmin also holds a BA(Hons) Degree and Post Graduate Diploma in Performance Practice, obtained from York St John University.
Yaz has three dogs of her own, siblings Lily and Rodney and Peggy her Romanian Rescue Dog. Also in the gang are Nancy and Patty the Guinea Pigs, Mitzi and Pan the Ferrets and Charlie the rescue Cockatiel. Not forgetting Yasmin’s forever patient husband Adam
More about Lucky’s Legacy Rescue and Do Good Romania
Lucky’s Legacy Rescue started in Romania in 2007, when the founders came across a beautiful dog with two broken legs – Lucky. They had 16 happy years with Lucky who demonstrated how every dog has a chance. She taught them that despite the most difficult of circumstances, there is hope and they’ve gone on to successfully rescue more dogs. They continue the work that Lucky helped to start, and still give dogs that haven’t had the best start in life every opportunity to go on and be as happy and as loved as Lucky was. They have two volunteers in Romania and an increasing number in the UK including Yaz.
Do Good Romania is a private rescue shelter that finds, fosters and rehabilitates abandoned dogs and cats in Romania until they find forever homes. Their aim is to find a safe home for every one of the dogs and cats they foster.
Treatments used with Tycho
Visit our Modalities section on the website to find out more about the various treatments Tycho had.
Disclaimer – Where blogs have been created by a guest author, CAM4Animals has reproduced this in good faith but cannot be held responsible for any inaccuracies of information in it or any use you make of this information.
The veterinary Surgeon’s Act 1966 restricts the treatment of animals (usually other than your own*) by anyone other than a qualified vet. Always consult a veterinary surgeon if you are concerned about your animal’s health. *For full details visit the RCVS website