Milo – My Saluki Boy.

The ongoing story of his recovery from a nasty hind leg injury.

Say hello to my gorgeous boy, Milo. Milo is now 5 years old, and although he is a rescue dog, we’ve had him from 8 weeks of age. His story is that he was handed in to a vet by someone who said they found him abandoned in some woods, tied to a tree. This person wouldn’t give any of their personal details, so I suspect they were actually Milo’s first owner. Maybe he was one puppy too many, maybe they just couldn’t cope with him, or maybe they were gypsies (who breed running hounds like Milo to illegally hunt deer and hares). Whatever the truth of the story, I am pleased they handed Milo to someone who could help him find a new home.

We don’t know whether Milo had a name from birth, but the kennels he went to once the vet judged he was healthy named him Freddie. It just so happens that a friend of mine works at these kennels and she knew we were looking for another dog, having recently lost our beloved Pepper, a blue roan Cocker Spaniel. Pepper lived to 16 years of age and was a sweet and lovely dog. We had a second dog, Milly, who also came as a rescue from this kennel, and so when my friend learned we were looking for a companion for Milly, she told us about “Freddie”.

"Freddie" at the kennels.

 

  "Milo" settles in.

                                        

We went to see “Freddie” and fell for him. He was such a little bundle of energy! He eventually came home with us and soon settled in. We renamed him Milo after a character in my Artesan novels – only because I liked the name. It was clear from the start that Milo originated mainly from Saluki stock, and as he grew, his heritage became more obvious. I always thought Salukis had “feathering” on their ears, legs and tails, but we now know they can also come in the Smooth variety. It seems Milo might be purer bred than we first thought!

Milo, nearly fully grown.

Milo, true to his breed, loves to run. He’s quite the character and is very playful. Our next door neighbour has a dog that Milo adores, and they love to run together (although Milo can be a bit of a naughty boy – he likes to roll other dogs over!!) Up until now, we haven’t worried too much about Milo’s energetic running – he’s a young, fit dog doing what he loves. However, on Thursday December 3rd, while chasing his friend, Milo must have either caught his hind leg in a rabbit hole or managed to twist it awkwardly. We’ll never know how he did it but he ended up squealing and holding up his right hind leg.

As soon as I saw it I knew it was either dislocated or broken. We carried him to the car, bundled Milly and our neighbour’s dog in the back, and sped off to the vet. Fortunately, Tracey, our wonderful vet, was on duty that day. She took Milo in, gave hin some immediate pain relief, and put him on a drip to help with his shock. We left him there, my poor boy, and went home to await Tracey’s verdict.

Later that day she called to tell me Milo had badly dislocated, and maybe even broken, the bones just below his right hock (ankle) joint. The joint itself was fine, but he would need specialist care to mend the leg. We’d have to take him to AndersonMoores, a specialist hospital in Winchester. To shorten the tale, he went to the specialist and they have plated and pinned the bones in his leg. With care and rest, he should make a complete recovery, and I will write other posts and add pictures to show how he’s doing. Here he is on the evening we brought him home after 4 days in the hospital. He looks happy to be home, don’t you think? 

More updates as Milo's recovery progresses. Please send him love and hugs!

xx

Cas