08/04/2025
OK. So this is a difficult post for me to write, not just as I tend to keep things like injury or illness to my boys private, but also in which one of my boys it relates to.
Contrary to some of the recent pictures, my big fella Tau is very very ill. Around Christmas we started noticing he was a bit stiff on his back legs but put it down to combination of age, cold and damp and the fact he's had a very active lifestyle over the years.
Unfortunately it started to get worse over the following months and whilst our first thoughts were displaysia it would be unusual in both hips simultaneously. Further investigation into his symptoms and consultations with our vet have led to the conclusion that he's suffering with a genetic condition that's common in German Shepherds that causes nerve degeneration in his spine. This causes difficulty standing up, walking due to lack of coordination and loss of balance amongst other things, and ultimately leads to loss of use of the back legs and complete paralysis longer term.
Tau's condition has escalated rapidly over the last few weeks, a point that was underscored when he tripped over his own feet on Sunday and was unable to get back up (Sam had to lift him as i was out.) Discussions with the vet last week and the rate of decline he's showing mean that we may only have days or weeks at best before we have to make the decision every dog owner never wants to make.
I'm writing this now as I know that Tau is quite well known through his role in training with me and I also know that when the inevitable time comes, I really won't be able to talk about it.