On Sunday, August 2, 2009, at the Tracking Club of Maine’s Variable Surface Tracking Test, held at Colby College in Waterville, ME, Truffles, now age 10, passed on Track 3 under judges Ed Presnall and Mary Thompson, to earn her VST title and with it the title of Champion Tracker (CT). To earn this title a dog must obtain all three AKC tracking titles–Tracking Dog (TD), Tracking Dog Excellent (TDX) and Variable Surface Tracking (VST). The CT title says to the world that she has demonstrated proficiency in following human scent in open fields, over obstacles and at age, and in urban conditions including through parking lots, sidewalks and around buildings.  Truffles’ track was 657 yards long, 3 hours 10 minutes old, and it took her 31 minutes to complete.

Truffles is now CT Heronsway Harbor Sweets, CDX, VST, AX, AXJ, VCX.  She will be seeing Dr. Lord on Wednesday, as usual.

Michele Gillette, Hanover, VA

He jumped down off the sofa and yipped, then came up lame in his left front leg, unable to put any weight on it. Almost as soon as it happened, it was fine. He had had strains and sprains before but when the same thing happened again after a few days, I took him to the local veterinary emergency clinic. After x-rays and an exam, the vet diagnosed arthritis, recommended crate rest for a week, and prescribed a strong analgesic. We did that and everything was fine for a week or so. One day when he was playing in the back yard with our other dog Rusty, he let out a yelp! His left front leg was basically unusable and it appeared to be “hanging” from his shoulder. It was awful to watch and I knew we were not talking about just arthritis. It continued to happen more and more often.

What happened in the next three weeks was a flood of vet visits and an emotional roller coaster. Knowing that it would help the lameness, our vet put Yogi on the steroid Prednisone; it made him a very different dog – he was hot, angry, constantly panting, ravenous, and so thirsty that he drank all water in sight; of course, he then had to eliminate every 3-4 hours. We had to hire a pet sitter to come in during the week just to let him out during the day and we had to schedule “middle of the night” outings so he could pee. He lost weight and muscle tone and looked very ragged; his personality changed drastically and he was not the same dog.

To try to get to the cause of his lameness, we went to a specialist who diagnosed “nerve root tumor” (a very dire prognosis) and recommended surgery/amputation with a preliminary MRI ($1300) to determine the extent of the tumor. We scheduled the MRI and then cancelled it after considering the costs, the benefits, and the possible complications. We went to another veterinary oncology surgeon who concurred with the diagnosis but recommended performing a CAT scan ($700) prior to possible surgery/amputation. We scheduled this for a day in late February.

Neither Yogi nor I slept much the night before. I knew it was a bad omen when, amidst yapping dogs, constant activity, and gruff receptionists, he had diarrhea in the waiting room. I told the doctor, through tears, that I couldn’t (and wouldn’t) put my dog through any more traumas. Many days and dollars later, we still had no good solution to Yogi’s situation.

What happened next is nothing short of a miracle. We went to our vet again, this time with the question, “Isn’t there some way to allow Yogi to live out the rest of his life, however long or short that is, in peace and quiet?” She referred us to Dr. Tracy Lord, explaining that she was a holistic vet who used natural cures and acupuncture; Dr. Lord had been able to help another client’s dog and our vet was pretty sure she could help Yogi. I called Dr. Lord the very next day!

It was a beautiful spring day in March when Yogi and I went to Williamsburg for our initial consultation. Immediately upon meeting Dr. Lord, I felt comfortable with her and I could tell Yogi did too! She listened intently to our story, looked at his referral information, asked me some questions, and then proceeded to talk to Yogi! She gave him an acupuncture treatment that he didn’t seem to mind! By the time we left her office, we had developed a plan of action including changes in diet, alternative drug therapy, natural supplements, and continued acupuncture sessions. I knew that this was the answer to our prayers!

Now, five months later, I can honestly say that Dr. Lord has transformed Yogi into a vibrant, healthy dog…even better than he was before! When I think about what we might have done if we had taken the advice of “traditional” veterinary science, I cringe and then thank my lucky stars that we found Dr. Lord. She is a loving, concerned person who has given us our dog back; he is whole, happy, and affectionate again.

He has not had a single episode of pain or limping since we began her course of treatment. He “talks” to her during his acupuncture sessions because he knows she makes him feel better…he has never done this before and he doesn’t do this with anyone else! No matter how much longer he is with us, I know that he is living a happy life. On a recent visit to the mountains of western NC, Yogi and I took a long walk: he was wagging his tail as he followed the scent of wild animals in the woods, splashed in the cool mountain stream, and just enjoyed being a dog! We have Dr. Lord to thank for that!