No more to add now, her story is over, this final email came today

If you think you have a dog with hip problems read this story and scroll down to Grace's x-rays.

Hi Maria,

Its been a long time :)... I hope all is well in your part of the country, Up here i'm afraid we have had a pretty rough time of it lately. Our Beautiful Girl Gracie, passed away this week, Wednesday night to be exact, she was Exactly 5 years and 6 months to the day........ She is terribly terribly missed, as she was one of the most beautiful animals we have ever been lucky enough to spend time with. The thing that made this blow even harder, was that we also lost our beautiful Tawny Neapolitan girl LaTroya in March, she had been plagued by health problems from very young though, so she had a good innings really, but that doesn't mean we miss her any less.

So after 5 and a half years of enjoying the company of two of the most lovely natured and spirited dogs that were ever created, our house has became very quiet and lonely without our 'Ebony & Ivory'. We will miss tripping over the great big Blonde & Grey 'lumps' that would often decide that directly behind where ever we were standing was the perfect place to lie down and quickly drift off into a deep sleep.

Gracie was the highlight of our lives for the 5 and half years we had her, and we can not possibly thank you enough for that. Funnily enough that damaged back leg of hers, NEVER caused her any problems bigger than the fact that she walked with a slight limp because one leg was slightly shorter than the other. Sadly her end was brought about by liver failure, however she showed NO signs of this until about a week before she passed.... NONE AT ALL, despite the fact that her vet is fairly certain it had been a relatively long lived illness. She was one tough little (or rather big) girl that one, and worshipped the ground we walked on right to the end. We like to think that it was just simply that the two girls couldn't go on alone, because Ebony isn't much good without ivory really is it......

So again thank you for the joy that one of your beautiful girls brought to our lives, she had a wonderful (if not just a bit too short) life and we wouldn't have traded her for anything, she had a smile that would light up our day and she has left us heartbroken, but happy to have known her & shared her life.

she will be horribly missed,

Kind Regards,

Maxxxx & Dxxx (From Humpty Doo, Darwin, NT)

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Grace as a pup.

Her name is really Shady Grace, but it should have been Amazing Grace, for she is truly an amazing dog, she deserves a page all to herself, her story needs to be seen to be believed!

Grace was stood on by her mother as a tiny puppy, she had quite a swelling on her hip for some weeks but did not seem unduly worried by it, and as she grew, she got around just as the other pups did, at six weeks when the litter were due for vaccinations our vet checked the leg out, moved it in all directions with no signs of pain or discomfort to her, I had had an enquiry for a pup with 'special' needs, so eventualy Grace went off to that home where her new Mum decided to get her x rayed just to see what was going on in that hip, this is what showed up.

You do not need to be a vet to see that there is horrific damage to one side of her hip, the ball which should be in the socket is just gone! there was nothing to be done with her as a pup, her owner was told to keep her as quiet as could be done and if she survived to one year then surgery could be tried, I will let her owners e mails and photos of Grace tell their own story.

I have lost a couple of early e mails but these tell most of the story. If you think you have a dog with hip problems, take heart, and wait before you decide on drastic measures.

I did ring Katrina but she wasnt home, but i will try again, so far things are looking a little more positive (i think anyway), as if this injury occured at 2 weeks, and affected her growth plate, then by now her leg should have stopped growing or been growing slower at least.......it is the same size as the other, and she has put on 4kgs in the 2 weeks i have had her, so im thinking this is a good sign. She will be fine :).......and that is the only outcome i will accept so she has to be :), i really love this little girl, Dale thinks i've gone mad :) as he comes to bed often and finds a little silver brindle "bed warmer" in his side :), a habit i know i shouldnt encourage.......but i cant help it she is so cute.

We are seeing an orthopaedic specialist in brisbane of all places in march, so she will be a "flying" puppy again, she will think she is going "home".

I have another question for you, do you ever have Tawny pups?? i just love this colour, the real creamy colour just looks gorgeous.

I finally spoke to the brisbane specialist as well, and he had the xrays with him and said that when Swaggles stood on her, because Grace's bones were so flexible at that age, it has actually tilted the actual hip socket as well as made the femoral head slide off, but since it happened so young, it is "normal" for her and with a bit of luck (fingers crossed) she may grow up and live with the damage perfectly fine and only end up with arthritis when she is older, but hopefully this wont be untill later. He seems to think that because of the position of her hip socked, they "may" not be able to do a hip replacement at all, but since it isnt bothering her at all, he thinks she may be lucky, and basically just wait and see, and treat her "normally" in the mean time, and just keep her on something to keep the inflamation down..........so i think that is pretty good really. I'm not worried about it at the moment, i will deal with the hip replacement ETC when she is old enough to have it, in the mean time, i will just enjoy the "little Chicken" bung hip and all :)

Hi Maria,

I just thought i would email and ask if it is at all possible that you may still have the photos i last sent you of Grace in your computer somewhere?? i know it is a long shot, but i had to completely format my computer thanks to hackers....very annoying, and i hadnt had the chance to back up those last few lots of photo's. If you do happen to have them, could you possible email them to me, i would really appreciate it :).

The Baby is getting HUGE, the chance of her sticking to the 50kg mark.....is now slim to none, she would EASILY be over 40kg by now 3 weeks ago when i weighed her at the vet she was 36kg, and has only got bigger since then. She is turning out to be a very good looking girl actually, bigger than we hoped (only becuase of the injury) and amazingly getting to be very 'typey' I often get asked why I dont show her, and told i should as she would easily do very well, even her gait is 'almost' spot on just that SLIGHY turn in her back end..........oh well them's the breaks. I don't think the 'personality' is suited to showing anyway if she lost she would be likely to strut over and tell the judges they don't know what they are talking about.......thinks she is human this girl, and no-one will ever convince me dogs dont understand english......they just need to see Grace to have their mind changed on that one.

I can honestly say, next time you get a dog with a problem like Gracie's or someone with a 'severe' Injury in a Neo ask you for advice on what to do......tell them to 'sit' on it for 6 months, providing the dog isn't in pain, as no-one would pick a think wrong with this little ball of energy, and i was advised by everyone the kindest thing would be to put her down..........I'm Glad we were both too taken in by her for that!

Thanks again :)

Mandie (with 'little' Gracie sleeping on my feet.......and as a result my feet are asleep too hahahahaha

Hi Maria,

(This refers to the x ray)

I know it is amazing isn't it.......I saw it 4 months ago, but after living with the little terror for 4 months i forgot how bad it was and it nearly made me cry looking at it again, even though the little shit was out side Dancing around the trampoline bed terrorizing the other dogs at the same time, perfectly healthy :).

Amazing little girl, no doubt about it. My Vet Marvels at her every time she see's her :)

Oh by the way she was de-sexed last week.......all went well, she is a healthy 40kg at the moment :) and still thinks she belongs on Dad's side of the bed with Mum, and there is no convincing her she doesn't, it is getting harder and harder for her Dad to lift that stubborn 40kg dead weight off the bed with no assistance from her hahahaha. Little horror. She now sleeps outside in her own bed, but that doesn't stop her trying :).

Mandie

Hi Maria,

Just thought i would add in a couple of pic's of little Miss Grace, so you can choose which one's to use on the site, if you decide to put it up.........i truly do think it is an amazing testament to the invincibility of the breed........i also believe that 80% of Grace's success can be attributed to personality which can only come from breeding, I am quite sure this dog could be hit with a Mack Truck and she would turn around with a look that says "is that all you got?".......she is TOUGH :). bless her for that, i cant imagine life with out my little 'miracle girl'

Mandie

Grace on the run

Grace jumping up on 'Dad' and checking table out by the looks of it.

Grace in birhday dress.

Update Jan 05, Grace also featured in Dogs Life a little of her story is on the back page of Jan issue.

Hi Maria,

Well the baby is now 13 months old and still going strong, only a very slight limp occasionally, and that is only when the little terror has been running up and down the fence at full speed playing with the horse next door.........which she gets in trouble for, but she is as stubborn as the day is long, so she still escapes occasionally to frolic.

She is getting so big, we were looking at photo's of warrior and Swags the other day, i always thought Grace was a lot like Swags, but she is more and more like Warrior everyday, she has the same expression as in the photo of him on your site, and the same head shape is starting tocome through now.

She is still a funny little thing....moody like a human, she hates getting in trouble, if she does something bad and gets told NO to loudly, she rebels, gives me a death stare and keeps doing it, with a look on her face that says.........I can if I wana..........I have just started to realise that being tough and firm on her doesn't work AT ALL, all it does is make her worse, which is difficult as she is a dominant and stubborn dog, but lately i thought i would try being softer but very consistent, as stupid as it sounds, I have to tell her what she is doing wrong and that it makes me cranky, and that is working amazingly well, as there is nothing she hates more than me being upset with her, or ignoring her. It is strange though, and very hard to get used to, and totally against what any vets, or dog behavior people say to do with a strong breed like Grace, but it is working so much better than being firm with her..........she may be stubborn and tough, but she is a really soft little thing underneath. She has only just started to come around to Dale in the past 2 months. She has always been DEVOTED to me, and not really very interested in Dale, but lately she is very attentive to him as well, it is still VERY obvious she is my girl, but at least she seems to love her Daddy now too.

I put in some photo's from xmas, we like to torture our baby's at christmas time hahahahaha, they LOVE it :).

Hope all is well with your lot, and you have healthy pups for the new year.

Mandie