About Writing ‘For the Love of Daisy’

I decided to write about our experiences with Daisy primarily because I wanted to let other pet owners who might find themselves in a similar situation know how much help and advice is available if you know where to look. Also, Daisy’s story is about finding hope where there seemed to be none, and is a fitting tribute to her wonderfully loving spirit.

Before Daisy’s problem was diagnosed, we didn't know very much about disc disease or what it could mean, and our visits to the specialists didn't really increase our knowledge. This is not to say that we blame them: I have deliberately not named the specialists who treated Daisy because the book is not about apportioning blame or citing failures; it is a story of hope and ultimately, of triumph.

Daisy’s post-operative treatment and therapy came about as much by experiment as anything else. I think her case was fairly unique as there were obviously aspects of her condition that no-one fully understood. We had no idea before we tried them what results, if any, the therapies might have. We were prepared to try anything and we were very fortunate that we could afford to do so.

We were also fortunate in Daisy’s nature. Had she not been so trusting and so determined to survive, we could never have done what we did for her. We could never have kept her alive purely because we did not want to let her go - it was Daisy herself who did not want to die. As the photographs in the book show, she was full of life and fun. This was what kept us going, kept us trying new ways to improve the quality of her life: Daisy herself rewarded our efforts.

There may be people who cannot understand why we invested so much time, effort and money in Daisy. To them, all I can say is that she was part of our family. She was our responsibility and we could have done nothing less. Apart from the one occasion when I fully believed we would have to say farewell to her, I never once doubted we were doing the right thing. Yes, there were times when I despaired, and many times when rage over what had happened to her consumed me, but I know I could not have done anything different. The love in Daisy’s eyes and the responses she gave me proved that. I loved her, I wanted to do my best for her, and ultimately, I know I did just that.

On the following pages you will find excerpts from Daisy’s story. I hope you enjoy them but there is so much more, as you will discover if you purchase the book.

See the video below about Daisy’s Theravet hydrotherapy session, clearly showing her near-normal front and back leg action. This recording was used to demonstrate her physical capabilities to the veterinary surgeon, in the hope that he would decide to fuse her neck vertebrae. He was so impressed with her progress that he agreed. (the player below requires the Macromedia Flash player; if the player is not visible, please download the latest version here):

‘For the Love of Daisy’ is available from:
www.canwritewillwrite.com
www.amazon.co.uk
www.amazon.com