My Name is Haribo.
This is my story.
Before!
When I came to Mum and Dad's I weighed 64kg!
This is me now! Mum and Dad saved me. They tell me I am handsome and call me Lord Haribo (amongst other things!)
I came here in September 2017 aged 5 from the North East, I was very overweight tipping the scales at 64kg (10 stone in old measures) I was a very big boy.
I went to my original family at only 42 days old !!
When I was 4 1/2 months old, I was castrated, which is too young to have it done. It turned out that I was a stone former and I then kept blocking …. being castrated too young can stop your urethra growing and stop stones passing …… I then had to have a urethrostomy when I was only 2 years old.
I have arthritis in my joints and toes and walk strangely because of my hips. When I arrived here I could hardly walk, I shuffled around on my bottom. I then developed a large horrific hole in one of my legs and my vet bills were astronomical and Mum said I was a waddling crock!
The hole in my leg was horrible and it’s a good job I had Mum as my nurse or I might not have got better, she cleaned it and re dressed it every day for me….. she did threaten to kill me on several occasions though cos she had to wrap nappies around it to stop it leaking everywhere….I loved to pull them off !! We went through some tough times together and Mum was scared I might have had to be PTS if my wounds got infected or did not heal. Pictures below (but don't look if you are squeamish).
My Mum is amazing and she looked after it and made me better. Not only did she make my leg better she fed me smaller amounts and I lost weight so now I am a big lean boy. My hips still have problems and I have had laser treatment for it. I got to wear really cool glasses too when it was happening, I also sometimes go to hydrotherapy.
I am 8 now and a lot bigger than some of my Dalmatian brothers and sisters and I still need painkillers and supplements to help my joints. My Mum says I am a right royal pain in the bum sometimes but she still loves me and I totally love her and Dad.
Mum and Dad call me all kinds of names. She called me Haribo because I am the sweetest boy! I am also called Harigob because I am noisy and always have something to say. I am also Lord Haribo because I look a bit Regal.
A while ago I went with Mum and Dad to London with my brother MOuse and we had a photo shoot with some models who wore black and white clothes and very expensive jewellery. We had our photographs in a magazine……imagine me, Haribo who weighed 64kg being a model!! I couldn’t have dreamed of that before I found my Mum and Dad. So here I am with lots of brothers and sisters, being loved and playing amongst the hay bales.
Thank you Mum and Dad for looking after me, I love you so much.
( It is an honour to have you in our lives Hari. You are the cheekiest monster and we adore you, Mum xxx )
This is me and MOuse living it up in London
Below are pictures of the hole in my leg. Mum dressed it every day so that it got better.
UPDATE TO HARIBO'S STORY, 14TH APRIL 2020
Haribo hasn't had a good start to the year for his health. He has had several tummy upsets that have seen him be admitted to the vets for treatment and make him lose weight ... he dropped to just over 33kg at one point.
In March he was found in the field by Sue as a very quiet boy after he didn't come in for his lunch, she suspected that he had a GDV. She rushed him to the vets who confirmed this and operated to save his life as he had twisted... they also did a pexy while in there to help prevent it happening in future.
Hari came home after a day or so but started to be unwell again and had a temperature, his tummy was also red and warm. He was rushed back to the vets who then took him back to theatre and used 7 litres of saline to flush him out .... he had peritonitis. He was put on IV ABX and fluids and was a very, very poorly boy. Sue went in to see Hari and told him it was his birthday in a couple of weeks and that if he survived,he would have the best birthday cake ever !
The day after, they received a phone call from the vets to say Hari was very poorly and that they really needed to make a decision about him as his wound was breaking down, the infection was so bad .......... they spent all morning in tears and made that decision to let him go, he could not suffer and would not survive another surgery in such a short time and his body was rotting away. They even made arrangements with the crematorium.
They went in to see him at 2pm and were greeted by a much brighter dog who even gave Sue kisses ... that is a major sign for Hari that he is feeling ok. There was no way they could say goodbye to him so Hari came home the day after with his ABX and other meds and he has been nursed back to health again by his Mum.... dressing changes this time made so much easier as he couldn't reach his tummy to pull them off !!
In 10 days his wound has completely healed.
He is an incredibly lucky boy to have survived yet another horrible wound and to have been so ill ........ he is truly a miracle dog !!
Now Sue is concentrating on getting the weigh back on him in smaller meals and in the last week he has put on 2.5kg..... the aim is to get him up to 42-45kg.
PLEASE,PLEASE read up about GDV because no matter how careful you are, these barrel chested dogs can still suffer with it ......... Sue and Dave have experience with their Danes and GDV and do everything possible to prevent it but sometimes, sadly, you just can't .......you need to know the signs and symptoms.
Our newsletter for March 2020 available to download off this website has a section dedicated to GDV
Harigob, we all love you
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UPDATE: 3RD MAY 2020
Oh Hari ..........
Hari has today had more surgery.
In January, I found a pea sized lump on the edge of a rib under his left side and that had grown to the size of a walnut.
Last week he had a fine needle aspirate done and it brought us the news that it contained spindle cells.
Today he's gone to have the tumour/lump removed and as far as we know, it has all been removed.
It has now been sent off for histology
This boy just takes everything in his stride and lives such a happy life, we all hope and pray for a good outcome for him
Sue
UPDATE :14TH MAY 2020
We have received Hari's histology results and he had a grade 2 spindle cell sarcoma.
I say had because one of our wonderful vets hopefully removed all of it. Time will tell and we will have to keep a close eye on him and search for lumps growing but ............
Hari and his 101 lives is a true survivor
I promised him if he survived that he would have 9 cakes for his birthday next year !!!
Sue
UPDATE: 24TH JANUARY 2021
Oh Hari …..
We’re sorry son but we couldn’t let that monster tumour that they found earlier growing in your tummy take you so we said goodbye to you last night....23rd January 2021
You went from running around the field on Friday afternoon as happy as you ever were to be poorly and spending that night on our bed but we knew you were not right.
The vets did some tests and x rays and told us there was a mass so we had a choice ..... we come back to say goodbye or we have them operate to see if there was anything they could do.
We came back to see you and you were so pleased to see us.... we had to let them try to save you.
Seeing you for the last time, seeing you in pain and being so unwell... they found other lumps and your lymph nodes were not good when they opened you up, they couldn't remove it. We knew your time had come and we hope you forgive us for letting you go on the operating table ....... Sue the vet nurse passed our message to you to say we love you and off you went but you are always with us in our hearts.
Who is going to walk up to us, burp in our faces and run off laughing ?
Who is going to shout and argue with us just because they can ?
Who is going to give us a complete tongue wash cos we’re at face height ?
Who is going to run at full speed down the field on ridiculous legs looking like they are going to crash ?
Who is going to play the let’s get Dad to stand up and steal his seat game ?
Who is going to do the Happy Hari upside down dance now?
Who is going to fill the Hari size gap in our lives ? No one…………
You have been the biggest pain in the arse
The biggest, weirdest looking critter
The most argumentative critter
The noisiest critter
The most worrying critter
Quite simply, you Haribo were everything
You are our son, our much loved boy and we thank you for your love and everything else you gave us
Fly high precious one and tell the gang up there that we love them
Haribo, Hari, Bob Bob, Hairy Butt Mutt, Hari Gob ….. you have completely broken our hearts and life is so quiet without you in it
We will never forget you….. and for god’s sake stop burping big fella !!
Mum and Dad
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17th MARCH 2021
Hari, you have left such a huge hole in our lives.........we miss you so much.
My tears still fall for you everyday.
We're still going to celebrate your 9th birthday in a few weeks and get you the 9 cakes I promised you if you survived.
I love you H
Mum
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16th April 2021
Hey Gobby Chops...... I didn't forget your birthday, I just cried for most of it.
I hope they have cakes up there and that you shared it with all your lost brothers and sisters ..... I know Blackwell will have tried to get some !
I rememebr you and him standing begging for a chocolate biscuit that your Dad was eating.
You were master of giving 'The Look'
I love you H
Mum
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27th September 2021
Well Mr Harold, it's 4 years today snce you shuffled on your bum into our lives and stole our hearts.
It was like watching a butterfly emerge from a cocoon ....... well a slim, gobby kid with an attitude and zest for life emerging.
You and your cheek and your skinny stick legs are missed every single day.
I even miss you coming and burping in my face ... never thought I'd ever say that !!
We love you Bob Bob and so wish you were still here with us
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January 2022
It's been a year since you left and that H sized hole is still as big as it was.
We miss you and love you just as much
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13th April 2022
Hey up Bob Bob !!
This really doesn't get any easier....
Happy Heavenly 10th birthday big fella.
We miss you H
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15th December 2022
Hello H
It's nearly Christmas again without you and it's so quiet here
It has snowed and you loved it when we had some... those daft legs of yours were like twigs skidding about
It's nearly 6pm so tea time.....you'd have been running around shouting at me right now telling me to hurry up
I hope you're ok up there and behaving yourself, I'm sure Blackwell will be making sure you are
Miss you mate and love you to the moon
Happy Christmas shit head
xxxxxxxx
23rd January 2023
Hey gobby boy ........it's 2 years today since you left us and you know what ?
We love you and miss you just as much
I'm going to make you a new casket cos I hate the one you are in, it looks like a coffin and you my boy are anything but sombre and boring
It's going to have your photo on it so you can watch over me and I can poke you on the nose like I used to just to annoy you
I found this video the other day of you and your Dad being silly
Love you H
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2nd November 2023
I was talking a bout you this morning and re read your story page ... well, I tried to but the tears made it almost impossible
Your casket is from one of your Dad's favourite photo's of you giving me cheek
He said your casket had to be loud like you were and I think it is
We miss you Bob Bob
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