An adorable labradoodle who endured a horrific surgery after a stone chasing incident is now back to running on the beach after taking a little known supplement.
Retired local government employee David Fay, 63 feared that six year old Belle would never fully enjoy life again, after an operation to repair an injury to her cruciate ligament also revealed she was suffering with arthritis.
Prior to the incident Belle and David, from Seaham, County Durham used to enjoy long walks at Hawthorn Dene, and runs along the beach which would last for hours.
But after the operation it took weeks for Belle to even put weight on her injured leg, leaving David fearing the worst.
"It was horrendous, she was chasing a stone and then turned suddenly and that was the start of all our problems. She had a big operation which involved sawing the bone and putting in plates and screws, and it was so upsetting to see her in pain, and not enjoying her life.
"To make matters worse, when the vet opened her up to do the operation, they discovered that she was also suffering with arthritis, so I knew that I would have to work hard to find solutions to help her for the rest of her life", said David, speaking about the sad ordeal.
While Belle was recovering David researched supplements which he could give to Belle to help with her mobility, and learned that collagen is good at repairing structures in the body.
He added: "We thought that we would give it a go. The first thing I noticed was that her coat became incredibly soft, but then the stiffness that she had been experiencing since she was a puppy completely went too. It's been a wonderful thing, and is such a part of our routine now, we wouldn't not give it to her."
David used Colla-Gen by Pawable, which is the only multi collagen brand for dogs on the market. The product is powdered so it is easier to feed to picky pups who don't like taking tablets.
Collagen is a protein that is found in skin and connective tissues like joints, tendons, cartilage, and ligaments.
Research has found that collagen is effective in reducing pain, decreasing inflammation and a marked reduction in arthritic pain.
Whilst many are only aware of collagen as a beauty product, in fact, hospitals use collagen infused bandages to speed up wound care.
