Dog owners will stop at nothing to keep their furry friend happy, especially if problems with the puppy’s health emerge. Spike, a 14-year-old English springer spaniel, has been suffering several health complications due to his age and the two strokes he’s recently had. When he was younger, nothing could stop him from climbing upstairs to go to the master bedroom to snuggle with his parents.

Spike is no longer able to do that now though. He could barely walk around the house, and the family had an important decision to make. They didn’t want him to feel tempted to try another one of his stunts on the stairs. His mom and dad were too afraid that he might injure himself. So, they came up with a perfect plan. They were going to sleep with him downstairs.

We bet that their doggo is more than grateful for such a selfless, caring act.

The Morris family is from Yorkshire and they adopted Spike in 2012. Ever since then, he’s loved to sleep with them at night.

Catherine Morris, whose parents adopted Spike nine years ago, told The Dodo just how loving their fluffy dog has always been.

“The first time we had him, we closed the stair gate and went to bed. He whined for a couple of minutes before jumping up over the gate in the dark and trotting up into my parents’ room and straight up onto the bed,” explained Catherine. “That’s where he slept from then on.”

Needless to say, Catherine’s parents simply couldn’t resist Spike, and he quickly bonded with both mum and dad.

According to Spike’s owners, the dog loves to snuggle more than anything else in the world

For Spike, it’s not enough that he’s in the same bad as his humans, he has to be as close to them as possible.

That’s why he pushes himself under the blankets too!

Unfortunately, the natural course of aging sometimes takes a toll on health, and Spike was no exception.

Deterioration of health is something that everyone experiences as the years pass. Much like people, puppies can get sick too. Spike had two strokes, and he’s not in such great shape anymore.

However, his family showed nothing but support and love for their beloved dog.

After the second stroke, Spike couldn’t walk and he couldn’t even stand up on his feet

It must have been tough for everyone to watch him in such a condition, but the brave one never gave up. He was so determined to get better that, eventually, he did.

Soon, he was back up and started to walk again. The biggest concern for his parents, however, was the fact that they were sleeping upstairs and he still wanted to come up and wish them goodnight.

To prevent Spike from hurting himself, his mom and dad set up the stair gate again and started sleeping with him on the couch downstairs

“This new schedule started while I was away at university, so my parents spent alternate nights downstairs with Spike,” said Catherine. She soon moved back home and joined the rotation.

The pull-out couch is not so comfortable, but knowing that Spike is safe and well makes it worth the effort.

Everything that Spike might need during the night is right beside him

Water, food, medications, you name it – Catherine’s dad made sure that everything is close so that they never forget to give Spike his pills. “My dad calls him “old bean”, and they’re always chatting away,” commented Catherine, proving that the dog truly is a man’s best friend.

What a beautiful friendship! We do not doubt that, with the love of his family, Spike will get better very soon.

Be careful, strokes can mimic other health issues, such as kidney failure. If your pet starts showing signs of a stroke, take it to the veterinarian right away.

A simple definition of a stroke is that it’s a sudden death of brain cells in a localized area due to a lack of blood flow. Common symptoms of a stroke in dogs are loss of balance, head tilting, abnormal eye movements, vomiting, and the loss of appetite. For the highest chance of recovery, take your dog to the vet immediately.

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Source: AnimalChannel; SuccessLifeLounge; TheDodo; Care; BoredPanda