post-op Nov 08
November 08
Before operation Oct 08
Leggit
GRWE recently took in a young lurcher boy who had been handed in to a dog warden as a stray. It was immediately apparent that there was something wrong with his back, as he had a deformity and a strange gait. We called the lurcher Leggit, and organised for him to go to the vet for a back x-ray straight away.The x-ray revealed that Leggit's back was broken and Leggit was on the table under general anaesthetic when the vet rang to tell us. The vet said it was possible to operate, but it would be a big operation involving metal plates and, of course, a huge amount of aftercare. The vet needed an immediate answer as to whether we wished him to go ahead and operate as it would cost £2,000. If we decided not to, he would simply not wake him up from his anaesthetic and Leggit would be put to sleep.
After talking to the vet, who has successfully performed the operation before, we elected to give Leggit the chance. Leggit is only a young dog with his whole life ahead of him and we could not refuse him a shot at life. So he had his operation and all appears to be going well with his recouperation so far.
Leggit is currently in a foster home and still has a very long way to go with a lot of physio ahead of him. But he is a young and strong dog who deserves a chance. We have no idea what caused this horrific injury, but he vet estimates that it is at least 6 weeks old. It doesn't even bear thinking about how much pain Leggit must have been in and, of course, after 6 weeks the healing process would have already begun, hence his strange 'bunny-hopping' gait and deformity.
We are just so glad that Leggit is safe with us now, on the road to recovery and a new life. We will of course keep you updated on Leggit's progress and his rehabillitation programme.
The veterinary costs for Leggit's treatment are already considerable - as we are sure you can imagine! - and will continue for some time.
UPDATE 15th November:
Leggit is recovering well and the vet is very pleased with his progress. His injury was quite horrific, with two lumbar vertebrae almost cut in half. He still needs plenty of rest and it will be four weeks before he can start gentle lead excercise. For an energetic puppy this is proving quite difficult and his foster family have quite a task keeping him from bouncing about. He is a darling dog and, as you can see, loves treats and gets on very well with his pug house-mate! Thank you to all those who have sent get-well messages and made donations towards his veterinary care.
THANK YOU!