June, 2009:

One Saturday afternoon this past winter, our mobile veterinary clinic received a desperate plea for help.  Danger, a large dog living in Fresno, had been suffering severe neurological damage since being run over by an SUV 16 months earlier.  As a result of the injuries he sustained, he had unknowingly chewed off his left paw, and was slowly working his way up his leg.  The pictures that accompanied the e-mail plea were heartbreaking, showing a sweet-faced Rottweiler mix with a severely infected leg that was missing the last several inches.  His owner was destitute, and if we weren’t able to help him, Danger was going to be euthanized.

So, even though this dog was 300 miles away, and our clinic was closed for the weekend, our staff jumped into action.  By the next morning, we’d found a wonderful local foster home, and as a result, we were able to add him to the following day’s surgery list.  His owner left Fresno at midnight that night to make his 7:30 appointment Monday morning.

When Danger arrived that morning, he greeted our staff with a waggy tail and lots of kisses.  He was unusually friendly, and completely unaware of the trauma to his body.  Within just a few hours of being dropped off, this sweet dog had his damaged arm removed, and was happily settled in his temporary home.  He adjusted to the loss of his leg very quickly, and passed time over the next few weeks by cuddling with his foster family’s small dogs.

Since removing Danger’s leg, his quality of life has vastly improved.  Not only has the risk of a deadly infection been eliminated, but he is no longer left in the backyard due to the blood trail his infected leg stump used to leave throughout the house.  Danger now looks forward to many happy, healthy years.

(click on image to enlarge)

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