Uno, dos, Tres … recovery!
After dropping Tres off at South Paws 5 days ago, we are so excited and relieved to have him back at The Cecchine Hotel for Dogs! Everyone was so happy to welcome him home.
Here’s the run-down on what’s happening. Tres was found caught in a hunting trap at 4 months old and his back leg was cut off to free him. Due to infection, he needed further amputation, and lost his entire right rear leg. After coming into foster care, Tres was diagnosed with severe hip dysplasia on his remaining rear leg and a Femoral Head Osteotomy (the removal of the “ball” part of the ball-and-socket that makes up the hip joint) procedure was performed to eliminate his pain. He has had a few days of recovery with the wonderful staff at South Paws Veterinary Surgical Specialists, and he is back with us at last. The vet techs told us that Tres doesn’t know a stranger, he loves everyone and is eager for attention of any kind. It is amazing to think of what happened to him, and still he is a happy, trusting, loving puppy!
This reminds of something….
We are keeping Tres strictly confined until his doctor gives up a green light to begin physical therapy. He is in an x-pen and he needs a lot of help moving around to go outside and do his business. We are helping him support his weight with a sling.
This will be a difficult recovery for Tres. Being an amputee makes Tres’s recovery process significantly longer and more complicated. He will need aggressive physical therapy and supportive treatment over the next 2-3 months. The goal for Tres will be to speed the recovery of the left hip by maintaining range of motion, recovering muscle mass, and increasing weight bearing.
It is critical to build up his gluteal musculature to support his hip. Tres’s sutures will be removed June 19th and then he will begin full course rehabilitation approximately 3 times a week. This will include: underwater treadmill, cold and heat therapy, therapeutic laser and therapeutic ultrasound, neuromuscular electro-stimulation, and specialized muscle re-education exercises. We expect to see improvements in weight-bearing, range of motion, and muscle mass over the coming months. Tres has severe muscle atrophy and we will be working with him on prescribed at home rehabilitation as well as his physical therapy sessions at South Paws. We are working hard to give him the best recovery possible, and we can’t do it without you! We are still short of our fundraising goal. Please help us to help this sweet puppy in his recovery! The vet says that with the appropriate therapy, Tres’s prognosis is excellent!
We will do everything we can to speed the brave puppy’s recovery and help him return to full mobility faster and stronger.