Nashville PITTIE: Emergency Medical Grant Report
How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?
On April 12, 2018, 8-week-old Baby Freddy was found as stray by our local animal control (MACC). Based on Freddy's condition, it was clear to them that he had a fractured leg as well as a huge mass between his shoulder blades. MACC reached out to us with a plea for immediate help and we scrambled to get Freddy to our vet as quickly as possible.
From the grant application: "X-rays confirmed that Freddy's femur was definitely fractured -- completely snapped in half (fifth photo). Orthopedic surgery, here we come! Now obviously we have no idea how this injury occurred, but it takes a lot of force and torque to twist a bone and cause it to break in this horrific way. Freddy had his leg splinted to stabilize the bone while he waited for surgery.
"On Monday, April 16, Freddy endured an extremely difficult surgery lasting well over three hours and involving lots of screws and plates. It was clear to the surgeon that the break was several days old, as she had to cut away a large amount of healed muscle fibers around the injury. In addition, the golf ball-sized mass between his shoulder blades was removed and, being unidentifiable, was sent off to the lab. Freddy did have a difficult time waking up after the surgery, but after lots of coaxing, he did wake up.
"Freddy now has a tiny, shaved body full of staples and is suffering from extreme swelling all over. His doctor has given us a guarded prognosis after his surgery, as all orthopedic surgeries of this nature come with a failure rate that is dependent on many factors outside our control. The age and the nature of the break are factors working against Freddy. He is currently non-weight-bearing and may have nerve damage. The muscles may have contracted in a manner that will not allow them to move correctly.
"We play the waiting game now, and hopefully he will regain function of his leg. If not, then his leg will need to be amputated. We are anxiously awaiting the results of the tests on the mass, but that will be a few more days. This puppy is extremely depressed and sad and is currently resting in his foster home. His foster mom is keeping him as comfortable as possible and doing all she can to cheer him up. We are hoping for the best for this little boy. He certainly deserves it after the horrible hand he has been dealt in his short eight weeks of life."
How many pets did this grant help?
One: Freddy
Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.
This emergency grant was used for orthopedic surgery to fix a broken femur in an 8-week old puppy who had been found abandoned in a park by local animal control. Freddy also had a mass between his shoulder blades that was removed and tested and found to be benign.
This was an expensive surgery to have performed. At the time, the break was already a few days old, and his little body had tried to encapsulate the break with scar tissue. This tissue had to be cut away to expose the femur, which was fractured in two pieces. Multiple screws and pins were used to repair the femur. Due to the age of the break, it was uncertain whether Freddy would regain the use of his leg. If he did not, then his leg would have been amputated. Thankfully, he regained full use of his leg after a few months.
At 7 months old, Baby Freddy may have been the sweetest pup to ever come through our doors. He was thoughtful and kind. He loved hard and played hard. Loved to fetch! He was gentle and listened to commands. Crate-trained, house-trained, sat for treats, loved to chew on his toys and snuggle down with blankies. He worked so hard to make even the grumpy, old dogs love him too. Darn close to perfect! He has been adopted to a home with another Nashville PITTIE alum, Sophie!
Meet Freddy: www.petfinder.com/petdetail/41427234
