Speak St. Louis: Emergency Medical Grant Report

How did this grant help your organization and the pets in your care?

The money was used for an amputation.

The grant came at the right time. We had an adult Australian sheperd who needed an MRI, which in turn revealed that his leg would need to be amputated. This a very costly surgery.

How many pets did this grant help?

1

Please provide a story of one or more specific pets this grant helped.

Reggie, a 1½-year-old Australian shepherd, needed our help. Reggie was picked up by Animal Control as a stray with an injured leg. He was not able to bear any weight on his leg. We scheduled a visit with an orthopedic surgeon, who determined that he would need an MRI to see what was going on. The MRI showed that Reggie had a fragmented coronoid process, or FCP, resulting in a significant bone fragment that needed to be removed from his elbow. If this were the only culprit of Reggie’s pain, it would not be a big deal; however, it was also discovered that he had a deformity in the bone, near his elbow joint, contributing to his lameness and discomfort. Unfortunately, Reggie had already developed extreme arthritis in his lame leg; so even with extensive surgery, a lengthy recovery, and a lifetime of meds, Reggie would still suffer pain throughout his life. Therefore, Reggie’s team determined that amputation would be the best plan to help him live a happy, pain-free life.

Reggie’s surgery went perfectly. His transition to being a tri-paw has been seamless. Since he consistently carried the lame leg that was causing all the pain, he was already used to walking on three legs. It turns out his foster family fell in love with him and decided to adopt Reggie. He is currently living a happy life with a wonderful family and Aussie sister.