Humane Society of McCormick County, Inc.: Emergency Medical Grant Report

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

This money was used to help Bobo. When he was found, he was dragging his front leg. After several months of trying, Bobo did not regain the use of his leg, so it was amputated. The surgery was a success and Bobo is a very happy, playful dog.

Bobo's surgery was very expensive and this grant enabled us to have his front leg amputated.

How many pets did this grant help?

This grant helped Bobo, a dog who had to have his front leg amputated.

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

Bobo’s surgery was supported by an Emergency Medical Grant from the Petfinder Foundation. We can’t thank you enough. On March 6, 2017, we received a call for help with a dog found with sticks duct-taped to his front leg. We rushed over and found a friendly dog (now named Bobo) who was struggling to walk. We discovered that Bobo had no feeling from his shoulder all the way down to his paw, causing him to drag his right front paw underneath him, which was wearing away his fur and skin.

After being examined by two different veterinarians, Bobo was diagnosed with brachial plexus avulsion. This is an injury where the arm is pulled so hard that the nerves are actually yanked out of the spinal cord. We think that Bobo was most likely hit by a car some time ago. We fashioned a sling for Bobo to keep his leg from being scraped on the ground. All avenues of nerve regeneration were explored, giving him every chance to avoid amputation. One of our volunteers, Libbi, who is a retired physical therapist, worked diligently with Bobo and tried several techniques. The last attempt was to use a TENS/EMS unit, but we saw no improvement.

After seven weeks of therapy and several veterinarians’ opinions, we made the decision to have Bobo’s right front leg amputated. The estimated cost was $1,500, so we starting looking for grants. Bobo had his surgery and he stayed at the vet’s office for the week. His recovery required restricted activity and more trips to the veterinarian’s office, but he is feeling much better. Bobo can actually walk more easily without having to drag that leg underneath him.

Thank you, Petfinder Foundation, for helping Bobo! Bobo is still available for adoption. Meet him: www.petfinder.com/petdetail/38542167