tigersitsup

Parvo & Major orthopedic surgery

Breed: Shih Tzu

DOB: 11-2005
Sex: Neutered male
Foster home: Julie

Ouch! Both of my front legs quit working! Da puppy doctor sez they’re BROKE! I can’t use them to walk, or runrunrun or even to sit up! I’m a smaaaaaaaaaaaaaart puppy, tho, and I figgered out how to sit on my back legs, but my front legs just dangle there. I can also scoot around using my back legs and my chin. (Dat’s not as fun as runrunrun, but a puppy’s gotta do what a puppy’s gotta do!)

So, dey were taking me from da hooman rescue lady to da puppy doctor. The transport hooman put me inna car, and we went riding. Then we weren’t riding normal…we was up, we was down, we was eberrywhere!!! Da hoomans said it was a “rollover car accident”. OUCH! But me an’ da hooman are both finefinefine, and I got to the puppy doctor da berry next day!

Da puppy doctor says – we can fix him up-up-up!  He needs an operashun! But then…my tummy wasn’t feeling bery good. And then da REST of me wasn’t feeling bery good, either. Da hoomans said I got something called Parvo – I didn’t get the stuff that puppies are s’posed to have, and I was bery bery sick. My foster mom and the other puppy doctor took goooood care of me, and I got medicine an’ stuff, and I gotted LOTS better!

Da puppy doctor that fixes legs says all my bones and muscles and stuff has to stay where it is til I get my operashun, so I have to wear these silly splints. NO FUN! I said NONONO the first day, but now I have them all figured out – I told you I was a smaaaaaaaaaart puppy!

Sometimes I eben put my head on ’em – hey, a puppy’s gotta NAP!

Da foster mom says I’m gonna have an operashun soon, and then she’ll take LOTS more pics of mememe. Every day they wait to do the surgery will make it harder for da puppy doctor to fix me all up, but I gots to be healthy enuf!!

Would you pleeeeeeeeeeeeease send some ob dose dollar things so I can walk on my front legs again? I’s a PUPPY, and I gots lots of runrunrun to catch up on!!!

Big hugs, and puppy kisses!

~Tiger

Tigerinsplintsheadonsplint

tigersplint1

From da hoomans (MY story is better, but dey gots to talk, too!)
NOTE:  TIGER WON’T BE AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION UNTIL HE RECOVERS FROM HIS SURGERY.

On March 31st, a tiny, sweet 12 week old Shih Tzu was brought to an emergency clinic near Detroit, Michigan by his human family.  The little guy’s humans told the vet that the puppy hadn’t been able to walk since he fell down the steps “a few days ago”.

When the vet told the family that it would cost $100-$200 to do an exam and diagnostics, they decided not to be bothered and told the vet that they would just dump him at a shelter.  Somewhat stunned, the vet encouraged them to at least let him go to rescue, but that she couldn’t arrange that at midnight on a Saturday.  Impatient and not wanting to be inconvenienced any further, the owners said no and left the clinic after the clock had turned March into April.

The vet contacted a local Shih Tzu rescue anyway on the hope that the family would reconsider and come back.  That smart Shih Tzu loving lady called and e-mailed all the area shelters to alert them that a 3 month old puppy, unable to use both of his front legs might be dumped in their facilities.  Sure enough, a 12 week old Shih Tzu puppy that “was found as a stray” was surrendered to a shelter on the second of April.  Not knowing that the shelter had already been warned about them, the “kind family” that dropped him off advised the shelter staff that this poor little stray puppy just doesn’t seem to be able to use his front legs at all!

When confronted with the truth, the “humans” admitted that, yes, they had taken him to the emergency clinic but they had only found him a few days ago.  Yeah.–Right.  They signed the pup over to the shelter.  Unable to take him in, the “Shih Tzu lady” called Animal Placement Bureau in Lansing, Michigan. APB assured her that they would do their best to take care of the little puppy.  So from a shelter on the east coast of Michigan, the injured boy made the trip to the state’s west coast.  Our veterinarian sent out the x-rays to a radiologist for consultation.  Both of the little dog’s front legs had the humeral condyles broken off.  While the vets concluded that a genetic condition may have made the bones easier to fracture than in a normal puppy, his broken bones wouldn’t have fractured on their own and were likely the result of abuse. Unfortunately, in the fast-growing puppy, the healing had begun and after being left untreated for so long—NOT in a good way.  Surgery would have to be performed.

To make matters worse, the pup became very, very sick and was diagnosed with Parvovirus.  The surgery would obviously have to wait, on the hope that the injured puppy might survive the Parvo.  Of course, had he been properly vaccinated by his careless owners, he probably wouldn’t have caught this disease which can be deadly in puppies.  He was taken home by his foster care giver who kept close watch over him, dosed him with Tamiflu, administered subcutaneous fluids to make sure he didn’t dehydrate and prayed, and the tough little Tiger SURVIVED!

Now that Tiger has recuperated, immediate surgery is a MUST!  He’s clearly feeling better as he has begun to use his head to pull himself along, but we need to make this tough little fellow whole again.  Tiger’s surgery is will be very, VERY expensive and far more than APB can afford for one single dog.  Please help this little guy to get made whole and to have the long and happy life he deserves!

Tiger’s Sponsors: Sharlene Ridguard, Karen Parker – in memory of Gabriella, Sandi Tygar – in memory of Dusty, Amber Doyle, OSLF, and Robert and Leslie Nason!!

tigerpulls