Mabel was dumped at Metro Animal Care and Control in Nashville. It was clear that she had previously been used as a breeding dog, and she was abandoned when she was no longer useful. She limped on her hind legs and appeared to be in pain as she applied gentle pressure when walking on them. Mabel was reserved, but proved she had a lot of love to give despite her past. Luckily, Wags and Walks was smitten with her pouty face, and they took her into their care to figure out what was causing her mobility issues.

Mabel was seen by four different veterinarians, each of which had a different opinion about her hind leg issues. She eventually had a visit with an orthopedic specialist, who confirmed her canine cruciate ligaments (CCL) were torn in both of her hind legs, and they cannot heal on their own. In addition to torn CCLs, she has a luxating patella in her left hind leg, meaning her kneecap dislocates.

She will need three procedures to repair each of her CCLs and the luxating patella. She will be able to have her CCL and luxating patella in her left hind leg repaired at the same time, but she will need 6-8 weeks of recovery before having surgery for her other leg. It will be a lengthy healing process, but vets are positive she will make a full recovery, if surgery is completed.

We will keep everyone pupdated on her surgery schedule and recovery.

Frisbee is one of the many adoptable dogs at Wags and Walks in Los Angeles. She arrived with her eight 4-week-old puppies. She’s proven to be very sweet toward people and other dogs, but can be protective depending on the situation. One day, she began to display signs of vomiting, diarrhea, shaking, and she became wobbly. She had been perfectly fine the day before, and there were no reports of injuries or ingestion, so her sudden illness was a mystery. It was clear that she was dehydrated, so she received fluids while the medical team worked to eliminate potential causes, including a drug test. A vet partner suggested getting her to a hospital for further testing.

Billie is one of the many adoptable dogs at Wags and Walks. She’s a high-energy pup, very affectionate, and loves cuddling. Due to her active nature, she was placed in a foster home, where she could enjoy long walks and plenty of exercise. She began experiencing breathing and GI issues, so she was taken to an urgent care to figure out what was going on.

While at urgent care, x-rays revealed Billie’s lungs were full of air. A chest tube was used to empty her lungs, and she had bloodwork done. Over the next few days, her lungs continuously filled with air after having them emptied. It was clear something else was going on, so Billie was scheduled for a CT scan.

The results of the CT scan showed she has a bulla, a blister-like air pocket. As bullae grow, it takes up space in the chest cavity and can crowd the lungs. If too much pressure occurs on the lungs, it can result in dangerous disruption of the lung functions.

The bulla is causing pneumothorax, or a collection of air outside the lungs and within the chest walls. The vets have determined her best chance at recovery is to have a lung lobectomy surgery performed and removing the at-risk lung lobe.

In addition to her lung problems, Billie developed some back pains limiting her mobility. The radiologist suspects the fragments detected on her right thoracic limb radiographs are osteochondromas, a relatively uncommon benign bone tumor. There’s also evidence of osteoarthritis in that elbow. Her doctor will soon determine options for managing that in the future.

Ham arrived at Chicago Animal Care and Control as a sick stray. He was vomiting, lethargic, and ultimately tested positive for parvovirus. Unfortunately, due to cost and care for parvo puppies, they are euthanized if not pulled from the shelter by end of day. Luckily, our rescue partner One Tail at a Time jumped into action with 20 minutes left in the day to rescue Ham and get him the lifesaving care he needed. They were successful, and Ham was rescued from euthanasia.

Ham was immediately hospitalized after rescue. He’s receiving I.V. fluids, a nasogastric feeding tube, and a variety of medications to help him battle the parvovirus that’s taken over his body and made him incredibly weak. Once he’s strong enough, he’ll go to a medical foster home until he’s healthy enough to be adopted. We’ll keep everyone pupdated.

Chicago Animal Care and Control found Shovel as a stray. They immediately recognized there was something wrong with both of her hind legs, and wanted to get her rescued as quickly as possible to address her injuries. Our rescue partner, One Tail at a Time, was able to step in and pull her from the shelter. Despite the discomfort she must have been in, Shovel displayed her friendly, wiggly puppy personality to everyone she met.

A medical evaluation confirmed both of Shovel’s hind legs were broken, and an appointment at a Veterinary Specialty Center was setup. During her surgical consultation, vets discovered the fracture in one of her hind legs was in the process of healing on its own. With strict rest, it will fully heal. The fracture in her other hind leg is displaced, meaning the ends of the bone have come out of alignment, and will require surgery to repair.

After her surgery is complete, Shovel will go to a foster home to heal. She’s expected to make a full recovery, and we’ll be sure to keep everyone pupdated on her journey.