15/10 Members

December 13, 2022

Hercules Amount Donated

$750.00

Pupdates

Shelter

Hercules was a stray dog in a Walmart parking lot that a good Samaritan picked up and turned into Austin Humane Society. He arrived at the shelter with a long, large scar that ran from his torso to his back hip and down to his knee. Hercules was limping significantly on both of his back legs and letting his rescuers know he was in an immense amount of pain. It’s not certain how long he was wandering the streets in pain, but the right humans came along to help.

Vet

Hercules was sedated and given an in-depth examination at his hips, hind legs and knees. The vet diagnosed him with luxating patellas on both of his hind legs. This happens when the kneecap, which normally sits on the groove of the thighbone shifts out of alignment. Hercules’ left leg is a grade III and his right is a grade IV.

The left, being a grade III, means the kneecap is out of place the majority of the time but can be manually pushed back into the groove. The right leg, however, is permanently out of the groove. Poor Hercules also has a broken right leg.

The vet consulted on Hercules’ case recommended surgery for both knees to ensure the highest possible quality of life for this gentle giant. Herc is estimated to only be about a year old, so he has lots of life ahead of him! After the surgery, he’ll need a few days of supervision at the vet’s office before he can move into a medical foster home. While in foster, he’ll undergo a few months of physical therapy to get his back legs working again.

About Hercules

Weighing in at 75 pounds, Hercules is a gentle giant! He tends to drool pretty excessively but absolutely loves both people and animals. Volunteers at AHS describe his personality as “chill” and “laid back.” He gets excited to see other dogs and loves to play through the fence in the dog runs.

He would also like to know if you can do this with your tongue. It’s his special talent.

• Category: 1510Dog, Adopted