Pupdates

Shelter

Kiwi was wandering along a rural area outside of Austin with an obviously broken back half of her body. An animal control officer picked her up and took her to the shelter, where she was slated to be euthanized due to the extent of her injuries. Thankfully, Austin Humane stepped in just in time to give this baby a second chance.

Vet Visit

Kiwi was seen by the Austin Humane Society veterinarian and had numerous x-rays taken to assess the damage to her body. She has a badly broken pelvis, two fractures in her hip joint, and a broken femur. (In medical terms: She has a broken left illium, two acetabular fractures, an avulsed greater trochanter, and a salter-harris fracture of her distal femur.)

Kiwi needs surgery – and possibly more than one. To provide her the best quality of life, the surgeon will perform potentially four individual repairs: one to stabilize her pelvic fractures, two to set her broken femurs. The last surgery, called a “femoral head osteotomy” will occur if her hip bone socket doesn’t develop correctly. If that surgery is unsuccessful, she’ll need her leg amputated altogether.

She has a long road ahead of her and her anticipated recovery time from the first surgery is at least 8-12 weeks.

Even though her little body needs a lot of help, the AHS staff love her. “Kiwi is a delight! Despite being in obvious pain, she is constantly wagging her tail and going in for kisses. She loves to be held and nuzzle up on your neck!”

• Category: 1510Dog, Adopted