Ladybird

#13-063 Ladybird, update 6/28

AVAILABLE ~7/22

Good news for Ladybird today!

Dr. Kerpsack removed her cast and did X-rays that looked fine. You would not believe the amount of hardware in her little elbow!  The contracted right ankle seems much improved.

She will start Physical Therapy this Friday, June 28, and have sessions twice weekly. She has grown so much! She now weighs 28 1/2 pounds. Since she no longer has activity restrictions, I took her out in the backyard when we got home. When she ran across the grass I just know she must have been hollering "Finally! I’m FREE!”

#13-063 Ladybird, update 6/23

AVAILABLE ~ July 15

Just a quick update on this gangly cutie…

She had her post-op recheck on June 17, and the incision site from her leg surgery

looks good.  She does have some contracture in her wrist, so the surgeon put on a splint; she’ll wear it for two weeks, and then come back for a recheck. Of course she’s still on exercise restrictions.

While installed at the vet’s for her appointment, adorable Ladybird caught the eye of several clinic clients, who then called GRR  to inquire about her. No doubt about it, when she’s ready to go, this redhead is going to be a red-hot “prospect”!

#13-063 Ladybird, age 14 weeks

AVAILABLE ~ 7/1/13

The ladybird beetle is a symbol of good fortune—and there’s no doubt that GRR’s Ladybird is a lucky girl. She’ll bring her new family good luck, too, because for companionship, endless entertainment and an instant lift to the spirits, nothing beats a Golden Retriever puppy!

Just a few weeks ago, though, this little Golden wasn’t feeling too fortunate. She’d been hit by a car, a glancing blow that sent the twenty-pounder flying and broke her right foreleg. Her family could see their pup was in pain, of course, but they just didn’t have the means to pay for vet care and possible surgery. Enter Ladybird’s Fairy Godmother—an out-of-town relative who decided to get the injured puppy the help she needed. She drove down South and collected the adorable redhead, and called GRR, too: “I want to get her medical care right away, but I can’t keep her long term.” The very next day, Ladybird was at the vet’s for evaluation.

There was plenty of good news: Ladybird’s heart, lungs, eyes, and ears are all tip-top. Despite her bad leg, she was eating fine and socializing like a Golden should! But for the broken leg, the vet took one look at the X-rays, saw two healing fractures, and immediately referred Ladybird to a specialist. He knew the repair would be complicated, and time was of the essence: the leg was already knitting (puppies heal very rapidly), but since it had never been set, it was growing together crookedly. The surgeon would have to re-break the leg to set it correctly—but if we waited even a few more days to operate, he’d have to cut it apart, which would be even harder. “I can fit her in this Friday, May 31,” he offered. Done!

The surgery was a success, though it took longer than expected: when the surgeon took pre-op films, he learned that the leg was broken in THREE places, not just two. He put in four metal rods and a screw. “Now the alignment is good,  considering the severity of the break. She started out with no range of motion in the elbow; now it’s pretty good, and should continue to improve. We barely made it in time to do the repair, given how quickly puppies’ bones grow!”

After spending the night recuperating at the clinic, Ladybird headed home with her foster mom—and met her foster sister and fellow EGF dog, Spring. She’ll need 4 weeks of exercise restriction, consisting of crate rest and controlled walks; elbow fractures can get stiff easily, so it will be important to do the controlled walks as directed.

Here’s an early report from foster mom Rita:

Ladybird has settled in nicely since she came to stay with Spring and me last Saturday. The Tramadol and Carprofen seem to control her pain very well. She takes potty breaks in the yard with her leash and harness; otherwise she remains on crate rest. If given the chance, she would love to run! She is quite the active puppy. She is so, so sweet. I can see her in a family with a sweet little girl who wants a sweet little puppy to grow up with. Her right elbow incisions seem fine & stitches look good; she still has some swelling, so I am applying ice packs three or four times daily. She seems to like that, I think because it means she gets to come out of the crate and be held! She, like Spring, loves to be loved. We have a follow-up appointment on the 12^th for suture removal. More news to come!