One of the great things our new Treatment Centre has enabled is the increased capacity for emergency vet care. We are so grateful for our head vet Doc Roland (who also has a full time job as a vet for Tarlac City Council) for he regularly drops everything at a moment’s notice to rush to the Centre in case of emergency. One such emergency came in recently in the form of Miracle, a german shepherd type aspin puppy (aspin is a term for cross breed in the Philippines). You will see from her story below how she came to be named this way…
Seeking Help
A barangay officer (similar to a town councillor in the UK) saw the puppy try to take shelter from the rain in the barangay office hall. Staff were trying to shoo her out of the building because she was carrying a terrible odour. However, she was unable to walk.
Realising help was needed, the officer made a bed for the puppy in the hall and called Doc Roland, who immediately saw the puppy at our Treatment Centre. The smell was coming from an infected open flesh wound with exposed bone to her front leg. Her hind leg was completely shattered. We believe she was the victim of a hit and run accident. How anyone could just drive off after hitting a dog and leaving it to suffer is unbelievable.
Clinical Examination
Doc Roland advised the hind leg was irreparable and thus performed an amputation to the whole leg. However, he was optimistic he could save the front leg. If the dog was to have any quality of life, it would need three legs. Fate was hanging in the balance, if the front leg couldn’t be saved either, it would be kinder to put the dog to sleep.
Doc Roland says that Miracle’s overall health has greatly improved – you can imagine how immunocompromised she must have been with an infected wound, malnourishment and in unimaginable pain from her injuries. She has also received the 5 in 1 vaccine, protecting her from viral diseases such as Parvo and Distemper.
Miracle Workers
The amputation was a success with the wound from the surgery completely healed. By treating the flesh wound on the front leg, clearing the infection and strapping it to fuse the bone, we are delighted to report the front leg is healing well. There appears to be slight nerve damage to the front leg, but Doc is working with our kennelmates to provide physiotherapy to help Miracle become more mobile. We are hoping she might make a good candidate for “Wheelies” – a dog wheelchair which attaches to their back end. This will help support Miracle’s only hind leg and take the pressure of the damaged front leg.
Remarkably, this beautiful young dog has kept a gentle disposition throughout her treatment, despite having such a terrible start in life. The best news for Miracle – the barangay officer has adopted her! This has meant she has had a home to go to between all her vet appointments, surgeries and check ups. Love and compassion is a great healer too.
Please donate what you can to help us continue to be able to help dogs like Miracle. Not many other Centres in the Philippines are able to offer the veterinary services and expertise as us. We would hate to have to turn a dog away due to insufficient supplies resulting from lack of funds.
Please help us so we can create more Miracles. Thank you.
