Likes: Love and Affection Pet-Peeves: His little brother badgering him Favorite Toy: Anything you'll play tug of war with Favorite Food: The kind in his bowl Favorite Walk: To the Park! Best Tricks: Shake and Paw, Say HI! Arrival Story: Rosco first came into the humane society where I used to work. He was 8 weeks old and paralyzed from the waist down. The people who brought him in did not know what had happened. They had found him underneath their trailer a week earlier with his brother and decided to look after him. He was perfectly normal until the day before, when they had come home from work and he came dragging his back end to greet them. They had no money, and could barely afford the office visit to bring him in. They both worked twelve hour shifts and had been keeping him in a cardboard box in their living room until they could bring him to the clinic.
Radiographs showed no spinal injury. He had zero conscious proprioception in his rear limbs, and no deep pain from his tail to the thoracic region of his spine.
The couple could not keep him in his condition, and were going to turn him over to the humane society. Devasated, I knew that the shelter manager would not consent to keeping and treating a paralyzed puppy, and that the poor little guy would be euthanized. The doctor and I walked down the corridors to get the paperwork necessary for release. I stopped her and asked if there was some way I could take the puppy and we could try therapy to see if we could help him- to at least give him a chance.
We conspired and explained our plan to the owners. They were so thankful and dutifully carried their now empty cardboard box out through the lobby as if it still contained the little guy. I bundled him in a laundry basket and brought the towels out through the shelter and into a holding kennel in the rear. That day I snuck him out through the back and into my car. Bio: One month went by with no improvement on the dangerous steroid therapy which was his only hope. Despite daily physical therapy and drugs, I had begun to give up. One morning before work, he was dragging himself over to me- and started barely to kick his back legs! It was almost like watching a baby learn to crawl. His kicking got stronger as the days went on, and eventually he started to stand with little, then no support. Then one day he took his first steps- 1,2,3,4-8 tentative ones toward me and then sat back down. I held him and cried and knew then he would be okay. Now, almost 3 years later, you can't even tell what a rought start he had in life. His tail does wag a little slower than usual, and he is a bit clumsy, but other than that he's a perfect dog whom I love dearly. He will always be my baby Rosco. Forums Motto: Everyone deserves a chance! The Groups I'm In: Vets and Techs and Students I've Been On Dogster Since:
