Sweet NUGGET healed from his original surgery and now was ready for his second operation. We were hoping over the last couple of months his Luxating Patella would have settled down but as active as he is, that did not happen. Certain dogs whimper in pain at for no reason at all, and then there are those that have unbelievable pain and never complain. Nugget is the latter.
We can give you ten reasons why he should not be walking, and this fantastic, blue-eyed pup has only one answer, Let's Go! Nothing seems to bother him. You look at this legs, and you know he hurts, but he does not complain for one second. It is only after he has run around and played to his heart's content that he gives in to the uncomfortable feeling he is having. His kneecap comes out of its usual groove and moves where it should not. The ligaments get stretched and can no longer hold it into place.
Luxating patellas can be very painful for active dogs. For a lot of dogs, they are debilitating, and they refuse to use the leg at all. We knew when Nugget began to limp; it was time to do his surgery. Dr. Jennifer Au, his Orthopedic Surgeon, had been monitoring his progress. On his last follow-up appointment, she decided he was going to have to have the procedure sooner rather than later.
The procedure was several hours long and was guaranteed to slow Nugget down for several weeks. In surgery, the patellar ligament to the tibia is transplanted to its proper location. The groove in the femur is then deepened so the patella will stay in place. The capsule around the joint is then tightened to prevent the patella from luxating again. A lot has to go into this procedure to prevent it from happening again.
Nugget came out of surgery like a Champ. He was kept comfortable but not overly sedated given how active he usually is. When I picked up Nugget to bring him back to the Rehab facility several days later, I was prepared to carry him all over the place until he felt better. He looked at me like I was crazy. Why was I picking him up when he was perfectly fine walking on his own.
I knew then we were going to have to put him on strict cage rest until his knee healed adequately. This adorable pup is a handful. NOTHING holds him back when it comes to his desire to run and play. I now know that he had to have been in unbelievable pain when he was found in the bushes unable to move. The biggest shock of all is his Family gave him up after they were contacted. They apparently must have a couple of screws loose because Nugget is one of the most amazing, joyful dogs you will ever meet.
He greets you with a smile every minute of the day. He loves everyone he meets, including other dogs. If you looked up the work PERFECT in the dictionary, you would find his picture because he is perfect in every way. I wish we had 100 more dogs just like him. I would not want any of them to have been hurt the way Nugget was, but his personality is the best.
We have lots of dogs still in Rehab and in the hospital. Each one has medical bills attached. Please, DONATE toward Nuggets Surgery so we can keep helping abused, neglected dogs like Nugget get the necessary Medical Care they need to Survive and Thrive.
