Look at that pretty face! She's even cuter when she's actually awake!
Still sleepy from the anesthesia.
She is one of the friendliest dogs I've ever met. It took her a couple hours but she's finally completely bounced back from the anesthesia used for her X-ray, and she's 110% focused on getting our approval, affection, and... food. It's super cute.
She's house trained and very quiet. Her whine sounds like a squeaky toy. Seriously. It's adorable. She's crate trained, and even though she's not in a schedule or anything yet, she knows the drill and doesn't make much fuss if you have to put her away for a bit. I simply cannot believe how sweet and well-trained this little dog is, despite being injured so seriously.
Oh yeah, about that.
When we went in to take a look at the x-ray, the first thing the doc said was "She's been shot." I tell you what - that is right up there with things you wish the vet would never, ever say. Hit by car isn't much better, but it angers me so much to think someone shot her and let her wander off, with no medical attention whatsoever for weeks. There's no external injury on her now except a scar, and she's been starving since. Even if you thought she was a coyote, or if she was getting into something of yours - that just isn't right.
There was no righteous indignation in the room, however, just a film lit up on the wall. Bullet bits and bone fragments sprayed out across her lower abdomen and back legs, but no organs appeared to be injured. Where one back leg bone ought to go into the pelvis was shattered - the bottom half of the bone appeared fine and it still made it into the pelvis but the bone is...well, it's history. It's amazing to me that she can move it at all.
Little girl's X-ray film. The bright white spots are bullet
fragments. You can see clearly where the bone was
shattered, just below where it connects with the pelvis.
We have two options to discuss with the doctor who will actually operate on her. One - putting a pin in the part of the bone still in the pelvis and the part below the break to hold the two together. This isn't guaranteed to fix it or be very strong, and she will still have a lot of damage in the area. Two - removal of the leg at the break. Considering how close it is to her pelvis, it'd make her a three-legged dog.
She's basically getting along that way now, but she does still have the leg to balance, and I'm worried about how she'll compensate when that weight isn't there. I'm going to be getting her as much exercise as she wants to try and build up the muscle in the other leg so if it has to happen, she'll be closer to ready for it. In the meantime, fingers crossed we can take a simpler approach.
Whatever happens, she now has a supportive, loving family to help her through it.
I realize I don't have a giant readership yet or anything, but if you're reading this and you would like to help us raise money for her forthcoming surgery, she and I would both really appreciate it. When I know how much it will cost I'll add a widget of some kind to make donating easier - in the meantime if you'd like to help, please email me at twsquirrels@gmail.com.
-Miss Mouse
<:3 )~~
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