Roo the Two-Legged Dog Surgery
Donation protected
Roo the Chihuahua was born without front legs, and found abandoned in a park during winter. After being rescued, he and his best friend Penny the Chicken (who was previously rescued from a lab where she endured experiments) began "work" at an animal hospital, riding each day with their mom to be the hospital's pint-sized people greeters.
His and Penny's story was first picked up by a local newspaper, where they made the front page in October 2013. Shortly after, their story went viral and magazines and newspapers around the world ran it. They did a short interview on live television on Australia's Sunrise, were filmed by CNN and shared on Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, the Weather Channel and more. They will be featured on the show Unlikely Animal Friends on National Geographic soon.
Roo & Penny Chicken love people and have been visited at the hospital by people from all over the country. They attend several pet festivals every year with the animal hospital and have visited children's schools with their veterinarians to teach kids about medicine and about living with disabilities.
Despite his wheelchair, Roo's back, hips, and knees endure far more stress than they were built to, and at only two years old, his right leg has given out. Called a "luxating patella", his kneecap is out of place and won't stay where it is supposed to be. Though not uncommon in small dogs, Roo's case is unique because of his lack of front legs and ability to walk as a normal dog. His bone structure is abnormal, and without use of that leg, he is effectively crippled.
Roo saw a great orthopedic surgeon for consultation and to set up surgery to return his knee to where it should be. In two years, Roo's knees have gone from perfect to what is considered a grade 3 out of 4 on his right knee, and a grade 2 out of 4 on his left. Though we are currently focusing on his right knee, his left will likely need surgery in the not-too-far future, especially with the decreased use of his right. In a small amount of cases, a second surgery has to be done to further stabilize the knee.
In the weeks and months following the operation, the surgeon would like to continue physical therapy as well as hydro therapy, using an underwater treadmill, in order to better his recovery and rehabilitation.
While we do not know all the costs expected of Roo's journey, each surgery is around $2200, plus post-operative care, rechecks and follow-up x-rays/diagnostics, months of physical and hydrotherapy, and any unforeseen complications. We are accepting donations to ease the cost of Roo's continued treatment so that we can ensure he receives every bit of care he needs to make the best possible recovery. We want him back wheeling around the animal hospital, visiting kids, and hanging out with his best chicken friend as soon as possible!
http://m.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2013/oct/02/duluth-vet-worker-adopted-pup-chicken/?templates=mobile
His and Penny's story was first picked up by a local newspaper, where they made the front page in October 2013. Shortly after, their story went viral and magazines and newspapers around the world ran it. They did a short interview on live television on Australia's Sunrise, were filmed by CNN and shared on Buzzfeed, Huffington Post, the Weather Channel and more. They will be featured on the show Unlikely Animal Friends on National Geographic soon.
Roo & Penny Chicken love people and have been visited at the hospital by people from all over the country. They attend several pet festivals every year with the animal hospital and have visited children's schools with their veterinarians to teach kids about medicine and about living with disabilities.
Despite his wheelchair, Roo's back, hips, and knees endure far more stress than they were built to, and at only two years old, his right leg has given out. Called a "luxating patella", his kneecap is out of place and won't stay where it is supposed to be. Though not uncommon in small dogs, Roo's case is unique because of his lack of front legs and ability to walk as a normal dog. His bone structure is abnormal, and without use of that leg, he is effectively crippled.
Roo saw a great orthopedic surgeon for consultation and to set up surgery to return his knee to where it should be. In two years, Roo's knees have gone from perfect to what is considered a grade 3 out of 4 on his right knee, and a grade 2 out of 4 on his left. Though we are currently focusing on his right knee, his left will likely need surgery in the not-too-far future, especially with the decreased use of his right. In a small amount of cases, a second surgery has to be done to further stabilize the knee.
In the weeks and months following the operation, the surgeon would like to continue physical therapy as well as hydro therapy, using an underwater treadmill, in order to better his recovery and rehabilitation.
While we do not know all the costs expected of Roo's journey, each surgery is around $2200, plus post-operative care, rechecks and follow-up x-rays/diagnostics, months of physical and hydrotherapy, and any unforeseen complications. We are accepting donations to ease the cost of Roo's continued treatment so that we can ensure he receives every bit of care he needs to make the best possible recovery. We want him back wheeling around the animal hospital, visiting kids, and hanging out with his best chicken friend as soon as possible!
http://m.gwinnettdailypost.com/news/2013/oct/02/duluth-vet-worker-adopted-pup-chicken/?templates=mobile
Organizer
Alicia Williams
Organizer
Suwanee, GA
