Charm desperately seeking a Leg

Charm  is a 6 month old mischievous pup that needs your help to get a new leg so that she can run and play like all the other dogs and join in the fun and live life pain free relieving the pressure on her spine and other joints and muscles.  

Charm has not had the best start in her short life.  Charm was with a mentally disturbed person that had been banned from  having animals, we don't really know what the conditions were like for her, we can only imagine.  Thankfully someone must have passed on the information to Council and they were going to seize Charm and with the help of another rescue group in Victorian country town,  they contacted  Starting Over Dog Rescue (a registered not for profit charity run by volunteers) who immediately looked for a carer for her and organised for her to come to Melbourne into foster care and see what could be done to hopefully get her a leg.  When she arrived Charm was just 4 months of age, missing a leg and underweight she was in poor condition, she literally inhaled food in the first couple of weeks in care.  In that short time this girl has suffered terrible trauma losing that left front leg.  We are not sure how it happened but we know that she was not born like this as she tries to use it all the time to get around and has even started using her nose to help her get her balance.

Dogs carry 60% of their weight through their front legs as Charm only has 1 front leg this is putting added stress on that remaining front leg as well as putting a massive strain on her spine meaning her spine is being twisted an will continue to twist the longer she is without the extra leg for support, placing more pressure on the discs, this causes hyper-mobility of vertebrae junctions causing spondylosis causing disc and nerve issues  with symptoms like .....

Stiffness
Limping
Restricted movement and rotation
Sensitivity to touch
Back pain
Growths that you can feel along the spine

to name a few, there is no cure or way to reverse this once it happens that is why it is so important to get her a new leg.  

From her specialist examination some of the findings are already scary - 

Kyphosis of thoracolumbar spine - basically means forward curvature of the spine due to the missing leg
Tenderness over thoracolumbar junction - in fact she is tender in a lot of areas due to her altered posture
Significant atrophy of supraspinatus and infraspinatus - the average age of dogs with this condition is 7 years of age

Whilst Charm may look like a healthy happy dog in spite of her missing leg she is suffering you just can't see it - yet


Charm will need to have a partial amputation of what is remaining on the limb because at the moment the stump is too sensitive to be able to have a prosthetic fitted comfortably, the operation will  cost approximately $2,000 .  The new prosthetic limb will cost in the vicinity of $3,000 its hard to be accurate as she needs to have a custom design as she will have no elbow left to be able to help her move forward. 

On top of that Charm will also need to go to Rehab and to Physiotherapy which will add up quickly but the sooner we can get this done the sooner she will be able to find her new home and to enjoy life and take the pressure off her spine and other joints that are already feeling the pressure as she is growing and gaining body weight.

Charm is getting ready for all of this by going to Physio twice a week doing exercises and swimming and water treadmill to build her muscles and gain core strength she is really doing her part. 


For a dog that has been through so much she is so loving and has such a sweet nature despite what life has thrown at her so far! Nothing worries her she is a happy and playful soul and so affectionate she loves being patted and loves tummy rubs. We can't wait to see her being able to chase the other dogs without falling over or sliding along the grass.  It is painful to watch her try to get around if she is tired and her remaining leg collapses under her as the ligaments and joints are not set yet as she is still a puppy. 



It would mean the world to all of us that volunteer for Starting Over Dog Rescue to see her standing on her own and enjoying life pain free!!
Most importantly I know it will mean the world to her to be able to "run" free

There will also be the need for another leg once she is fully grown so any extra funds raised would greatly be appreciated to give this gorgeous girl the best new start we can.

Keep an eye on https://www.facebook.com/StartingOverDogRescue/ we will post any updates and also let everyone know if Charm is going to be at an adoption day or dog day out if you would like to come along and give her a pat or a cuddle - she loves meeting people.

Starting Over Dog Rescue is a registered Not for Profit Charity run solely by unpaid volunteers.
All donations over $2.00 are tax deductible.

If you prefer to donate via the bank, please mark any donation as Charm's Leg
Commonwealth Bank to Starting Over dog Rescue
BSB 063 184 Acc 10373408

https://www.facebook.com/StartingOverDogRescue/

http://www.startingoverdogrescue.org.au/