UPDATE: Chenko's Hip & Knee Dysplasia Surgeries

UPDATE: Thank you for the wave of generosity in helping this sweet pup get into surgery. With more than half the cost raised, we were able to get Chenko into surgery this week! (4/12) -- He had 2 surgeries on his right hind leg and he's now home recovering and will take at least 2 months of slow recovery and physical therapy to get back to normal. God bless your hearts for helping us get here:

Chenko is a rescue pup currently living with my partner's senior father. Chenkito has Hip Dysplasia in his left and right hip, with the right side being the most severe. He also has his knees misplaced due to Medial Patellar Luxation (MPL) - a condition in which the patella (kneecap) pops out of its position. In addition to causing discomfort, it disrupts the normal function of the knee by pulling the quads muscle out of its normal alignment. It's evident when he walks or runs because he limps and bunny hops. When he's really tired, he then drags his rear legs and mainly pulls his body around with his front legs and chest.

We had Chenkito radiographed at 3-4 months of age and 3 medical opinions all told us to wait until he was older and his muscles and bones were better developed, to see if any self-correction would occur. Now he's about 8-9 months and the orthopedic specialist ran a new set of x-rays (pictured below) where I circled the areas that are marked as most severe (his right hind leg).

The femoral head needs to be positioned lower through FHO surgery and his kneecap needs to be positioned in alignment where his knee joint bends and flexes which would be done through MPL surgery. The total cost for these 2 surgeries is starting at $6000 and the medical opinion is that the surgery happens as soon as possible, due to the amount of muscle degradation and how developed his bones now are. While the same dysplasia affects the left hind leg, the surgeon wants to address the right leg only and allow him to heal. She believes the left leg would self-correct because it's not as far off as the right leg.

Chenkito is currently living with my partner's senior father in Southern California and we've all worked together to cover his medical expenses so far. We want to help Chenkito live the happiest and healthiest life because he deserves the chance to experience daily activity without pain and discomfort. Our hope is to raise these funds to get him into surgery as soon as possible, as we do not have the $6000 upfront. If there's any way you can help, whether by donating or sharing this fund with your networks, it would be very appreciated.

Thank you so much for caring to read Chenko aka Chewie aka Kodi’s story (yes, he goes by 3 names! That's a different story for another day!)