Spain, racing name "Shake a Leg" (who we affectionately called Break a Leg for a while <G>), is an 9 year old brood who had orthopedic surgery July 14 at Missouri University Vet School. Spain's procedure cost around $1000. She will need weekly bandage changes, plus new radiographs at MU in 4 weeks, plus the plate surgically removed in 8 weeks post-op.

Spain's heelbone had been completely dislocated and had to be placed back into the correct position during the surgery.  She also had a pressure sore on her heel that had to be stitched closed. Then, bone from her knee was grafted to the heelbone to stabilize it to the surrounding bone.  A metal bone plate was attached over the bone graft to keep it in place to allow the graft to heal.  

August 11....

Today Spain went back to MU for a checkup and all is looking great!  Her soft cast was removed so now she's no longer sporting hot pink or bright blue leg decor to match her new collar <grin>.

She has very limited range of motion in her toes, ankle, knee and hip on that leg and needs 15 minutes of physical therapy done 3 times per day to stretch out the tissues and work the muscles that have atrophied.  Spain can only be leash-walked to force her to slow down enough to encourage her to start using that leg again and to prevent her from damaging the leg during recovery.

She needs to go back to MU for radiographs and a check up (and possibly the removal of the bone plate) in 4 more weeks. 

August 20... Spain is doing beautifully....what a brave girl :)   She doesn't really like her exercises...physical therapy is really hard work!  She is so trusting though and tolerates it very well.  She gets all proud of herself and rubs her face into my hands for more "real petting" when we're finished <grin>....she's about the sweetest thing!  Her leg is looking so good that Dr. Cook doesn't think we will need to put her through another surgery to remove the plate.

September 2.... Spain is doing fabulously!  She is now regularly putting some weight on her injured foot when she walks and continues to improve all the time!  I can even now get my finger between her toes during her stretching exercise which we couldn't do before.  As you can see from the pictures, Spain fits perfectly into family life...even so far as to commandeer a favorite stuffed dog to snuggle with :)

September 13...

Wow!  What a lucky girl!  Spain left on the Golden Greys haul last Saturday, September 11, to her new forever home in Pennsylvania!   Her new mommy says she's fitting in fabulously with her new family and has happily decided which living room doggie bed is hers :)  Don't you just love happy endings?!?!?!