Hi Everyone! I am pleased to introduce to you, Ms. Macey. Macey has had a very rough start to her life. On April 2nd, I received a phone call from Judie, the director of Make a Difference Rescue in Michigan, and she asked if I could pick up a young doberman from Alexander Animal Control in Taylorsville, NC. She did not want the puppy to stay in the shelter for Easter weekend. The offices were closed, but, they allowed me to pick her up on April 3rd at 9am.
At 8am, my husband and I drove to Taylorsville, a drive we do often as we pick up dogs for transport and fosters (we volunteer for Hartman's Haven Animal Rescue). When we pulled up the dirt driveway, there was this little Doberman that was walking out front with a shelter volunteer.
She was walking on her knuckles, her legs were oddly bent, her nose and face was also bent, her head was sunken in, and she was very, very skinny. It was something I have not seen before, nor was I prepared for, and I just cried.
We then heard her story - she was 6 weeks old when she was purchased from a local breeder. Her new "owner" kept her in a crate and never fed her. He was cited on a few occasions for not feeding her, but, nothing more was done. When her legs started to bend and twist, he brought her back to the breeder, who refused to take her or give the man his money back. The "owner" kept this tiny, underweight, fragile dog with twisted bones, tied to a log in the back of his pickup truck when Animal Control came out and took her away from him.
We filled out the paperwork and placed her gently in the car. On our way home, my husband pulls over to a local store and ran in to grab food for her, along with toys. We then drove straight to Charlotte Animal Referral and Emergency (C.A.R.E.) with Macey to have her evaluated. There was an extremely long wait, 6-8 hours, so they vet tech asked to come back first thing in the morning (Easter morning). We did exactly that.
They said she had the characteristics of a dog being locked in a crate that was too small for far too long, and starving. They recommended specific food, water therapy, and for her to be seen by the orthopedic team right away.
Macey started water therapy that week at Carolina Animal Specialty and Emergency (C.A.S.E.) in Hickory, as one of my other fosters (Tux) was already in water therapy due to surgery from his broken back (he was hit by a car in Taylorsville and they didn't think he'd make it). After quite a few therapy lessons, Angie, her therapist, noticed her back legs were not moving correctly. Macey was hopping, more than walking.
At Angies suggestion, Macey saw Dr Latimer at C.A.S.E. He performed x-rays, and delivered the news, her right hip was broken, she has severe hip dysplasia in both hips, and the growth plate was closed on the broken hip. He recommended that she either have FHO surgery, if she stays under 50lbs (about $5,000 - $6,000) or a complete hip replacement (around $10,000 - $12,000). He said he's seen many cases, but hers would not heal without surgical intervention.
Macey is a spunky 9 months old puppy now. She is growing like a weed and will likely not stay under 50lbs so FHO surgery is likely off the table. Dr. Latimer does not do complete hip replacements, so Macey has a referral to NC State Veterinary Hospital and Make a Difference Rescue is working on a referral to Michigan State University. We are seeing who can get her in the fastest, who has the best team, and compare costs.
While Macey is spunky, I see her struggle every day. If she is sitting on her bed, she gets up like a dog far beyond her years. She's stiff, her hips make all these popping noises and then you hear the grinding sound of the broken hip. Sometimes, she cries in pain. She hops instead of walking. She would love to play with the other dogs, if she could.
We have her on the best food available, joint supplements, omega-3, thanks to Joanna from the Organic Marketplace who recommended Fromm and Vital Planet supplements. She's on meds for the pain and inflammation, but, she really needs to have this surgery as soon as possible.
This is where we need your help. As I mentioned, the orthopedic doctor said it could be $10,000 to $12,000 for a complete hip replacement. Then 8 weeks of crate rest (I'm dreading putting her in the crate after what her former "owner" did to her - I'm going to have to purchase a Great Dane sized crate for her) and then intense physical therapy.
Macey needs your help, and fast. She lived in hell for the first 6 months of her life, and she deserves to live a great doggie life and play with her doggie friends (ahem Tux, we're looking at you buddy!!). Please, please help us get to this goal for her complete hip replacement surgery. Just to be clear, ALL donations are set to go to Make a Difference Rescue directly.
#MaceyStrong
#MaceyNeedsNewHips
