Cal The Tri-Pod Had Two Hip Surgeries

Hi, my name is Joanne Pasta and I'm fundraising for Cal, my nephew Nathan's and my niece-in-law Sasha's sweet dog.

Six years ago, Sasha rescued Cal (AKA California, Lil' Cal, Calzone, Cali) from a shelter after he received an emergency amputation on his front left leg. Cal has been happily living on three paws ever since with his loving owners Sasha and Nate in Vancouver, BC. Cal spins for food and loves to go to parks and play with other dogs. He's managed perfectly fine on his 3 legs up until July. Now Cal needs our help …

Surgery Number One

In early July, Cal spontaneously dislocated his back left hip. He was rushed to the vet, and they were able to get his hip back in place. However, the vet wasn't confident that it would stay in his hip socket because of how easily it dislocated and how simply it went back into place. She mentioned surgery was on the horizon if his hip didn't stay in.

Sure enough, one-week later Cal's hip dislocated again and required a Femoral Head Ostectomy (FHO) surgery. He was booked for surgery on July 20. It was a tough few weeks for Lil’ Cal, Sasha and Nate.

Recovering 

Thankfully, Cal had a very successful surgery. The surgeon who fixed Cal up was concerned about his other hip and encouraged Sasha and Nate to exercise him after his post-op recovery.  They did light at-home physio to keep the leg moving and Cal was recovering well, weight-bearing, and was starting to act like his old self. 

Surgery Number Two

Cal's recovery was going so well, but on July 29th he tried to stand up on his own and before Sasha and Nate could get to him, he lost his balance and fell. In the process, he dislocated his other hip. 

He was rushed to the emergency vet and was monitored and assessed overnight where they determined he would need another critical FHO surgery on his back right hip. This was disheartening news to find out that only 10 days into his recovery, he would need to be operated on a second time. Nate and Sasha contacted Cal's first surgeon who opened his colleague's clinic and came in on a holiday to give Cal his much-needed surgery on August 2. Sasha and Nate are forever grateful for this surgeon's care and compassion. 

What’s Ahead for Cal 

Sasha and Nate are worried about Cal’s ability to bounce back from two surgeries so close together, the fact that he's a tripod and now must recover two bad hips at the same time! They are committed to his recovery, which requires 24-hour monitoring and attention as Cal is not able to stand, walk or go to the bathroom on his own. Every pee, poop, and meal are a small victory to Cal's road to recovery!

His second surgery is fresh, but Cal needs to get going and get better! He will need professional physical therapy and lots of attention but should be able to recover to the point of being able to walk on his own again.

How Your Donation Will Be Used  

Sasha and Nate were able to afford his first emergency vet visits and surgery which totalled $5,000. But, the unexpected expenses of his second surgery are a strain. His second emergency vet visits and surgery bills totalled $6,500. Also, it is uncertain how much Cal’s future physical therapy will cost; he will need professional attention to recover.

Cal is a strong, resilient little dog, and we are confident that he’ll recover, but it’s going to be a long road.

How You Can Help

Thank you for any words of encouragement and for anything you can donate. Also, if you’d like to share this story with others who you think might help, that would be fabulous. It’s been quite an emotional two weeks for Sasha and Nate. Stay tuned for updates. Or check his Instagram: @calthetripawd