Thanks to expert veterinarians, a sweet puppy is able to walk normally for the first time in her life.
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In May 2021, an animal rescue group in Dallas, Texas, discovered a 13-week-old rat terrier. The tiny pup had been through a lot, and there was something clearly wrong with her front paws: They were upside down.
As shocking as the discovery was, the animal rescue group knew exactly where Siggi needed to be to receive help.
In 2019, Oklahoma State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine garnered national attention for successfully performing surgery on Milo, a foxhound puppy born with a deformity that seemed similar to Siggi’s.
Everyone who heard Milo’s story fell in love with the precious pup. Dr. Erik Clary, the veterinarian who performed the surgery, can certainly attest to that fact! People around the country were so invested in Milo that they were still begging for updates months after the dog’s operation. This prompted OSU to hold a conference so everyone would know that Milo is as happy as ever.
Although this type of deformation is rare, OSU confirmed the similarities between Siggi and Milo.
“As with Milo, Siggi’s problem looked like it was in the paws but it was actually in her elbows,” Erik said. “For reasons not fully understood, these patients’ elbows come out of joint early in life and the result is severe rotation of the lower front limbs and an inability to walk. At most, they might muster a crawl that seems most uncomfortable and is poorly suited for a dog’s life.”
Unfortunately, the differences in the dogs’ disabilities meant Siggi’s surgery would be a bit more complicated.
“Unlike Milo, Siggi had significant deformity of the bones in the lower part of her elbow complicating the joint issue,” Erik continued. “The CT helped us plan a more complex procedure that would require an intentional break high up in her ulna bone to de-rotate the limb.”
Although Siggi’s procedure required her to use splints and an orthopedic fixator device while her bones healed afterward, everything went perfectly! She may not be able to run like most dogs yet, but the progress she’s made is stunning!
“Lorraine, her medical foster with Dallas Dog RRR, did a fabulous job implementing an incremental rehabilitation regimen that now has Siggi doing many things that puppies like to do, including chasing a ball in the yard,” Erik said. “Truly, I could not be more pleased with Siggi’s progress.”
What an unbelievable transformation! Don’t forget to share this story to make someone smile.
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