#380 Sadie, born 7/1/05
Sadie on the day of her rescue.
On Wednesday, July 26, 2006, at 08:51 AM, Foster mom Christine Meginness
wrote:
Hi Everyone,
Our little girl Sadie arrived safe and sound last night; unfortunately for
her not until almost 8:30pm (delayed flight and missed flight). She greeted
her new home by pooping on the floor. :-) We gave her a bath the best we
could (we have an old clawfoot tub that's not very amenable to doggy bathing...we
normally take our dog to a nearby pet wash). She was cooperative in the
bath - it probably felt good for her to get clean. We will take her for
a better bath in the next couple of days.
We've put out food and water for her. She's eaten a bit but I haven't seen
her drink anything. She also hasn't peed or pooped again since she arrived,
including all night long in her crate. We've taken her outside repeatedly
and now have the back door open so she can come and go at will (we have
a very tiny, very securely fenced yard). When should we start being concerned
if she doesn't go?
When bathing her I noticed she has a lot of little crusty scabby spots on
her body. We've given her the ointment and pills that were taped to her
crate; hopefully these will start to help her feel better soon. But overall
she seems really, really itchy. Would it be appropriate to treat her with
some Advantage? Also I see she has infections in both eyes, and there was
no medication attached to the crate for that. We have some drops from Buster's
last eye infection; would it be OK to try them on Sadie? Or should we bring
her to a vet for a prescription?
Her missing foot must be a fairly new injury as she does not seem quite
used to it yet. She's always trying to use it, and seems a bit off balance
in general. She is doing OK with walking upstairs, but unfortunately her
first attempt at downstairs was done rapidly as she chased our dog Buster,
so she took a face plant and now is too scared to try the stairs again.
We'll keep coaxing her into it.
She and Buster are getting along. She follows him around wherever he goes
but doesn't bother him; she just wants to be in the same room where he is.
She's very interested when he jumps up on the bed, couch, chair...I think
if she was a little bigger and had her back foot she would be jumping up
there with him. Buster's a little jealous, I can tell, but he's a gentleman
and other than stealing the treats that Sadie doesn't eat, he lets her be.
Some cute things about Sadie: when it is light out or the light is on in
the backyard, she has walked into the glass door several times. I think
she is finally starting to figure out where the opening is. Then when it's
dark and she sees her reflection in the glass door, she starts barking at
that dog she sees in the glass! Her bark sounds almost like a sneeze...I
don't think she's used her voice much. She is very demanding of affection.
She is constantly approaching me or Mitch for scratches and love. Then of
course Buster needs to get in on the action. :-)
Right now she is snoozing away on the rug. She perks up at noises but is
not afraid of them, even loud ones (the coffee grinder, for example). She
is soooo tiny. You said she was born in 3/2004? Her rabies certificate says
1/2002. But she looks about the size Buster was at 9 months old.
We took a couple of pictures, attached. She was still wet from her bath,
and we still have not mastered the art of photographing a black dog.
Thanks again for letting us be a part of this. And thank you for the work
you do.
-Christine (and Mitch)
From: Janet Joers <JJoers@impulse.net>
Date: Fri Aug 11, 2006 5:29:21 PM US/Pacific
Subject: Sadie's Prosthesis
Hi all.
I had a very interesting talk with Martin Kaufman, the Bracing Technologist at Ortho Pets (www.orthopets.com). He reviewed the photos of Sadie that we sent to him, and is confident he can help her. It appears to him that her injury occurred mid-tarsal--between the paw and the hock, and dogs with a remaining hock are relatively easy to fit with a prosthetic device. He has in mind something like this:
This
one was designed for a Lab, but one for a Kerry would only be about 5-6
inches long, and weigh only 5-7 ounces. The bottom part would not be so
massive (as it would be bearing far less weight). The inside is lined with
silcone to prevent irritation, and moves easily on and off, especially on
a dog with thick hair (leg hair should not be clippered off). It fastens
to the leg with a simple buckle, and dogs quickly get accustomed to wearing
them. The bottom allows rotation and traction. The buckle and tread are
replaceable parts. The whole prosthetic should last 3 years before a new
one would need to be fitted, as the leg will change over time. The prosthesis
can be worn for walks, playing, running around the yard, etc., but can be
(and should be) removed at night or when the dog is resting. The cost of
the device will be anywhere from $300 to $600, depending on the number of
preliminary fittings needed to get things just right. From initial measurements
to final fitting can take 3 to 5 weeks.
The process is outlined on the Ortho Pets web site and is
basically:
- The Foundation signs a contract, which is on their web site, and agrees to fund the work.
- Sadie's vet takes detailed measurements of her good leg, then makes a casting of her bad leg, using a "casting kit" provided by Ortho Pets. Martin will consult with the vet about this procedure.
- From the casting, Martin makes the first of 2 or 3 clear plastic "check sockets" that Sadie tries on, just like Cinderella tried on the glass slipper. The clear plastic makes it obvious where rubbing occurs on the leg, and those areas are marked, and the whole thing is returned to Martin for adjustment. Usually 2 or 3 are made until a perfect fit is achieved.
- From the last check socket, Martin makes the prosthesis, which will give Sadie full mobility and correct posture.
Before we begin, Martin has asked to see a video of Sadie's movement, particularly from the side and from the rear (at dog level, not looking down on her). [....]
Big thanks to Eileen and Peggy for reading the BARK article and identifying
Ortho Pets, to Mimi who alerted Dianne, to Dianne who followed up immediately
and made the contact, and to Christine & Mitch for playing such an important
role in improving this little girl's life. Together, we're going to save
her leg!
Jan in Santa Ynez, CA
Sadie Playing--The Movie
(File size: 6.2 MB)
It will take several minutes to download - even at DSL speeds.
From: "Dix, Nancy" <Nancy.Dix@dlapiper.com>
Date: Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:02:50 PM US/Pacific
Subject: Sadie in her new home with and the Murph
Sadie & Murphy sitting in a tree.....
Well not quite, but they are getting on just fine as you can see.
Nancy
