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Dane - A Dog in Need
 
Dane is a very sweet 1 1/2 yr old doberboy. He came to DAR&E in April 2009 along with his brother from a shelter in Maryland where he had been left by his owner. While in foster care we noticed Dane would limp on his left leg at times. We had x-rays done and at first the vet thought that crate rest and leash walking would allow him to heal but it soon became apparent more was needed to be done. We took Dane to a Veterinary Orthopedic Sports specialist in Maryland to be evaluated.

The conclusion was that Dane needed a surgical procedure called a Tibial Plateau Leveling Osteotomy (TPLO). Although the surgery is very expensive DAR&E knew we had to find the funds to get it done right away for Dane’s sake. The surgery was done on August 31st. Dane was kept overnight and came home the next day. You could tell that poor Dane was in pain the first few days after surgery but he had pain medication to help him through it. Of course he had to wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent him from pulling out the 13 staples in his knee. That wasn't much fun for Dane especially since he had to be crated as well to keep him still 
so the knee could start to heal. The incision healed in about 2 weeks and the staples removed so he doesn’t have to wear the Elizabethan collar anymore but he still has to be crated and leashed walked. It is estimated that it will take 3 months for Dane’s knee to heal.

It is heartbreaking that poor Dane has had to go through a painful surgery and be confined and leashed walked for so many months. The good news is that once his knee heals he will be able to run and play like other dogs!
 
UPDATE:  October 2009 After months of recuperation, while Dane endured the pain from  surgery, the Elizabethan collar (to protect his incision), and lots of crate time, he is feeling much better now.  Although he doesn't have to wear the collar anymore, he still has to be crated and leash walked.  It will take 
 another four weeks  for Dane's knee to completely heal, but his follow-up exam revealed substantial bone growth at the surgical site.  Dane is well on his way to a full recovery.  He can't wait to run and play and just be a dog.
 
UPDATE:  November 2009  Great news!!!  Dane went for his 3 month post-surgery check up and his knee has healed completely!  It has been a long time coming but Dane is finally free from constant crating and leash walks. Dane can be a dog again!!  We still want to take things a bit slow as you would with a person who has been inactive for so long. He is allowed to run off lead but we don't want him doing a bunch of spinning and jumping so he isn't having playtime with other dogs yet.  This is to give the muscles in his left leg a chance to catch up with his uninjuried leg's muscles. Due to the exercises we were doing during rehab his left leg isn't too far behind his right but we don't want to risk him injuring his other knee by putting too much stress on it right away.  By the new year, Dane will be ready to look for his furever home!  The cost of Dane's surgery and after care exceeded $4,100.
 
UPDATE:  December 2009   Dane is doing great and is now looking for his furever home!
UPDATE:  January 2010    Dane has found his furever home and is going great!