When Blue was transferred to our Reno clinic from our Carson City Shelter, I knew right away we had our work cut out for us.
Blue was originally transferred from our partners at Lyon County Animal Control and upon arrival, she was so excited to be there. She hopped out of their truck and we noticed immediately she was not putting weight on her back right leg. When our vet examined her, she thought it was a chronic injury that had been exacerbated by the jump and requested she be transferred to our Reno location for a full work up and diagnostics at the clinic there. That is where I first got to meet this giant beauty.
Blue is a Great Pyrenees and like many giant breeds, she is prone to knee problems. The clinic got right to work and took x-rays which confirmed the vet’s suspicion, Blue had a torn her Cranial Cruciate Ligament (CCL – the ligament that stabilizes the knee). This injury requires an orthopedic surgery that our in-house clinic does not have the equipment to do on site. Luckily for Blue, we were able to partner with a local specialty center and get her the surgical repair that she needed, but her road to recovery was just beginning.
After surgery, she needed a loving home to convalesce in for the 12 to 16 weeks it takes to recover and a foster family who could commit to helping her with her rehab exercises. Enter John! He had been looking for a Great Pyrenees for over a year when a friend and fellow Great Pyrenees rescuer tipped him off that we had Blue. He went right to our website and saw that she needed a foster home and signed up.
At first, Blue was a bit of a handful. She was smart but stubborn with little to no training and was very possessive of her food, plus she had all her medical needs. That did not stop John and he worked as hard on her training as he did her physical therapy. As the weeks passed, her leg got stronger and John continued to work on training. He really began to see her sweet and loving nature and she was quickly becoming part of the family.
Blue and John’s other two dogs has a rocky start, but he said now they are all getting along splendid and Blue has found her forever home. “We were able to work through these issues and she is now a member of our family who has bonded well with both my two dogs and me.” – John, Blue’s Foster.
He contacted us and let us know that once she was medically cleared, he would like to adopt her, but this was not the end of her story. Just before her recovery was complete, she began limping on her
left back leg. We had John bring her back to the clinic to see what was going on and sure enough, she had torn her other CCL and needed another special surgery to repair it. I called John up to give him the news and to go over the plan. The rehab and recovery needed for a knee surgery is extensive, and he had just finished with all that. Most people would be overwhelmed by the news, but John did not hesitate to jump to action. He was fully committed to her and was willing to do whatever she needed to get her other leg healthy and strong.
Blue is well on her way to recovery with John by her side. Once she is fully healed and medically cleared John will be able to officially adopt her. As far as Blue is concerned, she loves her new life in her new home.
John calls her “The Guardian of the Fallen Apple”. The coyotes will sneak in and eat the apples that have fallen from the apple tree. She lies near the apple tree and guard’s the apples. She loves doing it. We are happy to see this girl well on her way to recovery, with an amazing supporter and foster behind her every step of the way.
By: Rebecca Goff, Clinic Manager