Rocco is my sister's American Bulldog. He's a big ol' brute of a dog, and a sweeter brute you couldn't find. Well, he's actually my BIL's dog - totally spoiled rotten by Robby!
So here's the story... They live in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. Seriously, they are smack in between Ft. Collins, Colorado and Laramie, Wyoming (if you're at all familiar with the area). Their teenage son took Rocco with him and his friends when they were going exploring in the moutains. Well, Rocco saw something, jumped out of the open window of the car, and was seen chasing something into the forest. They looked and called for him, but couldn't find him.
A week later...ROCCO CAME HOME!
He was malnourished and wouldn't put weight on one foot, but otherwise seemed OK. Everyone was very happy to see him again! He came home on Thursday.
Yesterday, my sister noticed that he still wasn't using his rear leg, and it was now swollen. So off to the vet they went. Here's what my sister wrote me about what happened next:
He has a broken femur, and where I took him can't do the surgery. I have to go to a surgical specialist to fix his leg. You are never going to believe the estimate for the surgery......it ranged from $2904.76 to $3,654.76. OUCH!!!! I then told the surgeon that we absolutely could not afford that. I guess he could see the pain in my eyes when I was telling him this and he lowered it to $2500. We still can't afford it, but I called Dad and we borrowed what we didn't have from him and are paying him back ASAP. Rocco then went into surgery yesterday and the surgeon ran into some problems with his leg. The bones were starting to calcify and was working it's way into the muscle. A lot more work for him. Rocco now has a titanium plate and a bunch of screws in his leg. He is so doped up right now. He has only been home for 3 hours now and we are so glad to have him home.
I'm very happy to say that the outlook looks very good. They are not to leave him alone for 6-8 weeks because of the extensive surgery. And I'm so very thankful that we have a father who not only has the means but most importantly the empathy to be willing to help out with a situation like this, and who knows that Rocco isn't "just a dog" but a member of their family.
So I'm really just asking for vibes that Rocco has a smooth recovery and no complications from the surgery. They love him so much, and he loves them - obviously since he made his way many MILES on a broken leg to come home to them.
So here's the story... They live in the middle of nowhere in the mountains. Seriously, they are smack in between Ft. Collins, Colorado and Laramie, Wyoming (if you're at all familiar with the area). Their teenage son took Rocco with him and his friends when they were going exploring in the moutains. Well, Rocco saw something, jumped out of the open window of the car, and was seen chasing something into the forest. They looked and called for him, but couldn't find him.
Yesterday, my sister noticed that he still wasn't using his rear leg, and it was now swollen. So off to the vet they went. Here's what my sister wrote me about what happened next:
He has a broken femur, and where I took him can't do the surgery. I have to go to a surgical specialist to fix his leg. You are never going to believe the estimate for the surgery......it ranged from $2904.76 to $3,654.76. OUCH!!!! I then told the surgeon that we absolutely could not afford that. I guess he could see the pain in my eyes when I was telling him this and he lowered it to $2500. We still can't afford it, but I called Dad and we borrowed what we didn't have from him and are paying him back ASAP. Rocco then went into surgery yesterday and the surgeon ran into some problems with his leg. The bones were starting to calcify and was working it's way into the muscle. A lot more work for him. Rocco now has a titanium plate and a bunch of screws in his leg. He is so doped up right now. He has only been home for 3 hours now and we are so glad to have him home.
I'm very happy to say that the outlook looks very good. They are not to leave him alone for 6-8 weeks because of the extensive surgery. And I'm so very thankful that we have a father who not only has the means but most importantly the empathy to be willing to help out with a situation like this, and who knows that Rocco isn't "just a dog" but a member of their family.
So I'm really just asking for vibes that Rocco has a smooth recovery and no complications from the surgery. They love him so much, and he loves them - obviously since he made his way many MILES on a broken leg to come home to them.
