"Sonny"

October 2001

   Rescued, Reconstructed & Rehomed

Rescued from a NY CACC, the emaciated pup's front leg had been horribly mangled.  X-rays indicated the injury had been untended and the leg bone mended with an unnatural curve creating elbow dysplasia.

Elbow dysplasia is the term for an elbow joint that is malformed. Except for “manufactured” (created by injury or trauma) dysplasia, the mechanism of the malformation is unclear but it can be due to differences in the growth rates of the three bones that make up the elbow joint, particularly the humerus and ulna. In mildly affected dogs the only consequence may be arthritis. In more severely affected dogs, osteochondritis dissecans (OCD), fragmented medial coronoid processes and united anconeal processes can result from the stress in the joint.  Most dogs with this condition eventually become lame and the lameness can be very severe in some dogs, even to the point of disuse of one leg or severe difficult getting up and walking even short distances.

Sonny’s surgery was scheduled in November with Dominic Marino, Orthopedic Veterinary Surgeon at Long Island Veterinary Specialists in Plainview, NY.  The surgeon opted not to rebreak and reset the mangled bone but shorten the other bone equal to the bowed bone so the elbow would rest correctly within the joint.  A long steel pin inserted into the length of the shortened bone helped stabilize during fusion.  Sonny was relegated to four months of controlled on-leash activity – no running and romping!  Follow up x-rays disclosed that this strong willed, energetic pup had managed to snap the steel pin in half --- but the bone had fused just fine (whew!) and Sonny was officially released for adoption consideration.

Sonny sends BIG slurps & wags to our fund raising volunteers

and private donations which made his reconstructive surgery possible!

March 2002 - Sonny Goes Home...

The silly sweetheart will always have the bowed leg and now has his own forever

family that came equipped with another Lab and doting kids!

June 2002

August 2002

Sonny Surveys His Kingdom

        Sonny loves holding court                    &           Being captured by his favorite audience

Please come back for updates of this lucky Lab!

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