ANDERSON COUNTY, SC......It seems like the months of December and January should be called the months of most Dogs Hit by Cars. I don't know whether it is the Holidays and Drinking or what but we have seen the worst Hit by Car cases ever. The last animals we have taken in have been hit with such force they each have 4 - 6 major breaks in addition to chest and lung damage. The other heart-breaking news is that the people are not stopping to help the animals. They keep on driving and leave the animal either in the road or beside the road suffering in unimaginable pain.
The other fact is that most of these pups are not microchipped or have any form of identification. When there is identification, and the Family is contacted, they immediately have an attitude of "It serves the dog right for getting out of the yard." Well, whose fault is that? It is up to Owners and Guardians to keep these animals out of Harm's Way. They are dogs that love to play chase and hunt. If you give them all the Freedom in the World, the chances are something bad is going to happen given their natural instincts.
As you can tell by this e-mail, I am totally fed up with irresponsible people that expect us to clean up THEIR MESS. I had someone recently tell me to keep their dog or do whatever because they could get a new one for free that didn't have any medical bills. The sad part is we are talking about a living, breathing animal that loves unconditionally. We live in a Disposable Society where an Animal's Life is not VALUED. Thank the Lord we have a Community of NAR Followers and Supporters that feel the same way I do or I would be disheartened and discouraged 24 hours a day.
Adorable Willow is a 7-month-old Lab Mix that was hit by a car. Her legs and hips have multiple fractures front and back, along with a Pneumothorax which is an abnormal collection of air in the pleural space that causes an uncoupling of the lung from the chest wall. Poor Willow was in shock when she first arrived and had to go into the Oxygen Chamber in ICU before any of her legs could be repaired. It seemed like this poor pup was unstable for most of the weekend. Once she started to breathe normally, Dr. Sean Gallivan At Carolina Veterinary Specialists proceeded to access her care to determine what to tackle first.
Little Willow only has one good leg that had not been damaged. The first thing that had to be done was to anesthetize her and put in a jugular catheter since she only had one good leg. The injuries Willow has are the reason why she is in shock. She has been in unimaginable pain. Dr. Gallivan and Dr. Nanfelt have both been working on her care to make sure they are on top of every detail.
Dr. Gallivan put the jugular catheter in and then did the right FHO (Femoral Head Ostectomy) to treat the hip fracture and luxation. The femoral head was broken in two pieces and also luxated. He then plated the right radius/ulna fracture. The fracture repair should be strong enough for her to walk on without a splint which will make it easier for her to use the limb. Willow also has a very mild right SI (sacroiliac) luxation which they believe is a non-surgical injury that should heal quickly.
This poor pup still has lots of surgeries to go, but those will have to wait until she has recovered enough from these procedures. Dr. Nanfelt will be doing the other surgical procedures.
Willow has a long road ahead, but for now she is stable. Please, Donate whatever you can so we can stay on top of her Surgical bills that are mounting and give her the best chance possible of walking again free of pain and suffering.
