Imagine adopting a rescue dog and year later you have sixteen thousand dollars in vet bills. Then imagine dog lovers all over the country pitching in by either making a small donation or by shopping for a cool T-Shirt to help pay off those vet bills. What an amazing gift that would be.
Calling all dog lovers - we can do this!
When Tony and Robin adopted Reba they had no idea this sweet little rescue girl would lead to thousands of dollars in vet bills.
Reba's Story, as told by her new mom and dad, Robin and Tony.
We originally took Reba home for a “foster weekend” from a local rescue called Saving Grace. Reba is such a happy dog with a big zest for life. She's very playful and so grateful for every little thing. She stole our hearts immediately and it didn't take long for us to decide to adopt her.
Unfortunately, our sweet Reba needs surgery to correct the deformity in her front legs and paws. Her legs are so deformed she isn’t able to properly use the pads of her feet. She loves to play, but we have to limit her fun because we are worried her bones will break and pop through her skin.
Due to the deformity she already has arthritis at this young age of only 2 years old. The vet says the arthritis will continue to progress if a correction is not made. She also brings her rear legs too far forward to compensate for her front leg deformity. This causes her to incorrectly distribute the weight of her body between her front and rear legs, which causes her back to bow. One misplaced body part leads to another.
Her surgeries will consist of having her leg bones turned (they are basically backwards), shortened, and then held together with plates and pins. Her paws need to be turned so she can correctly put pressure on the pads of her feet. She will need to remain in a pen for at least 8 weeks after the surgery to ensure it heals properly, with the exception of going out to relieve herself. We are told the most important thing is for her not to fall during the recovery period. We have set up a pen in the middle of our family room so Reba can rest and recuperate without being confined to a small crate.
The vets at NC State Orthopedic Vet is very optimistic that these surgeries will greatly improve Reba’s quality of life.
Prior to surgery NC State will use Reba’s cat scan to make a model of her leg so they can practice her surgery in advance. Her surgery will be filmed and used by the school for educational purposes.
The cost for surgery will be approximately $4,000-$8,000 per leg.
When we adopted Reba we didn’t anticipate these expensive surgeries. We are so grateful for any donation no matter how small as every bit adds up. If you are unable to contribute financially please pray for Reba. We just want her to have the best life possible.
You can follow Reba's progress on Instagram @hiptage_life.