DIFFERENTLY ABLED PUPPY POSSUM HAS FOUND HER FOREVER HOME!
On March 6th, received a call from an open access shelter about an 8 week old puppy that had just been brought in with deformities of her hind legs. Upon meeting the pup, we couldn’t help but notice her face resembled that of an opossum… thus, earning herself the name Possum. As we stood and watched Possum run around the medical room at the shelter, our worries started to subside as we realized she was not in pain. On the contrary, she was happy as could be and was none the wiser that her run was more of a hop. Between her puppy breath, fuzzy face and piercing blue eyes, we just couldn’t leave her behind.
After speaking with Possum’s primary vet, radiologist and orthopedic surgeon, it was determined that Possum had reverse tibial abnormalities in both rear legs. Meaning, her long bones in her rear legs were essentially backwards. Radiology thinks it is possible that Possum is a true dwarf, which is a congenital issue that will keep her small in size. Orthopedics thinks that her bones are already severely affected by their abnormalities so any surgical interventions would likely not repair the deformities. The good news is that x-rays of Possum’s hips and spine look great. In addition to all of this, Possum back paws came with a few extra toes… with differently abled legs came differently abled paws. Since they are not causing her any discomfort, Possum’s extra digits will be left alone.
After taking everything into consideration, it was decided that the best option for Possum was to find her a forever home that could keep monitoring her growth and be willing to provide her specialized care are she continues to grow. We believe is that physical therapy, hydrotherapy, massage and chiropractic care will help Possum build up her core strength and continue to provide support to her joints, muscles and limbs. This specialized care can also help Possum improve her balance and coordination. Possum was one of the lucky ones and received countless adoption applications. Even though all of them were great, and would have made for fantastic homes, we had to go with our #1 pick… it would be one of the vets from Possum’s medical team.
Possum’s mom is her vet and her dad is a physical therapist… it will be the perfect fit for what she needs. This special pup will have access to every treatment she may ever need and her mom and dad will love her unconditionally… 7 toes and all. TAF would like to thank Delavan Lakes Veterinary Clinic for taking in our sweet puppy and her new mom and dad for providing her with a happily ever after! We cannot wait to receive updates on her progress and have her come back to visit. Even though she is now going to be living in Wisconsin, she will always be a city girl.