A few years ago, an animal rescue in Oklahoma took in a puppy with upside-down paws. Sadly, he couldn’t walk without surgery, so they raised as many funds as possible to give him a more comfortable life. Now, the rescue is facing a similar situation with a Pug puppy.
A 7-week-old Pug puppy named Mila was born with a rare birth condition called bilateral luxated elbows. She was initially rescued with her brother, who only had one upside-down paw. Yet, since Mila’s condition was more severe, she was sent to the rescue that had experience dealing with situations like this.
Puppy with Upside Down Paws
Mila and her Pug sibling were first rescued by Skiatook Paws and Claws, but then Mila was transferred to Oliver and Friends Farm Rescue. Several years ago, Oliver and Friends had a similar situation where a pup named Milo had the same condition. They gave Milo surgery to correct his upside-down paws, and now he’s thriving!
Without surgery, Mila will never be able to walk and play like a normal dog. Her paws often stick out sideways, but sometimes point to the ceiling. So, it’s difficult and uncomfortable for her to move.
“If you’ve followed us with Milo, you know how necessary [the surgery] is for a normal life. Milo did incredible and we have no doubts (though always anxiety, as with any animal facing major surgery) Mila will do incredible too. After all, she’s got Milo to cheer her on!” Oliver and Friends wrote.
Mila went through a CT scan so vets could get a better look at her legs. From there, they 3D-printed her legs to see what they were working with. Soon, she’ll go through surgery to align her bones properly.
Help Mila Walk Again!
However, a surgery like this is a very complicated process. The rescue has a detailed plan in place, but they have an alternative option ready if it doesn’t go as expected. Milo had some complications during his procedure, but he’s still doing well, so Mila’s future is promising.
“The plan is to align the bones and use an external fixator and thick rubber bands to pin the ulna (lower bone in the lower leg) and the humerus, holding everything in place but HOPEFULLY not completely fusing the elbows, giving her some degree of future movement,” Oliver and Friends wrote. “This may not work because the degree of luxation has prevented some important ridges where the bones are supposed to “fit” from forming, but at this point the surgeons believe it’s worth a shot!”
Rescuers suspect that Mila’s surgery won’t be as severe as Milo’s. Milo had to be in a hard half-body cast for a few weeks, but Mila likely won’t have to deal with that.
Mila is getting lots of love at the rescue while she waits to go into surgery. If you’d like to help, you can donate to Oliver and Friends to help cover medical care for Mila and dogs like her.
Featured Image: Facebook
Toledo, United States.
