Puppy Brought to Shelter with Bow Legs, Barely Able to Stand. Rescuers Give Him New Life
Everybody is born with various ability levels in different areas of life. Some are highly skilled in physical feats while others have naturally outgoing and warm personalities.
The same can be said for puppies like Antilles. Antilles is a young German shepherd-mix.
The adorable pup embodies a cheerful and playful puppy spirit. Antilles’ physical body, however, presented him with many challenges and limited his ability to greet any new friends as quickly as he would have liked.
His front legs were severely bowed and twisted. The weight of his body was difficult to hold up for little Antilles.
Fortunately, the orphaned puppy would find himself at Helen Woodward Animal Center in California. As the veterinary intake team examined Antilles, they were puzzled.
They looked at his bowed legs and the way his chest barely was lifted off the ground when he walked. What could have caused the puppy’s condition?
According to PEOPLE, veterinarian Dr. Stephanie Oba stated, “There were no fractures or dislocations. It’s possible that he has a growth plate defect from birth or that there was malnutrition that caused the bowing.”
She concluded that Antilles’ past medical history will likely remain a mystery. His past might be puzzling, but the pup’s future looks promising.
Dr. Chris Brown also weighed in and shared on Facebook, “With both malnutrition (from a lack of calcium) and growth plate injuries a possibility, the only way of straightening the legs and preventing a lifelong deformity was surgery. So at just 2 months of age, little Antilles had to get really brave, really fast.”
The medical team at Helen Woodward Animal Center had a less invasive treatment plan before surgery, though. Since Antilles is growing, they splinted his legs to help align the puppy’s growing bones.
It did not take long — only two weeks to be exact — before they saw great results. The rigid splints restricted his movement, which is no fun for a puppy, but they also helped him walk with straight legs.
On March 1, Antilles could barely stand when he came into the center. Thanks to the rescuers’ dedication and Antilles’ bravery, he has a new life ahead of him.
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