Bear Walks!

Bear Walks!

By Andi Bettencourt

     As someone who has worked with board-certified veterinary surgeons for over a decade, I’ve seen myriad orthopedic conditions – congenital defects, fractures, neoplasia, etc.  So when I looked at our schedule and saw a consultation for ‘complications following medial patellar luxation repair’ on an Akita, I grabbed my stethoscope and went out to the waiting room to collect what I thought would be a slightly gimpy patient.  Bear was laying in one of our dog beds and as I approached, his poofy tail started going a mile a minute.  As an Akita lover I immediately went to get some love and was rewarded with a thorough facial cleansing and a huge smile that only a dog can give.  I told mom that she could follow me to the appointment room and went to get Bear’s leash.  It was at this point that I saw the condition that Bear was in, and despite any immunity I might have developed in my years, it took more will power than I can say not burst into tears.  Watching Bear’s heroic effort to walk would affect any compassionate human being, but the happiness he continued to display as he moved and endured what could only be intense pain is what struck me the most.

     Bear DID, in fact, have a lot to be happy for – he had been gifted with two of the most loving and devoted owners.  Bear had gone through procedures before coming to CUVS that had caused him to develop laterally luxating patellas.  Luxating patellas are graded on a scale of 1 to 4, with 4 being the worst.  Bear’s case was extreme; he was a grade 4 on both back legs, though he was able to support himself slightly better with the left.  His owners had seen him through all his previous surgeries and had continued to provide physical therapy to try and keep him comfortable.  They had developed a system for him to go to the bathroom lying down and kept the floors in their home carpet free so that he could pull himself along and not have to stand up.  They bathed him several times a day, as he was not able to urinate without partially soiling himself.  Now, they were determined to try and get Bear to a place where he could, literally, stand on his own.

     Dr. Alon Kramer was as affected as all of the staff who met Bear, and he was determined that we were going to help this dog and his owners.  Bear’s surgery was not easy as his anatomy was so disfigured and covered in years of scar tissue, each leg required hours of reconstruction.  He came through like the strong dog that he is and managed to earn not only the affection, but the respect, of the staff here at CUVS with his positive spirit and lack of complaint.  We went through weeks and then months of casting and bandage changes, each time Bear had a line of people coming in for their kisses and love.  His owners were using slings to help him learn to walk again with his back straight.

      It was a regular Wednesday filled with rechecks and consultations when I received a text message from Bear’s dad.  There was a picture of Bear standing next to a fence and a message letting us know that Bear heard a squirrel or another dog outside and when dad had opened the back door, he ran to the fence.  He ran to the fence.  Dad had never seen him do that before, and his admission of crying at the sight of Bear’s, admittedly awkward, run caused the tears to start pouring down.  They continued to flow from many eyes as I made the rounds to tell everyone the news.

     Bears journey wasn’t finished, he still required minor revisions on both knees.  As you can imagine, this was financially challenging for the owners, but through the generous donations to our Patient Assistance Fund, Bear’s revisions were performed.  After a couple more months of casting and bandaging, Bear gave us a gift that meant more than all of his kisses combined (though we would never give those up); he walked out of the hospital.  No splint, no cast, no sling.  Just Bear.

     Bear’s owners continue to be as devoted as ever to his care and comfort, providing him with physical therapy and unconditional love.    If you would like more information on how you can help patients like Bear through new discoveries in animal medicine, please contact Alison R. Smith at ars1@cornell.edu.