Tues 21st March: Once again foster homes needed

 I should have expected it really, based on so many similar situations in the past, but the three dogs that came to our Elgin Street base today weren't exactly as described.  I had been told that one of the two young siblings, who are gorgeous and look like mini border collies,  was limping, and that the poodle had recently been desexed.  

I didn't know whether the poodle was male or female, and he turned out to be a boy who did indeed have a recent desexing wound.  However, what hadn't been mentioned was that he also had a dressing on his hip, so he was sent to Acorn Vet Hospital for an X-ray to see what was going on.  The poor dog had had a failed femoral head excision and was in a lot of pain.  This surgery is done when there's a hip dislocation or hip dysplasia, meaning the "ball" at the top of the femur doesn't sit properly in the hip socket and the joint can't rotate smoothly.  The "ball" is removed, meaning the leg isn't actually attached to the hip any longer, but as the wound heals and scar tissue forms, it creates a functioning "joint".  After a while it's impossible to even see that a dog has had this surgery, as long as it's properly done, which obviously wasn't the case with the poodle.  

Not all vets are competent surgeons, and if your own dog needs any sort complicated operation, please make sure that the vet is experienced and knows what he or she is doing.  We've seen the results of poor surgery so many times, and most recently in another botched case with puppy Cola.  

I called the poodle Monty when Acorn asked for a name, but I was then reminded that we already have a poodle called Monty so I will have to come up with another "M" name.  Whatever that is, we need a foster home, and urgently, for not-Monty so he can have yet another surgery to try to repair the damage done.  He's now on pain relief for the hip, so at least he can be relatively comfortable in the meantime. 

Milo and Mindy

As far as the two mini border collies are concerned, they're older puppies, small-sized and very sweet. However the "limp" I was told about is rather more serious than that, and Mindy can't use the leg at all. She probably has Grade 4 (the highest) patella luxation, meaning her kneecap has completely popped out of alignment.  She will also have surgery with Dr Tony, and again we urgently need a foster home.

Please contact Cindy at foster@hongkongkongdogrescue.com if you can take care of either the poodle or Mindy following surgery and during recovery.

Mindy's brother Milo is very beautiful and also super-sweet, and I'm pretty sure he'll find a home very quickly.

For all adoption enquiries please start by completing the questionnaire at www.hongkongdogrescue.com/adopt/adoption-questionnaire/