Sparky's Past Life

A dog's paw is not supposed to look like this. See all the wavy lines and then the massive blurry area? Sparky's paw was broken sometime when she was much younger and never repaired. But that's not the worst of it. X-rays of her pelvis show that she must have been hit by a car with enough force to break it, and then it "healed" on its own in a way that makes it painful and difficult to walk normally. I saw this in her when I adopted her, but I didn't know why. I am furious at whomever hit her or her owners at that time for not seeking veterinary care. But I can't judge folks I don't know. I am just furious for Sparkles. The pain and anguish she must have gone through!

The vet says there is no way to fix Sparky's paw (unless we have a pin put in) or the soft-tissue damage in the shoulder and elbow that cause her leg to stick out in a strange way. She says there might be a way to fix the pelvis, but that would require going in surgically and rebreaking the pelvis and then hoping it heals like it's supposed to. In the meantime, Sparkles' quality of life would be greatly reduced.

Therefore we are going to make her as happy as possible under the circumstances. Lots of intermittent play, nothing too hard or long. Only play with small dogs that can't bowl her over (if I had only known that a week ago!). Pain meds. Cuddles. Several short walks a day rather than three big ones. Kisses. Cuddles. Play. Love.