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Back in September, we told you the story of a bouncy little pup named Tigger.
Tigger was born with a deformity called ectrodactyly and because of it, he was often exhausted trying to keep up with his foster peers at his home
He waited a while, but through generous community donations, most of the funds needed for the surgery to his two front legs was raised through stories first published in the Statesman Journal and it seemed his story was on the upswing!
Though his foster mom, Eve Good, was working hard with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jennifer Warnock, there were a few complications. The first was financial. Expensive rehab (including hydrotherapy) following Tigger’s first surgery ate away at the donation money. The second was medical. Tigger was relying too heavily on his hind legs to compensate not only for the sensitive front leg, but also the one yet to be operated on.
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This necessitated another surgery.
Before the other deformed paw could be surgically treated, Warnock would have to operate on a cruciate ligament that was nearly completely torn
So before Dr. Warnock could perform surgery on the other front paw with ectrodactyly (known more commonly as split or cleft foot/hand or lobster claw), she had to open up his hind leg and fix a cruciate ligament that was almost completely torn among other issues with his rear legs.
This week, Dr. Warnock performed a different surgery which involved cutting off the end of Tigger’s tibia (shin bone) and rotating it so that his knee will function properly without the torn ligament.
A metal plate and pins hold the cut tibia piece in place until the bone heals (though the plate will likely remain in the Tigger’s leg permanently).
Now, Tigger is on strict bed rest while he heals. Although Good and her partner, Troy Riggs, are aware Tigger will be special-needs for his entire life, everyone feels confident that he’ll soon have wonderfully renewed function in all his legs (and wonderful potential to be a great therapy dog for children healing from surgeries and battling similar challenges).
“For now though, when we take him outside to go to the bathroom we just use a sling under his chest to help him walk,” Good told the Statesman Journal. “We will get through this.”
To learn more about Tigger’s journey and progress, or to donate to fund his care, visit his Facebook page!
