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Mira
Hi -
This story is about Mira (short for Miracle) the Rottweiler puppy.
Mira was one of 11 puppies born May 28-29, 2005. She is one of 3 that lived.
Some time in her first three weeks of life, Mira was found by her owners
with her lower front leg looking like a chicken leg that was stripped of skin.
Only the muscle and ligaments were left. Plus she had a gash on her left side.
No one knows what happened. Mira was taken to the vet who could offer
no real solutions and the ones he did offer were too costly.
So she was given some antibiotic injections and sent home.
Her owners tried to doctor the leg but over the next few weeks Mira lost her toes
and lower right front leg. The bone was exposed and raw but Mira's leg was bandaged
and a temporary prosthesis was made. Mira was able to get around
but the leg kept shrinking and the wound was not healing.
At 6 weeks, Mira went to live with the owner's daughter.
Mira came back a week later, near death.
Dehydrated, not eating, not drinking, and she had diarrhea.
She had lost a lot of weight and was very weak. Literally skin and bones.
I offered to take Mira and give her a good home.
The daughter was consulted and finally consented to allowing Mira to come and live with me.
I took Mira to my veterinarian. She took one look at the leg and said that it needed to come off.
I wanted to try a prosthesis. She said there is not enough muscle to pull around the stump
and a prosthesis is very painful. Especially since the bone was exposed. Besides, she said,
when Mira is a full grown Rottweiler, that leg will be 12" shorter than the rest of her.
And she will be trying to use it constantly. It would be a hindrance to her.
The surgeon also took a look at Mira and said that with the bone exposed the way it was,
it would only be a matter of time before a bone infection set in
and then it would be really hard to cure her.
I cried and then I cried and I cried some more. Mira came home on July 20th,
with her leg amputated at the shoulder and spayed.
I was elated that she had made it through the surgery.
I was supposed to keep her quiet...but she didn't know what quiet was.
She is such a puppy. Her front leg is still weak and shakes a lot after she runs a bit.
But in time she will build up strength in that leg and it will be as strong as her back legs.
Right now, when she tires, she simply lays down.
Mira is not out of the woods yet.
She has a coccidia infestation that refuses to resolve itself.
Along with that, she is also being treated for a fever of unknown origin with antibiotics.
My older dog Princess has taken Mira under her care, as though Mira was one of her puppies.
I know in my heart there is a purpose Mira came into my life.
I would like to work with her so she can be a therapy dog and work with children who are also amputees.
That is my goal. We'll see if she is of like mind. Mira and I will certainly keep you updated
and thank you for putting together Cassie's site.
It was great to find it and realize that she will do just fine.
I was so worried for her but your testimonials gave me the courage to go ahead with the amputation
rather than try to work with various prosthetic devices.
My best to you and Cassie and everyone who has the courage to love a three-legged dog.
As soon as Mira has had all her puppy shots, we plan on spending lots of time socializing
in front of our local supermarket. There will be lots of grocery carts, people, wheelchairs,
people with walkers and canes and whatever else that life can bring.
Yvonne Hogan
Sunday July 31, 2005
Update:
Hi Cynthia & Kurt.
Mom is typing this for me...with only one front leg sometimes it is hard for me to hit the correct keys...
so she volunteered to help. It has been 3 weeks - today - since I had my right front leg removed.
I don't understand why my mom cried so much then. Now all she does is tell me to slow down.
Ha Ha...you should have seen her yesterday chasing after me down the driveway.
She caught up with me but only after I gave her a good start.
My left front leg no longer shakes when I sit and catch my breath.
Oh, I still have to lay down to rest - another two or three weeks, I will be back to my old normal self
and then watch my smoke.
Mom has two other dogs. She tells me they're my sisters. My two sisters are Princess and Liddy.
They are a hoot. Princess (age 10) wags her tail all the time. I love chasing her tail.
She gets up and tries to run away but I hang on and get dragged along...and then she goes out
through this flappy thing and I just can't quite figure out how she does it.
That flappy thing keeps hitting me in the face. I can see Princess outside through the patio door
but I don't know how she got out there. Mom says I will be using the doggie door in no time but,
she says, the threshold is still little too high for me. And for some reason she keeps thanking God.
Mumbles something about what will she do when I can REALLY get around.
There is a HUGE water bowl outside - mom calls it a pool - that I keep looking at and wondering about.
Mom says I have to learn to swim first. Wonder what that means?
Then there is my other sister, Liddy. Liddy is 8 yrs old and weighs as much as I do.
I am 11 weeks old now and weigh 10 lbs. Mom says I am growing like a weed. 3 lbs in one week.
It's because I am finally getting lots of good food. And I think my ... they call it coccidia ...
is gone. No more pudding poops. Mom is so happy. Actually, me too. Oh, my poor achin' little butt.
Dr Ferguson is mom's favorite vet. She gave me a big hug and smoochie when we saw her last Saturday.
She tricked me into eating a cookie and then stuck me with something in my back.
Mom said it was good. Called it a puppy shot. Dr Ferguson said it might make me sleepy.
Mom was so happy to hear that. I wonder why? Well, no matter, the doggie cookie was great.
How come I can't have those instead of my Innova dog food?
I have to stay in my crate, with the door closed at night. Mom just started that recently.
She said she did not appreciate being kept awake all night by my shredding newspapers.
I have pee pads but mom also give me papers..what's a puppy to do?
Now that the crate door is closed, I do sleep better. And mom is no longer cranky.
She calls it sleep deprivation. At her age ( she thinks she's old) she expects to finally get a
night's sleep. Her son tells her she was born the day after they invented water.
Mom says not so. It was the day before and it was SHE that invented water. Those two are so funny.
Mom starts back to school next Monday and will be going to school only on Mondays.
She said it 's just for another year - then she'll have her degree. She has someone coming in
to take care of me on Mondays so I don't have to wait all day and all night for her return.
My mom loves me so much. Even when I bit her nose today she didn't yell at me.
I just get so excited and want to tell her how much I love her and appreciate her helping me.
I forget she doesn't have any fur. Yikes, and it bled too. Mom just laughed, gave me kiss
and ran for a Kleenex before the blood dripped on the floor.
She did say something about pulling every single puppy tooth out of my head if I ever did that again.
Wonder what she meant?
Mom says she's tired. I don't know why? I only got her up twice last night.
Well, time for bed. Cell door....errrrrr, I mean, crate door is just about to slam shut.
Thanks again for Cassie's site. Mom is so grateful you were there just when she needed it most. Me too.
Wet, slurppie puppy kisses to you.
Mira and her mom, Yvonne
Tuesday August 9, 2005
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