Puppy Born with Front Paws Upside Down Getting Chance at 'Normal' Life Thanks to Surgery
A puppy born with his front paws upside down has a bright future ahead, thanks to a skilled team of small animal surgeons in Oklahoma.
Milo the puppy was just five weeks old when his breeder surrendered him to Oliver & Friends Farm Rescue and Sanctuary in Luther, Oklahoma.
Rescue staff quickly realized why Milo had been surrendered — his two front paws were turned upside down, making it impossible for Milo to walk.
Staff immediately fell in love with the sweet puppy and wanted to find a way to help.
“He’s loud, and he’s opinionated but he’s also so sweet and cuddly,” rescue worker Jennie Hays told WGN-TV. “He’s just a great little puppy.”
Hays brought Milo to Dr. Erik Clary, associate professor of small animal surgery at Oklahoma State University’s Veterinary Medical Hospital.
“We evaluated Milo with our state-of-the-art CT scanner and identified his problem to be congenital dislocation of both elbows,” Clary told Oklahoma State University news.
“With both elbows out of joint, Milo was unable to walk,” Clary said. “Try as he may, the best he could do was an inefficient and seemingly uncomfortable ‘army crawl.’”
Clary, who has been an animal surgeon for almost 30 years, said Milo’s condition is very rare.
“It is very unusual, but also very debilitating,” Clary said. “So when we do see it, something needs to be done.”
When Milo woke up from his surgery on Jan. 9, he found his front legs in stiff casts that prevented him from moving.
Clary said that Milo still has a long road ahead as he recovers and learns to walk properly. But he is confident that Milo will be able to walk like a typical dog.
“Milo’s a sweet and resilient dog,” Clary said. “He quickly developed a real following in the hospital.”
Milo was flooded with happy faces who were willing to hold him and help him through recovery.
Hays is delighted that Milo has a bright future ahead and is confident that surgery was the right decision for the pup.
“He wouldn’t have had any quality of life past another month or two, so it was definitely required,” Hays said.
Hays has not decided if Milo will be placed for adoption once he’s healed, but if not, he’ll have a happy home at the animal sanctuary.
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