“Lt. Dan You Got New Legs!”
He was a tiny little puppy, just a few weeks old, when his breeder took him to a veterinary clinic… the issue was that he couldn’t use his back legs AT ALL! Never could, from the moment he was born. And this struggling, yet determined, paralyzed puppy? Well, he confirmed to me that canine rehab was more than “just my job”.
The veterinarian recommended humane euthanasia as they were concerned about his quality of life. But, fate had something else in mind… more precisely, a wonderful technician who worked there and refused to accept that.
She rescued him and named him Lt Dan (so I can’t take credit for his name). Through a network of equally amazing and generous people, he found his way to Chicago and found the best foster family he could have asked for. Not only did they have experience in caring for pups with special needs, but they also have a foundation that helps care for those pups. And, through that foundation, he started an intensive canine rehabilitation program.
That was when I first met the little guy… he was about 10 weeks old at that point and had a big fat puppy belly. This all happened way before TheK9PT existed, and I was one of the therapists working with him. It was a whole team effort, including multiple therapists and veterinarians as he did rehabilitation daily.
In the beginning he had to use a wheel cart to get around, but little by little he started to make some progress. When he was around 4-5 months old he started to be able to take some steps on his own, not many, but it was progress.
Around that time his foster mom had to go out of town, so he stayed with us. She dropped him off on a Saturday, and by Sunday evening we knew we were going to adopt him. It took another 6 weeks or so for him to move in and get officially adopted, and he continued to make progress.
He is now almost 3 years old, and his story is nothing short of amazing… he can go on daily walks as long as he is wearing his shoes to protect his paws. He is also incontinent and wears a diaper. Changing his diapers a few times a day has become a routine now, and although it may seem weird for some, for us is just part of our daily lives.
But, other than that, he is just another loveable pittie mix who loves to cuddle, burrow under the blankets, and give kisses…. LOTS of kisses.
In addition to a team effort, it was his resilience that allowed him to beat the odds. He will do anything for those he loves… and for treats.
Caring for a special needs pup has been such an eye-opening experience! They truly don’t know any better or any different. They are always as happy as they can be, excited to eat and to go for walks just like any other dog. They have no “bad days,” they don’t feel bad for themselves, nor do they let anything slow them down.
Patients like Lt Dan have confirmed to me that canine rehab is more than “just my job” … Being able to help him and other pups improve their quality of life is my true calling.
It is what inspired me to open TheK9PT for business… it is what gets me going every morning, through the good and bad days… it is why I invest into learning how to grow my business… so we can help more and more dogs like him.
~TheK9PT
Dr. Francisco Maia, PT, DPT, CCRT