Meet Rusty!
He is the sweetest, goofiest boy around! He does the best wiggle dance when people come home. He is so happy all the time!
Rusty came to us October of 2024 from a partner pound after being impounded almost 2 months unclaimed! He was the longest resident there for a while.
He is an older gentleman but so sweet so we were confused why no one came to claim him!
Rusty got neutered and vaccines up to date, and while in care we noticed a very subtle limp and just to give Rusty the best care possible we asked the vet to assess his hips really well. At first everyone thought it was routine and just an aging pup with large testicles. He would run, jump and seemed to have endless energy and spunk.
November of 2024 he went to our Partner Vet Lakeside for his wellness check, neuter and a thorough exam of his hips. We were all shocked to find his left hip was completely dislocated!!
Initially a FHO surgery was suggested – that would mean the femur head would be cut off and the hip femur joint popped into place.
We asked for a second opinion from our partner vet who had done these surgeries before for us, however they were concerned that FHO would not be appropriate as the femur head is intact and no fractures were found. They suggested a hip replacement surgery.
We wanted to ensure the best care and highest quality of life for Rusty so we consulted Guardian Veterinary Care Centre for an orthopaedic consult. In January of 2025 the surgeon met and reviewed Rusty case. Miracles upon miracles NO surgery was indicated at this time. Rusty walks well, has full range of motion and they estimated has been living with this dislocated hip for almost his entire life! They confirmed there is no arthritis and no rubbing of the bones together as Rusty’s muscles grew and healed to hold the hip bone level and the femur head in place.
Late January 2025 NASAP decided Rusty would be part of the NASAP family Forever!
His medical care could be become unstable quickly. And we want to ensure a family is not burdened with the emotional decision of thorough vet care and the cost of that vet care.
We are keeping a close eye on Rusty and ensuring he has full quality of life! He is currently not on any pain medications and he enjoys an active lifestyle with his foster dad. They are retired together and glued at the hip!