I Like Big Mutts and I Cannot Lie

OK, ok…it’s not original, but I’ve been waiting to use that line. This is Thanos, a gentle giant of a dog who we’ll be keeping an eye on for a few days. Is this a handsome dog, or what!

Thanos hurt his knee and wound up with a luxating patella. The patella is the bone we know as the knee cap.  The patella guides the action of the muscle in the lower leg. It also protects the knee joint. Sometimes, due to trauma or physical defects, the patella will luxate or “jump out of its groove” sideways. This is a very painful injury that results in the dog not being able to walk. Surgery is the solution, but usually costs well over $1,000.  A local veterinarian offered to do the surgery for The Champaign County Humane Society at a reduced rate. The Shelter made an appeal to raise $500 to pay for Thanos’ surgery and wound up surpassing their goal. You can read about Thanos on Mary Tiefenbrunn’s blog, Pause and Reflect, in posts from September 28 and October 6.

The recovery after this type of surgery is strict cage rest, usually for six weeks. It’s critical that the dog not be allowed to jump around or use the leg too much so everything has time to heal properly. It’s hard for many people to stick to this plan. They feel sorry for the dog having to be in the crate all the time and let them out to run around “just for a little while.” Unfortunately, the results are a devastating failure of the surgical fix which requires yet another surgery to correct.

After Thanos had surgery, CCHS knew there was one foster home especially suited to insuring the success of his recovery. That was with our friend and fellow foster parent, Kim Knap and her family. Kim is a specialist in canine orthopedic rehabilitation and there is no one better able to oversee Thanos’ recovery. Some of you may remember Kim from her involvement with the Redbone Coonhounds. Thamos has been with Kim and her family since his surgery. We’re taking care of him for a few days while she’s out of town. He’ll be back with the Knap family by the end of the week.

Thamos is about a year and a half old and probably weighs about 90 pounds. He’s very lean and muscular. He’s available for adoption from the Champaign County Humane Society. If you’re interested in Thanos, call the Shelter and speak with the adoption staff.