Emmit the invalid dog
Little Emmitt was born around Thanksgiving in 2002, and he had little to give thanks for. His rib cage was flat, his front legs stuck out sideways ("swimmer puppy syndrome"), and he couldn't walk. He was only 10 days old when he and his mother were taken to the Fort Benton, Montana shelter run by the Dedman Foundation.
After intense, round-the-clock care by the then-shelter director, Kari Ann Anderson, and a body cast placed by a vet, Emmitt's rib cage and front legs returned to normal. But despite daily physical therapy with Kari Ann, Emmitt could not regain use of his rear legs. The vet who treated him said he couldn't explain why Emmitt remained paralyzed. So Kari Ann called us and asked if we had any suggestions.
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
Images open in a pop-up window
We recommended that Emmitt see our veterinary team in Helena at Montana Veterinary Specialists for a complete exam. We made the appointment and a few days later Kari Ann dropped Emmitt off at the clinic. There, X-rays revealed a severely malformed spinal column. Nerves could not get more than half-way down his spine. Our vets concluded that Emmitt would never be able to walk.
Kari Ann, who had come to treasure this little pup, had hoped to adopt him as her own if he could somehow walk again. But her circumstances wouldn't make it possible for her to keep Emmitt as an invalid. So we offered to bring Emmitt home to the sanctuary.
The first thing we did was contact Doggon' Wheels in Livingston, Montana. These wonderful folks make wheelchairs for handicapped animals. (See www.doggon.com.) They kindly and patiently worked with us to find just the right kind of chair for Emmitt. We finally settled on a cool new set of wheels: a gleaming, all-aluminum quad chair. Emmitt prefers to think of it as a four-wheel drive vehicle.
Now 8-months old (as of May 2003), this pup wheels along in the evening as we do barn chores. Previously confined indoors, he delights in going outside. He ponders the sheep, marvels at the cows, and wheels around the barn, trying to play with the barn cats. And, finally, he can look other dogs in the eye. His best buddy is little blind Widget, and the two of them love to play together (see photo).
Emmitt is supposed to be a Lab/pitbull mix, but from looking at those ears, we think there's some rabbit thrown in there somewhere.
Thanks to the support of the sanctuary's friends, Emmitt has found an entirely new world to play in. We are grateful for every day he gets to enjoy being here.
Having learned to drive, Emmitt thinks he's ready for NASCAR. Will someone let Dale Earnhardt Jr. know we're on our way?
