The Tripawds Foundation is pleased to announce the first recipient of the ASAP veterinary financial aid fund. Read on for Royal’s story, and learn more about the Tripawds Amputation Surgery Assistance Program.
This grant is made possible by the charitable contributions of Tripawds members and fans like you. Thank you for your support!
Support the ASAP Fund to Help More Tripawds!Royal’s Amputation and Recovery
How do you put so much sorrow and happiness into only 500 words? It started with an early morning November thunderstorm in MN. Odd for the season, my stroke of bad luck.
Flash back: Royal came to us from the humane society locally, originally from a shelter down south with fleas, heartworm, a scar on the back of his neck where his skin had started to grow over a cruel metal choke collar, and a bad fear of loud noises and sirens. When the thunderstorm hit Royal freaked out leapt up (he could clear a bench pre op easily), and landed wrong on his leg. He whimpered louder than I’ve ever heard any animal whimper and it was like knives through my heart. My fiancée thankfully helped keep me calm and we rushed into action. I immediately called my saint of a mom (career nurse at United hospital) and she rushed to meet us at the vet I have gone to my entire life. The AMAZING staff at Shamrock Animal Hospital met us out front with a stretcher.
Royal, our sweet three year old boy who had just come to us in March, who hadn’t even played in his first real snowfall yet, laid there in shock; right leg limp. Time stopped. We couldn’t stop crying, blaming ourselves. We tried to fix the break with a rod and a few pins. He came home in a cast with a splint. The next few weeks he slowly got his strength back but was still not totally himself. A month passed and his paw got infected; X-rays showed the break was not healing right. 1/05/16 he became a Tripawd.
The night of the amputation I was a wreck (I struggle with anxiety and have all of my life) until I found the Tripawds community website. I read and blogged constantly over the coming weeks. He came home the day of surgery and walked out of the back on three legs with a drain put in because of the fluid build-up from the rod. It dripped a pink fluid that looked similar to blood everywhere Royal went, with 26 staples and 4 sutures. It freaked some neighbors out. Nothing covering the drain site, never getting wet, and very tenderly cleaned around with sterile paper towels and napkins. I did so much laundry.
After the anesthesia wore off, he was right back to trying to outrun us and didn’t like not being able to do much. He hated taking medicine. My fiancée and I took turns sleeping next to him on the floor to make him comfortable, cooked whatever he would eat, and gave him as much love and attention as we could. My mom got him a harness with a handle to help, after his staples come out 1/19 and his appetite and personality are back.
When I found out that I was blessed enough to get this grant, I cried. For more details check out Royal’s blog! From the bottom of our hearts, THANK YOU.