Smile

My story

Smile is approximately a 1-year-old, 12 lbs. Pretty chocolate chi-mix. We are guessing either weenie dog or min pin. He has more of a min pin look. He came to the rescue after a good Samaritan took him to an Emergency Vet after being hit by a car. I saw his post on one of the lost dog sites and advised him that I would reach out to follow up on him. Once his stray hold was up with the shelter, they contacted me, they let me know that his pelvis was crushed, his left back leg was fractured, and there was a spinal injury, he was painful and they felt his prognosis was poor, but because I reached out, they wanted to give me the opportunity to see if our rescue could help him. Our vets reviewed his X-rays and agreed it was a very severe injury, but also agreed that it was worth a try, so we went and picked him up! I immediately scheduled him with an orthopedic surgeon who stated his injuries were already healing because young dogs’ bones heal quickly. She put him on 8 weeks of strict kennel rest and we took the “wait to see” approach. Once he was allowed to run free and play, we were amazed at how well he was getting around. We followed up with the orthopedic and she was very surprised to not only see how friendly he was this time around (he is grouchy when he is painful), but she didn’t expect him to ever use his back leg, she thought it would need to be amputated. We took new x-rays and she was very pleased. His left leg doesn’t have the same range of motion and he does sit funny and will lift it to run but otherwise she advised that since he is using it, to leave it, you wouldn’t even know it had been fractured if you see him walking, he doesn’t even limp anymore. Her advice to an adopter is to continue his Dasuquin for bone and joint health, and make sure he gets lots of exercise to encourage range of motion. She did warn that as he ages it could change the prognosis of that leg, but right now he’s happy, comfortable, and healthy. Smile is still very much a puppy, he has lots of energy and runs the yard, he enjoys playing with dogs his size, he can be a little bossy, no young children, he likes chews and toys, he enjoys cuddling and sleeping in bed and he walks well on a leash. We have been on several outings, including a day at my work and he is super friendly to everyone. He was just neutered so hopefully his potty training will improve.

If you have any questions or would like to adopt Smile, please reach out to the adoption group directly. PetSmart Charities does not facilitate the adoption process. Thank you.