It has been a month since Cooper's surgery. Since his story was published, we have been getting lots of emails enquiring about his wellbeing and we are extremely heartened by that.
Cooper is now with foster, Sandra, who gives him love and care in every way she can. Sandra saw Cooper at the vet and called us immediately requesting to foster him. She had fallen in love with him at first sight. But that's Cooper. He has that effect on everyone. You only have to meet him once to be irresistibly drawn by him.
Super cute!
Able to stand and walk although his legs are not very strong
A little wobbly on his legs
He looks thin because he should not put on too much weight for now
Under the loving care of Sandra, Cooper is getting stronger day by day. Although he is able to walk now, he is still supposed to get cage rest for another month and not exert himself too much. And for this, Sandra bought him a kids stroller from the Salvation Army to push him around when the family goes for walks so that he does not feel left out!
A gift from Cooper when we visited him - a baby tooth!
Lisa taking Cooper for a walk at the park
Enjoying his outing. Cooper is rather calm for a puppy
At Cooper's first review, three weeks after the surgery, Dr Landon said that Cooper’s legs are healing although it would take some months before he sees the full outcome of the surgery. We felt that Cooper’s legs seemed to be at an awkward angle and were concerned that in the long run, it might be affected by wear and tear. It is still early days as it has only been a few weeks after his surgery. However, the plan for Cooper now is to monitor him for another two months and if his legs still look awkward, he may need to undergo one final surgery to break his bones and fuse it back the proper way. This would only be the last resort as we definitely don't want him to go through more pain. This poor boy has already suffered enough in his short 6 months life span than what most dogs had gone through in their entire lives.
Two days back, Cooper was sterilized and received his second vaccination. We thank Sandra for sponsoring the procedure. While Cooper was under general anesthesia, he had an xray on his legs. Dr Landon has seen the second set of xrays and has mentioned to give it another two months before he re-examines Cooper. Cooper still has mild ringworms and as soon as this clears, will undergo hydrotherapy to strengthen his muscles.
Mini Gorgeous
Waiting at the Vet
He is now able to bear weight on both legs although his left leg is not as good as we would like it to be
Walking on his own
Sandra has shared with us that Cooper is getting stronger in both of his back legs and is now able to sleep on both sides, which he was not able to do previously. He is no longer in need of pain relief tablets and is in much brighter spirits. He is a curious little puppy and is just starting to enjoy his new lease on life now. Sandra is giving Cooper basic obedience training, and enjoys watching him grow into a confident dog. Cooper is now toilet trained, roams the house freely, gets on terrifically with the family dog, as well as the children at home.
Cooper and his foster, Sandra
At his foster home
Standing quite well and wagging tail
Sitting comfortably for long periods of time
Enjoying his belated X'mas presents from Sandra
Chewing to his heart's content!
Pretty boy
Please give me a home …...
We would like to thank everyone that had helped with Cooper’s surgical fee. We are also very thankful to Sandra and her family for fostering Cooper and showering him with so much love, something he had never experienced before.
Cooper is a darling to have as part of your family; he has a sweet disposition, is obedient, a fast learner, gets on well with dogs and loves children. What more could you ask for in a puppy?
Written by Esther Low. Photographs courtesy of Sandra.
