Appeal to fund op for disabled dog Hopper
AN AINSDALE woman is appealing for help to fund surgery for her blind, deaf and deformed dog.
Mum-of-two Jenny Preston took in Hopper when he was 10 weeks old after responding to an advert and soon took him for an assessment at her vets.
That examination revealed at host of problems, with X-rays showing him to have a twisted tibia and fibula; an angular deformity; eight toes including one that is under his skin; and a patella that is not developing correctly.
Hopper is the result of accidental breeding of two merle dogs and inherited double merle genes which caused his deafness and blindness.
Merle dogs have mottled colouring and blue or odd-coloured eyes.
Jenny said: “Our vet suggested an amputation from the hip.
“An amputation would be incredibly challenging for Hopper without sight and hearing his balance would be challenged further and his left leg, although not deformed, has some issues with the knee so an amputation would only further stress his left knee.
“However we requested a second opinion from an orthopaedic vet and found there is hope for Hopper. Hopper would require both a CT scan and two costly operations but this could potentially render his leg usable.”
Jenny, who has two children aged five and three, has been told that the ideal time for surgery will be in less than two months, when Hopper is six months old.
Surgery is expected to cost £7,000 and Jenny said anything raised beyond that would be donated to Many Tears Animal Rescue.
She added: “Hopper is our world. From the minute we met him he changed our lives forever.
“He is a happy, playful little pup like most others. He has responded to touch training well, enjoys his short walks and copes well with support to being deaf and blind.