Meet Caboose! He is a charming 6 year old male Chihuahua mix. When a local resident found him struggling to walk along side some train tracks on New Year’s Eve, she brought him to Save-A-Pet. We were happy to accept him as our last incoming animal of 2012. Caboose was below his ideal weight, but even more concerning was that he was not able to use his hind legs properly. Although a bit shy and shaken up at first, he was friendly with the staff, even letting them pick him up.

Upon his first vet exam he was diagnosed with grade 4 luxated patellas on both legs. Caboose’s knee caps are essentially permanently popped out of their groove, and the muscles in his legs are stuck in a contracted state due to the neglect of this issue for such a long time. The vet recommends a lot of physical therapy to get his muscles “un-stuck”, and once that is improved; he can have surgery to repair his knee caps.

Check him out in this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ZMXTtJ44-M&feature=player_detailpage
With patience, some physical therapy, and a lot of tender loving care, we hope that once Caboose heals from his surgery, he will be able to use his back legs like any other little dog. He is already gaining weight and has made lots of volunteer, staff, and canine friends. He has become a playful little dog always ready for a new adventure. Caboose is hoping to find a family that will help him heal through our Foster to Adopt program. Save-A-Pet’s Foster to Adopt Program will continue to support Caboose with his medical care and physical therapy while he enjoys adjusting to his new “forever” home.

If you or someone you know is interested in adding Caboose to their family, please contact us at foster@saveapetil.org or call us at 847-740-7788.

If you are interested in supporting Caboose’s rehabilitation and care, please click the following link to donate to our Animals with Special Needs: https://saveapetil.ejoinme.org/MyPages/RegistrationPage/tabid/266614/Default.aspx