LUTHER, Okla. – An adorable Coonhound puppy born with upside-down paws is on the fast track to recovery after undergoing surgeries to correct his birth defect.
Milo was just 5-weeks-old when he was surrendered to Oliver and Friends Farm Rescue and Sanctuary. Veterinarians knew something had to be done when they noticed Milo’s front paws were turned upside down.
“We evaluated Milo with our state-of-the-art CT scanner and identified his problem to be congenital dislocation of both elbows,” said Dr. Erik Clary, associate professor of small animal surgery. “With both elbows out of joint, Milo was unable to walk. Try as he may, the best he could do was an inefficient and seemingly uncomfortable ‘army crawl.’”
Without any corrective surgery, Milo’s condition would be debilitating.
Milo underwent corrective surgery in January at Oklahoma State University’s Veterinary Medical Hospital. He was then put in a front body splint to prevent him from using his front legs.
Now, the splints are off and Milo is learning to walk and run on his own.
Oliver and Friends is helping Milo strengthen his legs with water exercises, and he’s even learning how to run down a ramp.