This week we’d like to feature another dog that is close to my heart. Her name is Coco and she’s sweet as can be. Coco - Oregon Humane Society.
Coco is just over 1 year old, weighs 55 lbs and is a lab mix. Her profile says she’s black and white, but take my word for it, she’s actually a gorgeous dark chocolate brown color. Her coat is incredibly soft and just gleams in the sunlight.
She came to us in early March from Josephine County in Southern Oregon. I believe she was a stray, but don’t know that for certain (the paperwork from her previous shelter doesn’t say, but many/most of the dogs that are transferred to OHS from other shelters were found as strays).
Oh Coco! What can I say about this sweet girl? She’s everything one could want in a dog. She’s sweet, she’s smart, she’s cuddly. She knows sit, down, and shake. Honestly, she’s kind of a show-off when it comes to shake. She really wants you to know she can do it with BOTH paws, so when asking for a shake, she’ll often do two-paw shake. She LOVES the stuffy toys. Today she was doing quite a number on the stuffed dog in the coco3 photo above. Whoever adopts her might want to brush up on their sewing skills so they can sew up her, uh, creative work, and they don’t have to break the bank on constantly buying new stuffed toys. Oh and belly rubs- this girl LOVES getting her belly rubbed! She is just the sweetest girl around.
So, I know you’re wondering, ‘How in the world is it that a super sweet, 1 year old LAB mix has been available for adoption for a month and a half and now one has snapped her up yet?’. Well, there’s that. You see, during Coco’s medical exam, it was determined she has some issues with her knees, and at some point she may need knee surgery (which is $$$). I should add, this isn’t slowing her down at all now. She loves her walks, she can sometimes pull on leash a little bit (but not always), and she doesn’t currently have any restrictions on her walks (some OHS dogs can only have short walks around the parking lot. Coco isn’t one of those dogs. She has full, unrestricted walks around the OHS dog path three times a day). Here’s a little bit about her condition from our medical team:
Ruptured Cruciate Ligament (Level 2) - Left and right knee This dog came to us with an injury to both of her cranial cruciate ligaments, an important stabilizer of the knee joint. This is a common injury in dogs that usually requires surgical treatment, but treatment varies based on the individual dog and the duration of the injury. The stifle joint (knee) has many ligaments to keep the femur, tibia, and patella (kneecap) stabilized and aligned appropriately. There are two cruciate ligaments in the dog knee; one that attaches to the front of the tibia, and one that attaches to the back. The cranial cruciate ligament (similar to the ACL in humans) attaches to the front of the tibia, and can rupture quite commonly. This can sometimes be the result of trauma or excessive athletic activity, but is commonly due to a combination of ligament degeneration, obesity, conformation of the joint, and breed. Right after a rupture occurs, dogs usually become suddenly lame in that leg, and may refuse to put any weight on it. If left untreated, the knee will become thickened and develop arthritis. Partial tears are common, and usually progress to a full tear. In animals that are older and overweight, this ligament usually winds up tearing in both knees. This injury is usually diagnosed with an orthopedic examination, gait analysis, and potentially X-rays to look for the extent of arthritis development. This dog’s history is unknown, and we do not know when exactly this injury occurred. There are two corrective surgeries for this condition: a lateral suture repair and a TPLO. Lateral suture surgery is not typically successful in a dog of this size, and OHS does not have the ability to do a TPLO procedure. If this procedure is not pursued, the knees will typically stabilize on their own, however, they are at a high risk of arthritis and orthopedic-joint disease as they age. We recommend that you follow up with your primary veterinarian for help in managing this condition. They can refer you to an orthopedic surgeon who can complete this surgery for you.
Are you looking for a young lab mix who is one of the sweetest girls around? Are potential future knee problems something you can live with an commit to fix for her if needed? Do you REALLY want to rub her belly? If so, please complete and submit the questionnaire at the bottom of Coco’s profile and someone from Oregon Humane will call you to tell you more about her. You can find her profile HERE!