When we received a call about a dog in distress, with what was described as a broken foot, we immediately went to help. What we found was far more serious than we could ever have imagined.
When our vet told us that Rubio’s wound was more than a week old, we couldn’t begin to imagine the amount of pain and suffering he had endured.
The vet treated him with regular pain medication and, as it was the weekend, that was all we could do for the moment. Rubio went straight to Mark’s finca, where he was constantly supervised and kept as comfortable and pain free as possible.
He was then seen by Antonio, our traumatologist, who confirmed that this was indeed an old injury.
Heartbreakingly, we knew he must once have belonged to someone. Surely someone was missing him. Despite searches on social media, nobody came forward to claim Rubio. And because he had no microchip, there was no way for us to contact an owner.
Sadly, the decision was eventually made that Rubio’s leg had to be removed. The infection had travelled up into his hip, and saving the leg was no longer an option.
Then further complications arose. Rubio was severely anaemic, making him a significant risk for anaesthesia. Mark was faced with an incredibly difficult decision: do we wait and try to get the anaemia under control, or do we take the risk and operate?
A compromise was reached. Antonio used the lightest sedation possible while removing the damaged leg.
Rubio then returned to Mark to recover. Slowly, Rubio began to show the incredible strength of character he possesses. By the following day, he was already balancing on three legs, and little by little he has been able to move around.
One of the complications following an amputation is swelling around the surgical site, which can cause fluid discharge. Antonio continues to give us the advice we need to care for Rubio, and he is currently receiving antibiotics, pain relief and massage.
There are many times when the Live PAWS team have shed tears after seeing the suffering some of these dogs have endured. In Rubio’s case, the heartbreak was made even more painful by one thing ,his tail never stopped wagging.
Despite everything he has been through, Rubio is always delighted to see the people who are helping him. His resilience is truly remarkable.
We will continue to keep you updated on Rubios progress