Welcome to this week’s Wellness Wednesday!
This week we are featuring Sharley – A beautiful, fuzzy little sweetheart who is only 5 months old and has already been through a traumatic ordeal and fought her way to the light at the end of the tunnel.
Sharley was dragged behind a moving car on May 7th, 2016. This horrible accident left her with a back which was shattered into pieces. She had 6 pins placed into her back and 2 inch thick cement to hold the pins in place. Her medical team did a series of X-Rays and a CT scan and determined that she had about a 5% chance of ever walking again due to the amount of damage that had been done.
In this video it’s clear to see how much damage was done and the level of paralysis affecting poor little Sharley’s hind end.
In this next video, you can see the tenacity and spirit that Sharley has.
Sharley’s family has been doing everything they can to help her, including physiotherapy sessions and research into what kind of things could help. Ashley, one of Sharley’s owners, found our website and was very happy to know that there were things out there that could assist with recovery. “We are thankful to have found Handicapped Pets Canada as we didn’t know what to do with her dragging her toes.”
With physiotherapy and support from those who love her, Sharley has been making great strides in recovery and is fighting to beat the odds.
“8 weeks later, she’s not only walking but running around the yard. She’s currently still paralyzed in her tail and toes on her left back end, but slowly she is getting feeling back in her toes. We don’t know if she will ever recover and get feeling completely back, but we stay hopeful.” Ashley said.
Even with a prognosis of a mere 5% chance of ever walking again, Sharley’s family did not give up on her. Still, no recovery is without its hiccups and bumps.
“Sharley walked on her toes causing serious damage and an infection to the top of her foot from scraping it along the grass when outside. We got the leg brace that goes under her toes to keep them straight. Her swelling is down and she can walk and run without damaging it now. She’s now getting strength in her toes because of the brace as well, and can sometimes walk without the brace and not drag her toes. ”
At first, the No-Knuckling Training Sock seemed like a good option to help Sharley, however Sharley’s physiotherapists thought that something with a boot may work better for her specific condition. There are a variety of different splints and braces out there, and Ashley was diligent in checking with Sharley’s healthcare professionals to help her choose a splint that would be suitable. Sharley is now using the Walkin’ Wheels Rear Limb Splint, and it’s working very well for her.
Every pet is a member of a family, and we love every single success story. Just like with our human family members, it touches just a little deeper on the heartstrings when the loved one is just a baby, and has their whole life ahead of them. Ashley said “She’s only 4 months old, so she’s got so much fight in her.”
Sharley definitely has a lot of fight in her – and she still has a lot of play in her too! Check out one of the cutest videos of all time below.
We are rooting for Sharley to make a full recovery – either way, it’s one giant playful leap for anyone who’s ever been told they may never walk again. Keep beating the odds, Sharley!
