A beautiful three-year-old Saint Bernard had once belonged to someone, but just days before Christmas in the Houston, Texas area, he fell out of the back of a moving pickup truck. He hit the pavement with such force, the impact of his fall paralyzed him. The driver never stopped nor bothered to look in his rearview mirror; he just sped away.
Nick was picked up by Animal Control and taken to one of the local shelters. His future seemed ominous, but the shelter reached out to ThisIsHouston for help.
Nick reportedly fell out of a moving truck and sustained a luxated/broken back. He became immobile and was up for euthanasia at a local animal shelter due to his injuries. The shelter reached out to multiple rescue groups but all of them said no because of his injuries. We got his plea and said ‘let’s try.’
When he arrived, besides his apparent paralysis, the 130 pound dog was also infested with fleas, suffered from a ruptured anal gland, tested positive for heartworm disease and had open sores on his back which appeared to be urine burns. He tried to bark and howl, but his voice was hoarse; likely having tried endlessly to cry for help.
It was on Christmas Eve that Nick underwent surgery for his back; everything went well. He received a blood transfusion before surgery because he was quite anemic. Surgeons inserted two plates and two additional screws in his back correcting the fracture. His luxation had been between his L7 and sacrum.
Doc said he has great anal tone, deep pain sensation, and his reflexes are in tact so we’re all hoping for a full recovery. He’s not sure if Nick’s got bladder function right now but time will tell. He’s set to start his laser therapy today and will stay for a few more days.
Post recovery for Nick has been at Neighborhood Veterinary Center in Nederland.
His first month post surgery had been critical, and he has been on strict rest. Six weeks after his surgery he was still on bed rest, but progress was being made. Last Friday, he started physical therapy and is doing range of motion exercises as well as short standing exercises. With the motion and muscle tone he has in the back legs right now, his doctor is hopeful, that with strong tactile therapy and e-stim, Nick’s prognosis looks brighter for a full recovery.
NVC Nederland (where he’s currently at) is a few hours away from Houston, so he will be receiving a physical therapy appointment at a Houston clinic next week. With that set in place, he should be discharged this weekend into foster care.
Thank you to all those in Nick’s corner! It’s not often there’s a 130-pound temporarily paralyzed pup in need, so this was a big challenge, but Nick deserves a second chance. Rehab is going to take some time, but everyone is wishing for a full recovery.
More updates to follow.
Donate to his care:
PayPal.this-is-houston.org
Venmo @ThisIsHouston
this-is-houston.org/ways-to-help/donate/
Checks: PO Box 2821, Houston TX 77252
Cash App $ThisIsHouston
Follow the National Pet Rescue on Facebook for the latest animal related news.
