Chocolate is leaving WSU, heading home to the Tri-Cities
July
8, 2008
Contact: Darin Watkins, WSU College of Veterinary Medicine (509) 335-4456
dwatkins@vetmed.wsu.edu
PULLMAN, Wash. – After 4 months of surgery and rehabilitation at WSU,
“Chocolate,” a rescued Chesapeake Bay retriever is heading back to the Tri
Cities.
The abandoned dog was seen roaming the fields north of Pasco last winter;
suffering from numerous fractures to his front legs, yet was able to survive
on his own by getting around primarily on his back legs. Now, after three
surgeries, and months of intensive rehabilitation, Chocolate is ready to go
to a new home.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with his progress,” said WSU veterinary
orthopedic surgeon Dr. Steve Martinez, who oversaw Chocolate’s recovery.
Surgery was required to repair the old breaks that had healed improperly,
and left both limbs twisted and virtually unusable. “Once both legs were
moving properly, we could focus our attention on rebuilding his muscle
strength and literally re-teach him how to walk correctly,” said Dr.
Martinez.
The WSU team credits its new underwater treadmill as being a critical
element in restoring Chocolate’s strength. In the past few months, his
sessions have helped rebuild lost muscle mass in his front shoulders.
“We absolutely could not have done this without the underwater treadmill,”
said Lori Lutskas, a licensed veterinary technician and WSU’s veterinary
physical rehabilitation specialist. “This was critical in his recovery.”
The new device allows physical activities in varying depths of water while
providing buoyancy for gradual weight-bearing to allow motion and bone
repair to progress simultaneously. The underwater treadmill was recently
added to WSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital thanks to generous gifts from
two grateful donors to the college.
Despite his successes, Chocolate has more work ahead of him. “He will still
require continued stretching and physical therapy,” said Dr. Martinez. “We
will certainly miss him around here.”
Chocolate will be returned to the care of Dr. Janine Swailes and her team
from Meadow Hills Veterinary Center, in Kennewick, Wash., Dr. Swailes’
practice first took in the injured dog before transferring it to WSU’s
Veterinary Teaching Hospital for definitive care. Their efforts to raise
more than $25,000 for Chocolate’s care led to a special President’s Award
from the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association. The clinic has
identified two families that are willing to adopt Chocolate and help him
complete his physical therapy.
Media Availability
When: Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Where: WSU’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital
Who: Dr. Martinez and the WSU team will be on hand for
interviews
Schedule
9:30 a.m. - Chocolate will be undergoing one last
underwater treadmill session with media access
11:30 a.m. – The WSU team will say goodbye to Chocolate who
will be transported back to the Tri-Cities by limousine.
Last Edited: Jul 30, 2008 12:43 PM
