10/22/12: Tyson's foster mom couldn't let him go and we don't blame her, Tyson is adopted!

 

03/30/12: An update (and picture) from Tyson's foster mom...

 

 "Tyson has been doing great and as usual, everyone who meets him falls in love! His energy level has been fantastic lately too. I'm not sure why, but he has been acting like a puppy for the last few weeks! Hopefully it is because his leg isn't bothering him so he feels good finally."

 

10/03/11: Another Potential Problem For Tyson

 

Tyson had been limping intermittently for the past few weeks and eventually he no longer was bearing weight on his left front leg that has had two recent surgeries. Since he also had a temperature we were concerned that the MRSA staff infection he developed after the first operation had returned.

 

His foster mom, who is a veterinarian, took him directly to the Emergency Specialty Hospital where he was admitted. The ER doctor did some tests (including radiographs and blood work) however, they could not make a definitive diagnosis based on those test results. The doctor felt it was best to let an Orthopedic specialist perform further testing. Tyson was then transferred to the Orthopedic department the next day.

The Orthopedic doctors gave Tyson a full workup (CBC, chem profile, additional x-rays etc.) and, after reviewing all of the information, they decided the best approach was to treat him conservatively…for now. The radiographs showed that there was excess bone growth in the wrist joint near the initial fracture and, although they could not rule out MRSA or cancer without a bone biopsy, the doctors felt Tyson’s pain was most likely caused by bone on bone friction in the joint.

 

They placed him on two pain medications (Rimadyl and Tramadol) for two weeks and then would reevaluate him at that time. The doctors thought that Tyson may need a third surgery to fuse his wrist joint, but could not make a determination of when that may occur. We are now in a holding pattern, and hoping for the best.

 

09/26/11: We received a call from Tyson's foster mom yesterday and he has been admitted to the ER due to complications with his leg, please keep Tyson in your thoughts and consider making a donation to his care - We had to make a $1000.00 deposit just to get him in....more soon.

 

06/24/11: Tyson Had A Bumpy Ride But Now It Is Smooth Sailing

Much has happened with Tyson since our last update almost five months ago. He did well for a while after surgery but was sidetracked when a staff infection developed in his leg. His leg became swollen and a limp progressed to total non-use of the leg. The doctor prescribed strong antibiotics to try and curtail the infection without success. Each time the antibiotics were stopped the infection returned. After multiple visits with the surgeon (radiographs, tissue cultures etc) it was decided that the only way to solve the problem was to schedule Tyson for another surgery to remove the metal plate and screws placed there to help stabilize his broken bones.

Poor Tyson had to undergo another operation however removing the hardware in his leg was the right option. He slowly healed and several return vet visits to check his progress have all been excellent. There was a slight scare at one point when it was thought that the infection in his leg returned, but tests proved that to be unfounded. Tyson has fully recovered and is now ready for adoption. He has a slight limp and at times will hold up his leg after playing too hard but, for the most part, it does not slow him down. Tyson loves to swim and his leg would benefit from having regular outings in a body of water.

Below is an update from Tyson's wonderful foster mom who has nursed him back to health:

"Tyson has been doing great at home. We have been taking him for long leash walks and he barely limps anymore! He had the chance to go for his first swim this weekend and seemed to really enjoy the water. He continues to get along great with my 3 dogs and has become a lot more playful in the last few weeks. He had his last re-check with the surgeon and x-rays confirmed his leg is finally completely healed.

Tyson has been great in our home and has been a positive influence on our other dogs. We have actually been able to leave our dogs out of their crates when we are gone to work for the first time in their lives. For some reason Tyson has been a great calming influence on them and they no longer "get into trouble" when we are gone. I'm sure he with make his forever parents very happy. Tyson is truly a special dog."

 

02/08/11: Tyson Had His Surgery And Is On The Mend!

In the words of the orthopedic surgeon, Dr. McCarthy, “Tyson’s surgery went somewhat better than expected”.
 

The two pieces of the bone were overlapping ¾ of an inch… it had calcified and was healing improperly. It took quite a bit of effort to tear away the calcification and rearrange the bone in a proper position. The Doctor was surprised that Tyson had some range of motion in his wrist which he was able to flex and extend. He had expected the joint to be completely frozen since so much time had passed since his injury.

The repair took nine screws and a metal plate to stabilize the fractured bone and this hardware will remain in place forever. He was administered pain medication to relieve any discomfort and put on antibiotics to ward off infection. There was a minor complication after surgery with major swelling in his paw and he had to return to the hospital for a recheck. They checked out his condition, rewrapped the leg, and the swelling eventually subsided as they expected. This swelling is not uncommon since the break was so close to the wrist joint. Tyson is on minimal exercise and is putting some weight on his leg (which the Dr. wants to encourage).
Tyson did return for his scheduled follow-up exam and the surgeon was very pleased with his progress. He has another appointment in a few weeks to take additional x-rays and to make sure that the bone is healing properly. Tyson continues to charm everyone who comes in contact with him and has been a champ throughout this whole ordeal.
 

We want to thank everyone for their support and prayers! Although we have received generous donations, we still have not reached our goal to pay for the surgery in full. NBR is a non-profit that cannot continue without your help. All donations go to the care of the dogs.

02/01/11: Where's the Love?

Tyson is not receiving the donations needs to pay for his surgery. You donations are the only thing that allows us to help dogs like Tyson.  NBR is a Non-Profit organization,  and ONLY continues to help dogs in need by your donations & the help of volunteers.

01/20/11:   Tyson Is A Stoic Gentle Giant - His Leg was Broken 5+ Weeks Ago

Sweet sweet Tyson is a 5 year old 80 pound boxer who was hit by a car on December 12. His family took him to an emergency hospital where it was determined that Tyson had broken his left front leg...."a nonunion fracture of the left distal radius and ulna". They were told that a metal plate and screws would be needed to repair Tyson's leg, but they were not able to afford the cost of surgery. They did not want to have Tyson euthanized so it was decided that a cast would be placed on the leg. The hope was to stabilize the bone so it could heal on it's own, but they knew this "repair" would have little chance of success.

Poor Tyson undoubtedly was in horrible pain and, in desperation, he chewed through the hard cast. He was taken back to see his regular doctor and it was once again recommended that surgery be performed. However, due to the lack of funds they opted to try a splint on the leg. Tyson was sent home with this "band-aid" repair, and he proceeded to chew the splint off as well. When Tyson's family returned to the vet hospital they were given the option to remove Tyson's leg. The doctor also suggested that Boxer Rescue could be contacted to help Tyson and the family agreed to let them make the call.

We made arrangements to take Tyson into our rescue program as soon as we we received the call asking NBR to help. We knew from experience that old fractures require a very talented orthopedic specialist to perform successful surgery; we called our favorite orthopedic vet at Tufts who has done amazing work with many of our injured dogs over the years. We also made preparations with one of our great foster homes who is a fourth year vet student since Tyson will need specialized care after surgery.

When Tyson came into NBR his first stop was to Tufts for an exam. The doctor removed the splint and discovered several sores on Tyson's lower leg and pads of the foot (most likely due to the cast/splint); the wounds were draining and had a malodorous smell. Tyson was sedated and his sloughing pads and associated wounds were debrided, cleaned and flushed. The doctor noted that Tyson's fracture was not healed, and there was a large bony callous that had formed on the bones. Antibiotics were prescribed and a new splint was reapplied while awaiting his appointment with the Orthopedic Specialist. Tyson went home for the night with his new foster mom and had a very restful sleep. He curled up with one of the foster parent's dogs and slept all through the night. He finally had some relief from his terrible distress and was no doubt feeling better than he had in quite a while.

Tyson's exam by the Orthopedic surgeon confirmed that Tyson's fracture has become complicated because it went untreated for so long. The doctor said that it would be a very difficult surgery and that Tyson will need significant physical therapy after the fracture is repaired. He also noted that both of Tyson's back knees had chronic cruciate tears that were never treated and recommended that he be given a glucosamine/chondroitin supplement for the rest of his life. Surgery has been scheduled and we are hoping for a favorable outcome.

One thing is certain....Tyson is an incredibly wonderful boxer who makes everyone he meets fall in love with him. We are so happy that we have given Tyson a chance for a better life. Please make a donation to help with his treatment and care which will be extensive.