Heal-a-Bull: Krispy Bacon

Meet Krispy Bacon 

A rehab success story

Krispy Bacon, or KB as we like to call him, came to Save-a-Bull in December as part of our Heal-a-Bull program - a program dedicated to dogs that need extra TLC and medical attention prior to adoption. 

KB was born with a congenital spine compression, which limits his mobility. In addition to that he was terribly overweight which further complicated his ability to walk and use his back legs. After a month in rescue with his committed foster, KB had lost significant weight and through physical therapy sessions  was making great progress using his legs. Though he would always need special care and ongoing therapy, KB was ready to be a regular dog and was adopted.

bad news

One month later, we got word that the adopter wanted to return KB as “things weren't working out.”  We made arrangements to have him dropped off at our Bake Sale event on February 10 and upon his arrival immediately realized things had changed drastically for him.  He was unable to walk, he was completely incontinent and his physical appearance was alarming - he had sores and irritations all over his back legs and stomach, and he reeked of urine.  

We immediately assessed his condition to determine if he was in pain (he wasn't) and we went about cleaning him up.  He seemed to enjoy a warm bath and all the attention. We contacted our vetting partner and made arrangements to have him seen for an evaluation first thing Monday morning. KB’s foster spent the weekend loving on him and keeping him comfortable.

immediate medical care

At our Monday appointment, the vet determined that KB needed specialized care and referred us to the University of Minnesota Veterinary Hospital; we were to bring KB to the clinic immediately. KB was admitted to the ER overnight and would be transferred to Neurology Services in the morning.  

On Tuesday morning, the neurologist did a full exam and MRI on KB and thankfully found positive signs: KB still had reflexes in both his rear legs, and good range of motion with no pain. He had good sphincter muscle reflexes as well.  However, KB was going to need surgery to stabilize his spine - the  goal being to prevent further paralysis and return his mobility to as good as, if not better than, before he was adopted.

Since time was of the essence, KB went straight to surgery Tuesday afternoon to put  five pins in his spine . That evening the doctors reported that everything went well and KB was waking up without complications. He would spend the night in ICU  and the rest of the week at the hospital.

the long road ahead

Once KB is released from the U of M he will send 4-6 weeks on crate rest. After that, he and his foster will return to his physical therapy routine as they try to rebuild his strength to walk again.

We are thrilled that Krispy Bacon is getting the care he needs and deserves. And thankful that we have the funds in our Heal-a-Bull program to be able to take on unexpected situations like this. But KB’s bills are going to make a huge impact on our funds. This very specialized care comes at a cost:

• Neurologist eval: $150
• ER stay: $500/night
• MRI: $2,000
• Surgery: $4,000
• Hospital stay: $250/night
• Physical Therapy: $750 for eval and 8 sessions

These are the fixed costs we have right now, but know we will have added expenses for a second neurologist evaluation, follow up visits and ongoing care. 

Please consider a donation to our Heal-a-Bull program to help with KB’s medical care. 

Thank you!