Dog Bambi
The decision will not fail to materialise - Bambi needs new hips
Mixed-breed dog Bambi was living as a stray in Greece. An animal rights activist noticed her, rescued Bambi and other young dogs and brought them to an animal shelter. Unfortunately, the shelter for stray dogs was closed down and a new home urgently needed to be found for the animals living there.
The animal rights activist did everything she could to bring the dogs to an animal shelter in Germany, but this action failed at the last minute. In desperation, she contacted Gut Aiderbichl and Dieter Ehrengruber spontaneously agreed to take in six dogs.
Bambi's health check revealed a congenital problem
Bambi is full of joie de vivre and runs like the wind. However, X-rays revealed that she was born with bilateral hip damage. Hip joint complications in dogs are orthopaedic conditions that can lead to painful restrictions in movement. Such damage mainly affects large dogs, which suffer from painful movement restrictions throughout their lives due to these joint problems. The symptoms that indicate a hip condition are varied and include, for example, problems getting up, walking and can lead to lameness due to immobility of the hind legs.
Bambi is an incorrigible cuddly dog
Bambi doesn’t like being alone. She needs to be surrounded by at least one dog or at least one person to make her feel good. Her strong bond with a human is noticeable. Her current favourite person is our dog carer Daniel, who is particularly good at understanding, feeling and interpreting the signals of this loyal dog’s soul. Daniel gives Bambi confidence, cuddles, understanding for her lively nature and an overdose of love.
The decision will have to be made - hip surgery, yes or no?
To prevent Bambi from having restricted mobility in the future, the damaged hip would have to be replaced on both sides with artificial hip joints. Dieter Ehrengruber, the vets and the animal carers are discussing and considering the treatment of the bilateral hip damage. The questions that arise are not only of a financial nature.
a. Bambi would undergo two operations to have a new hip on the left and right. After the operation, Bambi would only be allowed to move slowly for a total of at least six months, i.e. not romp around, not jump and only go for a walk on a short lead to do her business.
b. The cost of such a hip operation, including follow-up treatment, is around €5,000 per hip joint.c. The question asked by the counselling team is whether such an operation makes sense for Bambi. Is it doing the fun-loving dog any good if she is only allowed limited movement for months after the operation? How is Bambi supposed to understand this, when running and romping around with her fellow dogs is the best thing for her?
If you're sad, let my wagging tail remind you that tomorrow is a new day.
– Unknown
Bambi’s story has not yet been written to a happy ending.
By: Gisela Pschenitschnig, Gut Aiderbichl
Dog Bambi
Mongrel
Animal rights activists in Cyprus received an urgent call from a local woman: two dogs were living in her garden. If they were not removed immediately, she threatened to poison them. To save Bambi and her sister from a cruel death, dedicated animal rights activists took the two friendly dogs to a shelter. A home had already been found for Bambi in Germany, but this placement was canceled at short notice. To make her journey possible, we agreed to take Bambi in. After her arrival, we noticed that Bambi was not walking properly. A veterinary examination unfortunately confirmed our fears: both hips are severely damaged. Only an operation followed by a long and consistent rehabilitation phase can give Bambi a pain-free and worthwhile life. Bambi is a little reserved and shy at first, but she quickly warms up. Once she has gained confidence, she becomes very attached to "her" human. She is a loyal, sensitive soul who happily follows her human everywhere with trust. She generally gets along well with other dogs and is always friendly towards people. Bambi currently finds it very difficult to be left alone. She is very attached to her human and needs their closeness and security. We are looking for a loving, quiet home for our Bambi, where she can recover from her operation in peace and quiet and where she has to be left alone as little as possible, or ideally not at all. During the rehabilitation phase, she should be kept as the only dog, as she is very playful and physical rest is absolutely necessary. Great care must be taken to ensure that she takes strict rest and that the veterinary instructions are followed.
