A young pup has taken the first steps on his long road to recovery from a life-limiting hip problem.
Readers of The Courier took labrador/Staffordshire cross Tye to their hearts after learning about the severe hip dysplasia which left the friendly animal with a waddle as he tried to soothe the extreme pain of his badly formed hind quarters.
Just days after Tye’s plight was highlighted by Angus Dog Rescue, thousands of pounds were donated to the Arbroath-based charity by animal lovers from across Courier Country.
Their generosity allowed Ian Robb of Angus Dog Rescue to book the brindle pup in for the first hip replacement operation with Fife veterinary specialist John Anderson and Tye is now back in Angus beginning his convalescence from a procedure the charity is confident will give the dog a new lease of life.
Mr Robb said the benefits of the complex procedure are already beginning to show, but a long journey back to health still lies ahead for the eight-month-old pup.
The left hip was the most seriously damaged and has been tackled first, but the aim is to eventually have both joints done if funding can be found.
“The operation went well and although he was on heavy morphine for that day he was able to walk a wee bit on his own quicker than they had thought,” said Mr Robb.
“They didn’t have to put a sling on him it’s perhaps due to his young age that he’s bounced back so well.”
Tye is now back at Angus Dog Rescue and being given care by Mr Robb and his wife, Heather.
“One of the most important things is to take things slowly but he’s just a young dog and wants to be up and about so we have to be very strict about how much he gets out,” said Ian.
“He only gets out on the lead for very short periods and we’re constantly looking after him during the night. You can see it’s frustrating for him, but it’s important we build things up slowly.”
He added: “We’ve been inundated with phone calls from people wanting to know how he is doing, and how they can help.
“The response we got to allow us to put Tye through the operation in the first place was absolutely overwhelming and we can’t thank folk enough for that.”