Gerald Hugo

Last Updated: May 10, 2010

Gerald Hugo was in the shelter, and was unwilling to put weight on one of his rear legs.
Here is his story, in the words of his rescuer:
“The vet did an extensive exam on Gerald Hugo — ran him through some tests and studied the xrays, as well as took more at different angles. He said what it is, is the growth plate that forms in that leg as a puppy. Some dogs growth plate does not come in well and his didnt. But on some dogs the patella rotates 90 degrees and Geralds’s only rotated 20 degrees, and the vet said that is perfect for having this type of birth defect. Gerald has excellent mobility after the vet put him through some tests.
“The only thing the vet foresees is when Gerald is older, his anterior cruciate ligament (which is like an ACL in humans) might start to wear down and possibly tear. He said at that time, any vet surgeon can go in there and repair it – quick and painless. He also said it might never wear down, since he has been putting weight on that foot recently, he said he could possibly build up the muscle around that ligament, and could never have any trouble with it.
“If he suffers any with arthritis flare ups in the future, he can go in for adequan injections, and that can have him up and going for a year or so. He has some arthritis now, but nothing that is not tolerable. The vet also said that the arthritis will not get any worse, it just might flare up when the cold first gets here.
“The vet said at this time he would not go in and re-break the leg just to fix the growth plate that is a birth defect. He said it would cause way more damage than good and can possibly make Geralds’s walking a lot worse, as well as being on all kinds of joint meds. He said looking at him that just keeping him on Rimadyl (as needed) and taking glucosamine every day (that one has to be taken) will help Gerald for the rest of his life. He said Gerald is in amazing health except for the bones, and he can tolerate the two pills.”
CorgiAid supporters have helped Gerald Hugo get his condition diagnosed. Thank you!