Ben

Ben is a handsome 9 year old who must have been involved in a road traffic accident. By the time we saw him, the incident had possibly occurred several months before and we cannot know what pain and difficulties he went through out on the streets.

He had various ‘first aid’ treatments at the vets’ but was reluctant to use his right hind leg and his paw remained very sore and bloody. X-rays revealed damage to the hip joint and two operations, a couple of months apart, did nothing to improve the situation.

The Pavilion seemed the best place to put him in the hope that the freedom and space would encourage him to move about and get stronger, but he was clearly making no progress and just lying in his bed, hidden away. We tried physiotherapy on the leg but after a few steps he would just hop.

It was decided, after consultation with our vet and considerable thought, that the only option was to remove the leg.

As I write, it is 4 weeks since he had the stitches out and the fur is growing back nicely. He no longer hides away but sleeps fully stretched out on the bed or curled up in the most comfortable chair. The garden attracts him on warm days and he wanders around or just sunbathes. He has learned that a catnip mouse is great fun to play with and he charges up and down the stairs.

Yes, I took him home!

Lyn