Casper needs a new hip

Thank you for taking this time to read about Casper.

Casper is a Great Pyranees puppy (think Santa Paws) who is approximately 9 months old.  Casper was hit by a car in January, in Bastrop county, TX.  A Good Samaritan saved him from Euthinasia by supplying the funds for him to have surgery, which was required to fix his injuries.   Casper traveled from hospital to shelter to foster home until May, when he had the good fortune to end up at Wayside Great Pyranees Rescue and Sanctuary in Dripping Springs.  He spent a few restful weeks there before being placed in a new foster home with kids, cats and another dog to play with, which is where I come in. 

My name is Melissa, and I am Casper's foster Mom. Shortly after Casper arrived, I noticed that he was having a very hard time walking and climbing stairs and that he tripped and fell often.  I also noticed that he has a terrible amount of swelling along the side of his spine, on one side.  I contacted Wayside, and we immediately got Casper to a Veterinarian.  Casper's X-rays revealed that his hip is not in socket, and that it has been damaged for so long that he now has bone spurs and the ball has begun to deteriorate.  The Veterinarian who saw Casper does not believe that surgery was ever performed on him, but even if it was, his hip had clearly never been fixed.  Casper will NOW need to have a hip replacement by an orthopedic surgeon at a specialty Veterinarian Hospital.  Surgery for this guy will be costly; a new hip is estimated at $5,000.  

Casper is young and has already had to endure so much pain; yet there is no reason that he should not recover fully and have a long life.  Time is critical, since he is still growing, and the longer he has to wait, the greater his chances for even greater injury to his hip.  Imagine the pain of having a dislocated hip going on 6 months now.  I really truly believe that he is the most gentle dog that I have ever known.  He is so patient with children and animals alike and he wants to play so badly, as all puppies do.   He tries so hard to keep up with the kids and the other dogs before eventually needing to stop and rest his hip, or yelping out in pain when his leg turns the wrong way.  He's a real sweetie who needs to be touching, or sitting at our feet at all times. He tries to follow the family all around the house, even though it causes him obvious pain to get up and move.  

Casper is very smart and calm, and he is visually delighted when he see's small children.  I believe that he would actually make a wonderful therapy dog in the future, if given the chance to grow and heal.  Everyone who meets him loves him.  Would you please help Casper recieve the surgery that he desperately needs?  Please check out Wayside Great Pyranees Rescue and Sanctuary on facebook, for more news on Casper and all the other Great Pyr's that reside there.  Thank you.