When I first set up the Give a Little page - we hadn't yet had our specialist appointment and so we believed that Turbo would be facing an amputation. Since the Vet appointment and Turbo's profile going a tad more viral than we thought, I hadn't focused much on the fundraising page but rather on his facebook profile. Since our radio interview has aired, we have gratefully received a number of donations and resulted in the realization - the information on here is the original, pre-specialist assessment information!
So - whats changed? Well - everything!!!
Turbo saw the specialist vet who diagnosed a rare, congenital deformity called Ectrodactyly (aka Lobster Claw Syndrome). Only a handful of cases have been documented world wide and there is next to no surgical literature. While the diagnosis sounds grim - the vet has given us an option - instead of amputating and leaving him with one front leg that is not 100% functional - lets grow his forth limb!! So that is what we are doing!
The first step is to fuse the bones together in the forth limb - done! Turbo had this surgery on the 12th April. Fingers, toes and paws crossed it works!
If it works - the second step will be another operation at after 12 months of age where the bones are fractured and extended over a period of time. This sounds excruciating but it shouldn't be. It will be uncomfortable but it shouldn't cause him ongoing pain.
The end result - Turbo will have a forth limb that is functional and useful.
Why did we go this route? There is no guarantee this surgery will work. We wont know for another few weeks. But - hoping it does - if it doesn't work, the bones will need to be put into a 'peg' for amputation - this has been done so by going down this route we haven't lost anything.
So far our costs are as follows;
$400 Vet appointment fees
$600 X rays
$3700 - Surgery 1
$450 Physiotherapy
For regular updates, photos and videos please follow Turbo's facebook page @Turbosthreelegs
