Oliver and Twist the disabled Dachshunds
Oliver and Twist were rescued from a backyard breeder's operation. With at least 100 dogs, the situation was way out of hand. A lady who does private rescue work convinced the breeder to give up 20 of the dogs so they could be placed in loving homes. Oliver and Twist were among the 20 dogs, and when the rescuer discovered they were disabled, she contacted us.
They were both only about a year old when they arrived at the ranch, and poor breeding was already evident.
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Oliver, the long-haired Doxie, has disc disease, and while that isn't visibly noticeable, his other disability is very apparent. His front feet are bent sideways, and he hops when he walks. You might think he actually has a little rabbit in him when you watch him hop around!
Twist has a body that seems unnaturally long, yet he does not show any disc problems at this point. His main issue is his left rear leg, which sticks out sideways. It doesn't have a knee joint and thus doesn't bend, either. Our vets believe this was most likely a birth defect. Twist is very fast on his feet, and when he wants to move quickly, he simply pulls that rear leg up and out of the way, and then he zooms off!
Following thorough medical exams and X-rays, our vets found there isn't anything we can do to correct or improve their respective conditions. The good news is that neither dog is in any pain, and indeed, they don't let their disabilities slow them down at all.
These two boys are the best of friends, and they are so bonded they even share the same food bowl. We tried feeding them separately but they always ended up eating out of the same bowl together. When they're not snuggling under bedding in the Dachshund way, they spend a good part of every day romping and roughhousing with each other.
November 2008
