Mattie needs your financial support to help pay for her surgery.

08/29/12: Mattie is ADOPTED!!!!!

07/25/12: Look at Mattie !!!!!!

Mattie’s knee has healed, she has been spayed and she is now looking for her forever home. Mattie graduated from her physical-swim therapy program and was released by her orthopedic surgeon with no restrictions. In the last four months Mattie has worked really hard to overcome corrective knee surgery, excel at physical therapy and be cured of two infections – one in her knee and one intestinal (Giardia).

Although Mattie is chronologically one year old now, her behavior is that of a six-month old puppy. For eight months Mattie lived in a crate, had a bad knee, and was suffering from two infections. She then spent the next two months recovering from her corrective knee surgery, working very hard at her physical therapy, and finally recovering from spay surgery so Mattie has never really enjoyed puppyhood.

Mattie is now a healthy 51 pound ball of energy who loves to do the famous boxer run run run in the back yard - she can be a bit clumsy and knock over small children in her enthusiasm to play and romp. Mattie is housebroken and will come and look at you, put her head in your lap or stand in front of you and go woo woo woo to let you know she needs a potty break. She is quite the dog talker when you have something she wants. She loves her Kong with peanut butter and dry dog food, as well as sharing apple slices, raw baby carrots, but her most favorite treat is beef flavored pup-peroni.

Mattie loves other dogs to play with and gets along with cats.

She is frightened of loud noises and fireworks. The night of the 4thof July she found out she could get in my bed all by herself and now she is there every night - Mattie’s favorite sleeping position is on her back with all four paws in the air! When left alone Mattie is still exhibiting some young puppy behavior like running off with your slippers, taking the television remote control, and shredding the newspaper. She does walk on a leash but does not like to be near traffic and she loves to ride in the car. If you go through the drive-thru she will lick your drink!

Mattie would do well in a home where someone is around most of the day; there is a fenced back yard and another dog to play with. She loves to have lots of toys and play tug of war with another dog.

05/03/12: So Far So Good!

We want everyone to know that Mattie is doing really well. Her foster mom continues with Mattie's physical therapy, vet visits, nursing duties, administering medications, multiple feedings per day, and lots and lots of TLC. We still need to wait another four weeks for the re-check with the Orthopedic Surgeon regarding whether or not she will need another surgery. We also have to wait to spay Mattie until after she has a medical ‘thumbs up' from her Doctor. In the meantime, Mattie is getting everything in life she has always deserved.
Below is the latest report from Mattie's foster mom:

"Mattie's staples were removed with no problems at our last vet visit and she is still on restricted movement. The knee still looks thick and will always be that way as well as some clicking noise due to arthritis. Mattie's knee culture report showed "Enterococcus" so she was prescribed a new antibiotic...250mg of Ciprofloxacin - 1 tablet per day for 28 days. Getting the infection under control is the top priority. We are to continue with the daily hot compress treatments plus PT and she has a return visit scheduled for Wednesday, 16 May. This appointment will be two days after she finishes this current course of antibiotics.

Mattie has already gained 11 lbs. Remarkable. Everybody did a double take at the vet‘s office. No one could believe she was the same dog. I'm backing off the amount of food per day but still staying with four feedings. I don't want her to gain too much at once and possibly take on a weight problem with her knee rehab. She still probably needs to gain another 5 to 10 lbs but we'll take it a little slower.

I'm going to buy a second Kong this afternoon to help keep her attention during her down periods. She is feeling much better...so much so that she is using my dog Miranda's legs like a chew toy. Miranda is more than willing to encourage some running and jumping but that is something I am controlling =) Mattie has adjusted remarkably well to life in a normal environment. She is sweet, affectionate, and has proven to be very adaptable to the world around her."

04/12/12: What A Difference Ten Days Make

In the last ten days, Mattie has made an amazing turn-around. The Orthopedic Surgeon did not know what to expect when she decided to operate on Mattie's leg and we prepared ourselves for the worst.

The doctor described the goal of the surgery as a “reconnaissance mission”. The intention was to remove the “hardware” from the previous two surgeries, clean up the surrounding tissue to help reduce inflammation, and then schedule another surgery to fix the knee once the leg had time to recover. However, depending on what they found during surgery, there was a chance they would remove the leg if the damage was not repairable.

Luckily Mattie's leg was able to be saved. The surgeon also was able to make some adjustments that helped Mattie's knee go back into alignment. There is a 50/50 chance that she will not need additional surgery, but that won't be known until her follow-up appointment in 8 weeks. In the meantime, Mattie will be getting physical therapy to help with her recovery which is going very, very well.

Mattie is an amazing Boxer. She has endured months of pain and suffering and she has still managed to maintain her sweet and loving disposition. Mattie is feeling so much better and her personality is starting to shine through. She went back to the vet to be weighed yesterday and she has gained 7 pounds!!!!...thanks to the vigilance of her foster mom.

Below is the latest foster report:

“When I went to the hospital to pick up Mattie after her surgery, there was a lady in the waiting room who began openly crying upon seeing Mattie's condition. Her bones are even more evident where she was shaved and I must say her emaciated body looked pitiful holding up the leg with the stapled incision.

I was given many instructions for her post surgery care. Ice packs 3 X a day for 4 days then warm compresses 3 X a day for 10 days. Physical therapy is to be started immediately. Passive range of motion exercises for both hind legs 3 X a day. In addition to the prescription medication she was given (Clindayycin, Previcoxas, and a Fentanol patch plus Tramadol for pain), she will need to take several supplements for her joint health (Dasuquin or Cosequin DS and Welactin or generic fish oil).

Mattie will have to be kept on leash for at least 4 months. She is under a very specific exercise restriction: Leash walk for elimination purposes for 10 days, then add a 5 minute walk 2-3 X daily. Increase each walk by 5 minutes each week as tolerated. While indoors, Mattie must be kept quiet; no running, jumping, or strenuous exercise/play. A leash and sling support for stairs and slippery surfaces. No jumping on/off furniture or access to stairs on her own. All of this is to continue until her recheck in 8 weeks. Her staples need to be removed in 14 days.
Since Mattie has been home she is trying to use the leg at times. She is noticeably happier with less pain. So far the wound looks good and has little to no swelling, and she has an insatiable appetite. The Orthopedic Surgeon is my hero! Hopefully the only other procedure Mattie will need in the future is her spay surgery.”

04/04/12: From Here To Eternity - Will The Suffering Ever End

Mattie is a precious 8 month old fawn female Boxer who is a sad product of a puppy mill. The only life she has known until now was in a cage. She went from a breeding farm to a pet store to an animal hospital where they tried unsuccessfully to help her.

Mattie was discovered in the notorious “back room” of a pet shop by a staff member of the animal hospital who offered to take her. She was extremely underweight and did not have the use of her left hind leg. One of the doctors at the hospital diagnosed Mattie as having a lateral patellar luxation. Basically, Mattie's kneecap is positioned incorrectly and is sitting on the outside of her leg. This is usually a congenital condition that needs surgery to repair. (*See a more technical explanation of this condition at the bottom of the page)

We received a call from the animal hospital after they performed two separate surgeries and Mattie was still unable to put weight on her leg. NBR is all too familiar with this medical condition and immediately made arrangements for one of our favorite orthopedic surgeons to review the medical records while we figured out transportation plans.

Mattie has been placed on antibiotics, given pain medication, and a culture was taken of the inside of her knee joint. The surgeon is reviewing her case and will make a decision about how to proceed after she has all of the necessary information to make that determination. The doctor informed us that it may not be possible to save Mattie's leg at this point, however, we are all in agreement that everything possible will be done to offer Mattie an opportunity to walk on four legs once again free of pain.

Everyone who has met Mattie comments how sweet she is and comes to tears when they see the condition of her body. The photos do not give an accurate picture of how bad she looks. In spite of everything Mattie has endured she has nothing but love to give towards everyone she meets. Mattie is currently being fostered in one of our very experienced foster homes where she can get care around the clock and, as an added bonus, the foster home comes with 2 boxers and 2 cats who will help with her socialization.

When Mattie arrived at the foster home she only weighed 35 lbs and is so malnourished that she requires at least four meals a day. To give you some perspective on just how malnourished this darling dog is, one of the cats at the foster home weighs in at 20lbs – only 15 pounds less than Mattie.

Below is an initial report from Mattie's attentive Foster Mom:

“Mattie's first night went well and, after more than 12 hours, she is finally drinking some water - I was getting worried. It was funny watching a dog who has never seen a television - she was fascinated with it and she liked to watch the pendulum swing on my wall clock and listen to the chimes. When I brought her home to meet Justice and Miranda she really wanted to box and romp but I didn't let her. She sniffed the cats but doesn't care about them.

This poor dog is a skeleton in a very poor fur coat........there is not a bone in her body that isn't visible....with or without glasses. Mattie is a very, very, very sweet dog and ever so cute. She loves to follow me around the house and she adores having her head rubbed. She has a good deal of difficulty walking due to her back leg but also due to a lack of muscle mass in her entire body.
I keep Mattie on the leash when we go outside to prevent her from running with the other dogs until the doctor gives the OK. She currently sleeps in a crate at night as a precaution to protect her leg and also because she does not yet know how to ask to go outside. She is taken outside several times a day and so far we have only had one minor accident in the house. I also keep her leashed during feeding time so she does not help herself to anyone else's food while they are still eating. The need for the leash in this situation will likely go away soon once Mattie knows she will be fed on a regular basis.

Even though Mattie is emaciated she does not beg for food but neither will she ignore any food that is readily available. She only jumped up to see what was on the counter the first night she was here; since then she has obviously had no need to do it again because she is being fed so frequently. She has a great appetite and eats everything without hesitation. Her lips and tongue are very soft and she likes to take the dog biscuits gently from your hand.

Last night she played around in the kitchen with the cats' catnip toy while I was washing up a batch of dishes and killing time waiting for the dog's chicken to get done. She was more patient today waiting for the food to get ready but if she thinks you have something in your hand to eat she will investigate. I'm also going out today to get Mattie a raised food bowl set-up to make it easier for her to eat.

If I had to describe her she looks like a baby Giraffe with no coordination - she has legs that just don't quit. I think she would eat herself to death if there was an open bag of food she could get to - but no food aggression. She eats with gusto and enjoys every bit of what's in her bowl. She is currently pulling out all the toys in the toy box and wanting to share them with the cats - the cats are not interested.

Mattie may never be a dog who will be able to go for long walks, or even do open field running, but she will certainly be an endearing companion. She is not able to get on furniture or in bed with you right now, but she does like to curl up on a large soft dog pillow next to your favorite chair and join you while you watch TV.

Mattie has lots of love to give but it will take just the right person to give Mattie the time and attention she deserves and needs.”

*Overview of Lateral Luxating Patellar

The patella, or knee cap, is a small bone buried in the tendon of the extensor muscles (the quadriceps muscles) of the thigh. The patella normally rides in a femoral groove within the stifle The patellar tendon attaches on the tibial crest, a bony prominence located on the tibia, just below the knee. The quadriceps muscle, the patella and its tendon form the“extensor mechanism” and are normally well-aligned with each other. Patellar luxation is a condition where the knee cap rides outside the femoral groove when the stifle is flexed. It can be further characterized as medial or lateral, depending on whether the knee cap rides on the inner or on the outer aspect of the stifle.